He worked to hold back his rage when Madison continued trying to get through to her sister. Tried to hold back his fury that anyone would dare, even her own sibling, stop him from helping her.
“And that’s why I’m keeping you from her,” Madison ground out. “Because of that rage.”
“’Tisrage,” Cian agreed softly, the last person he thought would come to his defense. “But ‘tis protective rage,mo dhraoi. Feelit. Recognize it for what it is.”
Madison hesitated with her hand on Riona’s cheek. Hesitated until she looked into Declán’s eyes and must have seen what Cian did because moments later, his magical shackles came undone.
“Riona,” he murmured gently, softly, yet firmly. “I’m here.” Going off instinct, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “The fire is gone. Ye are safe now.” He stroked her hair as he might a child’s. “Safe here in our castle.”
He repeated those words and actions again and again until her wailing finally, at last, subsided but not her trembling. So he pulled blankets over her and held her tighter. Tried to warm the chill that burrowed its way deep inside her despite the fire that had tried to consume her.
“Ye are safe,” he whispered. “With friends, family, not alone.”
He was about to go on when she finally spoke.
“That’s the problem,” she whispered hoarsely, clearly parched. “I wasn’t alone and should have been.”
“What do you mean?”
“I...I don’t know...only that I’m right.”
“Of course.” Thankfully, her trembling started to wane. He wasn’t sure what to say other than whatever it took to keep reeling her back from her nightmare. Or their mutual nightmare, it seemed. “Would you like to be alone with Madison? Aodh? Would you feel safer?”
“No.” She snuggled closer to him. “Don’t let go yet. Please don’t. Please....”
“’Tis all right. I won’t let go.”
What had wrapped her in that fire? What had traumatized her like that?
“Hey, sis.” Madison sat beside her and rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I think maybe you just experienced the fire that killed you in another life. The same fire that ended our sisters and me too. Because it was terrifying.”
Declán knew as she said it that Madison’s memories of that fire were nothing like that. He could see it on her face. Hear it in the tentativeness of her voice.
And it seemed Riona could too.
“You didn’t experience this,” Riona mumbled into the conclave of Declán’s neck where she had buried her face. “Nobody has ever experienced anything like this.”
“When you’re ready,” Madison said gently, “I have some water for you.”
Riona remained silent for another minute or two before she finally met his eyes and then looked down at what she had so protectively held. “It can’t be.” He sat up when she did and stared at the sheathed dagger in her hand. Like Madison’s blade, its hilt was carved with leaves and vines. She unsheathed it and stared at the glittering blade. “This is it. This was the dagger turned sword that I found hidden behind the stump.”
Aodh and Cian lowered to a knee and bent their heads in recognition of her official Unnamed One status. When Declán went to get off the bed to do the same, she grabbed his arm and shook her head. “Please, no, stay a while longer.”
“Whatever you wish.” He bowed his head and then met her eyes. “How are ye now,mo chroí?”
They both blinked at the endearment that seemed to come out of nowhere. One he felt like he had said many times before.
“My heart?” She searched his eyes. “Why does that seem so familiar? You saying it feel so familiar?”
“I don’t know.” He shook his head and went to cup her cheek but stopped himself. “Only that I feel the same.‘Tisfamiliar.”
“Good,” Madison said softly. “I would say that means you weren’t the other person in the flames with her, Declán. Because that’s what you meant when you said you weren't alone, isn't it, sis?”
“Yes,” Riona confessed, thanking Madison when she handed her the cup of water. “There was someone else there with me.” She swallowed hard. Her expression soured. “Burningwith me.” She took several sips and set the water aside before sadness tugged the corners of her mouth down. “And nobody’s going to like who it was.”
A dark cloud seemed to settle over his soul when he realized. “Raghnall.”
Riona nodded and wiped away a tear. “And he shouldn’t have been.” She shook her head, vehemence in her voice. “That wasmydeath.Mychoice to right my wrongs.Mychance to seek redemption. Yet he...” She shivered. “He became part of it somehow. Part of something he didn’t belong to because he couldn’t let me go.” She narrowed her eyes, clearly trying to follow a memory from their past life. “Refused to.”
