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He believed her when she said she didn’t know what her magick was. Of course, there actually wasn’t much reason for him to believe her, but at the same time, she’d given him no reason not to. It was a strange place to be in, this push-pull between wanting someone and suspecting they might be sent to hurt his people. That being said, she’d killed for him. If she was part of the Domnua, she certainly wouldn’t have killed her own people.
The reality was, Kellen was in reaction mode. And that just kind of made him angry. It was hard to feel like a leader when he was simply responding to events as they unfolded, instead of taking control of the direction they needed to go in.
“Kellen. How bad is it?” King Callum entered the room where Kellen had gone to escape the crowd. He needed a moment to clear his head before he did something impulsive.
Like throw Raven over his shoulder and take her to his bedroom.
“It’s not so bad. Stings a bit, but they patched me up quickly enough.” Kellen shrugged. That was the way of Fae healers. They were lucky enough to have magick on their side when it came to closing up wounds. Though it wasn’t immediate, Kellen would barely have a trace of a scar by morning. That being said, he was just lucky that the Domnua hadn’t used an insidious poison on their blades. Sometimes, when spells seeped into the bloodstream, they were difficult to counteract.
“I’m sorry to hear it. I’m told it happened near the stables. Do we know where the breach was?”
“Not yet. I’ve just finished with the healers. I’m hoping to speak with—”
“Sir?” One of the Royal Guard poked his head in the door. “I’m back from my scouting mission.”
“Please, come in. What did you find?” Kellen gestured for the man to take a drink from the side table, but his guard only stood at attention and rapid-fire delivered his message.
“We discovered a breach in the wards on the southeast corner. It is, of course, being rectified as we speak. It was enough to allow the Domnua through.”
“Can you tell how it was breached?” King Callum asked, and the guard swallowed.
“It’s…it’s hard to say, sir. But judging from the pattern of magick, it seems to have been broken from the inside.”
“From the inside?” Callum’s voice rose. Protection spells, like those in the wards surrounding the Air Fae’s castle, were intricately woven, almost like a net or a spider web. It was easier to unravel such spells from the inside than it was from the outside, as their strength lay in keeping the undesirables out.
“It’s hard to say, definitively, as we worked quickly to repair the hole. But, from my personal estimation, yes. I believe that someone with strong magick allowed the Domnua inside.”
Raven.
For some reason, Kellen’s thoughts jumped to the lavender-haired songstress, and he wondered if she’d slipped away in the night and broken his wards. She had magick, of that he was certain, yet she’d been dead on her feet when Kellen had brought her here. Had it been possible that it was all an act?
“Thank you. Please take extra care today in strengthening all wards. Alert the people we’ll be having an announcement in one hour’s time.” With that, Kellen dismissed the guard and turned to Callum.
“You have a traitor in your midst,” Callum said, pressing his lips together. Instantly, Kellen opened his mouth to make his apologies, but the king held his hand up to stop him. “I understand. We did as well at our castle. It’s likely most of the Fae realms do, unfortunately. It’s better to know than to operate on the assumption that we don’t. It’s…unfortunate. But that is the reality of what we’re dealing with.”
“I want to fight,” Kellen said, turning to Callum with his fists clenched. “I don’t want to sit and wait for her to make her next move. I say we go. To the Dark Realm.”
“Attack on her turf?” Callum crossed his arms and considered Kellen’s words.
“What are the other options? Wait for her to show up? Lure her out of hiding? Or go knock on her door.”
“Bianca found a ritual—”
“That requires all four amulets. I don’t have mine. It would be an incomplete ritual.” Kellen turned and began to pace the room.
“It would. But that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t have some effect. It might not take her out, but it could weaken her. Maybe we could try for a multi-layered approach. Weaken her with a ritual. Attack in her realm. And…whatever other magicks that Lily and Bianca have unearthed with their research?”
“Can we get Danu here? Will she give us an audience?” Kellen asked.
“I’m not certain how much she’s allowed to intervene. Otherwise, she would have stopped this long ago, no? But it’s worth a shot,” Callum admitted. A knock sounded at the door, and Lily poked her head inside.
“Permission to enter?” Lily’s face warmed at the sight of Callum, and Kellen felt that small stab of loneliness again.
“You’re always welcome, my love.” Callum strode forward and all but dragged Lily into the room, followed closely by Bianca, Seamus, and Raven. Raven walked directly to him, hands on her hips, and looked him up and down.
“You look well enough then,” Raven said.
“No scars to make me look more dashing,” Kellen agreed.
