ELEVEN
The flight back seemed much longer. Perhaps it was only because they were so tired. Since leaving the Court of the Heavens, they hadn’t slept except for that short nap inside the cave. Neither the Underworld nor the Court of Bones were a safe place to truly rest, but Idris couldn’t stop thinking about the visions he had seen in the fog created by the Fire of Fate, and he assumed Maeve was the same. The idea that her grandfather had killed the Cailleach and stolen the Cauldron was disturbing enough, but he had to assume he wasn’t the only one who had seen other things after the initial vision, images that were intensely personal, and an equal mix of hopeful and terrifying. It was hard to believe they could all be true, and he was almost afraid to speak them aloud, lest it give the less than happy future he had glimpsed any sort of foothold in reality. So, even though he was curious, he did not ask his lover what she saw in the mist. Maybe when the future was less uncertain, they would both be more comfortable speaking about it.
Thus, caught up in their own thoughts, they didn’t speak much on the journey home. Maeve laid her head on the back of his neck, and as they finally passed the boundary from the Court of Bones into the unclaimed lands, he could tell by the slowing of her heartbeat against his back that she had fallen asleep. He found her trust in him as humbling as it was heartwarming, and he did his best not to wake her until he could see the familiar roofs and towers of his family home in the distance. We’re nearly there, he said quietly, so as not to startle her.
He felt her stir and stretch just as the sound of a horn ringing through the clear noon sky told him that the watchtower had spotted their approach. Something was wrong; he could feel it as soon as they crossed the estate’s wards. Normally, they were gentle, subtle things, an obvious joint effort of both the Lord and Lady to remain welcoming while protecting what they loved. Now, the wards were stronger, with an edge of brutal efficiency, threatening interlopers with glittering-edged knives of darkness that could only come from his father. If Lord Aidan was angry and worried, it did not bode well for their continued peace of mind, though it bodes even less well for whoever had made the mistake of upsetting him.
Still, nothing appeared immediately amiss as Idris angled his wings to circle in for a landing. He could see a space already cleared for them in the main courtyard. “I’m sorry for falling asleep,” Maeve said, yawning.
You needed the rest, he said somewhat distractedly, and they touched down, his claws clicking loudly on the paving stones. She slid from his back, and some of the staff came up to help remove all their gear. He'd barely finished transforming when he and Maeve were tackled in a crushing hug.
“Thank the gods you're both safe,” Lady Rowan said, her voice somewhat muffled by his shoulder as she was much shorter than he. Idris extricated himself enough to breathe and couldn’t help but notice that his mother’s eyes were rimmed with red.
“What happened? We haven’t even been gone that long,” he said, dread’s icy fingers crawling through his veins, gripping at his heart.
Rowan took a deep, shuddering breath. “We’ll talk about it in the council room. Your father is waiting.” Idris knew what that meant. Whatever was going on, they suspected that someone, or several someones, in the household had been involved. The council chamber was the most secured against eavesdropping. He nodded, his mind racing, and Maeve started to back away. Rowan grabbed her arm. “This is something you need to hear as well. And you may be able to help.”
***********************
Lord Aidan was the only one in the council chamber at the moment, and even Maeve could tell that he wasn't his usual self. There were dark circles under his eyes as he paced around the long table and a nimbus of shadow trailed in his wake like a cloak. He turned at the sound of their entrance and the tension in his face eased somewhat. “At least you two are all right.”
“Are you going to tell us what happened?” Idris said, impatient with worry, and Aidan nodded, gesturing for them to be seated. They sat side by side at the table, and Idris did not release her hand. Even though she could feel the anxiety radiating from his entire being, he rubbed his thumb over the back of her knuckles as if she were the one needing to be soothed.
Lord Aidan took a deep breath and let it out slowly, folding his hands together. “Rhosyn and Oisin have been abducted.”
“What?!” Idris half rose from his chair in shock, and Maeve suspected it was only the weight of her hand in his that convinced him to sit down again rather than begin pacing. “How? By who?”
“They were sleep spelled while visiting the market in Serenalis. Something I’m sure will only work once. My guess is that Rhosyn pretended to be asleep to avoid involving Oisin in a battle. I have no doubt that she will do everything she can to arrange for their escape herself, but of course, we cannot rely on that. As for who, I wasn’t sure until this morning. We’ve received a ransom note, of a sort. Lord Cian wants to trade.”
