Swallowing Darkness   ::   Гамильтон Лорел

"Would it save my son's life?"

"No," I said.

"But still, I am an oathbreaker. I deserve to be hunted."

Andais was the ultimate survivor. There was only one reason she would choose to die.

"Before Sholto and I give chase, I will order Cel's death," I said. "Our chase will not give him time to escape, and I don't think he has enough friends left in court to save him."

"I have allies," Cel yelled from the ground.

I looked only at my aunt, not at him, as I said, "Siobhan is dead, and your so-called allies fled when they could. The only one who came to save you is your mother. If she is dead, then I think, cousin, you will find that you have no allies left. They don't follow you. They follow her."

"They will not follow you, Meredith," Cel said. "Crown, or no crown, if it is not me on the throne, then they will kill you and choose their own ruler. My spies have heard them plot this."

I laughed, and finally looked down at Cel. Whatever he saw on my face widened his eyes, and made him catch his breath, as if he saw something that frightened him. "You never understood me, cousin, or you, my aunt," I said. "I never wanted to rule. I know they hate me, and no matter how much power I show them, they will always see me as the future of the sidhe. They see me as the diminished them. They see in me what they see in Sholto, that the sidhe grow weak. They would rather hide in their hollow hills and waste away than change and go outside to meet the world. I had hope for our people. My father had hope for our people."

"His hope is what killed him," Cel said.

I looked down at him where he lay on the ground, Doyle's sword at his throat, but he didn't look frightened. He believed that Andais would save him. Even now, he was confident in her power to protect him.

"How do you know that hope killed my father?" I asked.

Something crossed through his eyes, some thought or emotion. I smiled at him.

"It's just an expression," he said, but his voice wasn't so confident now.

"No," I said, "it's not." I knelt beside him.

"Cel," Andais said, "Cel, don't... "

My smile stayed. I couldn't seem to stop smiling, though I wasn't happy. "I hadn't seen you fight before. I didn't understand how good you were."

Cel tried to sit up, but Doyle's sword point pushed him back down. "I am glad you finally understand that I could lead our people."

"You killed him. You killed Prince Essus. You yourself. It's why we couldn't find an assassin.