Page 77 of The Savage Queen

“Dagfin has made the trek to Lofgren’s Rise before,” Aisling interjected.

At the sound of her voice, Lir’s heart leaped, violent thoughts made sober.

“You can purchase my compliance with Dagfin’s life,” she said. “He’ll accompany us.”

“I don’t need your compliance,ellwyn.”

“Yet you’ll want it.”

A muscle flashed across Lir’s jaw, the forest groaning around them. Words made worse by she who wielded them.

“Easca, Damh Bán,” the trees hissed. Awaiting his inevitable fury. For Lir still loathed his not-so-mortal queen as well. Loathed her the way he despised all that bore power over him.

“Very well, princeling,” Lir said, at last, cracking his neck side to side. “Let’s see how long you last.”

CHAPTER XXVI

LIR

The trek to Lofgren’s Rise, from where they’d fallen outside Oighir, wasn’t far. Lir estimated the journey would last another fortnight, unless their enemies slowed them down: rogue beasts, mortals, Sidhe, the gods…Lir ground his fangs.

Nevertheless, the Sidhe king didn’t anticipate more humans than he’d already encountered attempting the journey. This considering he’d already witnessed the Aithirnian queen turn her ship around at the sight of his fae party. Lir slaughtered the majority of Bregganite soldiers who’d traveled ahead of their sovereign, attempting to ambush the Sidhe king and his knights. Their deaths, a warning to their mortal laird to journey no farther.

As for the other Sidhe sovereigns, Lir knew which of them relied on him to obtain the curse breaker and which didn’t, instead depending on Fionn to deter him, too afraid to challenge Lir themselves.

For now, Aisling needed new clothing and their group an opportunity to resupply themselves. Even if that meant mortal goods.

“What are you doing, Lir?” Peitho asked in Rún, approaching from behind. Lir stood at the edge of a crag,overlooking a valley of frostbitten pines twinkling beneath a shuddering sun. Lofgren’s Rise hunched in the distance.

“Isn’t it obvious?” he said, glancing at her over his shoulder. “Determining a path of travel. There’s a village through these woods that will?—”

“You know that’s not what I mean.” Peitho’s expression hardened, taking a cautious step toward him. “Oighir, Fionn, the tests. It’s already gone too far. You need to end this now. Kill Aisling if you must now that you’ve garnered a semblance of her trust and if you cannot bring yourself to end her, wound her greatly enough that she cannot continue. Every breath she exhales is a challenge to your—to our pursuit of the curse breaker. She cannot be trusted. I’ve held my tongue this long but after Oighir and Fionn…you risk too much.”

Lir ground his fangs. Doing his best to resist the ripple of his temper.

“I’ll forgive those words for the last time, Peitho,” he said, every word colder than Fionn’s ice. “But speak them again, and I’ll not be so forgiving.”

“You’ve gone mad, Lir.Whatever power your bond as caera holds over you cannot take precedence over your duty to the Sidhe.”

“And it never will.”

“Then why have we come for her?! Why do we not end her for the threat she is?!”

“Because I can’t!” he shouted, more loudly than he’d anticipated. Peitho startled, stepping back in fear or disgust—Lir wasn’t certain. Only she did her best to mask whatever it was she felt, glancing back at the forest to see if the others had overheard.

Peitho swallowed.

“Filverel, Galad, Gilrel, and even I will support you. Will follow you to end of this realm if we must, but we don’t agree with whatever bind she holds over you.”

“I never asked for your opinion, Peitho,” he bit, his patience thinning. “I chose this path and each of you followed of your own free will. So, turn back if you like. My choices are my own.”

Peitho’s brows drew together.

“Turn back? Is that what we mean to you? Knights who’ve sworn their allegiance so trivial as to dismiss on a whim?”

“What is it you want from me? The union between you and me was never meant to be, Peitho. We owe nothing to one another.”

Peitho winced, eyes glassy with tears.

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