Page 91 of Cathmoir's Sons

The Water mage and Thistlemist prince land a few feet away from the severed head.

“You’re efficient,” Darwin Dùbhghlas says.

I chuff at him before rising to my feet and holding out my hand to the Erinyes’ victim. “Kimberly Cavalo-Darling, come with me.”

The human witch, so badly burned she shouldn’t be alive, blood beading in lines from hundreds of lashes, reaches out a trembling hand.

With perfect timing, Mags takes advantage of her distraction, rising to his feet and punching her in the temple, his fist sheathed in his Element to cushion the blow.

I catch her as she crumples, unconscious but alive.

As my queen desired.

Dex takes my burden, lifting her into a bridal-style carry. Even as she hangs limp in his arms, burned skin flakes off her, patches of pale, unmarked skin spreading up her hands and feet. I blink. Whatever’s healing her is tremendously powerful.

The demon bends over her, observing the same thing. He scratches his chin with a claw. “Huh.”

“Huh,” I echo back to him.

“Mind if I tag along? I’ve got a few questions of my own for her now.”

I have no objection. “Can you enter Ceòfuar?”

“Not without your girl’s invitation. Things I know better than to fuck with? A Faery Queen’s wards.”

Wise man. I turn to Mags, who drops back onto his paws. “Find Kellan. Tell her we’ve found Cavalo-Darling and are taking her to Ceòfuar. Ask her to lower the wards for Baron Ash. Please.”

Mags chuffs in acknowledgement. Baron Ash snaps his fingers. A spinning blue disk appears in the air in front of Mags. Showing the courage of the best of our kind, Mags bounds through it.

“Can the Fae Ways be accessed from Hell?” I ask the demon.

“You could try it from the Styx,” the little demoness says with a flick of her forked tongue over her fangs. “All places and times can be reached from the Styx.”

The All-Water, Luca thinks to me.If that’s true, it means we could Walk from the Styx directly into the stream that circles Ceòfuar.

I think it’s unwise to create such a Path. I wouldn’t want anyone—or anything—following us from Hell into Caileán’s court.

True, Luca responds.Ask Baron Ash about the pond in Tsara’s garden. I think it’s an infinite portal.

“Can Faery be reached from the pond in your baroness’ garden?” I ask.

The demon scratches his chin again. “Never tried it. I’m not sayin’ it couldn’t. But I wouldn’t know how to navigate it. I’m pretty sure the pond means Tsara got Water, too, but she’s just startin’ to learn how to control it.”

Luca’s shock ripples through my mind.Four Elements. She’s a natural quaternion. No wonder a demon lord claimed her.

“Despair climbing out of the pond without any warning suggests Tsara still has much to learn,” the snake demoness says.

Baron Ash grins fondly. “You know my seggurach. Always got some new surprise up her sleeve.”

A deflection, I sense. The snake demoness may be a companion, but not an entirely trusted one.

Baron Ash snaps his fingers again and Mags bounds out of the disk of blue flame that spins into being a few feet from me. Mags rises to his feet and bows to all of us, which is much more formal than Mags is usually.

“Queen Caileán welcomes us into her hall and says she’ll meet us there.”

“Thank you, cousin,” I say.

Mags passes me a string of beads that I recognize as a necklace Kellan usually wears.

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