“Of course you can,” I whispered. “We want the same thing.” A hairbreadth away from him, my hand stopped as though hitting an invisible barrier.
“But I’ve felt your power and know the pain of your treachery.” He ducked his head, until our lips almost touched, and I bit my cheek to keep from retching when his hot breath brushed over me. “Once the curse is broken, I’ll be at liberty to trust you without fear of betrayal.”
Damnation! A scream gathered in my throat. I bit it back and lowered my arm. A muscle twitched in my cheek from the effort to keep a blank expression. “As you wish.”
Henry hadn’t made a peep during our interchange. Did he trust me? Or had my deception proved too convincing? I wanted to look at him, to plead for understanding. But the game had started and the risk too great.
Julian jerked his head toward Deri. “Take Nora to the throne and bleed her dry,” he ordered.
Deri shook her head till I thought it would snap free. Her mouth moved over a slew of words, though no sound emerged.
“Do it!” Julian bellowed.
She hissed again, ragged and feral.
“You’ll pay for this...” He took a step forward when Ailish cut a quick path to Deri’s side and grabbed her hand. Deri tried to pull free, but Ailish held fast. “It’s the only way,” she said. “Look in me head to see the truth.”
Deri curled her lip, exposing the top row of small sharp teeth.
“What do you want to stay in hiding for, huh? I’m sick to death of it, always pretending to be the same as humans.” Ailish nodded toward me without taking her eyes from Deri. “Selah’s got it figured out, joining with Julian like she did. Folks will come to know who we really are, and start treating us the way we deserve.”
My heart pounded a dozen painful beats before Deri finally gave the slightest nod, and I knew we’d just made a deal with a viper.
Ailish released her hand. “Compel her if’n you must, but do as your brother says.”
A moment later, a shudder passed through Nora’s body. She smiled at Deri, though her eyes lacked the glazed look from the theater. “Come, goody lady,” the wretch muttered. “I’ve to kill you now.”
Nora nodded and went without question.
Tom swayed to his feet. “You murderer,” he cried. Grabbing for his sword, he charged at me, his face consumed with hatred.
With a cry of alarm, Julian nearly tripped over his feet in an attempt to clear the path between Tom and me, his instincts stronger than his newfound power.
I closed my eyes, praying either for a quick death or that Tom had joined the scheme.
Steel clashed against steel. “Leave her be,” Henry growled.
“She killed my Catria.” Tom swung low. Sparks sprayed where the swords scraped against each other.
A soft wind hissed over my nape, there one moment, then gone. With a shiver, I glanced into the dark tunnel at my back. Nothing appeared or stirred, and I whipped back around at the sound of metal clashing. Having recovered, Julian returned to my side. My fingers itched to grab him, and I cursed myself for missing the opportunity presented when Tom first charged, and Julian’s barriers would have most likely been down.
The two men circled the throne, their yells echoing off the stones. Ailish cringed where I’d left her. Nora crouched on the dais, Deri at her side.
“I thought to slice Fitzalan’s throat,” Julian said, obviously enjoying the fight. “It’s no matter, so long as Lugh’s blood soaks the ground.”
Ailish hurried closer to us, her hands hidden from view, and a look of pure determination on her face. Julian ignored her, no doubt thinking she only wanted to escape the swords while I could see clear as day that she intended to gentle him away as she had done to me on the Sea Witch. I tried to shake my head without drawing his attention, to give her warning of the invisible guard. A small hand peeked from beneath her sleeve—
Power surged from him, and she flew back several feet to land on her buttocks. Julian barely moved despite having just tossed one of Cailleach’s descendants. He stalked forward to tower over her. “Do you really think I’d leave myself unprotected from any of the Tuatha Dé? My mother learned that lesson with her freedom.”
Ailish glared at him. “You’ve an evil heart—” Her gaze jerked over his shoulder to the tunnel. Raw fear filled her eyes. “No...” she said, scampering back on her behind.
I spun on my heels to find a young man standing near the tunnel entrance. A black patch covered one eye. “Well, Balor be a Fomorian,” he snarled.
As the young man reached for the patch, Ailish ducked her head. I slammed my eyelids closed a split second before Julian’s scream filled the cavern.
A hard shove knocked me aside. I fell to the ground, my eyes popping open on impact.