“Adhna? What do you bring me, Adhna? And Grimnaugh. I thought I sent you on a task.”
Her voice resonated in Fingin’s bones, but he remembered that voice. It haunted his dreams and his recollections. The happiest memories of his childhood, and sometimes the scariest, had contained that voice.
He wanted to step forward, to make certain she saw him, recognized him, but Adhna’s hand kept a firm grip on his shoulder. Instead, the tall Fae stepped up to answer her questions. “We have brought a traveler, Your Grace. A mortal man, here on a quest to find lost kin. We would like to request leave to assist him in his quest. Do we have your permission for us to commit our time for this purpose?”
His grandmother, Queen Cliodhna of the Faerie Court, now deigned to notice him. He searched her eyes but found no recognition within them. His heart dropped when she didn’t acknowledge their kinship, but he knew he must say nothing. She held his life in her hands.
“Dear Adhna. You often bring me the most intriguing gifts. But this lowly creature? Why should I allow you to waste time on this? The hound is handsome. I might keep him.”
Fingin clenched his shoulders, unwilling to let her steal Bran.
“We believe someone quite powerful sent the human, my Queen. Notice the charm.”
Her eyes narrowed in sharp suspicion, and the fabric around his neck grew ice cold. He clapped his hand on the charm, and the entire assemblage gasped. Transfixed by her attention, he couldn’t move a muscle.
“Yes, so I see. Powerful protector indeed. You may assist him, my dear Adhna. However, you know the law. He must pay for this assistance. I shall consider the wage. Perhaps I shall ask for his hound. Bring him back to me after the ball.”
With a final cryptic stare at Adhna, she lifted a delicate hand. Her paralyzing regard shifted to the next petitioner, a spotted Fae with feline ears.
Once her attention moved from him, the rictus in his body drained. He almost slumped to the floor in relief.
Grimnaugh and Adhna hustled him through the milling bodies of Fae and away from the hall. Bran followed on their heels, almost tripping the taller Fae in his eagerness to escape.
Once outside, Bran barked several times. “What did she mean? Is she going to take me? I don’t want to live in there. It smells too flowery.”
Fingin focused on Bran to settle his own mind, petting his head. “Shh, Bran. No one is taking you against your will.”
Grimnaugh made a noncommittal sound, and Adhna frowned. The shorter Fae said, “I don’t believe we can stop her if she wishes to keep the wolfhound. However, we can offer something else instead if she makes that her price.”
Fingin shook his head, trying to make sense of the situation. “Can’t I just leave? That was, without doubt, my grandmother, but she didn’t even recognize me. It’s obvious my quest has failed.”
Both Adhna and Grimnaugh shook their heads with vigor. The toadstool Fae made a rude noise. “She’s commanded us to return you after the ball. That is a command you dare not disobey, nor may we. We must deliver you upon pain of severe punishment.”
Adhna nodded. “You do not wish to incur the Queen’s wrath. We must avoid her fury at all costs. Once did I brave her displeasure, and never again shall I risk such a strait.”
“What did you do?”
“That, young man, is something I cannot tell you.”
Chapter Twelve
From that point on, Adhna took Fingin under his wing to teach him how to dance. Grimnaugh took his leave, having his own preparations to make.
As he stumbled a fifth time, Fingin whined. “Must I dance, Adhna?”
“This is the Faerie Queen’s ball. Not only must you dance, you must dance well.”
“How do we know I have to be there? She said after the ball, didn’t she?”
Adhna narrowed his eyes. “We don’t. However, not to attend would be an insult. Do you wish to insult her?”
Fingin let out a deep breath. “Show me the steps again. I’ll try not to step on your feet.”
The complex interaction of dancers hadn’t been easy to learn with only two dancers, so Adhna recruited help once he’d taught the basic moves. Six more Fae arrived to help complete their set.
“Please greet Gnathnad, Tomnat, Uasal, and Airiu.” Four females nodded in unison, their hair varying from white-blond to midnight dark. The last one, a young woman with a mischievous grin, winked at him. He flushed and glanced away.
“Here, we have Cúán and Némán.” The two dark-haired men also nodded, but with grimmer expressions.
They paired off into four sets. He paired Fingin with Airiu, and she flashed him another smile before they began. With slow claps, Adhna called out their movements.
To his relief, he barely fumbled the complex steps in the first pass. However, just as they finished, he tripped over Airiu’s feet and fell on his side with a surprised grunt. Bran, who had been watching from the sides, let out a yip which Fingin could swear sounded more like a laugh.
Airiu helped him to his feet.
“Just let me guide you where you need to move. I know this dance well.”
He shook his head. “While I don’t doubt you are an expert, you might not be with me at the ball. I must learn this for myself.”
Her blue eyes flashed. “Would you deny my help, then?”
He caught his breath, terrified of insulting yet another Fae. “By no means! I welcome your teaching, fair Airiu.”
The Fae woman’s smile returned, and his heart beat faster. He wanted to
