Autumn's Bane Read online

  “Lovely,” I said.

  Angel stood. “Would anybody like more lemonade?”

  Sharne smiled at her graciously. “I would, thank you.”

  As she headed into the kitchen, he leaned forward. “Be very careful, Ember. Saílle’s going to be pissed about having to bend her knee to you, which will be the case once you become a goddess. She’s never going to accept it. Once you go through deification, she can’t touch you, but until then…accidents can happen.”

  I froze. I hadn’t even thought of that. “You mean, she might try to kill me before then?”

  “I told you, the Fae Queens are cunning and ruthless. They have little compassion, and massive egos. That’s a bad combination if they feel they’ve been double-crossed or outwitted.”

  “I’ll remember that,” I said, my mood darkening. But I pushed it away for the moment, since there was nothing I could do about it at the present.

  Instead, I fell into chatting with Sharne, asking him about his plans for after the marriage and how he would adjust to court life. As the evening wore away, I got a text from Herne, verifying that I was to head over to Annwn the next morning to bring back Neallanthra, and to meet him at his home at eight a.m. I texted back that I’d be there, but my mind was a million miles away, as I thought about all the potential ways things could go wrong before we were married, and how I wouldn’t sleep easily until that day, now that I knew Saílle was gunning for me.

  Chapter Twenty

  The next morning I woke to the sound of rain outside my window. I dragged myself out of bed, groaning. Six o’clock was just too early. I glanced out the window to see pouring rain and opened the window, enjoying the breeze that gusted through the room to clear the air.

  Then, moving as quick as I could, I showered and dressed, wearing jeans and a corset top.

  Heading down to the kitchen, I found that Angel was up, yawning, and she had made me breakfast. Two sausage cheese muffins, a travel mug filled with twenty-four ounces of strong, iced latte, and a pastry that was oozing with glaze. She handed me the sack.

  “I fed Mr. Rumblebutt, and I’ll see you at work, later. Good luck.” She beamed me a smile. “Oh, before I forget, Rafé asked if he could use our yard to work on his car? There’s something wrong with it and he’s trying to fix it himself, but his apartment building won’t allow people to do that in the parking garage.”

  I waved at her as I took the paper bag filled with goodies. “Of course he can. Just so long as he doesn’t leave a junk pile when he’s done.”

  “Thanks! I’ll let him know. Ember,” Angel said, pausing.

  “Yeah?”

  “Be careful. Remember what Sharne said last night. Accidents can happen anywhere, especially if someone’s out to arrange one. Saílle knows you’re going over to Annwn today and she knows where you’ll be. Don’t let your guard down.”

  I bit my lip, realizing that Angel was absolutely right. “Hold on.” I pulled out my phone and texted Herne. you are going with me today, right?

  He answered quickly. yes, i was planning on it.

  thanks, I texted back. “Okay, yes, Herne’s going with me.”

  “Good, I feel better. And you be sure to tell him what Sharne said. Don’t forget, okay?”

  I nodded as I grabbed my purse and jacket and headed toward the door. “I won’t forget.”

  The portal led directly to Cernunnos’s palace. I was surprised. “I thought that we’d have to go into Y’Bain to pick up Neallanthra.”

  “No, I made arrangements for Unkai to bring her to my father’s palace. I didn’t want any chance encounters that could muck up things.” He glanced down at me, his arm protectively around my waist. “What you told me—what Sharne thought—I have actually been thinking about since the parley. I know Saílle, remember? I know both of the Fae Queens better than they know themselves. And I don’t trust them.”

  “Speaking of, how do you think they found out we were engaged…or rather, that you had proposed to me?” I tried to think about the people I’d told, but it hadn’t been many.

  Herne blushed. “I might have, in my anticipation, mentioned it. My parents knew I asked you, and so did Ferosyn, and Kipa, and Raven and…well, a few others. And while I trusted them to keep it quiet, there’s no telling who might have overheard. I was just so excited, and so hopeful, that I had to tell someone about it.”

