"Do you feel that?" I hissed, halting in my tracks.

Under Cael's guidance, we'd descended deep into the mists of Natír. Every time they rose up about us we emerged someplace different—a waterfall here, the ocean there. The sky never changed, perpetually cloaked in the shifting colours of sunset. At the moment, we stood in an open, endless field. The grass was soft beneath my feet, swaying in the breeze, and the sky above formed a beautiful expanse of colour. I lifted my hand, where I'd kept a fistful of flame to better illuminate our surroundings. I could see without them, but the extra light made me feel much better about life.

Cael paused beside me. We formed the fore of our little group, him and I, me watching while he navigated. "What is it?"

"It's you breathing down my neck." I whirled on him. "Is there a particular reason you're so close to me?"

He blinked. "I like your fire."

"That's... creepy." I wrinkled my nose, pulling my hand back.

"I like all fire," he went on, unfazed. "It's warm."

"Then wear a coat."

No response came. I'd swiftly learned that he wasn't a talker; silence wrapped him easily, and he moved with it like a shadow through smoke—comfortably, invisibly, and without disturbing the air. Somehow, it hadn't become an annoyance. It felt natural with him. I wouldn't expect an abandoned cat to be very talkative, either.

Cael pointed northwards and walked on. Mist pulled from the ground and enveloped us all as we followed, clearing to reveal another rolling field, this time with shorter grass. In the distance, I saw the vague outline of a castle or an abbey or some other human creation. Like Morrigan's cottage, it flitted in and out of sight, near yet distant. A small lake spanned the land between it and us, reflecting the scattered colours of the sky.

"Why are we visiting all these places? Are we not able to go to Shayne directly?" Ronan asked, cautiously polite. He lingered mere steps behind us, besides Morrigan. She'd been quiet as well, her red eyes slowly scanning each realm we passed into. I let my gaze linger on her for a moment. I'd torn off half of my shawl to help Ronan bandage the cut on her arm, which had let me see just how deeply that blade had cut her. She was obviously still unwell, clutching my brother's proffered arm for support. I gritted my teeth. She'd only been hurt saving Ronan because I'd been distracted. I'd need to keep a better eye on them both next time.

"There is a set path." Cael didn't turn, his focus on the land ahead of us. "Shayne has many barriers set around his territory in Natír. We must take this route or we will never find it."

His territory. Right. Unease prickled down my spine. This time, I would be the one intruding. It was no small matter, but there was more than reason enough to justify it. Shayne had taken Aeden, despite having no right to do so. Even if he was a Kaelte, driven mad by a force beyond his control, there would be consequences.

It took me a moment to realise Ronan had halted. His brows were furrowed in thought, and he was obviously chewing on something. I tugged Cael's sleeve so he'd also stop and turned, shooting my brother the best spit it out look I could muster. I already had a good idea of what he was going to ask, and unfortunately for him there was no polite way to do it.

Ronan sighed, likely at me. He shifted his attention to Cael. "May I be direct?"

The man nodded, his shaggy hair half-obscuring his face.

"I don't mean to cause insult, but how can we trust you?" I stood corrected. Ronan had found a way. An infuriatingly roundabout and wordy way, but a way.

"You don't," Cael said unhelpfully.

Ronan glanced at me, raising his eyebrows in an unspoken question. He's probably wondering why Morrigan and I are going along with it. I sighed, running a hand over my hair. This time, I hadn't bothered to braid it—I'd simply tied the mess up into a knot. It was less contained than usual, but I'd been in a hurry.

"What else are we to do?" I said by way of answering. "He is tied to Shayne, so even if it's a trap we'll still find the man."

"But..."

Ronan was silenced as Morrigan placed a hand on his arm, lifting her head. Her concerned gaze lingered upon me, as if she had expected more concrete, thought-out logic. "We seem to be going the right way," she said quietly. "Shayne's passed through this place recently: I can feel it. And you mustn't underestimate what Shayne did by forcing Cael under his control. Geasa are not for subjugating one another—it cannot be, for the same reasons we do not blindly intrude upon another's territory. The grudges such actions create..."

