The Tainted Web (The Godhunter, Book 7) (27 page)

Kanaloa laughed as he pulled off the cloaking, making both Kael and himself visible as they walked in my front door. He stopped and looked around my modest home with interest. It was small, just three bedrooms and two baths, but it was eccentrically decorated.

He pushed a heavily roped and gagged(guess that's why he wasn't talking) Kael to the floor before moving further into the living room. Trevor and I watched him with amusement as he touched item after item. First the Moroccan lantern made of metal and colored glass that hung suspended from the center of my draped ceiling. Yes, draped. White gauze hung from the same central point the lantern did, and draped out to the edges of the room, stopping abruptly at the dining room ceiling but flowing down the remaining three walls to give the room a tent-like feeling. The only other opening in the fabric, was the entrance to the hallway on the left.

Beneath the lantern was a low Moroccan table, it looked like a huge brass plate on wooden legs, and around the table were two low sofas and an armoire that housed my television. Kanaloa ran his hands over the brightly patterned pillows before heading into my Chinese themed dining room, which was basically attached to my living room, without a separating wall. It had a carved Chinese table which I'd bought at the same time as my Chinese wedding bed, and I loved both pieces of furniture more than anything else in the house. Anything that wasn't alive, of course.

The kitchen opened right off the dining room, just a simple country kitchen with a butcher block table and baskets hanging from the ceiling. It was at total odds with the dining room but then none of my rooms really went together and I liked it that way. It kept me from getting bored.

“
You have interesting tastes,” Kanaloa finally finished his perusal.

“
Thank you,” I waved at both the living room and the dining room. “Take a seat wherever you like. Trevor, can you get him a drink while I contact the High King?”

“
Sure,” he grinned at Kanaloa. “Beer, wine, soda, or water?”

“
Beer, bruddah,” Kanaloa grinned back and took a seat at the dining table.

I shook my head, smiling. I guess they were good friends now that Kael was captured. Kael, who I avoided looking at, as I made my way past him and down the hall to my bedroom. Every time I saw his face, I saw my death, my drowning in that dark water. Kelpie hair flowing past me as I struggled to free myself from his horse's back and the hollow sound of watery oblivion in my ears. I swallowed past the fear and anger as I closed my door securely and turned on the a/c. I needed some cool air on my suddenly heated skin.

I sat down in the opening at the foot of the wedding bed, the carved walls emitting a light sandalwood fragrance that instantly soothed me. I'd taken off my sandy boots at the door but I still had my socks on and I quickly took those off too, digging my toes into the plush Oriental carpet. I just needed a second to ground myself, take a few breaths. It felt like I'd been hunting, without pause, for weeks.

When I felt steady enough, I got up and went to stand in front of my antique dressing table. It was made of warm mahogany with a light gold wood inlaid into patterns of flowers, and had a triple mirror, a central panel bordered by smaller panels angled in. I pulled a handful of eyebright out of a pouch before it and rubbed it over the mirror in the center.

“High King Cian, of the House of Spirit,” I called out and the mirror misted over.

“
Queen Vervain,” Cian was speaking before the mist even cleared completely. “How are things in the Human Realm?”

“
Interesting,” I grimaced. “It turns out that it wasn't Kael we killed during the Hunt, but his sister. She broke him out of your prison and helped him escape to the Human Realm before killing the pixies to make us think Kael was still in Faerie.”

“
Mordag,” Cian frowned, his enraged expression at odds with the bright room behind him. “We should have kept an eye on her.”

“
Well, she's dead now,” I sighed, the memory of the Hunt was becoming easier to bear but it still creeped me out and I was still undecided on what I was going to do about Arach. Now that Kael's spell was broken, I could think clearer but as far as Arach was concerned, I was still confused.

“
Wait,” Cian's golden eyes went wide. “You said she helped Kael escape into the Human Realm. Do you need assistance to hunt for him? I can send knights immediately.”

“
No,” I smiled grimly, “we've caught him, thanks to the help of a new friend.”

“
Well done,” his face relaxed. “I knew Faerie made a good choice when she made you Queen.”

“
Faerie?” I frowned. “It was Arach who made me Queen.”

“
Was it?” He grinned mischievously.

“
This god who helped me,” I evaded that line of conversation. “His name is Kanaloa, he's a sea god and he would very much like to visit the Water Kingdom. I promised him that I'd try to get him entrance in return for his capturing Kael. Do you think King Guirmean would allow it?”

“
A sea god, you say?” King Cian perked up. “I think King Guirmean would be delighted to host him.”

“
Oh good,” I heaved a relieved sigh. “I was going to bring Kael into Faerie for justice, would it be alright to bring Kanaloa with me as well?”

“
Of course, Queen Vervain,” Cian smiled. “You know you may bring whomever you wish into Faerie. You're a Queen and have proven yourself to me. I know you wouldn't bring anyone here that would harm us.”

“
Well, not intentionally,” I frowned. “I just met this god today but I don't believe he'll bring harm to Faerie. Besides, I think Faerie can take care of herself.”

“
That she can,” the High King chuckled. “Bring your new friend to the Castle of Eight and I will look after him until King Guirmean can come to collect him. You can take Kael to King Arach and have another lovely Hunt.”

“
Yes,” I felt my smile crack a little. “A lovely Hunt. That'll be loads of fun.”

“
We'll look forward to your arrival,” his eyes twinkled. “I must say that I'm excited to meet a god of the sea. With the time difference, King Guirmean will probably be here waiting for you by the time you arrive.”

