The Blood Forest (Tree of Ages #3)(59)



“Your magic,” Corcra replied. “All humans fear magic, except for the few who can wield it themselves, and those just fear being found out and associated with the Faie.”

“Two of my friends have their own magic,” Finn smirked, thinking of Anna, “though one doesn’t like to admit it.”

“Hmm,” Corcra buzzed. “Be that as it may, I imagine they still fear the Faie.”

Finn nodded. “I must admit, I fear some of the Faie myself. The Trow have been very kind to me, but others have not been as . . . pleasant.”

Corcra hummed in agreement. “Yes, there are more violent, dark Faie, just as there are more violent, dark humans.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Finn muttered, “but my friends are as light as they come.”

Corcra chuckled. “I’ll have to take you at your word, as I don’t plan on conversing with any humans any time soon.”

Finn laughed. “Well I appreciate you speaking with me. I feel hopeful now that there are other Faie as kind as you and the Trow.”

A few of Corcra’s people circled back from the path ahead, then came to buzz around them in a cacophony of tiny voices that Finn found difficult to decipher.

“The road you seek is just ahead,” Corcra explained. “This is where we must part ways, and you must leave Loinnir behind.”

At that moment Loinnir reared her head backward and shook out her mane, dislodging the few pixies who rested there.

“Hmm,” Corcra murmured, maintaining her perch on Finn’s shoulder. “It seems she would like to remain with you, but I do not know . . . ” she trailed off as both her and Finn’s attentions were drawn by Loinnir’s horn.

The air around it seemed to shimmer, then it slowly faded from sight.

“Well that solves that, I suppose,” Corcra mused.

“You mean she’ll really stay with me?” Finn asked hopefully, feeling immense relief, not only that she wouldn’t have to walk, but that she wouldn’t have to be alone.

“She’s chosen you,” Corcra explained. “She says you are her new queen.”

“Well she has my gratitude,” Finn replied, “but as I’ve already explained, I am no queen.”

Corcra simply shook her head and took flight. “We’ll see, lass. We’ll see. We’d appreciate it if you’d ride out on the road first. Draw the immediate attention of anyone who might be around to see, so that we might fly unnoticed high overhead.”

“Of course,” Finn replied. “And I hope to see you again.”

Corcra hovered in front of her face and smiled. “Aye, lass. And we’ll keep an eye out for your friends. If they are as friendly toward magic as you say, perhaps we can pass your message along to them.”

Finn grinned. “I’d appreciate that. We cannot seem to stop losing each other. It would be nice, for once, if I were the one to do the finding.”

Corcra gave her a little wave, then flew up high as Finn rode out onto the road.

Finn looked both ways to see a small caravan of travelers not far off. Quickly deciding that her promise to Corcra was worth the risk, she urged Loinnir to trot toward them, drawing their attention as the pixies flew high over the road to the relative safety of the woods beyond.



Another day came and went as Iseult and Bedelia waited in their cell. Apparently Oighear had defeated the contingent of men, as the occasional guards that passed by seemed unworried. Iseult had hoped the men would prove enough of a distraction for him to escape, but it seemed few were a true match for Oighear.

He stood at the sound of footsteps while Bedelia remained slumped against the wall on the stone floor. The slight illumination from the lanterns in the hall increased as someone approached with a torch. Iseult was surprised to see Oighear herself, in her glittering white gown. Normally, she had pairs of the Aos Sí bring either him or Bedelia up for questioning. She had never come down to them before.

She tugged at something on the end of a leather cord until a struggling Naoki came into view. Before Iseult could help himself, his eyes widened ever so slightly.

“Ah,” Oighear observed, her eyes intent on his face. “So you’ve seen this creature before?”

A moment later his subtle giveaway wouldn’t have mattered. Seeing him, Naoki rushed toward the bars of the cell, chittering frantically. There was a leather cord tied around her beak, and a few thicker ones around her wings, holding them down. Seeing the creature Finn dearly cared about in such a state filled him with rage.

“The men who encroached upon my lands were being led by this creature,” Oighear explained. “We questioned one of the soldiers before he was killed. Apparently, their Captain was seeking out a girl with long blonde hair and dark eyes, along with a man fitting the description of your other companion with Dair blood. You can imagine why I found all of this wonderfully interesting.”

Iseult glared at her. He could already guess her plan, but would let her say it first.

“The issue is,” Oighear continued, “that this creature seems to fear my soldiers. She will not continue her tracking.”

Relief flooded through Iseult, there was hope yet.

Finally Bedelia stood and staggered weakly to the cell bars. “So what do you want?” she growled. “Why are you telling us any of this?”

Sara C Roethle's Books