Munro kissed her hand. “I’m sorry.”
“I am too. She will be missed.”
“I never should have sent her there.”
“If you had not, Griogair would be slated for execution, not Estobar. She did her duty and saved his life. She would have been proud to do so. She was an excellent soldier.”
“Yes,” Munro agreed. “She was. We will attend her death rites, if you think Oron will welcome our presence.” His voice sounded steadier than he felt.
“I’m sure he will. Many will want to honour her sacrifice.”
“I was planning to talk to Griogair after I ate. I’m glad you came when you did. This means we can deliver good news instead of bad.”
Eilidh shook her head. “I think you should be the one to speak with him. You had faith in him, and your belief saved him.”
“Eilidh, you did your duty. Griogair confessed. What more could you do?”
“I should have trusted. I should have stood up for him, as you did.” A tear slid down her cheek. “Will you allow him to stay here if he doesn’t wish to return to Caledonia?”
“If he doesn’t want to return to Caledonia, I’m going to kick his arse. But I doubt it will even be a question. He’s your mate. He doesn’t blame you for doing your job.”
She knitted her brow. “I hope you’re right.”
Munro stood and held out his hand, assisting Eilidh to her feet. “Come on. We’ll tell him together. It’s a sad day but also a good day. I’d lay money on him being too relieved to hold a grudge.”
They turned to the door and were halted by Hon’s entrance. Munro’s smile froze when he saw the stricken look on Hon’s face. “My lord druid, you must come.”
“What’s wrong?” Munro asked, not certain he could take more bad news.
“Queen Grenna and a large contingent of sea fae just arrived.”
“They did? That’s good.” He turned to Eilidh. “Maybe we’ll get this damned Cup after all.”
“They brought Lord Druid Rory. He is… their prisoner.”
“What?” He stood and stared.
“I’m afraid that’s all I know,” Hon said.
“Where is she? I’ll see her now.”
“Wait,” Eilidh said, putting her hand on Munro’s arm. “Queen Grenna came to you herself. Most would have sent a messenger or servant, but she arrived personally
and
she’s brought Rory with her. That tells me she intends to turn him over and also that she’s deeply worried about what you’ll do.”
“Do you know her?” Munro asked.
“No. She’s not left her kingdom since I ascended to my throne. I’m not sure how long since she’s been outside her own territory.”
Munro exhaled. “Okay. We should tread carefully.” He thought for a moment. “Hon, please show Queen Grenna to the great hall. I’ll gather the other druids. Is Lisle up yet?”
“Yes, my lord druid. She came down shortly after Her Majesty Queen Eilidh arrived.”
“Good,” Munro said. He kissed Eilidh’s hand. “You want to come see her with me?”
Eilidh smiled and nodded. “I was hoping you’d ask. I wouldn’t want to miss this. Who knows if this day will come again? You druids should be in position first. Queen Grenna can be shown in once you’re ready. This is your Hall. The message is subtle, but important.”
“Okay, if you believe it matters.” Clearly it did, because Hon looked greatly relieved. “Is Rory all right?” Munro asked. “Does he look well?”
“He looks…” Hon’s voice trailed off. “Yes, the druid lord looks healthy.”
Whatever he wasn’t saying worried Munro more than the things he did.
Chapter 17
Munro let Eilidh tell Hon how to orchestrate the meeting. The great hall had been hurriedly rearranged while Grenna was offered refreshment on the opposite side of the complex.
The druids sat in identical high-backed chairs on a long dais, and a similar chair had been placed in front of them for Grenna. Eilidh stood slightly behind Munro’s place in the centre, much as he did in her court. He felt strange having their positions reversed, but he liked the reassuring touch of her hand resting on his shoulder.
“We’re ready,” he told Hon. Lisle and Sheng sat on his right and Aaron and Douglas on his left. They all wore expressions as grim as he felt. Lisle had dark circles under her eyes as though she’d not slept. He dreaded telling her about Alyssa’s death. Although Lisle didn’t know the Mistwatcher well, and if his instincts were right, didn’t particularly like her, he suspected she’d be gutted to learn she delivered Alyssa to her death.
