The Iron Warrior
Page 44
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Kenzie sighed and shared a glance with me. “Normal day in Faeryland.”
I gave a weary nod. “You know what to do if I’m about to sell my soul.”
Together, we stepped away from the trees and walked steadily toward the house. As we drew close to the fence, which was made completely of bones, the front door creaked open and a bent old woman hobbled down the steps into the yard. Tangled white hair hung around her face; her skin was lined and shriveled like a walnut, and a ragged shawl was wrapped over bony shoulders. She looked like somebody’s grandmother but also like every witch in every fairy tale I’d read. The only things missing were the black robes and pointy hat.
She noticed us immediately but didn’t seem surprised. Instead, she continued down the steps, clutching a wooden bucket in one gnarled claw. The chickens, instead of swarming for the food, scattered before her, running to different corners of the yard. The witch dumped the bucket of scraps on the ground and turned, fixing us with beady black eyes.
“Well?” Her voice squeaked like a rusty hinge, as she raised thin white brows at us. “Are you going to come in, boy, or are you going to stand there and gape until something flies in to roost?”
I swallowed. “Um.” I glanced at the Thin Man. He gave his head a tiny shake, echoing my feelings. Stepping into the witch’s yard didn’t seem like the brightest of ideas right now. “Actually, we’re just looking for someone,” I said, turning back to the witch. “A Summer sidhe. We thought she might’ve come through here.”
The witch sniffed and set the bucket atop a large wooden cask. “Is that a statement, human, or a question? Don’t waste my time with stories I care nothing about. If you want to ask me something, ask.”
“Fine. Have you seen a Summer sidhe called Annwyl?”
“Better.” A sly smile curled the witch’s bloodless mouth. “Yes, Ethan Chase,” she crooned, making my skin crawl. “I have indeed. But that is not the question you should have opened with. I have seen her in the Summer Court and the wyldwood, in the mortal realm and Tir Na Nog. I have seen the Summer girl many a time, in many different places, and you had best start asking smarter questions, or this is going to be entirely too easy for me.”
I groaned, raking my hands down my face. “Kenzie,” I muttered, feeling a headache start to throb behind my eyes. “Help.”
Kenzie stepped forward, brushing my arm as she faced the witch over the fence posts. “Will you please tell us,” she began in a quiet, firm voice, “to the best of you knowledge, where Annwyl of the Summer Court is right now?”
“Ah,” said the witch. “A far smarter question. Your friend is much better at this than you, Ethan Chase. I do indeed know where you can find Annwyl of the Summer Court. The girl came to me not long ago, seeking answers, as most do. She seemed quite desperate, as most are, by the time they come to me. She had already been to the wyldwood and the mortal realm, and both were unable to help.”
“Why?” Kenzie asked, then quickly added, “What was the question she needed an answer to?”
The witch’s smile faded. “She wanted to know,” she said in a grave voice, “how to destroy the amulet she was bound to.”
Kenzie’s eyes widened. “But that would kill her,” she exclaimed. “Without the amulet, she would Fade away to nothing. She had to have known that.”
“She did,” the witch said calmly. “It would not deter her. She was determined to see it destroyed, and she wanted to know if I knew how.”
“And do you?” Kenzie asked.
The witch gave her a level stare. “I do,” she replied. “I do indeed. But you don’t need that information, do you?” She eyed me and the Thin Man. “You already know how to destroy the amulet,” she said. “That is not the reason you are here. No, you have come for her.”
“Yes,” the Thin Man said, stepping forward. “You know the danger, old mother. You must have heard the rumors, even out here in the Deep Wyld. The First Queen has returned, and the child of prophecy leads her army of Forgotten against the courts. If she succeeds, the days of blood and darkness will swallow the Nevernever whole, and nothing will be safe. You cannot hide from her forever, even in the Deep Wyld. That girl holds the key to victory against the First Queen, even if it is the smallest chance.”
The witch glared at him. “I am well aware of this, forgotten one,” she snapped, showing a flash of jagged yellow teeth. “Which is why the girl is not rushing off to confront the Iron Prince and doom us all. The First Queen knows about the amulet, and the Forgotten would kill the Summer girl before she could ever reach the prince. They are likely still searching for her, for all of you.” She looked down her crooked nose at us. “I knew you would come here, Ethan Chase,” she stated smugly. “If not you, then someone else. Your sister, perhaps. Or that insufferable Goodfellow. Eventually, I knew someone would arrive looking for the girl and the amulet. So, I kept her safe. Hidden.” Her lips twisted in a faint smirk. “Though she might not see it that way.”
“Where is she?” I asked. “We know she’s here. Where are you keeping her?”
The witch’s grin widened, and she gestured to the yard behind her, at the dozen or so chickens milling about the grass. For a second, I didn’t know what she meant; I didn’t see Annwyl anywhere in the yard, or among the flock. Then my stomach twisted with horror at the realization, and Kenzie gasped.
“Yes,” the witch said in a pleased voice. “She is here. Isn’t this better, Ethan Chase? No Forgotten will come for her on my land. No traitor princes will think to look for her here. Your Summer girl is perfectly safe, hidden from the First Queen, and has everything she needs.”
“Change her back,” I said firmly, narrowing my eyes. “Right now.”
“Are you certain, boy?” The witch glanced at the flock, still smiling. “She is much happier like this, no burdens, no responsibilities. She doesn’t remember her past life and is perfectly content scratching about with her fellows. Are you sure you want me to restore her to how she was, knowing she will most certainly die?”
I swallowed hard. “I’m not leaving her like that,” I growled. “We need her, and the amulet, to stop Keirran. So, please, change her back.”
The witch chuckled. “I suppose I could do that,” she began, making me slump in relief. “Though I don’t see what I would get out of it.” She pondered a moment, then snapped her fingers. “Here is a fun game, Ethan Chase,” she cackled. “I’ll let you take the Summer girl and the amulet, free of charge, and I’ll even agree to change her back—” she gestured to the flock behind her “—if you can pick her out from the rest. Bring me the right bird, and I’ll let you all go.”
My stomach dropped. “And if I choose wrong?”
“Then one of your friends will become a happy member of the flock,” the witch said. “And you can try to guess again. But, be warned. I am only agreeing to let one bird go tonight. Whether it is the Summer girl or your little human friend will be up to you.” She grinned, showing a mouthful of jagged teeth. “So I would try to get it right the first time, Ethan Chase.”
I gave a weary nod. “You know what to do if I’m about to sell my soul.”
Together, we stepped away from the trees and walked steadily toward the house. As we drew close to the fence, which was made completely of bones, the front door creaked open and a bent old woman hobbled down the steps into the yard. Tangled white hair hung around her face; her skin was lined and shriveled like a walnut, and a ragged shawl was wrapped over bony shoulders. She looked like somebody’s grandmother but also like every witch in every fairy tale I’d read. The only things missing were the black robes and pointy hat.
She noticed us immediately but didn’t seem surprised. Instead, she continued down the steps, clutching a wooden bucket in one gnarled claw. The chickens, instead of swarming for the food, scattered before her, running to different corners of the yard. The witch dumped the bucket of scraps on the ground and turned, fixing us with beady black eyes.
“Well?” Her voice squeaked like a rusty hinge, as she raised thin white brows at us. “Are you going to come in, boy, or are you going to stand there and gape until something flies in to roost?”
I swallowed. “Um.” I glanced at the Thin Man. He gave his head a tiny shake, echoing my feelings. Stepping into the witch’s yard didn’t seem like the brightest of ideas right now. “Actually, we’re just looking for someone,” I said, turning back to the witch. “A Summer sidhe. We thought she might’ve come through here.”
The witch sniffed and set the bucket atop a large wooden cask. “Is that a statement, human, or a question? Don’t waste my time with stories I care nothing about. If you want to ask me something, ask.”
“Fine. Have you seen a Summer sidhe called Annwyl?”
“Better.” A sly smile curled the witch’s bloodless mouth. “Yes, Ethan Chase,” she crooned, making my skin crawl. “I have indeed. But that is not the question you should have opened with. I have seen her in the Summer Court and the wyldwood, in the mortal realm and Tir Na Nog. I have seen the Summer girl many a time, in many different places, and you had best start asking smarter questions, or this is going to be entirely too easy for me.”
I groaned, raking my hands down my face. “Kenzie,” I muttered, feeling a headache start to throb behind my eyes. “Help.”
Kenzie stepped forward, brushing my arm as she faced the witch over the fence posts. “Will you please tell us,” she began in a quiet, firm voice, “to the best of you knowledge, where Annwyl of the Summer Court is right now?”
“Ah,” said the witch. “A far smarter question. Your friend is much better at this than you, Ethan Chase. I do indeed know where you can find Annwyl of the Summer Court. The girl came to me not long ago, seeking answers, as most do. She seemed quite desperate, as most are, by the time they come to me. She had already been to the wyldwood and the mortal realm, and both were unable to help.”
“Why?” Kenzie asked, then quickly added, “What was the question she needed an answer to?”
The witch’s smile faded. “She wanted to know,” she said in a grave voice, “how to destroy the amulet she was bound to.”
Kenzie’s eyes widened. “But that would kill her,” she exclaimed. “Without the amulet, she would Fade away to nothing. She had to have known that.”
“She did,” the witch said calmly. “It would not deter her. She was determined to see it destroyed, and she wanted to know if I knew how.”
“And do you?” Kenzie asked.
The witch gave her a level stare. “I do,” she replied. “I do indeed. But you don’t need that information, do you?” She eyed me and the Thin Man. “You already know how to destroy the amulet,” she said. “That is not the reason you are here. No, you have come for her.”
“Yes,” the Thin Man said, stepping forward. “You know the danger, old mother. You must have heard the rumors, even out here in the Deep Wyld. The First Queen has returned, and the child of prophecy leads her army of Forgotten against the courts. If she succeeds, the days of blood and darkness will swallow the Nevernever whole, and nothing will be safe. You cannot hide from her forever, even in the Deep Wyld. That girl holds the key to victory against the First Queen, even if it is the smallest chance.”
The witch glared at him. “I am well aware of this, forgotten one,” she snapped, showing a flash of jagged yellow teeth. “Which is why the girl is not rushing off to confront the Iron Prince and doom us all. The First Queen knows about the amulet, and the Forgotten would kill the Summer girl before she could ever reach the prince. They are likely still searching for her, for all of you.” She looked down her crooked nose at us. “I knew you would come here, Ethan Chase,” she stated smugly. “If not you, then someone else. Your sister, perhaps. Or that insufferable Goodfellow. Eventually, I knew someone would arrive looking for the girl and the amulet. So, I kept her safe. Hidden.” Her lips twisted in a faint smirk. “Though she might not see it that way.”
“Where is she?” I asked. “We know she’s here. Where are you keeping her?”
The witch’s grin widened, and she gestured to the yard behind her, at the dozen or so chickens milling about the grass. For a second, I didn’t know what she meant; I didn’t see Annwyl anywhere in the yard, or among the flock. Then my stomach twisted with horror at the realization, and Kenzie gasped.
“Yes,” the witch said in a pleased voice. “She is here. Isn’t this better, Ethan Chase? No Forgotten will come for her on my land. No traitor princes will think to look for her here. Your Summer girl is perfectly safe, hidden from the First Queen, and has everything she needs.”
“Change her back,” I said firmly, narrowing my eyes. “Right now.”
“Are you certain, boy?” The witch glanced at the flock, still smiling. “She is much happier like this, no burdens, no responsibilities. She doesn’t remember her past life and is perfectly content scratching about with her fellows. Are you sure you want me to restore her to how she was, knowing she will most certainly die?”
I swallowed hard. “I’m not leaving her like that,” I growled. “We need her, and the amulet, to stop Keirran. So, please, change her back.”
The witch chuckled. “I suppose I could do that,” she began, making me slump in relief. “Though I don’t see what I would get out of it.” She pondered a moment, then snapped her fingers. “Here is a fun game, Ethan Chase,” she cackled. “I’ll let you take the Summer girl and the amulet, free of charge, and I’ll even agree to change her back—” she gestured to the flock behind her “—if you can pick her out from the rest. Bring me the right bird, and I’ll let you all go.”
My stomach dropped. “And if I choose wrong?”
“Then one of your friends will become a happy member of the flock,” the witch said. “And you can try to guess again. But, be warned. I am only agreeing to let one bird go tonight. Whether it is the Summer girl or your little human friend will be up to you.” She grinned, showing a mouthful of jagged teeth. “So I would try to get it right the first time, Ethan Chase.”