  I blushed, realizing just how much I meant to him. “I never thought I’d make such a difference in someone’s life,” I said, feeling askance. I had been so focused on how the engagement would affect me that I had almost forgotten his feelings.

  Herne stopped. We were on the path to his father’s palace. He turned to me, cupping my chin in his hands and tilting my head up. “Ember, never sell yourself short. I love you, more than you know. In one short year, you’ve become such a part of my world that I never want to let go. You’re my lover, my companion, my friend. It doesn’t matter that I’m a god and you’re mortal. You are my world. I’ll do my best to make you happy and that you never regret saying yes.”

  My heart fluttered and I threw my arms around his waist, pulling him close as I sought his lips. He kissed me, long and hard, and I hoped I would never let him down.

  After a moment, he pulled back. “Come, love,” he whispered. “We need to go meet Unkai.” And with that, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and we continued walking toward the massive tree palace.

  Cernunnos’s palace still seemed steeped in summer, but even so I could see the tinge of autumn creeping one step behind. The leaves were just beginning to turn color, and eventually, the forest would be a riot of burgundies and rusts. The palace was always magnificent, but during the summer it was at its height, the massive oaks that made up its foundation clad in a thousand shades of green, like the world tree incarnate.

  The guards who had greeted us at the portal led us to the throne room. Cernunnos’s throne was in the center of the vast chamber, which was bigger than a football field. The room itself reminded me of a cavern, the walls formed of a swirling mass of roots and branches that wove together in a lignified fresco, a mural embedded into the walls and ceiling. Marble benches lined the walls, with matching tables nearby.

  The ceiling glittered—literally—covered with dozens of stalactites. They flickered from within to form a web of light that spread through the room, illuminating every nook and cranny.

  Cernunnos’s throne was also woven out of a tangle of roots and branches, and it looked as though it had grown out of the ground that way. Crystals and gems peeked out from the knots and burls in the wood, and the seat of the throne was cushioned with a pad of green velvet.

  But of course the most striking part of the throne room was Cernunnos himself.

  A massive man-god, he sat with his chest bare, rippling with muscles that were finely hewed from his flesh. His hair flowed down his back, bound into multiple braids, as black as the night, and his eyes shimmered gold and green, very much like a cat’s eyes. He was full-lipped and his smile was as beguiling as it was deadly.

  I could see the resemblance between Herne and his father, and I wondered if in time, would my love grow to be as powerful and stately as the Lord of the Forest.

  Cernunnos stood, his bearskin cape fastened around his shoulders with a gold chain and a knotwork brooch. He descended the steps from the seat of his throne and silently approached us as we stood in front of him. Without warning, he swept me up into a massive hug, his arms so strong they could have broken me into pieces. The scent of cinnamon and musk clouded my senses. He smelled like Herne.

  I tried to catch my breath as Cernunnos’s greeting thundered through the room.

  “Welcome, my daughter-to-be. Congratulations are in order, I understand. You have enchanted my son. May you make a man out of him, and may he be worthy of your trust.” As he let go of me, he kissed me on the forehead, then turned to Herne and held out his hand. Herne took it, and Cernunnos pulled him into an embrace.

  “I�
��m so glad you’re pleased.” Herne admired his father, and though he had never said as much, I could read between the lines. He wanted to make Cernunnos proud.

  “Pleased? I was ecstatic when your mother told me. But you didn’t think to text your father when Ember said yes?” Cernunnos gave Herne a long look.

  “I’m sorry, I just…things have been so…” Herne paused.

  Cernunnos let out a hearty laugh. “Not to worry, my son. I’m just having some fun with you. I’m truly pleased. Morgana and I shall have to think of a good wedding present. Meanwhile, we have business today.” His smile slid away as he motioned to the guard. “Clear the room.”

  The guard did so without a word, escorting everyone out of the throne room, leaving only Cernunnos, Herne, and me. Once the doors shut, the Lord of the Forest turned to us. “I have to tell you, I’m not on board with this sudden request from Saílle. The Orhanakai aren’t happy about it, either. Unkai has spoken to me, and he asked me why I gave the Fae Queen leave to demand a bride from him.” Cernunnos’s eyes narrowed and he leaned forward. “What’s going on? I want to know who planted the idea in her head that she could coerce one of Annwn’s greatest chieftains into handing over an unwilling woman to be the prize in some game she’s playing.”

