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“Thorin attacked our village when I was just a boy. He and a group of his brainwashed soldiers struck us hard. He didn’t alter all our memories, but enough of them that we can’t trust our thoughts or the past.” Lars’s shoulders fell forward as he stared into the fire. “Besides, would the Sidhe Fae have believed us when they have long scorned our race for centuries?”
Blaze tensed behind me as I shot up, expelling a breath. My father had told me how the Terrae were scorned by their king and the other Sidhe Fae. Had the satyrs warned everyone about Thorin, he would’ve probably used his mind-spinning to retaliate against them. He could’ve tried to convince the rest of Faedom that the satyrs were demons.
Helian dragged a hand down his face with a groan. “Probably not.”
“The satyrs came to a truce of sorts with him after that attack,” Lars continued. “We say nothing of him, and he leaves us the hell alone.”
“The satyrs sound very much like the centaurs,” Helian grumbled.
Lars jerked back as if Helian had struck him. “Have we ever refused to help a neighbor in need or denied a tired traveler a room and a meal?” He gave Helian a pointed look. “Have we refused to help you?”
Helian’s features fell. “No.”
“So the tea that the satyrs drink?” Tari asked.
Lars arched a brow. “Retinea?”
“Yes.” Tari leaned forward while Ash placed a protective hand on her hip. “That has protected your memories from the mind spinner?”
Lars shrugged. “Somewhat. It keeps our minds sharp, even as we age, though our women drink it for morning sickness.”
Tari’s cheeks flushed as she placed a hand across her abdomen. “Esther said it might help. That explains why I stopped retching.”
Lars flashed a wide grin. “Congratulations, Goddess.”
Helian’s face turned as red as lava when Lars gave him a questioning look. “Yes, it’s mine,” he hissed.
I resisted the urge to cluck my tongue at Helian. It was obvious he was still uneasy about sharing his mate.
“It slows my magic,” I blurted. “Is there any way to counter that?”
Lars frowned, shaking his head. “No, sadly. Your siren voice won’t matter if you have no idea who you are or what is happening.”
I swore. Damn him for being right.
“Do you think the mind spinner is dead?” the satyr asked us.
“No, because the spell he cast on Radnor hasn’t broken,” Helian said on a sigh while sitting back down beside Tari, “but if those spiders take him to the mistress who rules all demons, we fear it won’t be long before she kills him and takes his powers.”
Lars made a startled neigh. “How do the satyrs protect ourselves from these spiders?”
Tari stood, dusting crumbs off her gown. “I can try a concealment spell similar to the one I used before, only this time I’ll use it to protect the ground.”
Lars rubbed his furry chin while blinking up at Tari. “Do you think it will work?”
“I don’t know.” Tari shrugged. “But it doesn’t hurt to try.”
Lars released a long breath. “Thank you, Goddess.”
Then we followed Tari while she walked a perimeter around the camp, magic flowing slowly from her fingers at first, but by the time we were finished, her fingertips looked like falling comets as magic dripped off them in steady rivulets. After she’d finished, we all stared at her, waiting for something magical to happen.
Finally, a child stomped up and down on a patch of grass beneath him. “It doesn’t feel different.”
Tari worried her bottom lip. “Unfortunately, there’s no way to test it other than inviting a real demon invasion.”
Lars held out his palms in a defensive gesture. “No, thanks. We trust your magic worked, Goddess.”
I didn’t like the wary look Tari gave me, as if she had no faith in her magic, and I prayed we’d never need to find out if it worked.
