Elsbeth had already chosen a chair, eating skewered shrimp, despite being as terrible with early mornings as he was.
His guards followed him to the table before taking their positions on either side of the platform. He found a seat next toElsbeth, but she stopped him before his bum hit the seat. She gestured to the head of the table.
With a sigh, he took the throne before reaching over and piling his plate high.
The hunger he always carried gnawed was more mental than physical. Kelpies had once fed by drowning victims and stealing their terror, but the desire never truly went away. Ignoringthathunger was a habit, made harder when his stomach was empty.
The journey from the Dark Sea had been punishing on his body, and he needed to recover.
As he ate, he cast an eye over the hall. More seats were filled than ever.
Time once was, that only the royal family and the inner court resided in the Reeds and the fortress behind the wall. But since the Mad Queen had died, and the furthest villages were razed, many kelpies sought refuge behind the Reeds.
There had once been many villages littering the coral forest.
Not anymore.
Tor finished chewing before he spoke. “The Selkies? Have they sent any missives? Is the Skala Beach safe?”
Elsbeth tapped her cheek. “The Skala Isles have grown more violent. No one is getting through those gnashing teeth without losing a few limbs.”
“Has Cruinn made moves towards the Selkies?” He asked.
Elsbeth’s brow furrowed. “You think they will?”
“Balor wants control of this lake.” Tor met her eyes. “She wants every creed to bow down to her.”
“The scouts on the shore, near Tarsainn, saw something a few nights ago.” Elsbeth looked down at her plate, her voice affected disinterest in case anyone was listening. “A great beastrose from the depths of the Whispering Pass and crawled from the water. It took to the dried river bed. Toward the Dark Sea.”
Tor felt a lump in his throat. “A beast, you say?”
“Do you remember the legends of Balor and her beasts?” Elsbeth commented lightly. “After the Fomorians were defeated and Balor was banished, the beasts fell into a deep sleep. Buried in the foundations of the world. Could you imagine if there was anOilliphéistunder the lake bed? Asleep for thousands of years.”
TheOilliphéistwere great sea dragons that had once ruled the Aos Sí. Larger than the Twilight Lake, a fully grown beast would have swallowed every Fae in the lake whole and come back for more.
Elsbeth took a deep, shuddering breath. “The water level is lower than it should be. As if something of great size has left the lake.”
He paused for the longest time and then cursed.
And cursed again.
“So regal, brother.” Elsbeth teased.
Chapter Eleven
Maeve Cruinn
The icy wind sliced my skin like knives, entering my nostrils and filling my lungs with snow as the pale dragon soared through the sky.
I woke to Cormac’s voice ringing in my ears, lost in the roar of the wind from up high.
We sailed above the screaming sea, above the lost souls that reached out. Pleading.
My breath locked in my chest. Worried that the dragon could open its claws at any moment and drop us into the haunted waters below, before I drifted off to sleep. Exhausted by my fear.
I woke as the clouds parted, revealing a sky unlike any I had ever seen before. A living blue flame. More stars, moons, and suns packed into the horizon than I could even count. More than grains of sand on every beach in the Aos Sí.
The land rose up, as if appearing from the shadowy sea. Buildings perched on the edge of a cliff, like mushrooms growing from the side of a tree. Made of shimmering pearl, opal, and sapphire. With wide archways on every balcony, allowing the warm sea air to rush through.