Page 62 of A Single Thread Of Hope

“Crushing?” Her eyes went wide, and I reminded myself we needed to tone down the slang.

“Not like grinding your bones to make his bread, kind of crushing. Er…”What would Jane Austen say here?“He’s enamored of you and desires your affections.”

“Oh.” Fea walked faster, and I gave her the space she was so obviously trying to take. Glancing over at Cy, I made a face. I was going to kick Nate’s ass when we got back topside. And maybe—if it wouldn’t get me sent back down here—Morrigan’s too. They both should’ve visited Fea and let her go, let her enjoy her afterlife instead of pining away while the pair of them fucked their way through humanity.

The grounds of Tech Duinn seemed to go on and on, with the gnarled trees in the darkness and the barren landscape that seemed to be both alive and dead at once. Like the depths of winter, everything seemed to be in hibernation.

Fea finally dropped back. “What makes you think Donn holds affection for me?”

Goddess or mortal, thousands of years old or barely sixteen, love made a mess of us all. “Well, it could be the way he watches you like there’s no one else in the room.”

“Or the way he hangs on every word you say, and the way his eyes smile when he looks at you,” Cy suggested.

“The way he threatened us not to hurt you in any way. Not that we would!” I added, though perhaps I’d already hurt her feelings.

Fea still didn’t seem convinced. “Why has he never said anything?”

I shrugged. “Men are stupid sometimes, especially when it comes to women. No offense, Cy.”

He snorted. “You’re not wrong.” God, I loved him.

I turned back to Fea. “While I can tell you’re interested in him, you’d have to be a lot less subtle to let him know. He thinks you’re still in love with Nate and Badb. That you’re just waiting for them to arrive so you can go back to your happy marriage.”

She gave a mirthless laugh. “There was love, but I wouldn’t have called my marriage happy. We were battle Gods, after all, and those two were infamous. Still are. They had moreenemies than friends. Our marriage was wild and contentious, full of passion and lust, but never happiness outside the battlefield or the bedroom. Sometimes those two places were interchangeable.” She sighed deeply. “It’s how I died, in the end. Their enemies snuck in while we were making love, and stabbed me through the heart. I was the weakest link. The Achilles heel—if I can borrow some of your history, Cydon—of the two greatest warriors of our time.”

Having met Badb and knowing what I did about the old Nate, I could see how that would be true.

Clearing my throat, I nodded. “Well, I’m pretty sure Donn doesn’t know it. If you’re interested, you’ll have to be overt about it. Tell him, because otherwise he’s going to be your scary protector forever, but never make a move.”

Nodding, Fea fell into silence as we continued along, and I fell back a little to Cy’s side. I couldn’t tell how long we’d been walking, but it felt like hours. Looking over my shoulder, I realized we couldn’t see Tech Duinn anymore, which surely had to be a good sign.

Fea had said the Tar Pits were at the furthest corner of Tech Duinn, where a lot of the different Underworlds converged on the banks of the River Styx. It had been decided that the Celts would host the… I didn’t even know what it was. A village? An arena?

Anyway, it had been decided they’d hold it, since they essentially had two Underworlds, and it was in their nature to follow the rules of hosting, meaning they’d never use it to make a power grab.

The silence in Tech Duinn was eerie. As we’d walked along the banks of the River Styx yesterday, the sounds of wails and the rustle of souls in the waters had created a cacophony of noise that I’d been sure would send me mad. But the silence of this place was almost as bad. I was relieved when Fea seemed tocome to some internal decision and went back to being a genial host.

“So, tell me about your life with my former husband.”

On second thoughts, maybe we could just go back to deafening silence.

“He was my neighbor.” As the story spilled from my lips, I realized how insane my life had been. Short, filled with pain and heartache, but also real happiness. How much joy this last year had brought me, despite the life-and-death moments, the life-altering changes. I had the guys. I had a home. I had my beautiful babies. Even if I never got back, I’d known true happiness. Gentle and peaceful joy, even if it was fleeting.

“You and Néit have children?” Fea breathed. “That was the one point of contention between us all. I wanted to find somewhere peaceful to raise our children, but they could never be far from the fight.”

Now it was my turn to be shocked. “Nate had children?”

“Two sons. They went on to be some of folklore’s fiercest warriors, as did their sons, until they changed the face of the Emerald Isles. They were born into a life of battles and bloodshed; they had no chance to be anything else. None of our line ever went on to die peaceful deaths from old age.”

Sadness washed across her face, and I reached down to squeeze her hand. What could I even say to that? That destiny was a bitch, and there was probably no other path for them anyway?

“I’m sorry.”

Tugging her hand gently from mine, she waved away my empty platitudes. “It was the way of the world back then. There was no unified country. Just warring factions, both Mythics and humans. No one ever lived a long time.” She stopped. “We’re here.”

Looking up, I realized a building had appeared in front of us, almost like a mirage. One second, there’d been endless road, and the next, this small stone building. There was a tiny sign above the door, but I couldn’t read it. Whatever the language was, it didn’t use any lettering I’d ever seen.

Fea looked at me sadly. “Welcome to the Tar Pits. Unfortunately, this is as far as I can take you. What happens beyond these doors is up to you.” She pulled me into a hug. “I wish you the best of luck, Wren Mahone. I hope you get back to your sons, and to Néit. When you see him, tell him that I forgive him, and he should forgive himself. Make it up to me by ensuring you and your sons are safe and happy.”

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