Eleven – 06

I closed my eyes. For a moment, I was almost there, back in that time, back in Brighíd’s skin as she learned that her brother had been betrayed by men he dared to call friend. I knew the feel of the wooden haft of her boar-spear in her hands, solid and smooth, as she marched toward the druids, held by Seamus, Phelan, and Teague—the sons and nephew of their Otherlander king, as livid as she at the betrayal of her brother.

My lips formed the words before I could stop myself. “Who are you and what’s become of my brother?”

Carolyn looked at me, startled. Neve took a deep breath. “Marin,” she began. I shuddered and opened my eyes.

“Sorry,” I muttered, then swallowed hard. “I don’t—I don’t know why that happened.”

“I do,” Neve said, reaching for my hand. She squeezed my fingers hard. “It brings everything to the surface. The story.”

All I could do was nod. She was right, of course.

Then again, in some ways, Brighíd was never that far from the surface, as much as it pained me to admit it.

Where does her strength end and mine begin, I wonder?

I wondered, but I didn’t want to know the answer.

Neve took a shaky breath. “The druids did perform a ritual that day while the rest were out hunting, an ancient, forbidden rite that called upon a god of the hunt. Ciar didn’t know what was happening until it was too late.

“He didn’t realize what they’d done until the god was possessing his body that he’d been tricked and all of a sudden everyone and everything he loved was at risk.”

“A god possessed him?” Carolyn asked, blinking rapidly.

Leinth grimaced. “I’ve heard this part of the tale,” she said, her voice soft. “He wrought havoc on the world. There was a price on his head. The Wild Hunt was the only way to contain him.”

I shuddered and swallowed hard. “No,” I said, my voice suddenly hoarse. “That’s what they wanted you to believe. There was another way. She was getting through before the Hunt took him. She was getting through and then he was stolen from her by the Wild Hunt.” My gaze flicked up and met Leinth’s. “You were all lucky she didn’t realize how many had betrayed her then. You’re lucky she didn’t burn the world.”

Liked it? Take a second to support Erin on Patreon!