Read Beyond the Pale: A Thin Veil Novella (The Thin Veil Book 3) for Free Online Page B

anti-human sentiment rising. If they, the king and queen of Tír na nÓg, continued to side with the humans, how long would it be before they lost the support of their own people, and a full-scale civil war broke out? As much as it dismayed him, Brogan insisted that the people were entitled to their opinions. Even so, he would never authorize any action against Ériu. He promised Kier he would keep the sidhe closed as a precaution.
    With Kier’s encouragement, they had started to ready themselves for the worst. As Brogan tried to persuade influential families and other Danann to stay the course of peace and harmony, Kier gathered together a small group of those they trusted most—Ruadhan and Riona, her brother Brion, the healer Toirdhealbhach MacDail re Deachai, and others who shared their position. Brion had promised to keep a close watch on his warriors for any signs of dissent. Ruadhan was surreptitiously using the goblet of Manannan mac Lir, which could separate truth from lies, to determine if any plans were being formed against the king. The others kept their ears to the ground and tried to convince their fellow Danann that the way forward was not through war. At first, Kier thought Lorcan must be persuading others by means of magic, but there was only one among them who had the gift of persuasion, and Fionnghuala had sworn to her that she did not wish to take over Ériu. Of course, Lorcan had also said he would never use his ability, and Kier couldn’t help but feel slightly uneasy around the feisty redhead. But Ruadhan and Riona vouched for her, so Kier decided she could be trusted.
    It was in the middle of all this chaos when Kier saw the dead tree. It stood alone in the middle of a field, where she had played as a child many, many years ago. She remembered how its leaves used to be so thick it would completely shield out the summer sun, and how it had been a wonderfully cool place of refuge when she first discovered her gift of fire, before she could control the level of heat in her body.
    Now that same tree was a skeleton.
    Kier and Riona noticed its transformation as they walked back to the Hall one day. The guards who had been walking with them stopped when they did, standing a respectful distance behind them.
    “What do you think it means?” she asked Riona as they both stood and stared at it.
    “I wish I knew,” Riona said, walking toward the tree. “It’s not the first I’ve seen in recent days. There’s a bush near our house that’s all dried up, as though it were winter on Ériu.” In Tír na nÓg plants flourished year-round, growing new blossoms and fruit as soon as the old ones had been gathered or had fallen to the ground. But there were no signs of new life on this tree. Riona touched the trunk with her fingertips. “We’d do well to get someone to come look at it—perhaps Connor; he can speak with all living things.”
    Kier nodded, and they continued on. They bade each other goodbye at the entrance to the royal chambers within the Hall. When Kier walked in, she found her husband and brother in a heated conversation. The two men fell silent as soon as she entered the room. Then Brion bowed to Brogan and said, “I will let you know if I find anything.” Brogan nodded stonily, and Brion marched past his sister and out of the room.
    “What was that about?” Kier asked.
    “Nothing.”
    “I heard there was another death. Was…?”
    “I heard about it as well. But once we arrived, there was only the body. We have no way of knowing if Lorcan was there, or if he was even involved.”
    “But you think he was.”
    Brogan said nothing.
    “We need to find him,” she insisted. “The longer he is free, the more powerful he becomes. Soon we might not be able to stop him at all.”
    “I cannot have him arrested without proof of any wrongdoing,” Brogan said.
    “You’re the king; you can do whatever you want,” she said hotly.
    Brogan looked at her sternly. “I have many faults, Kier.