“Why do I have to answer your questions?” Croi counters, her earlier spirit returning. She tries to get to her feet and succeeds this time. Tinder yelps.

“You grew taller! Your hair changed!” She makes rapid observations, flying around Croi at a dizzying speed.

“You should know that if you continue to buzz around me, I will be tempted to smack you. I’m not really up to resisting temptations right now,” Croi warns, and the pixie pouts, returning to perch on Ceara’s shoulder.

“Do you want to join the rebel army?” Ceara says without any warning. Daithi looks at her, a displeased expression flitting across his features.

“What rebel army?” Croi stares at the red-haired fae a bit incredulously. “Never mind. Don’t tell me. It’s better if I don’t know any details.” She waves her hand, preventing the fae from answering. “Is there anything about me that says I’ll make a good soldier?”

“No,” Daithi replies. Croi ignores him.

“You are stronger than me,” Ceara says, her face excited. She ignores the soldier too.

“I don’t even know what you are fighting for,” Croi says. She glances at Tinder, her one constant in this phantasmagoria. It’s too bad the pixie’s attention is fixed on Ceara.

“For the death of the Robber Queen,” Ceara says without hesitation.

Croi takes several steps away from her. “Why do you want to kill the Robber Queen?”

“She killed my entire maternal family!” Ceara says, her magick sparking dangerously.

“Tinder, I feel like there’s something I am not understanding,” Croi says a little desperately.

“She is Ceara, daughter of Aodh, the Tine King, and Mabh, the younger daughter of the Forever King.” Croi takes in Tinder’s words and looks deeper at the red-haired fae. She is the kin Irial has been looking for. Introducing them to each other might not work out for the best, however, considering Ceara does want to kill his mother.

“The Robber Queen killed the Forever King and his family?” Croi asks.

“No, the Robber Queen’s father did, but she inherited his sin,” Tinder says softly.

“Does inheriting his sin make her guilty?” Croi’s head aches, and she really can’t understand why she has to have this conversation minutes after being assaulted by murderous kin. But then again, when have people ever asked her what she wants?

“Why wouldn’t it?” Ceara demands, obviously not wanting to consider otherwise.

“Because though this Robber Queen inherited the sins of her father, she did nothing directly. She didn’t kill your maternal family. If what I’ve heard is the truth, all the actions you are condemning her for were undertaken by her father, so he is the guilty person. Yet you seek to kill her. Why? As an expression of your filial piety? Why did the Robber Queen inherit his sin anyway?”

“The Usurper—I mean, the Robber Queen’s father—was too injured, and living had become too unbearable for him. But he wouldn’t be able to die until he paid back, in pain, what he owed for spilling blood in the Caisleán. By inheriting his sin, the Robber Queen allowed her father to die,” Tinder answers, instead of Ceara.