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One of his single, perfect eyebrows lifted. “Ùna didn’t tell you?”
Hearing the fae female’s name sent a sharp pang through my chest. “You know Ùna?”
He nodded. “That’s how I was able to recognize your presence so quickly. She misses you.”
I turned my gaze away, guilt clawing up from deep inside. “I’m sure she does.”
“Don’t worry, she understands why you don’t return and waits patiently. Why, that is beyond me.” Sean shrugged. “But it isn’t my business who she swears eternal fealty to.”
“You said you can’t go to the fae realm. Why is that?”
His lip curled. “Just as Ùna is no longer perfect enough,earningher elf title, we born elves are not pure enough.”
I frowned.There are two types of elves?I knew elves were the product of fae and mortals mingling, but I didn’t know there was a way to earn that name. Nor did I know the fae cast out their own kind for such petty reasons.
Ùna never told me she couldn’t go back. She was the sole survivor of a brutal massacre by mortals who feared the fae. Though, because of the cold iron they’d used, she’d never fully recovered.
I never once questioned why she insisted she was indebted to me. I’d never wondered why she wouldn’t ask for a different debt repayment. I now regretted not caring sooner.
“I wondered how long it would take for you to show up,” the elf said. “Aya has been here so long, I thought you’d make yourself known much sooner. How curious she didn’t tell you.”
My eyes narrowed. I didn’t like what he was insinuating. “How long has she been here?”
He shrugged. “You’ll have to talk to her about that.”
“Does Astrid know? About you, that is.” This would give me an idea of what she’d been exposed to. She hadn’t seemed to recognize anything I said to her earlier today about the past. And she was even ignorant about Aya’s true nature, based on how the goddess had worded herself in our conversation. And her ignorance of these facts was odd to me.
Sean shook his head. “No, the wingless Valkyrie is not yet aware of my true nature.”
My eyes narrowed. “You know?”
“I’ve known since I first laid eyes on her. It is no accident she looks the way she does—that her scar resembles the one she was most known for.”
My jaw set. I didn’t like the way this fae said that. “What do you mean?”
“Magic is not a toy, wandering god of war and judgment. It is powerful, and should be respected.” His eyes squinted. “You and Freya took a great risk with ancient and powerful magic, and this is what magic brought you.”
My axe materialized in my hand, the wooden haft biting into my skin. “Is that a threat?”
The elf jumped off his rock away from me, but gazed up with defiance. “No. I wish no harm on Astrid. She was kind to us lesser fae back then. She is kind now, even if she does yet understand the true ways of this world. But, no matter what I want, magic’s price comes due. You must be ready when it comes to collect.”
My grip on my axe tightened.What does that mean? Is Astrid still in danger? Does Freya know about this?
Tuggy mewed and then trotted down the path toward the main house.
“Seems the war goddess’ familiar has deemed it time for you to speak with the woman.”
I blinked.He understands the cat?
Sean grinned and tipped an imaginary hat at me before waltzing into the woods.
Tuggy stopped and turned her head to mew at me again. She really did want me to follow.
I took a deep breath to calm myself and dismissed my weapon. Whether I liked it or not, I was going to have to have this conversation with Aya. Hopefully not with Astrid around to witness, because I wasn’t sure if I could keep my cool around the goddess.
The walk down to the house was peaceful. I could see why a fae would be drawn here. In some ways, it reminded me of home, and I understood how Astrid loved this place. Even if she had no memories of the past, a part of her had to remember, right?
I shook the thoughts from my head. Aya told me a long time ago, when she’d done the first ritual, there were no guarantees. I had to treat this as a brand-new start, as hard as that was proving to be.
