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your father.”
    “By then it will be too late.”
    Cade looked at him steadily. Even though Cade didn’t mean to reveal himself in that moment, something of the power inside him must have showed, because Peada’s face paled, and he bowed. “So be it. I wished for more, but the High King of the Britons has spoken.”  
     

Chapter Five
    Goronwy
     
    M abon continued to grin at them. “Well, are we going or not?”
    Taliesin looked as if a litter of cats was fighting inside his head. If the little Goronwy knew about Taliesin’s gift was true, that description might not be far off. But the fact that Goronwy appeared to be recovering from the shock of the sidhe’s appearance quicker than Taliesin was perhaps more unsettling than the meeting itself.
    “The goddess cannot be serious.” Goronwy took in a deep breath and let it out, allowing the tension to ease out of him along with the air.
    Catrin was equally horrified. “How can we possibly bring him with us? How could Arianrhod give her son to you, knowing as she must how much trouble he’s caused us? He saw to the murder of Rhiann’s father! He almost saw to the death of every one of us—not to mention Cade’s entire army.”
    Goronwy added, somewhat less passionately, “Has she sent him to be a spy in our camp?”
    Catrin shook her head. “Why would she need a spy? She’s a sidhe .” She put a hand on Taliesin’s arm. “She is forbidden to interact with us. Does that mean she can’t see us anymore either?”
    Taliesin came out of his reverie, though his eyes were still on Mabon instead of them. “Perhaps.”
    “That doesn’t mean you can’t see, though, right?” Goronwy said. “We won’t be able to find the Treasures if you can’t guide us.”
    Taliesin closed his eyes, and such was the bard’s power that Goronwy could almost sense the threads of his sight leading out from this moment. Taliesin shook his head. “I can, and I can’t. I fear now that my visions have played me false. Perhaps they were meant to because a greater power is influencing my gift—one with ends of his own that I don’t share.”
    “This isn’t the first time you’ve mentioned a greater power,” Catrin said. “Who is it?”
    “I cannot say just yet.”
    “Can’t or won’t?” she said.
    Goronwy found his hand going to the small of Catrin’s back, and he turned her away from Mabon so they were huddled close to the bard, in the hope that Mabon couldn’t overhear. “We should turn around now. We can’t do our task with Mabon at our side. The best course of action I can think of is to return to Dinas Bran until this blows over and lock Mabon in the cellar where he can’t do any harm.”
    “No.” Catrin shook her head. “Who’s to say what kind of damage he could do even behind iron bars? A whisper in this guard’s ear or a touch to that maid’s hand, and he would spread his influence throughout the castle. He could bring down Cade’s rule without even leaving his cell. Besides—” she shuddered, “—Dinas Bran isn’t safe.”
    Goronwy frowned. It was in his mind that on the battlements Catrin had come to tell him about her fears, but like an idiot he hadn’t paid heed to her at the time. “I’m also concerned about what Arianrhod hasn’t told us. In particular, how long are we to put up with Mabon? You’ve said yourself, Taliesin, that a day in our world can be a week in theirs or vice versa. Perhaps our best option is to stay away from Dinas Bran but also not to seek the Treasures. That would prevent Mabon from seeking them too.”
    “We can’t abandon our quest,” Catrin said. “The Treasures—”
    “Forget the Treasures! Who gives a damn about the bloody Treasures? I certainly don’t. They’re trinkets meant to drive men mad—nothing more or less.”
    Catrin studied Goronwy, seemingly unalarmed by his sudden anger, which was gone within a few heartbeats of its appearance anyway. He didn’t know what it was about the girl, but she