They didn’t talk after that, simply rode until the trail came to one of the main roads. It was tempting to turn south toward friends and family. She hadn’t been gone that long, but she yearned to be a daughter again, just for a day, to regain the sense of who she was and where she came from before resuming the challenge of shaking the Fae out of their complacent way of life.

Instead, she turned north. The Crones had summoned her.

An hour later, she and her companions cantered down the lane that led to the sprawl of buildings and gardens where she and Rhyann had spent a summer in order to learn from the Crones, the Grandmothers of the House of Gaian.

One of them was waiting for her at the edge of the open courtyard, resting lightly on the cane Selena suspected was still carried so that it would be easily at hand if a difficult student needed a whack on the rump to understand a point that was being made.

“Blessings of the day to you, Grandmother,” Selena said.

“Blessings of the day, Granddaughter,” the Crone replied. “You’ve brought guests.”

“I have.”

The Crone studied the Fae. Then she lifted her cane and pointed to the two young men who had hurried toward them from the stableyard. “The boys will see to the horses and have your saddlebags brought up to your rooms. Come in and be welcome.”

Working to hide her relief—she hadn’t been sure the Crones would welcome the Fae here—Selena dismounted. Mistrunner snorted, sat back on his heels in a way that indicated he was going to be stubborn, and laid his ears back in warning.

“Ah, now,” one of the grooms said, holding out a hand. “We’ve got good grain and cool water, and a soft rain came by the other day to sweeten the grass. But if you’d rather stand here wearing a saddle in the hot sun…”

Selena wasn’t sure how much Mistrunner understood beyond grain, water, grass, and hot, but apparently those words were enough. His ears pricked, and the next snort sounded thoughtful.

“Go on, then,” she said, stepping forward to hand the reins to the groom. “You deserve a bit of pampering. And I’ll be with the Grandmothers, so I’ll be perfectly fine.” Unless one of them decides I deserve a whack on the rump. Now that would certainly convince the Fae I’m a power to be reckoned with, wouldn’t it?

She felt a little stab of envy that the Fae’s horses didn’t show any obstinance about being led away. She wondered, again, why she’d ended up with a horse who thought for himself too much of the time.

As the Crone led them to a shady part of the courtyard, Selena noticed the way Gwynith and the escorts were looking around, wide-eyed.