  “What? We thought…” I paused, turning to Herne. “Did Saílle say how she came to find out about Unkai’s sister-in-law? Or what exactly transpired when she made the arrangements for the woman to marry Sharne?”

  “No,” he said. “She didn’t. I assumed that Unkai and the woman were both willing. I don’t care what we’ve promised Saílle, if she doesn’t want to be married, we’re not handing her over to your uncle.”

  I groaned, rubbing my temples. “I have a headache,” I said, leaning back in my seat. “I really don’t want to deal with this at all. I know Sharne wasn’t in on this. I talked to him and believe me, I’ve always got my bullshit meter running around him. He truly had no clue this was going to happen. He’s resigned to it, and it may be good for him to wed at this point. But not if Neallanthra is unwilling. He wouldn’t want that either. He’s just trying to avoid Saílle’s anger.”

  Cernunnos let out a blustery sigh. “All right, let’s get to the bottom of this.” He rang a bell and the servant who had been helping him returned to the room. “Bring Unkai and Neallanthra to me, please.”

  The guard bowed. “As you will, milord.”

  While we waited, I made small talk with Cernunnos. I found myself in the middle of a story about Mr. Rumblebutt when the chamber doors opened again and the guard returned with a man and woman behind him. The man I recognized.

  I had first met Unkai when I had come to Annwn in search of Brighid’s Flame, the sword I now claimed as mine.

  Unkai looked like the typical Dark Fae—black hair, though it was seasoned with white, which meant he was very old indeed. His mustache was thin and well groomed. He was handsome, in a roguish way, and weathered from a life on the go.

  The Autumn’s Bane, or Autumn Stalkers as they were commonly called, were a warlike people. Nomadic, they had originally been both over on Earth and in Annwn, and they had swept through villages, enslaving the villagers, taking their lands, and moving on. Now, there were only remnants of them left on Earth. But in Annwn, they still thrived, though I had discovered they weren’t as terrifying as they had first sounded. Unkai was actually a fair man, and just, and he treated his people well.

  “Ember,” Unkai said, stepping forward and holding out his hand. I clasped it, and he gave me a quick hug, in the way of two warriors who were meeting after a long time apart. “It’s truly good to see you.” He was speaking in Turneth—the Dark Fae variant of Faespeak. But then, to my surprise, he switched to English. “It’s been a time.”

  I smiled. “You’re learning English?”

  “I have studied, yes, since you left Annwn with Brighid’s Flame.” He frowned, picking over the words, but he spoke them flawlessly.

  I glanced at the woman. She looked a lot like Unkai’s woman.

  “I present Neallanthra, my woman’s sister.” Unkai motioned for her to step forward and she did. “She hearkens from the Lekanhika clan.”

  “So I understand.” I glanced at Herne, who was standing by silently, letting me take the reins. Still in English—I had my doubts Neallanthra spoke the language—I asked, “Tell me something, and please, in English if you can. When did Saílle arrange this exchange?”

  Unkai glanced back at his sister-in-law, then motioned for me to walk to one side with him. When we were some ways from the others, he switched to Turneth. “I cannot speak that freely in your language yet, but I understand you don’t want her to understand the question. The Dark Fae queen sent a contingent of her militia into our encampment and demanded a woman for marriage. They insisted the woman be nobility. I told them we don’t have kings or queens among the clans, but they insisted on someone who would match a princess in power.”

  “As I figured. When did this happen?”

  “One moon cycle ago. The only woman available was Neallanthra. The soldiers threatened to destroy the village we live in during the winter if we refused. They would have burned down every building so we had no shelter to return to come the snows, and they still would have taken Neallanthra. They also threatened to kidnap our children and take them back to Earth where we’d never see them again.” His dark eyes burned. “Dark Fae do not go against Dark Fae over here, but apparently the rules are different on your side of the portal.”

