been warded by a series of curse tablet spells for centuries, placed at intervals in its walls. These won’t allow Tuatha de Dannan entrance. How do you think the fey folk haven’t been able to infiltrate and end the reign of the king? They can’t. The moment one does, Philip is alerted. So no, not going to happen, fairy.”
“Now, listen here, thornstick,” Snedeker said. “I do not pla—”
“We’ll be back soon,” Richard said to Deirdre, ignoring the fairy.
Conflicting emotions warred in Deirdre. A part of her wanted to go and aid the knights despite no one caring for the Rhedewyr. Another part of her knew she would be worthless as a companion due to her throbbing burn and fever that grew within her.
“Be quick,” she pleaded simply.
“Travel west to the outskirts of Dryvyd Wood. Hide just within the trees. It isn’t far. Care for the animals,” Richard said. “We won’t be long. Bran, with me.”
Bran gave Deirdre an encouraging smile before Richard traveled into the shadow toward the great castle, Arrow Jack disappearing in the distance with them. Soon Deirdre was alone with Snedeker to locate where their camp would be that night.
“You should have told me about guiding the Heliwr, Snedeker,” she said, still a bit rankled the fairy hadn’t shared everything.
“It felt…wrong, Red,” Snedeker said. “The Lady would not have approved.”
“So now you grow mindful of others’ feelings?”
Snedeker turned away from her, as he always did when he didn’t want to talk. Deirdre returned the favor. After a long walk she settled on a spot where several fir trees and mulberry bushes hid them from the plains. She cared for Willowyn and the others. She undid her bedroll. It would be a cool night, but she knew she couldn’t build a fire. With the stars winking overhead and Snedeker a faint outline on a branch above, Deirdre rolled into her bed the best she could given her wounds and stared up at the heavens.
“You like him a great deal, do you not?” the fairy said.
“Who?”
“The Heliwr. Richard McAllister. I have never seen you like this. You stare at him constantly. You act like you have never seen a man before.”
“I guess I like him. Yes. I do.”
“Ardall does not like that,” the fairy said. “Not one bit.”
“The boy is infatuated, nothing more.”
“Like you?”
Deirdre lay there, thinking. He had a point. She had tried to kiss Richard only to have him pull away. She had asked questions and received short answers. She had left her duty as lady of Mochdrev Reach in favor of helping Richard complete his role, and he hadn’t so much as asked or said thank you. Bran Ardall had called him a broken man; Deirdre had said he wouldn’t always be. Did she know that for sure? She could not help being drawn to him, but was it too much to hope that he would be whole again? What would it take for that to happen?
Could the shade of her mother have been wrong?
Could Deirdre?
“Red,” Snedeker hissed. “Listen.”
Deirdre broke her reverie, straining to hear what Snedeker did.
“I hear nothing,” she said.
Then she felt it. It wasn’t so much a sound as it was a periodic trembling in the ground. Something approached, something big, moving toward them from deep within the heart of the wild Dryvyd Forest. She got out of her bedroll and slid her sword free of its scabbard, backing against the tree Snedeker had taken as his bed. Long moments passed.
The shaking grew stronger until finally a rustle of limbs and movement gave way to reveal what approached. It stilled her breath. In the darkness she could just make out the outline of something mammoth, man shaped, far taller than she or any Fomorian she had seen, and as black as the night around it. Its features were hidden from her, the stars too weak, but the smell of fetid fish and oily tar came to her, pungent on the night air. Fear hammered through her veins but she held her ground, ready to give as good as she got.
“Lady Deirdre Rhys of Mochdrev Reach?”
“Who are you? What do you want?” Deirdre demanded, sword still held at the ready.
“We must speak, you and I,” the monstrosity rumbled gently. “And a fairer woman to talk with I have not met. The stars have aligned this night and I will certainly make the most of it.”
Deirdre already liked the newcomer.
“Why must we speak?”
“First, put that pig sticker away,” the hulk said. “Before I take it