Page 50 of Vicious Fates and Vast Futures
“Well met, Bryn,” Filib says in a nervous voice as he emerges around the bend on the wooded path east of Glario.
As well he should be, given his mission today. I smile to myself. It’ll be good for him. Build character.
“C’mon, Nairna will lead us in.”
She woofs and wags her tail. Weyland is gripping his hammer tightly as we fall into line behind En. She’s told me of the path that will lead us to one of the King’s Guard entrances of the unseelie sithen. I smile to think of her trying to sneak back in after a bender.
We follow in the early morning light for a couple of miles before the trail suddenly opens to a smooth stone wall stretching towards the sky. En leads us some distance around the side of the castle before stopping. She huffs towards a stone, pointing with her nose. She’s already told me of the touch pattern required to open the hidden door. I follow it and a door built into the stones opens, large and toothed and out of nowhere. We slip inside and En noses a stone near the floor, causing the passage to close. We stand silently in total blackness, letting our eyes adjust.
En turns in a circle then presses her head into my hand. I scratch her ears comfortingly. She’s nervous to be back, I canfeel it. Not for the mission, just the bad memories, I think. She woofs softly and I know she wants to get moving. I start walking and she takes the lead.
A few turns later and light begins to filter in from irregular wall sconces. Suddenly, En stops. Filib bumps into my back. I let out a sigh through my nose. A low growl emerges from Nairna and I feel her fear dive through our thinned bonds. The hair on the back of my neck stands.Oh shit.
“Well, hello, child of mine. I’ve been waiting to meet you face to face.”
Macha, Goddess of Fate, stands before us in the dim hallway. She looks much like Adi and En have described the Morrigan and Badb, though her skin is not the pale or the grey skin of either of them. No, this beautiful black-haired Goddess standing before us is a soft shade of green.
I step up to En and put my hand on her head. Her growl continues but quieter.
“I hear you’re responsible for these visions,” I say calmly.
She smiles and tilts her head, eyes wide. “Yes. Do you like them?”
“Not particularly.”
Her eyes narrow but I don’t break her gaze. “Do you not enjoy a glimpse of the future, Bryn ab Bethan?”
I shake my head. “No. It’s too vague to be useful.”
She laughs long and hard and it has a maniacal edge to it that makes me nervous. When it settles down to giggles, she wipes her eyes. “Well done, child. A mortal hasn’t made me laugh in ages. ‘Too vague!’ Goodness, what do you want? I’m already drawing you a picture. It’s all there. You just need to use it.”
I shake my head silently, not sure what to make of her.
“Anywhoooo,” she drawls, “just popped in to let you know your little horse trick won’t work. Need to try the old bait and switch, eh?”
“The what?” I demand, but she’s gone, black mist swirling where she had stood, already fading like the stars in the morning light.Shit.
“Come on. We don’t have time for this,” I snap, but I’m rolling her words through my head.
Adelaide
THE DAY DAWNS EARLY, especially after such fitful sleep, and I pry Ossy’s arm off me. He wakes instantly, on high alert, an obvious change from his normally slow, snuggly wake-ups.
“Let’s go.”
“No, baby, I think we need to wait until the twins mirror us again. I am afraid I can’t protect you out there without Bryn and En.”
I frown. I understand his concern. However, if I don’t get the fuck out there and show my face, I will be painted as dead or, worse, a deserter. I need to be seen. I need to accuse my cousin of killing my grandmother.
Urien and Albon had told us over the mirror last night that Olwyn was claiming that Seren died accidentally from her own magic. And that many guards—that is, any that were around for what actually happened—were lost in the chaos. More concerningly is that Olwyn is saying that I may have been involved and that she should take control of the court until things are settled.
Ossy pretty much had to lay on top of me—and not in the fun way—to keep me from storming out of our rooms yesterday. I had eventually given in to his pleas that we keep trying to reach Bryn and En via mirror before I go and do something stupid. But we couldn’t reach them. I assume they were camping in the woods outside the unseelie court in preparation for today’s mission. I wrote myself a note on our fridge’s whiteboard toobtain makeup compact-type mirrors for each of us, because this wasbullshit.
“No, Osmund, I must. I’ll agree to delaying long enough to try Bryn and En again, and then to see if the twins are reachable, but Imustgo out.”
He frowns as he gets up, heading for the mirror. “I don’t like it, baby.”
“I know,” I call as I head for the bathroom. Might as well power-shower while he tries to get in contact with anyone.
