"Defeat them?" she asked. "It’s not a good weapon for killing, the Shifter said. Not sturdy enough, even with the spells."
Kieran kept his gaze on the etched blade. "You know that I am named for our grandfather, who was killed by a horde of Lupine Shifters, don't you? Demons in animal skins. I am the legacy of that ancient king called Kieran. With this sword, I shall avenge him."
Alanna felt cold. "How can you? The Shifters who killed him died long ago. Shifters are short-lived, you know; they last only three or four centuries at most. It would be complicated to find their descendants. Shifters have scattered over the human world by now."
Kieran gave her a pitying look. "You are simplistic, my sister. I don’t need to find the descendents, I have the Shifters themselves. I have their bones."
He waved his hand and mists lifted from the other side of the clearing. Low mounds, a dozen of them, lay side by side, overgrown with green.
Alanna’s eyes widened. "Where did those come from?"
"My loyal men tracked down the graves of the Lupines who slaughtered our grandfather. I had their remains brought here and reburied. I’ve been collecting them for a long time."
Alanna stared at him in shock. "Why?"
"For this day." Kieran raised the sword again. "Did you not understand the spells I gave you? You are a fine mage, my dear, the only one who wasn’t afraid to go to the human world and find the Shifter sword maker. Surely you will have worked it out."
Alanna swallowed. "You wanted to make a soul-stealer."
"Ah, so you have not lost every bit of your intelligence after all. No, I cannot kill the Shifters who murdered our grandfather. But, if I capture their souls and make them do my bidding, they will be miserable for eternity."
Alanna studied the mounds, which looked vulnerable and sad. "But the Shifters have been dead so long. Their souls will be gone--won’t they?"
"Not these Shifters. As he killed them, our grandfather cursed their souls to cleave to their dead bones. No going to the happy Summerland to chase rabbits for them."
Alanna hid her revulsion. Even Fae had souls that dissolved when they reached the end of their long lives. The Fae then drifted, content, free of the constrains of the body, which also dissolved. To tie a soul to a cold, dark grave seemed to her the height of barbarity.
"Aren’t they miserable already then?" she asked.
"Perhaps, perhaps not. But if I have their souls, then they will do my bidding, and they will become aware of their suffering. I will make certain of it."
Alanna shrugged, pretending not to care, even as she shivered deep inside herself. She had to make Kieran believe she sided with him, at least long enough for her purpose. He would kill her afterward, but her task would be complete.
"Well, whatever you intend do with the dogs’ souls, the sword maker kept his end of the bargain," she said. "I will take his sons back to the human world."
"I don’t bargain with Shifters." Kieran snapped his fingers. "You. Bring the Shifter’s get."
Two attendants disappeared and returned holding the squirming cubs, wrapped in nets, in their wildcat forms. Both attendants were cursing as they dropped the bundles to the ground.
"They refuse to shift to human form, Your Highness," one attendant said, breathing hard.
Alanna knelt next to the net-wrapped cubs, keeping herself out of reach of their flailing claws. "Your father sends his love," she whispered. "He says to tell you he’s proud of you."
The small cats eyed her in suspicion and kept snarling.
"Let us test the blade on them, shall we?" Kieran said.
Alanna rose to her feet. "You said it wasn’t a killing blade."
"No, but it will likely do some damage--they are small, and I imagine their souls will be--
cute."
Alanna reached to stop Kieran, and at the same time, a huge Fae-cat tore through the clearing and leapt at them both.
Niall . . .
He’d followed her. Alanna watched in panic as the men at arms and attendants attacked him.
Niall fought hard, but there were ten Fae to one Shifter, and they quickly overwhelmed him. The men at arms bound him in a net, but Niall went insane, fighting and clawing the ropes, foam and blood flecking his mouth.
Kieran ran at Niall, rage on his face. "I’ll test the blade on its maker instead."
Alanna froze in fear, but Niall raged and fought so hard through the net that Kieran couldn’t get near him. The men at arms advised their prince to abandon the attempt.
"Tell him to shift back," Kieran shouted at Alanna. "He shifts back or I kill his cubs."
Alanna folded her arms, still striving to pretend she supported him. "Why would he listen to me? I’m Fae. I hope you’re happy. He was foul as foul can be the whole time. Shifters disgust me."
Niall roared, the sound booming through the clearing. His children fought and yowled, encouraged by their father’s wrath.
"I’ll shoot the bastard, instead," Kieran snarled. "Good target practice."
Alanna touched her brother's arm, trying to keep her tone cool. "Why don’t you show the Shifter smith what the sword was made for?"
Kieran stopped, and a feral smile creased his face. "Sister, you will make a fine Fae yet.
Watch, Shifter. Let me show you how I can reach into the past and hurt you in the present."
The prince flicked back his cloak as he strode to the closest mound. He lifted the gleaming silver sword above his head and drove it, point down, straight through the mound.
Light flashed up the length of the sword, and a shower of dirt shot from the grave. A swirl of smoke erupted from the hole in the grave and coalesced into the misty shape of a Fae-wolf.
Kieran laughed. He went to the next mound, and the next, releasing the essences of the Fae-wolves, who formed then floated insubstantially over the places where their bones were buried.
Kieran flourished the sword. "Behold the souls of those who slew my grandfather." He turned to them and opened his arms. "You will surrender to me, and do what I bid. You will kill the Shifter Feline and his cubs."
The figures swirled around him, mist trailing behind them like rags. Alanna held her breath, fingers at her mouth.
This was not what she’d expected to happen. She'd changed the spells as she'd slid them into the sword, repurposing Kieran's magic with her own. She was a good enough mage to do it, to trick him, and she knew it. She'd changed the spells to that a thrust of the sword would release the souls, not enslave them. The wolves should have dispersed, their souls free for all eternity.
Instead the ethereal Lupines lingered, like wolves gathering around prey.
Prey . . .
"Kieran!" Alanna shouted. "Drop the sword. Run!"
Kieran ignored her. He swept the sword blade through the ghostlike creatures. "Obey, wraiths. Now you are mine."
The wolves circled him, their eyes glowing yellow through the mist. As one, they attacked.
Kieran cried out as the pack swept down on him in wild glee, and then he began to scream.
Chapter Seven
Niall shifted to human form, watching in amazement as the ghostly wolves ripped into Kieran. They were mist and smoke--they shouldn’t be able to touch him--and yet the wolves tore at him. Kieran's pristine white cloak turned scarlet. His men at arms and attendants, instead of rushing to protect their master, turned in terror and fled.
The sword flew from Kieran’s hand, as though it propelled itself, and landed at Niall’s feet.
Kieran screamed again.
The wolves ripped the prince's body apart, snarls feral as they used teeth and claws to kill.
Alanna hugged her arms to her chest, her eyes wide, as her brother slowly died. His screams turned to pleas for mercy, but the wolves did not care.