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“How so?” I asked. I didn’t know anything about the legendary Sluagh. Just what I heard in bedtime stories. They were more of a dark legend than anything and I'd never given them much consideration.
I made my way towards the two princes, kicking muck off of my boots as I went. I was in desperate need of a bath after handling all of that raw saber meat. Vazden followed, reaching the fencing before I did, clapping Cadoc on the shoulder in a brotherly way.
“The Sluagh queen was one of the most powerful faeries to ever walk this realm,” Vazden supplied. Folding his thick arms over his chest as he, too, leaned against the fence alongside Cadoc. “Before the courts were established, Faerie was a raw, lawless place. There was no structure. Osiris had just come into power. The Sluagh hunts indiscriminately, feeding their ranks like an insatiable beast.”
“But what are they exactly?” I asked. My heart was in my throat as I considered the fact that these ravenous beasts were on their way here as we spoke.
“The host of the unforgiven dead,” Riven said ominously, sliding off the fencing smoothly. He padded towards me with a swagger that set my teeth on edge, as if he owned the world and everyone in it.
The magic in my collar flared as he neared, as if responding to its master. His lips were tilted into an amused smirk, as if he could smell the fear rolling off of me and was enjoying it.
“Not quite dead and not quite living, but somewhere in between.” He reached out a hand to me, beckoning me to take it. “They’re unstoppable, unkillable, and unmatched. Even the Wild Hunt pales in comparison to their power. So, I suggest you use your time here wisely before they arrive.”
Kyre
The book I was holding fell to the floor as my back gave another twinge, something I was sadly growing used to. Kneeling down to pick it up, I flitted my eyes to the wooden desk on the other side of the study where Riven sat. He didn’t so much as look up at me as he sighed and said, “If you’re going to continue to be clumsy, then perhaps I should send you back down to wash the steeds.”
I grumbled, placing the heavy tome back onto the shelf. It seemed to me that Riven had claimed this room as his study to make himself feel more important than he really was. It was the most civilized room in the entire tree house, with actual wood-paneled walls covered in hanging maps, a couple of gilded portraits of faeries I didn’t recognize, and even a regal desk covered in parchment, ink, and little trinkets. It reminded me of how the astronomer's study back in the castle had looked before he died.
Most of the books were handwritten and bound crudely in leather or silks. Some of them didn’t even have any bindings and weren’t much more than an assemblage of crumpled papers. I’d been instructed to organize and dust the shelves that spanned an entire wall from floor to ceiling. What I hadn’t anticipated was the fact that Riven would be overseeing the entire task from his seat at his desk. Of course, he barely looked up as far as I knew, his nose too buried in books or scribbling down…whatever it was he was writing.
What did he even have to write about? Maybe it was some kind of memoir. He seemed like the type to think that highly of himself. I chuckled as I continued to dust off the books.
“Is something amusing?” he asked after my laugh came out a little bit too harshly. I cursed under my breath, as the last thing I needed was to provoke him today. I said nothing. “Look at me.” The command had me turning to face him immediately, but I kept a large tome clutched in my hands as somewhat of a barrier between us. His golden eyes appeared surprisingly docile rather than angry at my lack of response. “Come here, I’d like to talk with you.” He gestured to the other side of his desk, where a plush, wingback chair sat empty.
Setting the book down, I obliged him, settling back in the chair and rolling my shoulders. My back gave another twinge of pain that had me gritting my teeth. The pain seemed to be growing worse by the day, and sooner or later, I was going to have to do something about it. It made me wonder if something had been done to me on the journey from Karn. Had they thrown me around like a sack of grain, passing me from faerie to faerie while I lay unconscious? My stomach rolled at the thought.
Riven looked at peace behind his desk, his fingertips smudged with black ink and his dark-brown hair a bit mussed. Without Haelo and Cadoc in the room, his presence wasn’t as all-consuming or overbearing. His golden tattoos were on full display today in his tunic shirt with the shirtsleeves rolled to his elbows and the leather ties loosened, exposing a great deal of his chest.
