As she considered this odd concept, something sounded in the distance, like a hunting horn. She turned to see what new problem she’d have to deal with but saw nothing but mist on the horizon. “Did you hear that?”
Cionnan looked even more nervous than before, his gaze darting back and forth between the marsh and her. “What? I’m not sure what you mean, my lady.”
“Stop calling me my lady. A horn of some sort.”
“A horn?” he stared into the mist. “It may be someone come to take more of our land magic, my lady. We need your help to defend it.”
She rolled her eyes. “I told you, I don’t have the power to protect you against Bodach. You’ve asked the wrong person. Even Adhna told you that.”
The horn sounded again, closer.
Clíodhna had a bad feeling about that horn, and her presence in this swamp. She looked around for the path they came in on, but the mist rolled in so fast, it obscured everything around them. “Cionnan, I shouldn’t be here. Please, take me back to my roundhouse. Now.”
He shook his stone head, his expression obstinate. “No, my lady, you need to defend us! You’re the only one we trust!”
More Fae surrounded them now, melting out of the mist. They milled around with anxious frowns and pushed in around her. A third horn blow. Much closer. “Son of a diseased donkey! You’ll get me killed, instead. Cionnan! Which way home?”
Hoof beats rang out on the stone path. Mist parted to reveal Queen Áine, dressed in curvilinear-decorated bronze armor, Bodach riding by her side. The magnificent white horse she rode wore elaborate barding in brilliant white and blue.
Now the Queen pulled her mount up next to Clíodhna. The Fae surrounding her pushed back but didn’t make way for their Queen. “What is occurring here?”
Clíodhna raised her chin. “I apologize, my Queen. Cionnan asked me to come see his home, but I discovered I’m in the way of some ceremony. I shall leave.” She bowed and backed away.
“Halt! Do not move. Cionnan, come forth.”
The stone Fae came forward on his knees, his head bowed.
“Why have you lured my handmaiden into the wilds of Faerie? What game do you play?”
“Nothing, my Queen. We meant no harm, I swear it!”
Adhna came running up behind the host, out of breath and streaming sweat. “My Queen! My Queen, I tried to catch you at the palace… Clíodhna? What are you doing here? I told you to leave Cionnan alone!”
The Queen glared at Adhna, then Cionnan, and Clíodhna, in turn. Her face twisted into an angry frown and cast a sidelong glance at Bodach. “The wild Fae and the marsh Fae have formed a revolt, and I don’t have time to discover what mischief they’ve created here. Adhna, I have another mission for you, now. Clíodhna, you’re to return to Adhna’s home and remain there with no exception, until I send for you. Cionnan, report to the palace.”
She wheeled her horse around and galloped back the way she came. Bodach shot a knowing grin toward Clíodhna, raised his eyebrows, and followed her. When both left the path, Adhna let out his breath. “You heard the Queen, all of you. Especially you, Clíodhna. Did I not ask you to stay home? Now this… I’m unsure what this will mean when she returns. Go home, rest well, and stay safe. I will not be here to protect you from her wrath this time, but Grimnaugh will stay with you.”
He rode off in a different direction and the mist swallowed his form. When he disappeared, Clíodhna let out her own breath. What had she gotten herself into now?
Clíodhna allowed one of the other Fae to lead her home, but her mind remained numb from the incident. She couldn’t even fathom what the Queen would do now. Now she must wait.
She’d never been very good at waiting.
Part III
Chapter Ten
She paced back and forth in front of the roundhouse for a while, then shifted to walking around the pond. Marsh claimed the far end, so she couldn’t even do a full satisfactory circle route. Instead, she must either detour around the marshy part, or turn back and do most of a circle in each direction. This barrier interrupted her flow and caused her irritation to rise.
Why had she been so stupid? While haring off to help the Fae seemed well enough, she realized how it might seem to usurp the Queen’s power over her own folk. A thousand times, she practiced her explanation to the Queen. A thousand times she rejected the practiced words and started over.
“My Queen, I merely wanted to help a friend…”
“My Queen, how could I say no? He asked so nicely.”
“My Queen, I wanted to save you the burden of such annoyance.”
That last sounded so ridiculous, Clíodhna broke a branch off a bush and flung it into the pond, watching the ripples fan out from the surface. The ripples soothed her frustration, to a point. She repeated the gesture several times before noticing how denuded the bush now looked. Chagrined at her anger and destruction, she let out a sigh. While sitting cross-legged next to the bush, she pulled energy up from the ground. She’d forgotten how strong the magic flowed in Faerie, and for a moment, wrestled with the power. However, she’d only pulled a small tendril and she directed it properly, healing the torn branches. As she did so, the bush sang back to her in thanks, its melody entwining with her memory and imagination.
Once Clíodhna healed the raw, broken branches, she rose and returned to the roundhouse. If she couldn’t trust herself not to visit damage upon the beings of Faerie, she
