Praise for Anne Kelleher
“Anne Kelleher’s engrossing fantasy, Silver’s Edge…weaves an enticing tale as Nessa braves unknown dangers to find her father and bring him safely home in this beguiling story of courage and adventure.”
—BookPage
“Ms. Kelleher weaves another fantasy epic of grand proportions, sweeping the reader off into lands, legends and lore. Part Arthurian, part Tolkien and part fairy tale, the mix creates an incredible world for the reader’s fertile mind to take root. It starts off slowly, but then takes off with a bang and never releases you from its grasp.”
—The Best Reviews, on Silver’s Edge
“The characters are complex and multifaceted, and the writing is rich with colorful prose…. Women control their fates, and fear is not an option when it comes to the tough decisions that must be made in a time when all that is held sacred is facing destruction.”
—Romance Reviews Today on Silver’s Edge
“Silver’s Edge is a first-class fantasy. The characters are vivid, believable; they captured this reader’s heart, taking me on an unforgettable journey as they confronted their fears, made tough decisions and accepted the consequences of those decisions, no matter what it cost them.”
—In the Library Reviews
“…displays vivid imagination.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Fascinating—a most ingenious blend of science fiction and fantasy.”
—New York Times bestselling author Marion Zimmer Bradley on Daughter of Prophecy
SILVER’S BANE
ANNE KELLEHER
This book is dedicated with love to all the women
in my life—friends, teachers, mentors, guides and
guardians who are far too many to list—and most
especially to my mother, Frances Kelly;
my stepmother, Alice Kelleher;
my grandmother Rose Castaldi;
my sisters, Sheila Kelly Bauer, DJ Kelleher and Pam Boyd;
my daughters, Kate, Meg and Libby; all those yet to
come and all those who have gone before.
Blessed be.
Glossary of People and Places
Faerie—the sidhe word for their own world. It includes the Wastelands
The Shadowlands—the sidhe word for the mortal world
The Wastelands—that part of Faerie to which the goblins have been banished
Lyonesse—legendary lost land that is said to have lain to the east of Faerie
Brynhyvar—the country that, in the mortal world, overlaps with Faerie
The Otherworld—the mortal name for Faerie
TirNa’lugh—the lands of light; the shining lands—mortal name for Faerie; becoming archaic
The Summerlands—place where mortals go at death
Humbria—mortal country across the Murhevnian Sea to the east of Brynhyvar
Lacquilea—mortal country lying to the south of Brynhyvar
Killcairn—Nessa’s village
Killcrag—neighboring village to the south
Killcarrick—lake and the keep
Alemandine—Queen of sidhe
Xerruw—Goblin King
Vinaver—Alemandine’s younger twin sister and the rightful Queen
Artimour—Alemandine’s half-mortal half brother
Gloriana—mother of Vinaver, Alemandine and Artimour
Timias—Gloriana’s chief councilor and the unacknowledged father of Alemandine and Vinaver
Eponea—Mistress of the Queen’s Horses
Delphinea—Eponea’s daughter
Finuviel—Vinaver’s son by the god Herne; rightful King of Faerie
Hudibras—Alemandine’s consort
Gorlias, Philomemnon, Berillian—councilors to the Queen
Petri—Delphinea’s servant gremlin
Khouri—leader of the gremlin revolt and plot to steal the Caul
Nessa—nineteen-year-old daughter of Dougal, the blacksmith of Killcairn
Dougal—Nessa’s father; Essa’s husband; stolen into Faerie by Vinaver
Griffin—Dougal’s eighteen-year-old apprentice
Donnor, Duke of Gar—overlord of Killcairn and surrounding country; uncle of the mad King and leader of the rebellion against him
Cadwyr, Duke of Allovale—Donnor’s nephew and heir
Cecily of Mochmorna—Donnor’s wife; heiress to the throne of Brynhyvar
Kian of Garn—Donnor’s First Knight
Hoell—mad King of Brynhyvar
Merle—Queen of Brynhyvar; princess of Humbria
Renvahr, Duke of Longborth—brother of Queen Merle; elected Protector of the Realm of Brynhyvar
Granny Wren—wicce woman of Killcairn
Granny Molly—wicce woman of Killcrag
Engus—blacksmith of Killcarrick
Uwen—Kian’s second in command
The Hag—immortal who dwells in the rocks and caves below Faerie; the moonstone globe was stolen from her when the Caul was forged
Herne—immortal who dwells within the Faerie forests, from which he rides out on Samhain night, leading the Wild Hunt across the worlds
Great Mother—mortal name for the Hag
The Horned One—mortal name for Herne
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks to Rosmari Roast, herbalist, wise woman and friend, for eleventh-hour research; to my agent, Jenn Jackson, and my editor Mary-Theresa Hussey for seeing the potential before I did; to Laura Rose and the rest of the Goddess Girls: Anne Sheridan, Susan Grayson, Leslie Goodale, Lisa Drew, Barbara Terry, Jamie King, Louise Rose, Alicia Tremper, Judy Conrad—you guys are the best midwives in the world; to Judy Charlton for reiki; to all the folks in the CT over 40 chat room on AOL, especially GtimeJoe; to all my fellow LUNA-tics in the LUNA-sylum for cheerleading. But most of all, this book would never have been written without the unwavering love and unstinting support of one man: Donny Goodman, I adore you.
Contents
Before
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter