Isle of the Faeries

Friends at the Finish Line

Kean

      I wait in line to pay my signup fee anxious to get back to Bree and Cinis. As the season has progressed the competition has gotten fierce and the competitors have gotten desperate; last race two girths were cut and one horse dropped three strides over the line. These men might make and honest living off the sea and earth but they tended to be less than honest on the cliffs in the dark when the old rules of magic are the only rules to play by. Half of the reason I allowed Dunkin to come with me was so I'd have someone to make sure my tack and horse remained unharmed. But he seems to have wandered off in the time it took me to yank Bree out of the way of a rampaging Aughisky.

      Connor takes my money wishing me luck.

      Ronan grabs my arm as I turn, "Careful tonight, shifty eyes and desperate pockets make for reckless actions," he warns.

      I nod in understanding and he lets me go. My head is beginning to hurt from all the different worries pulling it in different directions; there's Marissa causing problems and the racers and the constant pressures of the Sidhe and Ciná. The letter floods back to my mind, after agreeing to let Dunkin come with me I retreated to my office and was finally able to sit down and read the letter, it read;

Kean,

I've got your number little brother. Don't be surprised when I come calling, your time is just about up, I am getting impatient, blood will spill.

• Cináed

      My teeth grit together at the memory but I push it aside, I can't have distractions if I'm going to win this race. I start threading my way back through the crowd dodging out of the way of two bays that are ripping at each other's throats. When I reach the other side of them I freeze, my blood turning to ice. I can see Cinis his neck arched curiously, his head cocked to the side and I can see Bree, her back to him as she talks to someone who is walking away from her. While the rune circle prevents Cinis from walking out of it he can move within it something I forgot to mention to Bree. I am too far away, I know I cannot get there in time even as I lunge forward.

      Cinis stretches his neck forward his muzzle out as he reaches for her, my shout of warning is lost among the shouts of everyone else. I see it as if it were slow motion as his muzzle touches her back, her laughter cuts off as she jumps and spins around, his ears perk, I freeze again as a scene I never thought I would see unfolds. In her hast to spin around Bree loses her balance, on instinct she reaches out and steadies herself against his cheek, instead of sinking his teeth into her chest as I expect he allows her to find her footing and closes his eyes and presses his forehead into her chest breathing deeply. She freezes her eyes wide her hand still on his cheek and her hair falling over her shoulder, she is at the mercy of a predator and she knows it.

      I resume walking over slower than before not wanting to startle him. I put my hand on Bree's shoulder to let her know I am there before I slip my hand between her and him. My rings press against his nose and push him back as I push her behind me. His eyes shoot open and roll back, I get ahold of his reins and slid the rod out of my pocket and snap it against his neck, he rears and the rod lands against his cheek a warning. He drops back to four feet and drops his head and but his muscles are still tense and twitching. I half turn to Bree keeping an eye on Cinis – I trust him less than usual, "Are you alright?"

      Her eyes are still wide and her face pale, "Yeah, he didn't hurt me."

      I breathe out a sigh of relief. Dunkin steps up to my shoulder with a bright smile on his face, "Where have you been?" I snap quietly.