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Even when his mate was as glorious as Terra.
It was all too much, too confusing, and, after years of freezing out his emotions, they all seemed to arise at once, threatening to overwhelm and engulf him much like the waves that crashed far below. So, for once, he was going to take Callahan’s advice and wait. Without another word, he turned and left Terra standing in the rain, her face ravaged with sorrow. Maybe the decision he made now wouldn’t be forever, but it would have to be for now. At least until he got his head on straight. The ground rumbled beneath his feet, and he rolled his eyes, not caring that the Earth was unhappy with him.
Rian needed an outlet for his emotions, and he had just the ticket.
The wind whipped up once more, and he struggled against it, as though Terra herself commanded him back to her. Rian pushed out with his magick, pressing back against the wind, as he strode across the uneven terrain until the cottages came into view among the mist. Callahan stood in front of Terra’s cottage, his arms crossed, rain dripping from the brim of the hat he’d pulled low on his forehead.
“Is he in there?” Rian asked, stopping short when Callahan blocked his way.
“What did you do with Lady Terra?” Callahan lifted his chin at him, and Rian realized that Terra had somehow gained Callahan’s loyalty too. Was there anyone she didn’t enchant? He’d watched birds swoop down and land on her shoulder, insects wander her way, and he wouldn’t be surprised if all the animals in the forest followed her in a parade. There wasn’t much not to love. Except for her dishonesty, he reminded himself. She’d concealed from him their bond. How had she even learned of it? Perhaps rulers were given this knowledge far before the regular Fae were.
Except … he’d been the first one to sing their song, hadn’t he? One drunken evening, wandering home, it had just burst out of him like some inspired poetry, and a homeless drunk on the corner had joined him in song. After that, the song had escaped him periodically, only on the severe edges of fatigue or drunkenness, and he vaguely could remember perhaps hearing it in a dream. So had it been him who initiated their bond? Rian shook his head, as though he could physically clear the thoughts from his brain, and refocused on Callahan.
“I left her up on the ridge. Unharmed.”
“Rian…”
“Don’t.” Rian shouldered Callahan aside and slammed the door to Terra’s cottage open, causing Bianca to jump. Seamus straightened from where he stood against the wall, a sour expression on his face.
“Rian. Where’s Terra?” Bianca ran to him, surprising him by putting her arms around him in a hug. Ahug. Why was this woman, his captive, hugging him?
An even bigger question was — why did he want to lean into it? There was something so mothering and soothing about Bianca’s charms that he almost found himself bowing into her arms to receive the care she sought to give him. But when he caught sight of Cormac over Bianca’s shoulder, his resolve tightened. Gently, he removed Bianca’s arms from around him and nudged her backwards, fully knowing that Seamus would have his head if he did anything to upset Bianca. While a good fight with Seamus might ease some of this anger he carried, that wasn’t a battle he’d be choosing. He’d seen it well enough himself over the years. Love was a powerful foe.
“Terra’s just fine. She’s up on the ridge, howling about this or that. She’s not my concern at the moment. This one is.” Rian stood over Cormac and looked down at the man who had taken his last moments with his mother away from him. “Leave me.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Seamus said.
“Leave!” Rian forced a wave of magick at the both of them, causing them to be pushed toward the door, and, though they struggled to fight it, he was too strong for them. Once he’d seen them through the door, Rian snapped his fingers and slammed it shut, putting up an invisible shield so nobody could interrupt him.
He could see Terra in Cormac’s features. They shared the same golden-green eyes and proud tilt to their heads. The similarities ended there, however. Where warmth bloomed in Terra’s gaze, here Rian found a languid nonchalance in Cormac’s. Did the man have any idea just how much trouble he was in? Or did he even care? He should be cowering in fear, and instead his lip curled in a sneer as he looked up at Rian. When he made a move to stand from the bed, Rian slapped him directly across the face, knocking him back onto the mattress.
“Ouch!” Cormac gasped, bringing a hand to his face.
Rian smiled.
He could have punched the man, or delivered a much more serious blow, but he kind of enjoyed insulting him with a slap. There was time enough for him to seek his vengeance on Cormac. For now, maybe he’d play a bit — like a cat taunting a mouse before it finally pounced.
“Oh, poor thing. Did I hurt you?” Rian all but purred, hoping Cormac would try and make a run for it again. When he did, predictably so, Rian gave him a tiny lead before launching himself across the cottage and tackling the man onto the rough planks of the wood floor. Sure, he could have used magick to stop Cormac from escaping, but, right now, it was physical violence he was craving. He happily pummeled Cormac in the ribs, twisting as the man kicked back, trying to nail him between the legs.
“Oh, now, that’s not a fair fight, is it?” Rian asked, pinning one of Cormac’s arms behind his back and slamming his forehead into the floor. Rian was rewarded with a delightful spray of blood when the wound from earlier reopened. Oh yes, thiswassatisfying. Perhaps he lingered too long in his amusement, because Cormac managed to catch him unawares, snapping his head back and butting Rian in the face. At the sharp taste of blood at his lips, Rian smiled again.
“Tsk, tsk, wee man. You’ll not win this fight, but I’m more than happy to go a round or two with you.”
“Then stand and fight me like a man,” Cormac challenged. Rian laughed, his blood warming to the violence, before bringing his lips close to Cormac’s ears.
“Like a man, you say? You mean like when you betrayed your own brother? With his fated mate? Is that what a man does?”
“Feck off,” Cormac gasped, increasing his squirming beneath Rian’s grip.
“Or was it when you laid with his wife? Was that you being a man?”
“At least I could bring her to pleasure. Unlike him,” Cormac said, and Rian shook his head.
“I find that hard to believe. It’s sort of a given that fated mates can pleasure each other. What did it take, Cormac, to convince Marias to betray her mate? What did you hold over her?” Rian realized he was right in his line of questioning when Cormac stilled beneath him. So. Perhaps Eoghan’s wife hadn’t fully betrayed him, but instead had been blackmailed into doing so. Interesting.
And yet … not. It didn’t change the outcome of matters, did it? He’d still taken the fall for this whiny piece of crap masquerading as a man. When Cormac whipped his head to the side, trying to bite Rian’s face, he leaned back. Hauling the man up, Rian shoved him so that he stumbled across the room, tripping on the bench and barely catching himself before he faceplanted on the wall. Cormac turned, blood dripping down his face once more, the light of battle in his eyes.
“Well? It’s just you and me here, Cormac. Do you even know who I am?” It suddenly occurred to Rian that Cormac might not even be aware of the man who had been judged in his place. At the very least, he should introduce Cormac to the man who now determined his future.
