Page 2 of Queen of the Hollow Hills

“Good Samhain tidings.”

Someone had passed Cormag and me mugs of ale at some point. True to her word, Corva drank nothing. Her hand was on the hilt of her sword, and she merely watched the crowd. But she was not the only one. A few paces behind us were Conall and a handful of Brigantes guards.

Along with them were two Votadini men who had joined my court alongside Cormag. Unlike Corva, who tried to move through the crowd unseen, Damhan and Brodi, towering in height, wide as two men, and painted in the manner of the Votadini, were hard to miss. The Votadini men were longtime companions of Cormag, friends since childhood. Black-haired Damhan wore a stern expression and eyed everyone with skepticism or annoyance. But Brodi, with a smattering of freckles on his cheeks and long, wavy, auburn hair, seemed far more pleased to be in Rigodonum—and amongst Brigantes ladies. As much as the people smiled and bowed to us, excited for the festivities and to see us amongst them, I still sensed an underlying feeling of disquiet. The Carvetti had been defeated and drawn into the Brigantes against their will, Parisii rage still simmered, and the Setantii… In the time since the insurrection, Ystradwel and Cam had done everything to set things back to right. But a question remained. How had Cam miscalculated the extent of the growing discontent amongst his people?

When we passed the drummers, a teenage girl rushed toward me, her cheeks red, her eyes shining.

Corva stepped forward, but I gestured for her to hold.

“My queen,” she said excitedly. “Won’t you and the king consort dance with us?” she asked, gesturing.

I smiled at her enthusiasm and then turned to my husband. “Well?”

He nodded in assent.

I turned to Corva. “Coming?”

She arched an eyebrow at me and gave me a knowing look.

I chuckled.

The girl paused and then looked to the two Votadini men. “And you, gentlemen? There are many ladies eager to dance. Won’t you join us?”

“Oh, aye. Thank you, lass,” Brodi agreed eagerly, going with the girl.

Damhan huffed an annoyed sigh, but Cormag gave him a good-natured clap on the back and led him forward.

We danced in a circle around the bonfire as the drummers played. Brodi locked arms with the young woman who had invited us, smiling brightly at her. Damhan did his best not to have fun, but eventually, a small smile lit up his features. My arm locked with Cormag’s on one side and the young girl on the other, we laughed and spun. Across the ring of dancers, I saw Chieftain Aedan and his warriors with several young ladies who’d noticed the young chieftain’s good looks.

Overhead, the sky grew a deep shade of purple, with orange hues trimming the skyline as the last of the sun faded from the horizon. We spun in circles, the drums beating so loudly that I could feel them pounding in my chest. As we did so, I looked across the landscape at the others gathered there—including Venu and Alys. The pair did not dance. Instead, they stayed in a crowd of former-Carvetti companions.

When my gaze fell on Venu, he smiled at me.

I hadn’t known what to expect from my new chieftain and former love. Part of me wanted to heed Eddin’s warning that Venu could not be trusted, but Venutiux was trying hard to show me his fidelity. While Alys treated me with feigned indifference at every turn, smothering hatred that lived just under the surface, Venu was making an honest effort. I had spared his life, and he was grateful. We would find our way forward.

Soon, the reel came to an end.

Before the next song could begin, a priestess sounded a carnyx.

I turned to see the white-robed priestesses of Brigantia and the black-robed ladies of the Cailleach making their way from the henge of the Crone, rejoining us at the center henge once more.

Moonrise was coming.

It would soon begin.

The trumpeting of the carnyx silenced the crowd as the priestesses climbed the narrow earthen steps to stand upon the banks of the henge.

Môd gestured for Cormag and me to join them.

The image of the black-robed priestesses of the Cailleach on one side of the henge opening, the white-robed priestesses of Brigantia on the other, was striking.

Leaving the others behind, Cormag and I joined the priestesses.

“My queen,” Môd said, bowing to me. “King Consort. Come. The wheel is turning.”

Onnen gave us a brief nod and joined her priestesses on the henge wall.

Following Môd, Cormag and I climbed to the top of the earthen bank. We could see the path between the henges to the north and south from that height.

---