Casting a final glare at Anna, Rae met Maarav’s gaze. “I will abide by the rules.”
Finn glanced at Iseult to see if he understood any more of this conversation than she did. Though his expression gave away little, he was watching his brother like a hawk. Perhaps he trusted Maarav as much as she, which was little.
“Get cleaned up,” Maarav ordered the two men, then turned toward his bedroll and supplies, effectively ending the argument.
Anna gave Rae and Tavish another hard look, and neither seemed to miss how her hands hovered near her daggers. They all stared at each other a moment more, then Anna turned away with a huff.
Finn took another bite of her hard bread and cheese, then turned to Ealasaid, silently asking her what she thought. Ealasaid shrugged, then stuffed the rest of her bread in her mouth, stood, and walked away, decidedly keeping her distance from Maarav.
Finn’s small meal settled like a hard lump in her stomach. After what they’d seen in Migris, she knew the risk of death for her party was high, but she hadn’t expected the first two men to go like that.
She lifted her gaze as Kai approached and took Ealasaid’s vacated seat. “At least none of us killed each other in the Blood Forest,” he muttered.
She nodded, then gave him a thoughtful look.
He raised his hands in surrender. “I wasn’t about to tease you about running off that day, I swear.”
She shook her head. “It’s not that, I’m simply wondering why you were affected by the Sirens, but not the Faie of the Blood Forest, or the ones last night. And I’m wondering why Iseult is never affected at all.”
Kai frowned. “Well Iseult, I suspect, has a heart made of black iron, warding the Faie away. And perhaps I was only entranced by the Siren’s because. . . ” he trailed off, pondering his answer.
“Because you’re desperate for female attention?” Anna asked, walking up behind him. She handed him a piece of bread and cheese, just like she’d given Finn, then gazed toward where Maarav, Tavish, and Rae had moved to converse, out of hearing range. Sativola walked up beside Anna.
“I think it would be wise for us to look after each other’s well being,” Anna advised, her voice low. “I’ll watch your backs, if you’ll watch mine.”
“Deal,” Finn and Kai said in unison, while Sativola said, “Aye.”
Finn met Iseult’s gaze from where he stood by the horses. He gave her a subtle nod. They would all need to look out for each other.
Soon everyone gathered together to depart, a pall of heavy silence surrounding them. Rae and Tavish watched everyone but Maarav warily, as if realizing they were no longer entirely welcome.
Finn could only hope they would choose to leave on their own, along with Maarav, lest anyone else end up in a shallow grave in the woods.
Iseult felt little relief at being back on the Sand Road. Finn walked beside him, completely unharmed by the previous night’s events, yet he couldn’t help but think how easily she could have been the one on the wrong side of a Faie enchantment. If Rae and Tavish had harmed her instead of the other men . . . well, Rae and Tavish would not longer be in existence.
Maarav walked ahead with the two men in question, while Anna, Kai, Sativola, and Ealasaid walked a few paces behind, leading the two horses. Iseult was glad Ealasaid had come to her senses, and seemed to want to be as far from Maarav as possible. At least she was fazed by the events of the night. Maarav couldn’t seem to care less about any of it, including the deaths.
Iseult knew Maarav had been trained from a very young age to be a killer, and Rae and Tavish were likely the same. He also suspected there was some sort of hierarchy within their secret city that caused them to defer to Maarav’s wishes, as the two men clearly would have branched off on their own otherwise.
Iseult would gladly encourage their departure, along with Maarav. The others, well, Finn had made Anna a promise, allowing her to accompany them on their journey, and that apparently meant Kai as well, and he knew Ealasaid had nowhere else to go, but the other crewman . . . he felt they would be better off without them, now that they were no longer in need of a ship and crew. Still, it seemed ignoble to force them off on their own after what they’d seen in Migris. There was safety in numbers, as long as you weren’t betrayed by your own.
Finn sighed beside him. Iseult thought for a moment she was sharing his thoughts, until she asked, “Where do you think àed is? Do you think he could have been in Migris when . . . ” she trailed off, then bit her lip. Her eyes suddenly welled with tears.
“The old man is far too clever to have gotten caught up in that,” he comforted, believing his words. “I’m sure he’s tracking us as we speak.”
She looked to him hopefully. “Do you think he’ll be able to find us, even if we make it all the way back to Garenoch?”
He nodded. “He was able to track you across great distances before. I would not worry.”
She smiled, and seemed to relax. Naoki, trotted by her side, free of her cloak for now, though Finn kept it ready in her arms should they happen upon another caravan.
“About what happened in Migris-” she hesitated.
“You seemed to remember something at the Grogoch’s mention of elementals,” he observed.
She nodded. “Not a memory exactly, but a feeling. Something to do with them in my . . . previous life.”
“That memory wouldn’t have anything to do with how to fight them?” he asked hopefully.
She shook her head. “They cannot be fought. They are pure embodiments of elements, fire, water, wind, fueled by earth magic. I think perhaps the Dair can control them to an extent, since they control nature.”
He went silent, pondering her words. He wondered if perhaps her roots were a form of elemental magic, or if the roots were elementals themselves, animate all on their own. Perhaps they chose to come to her call. He decided against speaking his speculations, not wanting to add to her list of memories to search for.
Gazing at the men walking ahead of them far out of earshot, she whispered suddenly, “Do you think we can trust them?”
“No,” he replied simply.
“But he’s your brother,” she argued quietly. “Do you believe he will betray us?”
“I cannot say,” he sighed. “We had not seen each other since we were small children. I have no way of knowing what sort of man he’s become, and I do not trust the place he and his men came from. I do not trust how he happened upon you in Migris, nor his reasons for standing idly by when Anna kidnapped you.”
“I’m glad you said that,” Finn muttered. “I feared I was the only one to feel that way.”
Iseult glanced over his shoulder at those walking behind them. He supposed they might be close enough to catch a few words of their conversation, but found he was not entirely opposed to the idea. Though it would be difficult for him, it would be best for he and Finn to foster trust with Kai and Anna. He disliked Kai, but the knave would undoubtedly protect Finn. He’d proven that much, at least, but Anna was another story. Yet, while her motivations revolved entirely around herself, and hence she could not be fully trusted, if she believed she was trusted, then managing her would be easier.
Still, he preferred the pair, and even their remaining crewman, to Maarav and the others.
“You are not the only one,” Iseult assured, turning his gaze back to her. “I would never have taken up company with him to begin with, except I needed a ship to reach you, and he offered his.”
“And why does he travel with us still?” she questioned softly. “Surely he has better things to do.”
Iseult smiled softly at her. “You must remember, he is of my blood, so he is just as cursed as I. He does not seem motivated by vengeance, but there is no way to tell for sure. He recognized you when he first saw you, and could have harmed you then, but did not. He either follows out of curiosity, or his hopes are the same as mine.”