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Raven Mother. The Black Unicorn…
Speechless, I turned to Bran, searching his face. I had killed his father, had sacrificed the Black Unicorn so that he might live again.
Raven Mother, one of the Elemental Queens, was the nemesis of the Moon Mother, constantly seeking to steal my lady’s power. Raven Mother was jealous of the silvery moon, coveting the sparkling magic over which the Moon Mother ruled. To say we all had a volatile relationship was an understatement.
Bran held my gaze, his lips pursed. He reached out and took my hand again. I wanted to pull away, unsure of where this was going, but decided against it. Doing so might seem an insult. I glanced at Aeval, hoping she might intervene, but she seemed to have no interest in doing so.
His fingers were like fire against my own. One thing was for sure—Bran had considerable power. The tingling of his touch jarred me, racing up my arm like a thousand needles. His eyes sparkled with cold light.
“So, you are the priestess who sacrificed my father.”
And there it was. But I still had no clue of whether he was toying with me, or whether this was just his nature.
“I had no choice. It was my destiny, and your father chose me to fulfill his rebirth.” What I wanted to say was, Look dude, deal with it, and let’s not make this any more awkward than it already is, but there was a time and place for attitude, and this wasn’t it. Outspoken or not, I knew when to opt for diplomacy.
He raked his nails along the skin of my hand as he pulled away, almost breaking the skin but not quite. “So I’ve heard. My mother has much to say about you. She is…quite taken with you.”
I stared at the marks on my arm—long white scratches but not enough to call him on it. A glance at Aeval told me she was scrutinizing me, waiting for my reaction. Not sure what she wanted—or expected—I drew myself up, straightening my shoulders.
“If you have a problem with me, let’s clear the air now. I’m not sure why you’re here, but obviously there’s some reason. Chances are with the way things are developing, we’re going to have to work together on something. So if you have a grievance? If you’re pissed at me for doing what your father basically ordered me to do? Tell me now.” I stared at him, holding his gaze, unwilling to back down.
One beat. Two beats. And then…
“A problem with you? Not at all. My father makes his own choices. You might count me more in my mother’s court. I take after her.” His voice was smooth, and again—the cunning smile.
Instantly on my guard, I tried to gauge what it was about him that I didn’t like. The jabs he’d made weren’t really even jabs, except for scratching my arm, but there was something unsettling about Bran, and I couldn’t put my finger on it.
And then it came to me. I couldn’t read him, like I could so many other people.
And because I couldn’t read him, I didn’t know whether to trust him. The man unnerved me. Even then, man wasn’t the right word. The son of an Elemental Queen who was as chaotic as they come, and the father of the Dahns Unicorns? Trickster energy. Pure, essential trickster.
“Then we are settled?” Aeval nodded to me, a faint smile on her face. “Bran is here to train the warriors of Talamh Lonrach Oll. He is a sorcerer, and an adept hand-to-hand warrior. He will lead the helm if we need him.”
I whirled around, staring at her. What the fuck? Had she told Raven Mother what we were facing? Opening my mouth to protest, I stopped cold at the look on her face.
Then again, if Raven Mother and the Black Unicorn didn’t already know about Shadow Wing, it would be a miracle. I swallowed my protest and held my breath to a count of five, then let it out slowly. Politics sucked, especially when I wasn’t the one making up the rules.
“I see.” There wasn’t much else I could say.
“And you will be the liaison between Bran, the FH-CSI, and the Otherworld Intelligence Agency.” Again, the frozen smile, daring me to object.
And again, I sucked it up and nodded as gracefully as I could. “As you will.” Crap. I’d have to deal with Bran, like it or not. And right now, I didn’t like it one bit. I turned to him. “We should talk in the next few days, get some things straight.” Like the fact that we’re running the show from our side and you’d better play along.
“I look forward to it.” Again, the smooth voice covering the glittering eyes. Oh, the man was trouble. Attractive trouble, yes, but he set me on edge and I knew my sisters would feel the same. We were going to have a high old time coordinating this particular little corner of our ever-expanding world.
I glanced at Titania. She didn’t look all that comfortable, either, and Morgaine looked positively furious. What the fuck was she upset about? She was glaring at Bran like he’d usurped her position.
Bingo. It wasn’t her position she was upset about. Ten to one she’d been wrangling some scheme to install Mordred as leader of the TLO Warriors. And Aeval and Titania were having none of that.
Titania cleared her throat when she noticed me staring at her. “I think, then, introductions are finished. Camille, we have yet one more issue to drop in your lap before you get on with your training for the evening.”
This was turning out to be more fun than a barrel of rabid monkeys. My energy for the evening was about ready to fly the coop. I let out a long sigh, and Aeval must have noticed my oh-so-subtle eye roll because she reached over and tipped my chin up.
“Patience.”
At Bran’s snort, she gave him a sideways glance. “Enough. You are in my court now, and regardless of your parentage, you will behave accordingly.”
“Yes, my lady.” Bran pressed his lips together, looking none too happy, but he sobered and gave her a half nod. Feeling vindicated, I flashed him a cheery smile.
