The House Of Gaian

seal on the letter and began to read.
    With shaking hands, Aiden helped Lyrra to her feet.
    “Mother’s mercy, Aiden,” she said, clinging to him. “Did you know any of this when you decided to find the Hunter?”
    “No.”
    “Would you have still searched if you knew?”
    “I don’t know.” Aiden led her to a bench near the edge of the open ground. “It wouldn’t have mattered.
    The Black Coats attacked her Clan, her family. She would have come east to gather the Fae whether we
    ’d found her or not.”
    But we wouldn‘t have been riding with her, probably wouldn’t have been at this Clan house on this day to experience what she could do . The Inquisitors were a vicious threat to all of Sylvalan, but for the Fae personally, the Hunter was more terrifying.
    Sinking down on the bench beside Lyrra, he rubbed his chest. He’d always felt embarrassed that his other form was a tiny whoo-it owl, and he seldom changed to that form to enjoy the gliding flight through woods and over fields except when he was alone—or with Lyrra, who ran beneath him, her red fox coat shining in moonlight. Knowing how easily it could be taken away from him, he didn’t think he’d ever feel embarrassed about his other form again. He didn’t want to lose it, didn’t want to lose a vital part of what made him Fae.
    Ashk would have come east anyway. And some foolish Lord of the Woods would have challenged her because she was female—and the Fae would have learned why they should fear her.
    “He challenged her,” Lyrra said, her voice sounding shaky. “It was within her rights to kill him.”
    “I know.” He felt Lyrra shudder.
    “Bard?”
    He looked over at the young, terrified minstrel who stood a man’s length away from the bench.
    “I’m the Bard.”
    “W-what are we supposed to do?” The minstrel began to cry. “ What are we supposed to do ?”
    Aiden was up and leading the youth to the bench. He hugged him, kissed his forehead to soothe as he would a frightened child. “We do as the Hunter commands.”
    “But we can’t,” the minstrel wailed. “If we don’t obey the Huntress, she’ll be angry with us.”
    A chill swept through Aiden. “You have a message for me about the Huntress?”
    The minstrel nodded, his head resting on Aiden’s shoulder.
    “What is it?” Aiden asked, working to keep his voice gentle.
    The minstrel sniffed, then pulled a wax-sealed paper out of the inner pocket of his traveling vest.
    With a comforting squeeze, Aiden withdrew enough to break the seal and read the message.
    He read it twice—and then a third time.
    “Aiden?”
    He closed his eyes and savored the warmth of Lyrra’s hand on his arm. He didn’t want to give the words power by speaking them out loud. Not yet.
    He handed the paper to her. With his eyes closed, the world faded to the sound of the minstrel’s quiet sniffles and Lyrra’s ragged breathing.
    At least they didn’t have to choose, Aiden thought. Which was something the young minstrel didn’t fully understand or was too frightened right now to realize. Between Ashk’s demonstration and Selena’s threat, the minstrel had good reason to be frightened.
    “Mother’s mercy,” Lyrra finally said.
    “You have news, Bard?”
    He opened his eyes and looked at Ashk, standing before him, with Morag beside her. He licked his lips.
    “The Huntress has sent a message to all the Clans. They have until the full moon to send fighters down to Sylvalan to defend it against the Inquisitors’ army. If they don’t defend Sylvalan, she will close the shining roads in a way that won’t destroy Tir Alainn but will lock the Fae out of the human world. Forever.” He glanced at the paper she held in one hand. “And you, Hunter? Have you also had news?”
    “The same,” Ashk replied. “With two additions. Having personally witnessed the power the new Lady of the Moon wields, Gwynith believes Selena can do exactly what she says she can do.”

    “It’s fortunate the Fae don’t have to choose which of you to obey, since you’re both commanding them to do the same tiling,” Morag murmured, echoing Aiden’s thoughts.
    “Yes, it is fortunate,” Ashk agreed.
    Aiden watched Ashk, a sick feeling in his belly. “What’s the second addition?”
    “The Huntress wants to meet me before the full moon. At Willowsbrook.”
    Breanna. Mother be merciful. He could imagine how Breanna was going to react to Fae pouring into the Old Place.
    “I hope Baron Liam’s brief