The Immortal Highlander

Aoibheal spun in a swirl of blinding light. She was silent for a time.

Beside him, Gabrielle was tense, breathing shallowly. He could feel the unease in her small body and realized that she was seeing the kind of Fae she’d been raised on tales of. The queen was truly formidable—there was no other word for it. Awe-inspiring, ancient, forbidding, alien, incredibly powerful. He only hoped his ka-lyrra would remember that he was not like his queen. That Tuatha Dé were no more like unto one another than humans were.

Finally the queen turned back to him. “Darroc is a High Council Elder. One of my strongest supporters, staunchest advocates.”

“For Christ’s sake, lip service, no more! Will you never see through that?”

“He has never left my realm to play with humans.”

Adam bit back a caustic, No, just Hunters, and remained silent.

“He has served on my council for thousands of years.”

Again he said nothing. He’d told her what he had to say; he knew she understood the ramifications of it. He knew also it would be difficult for her to accept that one of her Elders had betrayed her.

“I have forbidden any Seelie to bring forth the Unseelie for any reason, under threat of a soulless death.”

“Gee,” he couldn’t resist saying dryly, “you think maybe Darroc forgot?”

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten the bad blood between the two of you!” she hissed.

“I’m not the one walking with Hunters!” he hissed back.

Another silence. Her fury at him was easing, turning toward another as she digested his news. The air was slowly beginning to warm again.

“And for this you had the Keltar fail to perform the ritual of Lughnassadh that keeps the walls between realms intact? You took it upon yourself to risk our worlds colliding?”

“It was the only way I knew to gain your ear. To warn you. No matter that my queen had chosen to punish me, I could not permit an enemy to attack her without doing all in my power to protect her. I will always protect my queen. Even,” he added pointedly, “when she has stripped away my power to do so. Besides, it’s not as if I didn’t try to find Circenn first. It occurs to me now that perhaps you were the reason I couldn’t find him.”

“Perhaps I was,” she agreed. “Perhaps he and his family have been enjoying an extended holiday on Morar.”

Adam shook his head, lips curving in a faint sardonic smile. “I should have known.”

She stared at him a long moment. “I must have proof of this. I must see this with my own eyes. I must carry firsthand vision back to the council.”

Adam shrugged. “Use me as bait.”

“And you seek what in return?”

“The honor of serving you,” he said smoothly. “Though, there is also the small matter of the return of my immortality and full powers.”

“There is something you owe me. I’m waiting.”

A muscle leapt in Adam’s jaw. “I said it in the catacombs, mere moments after you cursed me.”

“I would hear it again. Here. Now.”

Adam’s nostrils flared. With an imperious incline of his head, he said, “I see now that countering you before the court might have been ill-advised, my Queen. I acknowledge that a show of my fealty might have better served you. It is possible I might have endeavored to find a more appropriate venue to air my concerns.”

“And counted yourself fortunate I bothered to hear you at all.”

Adam said nothing.

“Don’t think I missed all the ‘might haves’ in that ‘apology.’ You still have not admitted you were wrong.”

“I believed at the time that there were those among your council who had personal motives for advocating trial-by-blood. I was concerned then that they plotted against you. It would seem I was right.”

Aoibheal smiled faintly. “Ah, Amadan, you never change, do you?” She eyed him measuringly. “You will leave protected land. You will make your way back to where he first found you.”

“Yes, my Queen.”

“The two of you will leave in the morning, then.”

“You mean, I will,” he corrected.

“Don’t tell me what I mean. I said what I meant. You and the Sidhe-seer.”

“I said I would draw him out. Gabrielle isn’t—”

“Gabrielle? Lovely name. You sound fond of your human. You wouldn’t be about to argue with me, would you? You wouldn’t be about to try my patience further, when I’ve yet to tidy up after your most recent mess?”