Page 80 of The Falconer

‘We’re not going to break in, are we?’

Kiaran glances in the direction of the palace in disgust. ‘I can’t imagine there’d be anything in there worth trespassing for.’

‘Perhaps His Grace has empty vases on one of his many chimneypieces,’ I say drily, ‘which you can steal to replace the ones you accidentally broke in my home.’

‘That wasn’t an accident. I decided I didn’t like them.’ He hops out of the ornithopter and begins to stride away.

I hurry after him across the grass, jogging to keep up with his long strides. We head through the trees and over the dirt drive in front of the palace. It’s a tall, majestic structure – not at all dismal-looking to my eye – of sandstone brick with a generous assemblage of tall windows. Chimneys jut into the sky along the roof, a small indication of the many rooms inside, but smoke rises from only a single stack at the back of the palace. Someone must be home, then. The scent of burned wood lingers faintly in the air as I follow Kiaran through a forested area along the side of the east wing.

My boots squish into mud as I try to carefully guide myself around the tree roots. ‘Any chance you might tell me where we’re going?’

Kiaran’s smile is visible even between the dark trees. ‘You truly loathe being kept in suspense, don’t you?’

‘When you keep me in suspense, something bad always happens. Like me battling two redcaps.’

‘There was no terrible outcome,’ he says, glancing over at me. ‘You survived with minimal damage.’

The night is brisk. Cold penetrates my coat and lingers on my skin. I cross my arms to keep warm. We walk without speaking, my breathing heavy compared to Kiaran’s. As we continue further into the trees, fog begins to thicken around us. Soon I can’t see more than a few feet in front of me and we’re on no path that I can discern. It would be so easy to get lost out here.

Kiaran’s voice startles me. ‘Tell me about the Seer. Do you love him?’

‘No,’ I say. ‘We’re just to be married.’

I might have loved Gavin once, in my youth. I used to be convinced that he and I would be together for the rest of our lives. Now I’ve discovered that he’s the perfect match for me – far more so than I could ever have possibly dreamed – but all I feel for him is platonic affection. No passion. No love, not any more. Sometimes I wonder if I’m even capable of love now.

‘What, exactly, is the purpose of pledging your life to someone you don’t want?’

‘Duty first,’ I say bitterly. ‘That’s what my father always says. Few ladies who shame their families are lucky enough to receive an offer from the gentleman who helped ruin her.’

He goes deadly calm. ‘Ruined you, did he?’

‘Of course not. He saved my life last night and fate was not kind to him for it.’

‘Couldn’t you choose not to marry him?’ he asks. ‘If you didn’t want it?’

‘Women in my world don’t have many choices, MacKay. My life has already been decided for me.’

‘Such a prison you live in,’ he murmurs without a hint of sarcasm. ‘I wonder how you breathe.’

The fog finally dissipates as we approach a clearing. We step through the long grass and I tilt my head back, studying the stars.Can you name them, Aileana?I hear my mother’s voice, from those nights we spent in the garden reciting the constellations.

Clear skies are such a rare occurrence during Scottish winters, and I remember every single one from my childhood. Invention is my hobby, and astronomy was my mother’s. Every time I look at a cloudless night sky, I recall her pointing to each of the constellations with her long, graceful fingers and repeating their names.

I realise I’ve stopped walking and hurry after Kiaran. ‘Sorry.’

The moon is so bright, it illuminates everything as we advance through the clearing. A sudden taste bursts on my tongue, surprising me. It’s not the overwhelming flavour of fae power that I’m used to, but something of a different kind. A subtle hint of terracotta, accompanied by the scent of spring and salt, as if we were closer to the sea.

I scan the clearing for the source of the fragrance, which only grows stronger as we walk, and my attention is drawn to the massive yew tree rising from the middle of the clearing. It towers over us, branches splitting off in every direction. Heavy roots stick out of the ground. It’s the tallest tree of its type I’ve ever seen.

I peer into the branches. ‘I don’t remember hearing about His Grace having a yew tree of this size on his property. Surely someone would have mentioned it.’ It isn’t until I touch the trunk and the taste intensifies that I realise the tree is its source. Why on earth would a tree have such power?

‘It’s hidden from humans,’ Kiaran says, stepping up beside me. ‘You can only see it because you’re wearing the thistle.’ He lays his palm flat against the trunk.

‘What are you doing?’

He almost smiles. ‘You didn’t really think I brought you all the way out here just to see a tree, did you?’

Before I can respond, he slams his fist against the trunk. A jarring boom resounds and the ground shakes under my feet. Lightning scatters wide across the cloudless sky, blindingly bright. A bolt strikes the centre of the tree with a vivid flash.

---