Without any expression to confirm his guess, the demigod transformed back into a cat, this time adjusting her size to something approaching that of large hunting cat. Never looking back, she made her way up the now mostly uncovered path that led to the top edge of the crevasse and was gone.

  Exhausted, Will sat down on the cold stone and surveyed his surroundings. A significant portion of the outer edges was still covered by ice, but he could tell from the outlines that he sat on a broad stone floor cut and leveled from what had originally been a natural break in a massive stone outcrop embedded in the side of the mountain. The area measured roughly fifty feet wide and stretched more than a hundred feet in length, with one end tapering to an abrupt end partly within the mountain while the other end led to an abrupt drop down a rocky slope more than a hundred feet below.

  A lot more ice would need to be melted and cleared away, but Will could see the outline of a large ritual circle composed of two lines that were each roughly an inch deep. They formed a perfect circle over twenty feet in diameter, with one circle a few inches within the other. Between the two was a smooth, empty area where runes or other symbols could presumably be drawn. He was glad the original creators of the circle hadn’t engraved their choice of symbols so he didn’t need to remove them. The design was highly flexible since one could redraw the runes for different purposes.

  The amount of work remaining made him feel even more tired, but it also inspired a fresh thought. Since I’m planning to bring in a few allies, I might as well let them help with the labor, he thought with a faint smile. Will closed his eyes and started to slip from his body, but at the last moment a shift in the turyn made him look around.

  Given the intense flows of energy just under him, it was a testimony to his sensitivity that he noticed the change amid the relative magical ‘noise.’ Lifting his gaze, he finally spotted the visitor: Tailtiu was making her way down the steep stone stair path. She had taken the form of a mountain goat with a woman’s torso and arms where the head should have been. As a result, she had the appearance of a weird and somewhat small centaur, if such creatures really existed. As far as Will knew, they were only an invention of some of the fanciful romance writers Janice favored.

  The choice of form was apropos since it allowed her to nimbly make her way down the parts of the stair that were still occluded. When Tailtiu reached the bottom, she resumed her usual form, that of a slender and aggressively naked woman with red hair. The fae woman retained her catlike eyes with slits for pupils, but unlike Evie, she managed to do so in a way that enhanced her visual appeal rather than sending shivers of terror up Will’s spine.

  “Took you long enough,” declared Will as a greeting.

  His fae aunt lifted her chin proudly. “I am a free woman now. I come and go as I please.” After a brief pause, she added, “Master.” As always, she couldn’t help but say the word in a way that intimated a plethora of carnal pleasures awaited him if he would only give her the command.

  Will sighed, rolling his eyes. Age, experience, and wisdom made it easier for him to ignore her allure, though he had to admit that his recent solitude caused him to feel more frustration than usual. “Can you turn it down a bit?” he asked.

  Tailtiu gave him a coy glance as she replied, “Is something bothering you?”

  “I thought we agreed you’d start wearing clothes.”

  “Around other humans,” she corrected, playfully running her hands across her chest. “We are alone here, and the wind feels good on my—skin.”

  Will didn’t bother looking away. He’d learned long ago that showing embarrassment would only increase the teasing. His wife was better endowed anyway, though Tailtiu’s inhuman perfection still gave her an unfair advantage somehow. Realizing his thoughts were becoming undisciplined, Will shifted tactics. “You were afraid to come, weren’t you?”

  His aunt froze, then bit her lip uncertainly, showing a sliver of fear that would have been impossible for her when she had been a true creature of the fae realm. Now that she had a soul of her own, such frail emotions often tormented her. “The beast was here. I can smell it everywhere. You told me it was dead.”

  The fae had always been cautious and had tried to avoid the Cath Bawlg at all costs, since the goddamn cat had made a practice of eating them whenever possible. Unlike most injuries, being eaten by him had been permanently fatal for the immortals, leaving only bones that would not regenerate. Aislinn had shown no fear, since she was incapable of it, and being who she was, she probably had the least to worry about. The somewhat human-like Tailtiu was a different matter.