"Aeden told us when we first set off," I said, my voice clipped. "The man's starting feuds, which could turn into war. What do you think, Cael?"

For the first time, he responded instantly. "I would kill him if I were able."

"Well, there we go. Nothing like murderous intent to prove your reliability."

Ronan very much looked like he wished to argue that point, but gave in with a simple nod. We went on walking, taking a path down the shore of the lake. The wind was harsh here, but the surface was perfectly undisturbed. I wondered at it for a moment, surprised such a large mass of water could be still. Cael crouched beside it, tracing some pattern over the water. Power stirred in the air around us, and more mist rose from its surface.

"Wait." I hunkered at his side, grabbing his wrist. He stiffened but said nothing. "Do you feel that?"

"You came to me this time."

"No, you eejit, I'm serious." Ever so faintly, I could sense a darkness about the shore. It was like the skin of an eggshell, thin and delicate. It was layered over everything—the mud beneath my boots, the grass, the water. "It's the Ándúr Nimh."

Like Morrigan had said, the poison had spread so evenly I couldn't tell where it had come from. One moment, we'd been fine; the next, it was faintly scratching at my soul. Flames ignited in my core instinctively, burning it away before it could stray too near. I dipped a finger into the water, hissing at its slightly-unnatural chill. My first guess was that the Ándúr Nimh had come from the lake, since it had shown itself at the shore. It was too subtle to be the real source of the poison, though, and I couldn't broaden my reach enough to figure out how it'd crept into the water.

Flames licked my hand as I pulled it back from the lake, scowling. Maybe if I glared hard enough, answers would suddenly rise from its depths.

"I can't sense it," Morrigan said quietly. I turned; she wore a delicate frown, one bejewelled hand pressed to her chest. Her red eyes found mine. "You must be more sensitive. I don't think we'll be in danger with so little of the poison present, but we should be cautious." As she spoke, she curled her fingers into the fabric of her dress, and some power sparked in the air about her. It did little to drive back the darkness in the air, but she seemed untouched for now.

"Will you let me continue now? I cannot linger very long," Cael said. There may have been the faintest ghost of sarcasm in his tone.

"Fine." I released him, struggling back to my feet. "How long would it take to drive us mad?"

"I'm not sure, but it seems to be a gradual process. Shayne began acting strange many years before he..." She swallowed. "Snapped."

"That's good then, isn't it? What's the problem?"

"Because the Ándúr Nimh has spread farther and grown more concentrated since then. We've remained close to the mortal realm until now, which has hardly been touched. The deeper into Natír we go, the worse it may get... and the quicker the poison's strength may become."

I pursed my lips. It wasn't optimal, but I wouldn't simply stop. Aeden came before the poison. There wasn't much else to do except keep an eye on Morrigan and Cael, assuming I'd be able to keep driving it away from my own soul. "Grand. Let's try not to kill each other and see how it goes."

Cael cleared his throat. "I have no choice but to follow Shayne's orders, whatever they may be."

"Right, well, until then."

"Somebody's in the lake," Ronan said abruptly, cutting off the conversation on that cheerful note. I followed his gaze to see a woman floating atop the water several dozen paces from the shore, her olive hair fanning prettily about her head. Where her legs would've been, a long, fishlike tail flicked across the water, steadily pushing her closer to where we stood. She raised an arm in a languid wave when she saw us watching.

"I didn't know merrows would be in lakes, too," Ronan murmured. He had a distant look to him, and I wondered if he'd even been listening as the rest of us spoke.

Morrigan's warnings about distractions echoed in my ears. "Don't gawk, Ronan," I said, checking on Cael. He'd continued to write in the air above the water. I hadn't the faintest idea what he was doing, but it was clearly taking him some time.

"I haven't seen a lake before. It's so calm." There was indeed some wonder in his eyes as he watched the body of water, much the same as he'd acted when we came across the Rene river. Still, he seemed more distracted than he should've been. "I've met merrows before."

"Aye. Remember when one almost dragged Conor into the ocean?" Morrigan was already at my brother's side, clearly watching him as much as he was supporting her, but I tugged on his arm anyways. I waited until he looked down at me. The merrow was still swimming our way, but slowly. There was enough time to ignore her for a minute longer.

Ronan blinked, and his expression cleared. "I remember."

"We had to snatch him back. Eejit," I sniffed, letting him go. It had been a terrifying moment, in truth. We'd almost lost him. I was vividly aware of the necklace he'd given me resting on my chest, tucked safely beneath my shawl. "He'd best be taking good care of the cattle at home."

A smile briefly crossed his lips, but there was a mournful glint in his eyes. "I'm sure he is."

"And Mam."

"She wouldn't need the help."

"No." I placed both hands on my staff, holding it tightly. My leg was healing well—I could walk without it, really—but I liked using it to support some of my weight nonetheless. "It's good to have help, though."

Ronan nodded. He seemed more focused now, and turned to watch the merrow with a sharper eye. She drew up mere steps away from us, sitting in the shallow water with her tail neatly curled about her. She wore a simple, thin, and sopping wet shirt that did little to conceal her figure. Her brown gaze roved between us all, wide and innocent. "Is that a human with you?" she asked sweetly. "May I speak to him?"

"No." I planted myself solidly between her and my brother. This was a game I'd played many times with the merrows by Tirlagh—they all wanted the same thing. "Cael, how much longer are you going to dally?"

"I'm going to move us across several paths at once from here," he mumbled. "We'll arrive at the edge of Shayne's territory, but it will take me time to align everything."

The merrow edged closer, giggling like a child. She had a certain softness to her face that made her look quite young, though I wasn't fool enough to believe it. Her attention was obviously on Ronan: she ignored the rest of us, as if we weren't even there. She cupped some water in her palms, letting it drain away to reveal a small pile of golden coins. Grinning proudly, she held them up to Ronan. "Humans like treasures, no? Take them!"

He cast an uneasy glance at Morrigan. "Uh... I appreciate it, but I can't accept that."

Odd. There were three sídhe here, and she seemed to have forgotten all sense of danger or decorum. I crouched down, feeling the mud give way beneath my knee. At this rate, my clothes would end up just as dirty as Aeden's. "Oi. Look at me."

"Why should I?" She jerked her head in my direction. For the briefest moment, she looked angry: not merely annoyed or dejected, but something far more vicious and dark. Her fingers curled around the coins, and they vanished. "You don't belong here."

"What?" Irritation trickled through me, heating my cheeks. I stared at her, hard, and was unsurprised to notice the touch of the Ándúr Nimh in the energy swirling about her. It was faint, nothing like what I'd sensed from Shayne, Cael, or Niamh, but certainly there.

I pressed my lips together, eyeing the merrow. Sparks played between my fingers as I jabbed a finger at her chest. "This is nobody's territory, and I have as much right to be here as you. Leave us."

A strained moment passed. My flames reflected in her eyes; the muscles in her arms tensed. Then she turned, all childish petulance, and blew her cheeks out in a pout. "Fine, then." She dipped beneath the surface and flicked her tail, sending water splattering across my legs. I cursed as her lithe figure raced deeper into the lake, reduced to a mere shadow.

"Another Kaelte," Morrigan murmured.

I frowned, not bothering to get to my feet. "How could you tell? The Ándúr Nimh was just as faint with her."

"It was how she acted." She fiddled with the clumsy bandage on her arm, toying the cloth between two thin fingers. There was an ancient sadness in her expression. "Her eyes were also unfocused."

"At least she didn't try to kill me," I muttered, thinking of Niamh. The merrow must not have been poisoned as deeply. "Cael, are you finished yet?"

He sighed. The mist clouded about him, growing thicker by the moment. "You will know when I have."

I withheld myself from asking again, watching the lake instead. In the distance, the merrow reappeared on the surface, tossing a spray of water in the air. She seemed content to swim about aimlessly—I didn't bother trying to decipher her intentions, though it was likely all for her own entertainment. She'd be able to transform and leave whenever she wished, and perhaps return to the sea where most of her kind lived.

"I've heard some tales," Ronan piped up, "but if I had accepted those coins, what would have happened, exactly?"

"Geasa between the highborn and humans can be formed wordlessly, sometimes." Morrigan absently twirled a lock of hair around one finger. "The acceptance of a gift often equates to a favour, or an owed task."

Ronan hesitated, clearly thinking. "D-do I owe you any favours?"

"No." She smiled softly. "What we are doing here is enough."

"You owe me," I sniffed.

"...What for?" There was no small amount of apprehension in his question.

"When you were fourteen, I gave you that rock—"

"I was a child, Maeve."

"It still counts." I folded my arms, giving him a small smirk. "I've been counting favours: I could have you do all sorts of things, and you don't even know it. You're lucky I like you."

A sharp ripple of energy snatched my focus to Cael, who stood silently. The water he'd been hovering over withdrew from the shore; threads of liquid drew from the surface to circle around the four of us, forming ever-shifting patterns. Stray droplets hung suspended in the air between them, and I was eerily reminded of Niamh again. It must've been her power that created this. When it wasn't intended to kill me, it was really rather interesting. Mist combined with the water, screening everything grey. I glanced about to ensure Morrigan and Ronan were still close to me. There was another tug in my chest as we were dragged through Natír.

I hadn't expected the cold of the Ándúr Nimh to intensify so swiftly. It came in waves, steadily pulsing against my core. Cael didn't react, but Morrigan made a small gasp, silvery light swimming in the air before her. I caught her eye; she shook her head and firmed her shoulders, her silver chains clinking with the motion.

I turned back before she could see me smile. It seemed that, when the situation called for it, she wasn't so delicate after all. If I could trust her to watch Ronan and keep herself protected from the poison, she could trust me to fight for them both.

The mist faded, and a salty wind took its place. The smell of the ocean jarred me, overwhelming in its familiarity. We stood on a thin strip of rocky beach, beyond which rolling hills stretched out into the horizon. A river cut the land, emptying into the sea not far from where we stood. Waves crashed against the boulders on the shore several paces behind, far more loud and hungry than the lake had been. A cold spray fell across my back, dampening my clothes.

It would have been nice if not for the painful awareness I'd stepped onto another's land—Shayne's power laid thickly in the air—and the presence of the Ándúr Nimh. It wasn't overwhelming, but it had intensified enough for me to feel uncomfortable. I was grateful for the strength of the sun that bled from the sky; drawing from its warmth was enough to fend the clammy darkness off.

"This is the edge of the Rene," Morrigan noted quietly. It occurred to me that she must've travelled across Ríenne before. She'd lived long enough to do it several times over.

Ronan frowned. "But... there's a town there."

"In the mortal realm, yes. We're much farther removed from it now."

Cael pointed at a low hill some distance away. "There. That's..." The words faded as he tilted his head, his green eyes narrowing. "You should duck."

My ears caught the whistle of an arrow the moment he spoke. I whipped around, instinct taking over. It had come from behind me—if I simply dodged, Ronan and Morrigan would be in its path. As the arrow passed, I clamped my fingers around the shaft and wrenched it out of the air.

Silently thanking my innate speed, I glared at the human man who'd tried to shoot me. He was crouched between two boulders on the beach, narrowly sheltered from the waves and only half visible. A fresh burn marked his face, no doubt from me, but he showed no trace of pain. One of Cael's prisoners.

It seemed the cat sí wasn't in control anymore, though; he stood where he'd been, head lowered, fists clenched at his sides. Not that he would really help, either. Shayne was nowhere to be seen, which was both good and bad. On the bright side, Cael wasn't attacking us just yet. On the dark, I really needed to find that blond bastard and hit him. I wasn't particular as to how or where.

I clenched my fist, snapping the shaft in two. "Right, then. Time to get Aeden back."