“I was too listening, but mostly you didn’t have any answers.”
Gwydion drew her into the shadows of the manor house and dropped onto a stone bench. He patted the place next to him. Aislinn sat and Rune curled at her feet with the raven still clinging to him. Once she’d settled, Gwydion said, “No one’s seen the Harpies since the early fifteen hundreds. They retreated to the Strophades Islands in the Aegean. Rumor had it the Eumenides joined them.”
Aislinn drew her brows together. “Aren’t those the Furies?”
“Aye, ’tis their Greek name, but all the deities and monsters had both Greek and Roman names. It dinna mean there were two of them, merely that different people saw the same creatures and named them according to their own language and customs.”
“So all those mythological beings are real?” She thinned her lips and pressed them together.
“I’m surprised by such a question from you, lass.” Gwydion sent a sharp glance her way. “If Fionn and I are real, why wouldna everything else be as well?”
“Crap! I have no idea. Living in the States my whole life, things like that never came up.”
“Mayhap not things like that.” Understated cynicism ran beneath his words. “Merely Lemurians and dark gods.”
Aislinn looked askance at him. “Don’t forget their filthy minions like the Bal’ta.” She shuddered as she thought about the apelike men that had nearly been her demise on more than one occasion. She sucked in a tense breath and spread her hands in front of her. “Okay. I get it. Every fucking nightmare I ever had is real. How do we get Fionn back?”
“Ye werena listening.”
“Don’t lecture me, goddammit!” She clenched her jaw muscles in frustration.
“I told you the Harpies live on islands in the Aegean. Unless my information is incorrect, that would be where they took Fionn.”
She surged to her feet and pulled magic so quickly it made her nauseous.
Gwydion was by her side in an instant. He laid a hand on her arm and chanted a single word that cut the power filling her. “Ye canna run off half-cocked, lass. They’ll kill you.”
She jerked her arm away. “I’ve been in rough spots before. Rune and I will figure it out.”
“And me,” Bella cawed. “You’re not leaving without me.”
Gwydion blew air through his mouth in a whistling hiss. “Waiting isna your style, but Fionn would have my balls if I let you throw your life away.”
“If you have a better idea”—Aislinn sheathed her power and rocked back on the balls of her feet—“let’s hear it.”
“Better, lassie.” The master enchanter sent an appraising glance her way. “We wait for Dewi and Nidhogg to return. I suspect Nidhogg is having it out with Odin, and Dewi is flaying the skin from Arawn’s bones, but neither should take long.”
“Once everyone is back, then what?”
“Back up a step. What exactly did the Harpies say?”
“Something about not liking their peace disturbed and that they saw Fionn as some sort of epicenter. If they could remove him from the action, their lives would improve. They didn’t seem to get that the dark gods were key players.”
“Mmph. That might be good news—if they’re telling the truth, and all they want is to be left alone.”
“Good news how?” Aislinn stared at him. None of this seemed like good news to her.
“If we can provide peace, they’ll side with us. If the dark gods promise the same, they’ll side with them. They never were verra intelligent, but then none of the Infernal ones were, except perhaps Medusa and Tantalus.”
Aislinn snapped her fingers under Gwydion’s nose. “Focus. I don’t need a history lesson.”
“Aye, but ye do. Ye’ll be much better equipped if ye understand your adversary.”
She walked in a tight circle and returned to face Gwydion, hands on her hips. “I’m leaving to find him. Now. You can deal with all the rest of who fucked whom over without me.”
“That wouldna be verra
Gwydion drew her into the shadows of the manor house and dropped onto a stone bench. He patted the place next to him. Aislinn sat and Rune curled at her feet with the raven still clinging to him. Once she’d settled, Gwydion said, “No one’s seen the Harpies since the early fifteen hundreds. They retreated to the Strophades Islands in the Aegean. Rumor had it the Eumenides joined them.”
Aislinn drew her brows together. “Aren’t those the Furies?”
“Aye, ’tis their Greek name, but all the deities and monsters had both Greek and Roman names. It dinna mean there were two of them, merely that different people saw the same creatures and named them according to their own language and customs.”
“So all those mythological beings are real?” She thinned her lips and pressed them together.
“I’m surprised by such a question from you, lass.” Gwydion sent a sharp glance her way. “If Fionn and I are real, why wouldna everything else be as well?”
“Crap! I have no idea. Living in the States my whole life, things like that never came up.”
“Mayhap not things like that.” Understated cynicism ran beneath his words. “Merely Lemurians and dark gods.”
Aislinn looked askance at him. “Don’t forget their filthy minions like the Bal’ta.” She shuddered as she thought about the apelike men that had nearly been her demise on more than one occasion. She sucked in a tense breath and spread her hands in front of her. “Okay. I get it. Every fucking nightmare I ever had is real. How do we get Fionn back?”
“Ye werena listening.”
“Don’t lecture me, goddammit!” She clenched her jaw muscles in frustration.
“I told you the Harpies live on islands in the Aegean. Unless my information is incorrect, that would be where they took Fionn.”
She surged to her feet and pulled magic so quickly it made her nauseous.
Gwydion was by her side in an instant. He laid a hand on her arm and chanted a single word that cut the power filling her. “Ye canna run off half-cocked, lass. They’ll kill you.”
She jerked her arm away. “I’ve been in rough spots before. Rune and I will figure it out.”
“And me,” Bella cawed. “You’re not leaving without me.”
Gwydion blew air through his mouth in a whistling hiss. “Waiting isna your style, but Fionn would have my balls if I let you throw your life away.”
“If you have a better idea”—Aislinn sheathed her power and rocked back on the balls of her feet—“let’s hear it.”
“Better, lassie.” The master enchanter sent an appraising glance her way. “We wait for Dewi and Nidhogg to return. I suspect Nidhogg is having it out with Odin, and Dewi is flaying the skin from Arawn’s bones, but neither should take long.”
“Once everyone is back, then what?”
“Back up a step. What exactly did the Harpies say?”
“Something about not liking their peace disturbed and that they saw Fionn as some sort of epicenter. If they could remove him from the action, their lives would improve. They didn’t seem to get that the dark gods were key players.”
“Mmph. That might be good news—if they’re telling the truth, and all they want is to be left alone.”
“Good news how?” Aislinn stared at him. None of this seemed like good news to her.
“If we can provide peace, they’ll side with us. If the dark gods promise the same, they’ll side with them. They never were verra intelligent, but then none of the Infernal ones were, except perhaps Medusa and Tantalus.”
Aislinn snapped her fingers under Gwydion’s nose. “Focus. I don’t need a history lesson.”
“Aye, but ye do. Ye’ll be much better equipped if ye understand your adversary.”
She walked in a tight circle and returned to face Gwydion, hands on her hips. “I’m leaving to find him. Now. You can deal with all the rest of who fucked whom over without me.”
“That wouldna be verra
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