Page 1 of Queen of the Hollow Hills

CHAPTER 1

The sky above the henge of the three sisters shimmered in brilliant pink and violet hues. As the sun sank toward the horizon, the heavy feeling in my chest told me the year was drawing to a close. With the arrival of Samhain, the year would end—a year where I became queen of the Brigantes, lost both of my parents, became a wife, and took all that was mine into a firm grip. But the danger had not yet passed. A new year would begin, and with it, fear that the visions of threats from beyond our shores would come to fruition loomed large.

Rome was coming.

Everyone was asleep.

Except me.

Cormag, sensing I was growing tense, slipped his hand into mine. “Watch the fire spinners, my blackthorn queen,” he whispered.

Beside me, Cormag’s dog Fergus nosed my other hand. The dog and his master seemed determined to pull me from dark thoughts. I patted the dog, smiled gratefully at my husband, and then looked across the plain. We stood on a podium that looked over the mother’s ring, the middle of the three henges, watching the revelry that preceded the rites of Samhain.

At the center of the circle, drummers sat in a ring. Their thundering music drifted across the sacred plain. Not far from them, the fire spinners twirled flaming balls, making streaking lines of orange against the darkening skyline. Bonfires dotted the scene. The Brigantes sang, danced, and drank. Tonight was one of celebration and remembrance. This past year had seen so much loss, but I had also wed a man for whom my love grew tenfold in the months since we’d married. Amid darkness, therehadbeen light.

I looked beyond the henges to the mounds that held my ancestors. There, the kings and queens of the Brigantes lay at rest. The site was so ancient, the mounds so old, that some names had been forgotten. But tonight… The veil would thin tonight, and the dead would mix with the living again.

My long black gown fluttered around me as a soft wind blew, lifting strands of my hair. I closed my eyes, feeling the wind’s caress, and listened. Once more, my mind drifted to the darkness beyond my shores.

I had sent spies to Rome to try to determine what was happening. In truth, I knew little of Rome save the old stories of Caesar’s invasion in the south. We did not fear Rome in Brigantes lands. They were like some imaginary monster from an old tale. But now… The Catuvellauni’s war with the Atrebates and Trinovantes had caused Celtic kings Verica and Aedd Mawr to flee to Rome for help. But to what end? Would Rome really help them? Everyone said that Roman Emperor Caligula was a madman. I honored my horse but would not have named him one of my counselors, as Caligula had done. Nor would I ever expect my people to revere me as a goddess. Would such a man even care about the fate of two small tribes from some far-off island?

I sighed heavily.

“The first star is on the horizon. Look, my love,” Cormag whispered, putting his arm around my waist and pulling me close. “Now, the moon shall rise, and I will see the year’s dawning at this sacred plane. Even in Votadini lands, they say there is nothing more beautiful than moonrise on Samhain at the henge of the three sisters.”

I gave my husband a grateful smile.

I had married Cormag to make an allyandbecause I had seen something in him. That instinct had proven true over and over again. Since our return from the chaos in Setantii lands and our hasty marriage, Cormag had proven himself a loving husband and tempered consort, slowly winning over the chieftains with his stoic manner and quiet eagerness to serve our tribe. The past months with him had proven my instinct right.

“Let us walk amongst the people before Môd calls,” I said.

Cormag gave me a soft smile. “As you wish.”

I looked back at Corva. The red-robed battle maiden of the Cailleach had been watching the crowd, her eyes looking for any sign of danger. Since joining my court, the priestess did not stray far from me.

“Any protest if we join them?” I asked her, gesturing to the crowd.

“None yet, but the night is young.”

“Corva needs an ale,” I told Cormag with a smirk.

He chuckled lightly.

“If you ply me with ale, then you cannot blame me if I miss an assassin’s blade.”

“If you miss an assassin’s blade, I don’t suppose I’ll be around long enough to blame you.”

Corva merely shook her head, and we joined the others.

I looked over my shoulder once more at the mounds, spotting the bonfire lit beside my father’s tomb. A brief smile rose, but my gaze fell on my mother’s tomb nearby. Dark thoughts swirledonce more, and I looked away. I rolled my shoulders back, cleared my throat, and smiled as Cormag, Corva, and I worked through the crowd.

“My queen.”

“Queen Cartimandua.”

“King Consort Cormag.”

“Blessings upon you both.”

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