Idris drew in a sharp breath, and Maeve felt her heart drop somewhere into the vicinity of her feet. “Why?” she blurted out. “Why does he even care? He’s never paid a bit of attention to me until now. He didn’t even bother to name me.”
Lady Rowan spoke, her lips pursed. “I suspect that your father cares now because you’re no longer under his control. To him, you were a tool waiting to be used, but now you’re off having a life that doesn't involve him and may even be contrary to his plans. I'm sure he feels that you aligning yourself with our court is a threat to his personal power.” There was a rightness in her gaze that made Maeve feel that she was speaking from personal experience.
“Obviously, we have no intention of letting him have his way,” Lord Aidan said firmly. “I've contacted Lady Aine, so we can confer on whether a diplomatic solution might be attempted first.”
Idris squeezed her hand. The discussion continued, but Maeve hardly heard a word. She was terrified of the idea of going back to the Court of Bones, but she was even more afraid of what would happen to her friends if she did not. Rhosyn was strong and smart; it would take a lot to cow her, but if anyone could do it, it was Lord Cian. And she shuddered to think of how a bright, sensitive child, like Oisin, would suffer.
She was barely aware when the Lord and Lady left, until Idris touched her cheek. “Are you all right, Maeve?”
“I… I don't know, I think I'm just in shock,” she said, shaking her head slowly.
“I won't let anything happen to you, or to my brother and sister,” he said, putting his arm around her shoulder. “But let's get something to eat and get some rest first. I know I won't be able to accomplish anything in my current state.”
They ate together on the balcony as the sunset dyed the world in scarlet hues, and though it was beautiful, today it felt to Maeve like a bad omen. Idris took her hand across the table, and she could see the concern in his eyes. She tried to smile, to ease his mind, but she wasn't entirely sure she was successful.
“Why don't we go take a shower?” he said, getting to his feet and pulling her up with him. Even the thought of the hot water relaxed her a little, so she allowed him to lead her into the bathroom. She started to take off her clothes as he turned on the water, but when he turned back to her, he grabbed her hands with a gentle smile. “Please, allow me.”
Maeve chuckled and laid her hands lightly on his shoulders. Everything felt hopeless, but his touch was a welcome distraction, the glide of his fingers over her ribs as he took off her shirt anchoring her to the present. He kissed her shoulder as he untied the laces of her breeches, and she leaned into him, sliding her hands under his collar. His skin was smooth and cool under her fingers, and she helped him out of his clothes out of the simple joy of touching him.
He pulled her into the warm water, and she tipped her head back to let it flow over her face and neck. They had no showers in the Court of Bones, and it was one of life's new pleasures that Maeve particularly appreciated. The warmth seeped into her muscles, and the sound blotted out the rest of the world, creating a universe just for her, or in this case, her and Idris. When she opened her eyes again, his gaze was adoring.
“Maeve, I hope you know I don't blame you for anything that's happened,” he said, pulling her close. “I love you so much. Every day. I’m thankful that it was me who found you in the woods.”
“I love you, but Rhosyn and Oisin…”
“Will be fine,” he finished, kissing her lips as a means of punctuation. “I'm worried too, but it's your father who ought to be really concerned. He's clearly in the wrong, and now, instead of just having my family angry, he’ll have two full courts against him. But for the moment, let’s forget about him.” He brought her hand to his mouth, kissing each of her fingers in turn. “Right now, just be with me.” He kissed the inside of her wrist while his other hand curved around her hip.
It was easy to surrender to him, to his mouth making a line of kisses along her neck, to his hands caressing her body until her skin burned with desire. He took her nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue over the pebble hard peak and sucking gently until she whimpered, her nails scraping down his back. He pressed her against the wall with his body, and she could feel the length of him hot against her stomach. She rolled her hips deliberately and his groan reverberated in the enclosed space. He lifted her up and slid inside her with one fluid motion, and she would have marveled at his strength if she had not been so caught up in the pleasure of their union. Every snap of his hips sent fiery tongues of rapture leaping from her core and filling her whole body with molten bliss, and he still ravaged her mouth with kisses until she could hardly draw a breath. She twisted her fingers into his hair, tugging on his scalp, and he hissed, thrusting even more deeply into her. That was all she needed to send her spiraling into ecstasy, clinging to him through shivers and quakes of pleasure as he gave a gasping cry and spent himself inside her.
