Inferno, page 25
“They’re … cautioning us.” Isla frowned as she tried to make out the words. “It sounds like they’re saying ‘book,’ but I can’t be sure.”
Camdyn ran a hand through his long, black hair, his dark eyes troubled. “Book? What kind of book?”
“I don’t know,” Isla answered while keeping her eyes closed. “I can’t hear them clearly. It sounds like half are still celebrating Moreann’s demise, but others are focused on saying something else. Like I said, it sounds like book, but it could be anything.” She opened her eyes and shook her head as her stomach churned with anxiety. “I can’t tell.”
Saffron rubbed a hand along Camdyn’s back. “Maybe Fallon and Phelan will figure something out.”
“I’ll see what the trees know,” Sonya said.
Gwynn followed her. “And I’ll ask the wind.”
“I might as well talk to the stones,” Evie said as she too walked outside.
The elation Isla had experienced moments ago was gone, leaving her apprehensive and uneasy, all her senses on high alert.
“I’ve got you,” Hayden whispered.
She held onto him tighter. “And I have you.”
“Together, we can survive anything. Including whatever is coming our way.”
The problem was, she wasn’t sure that whatever the Ancients were upset about was coming for them. Just because the Ancients decided to speak to Isla didn’t always mean the issue was with someone or something at MacLeod Castle.
She thought about the Dragon Kings and Rhi, as well as the Fae. With one enemy gone, that left Usaeil. But the ex-Light Queen shouldn’t be underestimated. In fact, Isla was beginning to believe that Usaeil was more dangerous than any other being.
* * *
The sight of the mug falling from Eilish’s fingers prompted Ulrik into action. He moved quickly, grabbing the cup before it could hit the floor. Some of the hot tea splashed onto his hand, but he barely felt it since his attention was on his mate.
“Babe?”
She blinked and looked at him then at the mug. She flexed her fingers as if bringing feeling back into them. “Thank you.”
“What just happened?” he asked in concern.
“I think it was the Ancients. It was so faint that I could barely hear them.”
Darcy rushed into the kitchen, out of breath and wild-eyed. “I-I.” She paused and swallowed. “Oh, dear.”
Ulrik eyed Darcy. He had been responsible for her losing her magic when she helped him break through the binding spell. Ulrik hated that it had happened to her, but he wasn’t sorry that he had gotten his magic back. Without it, he’d be dead now.
“Darcy? What is it?” Ulrik pressed.
Warrick’s tall figure filled the doorway behind his mate. The moment he spied Darcy, he walked to her and gently held her face in his hands. “Are you all right, love?”
“Yes,” she said with a smile. “I heard the Ancients. I couldn’t make out what they said, exactly, but I heard them for the briefest of moments.”
Eilish said, “So did I.”
Ulrik met Warrick’s gaze. “I wonder if the other Druids did, as well.”
“One way to find out,” War said.
It didn’t take long for Ulrik to have the Druids and their mates gathered in Con’s office. He slid his gaze to Eilish to see that she was still upset by what had happened. The fact that the Ancients had spoken to her and Darcy was good news, but not knowing what they were trying to say wasn’t.
“All of you are here because you’re either a Druid or have ties to the Druids, specifically those from Skye,” Ulrik said. “Both Eilish and Darcy heard the Ancients. The Ancients didna speak long, and neither Eilish nor Darcy could discern what they said. Did any of you hear anything?”
Faith shook her head when Ulrik looked her way, but she had her arms wrapped around herself, clearly ill at ease with what was happening. Dmitri remained by her side, his arms around her.
Beside them was Devon, who licked her lips when Ulrik’s gaze landed on her. Devon said, “I heard something. It was faint, but it sounded like distant drums.”
“The Ancients,” Eilish confirmed.
Esther drew in a breath and said, “I heard it, as well. The drums, that is. And right after, I heard voices. But like Eilish and Darcy, I couldn’t make out the words.”
