6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

W e reach the bridge as dusk settles over the city. Three guards stand at the center gatehouse observing travelers. Behind my back, I discreetly drop my hat and continue through the gated archway without search or interrogation. Odd; I expected some sort of sensation as we crossed through the rune shield.

"My hat!" I point to the brown lump in the bridge behind me and dismount my horse, giving Eoin the reins. I jog back through the gate with ease and pick up my hat. A smile spreads across my face, and some of my nervousness dissipates. Eoin was right.

We enter Ankaran, a bustling city with rust-colored buildings and ill-managed roadways. I stable the horses while Eoin finds us room and board at the last available inn. Although Ankaran is technically in the fae realm, it's close enough to the border that it's mostly inhabited by humans. I've yet to see any pointed ears, but the anticipation energizes me as I walk to the front of the inn.

The city is alive, and the streets are flooded with merchants, locals, and tourists alike. Strings of small globe lights crisscross above the main streets, illuminating the streets and vendor stalls. I've never seen anything like it.

Drums play in the distance to the west. To the east, a troop plays horn and string instruments. Kids of all ages run around with animal masks on, tossing small popping rocks at each other. People laugh and celebrate everywhere, and I almost have to yell at Eoin when he exits the inn and approaches me.

"This is amazing!" I gesture at the string lights.

He chuckles. "I knew you would like it." He moves closer to me, mere inches, and lowers his voice. "I've been here once when I was about your age." He hands me a key. "Our room key. They only had one left, but there is a soft chair that I'll sleep on. We have a few hours until midnight; let's enjoy ourselves."

Summer is officially here and has lingered past sunset. The wavy baby hairs around my temple and the nape of my neck stick to me, and the heat of sunburn creeps in on my cheeks and collarbones from the day's ride.

I link arms with Eoin, and we make our way toward the troop that plays stringed instruments, sampling various treats along the way. We take mental note of an exotic ale booth to sample after our meeting with The Gatekeeper, but we want to maintain a clear head for now.

We pass a merchant selling several mage-made items. Eoin checks out the trinkets and lights and purchases an ever-sharp knife.

"How are they allowed to sell those if mage work is illegal?" I test the weight of Eoin's new knife and hand it back to him. The crowd is so thick that our arms rub against one another as we walk to the next stand.

"They're not illegal everywhere." He tips his head to the side. "In some places, selling and owning mage items isn't illegal; making and using them is." He pays a merchant and grabs two sticks with cubes of meat and vegetables skewered on them.

"Only courts and kingdoms aligned with the Prophet forbid it," he says with a mouth full of meat. "I think Benlend is the only kingdom in our realm that opposes the Prophet, but it's so far from you and Tomas that I've never considered leaving." He offers me one of the two sticks.

"I'm stuffed."

He shrugs. "More for me," he says before taking another bite. "I'm not sure which fae courts are involved with him. We'll need to figure that out."

"Speaking of things we aren't supposed to be doing." I grab Eoin's wrist and pull him behind the next wagon and into the shadows of an obscure alleyway. He glances back toward the street and the steady stream of preoccupied partygoers who pass us by.

"Eoin?"

He steps closer to me. "Yes?"

"I've been thinking about that old man on the beach." A tightness grips my throat, and I attempt to clear it. "Thinking about what I saw and how helpless I felt while that Crusader chased me."

Eoin sighs and grips my upper arm, rubbing his thumb over my shoulder. "Bronwyn—"

"I've always had you there to protect me, but what if something happens? What if you're not there?"

He steps back and shoves his hands in his pockets. "It's been on my mind as well. And I don't want you to ever feel helpless." He looks up at the stars and lets out a heavy sigh.

"I'm going to teach you to fight. Not how I teach the soldiers at the barracks, but how my father taught me."

"I thought teaching Einarr fighting to anyone outside of your bloodline was forbidden. You've never even let me watch you teach Tomas."

"It is, but I heard Tomas tell some of the other kids at the orphanage you're his sister. I say that's close enough."

"Did he really?" The thought warms me, chasing away the lingering fear. I wonder if Eoin feels the same way.

"He did. And I care about you. I want you to be safe."

Two children run past the alley wearing rabbit masks, followed by a child wearing a fox mask. "You three get back here!" A roundish woman passes the alley, shouting at the children. "It's nearly midnight. It's time to get home."

"We should get moving," I say, and something catches my eye. The small wagon selling masks is right ahead, and I can't help myself. "Want to?"

Eoin extends his arm, and I take it, letting him lead me through the crowd to the merchant. I release his arm, but he remains close as he sorts through several wooden masks. A mouse-shaped one catches my eye, and I pick it up, showing it to him.

"I think the fox suits you more." He brushes a lock of hair away from my face. "It would bring out the green of your hazel eyes."

We buy two, and I turn around so he can help me. He gently slides his fingers through my hair, pulling it away from my face before tying the fox mask on. His touch lingers on my shoulder as I turn to face him, and he smiles, revealing his dimples. The horns of his ram mask fit in perfectly with his wavy, sandy-blond locks.

I'm not sure if it's the atmosphere or the fact that we are on our furthest trip ever together, but the way his gaze pierces my own makes something flutter in my chest.

We continue to the clock tower and arrive shortly before the midnight bell. Sitting outside the main festivities, the festival sounds fade, almost completely replaced by the sounds of gentle trickling water.

"How do these things work?" I slap the base of the clock tower.

"The sun. You'll have to check it out in daylight. A small spire on top collects sunlight, and somehow, that energy is transferred internally. There's a bunch of gears and stuff involved, but I know the sun is a major component. Same with those string lights you were admiring earlier."

"Sounds like fae magic."

"I think that has something to do with it, actually. The technology comes from them. I sometimes forget that we were sort of commingled at one point in time—humans and fae." He looks at me with sadness in his eyes.

A masked man dressed in all black approaches us and gestures for us to follow him. I follow him away from the clock tower and descend to a small sitting area near a decorative pond with a large fountain in the middle. The foliage hides us from any potential onlookers.

Eoin and I sit on a bench together adjacent to the masked man. He holds out his hand and snaps his fingers. The three lanterns around our sitting area light up, flames chasing away the darkness and illuminating the man before us and his two pointed ears. I don't know if he was trying to scare us or intimidate us, but we are both now well aware that we are sitting in the presence of a fae man.

I stand and extend my hand. "Gatekeeper?"

He shakes our hands, and we sit. "No. I'm here on her behalf. Let's cut to the chase." He leans back casually, crossing his right ankle over his left knee. "I'll start with the good. If you accept this mission, you will earn far more riches than you ever dreamed of. I will pay a monthly stipend to each of you while you are in my service, and you will receive a lump sum payment of twenty Rhenium upon completion of the mission."

Eoin stiffens ever so slightly beside me. That is more than enough for either of us to buy a farm and retire from thieving.

"To further accommodate you," he shifts, resting his elbows on his knees. "I'll set up a line of credit for you for any supplies you might need once you arrive. I'll also commit to sending one Tantalum per month to St. Agatha's while you're employed."

Eoin's eyes flick to mine, and a muscle in his jaw ticks.

"If that sounds too good to be true, it's because it is. This whole mission will take months, perhaps even a year, and will be very dangerous."

The gravity and the scale of this mission hit me, but so does the ever-growing mountain of coin we may earn from this fae man. He pauses and tilts his head, drawing my attention away from his ears and back to his masked face. Oh gods, I was staring.

"A majority of the mission will take place in the fae realm. You must ride to the first destination across the continent, as we cannot risk you being traced through a gate. It'll take roughly two months just to get to the Helios court from here. This task will require deception and theft of the highest degree, and your very lives will be at stake. If you agree to such terms, I will go into further detail." He casually looks at his nails. I've never seen anything like him. I'm intimidated and enthralled all at once.

Eoin and I glance at each other. We've had days to discuss the possible parameters of this deal and what we would be willing to accept. This offer, besides the possible death part, seems better than anything we were hoping for.

"We accept," I say and lean forward to shake his hand. The fae man takes my hand and shakes it with mild disinterest.

"Excellent," he says, returning to his casual reclined position. "We are going to stop a wedding. The High Lord of the Helios court has promised his son to Mazarine. She is the heir of High Lord Tristan of the Litha Court."

"I thought you needed our acquisition skills." I choose my words carefully. "I don't know how you expect us to stop a royal fae wedding."

"I'm getting to that," he says impatiently. "This kind of wedding is rare and prestigious, bringing in every High Lord or Lady of each court. The Prophet himself is being asked to perform it and will use the Binding Relic during the ceremony. The relic is only brought out on extraordinary occasions and will bind the bride and groom and their courts, literally and figuratively. Binding the bride and groom in such a way will make both courts powerful allies."

He sighs, and his eyes flick over Eoin's shoulder before he continues. "You need to steal it. It is one of four relics we will be persuing. If you leave tomorrow, you will arrive at the castle approximately two weeks before the wedding. I believe this will be enough time for you to become acquainted with the castle and make your plan. I have jobs set up for you in the kitchen and the stables as your cover. Do you have any questions?"

"Can we steal it after the wedding, or is that a condition of this mission?" Eoin asks.

"Ah, excellent question. The relic is the priority, but the wedding is also a condition of payment for this mission. It must be stopped. I imagine stealing the relic prior to the wedding may be enough to halt the wedding altogether, though, as I believe Helios is just making a power play here." The masked male stands and covers a yawn with his fist. For someone who specifically wanted us, he seems pretty darn disinterested.

"Two Tantalums," I say, standing up and meeting his gaze. "Two Tantalums for St. Agatha's, and if we don't survive, you pay one Tantalum per month until Tomas ages out."

Eoin's posture is rigid as the masked man narrows his eyes and leans in. "That's a lot of money," he says darkly.

"I know, but we must know that Tomas will be provided for. This is a huge risk." I glance at Eoin. His eyes bounce back and forth between the masked man and myself.

The fae man tenses his jaw as he studies me. "Deal." He grabs my hand and pulls me in, mere inches from him. "But only if you stop the wedding. The High Lord's son can not marry Mazarine. If he does, Tomas gets nothing." He radiates heat and power, and he's so close that I notice a small freckle on his bottom lash line.

"We accept." I take a step back as the air around me energizes fractionally. He studies me and really looks at me for the first time before handing me a scroll and embossed papers.

"Here is your line of credit note and your work papers. You'll need them to get into the castle. You'll be working in the kitchen, and Eoin will be working in the stable. You won't see or hear from me again until the night before the wedding, but we'll be watching."

He turns to leave and looks at me over his shoulder. The lanterns extinguish, and he disappears in the shadows.

A raven flies over Eoin's shoulder and lands on a nearby tree.

"You heard that, right?" Eoin scowls.

"Which part?"

"Which part?" He narrows his gaze on me with pinched brows. "The part where he threatened Tomas."

"What do you mean? He's going to take care of him while we are here."

He gapes at me incredulously. "You really need to work on your negotiating. How did he know about Tomas? Why did he bring him up?" He scoffs and runs his hand through his hair. "I'm sure he will take care of him while we work for him, but this was him showing his hand— that he knows where to hurt us if we refuse."

A heavy uneasiness fills me. "Did I make a mistake? Should I have refused?"

"No." Eoin shakes his head. "You did the right thing. You got some more coin out of it while we can. At the moment, we are backed into a corner."

"Well," I swallow hard, "within the next year, we will either be rich or dead."