He lowered her to the ground with shaking arms and leaned against her, panting. She traced her fingers over the planes of his face and kissed him as the water rained down over them, and in that moment, all was right with the world. They stayed together under the water for a long time, touching and being touched, and it wasn't until they got into bed that she remembered to worry about everything else.
Idris fell asleep almost the second his head hit the pillow, and Maeve watched his face in the moonlight. She loved him, more than she thought she would ever love anyone, but at the moment, his presence brought her no peace. Every time she closed her eyes, all she could think about was all the things her friends might be enduring. After everything they'd done for her, she couldn't just abandon them to her father. She kissed Idris on the cheek and climbed out of bed.
*************************
He woke from a dream of darkness with a gasp, and found the bed beside him cold. Idris cursed under his breath. He had worried Maeve might do something like this as soon as they'd heard the news; she wouldn't want anyone else to suffer in her stead, but especially not his sister, her first real friend. But her worries had seemed to ease after their lovemaking, and when she had come to bed and curled her body against his, he had relaxed, thinking the danger had passed.
Now he forced himself to take deep slow breaths as he struggled into his clothes. She couldn't have gotten far. Even if she'd taken one of the horses, he could fly much faster.
**********************
I always intended to leave, she told herself for what was probably the tenth time, but she couldn't stop the tears running down her face as she guided her mare down the road in the darkness. Even the horse was a reminder of all she stood to lose. Idris had helped her choose Lepa, a swift but gentle white creature named for the constellation of the hare, and she remembered the smile in his eyes as he helped to mount for the first time.
Perhaps she had originally planned to leave, but that had been before she had made friends, before she had fallen in love, and learned the true meaning of family. The thought that she might never see Idris again, that she hadn't even said goodbye, made her feel like her heart was being ripped from her chest. But it was because she loved him, because his family had accepted her as one of their own, that she had to go back. That thought drove her forward through the fear and sorrow. Even so, as the night wore on and she could feel the power of the Court of Heaven waning, her heart hammered in her chest, and she considered whether she had made the right decision.
She felt a gust of wind as a shadow passed over the full moon, and she pulled Lepa up short under a copse of trees, her mind working overtime, imagining the sorts of creatures her father might send after her. The leaves rustled above her, and she heard a crunch of gravel. Now someone was on the road. The sound of footsteps moved closer, and Lepa tossed her head, either sensing Maeve's fear or smelling whatever it was that was stalking them. She patted the mare’s shoulder to soothe her, trying to guide her further back off the road. But she thought she could hear something breathing, something enormous, and a shadow moved across the trees in front of her. A scream clawed its way up her throat…
Maeve… I know you're back there. Please come out. She nearly fainted with relief when she realized it was Idris, too glad he was not a monster to care that her plans had been thwarted. She slid off of Lepa and ran forward, throwing her arms around the head of the familiar white and silver dragon. He curled his body around her, wrapping them both in a cocoon of leathery wings. I'm so glad you're safe, said his voice in her mind. His words left a crack in the tightly lidded box she'd been trying to keep her emotions in, and the physical reassurance of his presence, his familiar smell, clean and cool, surrounding her was almost painful. How could she have left him?
“I'm sorry,” she said, on the verge of tears, “I didn't want to leave, but I can't let Rhosyn and Oisin be hurt because of me.”
I know, love. I don't want anything to happen to them either, but you can't just run off alone. As painful as it is, we have to think politically. Your father would have to be insane to harm my siblings. It would turn every court against him. My father would be well within his rights to demand a duel, and you know that wouldn't go well for Cian. But if you went back to his court, willingly, there would be little I or anyone could do to help. At the end of the day, you're still his subject.
Maeve sighed, feeling defeated. “So no matter what I do, I'm a liability?”
“Only as long as you remain tied to the Court of Bones. And I have an idea about how we might get around that,” said a familiar voice.
I should have known you would follow me, Idris said in a resigned tone, folding back his wings so that Maeve could see.
Fenella grinned. “Actually, I was following Maeve. The Lord and Lady had a feeling she might do something rash. But I knew you'd come after her too. I was only a backup in case you weren’t fast enough.”
Maeve bowed her head. “I'm sorry I've worried everyone. I feel like every time I try to help I only make more trouble.”
“We were all young once,” Fenella said, reaching out to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You have a big heart, and you don't want your friends to suffer. That's nothing to be ashamed of. But Idris is right, going into the Court of Bones alone and unprepared is playing right into your father's hands. When you go, we’ll go with you, and we’ll have a few tricks up our sleeves.”