Page 33 of Fae Divided
“It takes many years for a Sídhe, even one as skilled as Lord Daimhín, to gain total dominance over the strongest of alpha males.” He fingered the scar on his cheek, his eyes distant. “I was strong once.”
Lord Daimhín.The name meaningless without the human equivalent he was hiding behind.
“You drank his blood.”
“Did I? I don’t remember.” He licked his lips as though seeking proof of James’ claim.
“Why does the pureblood want Samuel’s female?”
“Abby is the key,” he said, animated. The trance-like state broken.
“The key to what?”
“Everything.” Tucker’s twin grinned. “It’s time you understood what the Athair has been working toward for centuries.”
“Dominion over the humans?” James snorted. “Ruling the world?”
“Returning to Faery.”
“Faery?” James rocked on his heels. “The pathway connecting the realms has been locked for a thousand years.”
“Abigail will change that. She’s a Na’fhuil.”
“A Jumper?” Descendants of a pureblood Fae and an Untouched were scarce in the past and rarer still in the twenty-first century. Those with the rumored ability to manipulate time, even more so. The difference for a halfblood born a magic-wielding Fae Touched as opposed to fundamentally human was a chromosomal crapshoot involving mutated genes. James didn’t understand the science, but he comprehended the implications. Every wealthy, power-hungry megalomaniac would seek to control one, using their abilities for either protection or as personal assassins. Abby’s heritage explained why everyone wanted a piece of her, but not how a solitary halfblood could counteract ancient Sídhe magic.
“No. She’s a Walker.”
James’ first thought was that destiny must have a wicked sense of humor binding Abby to Samuel and the Clan Walker. His second: what the hell was a Walker? He’d never heard of a Na’fhuil who wasn’t a Jumper.
“Your brother-in-law’s Ca’anam has the ability to travelinsidethe Faery pathway, not merely bounce off its boundaries like the rest of her kind. The master believes her singular magic can reopen the gateway between our two worlds.”
James felt the blood drain from his face. His fingers went cold. “Lord Daimhín plans to bring the Sídhe back to Earth and restore them to the status of gods.”
“They are welcome to it. The Ferwyn will regain access to the Wilds of Faery and will live as we were always meant to, brother.” Grayson’s brown eyes shone with fanatic excitement. “As hunters and predators. As wolves.”
“What about the shifters who don’t wish to return to the old ways? The Dádhe have never known another home, and at least a third of the Anwyll race have Untouched spouses. What of their fate?”
“Anyone who chooses to follow the master will be richly compensated. Bargains have been struck that will benefit everyone in the end.”
What enticement could an Elven Lord offer for even a fraction of the Fae Touched and human populations to relinquish their independence without a fight?
“Are King Nathan and Príoh McCoy part of the insurrection?” The two most influential males in the West South Central Region as Sídhe puppets was a horrifying prospect.
“The master decided my Clan leader is not ready to accept the inevitable return of Fae rule. It is why the outcasts are based here and not in Texas. I had to keep them beyond McCoy’s conscious reach.”
The integration of Ferwyn exiles into neighboring Clans was an encouraged practice as the only other alternative for an unbound shifter was the invariable slide from sane to feral. Once accepted into another region’s pack, the former outcasts would be linked to its Clan through their new Alpha. James suspected under tightly controlled circumstances, and with limited contact, Grayson could conceal his connection to Lord Daimhín from McCoy, but the Mississippi outcasts could not. Outside of Adam, who was a high-level, dominant Ferwyn male, the Athair shifters wouldn’t be able to fool the WSC’s príoh for long.
“And the vampire king?”
Grayson rolled his shoulders. “You’d have to ask Lord Daimhín.”
“You realize the majority of humanity will join forces with the magical community if it comes to war with the Sídhe. The Untouched have moved beyond the worship of mythical Greek and Roman gods.”
“The Fae weren’t myth.”
“No, they were pretenders.”
The Alpha’s jaw ticked, his scar puckering with the flexing muscle. “They—”
