Page 66 of The Court of Thorns and Wings

“Maybe the dragons did something to cause it.” Tavish placed both hands on the table. “Because nothing else makes sense to me.”

Eiric crossed her legs and leaned back. “How is it out of the realm of possibility that your father did that?”

For once, Finnian was uncharacteristically quiet, which I didn’t know how to take. If he jumped in to agree with Tavish, it could make the situation more dramatic.

“Because using enough magic to blanket the entire realm would require more magic than he possessed… more magic than I possess, even being on Unseelie soil once again.” Tavish karate-chopped the air in front of him. “It’s not possible that he could cover the entire realm. The Seelie and dragon magic would have been constantly fighting against him.”

“The dragons can’t control darkness, and no Seelie could manage something like that either… so what do you propose happened?” I bit the inside of my cheek, weighing my words and tone carefully. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe Tavish. I did. But nothing else made sense.

“I… I don’t know.” Tavish ran a hand through his hair, messing it up in the best of ways. “I have no idea how anyone could have accomplished that.”

“Tav, I hate to bring this up.” Finnian cleared his throat and leaned forward so he could look around me and meet Tavish’s gaze. “But you said the king had been acting strange for a few weeks before the attack. Could his peculiarities be linked to it?”

“He would’ve been completely drained to even attempt that.” Tavish shook his head. “When he came back from his last trip to Seelie three weeks before that, he seemed excited but secretive. Mother and I assumed that King Erdan and Queen Sylphia hadannounced they would be coming to visit to formally announce the merging of the two royal families.”

Something in his story didn’t add up. “But I thought you said your mother was worried about him and staying with him all the time.”

“She was, but not when he first came back from the visit. It was a few days later, when on top of remaining secretive, he began doing strange things, like pacing the castle, having a shorter temper with everyone, hovering over me in my room while I slept, and discussing how things would change when he ruled more than just the Unseelie.”

“Sounds like he had a plan.” Eiric lifted her hands from her sides. “Which he was clearly implementing.”

Tavish’s frustration grated through our bond, along with the sickening feeling of doubt. “Maybe, but that doesn’t negate that what you’re proposing he did was physically impossible.”

“We’re missing something.” Finnian rubbed his hands together. “Something that would make sense of everything.”

Tavish’s confusion and guilt gnawed at me, and I could feel his exhaustion. I glanced at Eiric to find dark circles under her eyes, and Finnian’s shoulders were hunched like he was too weak to sit up tall. Even though I felt better after taking a few bites of food and drinking water, I struggled to keep my eyes open.

“Which we won’t figure out right now.” I placed my hand on Tavish’s and squeezed it comfortingly. “We all need rest because we need to head back to the second Cuil Dorcha as soon as we’re mended. Sitting here and debating what happened twelve years ago while we’re exhausted won’t get us anywhere.” Not only that, but Tavish needed time to process what he’d learned, and so did Eiric and I. No one had considered the amount of magic needed to pull that off. Everyone had reacted to save our land and people, and the darkness had gone away after the king’s death.

“Excellent suggestion.” Finnian yawned. “I’m struggling to keep my eyes open, let alone stay engaged in the conversation. Even though my magic has resurfaced, my body needs to rest on something softer than a holding cell floor.”

Eiric frowned, and I suspected she regretted helping us, especially after three of our guards had died in front of her. I couldn’t blame her, but the decision had been made and the damage done.

“And she’s still angry with me.” Finnian raised his hands in surrender. “Just so you know, I didn’t relish killing those guards. They weren’t the ones who harmed us during our captivity—they merely found themselves in the wrong time and place.”

She jumped to her feet, pushing back her chair. “Oh. You didn’trelishit? That makes itallbetter.” Sarcasm dripped from every word.

Finnian beamed. “I thought you’d see it differently. See, things don’t have to continue to be as—”

“Well, when we relocated the Unseelie, I didn’t smile about it,” she interrupted with a raised brow. “I wasn’t upset because, frankly, I didn’t care. So I hope that makes you like me more.”

She was goading him, and though I couldn’t blame her because his comment had been callous, he was trying to mend things between them. I’d seen a lot of Unseelie take pleasure in others’ deaths and pain, but Eiric hadn’t. She didn’t understand that was his way of showing remorse. I interjected, “Because we weren’t in Ardanos when it happened.” I didn’t want another argument to start. “Can we please not say another word until we get some rest?”

Tavish stood and helped me up. “Lira is right. Let’s retire to our bedchambers and talk further when we have more sleep. Arguing amongst ourselves won’t rectify anything. It’ll just make our tempers more frigid.”

I watched as Eiric tried to hide her yawn, her jaw clenching. “Fine. Where do I rest?”

“You can take the first bedroom on the right,” Tavish answered. “Finnian can take any of the others.”

“That’s fine with me.” Finnian rolled his shoulders back as if he didn’t have a care in the world… as if Eiric’s comment hadn’t bothered him.

The four of us headed back toward the bedrooms. I felt better after eating, but I still needed rest to recharge my body and magic.

Silence descended, and when Eiric peeled off to the first room on the right, some of the tension eased from within. I’d been afraid that she and Finnian would start arguing again, and I wasn’t sure I had the energy to break it up.

As soon as Eiric’s door closed, Finnian went to the door right across from hers. He whispered, “I’m staying here in case she decides to wreak havoc. Your sister is feisty and determined. She’s more of a challenge than the women I’m used to dealing with.”

“Because her sister is already royalty,” Tavish shot back while smirking.

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