the forehead, then turned to Herne and held out his hand. Herne took it, and Cernunnos pulled him into an embrace.
“I’m so glad you’re pleased.” Herne admired his father, and though he had never said as much, I could read between the lines. He wanted to make Cernunnos proud.
“Pleased? I was ecstatic when your mother told me. But you didn’t think to text your father when Ember said yes?” Cernunnos gave Herne a long look.
“I’m sorry, I just…things have been so…” Herne paused.
Cernunnos let out a hearty laugh. “Not to worry, my son. I’m just having some fun with you. I’m truly pleased. Morgana and I shall have to think of a good wedding present. Meanwhile, we have business today.” His smile slid away as he motioned to the guard. “Clear the room.”
The guard did so without a word, escorting everyone out of the throne room, leaving only Cernunnos, Herne, and me. Once the doors shut, the Lord of the Forest turned to us. “I have to tell you, I’m not on board with this sudden request from Saílle. The Orhanakai aren’t happy about it, either. Unkai has spoken to me, and he asked me why I gave the Fae Queen leave to demand a bride from him.” Cernunnos’s eyes narrowed and he leaned forward. “What’s going on? I want to know who planted the idea in her head that she could coerce one of Annwn’s greatest chieftains into handing over an unwilling woman to be the prize in some game she’s playing.”
“What? We thought…” I paused, turning to Herne. “Did Saílle say how she came to find out about Unkai’s sister-in-law? Or what exactly transpired when she made the arrangements for the woman to marry Sharne?”
“No,” he said. “She didn’t. I assumed that Unkai and the woman were both willing. I don’t care what we’ve promised Saílle, if she doesn’t want to be married, we’re not handing her over to your uncle.”
I groaned, rubbing my temples. “I have a headache,” I said, leaning back in my seat. “I really don’t want to deal with this at all. I know Sharne wasn’t in on this. I talked to him and believe me, I’ve always got my bullshit meter running around him. He truly had no clue this was going to happen. He’s resigned to it, and it may be good for him to wed at this point. But not if Neallanthra is unwilling. He wouldn’t want that either. He’s just trying to avoid Saílle’s anger.”
Cernunnos let out a blustery sigh. “All right, let’s get to the bottom of this.” He rang a bell and the servant who had been helping him returned to the room. “Bring Unkai and Neallanthra to me, please.”
The guard bowed. “As you will, milord.”
While we waited, I made small talk with Cernunnos. I found myself in the middle of a story about Mr. Rumblebutt when the chamber doors opened again and the guard returned with a man and woman behind him. The man I recognized.
I had first met Unkai when I had come to Annwn in search of Brighid’s Flame, the sword I now claimed as mine.
Unkai looked like the typical Dark Fae—black hair, though it was seasoned with white, which meant he was very old indeed. His mustache was thin and well groomed. He was handsome, in a roguish way, and weathered from a life on the go.
The Autumn’s Bane, or Autumn Stalkers as they were commonly called, were a warlike people. Nomadic, they had originally been both over on Earth and in Annwn, and they had swept through villages, enslaving the villagers, taking their lands, and moving on. Now, there were only remnants of them left on Earth. But in Annwn, they still thrived, though I had discovered they weren’t as terrifying as they had first sounded. Unkai was actually a fair man, and just, and he treated his people well.
“Ember,” Unkai said, stepping forward and holding out his hand. I clasped it, and he gave me a quick hug, in the way of two warriors who were meeting after a long time apart. “It’s truly good to see you.” He was speaking in Turneth—the Dark Fae variant of Faespeak. But then, to my surprise, he switched to English. “It’s been a time.”
I smiled. “You’re learning English?”
“I have studied, yes, since you left Annwn with Brighid’s Flame.” He frowned, picking over the words, but he spoke them flawlessly.
I glanced at the woman. She looked a lot like Unkai’s woman.