The Dark Throne (54 page)

“Hasn’t killed us yet,” replied Duke, finishing what I was certain was a well-worn refrain.

“So how does it work?” Quinn asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“It’s hard to explain. The future isn’t set. It’s always shifting, and the farther into the future, the more possibilities there are because of all the choices leading up to that moment in time. I get glimpses of what I call the threads, all interwoven and tangled up because they all result from different choices. If I can pick it apart, or figure out the main choice leading up to an outcome, then I can work backwards.”

“The butterfly effect, man,” said Quinn musingly, leaning back on his hands.

“Why haven’t you won the lottery yet?” Duke demanded. “If I could see the future, I’d totally cash in and buy a jet.” He considered. “A jet with a stripper pole,” he amended.

Liam laughed. “Of course you would.”

As if at a silent signal, Jess stood and Quinn followed suit, stretching.

“The river is straight downhill,” said Luca. “Probably about an hour’s walk on foot.”

“Walking? Who said we were walking?” Duke grinned at Quinn and then sprinted out of camp. To my surprise, the large brown man ran after him.

“They have no appreciation for the fact that we might run into zombies out here,” said Liam. He glanced at me. “Or whatever names you’ve given to these horror-show critters.”

“Oh, to be young and stupid again,” replied Jess dryly as he followed at a more reasonable lope.

Liam gave me a quick hug. “We’ll talk when I get back, Bug.”

“Looking forward to it,” I replied with a smile. As Liam disappeared into the trees, Luca signaled to Niamh. In short order, a pair of Valkyrie climbed above the treetops, winging almost lazily down the mountain in the direction of the river.

With my brother and his teammates gone, my thoughts rushed into the silence in my mind. My hands shook slightly as I checked the vials and pouches of my healing kit, making sure every herb and instrument was in its proper place before I rolled it closed. Luca and Niamh spoke in quiet voices for a few moments, and then the silver-haired Seelie nodded briskly, walking back to the center of camp and directing the watch setup.

“Tess,” said Luca, turning back to me. “How are you?”

I smiled a little. I’d expected him to ask if I was all right. It was easier to skate by that question than this one. “I’m…thinking. A lot.” I took a deep breath and straightened, my healing kit neatly packed. I looked at the
ulfdrengr
and shrugged. “I feel like I
should
be really relieved. And I am. I’m so glad that Liam is safe.” I sighed. “But it’s just…
different.
It’s not like we’re at home. It’s not like he just got back from deployment.” I shook my head. “He’s gotten dragged into this war, and then there are the other three. I can’t imagine what they’re feeling. I don’t know how it happened, but they’re stuck here too.”

“They are all warriors,” said Luca.

“I know. It’s just…and I know this has absolutely nothing to do with anything, but I don’t feel like it’s
fair
for them to have been sucked through the veil with no choice in the matter.” I spread my hands and then crossed my arms. A few of the vanguard had already managed to shoot a pale-pelted deer; Robin carried it into camp draped over his shoulders, a smear of dark blood across his cheek luridly contrasting his bright hair and cheeky grin.

“You were brought into this world without much choice,” said Luca quietly. “You chose to stay by the side of your friend and fight. Those men, they are brothers, and they chose the same.” He paused. “I don’t think that’s the only thing on your mind, though.”

I smiled. “So perceptive for a wolf-warrior.”

Luca grinned. “Perhaps I pay such close attention because it you are important to me.”

“You’re unusually perceptive all the time,” I said. I hesitated, but then I reminded myself that Luca had become one of my truest friends in Faeortalam. He’d proven time and again that he deserved my trust. “I’ve been thinking about Finnead too.”

“It would only be natural,” Luca said, his voice carefully neutral.

“Well, yes…but these thoughts are more like questions,” I said softly. I pressed my lips together and watched Robin and a few other of the vanguard warriors lashing a length of rope about the hind legs of the deer, preparing to haul it over a tree branch and skin it.

“If you would like to talk to me about these questions, I will listen as a friend,” Luca said.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I know. But I don’t think it’s fair of me to rely on you for relationship advice, given our…situation.”

Luca smiled. “Our situation?”

I looked sharply at him and caught the glimmer of amusement in his pale eyes. An answering smile curved my lips, even as the air heated between us at the prolonged gaze. “You know exactly what I mean.”

