Shadowspell

Tears spilled down my cheeks as he scooped Ethan’s limp body up and rose to his feet. I reached out, wanting to stop him, but not sure how.

He made a gesture with his chin, and the Wild Hunt quit circling us. They even left enough space between them for my father to slip through. I wanted to throw myself into my dad’s arms and sob, but I was afraid if I moved or took my eyes off the Erlking, he’d disappear with Ethan.

The Erlking just stood there, Ethan’s body completely limp in his arms, as my dad came to stand beside me. In one of his extra-demonstrative moments, Dad put his arm around my shoulders and gave them a squeeze. For a moment, I wondered if Dad was glad that the Erlking was removing Ethan from the field of play. Like I said, he’d never liked him. But that moment was fleeting.

There was a slight tremor in the arm that draped my shoulders, and I was able to tear my eyes from the Erlking to look up at my father’s face.

His jaw was clenched so tight you could see the outlines of his bones, and I’d never before seen such fury in his eyes. His cheeks were flushed with it, and I was half convinced there really was such a thing as a look that could kill.

My dad’s face isn’t what I’d call expressive, but he was so shaken by what had just happened that he was completely unguarded. Under that murderous anger, there was such a weight of pain and sorrow that my own chest ached with it. I didn’t know what that was all about, but I knew it couldn’t be just because of Ethan.

The Erlking gave my dad one of those chilly smiles that didn’t reach his eyes. “Will you fight me for this one, Seamus?” he asked. “Truly my Hunt would be honored to have one such as you in our midst.”

Dad’s arm slid off my shoulders, and both his hands clenched into fists beside him. “Leave my daughter alone, Arawn,” my dad replied through clenched teeth.

The Erlking—Arawn, apparently—frowned in feigned puzzlement. “I have done your daughter no harm. And this one”—he raised and lowered Ethan’s body briefly—“is no kin of yours.”

Dad swallowed hard, and to my horror, there was what I could swear was a sheen of tears in his eyes.

The Erlking made no visible gesture, but one of the Huntsmen lowered the kickstand on his bike and dismounted. He kept his back turned to my dad and me while he unbuckled his helmet, then took it off and laid in on the seat of his bike. Long blond hair cascaded down his back. Then he turned around.

My dad made a horrible choking sound, and I reached out and grabbed his arm, afraid he was about to collapse.

The Huntsman’s boots made metallic clicking sounds against the pavement as he came to stand by the Erlking’s side. The Huntsman stared at my dad, his attention so focused you’d have thought there was no one else around.

My heart thudded against my breastbone, and for a moment I forgot to breathe as I stared at the unmasked Huntsman. He was a little shorter than my dad, and his chest was a lot broader. But his eyes were a dead match, and the shape of his face was just similar enough to make the resemblance unmistakable. A smaller version of the Erlking’s tattoo curved around his brow and under his eye.

The Erlking handed Ethan to the Huntsman, who took him without looking away from my dad. There wasn’t much of an expression on the Huntsman’s face, but the look in his eyes was haunted.

“Connor,” my dad said, his voice raw with pain.

The Erlking smiled wide, then patted Connor on the head like he was a pet dog. “I’m sure your son would greet you,” he said, “but as I’m sure you know, my Huntsmen do not speak.”

Even though I’d already begun to guess exactly what was happening, I couldn’t help gasping.

I had a brother.

At least, a half brother. There was no way Connor had any mortal blood in him. He looked far too Fae for that.

The Erlking turned to look at Connor. Connor bowed his head at the Erlking, then cast one last longing look at my dad before he carried Ethan back to his bike. Ethan still hadn’t regained consciousness. I didn’t know how Connor was going to drive his bike with an unconscious man on it, but I had no doubt he would manage.

The Erlking focused his attention on me once more. “You might want to remind your father he still has a daughter to protect, Faeriewalker,” he said. “While I would rejoice to have him join my Hunt, it would hardly be sporting of me to take him now.”

I grabbed on to my dad’s arm just as he started to take a step forward. He was shaking with rage, and the look in his eyes was so inhuman a part of me wanted to let go and run away.

“Don’t, Dad,” I said. “Please. I need you.” I felt the tears streaming down my cheeks, and I didn’t even know who I was crying for—Ethan, Connor, my dad, myself. Maybe all of the above.

Dad hesitated, but I could feel his urge to pull away in the tightness of his muscles. He looked at me briefly, then focused on the Erlking once more. I knew with every cell in my body that he was about one second short of throwing everything away in a futile attack. So I did the only thing I could think of that might stop him.

I threw my arms around my dad’s waist, then buried my face against his chest and let my sobs loose.

For a long, agonizing moment, he just stood there stiffly, though at least he didn’t push me away. Then slowly, tentatively, his arms closed around me.

I didn’t look up as the sudden gunning of engines told me the Erlking and his Hunt were leaving.

Chapter eleven

There was a lot of fuss and commotion after the Wild Hunt left, but I was in something of a state of shock and don’t remember much about it. I remember Kimber having hysterics—she and Ethan fought constantly, but he was her brother, after all. I was in no shape to comfort her, and I doubted she’d have wanted my comfort anyway. It was because of me that the Erlking had taken Ethan, and a crushing sense of guilt almost overwhelmed my grief.