Page 53 of The Sacred and the Tormented

“I’m certain it pales in comparison to the armies beneath Fiadh’s great mountain.” Raevina eyed him. “The bulk of our warriors will be arriving back any day now. They’re finishing an assignment.”

“What sort of assignment?”

“They’re liberating prisoners from another set of Niall’s prisons. With his return to Ashling, we worried for their neglect.”

“You free those imprisoned,” Saoirse said, leaning forward. “You claim our mother worked with you, you want to free the continent of the High Lord’s control, and yet somehow, despite claiming him as your king, you still managed to let my brother go decades without interference.”

Conall’s gaze softened. “We tried.”

“Tried,” she repeated as if tasting the word. Her anger burned through the air, hot as Raevina’s fire.

“When I told you the High Lord, Vairik, has a personal vendetta against him, I meant it.” Conall turned to Rion. “He’s been manipulating your mind for a very long time. Whenever we tried to interfere, he’d glamour us to look like an enemy or someone out to kill you.”

“Lies,” Saoirse hissed. “He’d have to be everywhere. He can’t have followed Rion around his entire life.”

“This entire continent is under a glamour that’s beyond comprehension. He’s employed thousands to his cause and has a special team that works with the councils and High Lords.”

Conall paused for a breath. “We almost got through to Caol, but he was being watched too closely. It was … strange that Vairik seemed inclined to watch you suffer rather than eliminating you like the others. We can only speculate it’s because you resemble the previous King he had altercations with.”

Rion squeezed her hand. “If you’re about to tell me I’m some kind of reincarnation—”

Conall waved a hand. “No, no, nothing like that, but the spirit of your predecessors, at least, the magic they wielded, does live in your veins.”

“Is that why it’s been acting so strangely?” Arianna asked.

“How do you mean?”

“My magic has been … abnormal. We thought it was just my animal shift trying to take form, but—”

Conall’s brows furrowed. “Animal shift? The Divine doesn’t have an animal shift.”

“She doesn’t?” Saoirse asked.

“No, neither does the King. I thought you knew this.”

“We knew about Rion, but …”

“Then why has it been so volatile?” Rion asked.

“It could have been due to Niall’s presence. Or maybe with your mating bond in place, it can better sense the unnatural glamour in the land, changing things that shouldn’t be changed.”

“Her magic doesn’t react to Gavin,” Saoirse said.

“Because he isn’t a threat,” Talon added. Gavin didn’t respond.

“He’s also not working with the High Lord, so you’ve told me.” Conall still eyed Gavin as if he still weren’t sure if he believed it.

“You claim this Vairik is over ten thousand years old?” Raevina asked.

Conall nodded. “It’s the reason he’s so powerful?”

“I understand anger,” Saoirse said. “But ten thousand years seems like a very long time to hold onto a grudge.”

“A few of you have mates, yes?” None seemed inclined to answer. Talon didn’t even look at Raevina and Arianna wondered if the image of her with a knife to her throat still haunted him. “Imagine the one you love was taken from you and suddenly loved another. I’m not rationalizing his decisions, but he firmly believes his lover was taken against her will.”

“So it’s a breakup gone bad,” Saoirse said, rubbing her temples. “And we’re dealing with an overgrown teenager.”

“If one believes the stories, Vairik and Laoise loved one another fiercely. That type of love isn’t something one lets go of easily.” Conall’s hand moved to rest on the female’s knee and she smiled at him.

---