A few tense moments later, Hon led Queen Grenna inside. She was flanked by an honour guard who positioned themselves in the rear of the room while she approached alone. Four more guards carrying tall ornamental spears surrounded Rory, who was dressed in a wetsuit and wearing one of the breathing crowns. Grenna herself was beautiful in a distinct and exotic way. Munro noticed the faint gill slits, flattened on the side of her long neck. Her eyes seemed too far apart and her nose strangely flat. Still, Munro had rarely seen a more graceful faerie. She moved like a dancer, almost floating into the room.
“Welcome to the Druid Hall.” He smiled and tried to appear friendly. When considering whether to introduce them by their titles, he opted for less formality. She knew who they were, and he wanted to show he wasn’t trying to impress her. “I am Quinton Munro. This is Lisle and Douglas. You already know Aaron and Sheng.” He gestured to his side. “This is my mate, Queen Eilidh of Caledonia.”
Grenna bowed slightly to the druids, then nodded politely to Eilidh. Eilidh silently returned the gesture. Although Munro’s instincts told him to just bluntly ask what the hell was going on, on Eilidh’s advice, he merely waited.
“It has been centuries since I walked the lands, Your Majesty,” Grenna said to Munro.
Munro tilted his head. “I’m not a king.” He motioned to the others. “We comprise a druid council.”
“But you wear the iron crown,” she said with a frown.
Curious
. Not
an
iron crown, but
the
iron crown. “An artefact to help me see the flows. Nothing more than a tool,” he said, wishing to hell he’d thought to take it off before she got here. He’d grown so accustomed to wearing it. Why hadn’t anyone said anything?
She nodded but looked thoughtful. “I come to deliver your brother to you, my lord and lady druids. I wish no difficulty with your Hall.”
Was Rory really so stupid as to go to Meditar alone and try to steal the Cup? Munro didn’t like to think so, but he couldn’t deny the evidence of his own eyes or the shamed expression on Rory’s face. “As we wish no difficulty with any kingdom.”
She signalled to her guards, who stepped aside. Rory hesitated, then walked around Grenna and over to the druids. Munro jerked his head to the side of the room, and Rory followed his gesture and stood looking as miserable as a man might.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. Please sit.” He indicated the chair opposite the druids. “The Druid Hall is grateful for your peaceful intent. A lesser queen might have allowed this incident to drive a wedge between our people.”
The queen bowed gracefully and sat. “The druid Rory claims he entered our kingdom without your knowledge.” She let the statement hang, begging an unasked question.
“He spoke the truth. We did not know of his plans. I am aware of what motivated him, but if my fears are correct and he attempted to steal a sacred artefact from your home, I offer my deep apologies and those of our entire council.” He momentarily lowered his eyes.
“Borrow,” Rory interjected. “I was going to give it back.”
Munro turned his head sharply and held up a hand to silence Rory. “Shut up,” he said. “Not another bloody word. We’ll deal with you later.” Turning back to Grenna, he softened his tone. “It won’t happen again.”
“Do I have your word?” she said. Hesitating, she looked at each of the druids thoughtfully. “I understand from your brother that your need is great. He claimed that he hoped to use the Cup to save two of your number.”
“That is so,” Munro conceded. Saving Huck and Demi wasn’t Rory’s primary motivation, but saying as much would only make matters worse.
“I promise you,” she said, her eyes intently fixed on Munro, “this Cup will bring you no redemption. Only death and grief. Our Lady Juno imparted many gifts to the faeries of Meditar and the only thing she asked in return was that we guard five sacred artefacts. Each one serves a different purpose. Some we were told to use at certain times. But regarding this one, she made each swear on their very blood the Cup would never leave our kingdom. We were charged to teach our children and instruct them to live by the same vow.”
