Age of Druids Read Free

be expected, considering he’s getting married soon,” he said with a grin. Even though the match was a political one and Tràth was bonded to and in love with Douglas, the temporal faerie was becoming the life-mate of the crown-princess of Zalia. The event was of great importance to both their kingdoms. The weight of responsibility bore down on the prince, causing him noticeable strain.
     
    Aaron gestured around the room, indicating several dozen gateways, all standing empty. “Paeter and his crew finished the last of them a few days ago. When will Munro be back from America? We really need his help to carve the runes to open them. I’m useless with stone, and he has more experience with gates.”
     
    “Tonight,” Lisle replied.
     
    “So what are you working on?” Douglas asked. “I was surprised when they told me you’d be down here. I thought you’d be repairing the Source Stone.”
     
    “We are,” Aaron said. “Every day.” He sounded tired and his voice betrayed his testiness.
     
    “Well, I’ll do whatever I can to help,” Douglas said.
     
    Lisle stood and brushed some dust off her clothes. “We’re getting so many requests streaming in. We can’t keep up.” She sighed. “There aren’t enough of us to do all the work that needs doing, and every fae queen thinks her transport gate should be the first one finished.”
     
    “Where’s Rory?” Douglas asked. “Is he helping out?” He felt guilty for having spent too much time in Zalia with Tràth. Douglas’ work there seemed important at the time, but he also knew his fellow druids were being pressured from all sides to construct individual gates for the queens, to build this huge transport hub to improve trade between the kingdoms, to investigate runes, to create magical artefacts and tokens, and any use the queens could think of for the druids’ creationist talents.
     
    “Usually he does. Today he’s fighting with Flùranach.”
     
    “Again?” Douglas asked.
     
    Aaron answered with a roll of his eyes.
     
    “How about you, Lisle?” Douglas asked. “How are you holding up?”
     
    She looked at her hands and shook her head sharply. After a moment, she said, “I’m going down to the city to meet Sheng. I promised we’d put some protective runework around the new healing centre.” Over the previous months, hundreds and thousands of faeries had flocked to the Halls of Mist, wanting to serve the druid lords. Turning their talents to industrious use, the fae had begun building a city at the base of the mountainside that housed the Druid Hall.
     
    When the druids called, these faeries would come work on whatever project was required. But otherwise, they devoted themselves to constructing their new city. Within a short time, they had erected homes, public buildings, shops and markets, a healing centre, a school, gardens, and farms. Every day, more faeries and loads of supplies came from around the Otherworld. In the centre of the new city was an immense but still empty palace. The druids didn’t even know what to say about the project. They hadn’t been consulted, so they likely couldn’t stop it if they wanted to. The people called the place Rìoghachd nan Ceòthan , Kingdom of the Mists.
     
    Douglas lightly touched her arm. “Munro will find Demi. I know it’s hard, but she and Huck will be home in no time.”
     
    Lisle forced a smile. “I’m sure you’re right,” she said and clapped more dust off her hands. “If you see Munro, will you tell him I’ll be back at the Hall by morning?”
     
    “Sure,” Aaron said. “Do you need help?” Lisle was over eighty years old, but since coming to the Halls of Mist, she moved and acted more like a vibrant fifty-year-old. She had an energy about her that made Douglas think she could outlive them all by sheer willpower.
     
    This time her smile was genuine. “You’re a sweet boy,” she said. “I’ll be fine. I want to walk alone for a while.” Demi’s disappearance