Siege And Seduction

30

She peered up at me through her thick lashes. “I wish I could, but I can’t.” “Here’s what I propose. We have no idea how long this journey will last, and I can’t keep worrying every five minutes that you’re about to make a run for it. You’re not safe out here unprotected. If you’ll promise to stop running, I’ll do my best to present your case to Merlin after we obtain the cauldron. I can’t guarantee he’ll release you, but maybe we can find some middle ground together.” She thought for a moment, then nodded, wiggling to sit upright but still on my lap—a fact which pleased me more than it should have. “After we get the cauldron, there’s someplace I have to go. You can … come with me, but you have to promise me you won’t stop me from going. I don’t need to run if you’ll grant me that one thing. I’m painfully aware of just how powerless I am. I have no desire to get myself killed before I ever reach the cauldron.” Her eyes dropped to her fingers in her lap. “I’ve never felt so helpless in my life, except maybe when Mab attacked my mother.” She glanced back up at me, and this time, I could see a hint of a sharp edge restored to her gaze. “I hate it. I hate being powerless.” I pulled her close and pressed my lips to her forehead. “I know.” That was all I could offer her. What I didn’t say was I hated it for her as well. Nothing I had been led to believe was accurate when it came to Morgan. Instead of being relieved she was helpless, I felt dirty as if I had helped to clip the wings of a majestic bird. A few days in her presence by no means undid her past track record, but I couldn’t shake the feeling there was more to her. My animal instincts about people had been well-honed over the years, and my gut told me there was more to the beautiful blond in my lap than the rumors would have had me believe. We cleaned up Morgan’s wounds and wiped away as much of the Spriggan blood as we could before resuming our journey. I hadn’t caught up to her until well into the day, and by the time we were ready to continue walking, it was late afternoon. I led us in the direction of a nearby stream where we both drank our share of water and filled the canteen.

After jogging most of the day and surviving our brush with the Spriggans, neither of us was all that eager to push ourselves, but we were both motivated to proceed. When we were sufficiently refreshed, we stretched our aching muscles and continued our journey. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say we were walking in circles. How big is this damn forest?” Morgan grumbled under her breath. “You know how things change in Faery—walking in circles is not entirely out of the question,” I smirked down at her beside me. “We don’t have long now before we’ll need to camp for the night, and we can both get some rest. In the meantime, why don’t you tell me more about the cauldron? Aside from its powers to restore life, I don’t know much about it.” “Its history goes way back to the origins of the Fae, to a people known as the Tuatha De Danann. When they first found their way to Earth, they were met with another race of magical beings known as the Formorians. The two peoples became instant enemies. In one of their constant skirmishes, the Formorians stole the Cauldron of Dagda and the Spear of Victory from the Tuatha De, who had come to Earth with four magical relics. After the theft, only the Sword of Light and the Stone of Destiny remained in the Tuatha De’s possession. “Over time, a man by the name of Lugh rose to become the champion of the Tuatha De. He had some help from his foster father, the sea god Mananaun, who gave him a number of magical tools, such as a horse that could carry him across land and sea and a set of impenetrable armor. When the Tuatha De confronted the Formorians in a final battle, Lugh came riding to the rescue in his golden armor and enabled the Tuatha De to defeat the Formorians. The king took back the cauldron and spear, then banished the Formorians from Earth. The Tuatha De Danann eventually became known as the Aos sí, then the Seelie, and the descendants of rogue Formorians who remained became the Unseelie. There’s still animosity between the two groups, but a tentative peace has existed for centuries.” “A peace you sought to upend, if I recall correctly,” I pointed out. She glared at me and continued. “Which brings us to the cauldron. Initially, it was believed that its sole power was to provide a never-ending supply of food or drink when needed; however, it was discovered that it also healed the sick and could raise the dead. Because of its unnatural and dangerous potential, the cauldron was put under an enchantment to keep it protected. Locked away in Castle Corbenic, the cauldron is guarded by the Fisher King and spelled to remain unseen except to those who would use its magic for the purest reasons. Needless to say, not many have proven worthy through the years.” The unspoken question was whether Morgan’s intentions were pure enough to earn her the cauldron. If not hers, then perhaps mine? Was the desire to know who I’d been a sufficiently pure intention? What reasons did she have for the cauldron that had been so urgent to fuel her misguided efforts all these years? One possibility was to heal her mother, but after hearing how she still mourned the loss of her lover, I wondered if that might be the true reason. The thought made me want to put my fist through a tree trunk. Would she bring her dead lover back to life? Would he be the same as he’d been? Would they instantly fall back in love? Why did any of it matter to me? My thoughts darkened and spoiled the otherwise pleasant Faery evening. Morgan must have been struggling with her own inner voices. Neither of us said anything further as we trudged through the forest. When we came across a fallen tree not far from a small creek, I suggested we camp for the night. “If we sleep next to the tree and cover ourselves with leaves, it’ll reduce our visibility and keep uninvited visitors away.” She eyed the log with uncertainty, remaining where she stood. “Is there something wrong?” She pursed her lips and sighed. “No, I suppose not. It’s just the log looks so … icky. There’s no telling what lives underneath there.” “Let me get this straight.” My eyes narrowed, and I prowled over to where she stood. “The mighty Morgan Le Fay is scared of a few bugs?” She crossed her arms over her chest in a huff. “Snakes, spiders, there could be anything under there.” I leaned in close and whispered in her ear. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” I winked when I pulled away, hoping to elicit a smile from her but received a frown instead.