  Evie had shown no sign of her progenitor’s malice toward Aislinn, but Tailtiu didn’t know that. “It’s safe,” Will assured. “The Cath Bawlg has been reborn, but in her current form she is just a friend. She bears no ill will toward your kind.”

  “She?” Tailtiu lifted one brow in interest. “I hadn’t heard of this, but either way I’m not sure I trust my life to your sometimes questionable judgment.”

  He shrugged. “Join the club. No one else seems to trust my decisions either.”

  His aunt walked closer, until she was no more than an arm’s length away, her eyes moving up and down as she inspected him. “I’m relieved to see you are still whole.” Tailtiu looked away. Despite her age and immortality, Tailtiu was a child emotionally. Only recently had she begun to learn to deal with feelings like concern, fear, or affection. “After we parted last time, I wanted to check on you, but…” Somehow his aunt also looked tired.

  Tailtiu had fought valiantly when Lognion had betrayed them, but she had been badly injured by a multitude of iron barbs when the king’s men had trapped her with a steel net. Selene and the others had freed her while Will had faced Lognion, but he hadn’t seen her since. Will nodded. “You were afraid of being hurt again, weren’t you?”

  She nodded. “I hate this fear you have given me. Every time you call me, it seems I gain a new fear. First the blood-drinkers, now iron, and this cat demon that follows you everywhere—what will be next? Before you changed me, I never felt afraid. I wouldn’t have come today except…”

  Her words trailed off, but Will understood. “You were worried about me. That’s the other side of the coin.”

  “You feel these things as well?”

  He nodded. “All humans do, all the time.”

  “How do you function?”

  “We do the best we can. You get used to it, and some emotions help you get past others. Like your need to make sure I was all right overriding your need for safety. That’s the basis for what we call bravery.”

  “It’s foolishness!” she declared angrily.

  “That too,” Will agreed. “Do you still want to help me? I won’t blame you if you go back home now that you’ve seen I’m healthy and in one piece.”

  “I am here already,” said Tailtiu. “I will work for a price.” She opened her arms.

  Since her change, they hadn’t bartered in the ways required by the fae, so Will wondered about her intentions for a moment. “A hug?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  “Just a hug, though,” Will clarified, well aware of how strong she was. Once within her grasp, he would be at her mercy, and Tailtiu was no longer bound by the old rules. She nodded again, and he stepped forward, opening his arms for the embrace.

  As always, her scent was intoxicating, and she held him firmly, but unlike times past she did nothing more. Her hands didn’t stray, and her hips remained still. Other than Tailtiu’s nudity, the hug was much like one Will might have received from Sammy or Tabitha. Half a minute passed before she released him, but since she was behaving, Will didn’t mind. His shirt was damp when she stepped back, and the remains of wet tracks stained Tailtiu’s cheeks. “What do you want me to do?” she asked.

  She really was worried about me, thought Will, but he felt it wiser to stay on topic. “I just need you to stay here until I return. I need you here as a beacon so I can teleport back.”

  “How long will you be gone?”

  “An hour or two. I should be back before nightfall.”

  His aunt looked around nervously. “Will the beast come back?”

  “Evie is hunting and probably won’t be back until nightfall. She won’t hurt you even if I’m not here.”

  “Evie?”

  Will nodded. “That’s what I call the Cath Bawlg now.”

  “Please return before it gets back.”

  “I’ll be as quick as I can,” he reassured her.

  Chapter 36

  Emory and Sammy were deeply engaged in a practical magic session when Will arrived. They were standing outdoors in the garden while his cousin slowly assembled the rune structure for a point-defense shield. Being careful not to disturb them, Will located himself behind their backs when he teleported so he would be out of view. His arrival still caused a sudden turbulence in the turyn currents around them, but they were both so engrossed in Sammy’s progress that neither seemed to notice.

  Will stayed quiet to avoid ruining her concentration, and he smiled when he saw Sammy complete the spell. With Emory’s help, she was making rapid progress with turyn expression.

