The Rabbit and the Raven: Book Two in the Solas Beir Trilogy (16 page)

After David and Abby were out of earshot, the Northern Oracle discreetly pulled Eulalia to the side. “My dear queen, I do not mean to intrude on the affairs of your realm, but I sense there is more to that story than your cai aislingstraid was willing to divulge.”

Eulalia nodded, her brow furrowed with worry. “Thank you, Northern Oracle. I do appreciate your concern. Perhaps she was shaken by her vision and her injury. I will speak with her about it later.”

That night, the queen observed Abby closely during the ceremony and banquet, but nothing seemed amiss.
Perhaps she
was
just shaken by the events of the day,
she thought.
The arrival of the Northern Oracle certainly took us all by surprise.

Still, there was something that seemed off about Abby’s demeanor. Eulalia could feel it, even if she couldn’t say what it was.

“What happened out there today?” Jon asked David while they were socializing after the banquet. “We looked everywhere for you guys, and finally Cael tracked you back to the castle.”

“Abby took a bump on the head, so I healed her and brought her back here. Sorry to keep you guys waiting,” David said. “I should have let you know, but we got distracted by our guests.”

“Oh
. No worries,” Jon assured him. “Is she all right?”

“I think so. She was confused at first, but she seems okay now.” David frowned. “Doesn’t she?”

Jon looked over at Abby, who was standing on the other side of the room, laughing as she chatted with Marisol and Nerine. “Yeah, she seems fine to me,” he said. “Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know,” David answered. “I’m just paranoid, I guess. Something bad happens to her and I blame myself for not being there to protect her. You know what I mean?”

“Yeah, man, I do,” Jon nodded. “But trust me, that is
not
a road you want to go down. I could never keep her from getting banged up as a kid. And if you haven’t noticed, she’s pretty darn stubborn.”

“Yeah,” David chuckled. “I’ve noticed.”

“I’ll bet,” Jon grinned. Then he grew serious. “The girl does what she wants, and there’s no way you can protect her from everything. You can’t be giving yourself a guilt trip about it.”

“True,” David agreed. “But what if I missed something when I healed her? What if I healed the gash on her head, but she has a concussion or something?”

“Man, you are going to make yourself crazy if you think like that,” Jon said.

David groaned. “Too late.”

Jon laughed, clapping David on the shoulder. “Yeah, well, lighten up, would you? We’re at a party. Enjoy it.”

Abby opened her eyes and sat up in bed. She had to hurry—he was waiting for her, and in a few hours’ time, the castle would be a hive of activity. She dressed quickly, and silently slipped out of her room, holding her shoes in one hand so she could pad quietly down a dark corridor and into a narrow passage.

Other than the spiders that spun cobwebs from its ceiling, no one seemed to know the passage existed or that it led to a door in the fortress wall at the edge of the forest. Nevertheless, she had placed a charm on both the entrance and exit so it would be hidden from prying eyes and to prevent anyone but her from using it. She didn’t want to be found out, but she didn’t want anything from the outside getting in either.

Once outside, she paused for a moment to slip on her shoes and look around, making sure she was not observed. Satisfied that she was alone, she stepped into the forest.

Here she treaded carefully, trying to position her feet on leaves and moss, avoiding mud. The last thing she wanted was to leave tracks, and it wouldn’t do to soil her fine shoes either. It took time to reach the meadow—what path there had once been was overgrown. That was fine; the plants were healthy and would spring back, erasing her steps, hiding the night’s activity.

Finally, Abby reached the meadow where the labyrinth stood. Again, she took a moment to look around, but no one was following her. She gracefully leapt across the long grass and into the entrance of the labyrinth.

Now, she relaxed. Here she would be hidden. Here is where he would be waiting. She knew the way well. She wound her way around, one hand stretched out to playfully caress the vibrant green wall formed by a towering hedge. She was excited to see him. It had been a while since she had been able to sneak out, but in the secret message he had left for her, he had begged her to come. He had said there was something he needed to show her.

Rounding the last corner, she saw him. He was sitting on the carved stone bench, gazing up at the stars, deep in thought. He was wearing a tailored suit, and he looked so handsome, his black hair ruffling slightly in the night breeze. Hearing her approach, he met her gaze with his dark eyes. He smiled.

“Tierney,” she whispered.

“I was worried you would not come,” he said softly, taking her hand and pulling her close to him.

“I promised I would,” she said.

“So you did. Shall we?” He gestured to the round, flat stone in the center of the labyrinth.

“We shall.” Somewhere in the back of her mind it occurred to her that she’d had a similar conversation before, but with someone else. She couldn’t remember who.
No matter.

She stepped onto the stone circle and the next thing she knew, they were standing in a different part of the forest. Before her was a tree stump, as tall as she was. On it was carved the face of a bearded man. His features were covered with the verdant fuzz of moss, accented by tiny scarlet and white mushrooms sprouting here and there on the bark. He was crowned in a thick fungus layered in ridges at the top of the stump.

She had not been here before, but she knew the name of this wooden man. “The Emerald Guardian?” she asked.

“Yes,” Tierney said, laying his palm against the center of the stump man’s forehead. “Place your hand over mine. We are going through.”

She looked at him questioningly, then did as he asked. “They do not know about the Guardian, do they?” she asked as they stepped into the other world.

“No—and let us keep it that way,” Tierney answered. He laced his fingers through hers and led her away from the tree they had just stepped through.

“Where are we?” she asked.

He chuckled. “At present, we are standing in a graveyard.”

