Iron Master – Jennifer Ashley Page 0,38
was smooth. “So if the bears decide to be nice to you, doesn’t mean I—”
He never got to finish. Peigi came alert a split second before the shadows spilled forth a dozen or so Fae warriors to surround them. Each held a wicked-looking sword, and the men—and several women—had black-dark hair and eyes like midnight.
They were dokk alfar, but instead of greeting Stuart like a long-lost brother, they held their swords lengthwise, in a circle of steel, and advanced on the four in the middle.
Chapter Eleven
Reid spun in place, his knife poised, but he knew he’d never outfight a dozen dokk alfar warriors by himself. Didn’t matter that he had three Shifters who might—or might not—back him up.
He didn’t recognize any of the warriors, but he’d been gone from Faerie a long time. Dokk alfar wouldn’t simply embrace him because he was one of them—they had plenty of clan wars and territory disputes amongst themselves, and they couldn’t be certain where his allegiance lay.
Reid could use his iron master powers to turn their swords into melting piles of goo, but that wouldn’t help if they pulled obsidian knives and came at him. Ruining a warrior’s sword just made him or her that much more pissed off.
The soldiers wore leather and furs, and plenty of metal. The women had braided beads into their hair, which they wore fairly short. If any opponent figured the women would be the weaker fighters, the best place to attack, they’d be wrong.
Stuart did the only thing he could do. He raised his hands and let his blade point straight down.
“Peace,” he said in dokk alfar.
One of the women stepped forward. “You Stu Aire de Kennan de Reed?”
“Yes.” Stuart hadn’t heard that version of his name in forever. It pulled at hidden spaces inside him. His formal name was longer, but this was what a stranger would use to address him. “What do you want?”
The woman didn’t lower her sword. “I was told to fine a dokk alfar who dressed in the weirdest clothes I could imagine.”
“Find me for whom?”
For answer the woman let out a shrill whistle. The fog in the shadows parted once more for a man, another dokk alfar, to slide through.
He had the loose but strong limbs common to the dokk alfar, dark hair in many braids that fell past his shoulders, and eyes of intense black. Unlike his followers who wore leather vests or studded leather armor, he had a linen shirt, leather pants, and a cloak that brushed the tops of his boots. He approached Reid cautiously but with confidence, a man who knew he was in charge.
He glanced at the three unclothed Shifters, who retained human form but were ready to shift and attack if they decided to.
The dokk alfar halted a respectful distance away, meaning Reid couldn’t reach him with his knife. “Did you speak to the red wolf?” he asked.
“Are you Cian Tadhg Cailean an Mac Diarmud?” Reid returned.
The man smiled, not a thing you’d want to see in a dark alley. “He recalled my entire name?”
“More or less.” Reid decided not to mention Dimitri’s mate or the Tuil Erdannan in front of all his soldiers. “Was that you whispering at me through a ley line?”
Cian gave him a nod. “It is an old spell, but a powerful one.”
“One I’m guessing not many can do.”
Again a nod, no false modesty. “It was necessary.”
Reid rubbed the back of his head. He’d cut his hair short a long time ago, when he’d found himself stranded in the human world, and had grown used to it. He’d decided cropped hair was better for fighting, but the circle of warriors brought back the touch of braids on his arms, cool leather on his skin, and the weight of an iron sword in his hand.
“Are we going to talk about this in the middle of the woods?” Stuart asked, as though unworried. “Hunting grounds of a Fae prince?”
“There is a place we can discuss things.” Cian cast another glance at the Shifters, who wouldn’t understand a word of what he was saying.
“Send my friends back through the gate, and I’ll go with you,” Reid said.
Cian shook his head. Reid hadn’t thought Cian would agree, but it had been worth a shot.
“They will accompany us. But I’ll need your word that they will not shift into their beast forms.”
“And if they do?”
Reid let the question hang, but he had a pretty good idea what would happen. His word would make him a hostage