“Include me in that,” Claire replied from her chair where V stood directly behind her. “Woke me from my sleep.”
Bernadette raised her hand. “I heard drums, but I thought it was from music somewhere in the house.”
Ulrik then turned his eyes to Gemma. Her light blue eyes met his before she said, “I heard them. I also heard what they said.”
“What was it?” Eilish asked before Ulrik had a chance.
Gemma shifted her feet and glanced at Cináed beside her. “They said two words. Moreann and dead.”
Ulrik didn’t rejoice as the others in the office did. The Ancients had a habit of being cryptic instead of just saying what it was they meant. Until he knew for sure that Moreann was dead, he would continue thinking of her as a threat.
He leaned back in the chair, his attention returning to Faith. The link from her father to the Skye Druids was something that hadn’t sat well with Faith from the beginning. Ulrik suspected it had something to do with the fact that she had found the wooden dragon from the Others and had brought it to Dreagan, where things had nearly become disastrous.
Dmitri obviously thought so as well because he said over the din of conversation, “Ask Faith again.”
Instantly, the office grew quiet. Ulrik slowly released a breath. “Faith? Did you hear the Ancients?”
Her eyes teared up as she looked at him. “I don’t want any kind of connection to the Druids. That’s what led me to find the wooden dragon and bring it here.”
“That’s in the past,” Dmitri told her. “And that wasna your fault.”
Ulrik nodded slowly. “He’s right. It wasna your fault. The Others made sure to have it there, knowing you would be the one to find it. No matter what you did, your path would have led you there, but no’ just because of the wooden dragon. You found Dmitri, as well.”
Faith smiled as she tilted her head to look at her mate. “That’s true.”
“Let the past go,” Dmitri urged her.
She drew in a deep breath and blew it out. Then, she looked at Ulrik. “I heard the drums of the Ancients, but no words.”
Every mate at Dreagan who was either a Druid or had a link to the Druids had heard the Ancients. What was it the Ancients were trying to say? Was it that Moreann was dead?
“They’ll return, right?” Darcy asked as she looked at the other women. “The Ancients didn’t get their message across, so they should return.”
Eilish shrugged her shoulders. “I wish I had an answer.”
Ulrik heard his name from below and got to his feet. He said nothing as he strode down the hall to the stairs and looked down to find Fallon and Phelan.
“Is it true?” Fallon asked, looking up.
Ulrik frowned. “Is what true?”
“Is Moreann dead?”
Ulrik straightened and turned to see that everyone had come out of the office behind him. Eilish smiled as she hurried down the stairs, pulling Ulrik after her.
When he reached the bottom, Ulrik asked, “Did the Ancients tell someone that?”
“Isla said they were rejoicing, but it was the trees that told Sonya,” Phelan replied.
Eilish smiled as she glanced at the other Druids still on the steps. “We heard the Ancients but couldn’t exactly make out what was said.”
“The trees don’t lie,” Gemma said. “If they said Moreann is dead, then she’s gone.”
He couldn’t celebrate yet. Ulrik still had too many unanswered questions.
“I know what you’re going to ask,” Fallon said. “And I doona know who killed her or how.”
There was a knock on the door. Ulrik walked past Fallon and Phelan and opened it to find none other than Corann and Rhona. He was surprised to see them but moved aside so they could enter.
Corann looked at those around him and smiled. “I see the good news has already reached Dreagan.”
“You’re free,” Ulrik said.
Corann smiled and shook his head. “In a manner of speaking.”
“What does that mean?” Eilish asked.
Rhona’s face was filled with sadness. “Corann was able to communicate with me via his mind. He couldn’t show me where he was, however.”
“No’ while I still had my body,” Corann explained.
Ulrik frowned as he looked at the very real person before him. “I doona understand.”
Corann laughed softly. “My time here is up. Usaeil took most of my magic and my life, but I managed to keep enough to let Rhona know where my body was. Then, I just had to wait for her to find me to take care of Moreann.”