  Aiming carefully, Sammy released the spell, creating a small barrier in front of herself. “It worked!” she declared. “Pay up!” She cocked her hip and motioned toward Emory with one hand.

  Without delay, Emory leaned over and met her lips with his own, bestowing a kiss that was anything but chaste. A second later, he pulled away. “That’s all you get.”

  Sammy groaned in protest, but her complaint turned to surprise when Will’s voice found their ears. “I’m glad to see you are progressing quickly.”

  His cousin jumped slightly, then stared at him with an expression which was at first guilty but soon became angry. Emory seemed frightened, but immediately hid his expression entirely. The young nobleman faced Will with the calm resignation of a man ready to accept punishment for his crime. “Your Grace, I apologize for that. I understand you may wish—”

  Sammy interrupted, stepping in front of her tutor defensively, “Don’t you dare do anything to Em! He only did that because I insisted, not that it’s any of your business anyway!”

  Will had been somewhat irritated, but their responses left him feeling suddenly bemused. He lifted his hands and closed his eyes briefly, signaling his peaceful intentions. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “Then why were you spying on us?” demanded Sammy.

  “I came to make a request,” said Will simply. “After that, I just didn’t want to break your concentration.”

  Emory’s face was flushed as he hurried to speak up once more. “Your Grace, I want you to know that wasn’t something ordinary for us. It was just—” He struggled to finish.

  “A moment of joy?” Will supplied.

  “Yes! Wait, no. Er…” The young noble was completely flustered.

  After his previous conversations with both of them, as well as time to reflect on himself, Will felt a strong sense of sympathy. “Sammy, how many spells do you know now?”

  “I just learned the shield you saw, but I can also cast source-link, force-lance, and fire-bolt.” She paused, then admitted, “I’m still really slow, though.”

  Will’s brows went up. “Honestly, that’s pretty amazing for someone who only recently began expressing turyn.” His eyes went to Emory. “She must have worked very hard to get this far in such a short time.”

  Emory nodded. “She’s ambitious to say the least.”

  Unabashed, Sammy stood beside her teacher, and after being rejected several times managed to capture his hand within her own. “I was motivated.”

  Will met her gaze and allowed the silence to drag out for several seconds before relaxing his shoulders and replying, “I have no objections.”

  Emory blinked, and Will saw a shift in his shoulders as his inner tension eased. Sammy’s reaction was the opposite, as her cheeks colored with embarrassment. Will couldn’t help but be amazed by the contradictions within her. Being caught in a kiss hardly fazed her, but being told I’m fine if they court openly turns her into a blushing maid, thought Will wryly.

  Seeing Samantha at a loss for words, Emory stepped in to restore the conversation. “You said you needed help with something, Your Grace?”

  “I do. It’s something unusual and potentially dangerous.”

  Before he could add more, Sammy piped up, “I’m in.” Emory glanced at her worriedly, then nodded in agreement.

  Will gave them a rough explanation, then sorted out some practical details. Sammy returned to the house to let Blake know they’d be gone until evening, and to apprise him of their method of return. Blake assured her that he’d stay in his room after sundown, to allow for a private return.

  While she was gone, Emory chose to ask a private question. “Since it seems you’re not going to murder me, were you giving us your blessing?”

  “She deserves to be happy. I’m giving her my blessing, and she seems to like you. You still need to talk to Sammy’s father, so don’t go overboard.” Will’s response was terse, but after a moment, he added, “For what it’s worth, I like you too, but that could change in an instant.”

  The young noble nodded. “Thank you, and I understand. I’d be the same if our roles were reversed and it was one of my sisters.”

  Surprised, Will glanced over. “I didn’t know you had sisters. You never said anything. How many?”

  Emory shrugged. “Five. It’s not the sort of thing to bring up during training sessions when we were preparing for war. We’ve never really talked much in a personal sense.” After a second, he hurried to add, “Not that I blame you.”

  “Wow. Five,” said Will, trying to imagine it. “I grew up with none, then gained two so suddenly it hardly seemed real.” He tried not to think about what had happened to Laina.

  Sammy returned then, carrying a sack containing heavy cloaks, winter boots, gloves, and several thick scarves. In her other hand was a basket full of bread, cheese, and apples. She lifted it up for display. “Jeremy sends his love as well.”

  Smiling, Will directed them, “Keep your things in hand and stand on either side of me. Make sure you have a firm grip on my arm, and since I’m doing this standing up, don’t let me fall over.”

  “Are you going to lose consciousness?” asked Emory.

  “No, but I’ll leave my body briefly to find our destination. I’m getting better at staying partly in contact, but I usually sit or lie down just to be safe,” explained Will. Once he was sure they understood and everyone was in place, he began.

  He’d already re-prepared the spell while waiting, so he slipped into the astral plane and quickly found Tailtiu, but rather than teleport immediately, he indulged a whim and turned his thoughts to the Cath Bawlg. He hadn’t been entirely sure it would work, but sure enough, she appeared before him. Without having his own body for comparison, it took him a moment to get a sense of scale as he watched her tear into a fresh kill, but after a second, he realized the animal was a bull moose.

  Will had never seen one up close during his own time in the mountains, but he’d seen a cow moose or two, and those were big enough to frighten him when he was younger. Seeing an enormous bull being casually torn apart was eye-opening, as the animal was significantly smaller than the cat’s current size.

  Between bites, she looked up and stared at him, confirming that she was definitely astrally sensitive. “I just wanted to see what you were doing,” said Will. Though he had no voice, the act of vocalizing would create thoughts that were clearly audible if the recipient was able to perceive them.

  Her response caught him off-guard, as the astral connection enabled him to hear a reply that wasn’t dependent on the Cath Bawlg’s still limited language skills. I am almost full. The rest of the meat is yours.

  Mildly startled, he replied, “Thanks,” then returned to Tailtiu. Adjusting his focus somewhere between her and his physical body, he triggered the teleport spell.

  Everyone remained still while Sammy and Emory got their bearings and took in the new environment. Emory jerked for a moment when his eyes discovered Tailtiu standing nearby. “Oh, excuse me!”

  The blush that came to his cheeks was a prey signal to Will’s aunt. Her visage became predatory as she regarded the young man. “Hello, my sweetling,” she replied. “I was just getting hungry.”

  Sammy gently bopped the side of Emory’s head to snap him out of his reverie while Will hurriedly warned his aunt, “Emory is one of us, remember? He’s not food.” Then he turned to the young nobleman. “You’ve met Tailtiu before, when she was helping me train at Rimberlin.”

  Emory had already put his back to the naked fae woman. “Yes, of course. I was just surprised, she, uh, she had, she wasn’t…”

  “Naked,” supplied Will, glaring at his aunt. “This is why I wish you’d practice some modesty.”

  With a smirk, Tailtiu transformed again, flawlessly creating a thin dress from her flesh that looked entirely natural compared to what Evie had done earlier. The only strangeness about it was the fact that it was summer attire that no mortal would dare use in such cold conditions. The fae woman’s smug expression vanished as she looked nervously upward to the lip of the crevasse. Before the others could follow her gaze, something large and dark fell from above, landing near the edge of the cleared area.

  Emory jumped, and Sammy let out a startled yelp which stopped a moment later as the object before them came into focus. It was the torn carcass of a disemboweled moose. A small amount of blood seeped from beneath it onto the stone. Realizing it was just the Cath Bawlg returning, Will tried to reassure them, “It’s just Evie,” but his words went unnoticed as an enormous cat landed next to the dead moose. Having just carried the large animal in her mouth, Evie had taken a size appropriate to the task, and she loomed over them, partially blocking out the sky.

  Stunned, Sammy expanded her verbal repertoire with a strange ‘eep’ while Emory fell onto his backside. The young nobleman raised a force-dome over himself and Sammy a second later, though his face had gone white as a sheet. Tailtiu managed to keep her feet and most of her dignity, but she was now standing close behind Will, one hand gripping the back of his tunic tightly.