Page 16 of Horn of Winter

“And why would an heir to the Myrkálfar throne want to meet one of her brother’s lovers, especially when that lover is not, and never could be, anything more than a temporary liaison?”

“When you live as long as we elves—or indeed, even as long as the Aodhán and Tàileach pixies—temporary can take on very different connotations.”

I stopped a few feet away from the table. She was—not unexpectedly, given the magnificence of her brother and dark elves in general—a stunningly beautiful woman with sultry silver eyes several shades lighter than Cynwrig’s and long dark hair that glimmered with bluish highlights. It had been casually swept up into a ponytail, revealing more of her lovely features while emphasizing her chiseled cheekbones and full lips. She was sitting sideways on the chair, her back against the beam, her long legs crossed casually at the ankle. Her knee-high boots, I couldn’t help but notice, were the most glorious shade of cobalt blue and looked absolutely divine.

“Did he send you here?”

“No. In fact, he’ll undoubtedly be quite cross to discover I came.”

“Then why did you?”

“Because I wish to meet the person rules were broken for.”

Well, fuck. The stupid part of me that had clung to hope beyond all good reason might well be dancing in joy at this news, but the saner sections were wondering why he’d risk something like that before the official coronation had even happened.

Or was it as Mathi theorized—he simply wasn’t ready to let me go just yet?

And yet, if thatwerethe case, why wouldn’t he have come here himself? Or hell, simply picked up the phone and called me?

It made no sense.

“I have no desire to have rules broken on my behalf,” I said. “I’ll not attend?—”

“That is not what I came here for, or indeed, what I want.” She motioned to the chair opposite. “Please, sit. My neck grows tired of looking up at you.”

I pulled out the chair and sat. For several seconds, she didn’t speak. She just studied me in an intense manner, her eyes luminescent in the semi-darkness. It almost felt as if she were digging inside my very being, gaining a deep sense of the inner me even though that was not a talent the Myrkálfar had. Not as far as I was aware, anyway.

But then, Cynwrig had commented several times that his sister was far better at dealing with the day-to-day running of their kingdom than he ever could be. Perhaps this ability—whatever the hell it truly was—had something to do with that.

“Isn’t your coming here to see me also breaking the rules? It’s not like it could be considered business, given who I am.”

Her smile held so many echoes of Cynwrig’s that my stomach twisted. “Oh, this is most certainly a business meeting, even if I’m using it as an excuse to finally meet you.”

“Why now, though? What is so urgent that it could not wait until after your father’s commemoration?”

“That is something neither my brother, nor indeed I, are heavily involved in—other than his insistence on making that exception?—”

“Technically,” I cut in, “he didn’t. The only reason I’m going is because Sgott was given a plus-one. I’m not even mentioned.”

“Yes, but anyone who knows Sgott is aware of his attachment to you. It was my brother’s way of inviting without doing so directly.” She eyed me for a second. “As you have no doubt guessed, so please, let’s do move on to the matter at hand.”

“And that is?”

“A curious note I found when I was going through my father’s files.”

I frowned. “About me?”

“No. About your mother.”

“Your father knew my mother?”

“She was the preeminent finder of relics in all of England, so it does make sense that he’d have used her services on certain occasions.”

A comment that was just another reminder of how much I didn’t know about Mom. Sure, I’d known she was a hunter, I’d known she’d occasionally worked for the fae council, but the preeminent finder in all of England, even above Lugh?

Certainly not. But I guess I shouldn’t feel too bad, because even my brother hadn’t known just how deeply involved in relic hunting Mom had been.

“I’m not aware of any specific time she worked with the Myrkálfar,” I said. “Though she certainly undertook hunts for the fae council quite a few times.”

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