The House Of Gaian

witches who live in the Old Place that anchors your Clan’s territory are a family . I would have thought even the Fae could understand that bond. They have no desire to leave their home or their land, and if any of them did, she would go to a place of her own choosing. The Fae have no right to dictate what one of the Mother’s Daughters does or doesn’t do. You have no say except among your own people. And you obviously have no understanding of why the Huntress came into being.”
    The old woman’s face reddened with anger. “And you’re going to tell us?”
    “The Huntress is the Queen of the Witches because she is their protector. So if you think I’ll use my power to force a witch to live someplace against her will for your convenience, you’d better think again.
    And if you try to force a witch against her will, I won’t be going after her. I’ll be hunting you .“
    Gwynith, who was sitting beside her, gasped.
    The matriarchs muttered angrily under their breath. The one who faced Selena looked ready to explode.
    “It is because of creatures like you that we leave half-breed spawn in the human world.”
     
    Selena burst out laughing. “You must have missed a few.”
    Hearing Gwynith’s stifled moan, she tried to rein in her amusement, mostly because she could feel sharp bitterness and anger under the laughter. The dream came back, swelling her temper. She stood up abruptly, needing to get away from these people before she lashed out at them.
    As she stepped away from the table, a man strode into the courtyard. Combined with his black hair and gray eyes, he had a face and body that would make a woman’s pulse jump under other circumstances.
    Now she just looked at him and wondered how many women he had seduced and how many half-breed spawns he had abandoned in the human world.
    “Mother’s mercy,” Gwynith whispered.
    One of the matriarch’s looked over and said with a note of triumph in her voice, “Lucian! Come meet the new Lady of the Moon.”
    He strode over until he faced her, with barely an arm’s length between them.
    “What sort of witch tricks did you use to steal my sister’s rightful place?” he demanded.
    Her temper spiked, barely held in check now. “Be very careful, Fae Lord,” she said softly.
    “Careful? A wiccanfae bitch usurps the power of one of the Fae, and you’re telling me to be careful? Do you know who I am?”
    “I don’t really care as long as you get out of my way—and stay out of my way.”
    “I am the Lord of the Sun, the Lord of Fire. I am the Lightbringer. And I lead the Fae.”
    “Then I fail to see why my presence is such a terrible insult,” Selena snapped.
    “The wiccanfae have no place among us—and they have no place in Tir Alainn.”
    “Then you should leave.”
    Lucian stared at her until her control frayed to the breaking point.
    “I am Fae,” Selena said, “and I am a Daughter of the House of Gaian. So that would make me one of the wiccanfae. But if I am wiccanfae, Lord of Fire , what did you think you are?”
    “What?”
    “Fire is a branch of the Great Mother. It isn’t a Fae gift. The only way you could command fire is if you’
    re a descendant of at least one person who was from the House of Gaian.”
    “You lie!” Lucian shouted. “I. Am. Fae!”
    “ Wiccanfae ,” Selena shouted back. “You can’t be pure Fae and have the power you have. No Lord of Fire can have that power and be anything but wiccanfae. What did you think you were?” She shook her head and turned enough to look at Gwynith, feeling a pang of regret that she couldn’t ease into the truth as she’d intended when she’d asked the Ladies of the Moon, the bards, and storytellers to gather. “What did you think you were?”
    Gwynith stared at her.

    Selena pointed a finger at Gwynith. “Earth.” She pointed to the other Ladies of the Moon. “Water.
    Water. Air. Air. Earth. Water. Air.” She looked at Gwynith again. “Did you think I couldn’t feel what branch anchors you? That I wouldn’t be able to tell?”
    “You’re bluffing,” Lucian snarled. “You’re just trying to justify taking Dianna’s place.”
    She turned back to face him. “I don’t have to justify anything, Lightbringer. Least of all to you.”
    He raised his hand. “You need to learn who you’re dealing with.”
    “I’m connected to the Mother in ways you will never be. So don’t play fire games with me unless you want to see Tir Alainn burn.”
    Lucian paled, but his