the head to Bahlin’s safe house. The only way he could have broken the wards was to have a dragon working with him, so he’s at least one partner, though I suspect there are more. A bid for power is never a one-man operation.
“The head gave me my first inkling that Tarrek was a suspect. Tarrek had been wearing a short-sword the day I awoke in the sithen. It would have been an ideal time to behead Maddox, and he had the physical strength to do so. When he left the room he was wearing it. When he returned, he wasn’t. He’d also changed clothes. I thought it was for the introduction to his parents, but it was in all probability to discard of bloodied clothes. Tarrek likely had his dragon supporter waiting outside the sithen to dispose of the body. It would have been easy enough to follow Bahlin there and wait for further instructions. Bahlin wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings. He was distressed at my having been shot. Following him would have been easy.
“Bahlin and I fled to his lair. Bahlin said himself that dragons are creatures of magic, so Tarrek would not have been able to dream walk against me while I was there. When we left, and I found out about the prophecy, Tarrek had the opening he needed. He set me up to come to him at Castle Duncan, but he couldn’t contain his rage when he found out I’d been intimate with Bahlin. It meant he’d never rule the Council as it stood.”
“True,” said Tyr. “And Meyla actually withheld the second part of the prophecy, so he has no idea that there was another chance for him.”
I stumbled to a stop and stared at Tyr. “I don’t want it to be true.”
“You didn’t want Tarrek to be guilty, either. But we must follow behind the choices we make. Have you made all your choices for the future?” he asked.
“No.”
“There you have it. Do not ask me more. Finish this, Maddy, for the night progresses and the closer to the full moon we draw, the more violent he will become.”
“Okay. The thing I have working most in my favor is that Tarrek won’t know that Bahlin and I have reconnected. He will assume that I’ll be coming to him alone.”
Tyr nodded and patted the bed. I shook my head and stood there a moment longer. He sighed and said, “Tell me quickly, why did Tarrek kill the creatures?”
“That’s the strange part.” I’d begun to quiver at this point. “He has magic, so it’s not for that. He’s not immortal though he’ll live for thousands of years. The cú sith was taken for its nose to discern truth. The far durrig was taken so he could generate his own luck. The Seer so that he could discern the future in case luck failed. Imeena was taken so he might become truly immortal.” This next was the part that bothered me the most. “And Bahlin? He wants Bahlin so that he’ll be more knowledgeable and powerful than any other leader in the world.” Fine quivers had developed into shakes, and Tyr again motioned for me to come and lie down next to him. I walked back to the bed and laid down on my stomach, thinking Tyr would have been a wonderful grandfather to have in real life. Tyr began to massage my head with his one free hand, and I slowly relaxed. I smiled sleepily, reassured for the first time since I’d lost my parents that I belonged to someone, that I was someone’s beloved. Something in that last sentence haunted me, and I was tense again.
“Ah, so you have it. Tell me, Maddy, what else did the cú sith’s nose do?” Tyr asked, never relenting in his massage of my scalp.
“It stole the souls of the living,” I whispered, my mind feeling sluggish. Stole the souls of the living, beloved, hands held out in pleading supplication… I shot off the bed and screamed, Bahlin catching me and throwing me bodily behind him, whipping his towel off and crouching low. He stood naked and vengeful, like a fallen god, between me and an unseen threat.
“Bahlin.” My voice was harsh, pleading. “Bahlin.”
He spun on his heel and took four huge strides toward me and, reaching me, crushed me to him, seeking to protect me from fear itself. In that moment I knew, without a doubt, that he would die protecting me if that was what the