“
Good,” I nodded and smiled. “I'm not sure I can stay for the Hunt, or even see King Arach, though. I was intending on using the ring to travel back to the moment I left him. I don't know what kind of effect that will cause.”

“
It will confuse things a bit,” King Cian agreed, “but not horribly. Remember, the ring was made for faeries to view their past as well as the past of other times. You can be in the same time as another version of yourself, you'll just merge with her.”

“
Maybe it would be better if I just sent Kael and Kanaloa to you, and King Arach could come and get Kael.”

“
Is there a reason you don't want to see your husband, Queen Vervain?”

“
No, of course not. I'll mirror King Arach and tell him. I'm sure he'll agree with me,” I huffed out a laugh. “I'm probably already with him and I'm sure I'll agree with myself.”

“
Yes, well,” Cian looked away briefly, “you must do what you feel is best.”

“
Thank you, High King,” I smiled but internally, I wondered at that avoiding glance. “I'll see you soon.”

“
We look forward to seeing you again, Queen Vervain.” The mirror misted over and then returned to normal, showing a very concerned expression on my face. I wasn't sure if I was ready to face Arach just yet, even if it was just through a mirror.

I reached for another handful of eyebright and rubbed the surface of the mirror again with a resigned sigh.

“King Arach, of the House of Fire,” I called.

The mirror misted once more and then slowly cleared to reveal Arach's grim face. I straightened in surprise, taking in his dull eyes, sunken cheeks, and disheveled hair. He had on a pair of loose black trousers and a black shirt, open down the front. I'd never seen him so bedraggled.

“Vervain,” his voice was rough, as if he hadn't used it in awhile, or overused it.

“
Arach,” I frowned at the state of him. “Is everything okay?”

“
It's as always,” he looked me over and frowned, his eyes getting slightly sharper. “And with you? What has happened?”

“
We didn't kill Kael,” I paused to let that gem sink in. “It was his sister, Mordag, glamored to resemble him. She was the one who broke him free of prison and then she helped him enter the Human Realm.”

“
She what?” His face went slack, his eyes focusing even more sharply.

“
He's been giving me a lot of grief, which I won't go into now, but it culminated in him trying to kill me again. He actually succeeded in drowning me this time,” I shivered. “But as you know, I recover fast, and I came back.”

“
From death?” His face had gone pale. “You can come back from death?”

“
It wasn't really death for me,” I shrugged, trying to make myself feel as nonchalant as I was acting, “just a pause to recuperate.”

“
I'll leave immediately,” he growled as he started to throw off his shirt.

“
No, no,” I held up a hand. “We've apprehended him. I'm sending him to the Castle of Eight, along with a god who helped me catch him. Kanaloa will take him there and you can go and pick him up for another Hunt.” I swallowed hard under his piercing glare.

“
I can go pick him up?” He snarled. “You don't even wish to see me?”

“
I don't want to interfere with time,” I shook my head. “You already have me there, I don't want to jump into another version of me.”

“
I already-” his jaw dropped and he stared at me in shock before he recovered. “Vervain, you're not here. I haven't seen you for months.”

“
What?” I took an involuntary step back. “But I was going to return to the moment I left.”

“
That's what I believed as well,” his face grew concerned.

“
What would have prevented it?” I looked away from his beautiful face, his eyes were unsettling me.

“
I thought you'd made your decision,” he said softly.

“
You thought I had abandoned you, you mean.”

“
Yes,” he lifted his chin. “I thought you'd chosen your gods over your fey.”

“
Arach,” I whispered, my chest tightening against the pain I saw in him, now that I knew what I was looking for. “No. I'd never just leave you without word. That's cowardly and cruel.”

“
So what then?” He took a deep breath and seemed to grow taller, color coming back to his skin rapidly. “What would keep you away from Faerie, away from me?”

“
Death,” I whispered in dawning horror. “Only my death would stop me from returning.”

He paled again, his hands clenching at his sides before he seemed to pull himself together to respond. “Then you must double your vigilance in whatever you're trying to accomplish there, A Thaisce. I would tell you to return here and give up on this mission of yours but I know you will not do that, so please, be wary.”

“I will,” I whispered again and then cleared my throat and raised my voice back to normal. “I will and I will see you soon if you wish to meet us at the Castle of Eight.”

“
I'll be there,” he raised a hand and touched the mirror like he was touching my face. “Vervain,” his voice broke and he swallowed hard.

“
I'm so sorry, Arach,” I touched his hand back. “I had no idea you were waiting for me.”

“
Don't apologize, just be careful. I... you know I'm not like your gods, I don't think like them or feel things like they do, but I do love you. I love you as fey love, I can't love in any other way.”

“
I know, and I wouldn't want you to love me any differently,” the trauma I'd held him responsible for, slipped away under his earnest gaze and I realized how stupid I was being about us.

“
I'm glad,” he interrupted my thoughts, “but I don't want you here if you can't accept our people, Vervain. It hurts to be apart from you, thinking I'd lost you has nearly broken me, but I made it through and I will again. My people must come first and I will not have a Queen that is repulsed by them. Not even if she is the last female dragon-sidhe in existence. Not even if I love her more than
my
existence.”

My heart was firmly his then. Funny how sometimes you don't realize how much you love someone until they tell you they can live without you. I know, it doesn't make sense, but Arach's determination to do what was best for his people, our people, was more admirable to me than if he'd fought to have me beside him no matter how he believed I felt toward the fire fey. This was the man I had hoped was beneath the arrogance, the passionate man who ruled with his heart along with his fist. This was the man I loved.