The Goblets Immortal by Beth Overmyer (highly recommended books txt) 📗

What could Aidan do but nod his acknowledgement? His voice seemed to have temporarily left him…along with his wits.

When she looked at him again, the smile had returned. “You will need to be careful in Wontworth. There is talk of murders and robberies there. And don’t look so surprised. It was the general direction you were headed, was it not?”

Aidan nodded mutely.

“I think I like you, Lord Ingledark.” She circled, appraising him. “Hmm. Yes, I think I owe you a favor for your services.”

Aidan’s voice returned to him. “What services? I’m afraid I haven’t agreed to anything, and even if I had, I have no idea where this Warring Goblet is.”

“You needn’t worry about that one. My servant will collect it. No, what you need to concern yourself with is the Questing Goblet.”

“My lady?”

“It should be buried in old Cedric’s grave. Unfortunately, I cannot be allowed the honor of retrieving it.” He was about to protest, but she cut him off with a wave of her hand. “For your services, I have certain gifts within my means to deliver unto you your heart’s desire.”

What did she know of his heart’s desire? This was some nonsense dream. It was time to wake up.

“When you wake, do not speak of this to anyone. Trust no one, Lord Ingledark. The Questing Goblet is your job alone. Retrieve it and I will bring them back.”

Aidan scoffed. “You mean my family, I assume. You’ll bring my family back? Even I cannot do that.”

She practically beamed at that. “Because you know not where they are.”

“But—”

“Disregard me and my request, and I will make certain of your death. Please me, and you will be reunited with those you have lost. Go now. I grow weary.”

“Wait, I don’t understand….” Aidan looked down on his shoulder, where a dove had alighted. Its weight was comforting, even though it dug its clawed feet into his flesh. That is when he opened his eyes, leaving Meraude and the throne room behind.

Chapter Five

“Sir, wake up. Sir?”

Aidan blinked his eyes rapidly, the dream still burned into his vision. Such light, such beauty. Gone. All of it, except for the pressure on his shoulder. He looked up, and it was no dove perched on him, but a freckle-riddled hand.

“Sir, you need to wake up.”

He recognized the voice but couldn’t place it. “Meraude?”

“Does I have to do everything myself?” the girl’s voice asked.

Aidan opened his eyes in time to have his face slapped good and hard. “Take care!” he said, flailing and stumbling to his feet. His eyes locked on Slaíne’s fearful ones, and he let out a great huff of air. “I’m sorry. Slaíne, I’m not going to hurt you. You – you startled me, that’s all.” Something was wrong. His gaze wandered about in the darkness. Darkness? “Why did you wake me?”

“Your horse ran off.”

He went to grab her by the shoulders to steady himself, but decided against it. “When?”

“Moments ago. I tried wakin’ you before. He – he whinnied and cantered off.” She lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry, sir.”

Aidan swore. Closing his eyes, he felt for Triumph’s Pull. To his annoyance, he felt only Slaíne’s, and for whatever reason, it had grown stronger overnight. “Could you maybe try standing over there for a minute?”

Brow furrowed, the girl took a step around the dying embers and stood on the other side. She looked at him, expectant and confused. “That better, sir?”

No, it wasn’t. Not at all. Aidan shook his head and rubbed his temples. “Walk away.”

“Where?”

“Into the woods a ways. I’ll let you know when to stop.” Perhaps putting her at a distance would give him a better sense of the other Pulls around him.

But the girl wasn’t moving and didn’t seem ready to. If anything, she seemed terrified. “How far?”

They didn’t have time for this. Triumph had never wandered far, but there was a first time for everything. “Stay put.” Aidan turned and ran off into the woods.

“Don’t, sir!” she screeched.

The sound froze him to the core. It was the sound wild animals made when in pain. He turned around to face her, and found that she was moving toward him. “What are you doing? What’s wrong?”

“The curse, sir.”

“Curse?”

She sighed, exasperated. “The curse. The one that was put on me.”

Aidan did not believe in curses. Bad luck, for certain, but cursing was for wizards, and there was no such thing as they anymore. “I need you to stay where you are. That is an order.” He gave her a small smile of reassurance. “I won’t go far. You’ll be perfectly safe.”

Her face paled further in the moonlight, but she mashed her lips together and nodded once. “All right.”

Without another interruption, Aidan took off into the semi-darkness, feeling for Pulls. He felt trees, grass, all minor life forms that hardly tugged at him at all. What was wrong with him? It was as if his ability had left, or…. Iron. There must be an iron mine nearby or something. Well, he wasn’t about to go searching for one in the dark. It was too dangerous. In trouble or not, Triumph would have to wait ’til morning, as much as Aidan hated the thought. He turned around and made his way back to camp.

He’d gone farther than he’d thought, and the way became difficult as the moon disappeared behind a bank of clouds. Plunged into darkness, Aidan walked as a blind man, hands outstretched before him to keep branches and bracken out of his face. “There’s no finding him tonight,” he said as he re-entered the camp. “It’s too dangerous.” Aidan paused.

There, where she’d been standing minutes before, the girl was sprawled out on the ground, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

“Looks like I’ll be keeping watch now.” And judging by the moon’s position in the sky, that would be another hour or two. Day would break soon enough. She could sleep.

* * *

Aidan remained vigilant throughout the night. He listened for sounds of his steed’s return, but was met only with the