Page 21 of Void of Endings
Clearing her throat, she forced herself to sit up straight, to roll her shoulders back, and project the embodiment of a queen. “Where is Wenfyre and who rules it?”
“You can reach Wenfyre by sailing to the southeast across the Gaelsong Sea.” It was Lir who answered her. He kept his hands folded in his lap, his elbows braced on the arms of the wooden chair. His face remained impassive as he spoke, the epitome of a commanding general. “It is the home of the druid queen, Ariawyn Pethorn.”
“Aran thought it best we seek her assistance and form an alliance against Parisa,” Ceridwen added, tugging lightly at the sheer indigo sleeve of her gown. Her ruby lips curved into a small smile, and the lightest traces of serenity cocooned Maeve like a comforting embrace. “The druids of Wenfyre control a powerful naval fleet, and Aran seemed to think Queen Ariawynwould be more inclined to help us as opposed to some of the other less than generous fae realms.”
Maeve rolled the new information over in her mind. From what she recalled about druids in many of the books she’d read, they possessed an earthbound magic, a kind of power that tied them to the land. They used spells and incantations, worked with crystals and runes, and some of them wielded staffs. If they also had a fleet of ships at their disposal, then that alone would make them a rather formidable ally.
“And Ciara is calling in a favor.” Tiernan shifted in his seat. His fingers tapped a restless rhythm across the top of the table, but his gaze was focused on Merrick. “Apparently Prince Drake Kalstrand of Brackroth owes her a debt.”
At the mention of his sister and this Prince of Brackroth, Merrick scowled. His mouth twisted into a sneer, and he folded his arms across his chest. “I still think it’s a terrible idea. Nothing about Prince Drake is trustworthy. He has a blackened soul and lacks any morals.”
Maeve’s brow quirked. It was obvious Merrick had an aversion to this prince, but he sounded exactly like the kind of person they wanted on their side. At least when it came down to fighting Parisa. “And Prince Drake is…who, exactly?”
Lir opened his mouth to respond but Merrick was faster. He leaned forward, his cerulean eyes flashing with contempt. “He’s an assassin, my lady. A bloodthirsty, expertly trained killer. Dead bodies are his calling card.”
At that revelation, Maeve blanched, easing back a little.
“An assassin with a legion of dragons at his back,” Brynn added. She rolled a toothpick between her lips, her gaze narrowing when she faced Merrick. Her golden brown eyes turned nearly black. “Not even you can deny we could use them on our side.”
The line across Merrick’s forehead deepened, and he shoved his hair back from his face. “Sure, but at what expense?”
“I suggest you leave that matter to your sister,” Tiernan answered coolly.
Tempers and tensions hung heavy in the air, so dense, Maeve thought for sure she could cut through the animosity with a blade.
Strained seconds slowly ticked by and Maeve was about to suggest they adjourn this unpleasant meeting completely, when Cahira bounded onto the balcony in a flurry of white fur and ice crystals. Beside her, Tiernan visibly stiffened, and Maeve would’ve smiled were it not for the fact he had only recently admitted that he and Aran had been attacked by a pack of cursedfaolanon their way to Maghmell.
The mere thought of it made her stomach twist into unforgiving knots.
Reaching down, Maeve ran her fingers through Cahira’s downy fur, ruffling the spot just between her ears. The leather collar she wore—the one Rowan had given to her as a gift for the wolfling andnotas a necklace—glimmered in the sunlight. Cahira licked Maeve’s hand, then padded around in a small circle twice before curling up into a fluffy ball at Tiernan’s feet.
He inhaled sharply, and Maeve peered up at him. “So, you and Aran made it to Maghmell?”
“We did.” He pressed a kiss to her temple, running his hand gently up and down her spine. “We thought Danua could help us bring the life back to Faeven. We didn’t realize it was dying because you were in the Ether. It made no difference though, because when we arrived, she was gone.”
“Because she was with me.” Something splintered inside Maeve, cracking straight through to her soul.
Tiernan and Aran had gone to Maghmell thinking they could save Faeven. But their journey was for nothing, because Danuahad come to findherinstead. They’d almost died. And it would have been all her fault.
She glanced down at her lap, where her hands were clenched tightly into fists. She uncurled them slowly, opening her palms, imagined them dripping crimson with the blood of hersirraand her brother.
There was a gentle push of magic, a nudge of compassion, and Maeve let the balm of Ceridwen’s grace roll over her.
“Danua was with you?” she asked softly, sending tiny waves of soothing energy that rippled around Maeve.
“Yes. She came looking for me.” Maeve was fully aware she was once again the center of attention. Even Tiernan’s hand remained motionless on her back. “She found me in the Stygian Spine.”
Rowan raked a hand through his hair and blew out a harsh breath.
Saoirse took notice. Her brows furrowed, her gaze darting from Maeve to Rowan then back again. “What’s the Stygian Spine?”
Maeve sighed. “Perhaps I should start at the beginning.”
So she told them about the Ether, capturing their undivided attention. She mentioned training with Rowan and pretended to ignore the way Tiernan’s entire body tensed, his grip on her waist tightening. Maeve continued on about the encounter with Queen Marella when she gifted Rowan the Astralstone. It never occurred to her that merrows could pass between the realms beneath the surface of the sea. Though maybe that was another kind of magic entirely, one she knew nothing about. Perhaps she could find a book on the subject once the war was over. Maeve shook her head lightly, relaying only the important pieces of information from her time in the Ether. She glossed over the attack by the dire wolves, and didn’t mention Laurel at all. She considered it, especially when she got to the part about thewandering souls, but that part of her story in particular seemed to set Tiernan off, and the might of his power cracked overhead as lightning streaked across the sky.
She opted to end that part quickly, finishing with, “And then I shattered the realms.”
Saoirse choked on her coffee.
