Page 64 of The Shadowbound and the False God

For his part, although he hadn’t felt hunger since leaving Wyldraíocht behind, the heat of the stew reached the pit of ice that had settled in his core. It was melting, he was sure of it. Slowly, painstakingly slowly, but those frozen edges were thawing the longer he was away from Yalde and in the company of his friends. His shadows had quieted, easing their relentless pulling and clawing. The heavy mantle on his shoulders was lifting little by little as his urgency to return to Yalde ebbed. He thought that it might even be possible for him to laugh again one day.

“We need a plan.” Raif put into words the thought each of them was grappling with. Though they were safe in Antiata for the time being, they couldn’t remain in the Enclave forever. They had to get back—Raif to Elasha, Aisling to her home and herbeloved beast, and the púca to…whatever it was he did with his time.

And Kael—to Kael, only one thing mattered. He meant what he’d said to Aisling before: he would do anything,giveanything, to keep her safe. There was no cost too great, in any realm, to keep him from protecting his Red Woman.

A quiet voice, his own this time, whispered too of a greater dream. One that saw the two of them were together, finally with the kind of time he felt they’d constantly been short of. He’d teach her the Fae language, as he’d once promised, and show her all of the most beautiful parts of Wyldraíocht. He’d learn about her world, too. And he’d have something just for himself for once, something that had nothing to do with duty or worship or power—a different sort of magic altogether. He wanted it; more than anything, he wanted it. Wanted her.Them.

“He won’t let you leave,” the alseid said. Her tone was sympathetic, for once, when she added, “Any of you.”

“No, he will not.” Kael set his empty bowl aside and leaned forward, expression neutral. “And he will not fall for your tricks again, púca, impressive though they may be.”

Rodney slumped back against the cairn wall, deflated. His glamour had been enough to allow the group to escape the forest unseen, but Kael had felt Yalde’s rage and bewilderment as they fled. The god had been distracted by his own fury. It wouldn’t work a second time.

Kael knew they had but two options; neither choice was a good one. Both would ruin him. But he knew as he gazed at each of his companions that had fought through untold horrors to find him there, that in their minds only one would be at all viable. They would not let him go again.

His fist clenched involuntarily where it rested against his thigh, his nails pressing half-moons into his palm and said, “We have to kill him.”

The group looked at him, shocked. Aisling, most of all. She didn’t think him capable of rational thought when it came to Yalde. He understood why—he hardly did himself—but he wanted to prove her wrong. To show her that she meant more to him than any false god.

“You cannot kill a god,” Sudryl spat. Her bitterness was justified, having seen what Yalde did to her realm and having been trapped by him in the Enclave for so long. Still, Kael shook his head.

“It can be done—itmustbe done. We have little choice.”

“What sort of weapon might kill a god?” Raif mused as he swirled the last dregs of stew in his bowl. His expression was familiar: a soldier, a commander, planning. Kael had seen it countless times during the hours they’d spent shuffling pieces around war tables and drafting company movements on faded maps.

“What have you brought?” Kael asked.

“Nothing adequate for the task.” Raif looked to his satchel beside him, jaw flexing. He’d outfitted the group for a rescue mission, not a battle with a cruel cosmic deity.

“You have all that you need,” Aisling murmured softly—so softly Kael hardly heard her. Even so, her voice made his heart leap.

“What was that?” His response was just as soft, hoping to coax her to look at him.

She turned to Rodney instead and asked, “Remember what Merak said?You have all that you need.”

“You don’t think—” he started, bushy brows furrowed.

“They knew. They had to have known—they know Yalde. They’ve fought him. It’s all in there,” she gestured to the far side of the cairn, toward the mural.

“So they sent us to our death,” Raif interjected darkly.

“No.” Aisling looked at the soldier. Kael wished she’d look at him. “No, I don’t think so. This is the prophecy, right? To bring him back? Merak wouldn’t have sent us here, wouldn’t have told us we have what we need to do this, if they didn’t know we could. Right?”

Finally, finally, she turned to Kael. The hope that had once so steadied him had gone from her eyes. The determination was still there, but it was marred by fear and dimmed by uncertainty. Now, she was looking for reassurance. She was looking tohimfor reassurance. Kael’s breath caught in his chest. He wanted to give it to her, but he was too focused on her words.

This is the prophecy.

A brief silence was the only sign of surprise he’d allow before he spoke again. “The prophecy was to kill me—sacrifice begets a dormant magic innate.You’ve fulfilled the prophecy. You’re free of it.”

Aisling opened her mouth, then closed it. She looked to Rodney for his help, but he just nodded to Kael and said, “Go on, Ash.”

Aisling kept her focus trained on the dusty stone floor for several long moments before responding: “It didn’t end with your death. It was Lyre that figured it out: revenant spring. I was meant to kill you, and now I’m meant to bring you back.”

The Red Woman will rise to bring revenant spring.

So this was the ‘more’ Rodney had hinted at. Kael’s stomach churned. He thought he’d saved his Red Woman, but he’d only damned her. It was his fault she was here, trapped and afraid.

“Lyre led you astray out of his own self-interest. He’s misinterpreted it.” His rebuke came out harsher than he meant it to.

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