Around them stood marble stones of various shapes and sizes. Based on the moss and lichen that had seeped onto the surface of the stones, and the tall grass growing between the markers, this was an old graveyard, and one few people came to visit. Beyond the tombstones was a wrought-iron gate.

“Come—what I wanted to show you lies just ahead.”

They passed through the gate and crossed a deserted country road. Tierney led her up a tree-dotted hill. At the crest of the hill, the countryside fell away sharply and transformed into something much different. A dark mass of factories stood silhouetted against the night sky, great smokestacks belching out black fumes. This, then, was not to be a trip for the sake of enjoying the scenery.

“You cannot see the stars anymore,” he noted. “Do you see what they have traded for them?” Beyond the factories was an expanse of glittering lights stretching to the horizon.

She nodded. “What is this place?”

“It is legion,” he said, with a small, sad laugh. “It is only one of many places where the trees are almost gone, the animals have fled, the waters are poisoned, and we cannot abide.
The Solas Beir wants us to stop feeding on humans, but there is nothing else left to eat. They are locusts. In the few short years since he closed the portals, look at how much they have devoured.”

“But you devour the humans,” she said.

“Only so we can live. But without us, they are killing themselves. And if they succeed, we will be forced to feed on ourselves.”

“Perhaps that is what he wants,” she suggested.

A dark look crossed Tierney’s face and, for a moment, she was certain he would hit her. She stepped back.

He studied her eyes. “Perhaps,” he said. He took her face in his hands and
kissed her hungrily, the heat behind it barely contained. Then he looked into her eyes again. “You know what I am. I cannot change that.”

“I know,” she said. “I never asked you to.”

He kept her gaze a moment longer, and then a small, mischievous smile appeared on his lips. “Come,” he said. “The night is still ours and we might as well enjoy it. When was the last time you danced?”

“It
has
been a while,” she replied, returning his smile.

“There is one thing humans do well,” Tierney said, looking down at the lights of the city. “They make the most of their short lives while they can.” He took her arm, and they returned to the road, following it until they reached the edge of the city. They headed toward a busy downtown area bustling with nightlife.

Brightly decorated shop windows reflected the streetlights, and the people themselves were lit up with a contagious energy.

As if invigorated by it, she and Tierney laughed and picked up the pace, letting themselves be carried along in the vigor of beings with a limited shelf life. Her high-heeled shoes clicked against the sidewalk, keeping rhythm with the sounds of the city.

As they passed a window, she caught her reflection in the glass. She was wearing a dark, tailored coat that fell to her knees, one that fit in perfectly with the garments of the stylish young women they passed. Peeking out from underneath her matching cloche were strands of long blond hair.

Lucia,
she thought.
I am Lucia.
She woke up with a start.

“No,” Abby said. She was alone in her room, but she said it out loud anyway, as if speaking the word would make it true, warding off the chance it wasn’t. “No. I’m not. I’m nothing like her.”

Abby and Eulalia were sitting across from each other in the small parlor of the queen’s chambers. The afternoon light was bright, streaming in through a window of leaded glass, which was opened slightly on its iron hinges. On the wall, tiny rainbows formed from the light filtering through the beveled glass. An ocean breeze wafted in, stirring the sweet-smelling blossoms sitting in a vase on the small table between the
wooden chairs, which had scrolled arms and cushions upholstered in a rich damask that felt luxurious against Abby’s skin.

“Abby, I wanted to discuss your development as a cai aislingstraid. Is there anything you wish to tell me before your journey?” Eulalia asked. It was the last session they would have before Abby traveled with David to see the Southern Oracle.

Abby ran her fingers along the soft cerulean fabric of her chair. It was the same color as the sea outside. “Um, it’s going well, I guess.”

“You do not sound convinced of that.”

Abby looked up to see the queen studying her face with concern. “I’m just tired. I had another nightmare last night, and it was hard to get back to sleep,” she answered, rubbing her eyes.

Eulalia nodded. “I am sorry. I know that can be difficult.”

“No, it’s fine,” Abby said. “Maybe I’ll sleep better tonight. It’s just…can I ask you a question?”

Eulalia smiled. “Of course.”

“Okay. Is it possible to see something through someone else’s eyes? Like, you feel like you actually
are
that person, but you’re just seeing it from their perspective? And if that is possible, are you seeing what has happened, or what will happen?”

“It depends. It
is
possible to see through the eyes of another, but as to the second part of your question…it would help to know more specifically what you saw,” Eulalia said.

“I was afraid you would say that,” Abby replied.

“Why? There is no reason to be afraid.”

Abby frowned.
“I’m not so sure about that.” She shared her latest dream with Eulalia, leaving out that she had felt attracted to Tierney. “Here’s the thing—it was easy when I just thought of him as evil. But if I really was seeing things through Lucia’s eyes, I guess I can kind of understand her, uh, motivation. Maybe there’s more to him than I first thought. I almost feel bad for him.”

Eulalia was silent. She rose from her seat and stared out the window at the sea.

Abby waited anxiously for Eulalia to respond. The fact that she didn’t was disconcerting. She let the seconds tick by, trying to be patient and allow Eulalia the time to process whatever it was she was thinking about.

Finally, after several frustrating minutes, Abby had no choice but to break the silence—if she didn’t get an answer soon, she thought she might go mad. “All right, so please, just tell me. Have I gone to the dark side?”

“No. Not yet,” Eulalia said softly.

“But I’m walking a dangerous line, you mean?”

Eulalia turned to face Abby. “I did not say that.”