Page 21 of The Falconer

There’s such a clear hint of understanding there that for an instant, I wish he would say some words to comfort me, useless though they might be. I almost tell him something else about me, something personal, just to see if he’ll do the same.

The unexpected taste of witch hazel and iron spreads swiftly through my mouth. So sudden I’m left gasping.

‘Kam?’

Something moves behind Kiaran – the stark glint of metal in the moonlight. I shove him out of the way, and a heavy war hammer swings right at me.

Chapter 10

Ibend my knees and duck. The hammer sweeps over my head so fast that the metal whistles.

My assailant snarls, a low, reverberating sound. I look up and, for the first time ever facing a faery, I go cold with dread.

The massive creature towers above me, lean and sinewy, with thick, muscular arms and hands big enough to crush me with a single blow. Leathery skin stretches over the sharply angled features of its face. Covering its cheeks, eyes, and the upper part of its nose is a dirty demi-mask made from a human’s facial bones. Through the hollowed-out eye cavities, it watches me with a dark, ferocious glare.

Something else attracts my attention. The thick, wet substance that glistens across the faery’s forehead.

Blood. But that’s impossible.

I glance quickly at Kiaran. He’s standing in the middle of the bridge and doesn’t look at all surprised. ‘It’s a redcap,’ I say. ‘You told me they were—’

The redcap charges me. It swings that hammer as if it weighs nothing, so fast that I barely have time to react. I spin my body and roll to the ground. The hammer smashes into the cobbles beside my head and stone splinters.

I push to my feet,sgian dubhalready in hand, my pulse racing. I’m not trained to fight a redcap. Kiaran told me they were trapped under the city with thedaoine sìth.

The redcap advances with amazing speed. I try to retreat far enough to throw my dirk, but the faery is too fast. I dodge the hammer just in time.

Where the hell is Kiaran?I look over at the balustrade to see him leaning against it, still watching. After I kill this redcap, I plan to wallop him next, hard enough to bruise that unblemished fae skin of his.

‘Could you please –’ I duck the hammer again ‘–help!’ Particles of rock fly into the air.

Kiaran remains standing there, his arms crossed. ‘You look to me to save you? That is a mistake.’

‘Damn you, Kiaran MacKay!’

I’m filled with rage.Saveme? I never asked to be saved. I don’t need it. I don’t need Kiaran. All I need is this – anger that takes me over until I burn with it.

I run at the redcap, my feet sprinting hard across the broken cobblestone road. The redcap charges, too. Just before our bodies collide, I leap into the air with thesgian dubhstill in hand, grabbing the creature’s meaty shoulder to launch myself over its back.

I hit the ground in a crouch, dropping low to plunge the blade into the base of its spine, the only place on its body Kiaran told me iron can penetrate.

The redcap howls and hunches over in pain. I tear the war hammer out of its grasp. It’s heavy and dragging in my grip, but I don’t care.

I look over at Kiaran and smile. ‘This is me saving myself.’

I swing the hammer back and slam it into the redcap’s temple. Blood bursts at me, splatters warm across my face. And a single thought echoes in my mind:More.

The redcap staggers and spits blood. It falls to its knees on the cobbles and I see the first gleam of fear in its eyes as I approach. I swing the hammer again. The metal head strikes the faery’s massive torso and it sprawls onto the street, coughing up more blood onto the destroyed cobbles. Time for this to end.

I throw the hammer to the ground and approach Kiaran. His gaze is bottomless, unfathomable. I lean in, indecently close.

‘You underestimate me,’ I whisper. ‘And that is a mistake.’

Kiaran is entirely still as I slide his own weapon from its sheath at his hip and step back. The blade is long and curved, made from some kind of golden, glittering metal. From hilt to point, elaborate fernlike patterns of silver are embedded in the gold. An immortal weapon, made to kill faeries.

Kiaran says nothing as I return to the redcap. It’s still gasping on the ground, though its injuries will heal soon. I have to kill it before it recovers.

I kneel next to the redcap and slit its throat.

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