“Sorry,” I said, as a mixture of excitement and terror seized me. We were really going to do this. We were going to pit ourselves against the Lord of the Oak with his power and his magic and his complete lack of conscience. “You’ll have to do that on your own.”

It was soon apparent that Cathal’s thin, wan appearance did not reflect any fading of his exceptional combat skills. He made me wait inside the cave while he dealt with the guards. I heard muffled shouts, the scuffing of boots on the ground and a squawk, then he was back, only a little out of breath.

“That bird has a sharp beak,” he commented.

“Did he hurt you?”

“Fortunately, he seems to realize I’m on the same side as he is,” Cathal said. “Coming?” He held out his hand and I took it. In his other hand was a dagger that had not been there when he went out. “I won’t kill unless I must,” he added, following my glance. “But my father will be angry, and his anger can be formidable. We’d best run, Clodagh.”

“How can we see the way?” Beyond the last reach of the flickering candles from within the cave there was now a hint of moonlight, but it barely illuminated the path.

“I can see well enough. We’ll follow the bird. Keep hold of my hand.”

We ran, and I reminded myself that the man I loved was only half human, and that if we managed to escape this place I would probably discover far more remarkable things about him than an ability to see in the dark.

Fiacha did not seem to be leading us back to the portal through which he and I had entered Mac Dara’s realm, though I imagined that was the nearest. We splashed through a shallow stream, climbed a steep hill under beeches, crawled through a mess of prickle bushes—the crow flew over the top—and emerged, trying not to curse aloud, in front of another rock wall. From somewhere higher up, Fiacha cried out in his harsh voice. As soon as I stopped moving my legs began to shake. My breath was coming in gasps.

“It looks as if we’re supposed to climb,” Cathal said. “I’ll help you, Clodagh. From up there we may get a useful view.”

The unspoken message was clear: sooner or later Mac Dara must notice that we were gone and come after us. The more ground we covered before then, the better our chances. I clenched my teeth, found hand and footholds in the rock and hauled myself up.