“I had other Druids with me. We were able to get there before Moreann left. We made sure she’ll never hurt anyone on this realm or any other again,” Rhona replied.
Ulrik couldn’t believe that Moreann was dead. As he looked, he saw Corann’s body shimmer as if it couldn’t hold its shape any longer.
Corann gave a nod to all and then winked at Rhona before he faded.
CHAPTER FORTY
Would it allow him entry? Con wasn’t sure the secret door would open for him. But he didn’t care if he had to burn the entire castle down with dragon fire, he was going to learn what secrets the book held.
Con took the remaining few steps toward the door. Just as he reached it, there was a soft click as it opened. He put his hand on the door and pushed it open. As soon as he entered, the lights within the room flared to life, but his gaze was focused on the book that was spotlighted on the pedestal.
He shut the door behind him and walked to the tome. As he stood before it, Con wondered why he had been mentioned in the volume. Kellan was still searching his archives as Keeper of History to see if any Fae had been around before Con became King, but so far, he had found nothing.
With a deep breath, Con opened the book. “You let me read you once. I need to again. I need to see what you wanted Rhi to learn.”
The turn of the first page had Con holding his breath, but the words didn’t move. He quickly scanned until he found where he’d stopped reading the last time. Then, his eyes moving faster than they ever had, he began to devour the words written upon the page.
What had taken Rhi only a handful of hours, took Con merely minutes. When he finished, he clutched the edges of the pedestal with his eyes closed, his heart hammering as his brain tried to come to terms with the truth.
He was shaken to his very core. And the more he thought about it, the more alarmed he became. He wished that Rhi had come to him, but he understood why she hadn’t. Con couldn’t stand there and try to make sense of it all. He had to do something. His eyes flew open as he straightened and strode from the room. The moment he stepped out into the library, Erith stood there.
“Damn you,” he said as he glared at her.
“You know as well as I do that sometimes things are out of our control.”
He shook his head, anger causing him to stalk to her. She didn’t back away, even when she had to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact with him.
“I doona want to hear any more lies,” he told her.
She released a breath. “They were never lies.”
“Half-truths. Omitting facts. That’s lying.”
“I didn’t have a choice.”
He snorted and gave her a scathing look. “You and I both know that’s the only thing we do have—free will. You had a choice in whether to befriend me or no’. You had a choice of whether to follow Rhi or no’. You had a choice in what to tell me. You had choice after choice after choice.”
“But now you know why Rhi has to be the one to fight Usaeil.”
Con turned away before he did something he’d regret. He fisted his hands and faced Erith once more. “I doona agree at all. What you’ve done is put Rhi in a position she didna ask for.”
“It’s in her blood! You know that as well as I. You saw it from the very beginning, and don’t you dare deny it,” Erith said, her lavender eyes sparking with fury.
“What I saw was my mate, the woman I’ve been waiting my entire life for.”
“She still your mate.”
Con couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so furious. It took every bit of his power to keep his temper in check, but even that was slipping away. “Were you even my friend?”
“How can you ask that?” Erith asked, her face contorted with sorrow and confusion. “Of course, I was. I am.”
“But you didna tell me about the book.”
She threw up her hands. “Why would I? What good would it have done?”
“I would’ve removed Usaeil myself.”
Erith rolled her eyes. “For someone so intelligent, you can be pretty stupid at times. You couldn’t have done anything to Usaeil. Up until recently, she was the most beloved queen the Light had ever known. Do you know what they would’ve done to you? What about Rhi? Do you know what she would’ve thought of you? And it’s not like you could show Rhi the book. Because no matter how righteous you believe you are right now, even you can’t deny that you’d have kept it from her.”
Con raked a hand through his hair. “You’re right. I would’ve. I can no’ imagine what she thought when she read that. And I wasna here to talk to her about it.”