“Are you in pain?” he asked as he closed the book he was reading on his desk. I tried to peer at the title, but he swiped it off and shoved it into a drawer before I had the chance. “Before you even consider lying to me, I’d like you to know that I'm exceptional at weeding out the truth. You’ve been alarmingly clumsy, and I don’t think it has anything to do with your lack of intelligence.”
My mouth dropped open with a scoff. “I’ll have you know that I’ve had the best tutors available in Karn at my disposal for over twenty-years. I’m not exactly simple, so I’d appreciate it if you would stop treating me like it.”
His mouth pulled up into a bemused smirk. “I believe I asked you a question, and I don’t like repeating myself.”
Silence stretched between us as I continued to glare at him, my fingers curling against the arm rests of the chair, if only to keep me from leaping over the desk and wrapping them around his neck. “I’m fine, thank you,” I gritted out through my teeth, deciding not to tell him a damn thing. “Now, may I get back to work before you decide to reprimand me for that, too?”
“No one here would hold it against you if you asked to seek out a healer,” he said, ignoring my words entirely. He reclined in his chair, running a palm over his scruff. “Crossing the Veil into Faerie can be challenging for halflings and humans.” He tapped his temple with one finger. “It can even scramble the mind for some. It’s a gateway between realms. One doesn’t simply cross through to the other side without leaving some part of themselves behind.”
He stood from his chair, and I tensed as he circled the desk slowly. He moved fluidly, completely at ease in his own space, coming to a stop behind my chair. I was barely breathing as his words simmered in my head.
I managed to speak, though my throat was tight with nerves. “How was I supposed to know a healer was even an option when you’ve kept me collared with a dampener for your own sick enjoyment?
I could feel his shock in the way his body went utterly still, and for a moment I worried that maybe I’d made a mistake in revealing what I knew too early. But Vazden’s words kept buzzing in my ears.
“Vazden always did have a soft spot for a pretty face,” he said, clicking his tongue. Strong hands caressed my arms from behind, and I froze. Riven moved slowly, brushing his fingers through the ends of my hair, running his knuckles over my skin when he reached my neck. His touch was warm and soft. But I knew what these hands were capable of, and this was just another one of his traps. “You think I want to hurt you, but you’re wrong.” His words were a whisper against the shell of my ear. Lies, all lies. “I can understand why you don't believe me. Perhaps we could have extended a more…hospitablewelcome. This arrangement doesn’t have to be entirely torturous, you know.”
Anger welled up inside me. What was he playing at? Who was he trying to fool? “You’ve shown me nothing but contempt. What makes you think I’d be interested in your hospitable welcome?” I pulled away, pivoting in the chair to peer into his golden eyes. “I’m not some doll for you to play with until I’m broken.”
“Oh, but you’d make a very pretty doll…”
Rolling my eyes, I returned to the bookshelf and continued dusting and organizing. He simply watched me for a few agonizingly-long moments. The heat of his eyes on my back had beads of sweat appearing on the nape of my neck. Eventually, he returned to his desk, and the scratch of his writing resumed.
We worked in companionable silence for the next hour. The trees just outside the window were rustling in the evening breeze. I shivered, wishing I’d brought something warmer to wear than this thin dress. After returning from the field of beasts, Riven commanded me to clean up and change before even thinking about entering his study. This time, they’d left it up to me to dress myself. Riven lit a fire in the hearth with a single word, warming my chilled skin. I didn’t bother thanking him.
After another hour of pregnant silence passed, I couldn't take it anymore. I had to know. Spinning on my heel, I placed the book I was holding aside. “What is it you really want from me, Riven? Why did you put this dampener on me when I don’t have any of my own magic? I’m clearly not a threat to any of you. You have me right where you want me. What more can I do?”
He straightened in his chair, setting down his writing utensils and disregarding whatever it is he was working on. Probably a personalized note to the Sluagh inviting them to dinner. “That’s a loaded question.”
