Page 92 of Bane of the Wild Hunt

Once back at the village, the six of us weaved quickly between the yurts toward Sage’steine. I was flabbergasted by the number of families just sitting around campfires, singing and sharing food. I knew I would much rather be soaking in a hot bath or asleep in my bed if I could.

Although… I realized that might not be true anymore. Because if I had asked to stay behind earlier, Sage would have allowed me to do so, but it had not even occurred to me to let him go back to the village alone.

“Sage!” gasped Asha in relief, springing up to her feet when she saw us approaching her and Verin at their fire. Her face fell just as quickly once she saw our expressions and dirty, bloody appearances. “The village is lost.”

“It is wholly destroyed, along with much of the forest around it,” Sage confirmed regretfully.

“What about the standing stones?” asked Verin as Sage released my hand to hug his distraught mother.

“We were not able to get close enough to verify what has become of them,” he admitted. “The Fuath did not retreat to their cave but stayed in the remains of our home and burrowed under the ash behind another ward.”

Asha slowly raised her head from his chest to look up at him in horror.

“They did not retreat? We must warn Eive right away! They could come for Aes Mirr in a matter of days!”

“We will,” Sage reassured her.

“The Aes Mirr are safe for tonight. We will go to them after we have seen Rian and gotten some food and rest,” Ciaran interjected calmly.

“Of course!” Asha conceded as she looked at each of us more closely again with sympathy and appreciation. Her eyes especially lingered on me in her son’s armour.

“You are returning to the encampment?” asked Verin, his doubt and concern evident in his tone.

“Just for the night. This place is safe now. And I very much doubt there is room for the six of us in your yurt,” Sage pointed out with that gentle smile of his that I was sure could set anyone at ease.

“There is barely enough room for the five of us as it is. Any word on your father?” Asha asked.

“He is still with Rian, but I will bring him home soon,” Sage assured her. He sounded confident despite the fact he was not communicating directly with his cousin.

“Will he offer us aid? Send his army?” asked Verin.

“The Fuath will answer for all that they have done,” Sage swore to his sister’s mate. “One way or another.”

“Go and rest,” Asha interrupted before Verin could ask anything more of Sage, and then she touched my cheek affectionately. “You are worn out and need rest but allow me to get you a clean change of clothes.”

I was so exhausted, and it felt like it took forever as we maneuvered through the yurts to the clearing where Sage had erected the portal that brought everyone to the ravine. It was the only place that seemed to have enough space for one of the riders to create another portal without going up the stairs and out of the ravine altogether.

“You have got an hour,” said Ciaran abruptly before he opened a portal, stepped through it with his vargr, and closed it again right behind him.

I looked up at Sage who drew in a deep breath through his nostrils and then released it in a slow, heavy exhale.

“Are you alright?” I asked him worriedly.

“I… No,” he admitted, shocking me with the bluntness of his honesty as he shook his head, and then he turned to me determinedly. “I know that you are the lost princess of the Ruadhán, and Rian will know it too, which means—”

“You never said anything,” I interrupted him. I tried to keep calm even though there was a part of me that was so overwhelmed with gratitude for his sensitivity that I hada sudden urge to kiss him. Something I had not felt about someone in a very, very long time.

“You did not want to talk about it, and I wanted to respect that, but Rian—”

“I know he will probably think I can just go home to take my place as queen and deliver him an army, but it is not that simple, and I amnotgoing back there,” I insisted. Too anxious to even wait for him to speak.

“I know that,” Sage reassured me quickly, but then he hesitated as his face filled with pure astonishment. At first I did not understand, but then I realized that even though he had already figured out who I was, it was still shocking to hear it said aloud. Perhaps he had even expected me to deny it or disprove his theory.

“What happens if I refuse?” I asked, trying to move the conversation forward when he was silent for too long.

“I don’t know,” Sage admitted honestly. “Summer…” He hesitated and appeared to rethink his words.

“I will negotiate with Rian. I want… I want to stay here with you and help protect your people from the Fuath and the blight. I want to find a way to communicate better with the Vale and try to avoid conflict with them. But if Rian insists on a Summer alliance, then I’ve been thinking that my brother might be a good ally. Obviously I haven’t seen him since I was exiled from the Rowan Wood when he was just a baby, but he will be at the age now when male heirs start to get ambitious. I would be willing to try and strategize with him, and maybe he will work with us if we make him king. As long as he is more reasonable to speak to than my father is because I will end up killing him if he’s anything likethatmonster,” I added drolly.

---