of the house and those in it, all of Faerie, in fact, faded to nothing.
Stuart held her gaze for a long time, the frustrated longing in his eyes reflecting hers. He gave her one of his rare smiles and released her.
“Cian,” he called. He went on in dokk alfar, a phrase Peigi knew. It meant, more or less, Let’s get on with it and back to the gularain.
Chapter Thirteen
Cian Tadhg Cailean an Mac Diarmud had to work with what he had: An Iron Master who obviously did not want to be here, his bear Shifter mate, and two disgruntled male Shifters they’d picked up on the way.
The Shifter female called Peigi hovered near Reid, not because she feared Cian or the other Shifters, but to protect Reid from … everything. Cian recognized the stance. He’d seen it in the leopard Shifter who’d come to rescue his cell mate, Dimitri.
Because of Dimitri and his mate—along with a few other Shifters and a Tuil Erdannan who’d happened along—Cian had lived to see another day. He knew he owed his freedom to Dimitri, who’d been prepared to do battle against a castle full of hoch alfar for a dokk alfar he’d never met. A man of great courage was Dimitri.
Cian could be kind to Peigi for Dimitri’s sake. As for the other two …
“They need to be isolated,” he said to Reid. “You trust your mate, but the others can’t know what has happened.”
Reid gave him a nod. In spite of the man’s odd clothes and shorn hair, he had a weight about him than came not only from the enormous magic Cian sensed in him, but a wisdom that had been gained through suffering. Cian knew all about suffering.
Reid turned to the Shifters and spoke in the strange language of the humans. Cian remembered listening to Dimitri babble and sing all kinds of things in that language, laughing maniacally every once in a while. The kind of man Cian could go drinking with.
The male bear Shifter, Michael, growled in enraged belligerence. They’d have to watch that one, Cian had already concluded. The Feline Shifter with the perpetual sneer, who was weaker than the other, rolled his eyes.
Then they started to argue. Michael snarled, balled up his fist, and went for Reid. Peigi swiftly got in his way, staring down the male bear with anger that went beyond outrage. Those two had a history, Cian surmised.
Reid calmly pressed Peigi aside and scanned the courtyard. Cian winced when Reid’s gaze fell on the railing that encircled the second floor balcony. Cian’s grandfather had commissioned that from a master blacksmith of his day.
Before Cian could say a word, the railing melted, raining to the first floor in droplets of iron. While the Shifters stared in amazement, the iron reformed into thin bands that flew toward the male Shifters.
They tried to run, but too late. The iron bands whipped around the male Shifters’ torsos and lifted them, pinning them together and to the nearest wall. Peigi’s eyes widened, but she didn’t hide her satisfied expression.
Reid spoke a few more words at the struggling, angry Shifters, then motioned for Cian to lead him and Peigi onward.
Cian took them to his library. Best for discussion, plus he could pull out documents and scrolls with evidence if he needed to convince Reid to help.
Peigi studied the library with appreciation. The room was two floors in height, lined with bookcases filled with scrolls, maps, bound papers, books, loose parchment, and anything else Cian had filed as interesting to read. Windows overlooked a stretch of garden behind the house, difficult to find in the city, but Cian’s family had lived on this land since before the city existed.
“I told them if they were good, I’d let them use the bathroom,” Reid said as Cian closed the door. Mirth glinted in his eyes. “Let’s be careful, though. Shifter hearing is very, very good.”
“Not through these walls.” Cian touched the door frame, willing his wards to form. The house was so ancient that the wards came in an instant, infused into the building from generations of Mac Diarmuds. Good house, this. Cian patted the wall in fondness.
Reid spoke to Peigi a moment. She appeared dismayed and darted her gaze to Cian.
“I told her about your blood debt,” Reid said. “Now explain it to me.”
“It is simple. I need you.” Cian turned unrolled a map on a table, tacking down the corners with round glass weights. “The only iron master I knew about was