  I let out a sigh. “Saílle’s a queen all right, a queen bitch. Listen to me, she did this because of me. I had no knowledge of it, but here’s what happened.” I explained to him how she got wind of the fact that Herne had proposed, and that she decided to try to win me over to their side before Névé could. “She is using my uncle as a pawn, and your sister-in-law as an excuse. She thought it would give her favor once I go through the ritual of Gadawnoin.”

  Unkai’s scowl grew darker. “The queens here may fight to the death, and many lives are lost, but they generally have more honor than that.”

  “I don’t know if I believe that, but let’s just say that her actions didn’t surprise me, once I found out about them. So, is Neallanthra willing to go? I can tell you my uncle is a good-natured man and won’t mistreat her. He’s not thrilled about being pushed into an arranged marriage either.”

  “Then yes, she will go willingly. She honestly has always wanted to marry, but she doesn’t fit in here. Maybe she’ll adapt to your world better. She’s too independent for some men, and far too domestic to manage with her own people. She was born for a life indoors, as we say in my clan. A house cat instead of a wildcat. The Autumn’s Bane are not an indoor people.” He sighed. “My woman will miss her sister, but at least Neallanthra will have a chance for happiness that is her own, and not lived vicariously through others.”

  We returned to the others and Cernunnos gave his blessing over our journeys—it was customary, I gathered, when someone relocated to the other side of the portals. Then, accompanied by a contingent of guards, we returned to the portal with Unkai and Neallanthra. Before we were even near noon, we transferred through, back to our world.

  Unkai blinked, looking around with wide eyes. Neallanthra looked shell-shocked. But we were in the woods near Herne’s home, and they both relaxed as they saw the trees and foliage around us. I couldn’t help but wonder what they’d think when they saw our cities, though. There were some similarities to the cities of Annwn—the bustle of people, the vendors and stores and shops—but where Annwn was steeped in magic and carts and horses, here we were steeped in cars and electricity.

  I turned to Neallanthra and reached out for her hand. She looked at me curiously, but accepted the gesture and I held her hand as we walked ahead of the men, talking in Turneth.

  “My uncle is a kind man, and he’s pleasant. I think you’ll like him.” I wanted to put her at ease.

  “What does he look like?” she asked. “What does he do
?”

  “He has my coloring. He’s a tailor, actually. Though I don’t know if he’ll be allowed to keep his profession once you both move to the Court.” I paused. “I need you to understand something and I don’t know if it was made clear to you. I want you to know why you’re here.” I ran down what had happened. “Once she realized I’m going to become a goddess with power over her, Saílle laid this little plan into action.”

  “She must resent you a great deal. Unkai told me you were tralaeth, and to have you rise above her, to become a goddess?” Neallanthra shook her head. “I can’t imagine that the Fae Queens would be happy. I am not saying they’re right to feel this way, but…”

  “But they do feel this way. You’re correct in that. Farthing, my grandfather—Sharne’s brother—plotted with my maternal grandmother to execute my parents. They would have killed me too, if I had been home. I was fifteen. Then, last year Farthing tried to destroy me.”

  She gasped. “I’m so sorry. What happened?”

  I sighed. “I killed him. To avoid rumors, Saílle tried to buy me off. I took the money—hell, to refuse it would have set her up against me even more than she already was. But I will never forget what this incredibly stupid war between the Fae has wrought in my life. It murdered my parents, it tore my world apart, it almost killed me… There are days I’m ashamed to be Fae.” I shrugged. “But I can’t run away from who I am. I have to accept myself and make things better.”

  Neallanthra was a short, plump woman with gorgeous hazel eyes. She gazed up at me, smiling softly. “I have not been treated graciously by our people, either. Oh, Unkai and my sister treat me well, but I’ve never seemed to fit in. I have always felt like an outsider, looking into a world that I’m supposed to belong to, but never quite meshing with it.”

  “Welcome to Earth. Oh, there are cliques and groups and snobs and racists and xenophobes here, but you know what? The world is so diverse. There are many different kinds of people. You might fit in better here. Just don’t be too surprised by the technology.”