Shadowspell

I fought the tears fiercely, unwilling to let Ethan have that much power over me. I’d just about gotten my emotions under control—at least enough so I could pretend nothing was wrong—when I reached the bar and got my second helping of bad news.

I had speculated earlier that I would probably see Finn mad before this night was through. Turns out I was right, and it was a sight I could have done without.

He must have seen me coming before I caught sight of him, for he was staring at me with such intensity I could feel it almost like a physical force. His usually bland expression was filled with fury, and he seemed to tower over everyone around him, even Keane, who was about the same height.

Finn had one hand wrapped around Keane’s upper arm, and the wince on Keane’s face said the grip was tight enough to hurt. Keane hung his head like a penitent child, his gaze fixed on the floor. I’d never seen Keane cowed by anything before, but I supposed this was a night for unpleasant firsts. Beside them, Kimber had shrunk back against the bar, her eyes wide, her teeth worrying away at her lower lip.

I was tempted to turn away and plunge back into the crowd. That’s how terrifying the look on Finn’s face was. I’d really, really rather he show that face to the bad guys, not me. But I’d known there would be consequences to sneaking out, and it was time to face them. I swallowed hard and crossed the last few feet separating me from my furious bodyguard.

I expected him to yell at me, or at least give me a heated lecture. Instead, he just fixed me with one more glare, then grabbed my upper arm and started dragging both me and Keane toward the front door. He was scary-looking enough that somehow, the crowd magically made a path for him, everyone scrambling to stay out of his way.

I glanced back over my shoulder at Kimber, thinking I should say good-bye or something, but considering how fast Finn was walking, I’d be out the door before I got the words out. She gave me a worried smile, then held up the pendant and mouthed “thank you.” I still didn’t want to face whatever was going to happen next, but remembering how happy Kimber had been to see me, I couldn’t find it in myself to regret having come. Of course, that might change, depending on just what the consequences turned out to be.

None of us said a word as we made our way back to my safe house. It would have topped off a great evening if we’d run into the Wild Hunt, but despite my dad’s fear that the Erlking was out to get me, there was no sign of him.

Finn continued hauling Keane and me by our arms while we were in the more populated section of the tunnel system. I tried to ignore the curious looks of passersby. When we were away from other people, Finn gave Keane a shove forward, putting him in the lead. He then sandwiched me between them for the rest of the march. He still didn’t say anything, every moment of silence stretching my nerves more and more taut.

I expected the explosion to come as soon as we were safely shut in the guardroom, but Finn wasn’t meeting my expectations that night.

“You,” he said, pinning me with his cold green gaze, “sit down.” He pointed to a chair against the wall. He didn’t raise his voice, but his words had such sharp edges on them he might as well have.

Shoulders hunched, I slunk over to the chair and sat down on the very edge. I had no idea what would happen next, but I knew it wasn’t going to be fun.

Finn turned his gaze to Keane. “You think you’re sufficient defense for a girl the Queens of Faerie have marked for death?” Still he didn’t raise his voice, though the words held a hint of a snarl.

Something kindled in Keane’s eyes. His shoulders straightened, his lip curled, and he met his father’s gaze boldly. Here was the Keane I knew and mostly disliked.

“I may not be a Knight,” he said, “but I’m perfectly capable of defending Dana if I have to.”

My skin prickled with the distinctive sensation of magic being gathered.

“Titania has sent Knights after her before,” Finn told his son. “Put up your shields. Show me how well you can defend against a Knight of Faerie.”

Keane’s confidence visibly wavered.

Finn made a fist and flashed Keane a savage grin. “Put up your shields, or this is going to hurt like hell.”

Keane rolled his eyes like he thought this was all ridiculous, but I remembered how he’d looked when Finn first spoke. Arrogant as he was, he wasn’t at all sure he could take his father. I suspect that idea made him squirm as much as it did me. I’d told myself I was pretty safe with Keane, but I didn’t feel quite as sure of that now.

Keane moved over to the mats that still lay on the floor from our earlier sparring session, and Finn followed. From Finn’s words and Keane’s attitude, I knew Keane was likely to come out the loser of this fight, but I expected him to at least be able to hold his own for a while. I was wrong.

I thought Keane wiped the floor with me when we sparred, but I didn’t know what wiping the floor with someone really was until Finn showed me. Keane hit the mats so many times you’d have thought he was a rug Finn was trying to beat the dust out of. Each time he got up, he was a little slower than the time before. Magic prickled across my skin as the two of them flung spells at each other, but it was obvious Keane ran out of juice long before Finn did.

The longer the fight went on, the redder Keane’s face got, and I didn’t think it was just from exertion. Every once in a while, he’d glance over at me, and I realized how humiliating this little demonstration in front of me must be. Hell, we usually practiced in the living room because I didn’t want anyone watching while Keane repeatedly handed my butt to me, and I’m not a quarter as arrogant as he is. A couple of times, I opened my mouth to beg Finn to stop, but each time I quickly shut it again, knowing that I’d only make it worse.