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“Our plan won’t fail. I’ll tear that manor to pieces before I let our plan fail. We will destroy Edric and his Hunters.”
“You can’t even sneak up on an old man in a cave.”
“You’re hardly an old man.”
“If you’d been training, if you harnessed the power you possess, you could bring the fight to them. You don’t need an artifact, son. What you need is to accept your heritage.”
His criticism stung. Maybe if there were more of us, he might have a point. “Then what’s your excuse? Why aren’t you helping us bring the fight to them?”
He locked his blue eyes onto mine and scowled at me. “I am not Sworn. I’m an Elemental. My responsibilities are here. You know where yours lie. Not with those humans—those destructive animals who think nothing of polluting their world and make my work nearly impossible. The thought of you living among them disgusts me. You trained with me as a boy. You know what they do, what they’re capable of, and yet you’ve abandoned your post and your magic to pretend to be one of them.”
No surprise that he wouldn’t approve of my interest in Evelyn, then. Not that it mattered. “I’m on a mission for the Court.”
He snorted. “Whatever you need to tell yourself.” He aimed another flash of light at the box in his hand. The flash ricocheted off the box and slammed into the cavern wall. The box shook, and he poked at it again with the tool he held in his hand.
“Being one of the Fae used to mean something. Being a member of the Queen’s Sworn used to be an honor.” I shook my head and began pacing. “Now it just means constant war over an ages-old grudge led by a madman hell-bent on slaughtering our kind.”
“Then change it.” He grumbled and fussed with the tool.
“I can’t.” I might be able to help stop the war, but our numbers were so diminished, even without the Hunt, I feared we wouldn’t survive.
He shrugged. “Well, I can’t help you.”
I narrowed my eyes and glared at him. “You stand there telling me I should be using my powers. You’re a healer. You should be with Mother now. Are you not at the service of our queen?”
“Clever boy. You think you have me there, don’t you? Well, you know nothing. When you’re as old as me, you can tell me a thing or two. Until then, allow me to remind you, your mother is nearly as ancient as I am. She doesn’t need a healer. She needs to be allowed to fade. It is her right. Let her spirit return to strengthen the force that feeds our magic.”
I groaned and ran a hand through my hair. “Sod it. I’ve had enough. If you won’t help, I’m leaving.” I turned my back on him and started to walk away.
“Liam,” he said. I stopped walking but didn’t turn around. “If you really want to help your mother and find that artifact, use your magic. Stop acting like a human.”
His words were like a punch to my gut. I stalked through the darkness down the corridor until I reached the cave entrance. Arabella had been telling me since I’d first volunteered for this assignment that I should just use my magic. Maybe my sire was right. And if he wouldn’t help me, then I couldn’t wait any longer. I needed to destroy Edric now, before he had a chance to hurt any more of my kin. I owed it to my mother to avenge her sisters, to my cousins to avenge their mothers. But I would need to act fast. We were less than two days from the solstice, and once I used that type of magic in the manor, it would be like setting off a beacon. I would draw the Hunt directly to Lydbury’s doorstep. I wouldn’t have much time to find the artifact and destroy it, let alone protect Oscar and his family. And if I were wrong, if the house did not hold Edric’s secrets, I’d be putting Evelyn in the middle of a war I couldn’t stop.
7
Aunt Vivian servedthe tea in the library. I hadn’t returned to this room since I’d left Liam standing by the fire staring after me. Everything in this room reminded me of the look in his eyes just before he kissed me, the feel of his lips against mine, his hands on my hips. I wondered what would have happened if my aunt and uncle hadn’t come home. At least this way I had less to regret. Just a few kisses. It meant nothing.
“Ah, there you are!” Uncle Oscar walked into the library carrying a stack of books and a small wrapped package. “I’ve made almost no progress this morning. I had to fetch all my books and papers myself. It appears I’ve become accustomed to my secretary.” He set the pile of books on a table and lifted the velvet-wrapped bundle off the top. “But all this messing about in my files did uncover one particular treasure.” He held up the bundle. “Evelyn, I have something for you.”
He held out the package to me, and I lifted it from his hands.
The dark-green velvet looked almost black and reminded me of the color of the forest at night. A cornflower-blue braided silk cord held the package together. I pulled at the knots, admiring the smooth feel of the tassels at each end. With the cord untied, I folded back the velvet to expose a wide, carved golden bracelet. I hesitated to touch it.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Go ahead, lift it up to the light,” he said. “You’ll be able to see the carvings better that way.”
“Where did you find this, dear?” Aunt Vivian asked.
“Oh, I guess I forgot to tell Liam about that storage room in the cellar. It will take him weeks to catalog all that. I don’t expect he’ll be pleased to know there’s more. But there are some treasures down there. Like this one.”
I held the bracelet up to the light and admired the intricate marks carved into the surface. I’d expected the metal to feel cool against my skin. Instead my fingertips tingled where they pressed against the smooth surface. What property of the gold could produce such an effect? One part of my mind churned, examining the possibilities, while the other marveled at the magnificent piece of history I held in my hands.
“It’s writing,” he said. “Well, not all of it. But those marks there.” He pointed out a section and slipped on his reading glasses. I rotated the band to see it better. “That’s ancient Celtic. I’ve forgotten the translation. It’s in there, somewhere.” He waved his hand at the stack of books and papers he’d set on the table. “But, if I’m not mistaken, this little bangle was a gift from William the Conqueror to the wife of my ancestor, Edric Sauvage. It’s said that his wife had hair the color of spun gold and was the most beautiful woman in the kingdom. I think old Willie must have been a bit soft on her, don’t you agree?”
“The Faerie Queen from the tapestry that hangs in the stairwell, right?” I asked. The pads of my fingers explored the rough edges surrounding the carvings.
“Yes, that’s the one.” He removed his reading glasses and folded them into his pocket, then gestured to me. “Go on, Eve, try it on. Let’s see how it looks.”