“Rhi is strong. Stronger than either of us. I think, deep down, you know that. It’s part of what makes her so special.”
“I should be with her, helping to fight Usaeil.”
Erith smiled sadly and shook her head. “That showdown has been brewing from the moment Usaeil chose her path. Fate has seen to that. There’s nothing either of us can do to stop it. And you know that.”
“I can no’ lose my mate.”
She gave him a flat look. “You need to have more faith in Rhi. She killed Usaeil the first time they met. If Moreann hadn’t taken her body, Rhi would’ve cut off Usaeil’s head, thereby rendering Usaeil’s spell that allows her to come back to life null and void.”
“Tell me where my mate is. I know you can find her,” Con demanded.
“I won’t.”
Con looked over her head, searching the area. “Where the bloody hell is Cael? Maybe he can talk some sense into you.”
At this, Erith grinned. “Cael is … otherwise occupied with his own mission.”
“Where is he?” Con asked, eyes narrowed.
“I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough. Don’t you find it odd that the Dark aren’t attacking?”
Con wasn’t finished speaking about Rhi. “No doubt Usaeil gave them orders for when to attack. Stop changing the subject.”
“You’re the one who asked about Cael.”
“Stop. Just stop,” Con said, more tired than he’d ever been. “I’m no’ going to sit around and wait to find out if Rhi can defeat Usaeil a second time, especially when Usaeil has taken Corann, the leader of the Skye Druids as her prisoner. We both know she’s no doubt killed him for his magic. Usaeil is powerful on her own. Give her the random juice of a meager Druid, and she’s off the charts. Can you imagine how powerful she’ll be with Corann’s magic within her?”
Erith grinned. “It might make her equal to Rhi.”
“Why do you find that humorous?” Con bellowed.
Death’s smile faded as her face tightened with anger. “I understand that you’re worried about Rhi, but stop for a moment and remove yourself from that connection. What do you see? You, Constantine, King of Golds and King of Dragon Kings, have always been able to remove any emotional ties to see the bigger picture.”
“I can no’ this time.”
“You can. You’ve been trying to for some time, but the fact that Rhi went out on her own has jumbled everything within you. Take a breath and control your emotions.”
Con would rather put his fist through something again, but he couldn’t deny that Erith had a point. He never let himself get so emotional because it caused people to make the wrong decisions. Sentimentality had to be removed so one could see all actions and reactions, all options and recourses.
He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath before slowly releasing it. It gained him some ground, but not nearly enough. It took another six tries before he could find the state of dispassionate detachment he usually resided in. Some called him cold, but it gave him the upper hand in battle, and there was no doubt that he was going to war.
With his eyes still closed, he let his mind’s eye see the Dark Army from when he’d been in the queen’s chambers. They stood at the ready, much as they had when they followed Balladyn to the Light Castle just a few weeks before. Generals stood at the front of the ranks, but there was another Dark there, as well.
The Light Army were already gathered and waiting for the Dark to make their move. Merrill and Varek were eager to shift and join the fray. Con didn’t need to check in with Ulrik. He knew his friend had Dreagan and everyone there safe. Besides, it wasn’t Dreagan that Usaeil was after at the moment.
Con’s mind briefly touched on the Skye Druids, especially Corann. The moment he thought of the Druid leader, any concern he had vanished. Con didn’t linger on that. He would figure it out later. Since he’d heard nothing from Rhona, he had to assume that no more Druids had been taken from the isle.
He debated whether to get in touch with Fallon. The Druids and Warriors of MacLeod Castle were ready to fight, but he didn’t want to bring them in. Not because they couldn’t hold their own, but because he could leave them to their peace now that the Others had been dismantled. After all, everyone at the castle had earned it.
The fact that Erith was at the Light Castle told him that the Reapers were more than ready to go. Torin was already there, and it wouldn’t surprise him to learn that there were other veiled Reapers about.
