Wylde Magic | Book 3

Eight: A Disagreement of Loyalties

I watched as Aithne leveled her blade at Spaulder. I couldn't see much of his expression, since he was faced away from me, but I could only imagine the dragon's wrath unleashing on this Summer court fae.

Spaulder stepped out from the doorway, a rumble in his chest that was nearly a laugh as he walked right up to Aithne and her blade. "This is not a fight you want, fae. We will leave now, and you will stay and conduct whatever business brought you here in the first place."

Aithne hissed, stepping back and moving her sword upright between them.

One of Aithne's company, the green water sprite with the halberd, pointed his weapon at Spaulder as well. "You dare you speak to Lady Aithne that way? She has deemed you enough threat to even draw her blade at you, the least you could do is accept the honor and fight her!"

"Enough, Hayat," Aithne said calmly, narrowing her eyes to Spaulder. "Old one, what are you?"

A dark laugh came from Spaulder. I would hate to be on the other end of his defensive anger.

"Your elder, and the guardian of these two you intend to take against their will," Spaulder answered coldly. "I warn you one more time, step away before I fight you in earnest."

I took the few steps between me and the doorway, pushing outside in the space that Spaulder had just left.

Aithne's eyes flicked to me and back down to Spaulder.

"And you must be the elven witch, Wren," she spat her words at me with distaste. "If it weren't for you, Schula would not be in this situation."

Anger flared in me briefly, flickering to life in the form of purple flames that licked my fingers. "Do not think that I am someone you can threaten lightly! I may not be a fae, but I will fight with everything I have to protect her."

All three sets of eyes darted to me and my small display of power. I was barely containing it in my anger, but I had so much more to show if they dared to lay a hand on Schula.

"I would do it all again, Aithne," Schula said, her voice trembling. "I would do anything to be with my triquetram. You should know that."

I looked at Aithne's hands. No obsidian rings sat on her thumbs. Were the two beside her truly her triquetram, or in all her years had she still not found them?

"I don't want to fight you, Schula," Aithne said. "Come with us peacefully, we only wish to sort out the truth."

"Watch your words, fae," Spaulder warned.

My heart was pounding. How could this possibly end? Spaulder had a terrifying power within, but he was still physically weak from his time imprisoned and it was hard for me to reconcile this fierce anger with the gentle dragon that had traveled with me across the world.

Then again, you don't receive a name like the Night Ender lightly.

"Aithne, you don't have to do this," Schula said. "We're on our way to the summit, we're prepared to cooperate with the courts to share the truth."

Aithne didn't turn her head, her red scale-patterned skin vivid in the morning light. "I don't think you understand. The summit only proved to win favor for DuVarick's claims. The general consensus is to your guilt, but my Queen demands a true trial above all else."

"A trial?" Schula asked, clutching her fist against her heart. "My word against a king's is a death sentence and you know it."

"My Queen is just," Aithne answered. "Baeleon still defends you, even if only in his thinly veiled lust to set the Wyldes ablaze in a fight for power. Still, it's a king's word in your favor. But he refuses a trial, and insists the other courts side with his court in retaliation to DuVarick. A battle nearly broke out, right there at the table."