‘Didn’t Ciarán tell you anything? The Islands were taken by the Britons generations back. Ever since then, Sevenwaters has warred with Northwoods. Until the Islands come back to the Irish, both Fair Folk and human folk remain in disarray. They need them. The high and mighty ones want the Islands guarded. Watched over. That’s the only way they can protect themselves from what’s to come. The prophecy said it would take a child who was neither of Britain nor of Erin, but at the same time both. And there’s some nonsense about the mark of the raven. Well, they’ve got him at last, the leader long hoped for, grandson of that wretched Sorcha. He’s grown up, and ready to do battle with Northwoods, and he’s got a formidable force lined up behind him. It won’t be long now. Not next summer but the one after, that’s what’s being said. Your task is to stop them. Simple, really. You must make sure they don’t fight, or if they do, make sure they lose. Just think of that. We, the outcast ones, at last gaining the upper hand over the Fair Folk. I’d like to see the expressions on their faces then.’
I was so astonished I could barely speak. ‘But how could I achieve such a thing? And why has Father never spoken of this? It would be impossible, for one girl to stop an army. I would not attempt such a task. It’s ridiculous.’
‘Who are you calling ridiculous?’ The old woman fixed me with her berry-dark eyes.
I felt my backbone turn to jelly, but I tried to hold firm. ‘I would not attempt such a thing without Father’s approval,’ I said. ‘It is impossible to believe he would support such an idea.’
Grandmother’s gaze sharpened. Her expression alarmed me. I felt a prickle of fear go up and down my neck.
‘Ah,’ she said, in a very soft voice that clutched at me like a chill hand. ‘You’ll go, Fainne. And you’ll do exactly as I bid you do, from now on. I will not see my plans thwarted a second time.’
‘I won’t,’ I said, trembling. ‘I won’t leave my father. I don’t care how strong your magic is. You can’t make me do it.’
Grandmother laughed. This time it was not the tinkling bell-like laugh, but a harsh chuckle of triumphant amusement. ‘Oh, Fainne. You’re so young. Wait until you begin to feel the power within yourself, wait until men commit murder for you, and betray their strongest loyalties, and turn against what is dearest to their spirits. There’s no pleasure like that. Wait until you recognise what you have within you. For you may be Ciarán’s daughter, and carry the influence of his druid ways and his excess of conscience, but you are my granddaughter. Never forget that. You will always bear a little part of me somewhere deep within you. There’s no denying it.’
‘You cannot make me do bad things. You cannot force me to act against my father’s will. I must at least ask him.’
‘You’ll find I can do just that, girl. Exactly that. From this moment on, you will perform whatever tasks I set you. You will pursue my quest to the bitter end, and achieve the triumph that was denied me. You think, perhaps, that if you disobey me, you will be made to suffer. A slight headache here; a bout of purging there. Warts maybe, or a nasty little boil in an awkward spot. I’m not so simple, Fainne. Act against my orders, and it is not you who will be punished. It is your father.’
My heart thumped in horror. ‘You can’t!’ I whispered. ‘You wouldn’t! Your own son? I don’t believe you.’ But that was not true; I had seen the look in her eyes.
She grinned, revealing her little pointed teeth, a predator’s teeth. ‘My own son, yes, and what a disappointment he turned out to be. As for my will, you’ve already had a demonstration of that. Your father’s malady is not some ague he picked up, or the result of nerves and exhaustion. It’s entirely of my doing. I have been planning for some years, and watching the two of you. He senses it, maybe; but I caught him unawares, and now he cannot shake me off. So he sends you away to what he deems a place of safety. Straight off to Conor, his arch enemy. Ironic, isn’t it?’
‘You’re lying!’ I retorted, torn between horror and fury. ‘Father’s too quick with counter-spells, he’d never let it happen. There’s no sorcerer in the world stronger than he is.’ My voice spoke defiance while my heart shrank with dread; she had us trapped, the two of us, trapped by the love we bore each other. It was she who was strongest; she had been all along.
‘Weren’t you listening?’ she asked me. ‘Ciarán could have been what you say. He could have been the most powerful of all. But he threw it away. He let hope destroy him. He may still practise the craft, but he hasn’t the will now. He was easy prey for me. You’ll need to be extremely careful. I’ll give you some instructions before you leave. The slightest deviation from my orders, and your father goes a little further downhill. You’ve seen how he is. It wouldn’t take many mistakes on your part to make him very sick indeed; almost beyond saving. On the other hand, do well, and he may just get better. See what power I’m giving you.’
‘You won’t know.’ My voice was shaking. I’ll be at Sevenwaters, and you said yourself you cannot read minds. I could disobey and you would be none the wiser.’
Her brows rose disdainfully. ‘You surprise me, Fainne. Have you not mastered the use of scrying bowls, the art of mirrors? I will know.’
I wrapped my arms around myself, for there was a chill in me that would remain, now, on the brightest of summer days. My father sick, suffering, dying; how could I bear it? This was cruel indeed, cruel and clever. ‘I – I suppose I have no choice,’ I muttered.
Grandmother nodded. ‘Very wise. It won’t be long before you’re enjoying it, believe me. There’s an inordinate amount of pleasure that can be had in watching a great work of destruction unfold. You’ll have a measure of control. After all, you do need to be adaptable. I’ll give you some ideas. The rest you can work out for yourself. It’s amazing what power a woman can enjoy, if she learns how to make herself irresistible. I’ll show you how to identify which man in a crowd of fifty is the one to target; the one with power and influence. I did that once, and I nearly had everything I wanted. I came so close. Then that girl ruined everything. I’ll be as glad as Ciarán will be to see her family fail, finally and utterly. To see them disintegrate and destroy themselves.’
She fumbled in a concealed pocket.
‘Now. You’ll need every bit of help you can get. This will be useful. It’s very old. A little amulet. Bit of nonsense, really. It’ll protect you from the wrong sorts of influence.’ She slipped a cord over my neck. The token threaded on it seemed a harmless trinket; a little triangle of finely wrought bronze whose patterns were so small I could hardly discern the shapes. Yet the moment it settled there against my heart, I seemed to see everything more clearly; my anxiety faded, and I began to understand that perhaps I could do what my grandmother wanted after all. The craft was strong in me, I knew that. Maybe all I needed to do was follow her orders and all would be well. I closed my fingers around the amulet; it had a sweet warmth that seemed to flow into me, comforting, reassuring.
‘Now, Fainne,’ Grandmother said almost kindly, ‘you must keep this little token hidden under your dress. Wear it always. Never take it off, understand? It will protect you from those who seek to thwart this plan. Ciarán would say the powers of the mind are enough. Comes of the druid discipline. But what do they know? I have lived amongst these folk, and I can tell you, you’ll need every bit of assistance you can get.’
What she said sounded entirely practical. ‘Yes, Grandmother,’ I said, fingering the bronze amulet.
‘It will strengthen your resolve,’ Grandmother said. ‘Keep you from running away as soon as things get too hard.’
‘Yes, Grandmother.’
‘Now tell me. Is there anyone you’ve taken a dislike to, in your sheltered little corner here? Got any grudges?’
I had to think about this quite hard. My circle was somewhat limited, especially of late. But one image did come into my mind: that girl with her sun-browned skin and white-toothed smile, wrapping her shawl around Darragh’s shoulders.