“Did she say why?” Munro asked. “We were told this Cup held the key to saving our druids who are lost and to heal two people who suffered magical injuries. Please understand this does not justify the attempted theft. But I admit I am curious why Juno would give such instruction.”
Grenna’s mouth turned up in a strange smile. “Tell me, my lord druid, was it Lord Ewain who spun this story for you, he who was called the Father of the Sky?”
Munro glanced up at Eilidh, then back at Grenna. “Yes. How did you know?”
“It was specifically from him that Our Lady Juno warned us to keep the Cup, he and any druids who may follow even generations after. She never told our ancestors precisely the time from which he would come, but she foretold he would someday either seek the artefact himself or send others. They would be druids, and she herself devised the protections around the Cup specifically with your kind in mind. No druid can remove the Cup from its resting place.”
“How did she know what would happen so many thousands of years after her death?” he asked.
“It is odd, I grant you. I might have once thought her words and our vow to her merely a tradition, but time has proven her correct. Lord Ewain has returned, and he did, as she predicted, make an attempt to retrieve the artefact that was once his.”
“Wait, the Cup of Cultus was
his
?” Aaron asked.
“Yes, my lord druid,” Grenna said, acknowledging him with a nod. “Our Lady Juno crafted the Cup for him when the world was young. It is said she did so out of love, wishing to share her blood magic with him, but he betrayed her and used the Cup with ill intent. Everything she gave to our people, even founding our kingdom under the sea, was done with one purpose in mind: to ensure he never again had control of this object. To do so might mean the death of our race.”
Munro nodded, still not understanding, but not wanting to grill the queen too much, lest she believe he meant to talk her out of her position. Once again, Ewain had manipulated him. “It grants blood power to anyone who drinks from it?”
“Not just mastery over blood flows, but control. As you say, one would possess the power to heal with such power, but one could also kill. When combined with substantial spirit flows, one could even command the dead.”
“Bloody hell,” Aaron murmured.
“Did she say if Ewain would succeed in reclaiming the Cup?” Lisle asked.
“No, my lady druid. If she knew, she did not impart the knowledge to our people.”
The pieces were starting to fall together in Munro’s mind. The Cup probably had nothing to do with The Way or finding Huck and Demi. Oh, the old geezer probably
could
heal Rory’s bond as promised. Munro understood enough about Ewain to acknowledge that he stuck to his word and didn’t lie outright. But he had an agenda the druids knew nothing about.
“You have my word we will not try to take the Cup by force, nor will we ask you to relinquish it. Please trust we had no ill intentions in our initial contact. We merely want to help our people, who we believe are lost.”
“Do you speak this vow for your entire company?” she glanced down the row of druids, her eyes falling on Rory at the end.
“Aye, he does,” Aaron said.
“You have my word,” Sheng said.
“Mine too,” Douglas said.
Lisle nodded. “And mine.”
They all looked at Rory, who gave a sharp nod, then glanced away. “Aye,” he said softly.
Grenna visibly relaxed. “Thank you,” she said. “Our people will rejoice to learn we have fulfilled our lady’s charge.”
“Thank you for returning Rory safely home,” Munro said.
She waved her hand. “Who are we to punish a druid lord?”
“Well, be certain the matter will be addressed.”
“As is your right,” she said with a slight bow. “And now, by your leave, I will return to my people.”
“Will you not stay and take a meal with us?” Munro said. “Aaron and Sheng told us many fascinating things about Meditar and her people. Sheng is eager to work with you, repairing some of the damaged artefacts you hold, if you would find such aid useful. But in the meantime, I would enjoy the opportunity to learn of Juno and what your people remember of the ancient draoidh.” He rose. The other druids did the same.
Grenna stood as well. “I would be honoured to host any of your company at any time and share our stories of the sacred lady with you. For tonight, however, I must decline, if it will not offend.” She glanced around. “I have been away less than two hours, and I am already experiencing a deep longing to return to the comfort of the sea.”