Page 140 of Beneath a Shattered Sky
“I simply wish to assist the Nicnevin however I can. House Iceblyd has always been Danu’s loyal servant—that’s probably why she chose one of our males to serve in the Guard.”
There is no sincerity whatsoever in the smile she levels at me, and my gut tells me that whatever delusion she’s living in to be able to say such a thing without lying makes her almost as dangerous as the paranoid king of winter.
Caed pats the pile of furs beside him, and to my surprise, Drystan releases me. I suppose he’s committed to a farcical display of unity in front of our enemies, and his mother probably fits the bill.
The second I’m seated, Caed wraps another fur around my shoulder, and Bree passes me some of the jerky that we’ve been eating on our journey. Hawkith leads her horse to where the other mounts are secured, then joins us uninvited.
“Your Majesty, I hope you weren’t expecting a warm reception when you arrive in Calimnel.” She sweeps her hair back out of her face and holds a hand out in expectation of her own food before anyone can even offer her some. “The king has long been suspicious of your absence, and now you’ve returned with a Fomorian in your Guard, I don’t expect he’ll swear the vow.”
“Mother, the Nicnevin is too tired to listen to your scheming,” Drystan starts, but Hawkith isn’t listening.
“If, however, you were to put him in his place, as you did with Queen Aiyana, and work on restructuring his court to ensure its loyalty…”
I stare her down, waiting until she looks away in false deference. “My plans are my own, but I won’t forget that you rode to warn us of this attack. Your loyalty to the crown does you credit.”
Drystan’s eyes flare with warning as I take another bite of my jerky, chewing slowly. Her boldness shocks me. I knew shedisliked Cedwyn, but to so openly speak of replacing him within moments of meeting me?
It almost seems…desperate.
“Cedwyn will swear the vow,” I insist. “I am here for his armies to save Elfhame and restore peace to the five courts. I’ll be leaving as soon as I have them, and I won’t be interfering with the structure of this court unless I have no other choice.”
“The siege has gone on long enough,” she agrees. “And the Winter Court’s armies are armed and ready for battle, no matter who leads them.”
Drystan continues to burn a hole in the back of my head as we eat, and it doesn’t surprise me when he follows me away from the camp later. The fog receded the second Lore returned covered in blood, and now the stars twinkle amongst the dancing lights in the sky as I walk between the ruins.
“You disapprove,” I say quietly, passing under an arch of stone as I make my way back towards the shrine. I must be going in the right direction, because this corridor is almost untouched, except for the ice everywhere and the occasional hole in the ceiling.
“Any kind of alliance with my mother will draw Cedwyn’s ire and suspicion.”
“I have no plans to make her my ally,” I correct. “But I don’t need her as my enemy.”
“Send her back to Calimnel,” he urges. “Walking through the citadel gates with her by your side is as good as declaring civil war.”
Dipping my head in quiet acquiescence, I try to stifle the relief that blooms in my gut. I don’t want to spend a second longer in that female’s presence than I have to.
That’s probably not a good sign.
I’m distracted as we turn a corner and come face to face with a gnarled tree that takes up half of the room it’s in. I find it hardto believe that this is what anyone would consider ‘spared’ from the violence that destroyed this castle.
It’s by far the closest to desecrated of any shrine we’ve come across—and that includes the abandoned ones we’ve visited. The room around it is charred and empty of anything beyond the fragments of long-forgotten offering vessels and once-grand furniture. Above the carnage, the branches are heavy with fluffy white leaves, almost like clouds in plant form, and around the wide trunk is a ripped and torn crimson sash.
Danu’s ire stirs in my chest, her fury stoking to life. She’s been more active ever since Hawkith joined us, but this threatens to tip the scales until I lose control.
To appease her, I take a step forward, my hand outstretched already.
“Rose, don’t.”
It takes effort to turn and wrap my arms around him. The Goddess wants action or death, not peace.
“Please trust me. I have a plan.”
His whole body stiffens. “What plan?”
“One that feels right,” I promise. “I’m not going to be drawn into any of their schemes. I’m here for that vow, and I won’t let him hold it over us like Aiyana and Eero did.”
“You can’t charm him.”
“I know.” The vow has to be given freely and willingly. “But fear can be a great motivator. He’s already paranoid, right? I can work with that.”
