“May I at least know with whom you will gift my son? What if Bodach finds him in the mortal realm?”
“Of course. I will find a nice, young couple with a good trade and a sturdy house. I will send frequent emissaries to ensure his good health and maintenance, and they will bring back news. In the human world, I can create a géis against Bodach’s interference. It wouldn’t work in Faerie, but the rules are different there.” He took both her hands in his and kissed her fingertips. “I want you to have joy, my love. This will make you much less anxious, knowing someone is caring for your loved ones.”
She leaned into his chest and he hugged her tight. “I hope you’re right, Adhna.”
* * *
Clíodhna knelt in the grand hall, trembling and terrified, but unable to move a muscle. On the dais in front of her, Queen Áine sat in her throne made of living branches, woven into complex knotwork designs. Beside her, a smaller throne of curved stone sat empty. She had no consort to help her rule.
Only a few courtiers stared at the lone human in the Queen’s court. She’d glanced at the gathered on-lookers as she’d marched in. Impossible shades of red and yellow, blue and purple rioted in a rainbow of gossamer fabrics. Few of the Fae court resembled humans. Some had feathers or scales, or skin so vibrant, their clothing faded in comparison.
One, a short, squat toad-like Fae, had given her a solemn nod as she passed, the only sign of encouragement she’d received when summoned to present herself.
Today, she would vow herself to the Queen.
Adhna had found a safe place for Rumann, with a stolid fisherman and his grieving wife. Their own son had died just days before, and they’d welcomed the new child. They even agreed to keep his name Rumann, rather than change it to their dead son’s name, a small favor Clíodhna felt grateful for. In the future, when she returned to the human world, she might still find her children.
After shoving away the sorrow, she steeled herself for her current task.
The Queen, resplendent in white and silver, rose. Her pale skin almost glowed with its own light. Her tall form towered over Clíodhna, even when she descended the dais to stand next to her. She placed both hands upon Clíodhna’s head and chanted unfamiliar words. The language seemed ancient, liquid and alien.
Adhna had used this language for some of his spells, but he had refused to teach Clíodhna. “It is the old language, the language of the gods. No mortal can know the words. The Fae are permitted to use it only under strict conditions, and we cannot pass it on.”
The words made Clíodhna’s skin crawl. Whatever the Queen said, she drew power as the chant continued. Pressure increased, pushing against Clíodhna’s lungs and making her hair crackle with energy.
The Queen stopped chanting, a question in her tone. Clíodhna’s head moved of its own accord, so she must look the Queen in the eyes. Those black, endless cat eyes. She shivered and wanted to blink away, but the Queen’s gaze locked into hers.
“Do you vow your honor and loyalty to me above all others, Clíodhna?”
Trying hard to swallow against the knot in her throat, Cliodhna glanced around at the courtiers, eager for entertainment if the human dared refuse. Her life would be forfeit in seconds. With a last thought of desperate pain for the children she might never see again, she gulped. “I do, my Queen.”
A ripple of power spread out, an iridescent ring coloring everything in its path, along with a gust of cold wind. Clíodhna shivered and rubbed her arms, once again allowed her own bodily control. Something had latched onto her mind, something limiting and heavy. She suspected her vow had created a burden she must now carry everywhere.
A sigh of disappointment rippled around the watching Fae, but the Queen’s mouth twitched in the ghost of a smile. “Very well. Rise, handmaiden, and take your place at my side as part of my court.”
Clíodhna rose, her knees shaking. She turned to face the attending Fae, each one with disapproving frowns, except the toad-like Fae, who had a slight smile and a wink. While she wished Adhna had been here, the Queen sent him on another mission. She took a deep breath and stepped back, hoping to shift focus away from her.
Soaring arches of delicate white branches met overhead, with autumn leaves forming a roof. A russet leaf, colored shining gold, fluttered down to the floor. Once it reached the ground, however, it disappeared. Birds sang in the upper branches, but none came into view. As she gazed out through the tree trunks, the gently rolling hills of Faerie undulated like waves on the sea.
The Queen took her seat upon the throne again, the very essence of regal. She clapped once, and two Fae guards dragged someone down the long, mirror-smooth hall floor. The prisoner appeared to be a brown Fae, with gashes in his dark skin, dripping something white like tree sap rather than blood. His clothing hang in rags and his expression looked resigned.
The Queen’s voice shot through the hall, filling the space with command. “What is his crime?”
A third guard stepped up, rapped his spear against the floor, and reported, his gaze locked forward. “This Fae attempted to steal fruit from the Queen’s garden. He claimed he did it as a favor for his pet mortal, in the human realm. She asked him for an apple of immortality.”
The Queen threw her head back and laughed. “Did he believe such things of my humble garden? Oh, fool that he is. The usual punishment.” She flicked her hand in a careless gesture. The guards dragged him away. Clíodhna
