“Leinth,” Neve said, breathing the name as if it was a prayer and a curse all at once. “What are you doing here?”
Thom tore his gaze away from the figure he’d seen once before, after the raiders had come, had attacked their home. She had brought a warning, then, one that had shivered his bones.
If you cross them, not even the Wanderer or a princess of Avalon will be able to save you.
He glanced at Cameron, who seemed to be the figure’s focus—or at least had been until Neve had appeared.
Neve is a princess of Avalon.
Thom felt his stomach start to sink.
Cameron twisted toward the sound of Neve’s voice. “You know her?”
Neve nodded, limping forward with Marin at her side. “I do. Though I never expected to see her again.”
The dark-cloaked figure with the gleaming eyes drifted forward. Though the snow and ice swirled around her, she didn’t seem touched by the cold, by the sting of wind or the shards of frozen water. “Some things are certain, princess,” she said softly. “Even as some things fade, others remain constant for the full measure of time. Like winter and the moon.”
“You were all supposed to be dead,” Neve said, stopping next to Cameron. Thom felt Marin’s fingers lace through his, felt her shiver next to him.
She recognizes her, too. She must.
“Most of my brethren are,” the figure said, sounding sad for a moment. “But I survived to wait and watch. I don’t know if I’m the only one.” She took a step closer, gaze drifting toward Cameron. “I’ve been watching his sons.”
What the hell is she talking about?
“I don’t have any children,” Cameron said haltingly. “Not yet.”
Neve swore softly. Marin’s fingers dug into his hand.
“My god,” Marin breathed, “she was talking about Cameron when she warned us. She was talking about him.”
She was talking about more than one, though. Thom’s lips thinned. Who else is coming? He felt vaguely queasy. Did Neve know that her lover was one of Seamus’s descendants?
Judging by her reaction, I’d say probably not.
Cameron edged forward. “Who the hell are you and what do you want?” he demanded, eyes narrowing as he stared at the woman. “You show up here, uninvited and talking in riddles, and I don’t appreciate it. None of us appreciate that kind of bullshit at this point.” His jaw tightened. “We shoot people who start spewing that kind of bullshit at this point.”
Thom winced, reaching over and grasping Cameron’s arm. “Back off, Cameron.”
“No,” Cameron said. “Not this time. She’s going to tell us what the hell this is all about.”
“She’s been watching over you, dumbass,” Thom snapped. “She’s been watching over you because you’re some kind of ridiculously distant descendant of hers.”
Cameron stiffened, slowly looking back toward Leinth again. He looked her over one more time and then rocked back a step, almost stumbling back into Neve.
“What’s wrong?” she whispered, her face as pale as the snow.
“I know her,” he whispered. “I know her. I’ve seen her. I didn’t—I didn’t know it until just now.”
Thom sucked in a slow, deep breath. This isn’t going to end well. I hope I’m wrong about that, but I don’t think it’s going to.
“I’ve been watching you for a long time,” Leinth said softly. “Your many times over grandfather would be proud—as am I.”
Cameron stared at her for another moment, swallowed hard, then swept Neve into his arms and stormed back into the safety of the tent, leaving Marin and Thom beyond the walls to face the dark-cloaked figure alone.