“All too well,” he replied after a long moment.

I walked over to my pack and deposited my kit. “I’m going to go help Robin dress that deer. Let me know when our Walker returns?”

Luca nodded. Then, right before I turned to walk toward Robin, Luca reached out and delicately gathered me into his arms, his big hands gentle in consideration of my bruised ribs. After a split second of surprise, I leaned my forehead against his solid chest, sliding my hands beneath his arms.

“I am glad your brother is safe, Tess,” Luca said.

The flood of relief that I’d expected earlier now rushed through my body like a tidal wave. I let it wash over me, the warmth of Luca’s embrace a comforting counterpoint to the sudden weakness in my knees. I took a deep breath and then carefully extricated myself from his arms, pushing away the compulsion to tilt my head up and brush my lips over his. “That makes two of us.” I smiled and squeezed Luca’s arm in thanks. He brushed a thumb across my cheekbone, pale blue eyes focused with unnerving intensity on my face. Then he winked at me and smiled, breaking the tension.

“Time to go help cook dinner,” I said brightly, hoping he didn’t hear the husky current of heat in my voice as I turned and walked across camp.

Chapter 27

R
obin and the other hunters had shot two deer—one of the Valkyrie had actually shot the first one, he explained, and picked out the other one from the air for the ground hunters.

“There’s some advantage to having eyes in the sky,” he said as we skinned the deer he’d carried into camp. They’d already field dressed the carcasses with typical Sidhe speed, and in short order we had the best cuts of meat speared on sturdy spits, waiting to be placed over the fire when it grew hot enough. Kianryk obligingly dragged the carcass into the trees when we finished.

“Lazy-bones,” muttered Robin good-naturedly.

Shadows lengthened as the sun set behind the mountains. I retrieved my cloak as the air took on a biting chill. We stoked the fire to roaring, and by the time the newest mortals in Faeortalam emerged from the trees with wet hair and freshly scrubbed skin, the scent of roasting meat hovered in a heavenly cloud over the camp. The four men wore new clothes, carrying their camouflage pants and shirts in rolled bundles—although Jess had opted to continue wearing his more nondescript olive-drab pants, still drying from being washed in the river. I grinned at Liam. “You guys look like proper members of the company now.”

Quinn ran his hands through his damp, wavy black hair. “I think we need swords if we really want to blend in.”

“Or an axe,” said Duke, looking covetously at Luca’s weapon.

Liam chuckled. “Bloodthirsty savages.”

“
Hungry
savages,” agreed Quinn, inspecting the roasting meat. Moira, turning one of the spits, watched him with a very carefully blank Sidhe expression, conveying no emotion save for the glitter of her pale eyes. But I thought I saw a flash of interest pass over her dangerously beautiful face.

“You obviously managed to keep yourselves fed since coming through,” I said.

“Duke’s our corn-fed Southern boy, so he knows how to hunt. And all of us are good shots, obviously,” Liam said. “But we had to keep moving and stay beneath the radar. That limited us a little bit.”

Next to the fire, there was a cloak spread out with a variety of berries and plants gleaned from the forest, including more of those pale green tubers. I wasn’t sure whether it was Sidhe knowledge or
ulfdrengr
tradition that had netted us this bounty, but I didn’t quite care as I selected a few of the plump berries. My stomach rumbled in anticipation. I glanced at Luca. “Is our Walker back yet?”

He shook his head. “He’s been gone a long time, but that does not mean anything is wrong necessarily.”

“Did we have any time limit?” I asked, frowning. Moira and Robin lifted the roasted meat from over the fire onto a separate set of forked branches set upright in the ground. The haunch of deer sizzled and hissed as it cooled. I tried to keep my thoughts focused and my stomach distracted by savoring a few of the berries.

“No. Vell may be keeping him until the other Walkers report at dusk,” Luca said.

“What’s a Walker, and who is this Vell we keep hearing about?” Quinn rubbed his beard with the palm of his hand.

Once again I realized how much they didn’t know, and how much I’d learned and lived since coming through the lesser gate in Mab’s kingdom. “Let’s get food first, and I’ll explain.” I nodded toward the fire. “You’re the newest members of the company, so I’m pretty sure everyone is waiting for you to eat first.”

