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“Well at least it’s a step forward.” Terra stood. “That gives me hope that there is more to be done once we get off this island.”
Cormac stirred, his eyes fluttering open, and jolted upwards when his awareness returned. Terra resisted the urge to go to him, to help him rise, when he shifted on the floor and cursed. Bringing his hand to his ribs, he tried to stand, but fumbled back against the wall. Cormac raised pleading eyes to Terra.
“Sister. I know you can ease my pain.”
It wasn’t even a request. Cormac just assumed that Terra would help him. Because that’s what she always did — helped everyone. As leader of the Earth Fae, it was her duty to help a fallen Fae. And yet. He was also guilty of betrayal and subject to exile. Duty warred with desire, but, still, she did nothing.
“That’s an interesting way of phrasing it. You’re right, Cormac. I can take the pain. I’ve been taking the pain that you bestowed upon me by allowing my estrangement from the family for years now. Every day, I’ve sat with that pain while you’ve lived a lie. So now, brother, I believe it is time for you to take the pain.”
“Terra,” Cormac whined, wincing once more as he struggled to rise. “Itreallyhurts. I think my ribs are broken.”
“Good,” Terra surprised herself by saying. Never had she been so callous with her brothers before, even when they’d fought. Now, she found she didn’t care anymore. She loved Cormac, but she didn’t care about his needs at this moment. He’d proven himself untrustworthy, and now she needed to focus on what was best for her people, not for just her brother. Maybe she was a bit bitter, or maybe she was just hurt, but she realized with sudden stark clarity that family was just a word — it didn’t mean sacrificing her needs for others. What Terra wanted mattered too. And right now? She wanted her damn knife back. “Maybe you’ll learn something from this.”
“Terra? What’s gotten into you? You’ve changed.” Cormac hissed as he finally managed to stand, though he was bent almost at the waist in pain.
“Maybe I have,” Terra agreed. “And that’s a good thing, isn’t it? People don’t stay the same, Cormac. They change, and grow, and learn. Something you could take note of. That’s what happens when new information is discovered. Now that I know who you really are, I’ll no longer waste my time grieving the loss of you in my life. All those hours wasted, crying because I missed you … well, no more. Because the person I thought I missed wasn’t the real you anyway. Now that you’ve shed your skin, you’ve also given me freedom. I’m free from ever worrying about you again.”
“That’s harsh, Terra. What happened to forgiveness? And people making mistakes?” Cormac asked.
“There’s mistakes. And then there’s deliberate cruelty. I don’t think you’ve made a mistake, Cormac. I think you’re just angry that the consequences finally caught up with you.”
With that, Terra left the cottage, no longer able to look at Cormac’s broken and bruised face. She’d already grieved the loss of him once, but now the grief that hit her was so wildly different. Before it had been for the brother she’d loved, but now it was for the understanding that he’d never lovedherat all.
“Make sure he doesn’t leave,” Terra instructed Callahan who stood outside the door. Technically, he probably was stationed there to make sure she didn’t leave either, but he made no move to stop her as she walked away.
“Not a problem, Lady Terra.”
17
“I’ve got justthe thing for you, boyo,” Callahan said when Seamus and Rian returned from their walk. Seamus, much to Rian’s surprise, hadn’t tried to speak to him. He seemed to understand that Rian’s emotions were too raw in that moment, and instead, he had quietly kept pace with Rian as he’d walked off his head of anger.
Well, not really. The anger always lived with him, didn’t it? But at the very least, Rian had been able to calm himself down enough so that he didn’t return to the cottage and rip Cormac’s head off his shoulders, though he fantasized about it in grisly detail while they’d plodded through misty late-afternoon light. Even more interesting? Rian was just as incensed about Cormac hurting Terra as he was about the role the man had played in his exile.
Which, in itself, messed with his head.
“What’s that?” Rian eyed Callahan.
“Whiskey. And a fire.” Callahan gestured to where he’d built a bonfire in front of the cottages and had pulled some benches over beneath a few trees clustered together that would provide some shelter from the rain that still misted lightly down. Night had drawn close, and, despite himself, Rian’s eyes tracked to the cottages, searching for Terra.
“Where are the women?” