Clídna irked me.

Her elaborate outfit alone earned my annoyance. I hadn't thought it possible, but she was worse than Morrigan. Golden pins and clasps were woven into her hair, which spilled down to her knees in effortless waves. It went without saying that she was beautiful as well, with soft, gold eyes and ethereal features. The woman was tall, well-shaped, and had clearly made an effort to emphasise it—her dress clung to her hips and bodice, all thin, shimmering satin. She dripped with jewellery and arrogance.

A queen indeed.

"Come," she said, flicking her fingers. Several thin, intricately carved rings glittered on them. She sashayed in the direction of the pond. I felt an invisible scrutiny as she passed directly through our ragged group, though she didn't so much as glance my way. "We have much to discuss."

I'd hardly opened my mouth before Ronan elbowed my side. I glared; he shook his head slightly.

"I haven't said anything yet," I hissed under my breath.

"Maeve, I know that look," he whispered. "What are you upset about? She hasn't done anything yet."

"I can tell she's a bi—"

"No, you can't."

"Of course I can."

Further argument was quelled as Clídna continued towards the pond, stepping off the grassy bank without second thought. I didn't know why I expected her to sink: of course she wouldn't dare ruin her fine slippers. The surface shivered beneath her feet, but didn't break. Ronan and I both stared as she walked across the water as if it were a solid thing, ripples spreading outward with each step. Each disturbance glowed with a soft, blue light.

Mist pooled behind the train of her dress, coalescing into a dark, wooden table and upholstered seats. Civilization resting in the centre of a glade: it was somewhat absurd, yet they didn't stand out as starkly as I'd have expected.

"I hope you don't mind," Clídna said, moving to the head of the table. She leaned against it, examining us all with a deliberately soft smile. "If Aeden wishes to remain outdoors, then I think this is the most suitable place. It's open enough so that we can sit. I wouldn't want any of you to be uncomfortable. Come, I said. You won't sink."

"Do you know her?" I muttered to Aeden. None of us had said our names.

He shook his head, silently regarding the woman. It was difficult as ever to read his expression, but there was a certain wariness in his eyes. I felt the smallest bit better knowing that I wasn't alone in my distrust.

Morrigan was the first to heed Clídna's words—she stepped onto the pond without hesitation, gliding across the surface as easily as the other woman had. The rest of us followed with less confidence. Ronan went first, staring at his feet in open astonishment. I had to elbow him before he shut his mouth and composed himself.

The pond was smooth and hard, like glass or stone. I paused to dig the toe of my boot into it, curious, as Aeden cautiously plodded towards the table. The still, silvery water gave slightly, and a sparkling ripple raced outwards from my touch. I frowned down at it, seeing only my wavering reflection—auburn hair, freckled skin, and the multicoloured sky beyond my head.

"Please, sit," Clídna announced, taking her own chair as we approached. "It is wonderful to see new faces—and you, Morrigan. It's been quite some time, little one." Her head tipped to the side, and her smile sharpened. "Things must be quite serious to bring you back to me."

Ronan hastened to pull back a seat for Morrigan. She slipped into it delicately, tucking her skirts beneath her in a prim manner. Her shoulders were tense; she folded her hands on the table before her, clasping them tightly enough to whiten her already-pale skin. "I hope you are in good health," she said softly.

"I certainly am."

Morri was on the woman's left. As Ronan settled beside her, I plopped in place on Clídna's right. Aeden drifted to the final chair, plucking at its wooden arm. His expression was inscrutable as he finally dragged it from the table and sat on the edge, one knee bouncing impatiently. He seemed ready to take off running at any moment.

"I see you were afflicted with the Ándúr Nimh, Aeden," Clídna began, staring straight at him, "though it was removed... You needn't fear your weakness. It's only natural. Be at ease."

Aeden tensed. Gold shot through his eyes as they flicked to her. He tilted his head innocently, face blank. His lips twitched in a feeble attempt at a grin. "That was nothing. I'm hardly weak."

"If you say so," she purred. "Ah, there's Áine."

A girl had emerged from the house, edging the door open with her hip and slipping outside. She carried a tray in her hands, which held a jar, cups, and a variety of vibrant fruits. Áine picked her way down to the pond with practised ease, set the food on the table, and fell into place at Clídna's side. She was young, but not a child: sixteen or seventeen, perhaps, with light red hair and blue eyes. A pretty thing, and undoubtedly a human. I sensed Clídna's power on her.

"I've brought wine," Áine said, grasping the jar. Clídna plucked a cup from the tray and the girl poured a generous serving of rich, red liquid into it. Her eyes were bright, and she looked at the woman with something like reverence.

My nails dug into my palms. "Who is she?" I asked, making an effort to keep my growing anger out of the words. I failed terribly.

"Áine has been with me for decades." Clídna swirled her cup, eyeing the wine within, and gently set it onto the table. The girl busied herself distributing the other cups and filling them, casting us curious glances as she did. If she had questions, though, she didn't voice them. Clídna smiled at her. "She is my companion. A willing one, I might add, so there is no need for such hostility. She's quite content here in Natír and perfectly healthy, no?"

It was hard to refute that. The girl's cheeks were rosy, and her figure proved that she did not want for food. But I knew the nature of these things. "She's your slave, isn't she?"

"I detest that term," Clídna said smoothly. "Áine, would you like to ease our guests' minds?"

The girl jerked her head up, nearly spilling wine over Ronan's lap. "Oh, aye," she gushed. "The Lady's kindness knows no bounds."

An argument flew to my tongue, but I kept it to myself. The lass had made her choice to remain in Natír, and for humans that was an irreversible thing. Ronan's obsession over stories of the otherworld had taught me more than enough. If they stayed too long, mortals wouldn't be able to return from Natír. The years would catch up to them in an instant—they'd age too quickly, and they'd die. If Áine had been here for decades... I uncurled my fists and leaned back, gritting my teeth. I'd known it wasn't uncommon amongst my kind to take humans to Natír, amused by their ways of thought and feeling. They treated mortals as toys. That was something I couldn't understand: they were emotional, fragile, strange. But they weren't weak, nor stupid, nor lesser.

"Thank you, Áine." Clídna lifted her cup and swirled it. With painful slowness, she took a sip and closed her eyes. "This will do. Leave us."

The human girl dipped into a graceful bow and left, as obedient as a farm hound. She seemed drunk on contentment. Ronan stared at Áine's back as she disappeared inside the house once again. Worry betrayed itself in the lines between his brows, but he knew as well as I there was nothing to be done.

Nobody said anything for a long while. The tray and cups laid untouched: none of us were stupid enough to eat or drink without permission. Ronan looked at an apple as if it would grow fangs and bite him; Aeden eyed the fruits hungrily but did nothing. Morrigan didn't so much as glance at the food.

Clídna was the first to break the silence. "You've come to learn about the Ándúr Nimh, yes?"

"How do you know all these things?" Aeden interrupted, shifting on the edge of his seat. He'd tucked his legs up beneath him, his weight on his heels. I questioned his knowledge of chairs.

"I have many methods of gathering information," she replied, which wasn't really an answer. She rested an elbow on the table, drumming her fingers on the wooden surface. "I can give you your answers, but I require payment."

"Payment?" Morrigan's slim fingers danced nervously across her bracelets, spinning the intricate silver loops around her wrist. She didn't seem surprised, though. I certainly wasn't.

"Naturally. This is the way of life." Clídna's gaze drifted past Morri to Ronan, and a slow, sensuous smile spread across her lips. "But first... I see you have brought a human to Natír. How curious. Does he belong to you? Under a geas, perhaps?"

I recognised that look: predatory, fascinated. I'd seen it before, from the merrow at the lake and the ones in Tirlagh that picked off supposedly handsome men. Irritation stirred to life in my chest again, and I slammed my hands on the table. "He's not to be bartered," I hissed.

"Such crude words." She stood and drifted around the table, past Morrigan to linger beside Ronan's chair. Her eyes glittered. "If he is not yours, he has the right to make his own decisions, yes? He could choose to come with me. I would take good care of you," she added in a soft whisper to Ronan.

He tensed, rigid and awkward as he turned to her. His cheeks reddened the slightest bit, and he cast me a quick glance. "I'm... afraid I don't understand. What are you asking for?"

"I'm inviting you to stay with me," Clídna cooed. Her smile grew a touch kinder, less carnivorous, and warmth swirled in the air around us. "I enjoy the company of mortals—it can grow lonely in my abode here."

"Oi," I snapped, shoving to my feet with enough force to send my chair tumbling. The heat emanating from the woman reeked of her power. I stalked around the table, throwing an arm in front of my brother. Morrigan watched nervously but said nothing; Aeden seemed unconcerned. "Keep your bejewelled fingers out of his mind."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Her comment was passive, unfocused. She grasped my arm and lowered it with surprising strength, using the opening to move to Ronan's side. Her palm brushed his shoulder as she tilted her head down at him. She touched his chin, forcing him to face her directly. "You have such beautiful eyes," she murmured. "It is rare to see a human with two colours."

There was a long, drawn-out pause. I twisted my wrist until Clídna released me, baring my teeth. Ronan caught my eye before I could open my mouth. He lifted one hand in a subtle gesture. Wait. Slowly, slowly, he took Clídna's hand. Then he lowered it. "Thank you," he said quietly, ever the polite one. He released her a moment after with a slight, awkward bow of his head. "But I would prefer to remain by Maeve's side."

"With her?" Clídna finally looked at me, her golden eyes narrowing. Her cherry lips pressed together in a sort of pretty pout, which didn't suit her sharp glare in the slightest. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and sighed. Then she sauntered back to her seat, taking up her wine once more. "Very well. Then what have you four to offer me?"

I leaned close to Ronan's ear. "I told you," I muttered. "Bitch."

"You shouldn't say it," he whispered back.

I clapped his shoulder before stalking to my chair, picking it up and sinking onto the soft cloth once again. Morrigan looked mortified, but I didn't care. As far as I was concerned, I'd held back.

"All of Natír will be threatened if the Ándúr Nimh continues to spread," Morrigan offered, swiftly switching to the topic at hand. She spoke carefully, yet with a certain firmness I hadn't expected of her. "Its influence could spark war. You must be—"

The woman cut her off with a wave of her hand, her expression bored. "I said I require payment. Do not force me to repeat myself again."

I tsked. Bartering was tiresome. Humans had the right idea, substituting it with money. Coin wasn't always used in Tirlagh yet—that was still only common in larger towns—but it made things far quicker. "We can trade information, then. You don't know everything, surely."

"Very good." In the dim light that filtered through the opalescent clouds, with her pale skin and hair, Clídna almost seemed to glow. As shallow as she acted, there were hidden depths of power in her eyes. "I trust that a geas will not be necessary to ensure we're truthful?"

The four of us shook our heads, though Aeden hesitated longer than he should've. He shifted into another improbable position on his chair, his lips pressed together. I hated this new silence of his: it swelled. But this was not the time to worry over him.

"I will give each of you one question. After that, you may ask anything you wish of me." The woman plucked a cherry from the fruit platter, slipping it into her mouth with agonising slowness. "Is this amenable? Yes? Then first..." She turned her attention to Ronan, that smile gracing her features once more. "What is it that you desire the most?"

Indignation flashed through me, and flames itched my palms. "Are you trying to flirt?" I growled. "Now?"

Clídna's eyes shot to me, and a surge of energy thickened the air. The pond trembled beneath my feet, its shimmering surface clouding grey and dull. My boots sunk into it slightly, icy water seeping through the leather to my toes. The ring of willow trees bent inwards; wind rustled through their leaves, and their trunks creaked. Though we were outside, her words echoed when she spoke. "Do not assume my intentions."

I shut up.

Morrigan took a deep breath, casting me a pleading look. On my right, Aeden fiddled with the hem of his cape. He looked nonchalant, but I sensed his gaze. A quick glance proved there was a ghost of anxiety there: I wondered if it was for my safety or his own.

"I'm not sure I know myself," Ronan said quickly, regaining Clídna's attention. "But I will give you my best guess. Is that enough?"

Clídna nodded, her expression softening abruptly. The pond stilled, once more glossy and perfect. "So long as you are honest."

"What I desire most..." His eyes drifted. I instantly recognized the thoughtfulness they held: he was taking this seriously. "...is the safety of my family."

"How noble, dear Ronan." She leaned forward eagerly, her sleeves sweeping across the edge of the table. "Nothing for yourself? Yet you're suffering—it's obvious. I could help with that."

"That is my answer, Lady Clídna," he said, quiet yet firm. He was nibbling the edge of his lip. I hadn't seen that nervous tic of his in some time. Suffering. Was it because of the blood he'd spilled, all that time ago? I'd forgotten to ask him about it.

Clídna sighed and bowed her head in acknowledgement. Her attention shifted to me. "Now you, Maeve. Touched by human life; how unique you are, if a tad crude. Tell me... What is your greatest fear?"

I stiffened: now I was certain. She didn't want to know our names or our pasts—she obviously knew enough as it was. No. She was collecting the information closest to our hearts, pieces of our true selves. The urge to deny the question kindled within me. It would be painfully easy for her to use such a thing against me.

In the corner of my eye, Morrigan shifted. She spun a strand of hair between her fingers, her gaze steady on me. Her chin dipped in a subtle nod. Do not be afraid of her, she mouthed, slowly enough for me to read her lips.

Clenching my teeth, I stared straight at Clídna. Well. I had nothing to hide. If she tried to exploit this, I could always kill her. "I fear losing my family," I said, keeping my gaze away from Ronan. It would happen one day, inevitably, but I hated to think of it.

"How quaint." Her smile was not reassuring. She turned the next question to Morrigan. "It's been such a long time since we met, little one. After all these years, what has been your most painful regret?"

Morrigan's hands fell to the table. She took off a ring, toying the silver surface between her fingers. "There was a human town that I'd frequented since it was built. A time came when it was swept by a plague," she said, taking a shuddering breath. It seemed she'd prepared for this question already. Her eyes slid to Aeden. "Death hung over every one of them. There was nothing I could do to cure the illness, and the time came when I couldn't bear it any longer and fled. My greatest regret is leaving those who needed me."

"You haven't changed." Clídna laughed softly. "You choose to bear responsibilities that aren't yours; you, too, are unique."

Morrigan hunched her shoulders, slipping her ring back onto her finger.

"We've almost finished," Clídna murmured. Aeden stiffened as she turned to him. "You're a wild one, púca. You own very little besides the clothes you wear. What is your greatest treasure?"

He was a constant force of motion, tapping his bare feet against the pond's smooth surface—yet leaving not a single ripple—fiddling with his fingers, jerking his gaze between us all and the sky and the willow trees. "The wind," he offered after some thought.

Clídna's brows furrowed, and the air quivered as her power stirred to life once more. "Do not lie to me."

"Sorry, sorry." Aeden waved a hand, chasing the intensity of her glare away with a relaxed smile. It was weak and fleeting, and his green eyes were deadly serious, but he managed a chuckle. "I had to try. What I value most is my freedom."

His voice was deceptively casual. If I didn't know better—if I hadn't seen what the loss of that freedom did to him—I would've believed it a mere afterthought.

Clídna didn't seem fooled, though. Her questions had weight; as she leaned back, closing her eyes, I wondered at their meaning. It seemed like she was trying to tell us something through them, though what that could be escaped me. I sincerely hoped she wasn't acting vague in order to appear extra wise and mysterious.

I drummed my fingers against the table as the silence stretched, impatient. "Are you satisfied, then? Will you start answering us?"

Clídna grasped her cup, sipped leisurely, and tilted it towards me. Wind rustled the leaves of the willows around us—their low-hanging branches stirred like leafy curtains, revealing a few slivers of the wetland we'd crossed. The scent of flowers clogging the air grew stronger.

"Aye, young one," said the queen of the bean sídhe, whatever such a title meant. A soft, golden glow enveloped her eyes. "I have what I wanted. Ask whatever you'd like."