“Not gonna argue,” said Duke. A few extra sets of bowls and utensils had been scavenged from among the company’s packs—though I suspected that Luca had directed a few members to pack extra clothes and necessities for any potential rescued mortals. We carved out generous portions of still-hot meat. I licked my scorched, greasy fingers after filling my bowl. The low hum of warriors enjoying a hard-earned hot meal after a day of fighting filled the camp.

Quinn found a log and claimed it as his seat; Duke sat on the ground and leaned back against the end of the log. I found myself in a casual circle with the four men, Luca, Niamh, Moira and Robin, who gave me a grin as he settled down next to Jess. I ate a couple of roasted tubers to settle my stomach while I waited for the meat to cool to a more palatable temperature.

“So,” I said, “Vell is also called the
vyldretning
. She’s the High Queen, head of the Wild Court, also called the
vyldgard
.”

“She’s the one I told you to crown,” Liam said with a nod. “I saw a bit of that, you holding something burning in your hands and that column of fire funneling down into her. It looked intense.”

I held up my right hand, showing them my palm. “It
was
intense. I have the scars to prove it.” I smiled. “Anyway…um, I’m doing a terrible job of explaining all this.” The Caedbranr chuckled, vibrating in its sheath on my back. Quinn looked at the Sword sharply. “Yeah, it does that sometimes. Okay. Let me start from…well, not the beginning, but a lot farther back. When I came into Faeortalam—the Fae world—there were two Courts, the Seelie and the Unseelie Courts. The Seelie Court is ruled by Queen Titania, and the Unseelie Court is ruled by Queen Mab.”

“Like straight-from-legend Mab and Titania?” asked Quinn with a slight edge of incredulity.

“Yes. Although from what they’ve told me, some of what was written about them in our literature was propaganda of sorts. The Unseelie Court isn’t evil, though there are some unsavory characters there, and apparently they were into the darker sides of things for a time. But in any case, the broader picture is that Unseelie identify with night and winter, and they’re dark-haired and pale-skinned. The Seelie favor summer and the sun. Most of the riders here are Seelie—there’s a bit more variation in how they look but most of the time they have light hair and kind of golden skin.” I paused. “Have I missed anything major so far?” I asked the circle at large, glancing at Niamh and Moira. They merely grinned and continued eating. I ate a mouthful of meat and chewed thoughtfully, trying to streamline my narrative in my head. “All right then. The two Courts both have their lands and their strongholds—Brightvale and Darkhill. Or…had. Brightvale was recently destroyed, and I’m not sure about the exact status of Darkhill right now. Anyway. Separate Courts, though in the past they apparently mingled pretty extensively. Each Queen has three Knights that are bound to her, the best and brightest of her warriors. They’re like an extension of her. About five hundred years ago, right around the time that the Sword was lost, Queen Mab’s sister was kidnapped and killed by the forces of a rising threat.”

I took another bite of meat and then continued to explain the events that had led up to Molly and me coming through the lesser gate, and then Vell’s crowning as the High Queen. Even though I tried to keep the story as simple as possible, it lasted long after we were done eating. I told of our encounter with the sirens and finding the Crown of Bones, and then our journey to Brightvale and rescuing Titania from Malravenar’s prison in the ether. Every so often, one of the men would interrupt to ask a specific question, usually about a Sidhe word I’d used or to clarify something about my power or the power of the Sidhe. I finished by telling the story of the dragon hunt, and then the earthquake that had signified their passage from the mortal world into Faeortalam.

“So there are really
three
Courts,” Quinn said. He seemed to be the most interested in the intricacies of this new world.

“Yes, now there are. Vell is the High Queen, and she’s in the process of creating her Court.”

“Are we going to meet up with these other Courts? How’s that going to work?” Jess leaned forward, his grave eyes watching me with a level gaze.

I glanced at Luca. “We’re waiting on word about that. But the other two Courts are traveling toward Vell’s camp right now.”

“Where do you fit into all this?” Liam asked Luca.

“I am an
ulfdrengr
,” Luca replied, eyes gleaming in the light of the fire. “The
vyldretning
was the heir to our people before she was crowned by the First. She was our
herravaldyr
. So we follow her out of allegiance to our own people.”