Roiben cursed as he entered the orchard. Ethine had gone mad. Truly, she had. The humans she'd stolen had been enchanted to have such a great beauty that it made him sick to look at. So beautiful, it was no longer beauty.
"Lord Roiben," Dulcamara hissed. "There is no reason to be here. We should just crush her."
Roiben gave her a withering look, and continued through the orchard and under the branches of the willow tree. Ethine lounged on a thick, plush cushion, Talathain standing next to her. Her hand fell from the couch to trail pale fingers over the head of a human child.
For a moment, Roiben felt like he'd been punched in the gut. The girl was a miniature Kaye. Then, he remembered. Kate. He seethed. Kate saw him, and whispered, "Lord Roiben!" She looked like she wanted to cry.
She stood up and ran to him, basically tackling him in the stomach, hugging him and crying. "She promised me they wouldn't steal me again!" she sobbed into his shirt.
He was so shocked, he could only hug her back. Ellebere made a disgusted sound, and Roiben shot him a death glance.
"My dear brother," Ethine said lazily. "My dear, dear brotherā¦" She laughed bitterly. "My monster." She snarled.
"Ethine." Roiben said simply.
He turned to his four knights. "Don't you want to show Lady Ethine proper respect?"
Shalini smiled, revealing pointed teeth. She stepped forward, bowing, her red blood red hair falling into her face. She looked up at Ethine with black eyes. "Lady Ethineā¦" she said wit ha feral grin. "You have no idea how it pleases me to be in your prescence."
"Thank you," Ethine said, smiling as Silarial had once smiled.
"Yes," Shalini continued, examining her blood stained fingernails. "It is so much easier to imagine how I will kill you when you're actually here."
Roiben bit back a laugh, and he heard Ellebere chuckle as Ethine's dreamy expression fell. Grainne stepped forward to stand next to her, his dark green hair reflecting the light coming in through the willow branches.
"Lady Ethine. We bid you welcome to our Lord Roben's lands. Now leave." He said, his orange eyes lighting up with a laugh.
"Kaye, come here." Ethine said, her eyes not leaving Roiben's.
"I'm not Kaye." Kate mumbled into Roiben's shirt.
"Of course you are. The pixie is the one who stole your name." Ethine smiled, but it didn't quite reach her enraged eyes.
"Do you want to now your pixie's name, Roiben?" Ethine taunted. "Wouldn't it be nice to just be able to command her, just once? Instead of being her pawn?"
"I'm not her pawn." Roiben hissed.
Ethine stood, and walked over to him, until she was a mere hairsbreadth away from him. She put a hand on Kate's head, and shoved her away from Roiben. She fell with a cry, and surprisingly, it was Dulcamara who ran to her side.
"Wouldn't it be nice, brother?" Ethine whispered. "To steal her power as she stole yours?"
He wanted to shove her away, but it would be too much like what she'd done to Kate. She stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him, shoving her tongue into his mouth.
He wasn't sure who was more shocked, himself or his knights. Without thinking, he pushed her back, stepping back, rubbing his mouth. She grinned, licking her lips. Dulcamara tackled Ethine, knocking her to the ground.
Talathain came to life, suddenly, pouncing forward, pulling Dulcamara off Ethine, and Roiben saw the knife flash, and saw his knight fall, groaning in pain as the flesh around the shulder wound smoked. Iron. Talathain was using an iron blade.
Ellebere made a choked sound, and fell to his knees at her side. It would have been a glancing blow, but the iron was in her bloodstream now. She shuddered and was still.
Roiben felt himself trembling. "You've just ended all chances of a peaceful negotiation. I will return. And you will not live to see the end of our next meeting.
