Corrigan Fire Bloodfire - Helen Harper Page 0,45

he’d not been seen for decades. He’d been in Tir-na-nog.

‘They cried,’ he told me, a single tear rolling down his cheek. ‘They showed me their wounds. Claw marks on their soft skin.’

‘And you had to protect them.’ I looked him up and down. No Fae, regardless of their age, would let a shifter get close enough to hurt them. These children were not victims, regardless of what they’d told the Ghillie Dhu. ‘Let me guess. They gave you the sword?’

He nodded mutely. I closed my eyes. No wonder he’d found it so easy to defeat four shifters. A Fae weapon could manage a hell of a lot, especially if it was forged in the Unseelie court. ‘Silver,’ I muttered to myself.

‘Pardon?’

I opened my eyes and gazed him. ‘The sword they gave you had silver in it.’

‘It was quite heavy,’ he agreed. A look of misery crossed his face. ‘I didn’t mean to kill anyone. I just wanted to stop them from hurting the innocent ones.’

I almost snorted. I didn’t think these ‘children’ could be classified as innocent. They’d taken one man’s vulnerability and exploited it for their own amusement. Bloody Fae. ‘They tricked you,’ I told him flatly.

A frown marred his forehead. ‘No. They wouldn’t do that.’

‘Oh yes they would.’ And they’d laugh afterwards at the ensuing chaos they’d caused. ‘You cannot return to Tir-na-nog.’

Alarm crossed the Ghillie Dhu’s face. ‘But that’s all I want to do. I came here to the mages to ask them to help me get back. I don’t like it here. It’s noisy and hard. The smoke chokes me.’ He scratched at his skin. ‘It hurts.’

I took a closer look and realised that where his nails were scraping, there were harsh-looking welts. Despite my anger at his actions, I felt a wave of sympathy. The modern world was no place for someone like the Ghillie Dhu.

‘I can help you get back to Scotland,’ I suggested. ‘There are many open areas. The moors and the heathers remain. Not everywhere is like London.’

‘It’s not safe, not safe,’ he moaned, scratching harder.

I leaned forward, gently taking his hands and laying them down by his sides to prevent him from mutilating himself further. Actually, he was probably correct about safety, although not for the reasons that he’d think. There were plenty of shifters in Scotland who would champ at the bit to seek him out and show him the error of his ways. And that’s not to mention what would happen if the Unseelie children caught up with him again.

I rubbed my chin. I knew what most, if not all, of the Brethren would say. Cut the Ghillie Dhu’s throat and be done with it. He was responsible for two deaths. Whether he was manipulated into them or not, whether he intended for them to happen or not, he deserved no less than swift execution. But I also knew what the Unseelie Fae were capable of. And no-one would be served by killing the small, virtually defenceless man in front of me. It wouldn’t bring either Annan or Shah back. It wouldn’t heal Chambers’ or Lola’s wounds any faster. Punishment wouldn’t help. The Ghillie Dhu wasn’t evil. He was merely naïve.

‘Why were you at the Unseelie Court?’

He shrugged. ‘They found me wandering. They told me to stay with them.’

I opened up a Voice link, hoping I wasn’t going to catch Albert, the shifter I’d left in charge, unaware. I need to speak to the Summer Queen.

There was a brief pause. Of course, my Lord. I will contact her immediately. Be aware, however, that she often takes some time to respond.

I wasn’t surprised. It involves the Unseelie Court. Tell her if she wants to gain an advantage over the Winter King, she’d be wise to make it swift.

I will do my best.

I looked at the Ghillie Dhu. ‘Where is the sword now?’

He bowed his head. ‘The mages have it. They were…concerned.’

I bet they were. ‘We didn’t hurt anyone,’ I told him, watching him carefully to make sure he understood. ‘The, um, Dark Flowers would be able to escape long before we drew any blood. They were toying with you. You allowed yourself to be fooled.’

He squeaked. ‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.’ He started scratching vigorously at his skin again.

I sighed. ‘I will speak to the Summer Queen and see if we can get you a place at the Seelie Court. You’ll still be in Tir-na-nog and you’ll still have to put up with typical Fae mischief. But