I closed my eyes. For a moment, I was almost there, back in that time, back in Brigh\u00edd\u2019s 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\u2014the sons and nephew of their Otherlander king, as livid as she at the betrayal of her brother.<\/p>\n
My lips formed the words before I could stop myself. \u201cWho are you and what\u2019s become of my brother?\u201d<\/p>\n
Carolyn looked at me, startled. Neve took a deep breath. \u201cMarin,\u201d she began. I shuddered and opened my eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry,\u201d I muttered, then swallowed hard. \u201cI don\u2019t\u2014I don\u2019t know why that happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI do,\u201d Neve said, reaching for my hand. She squeezed my fingers hard. \u201cIt brings everything to the surface. The story.\u201d<\/p>\n
All I could do was nod. She was right, of course.<\/p>\n
Then again, in some ways, Brigh\u00edd was never that far from the surface, as much as it pained me to admit it.<\/p>\n
Where does her strength end and mine begin, I wonder?<\/em><\/p>\n I wondered, but I didn\u2019t want to know the answer.<\/p>\n Neve took a shaky breath. \u201cThe druids did<\/em> 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\u2019t know what was happening until it was too late.<\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t realize what they\u2019d done until the god was possessing his body that he\u2019d been tricked and all of a sudden everyone and everything he loved was at risk.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA god possessed him?\u201d Carolyn asked, blinking rapidly.<\/p>\n Leinth grimaced. \u201cI\u2019ve heard this part of the tale,\u201d she said, her voice soft. \u201cHe wrought havoc on the world. There was a price on his head. The Wild Hunt was the only way to contain him.\u201d<\/p>\n I shuddered and swallowed hard. \u201cNo,\u201d I said, my voice suddenly hoarse. \u201cThat\u2019s 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<\/em> from her by the Wild Hunt.\u201d My gaze flicked up and met Leinth\u2019s. \u201cYou were all lucky she didn\u2019t realize how many had betrayed her then. You\u2019re lucky she didn\u2019t burn the world.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I closed my eyes. For a moment, I was almost there, back in that time, back in Brigh\u00edd\u2019s skin as she learned that her brother had been betrayed by men he dared to call friend. I knew the feel of … Continue reading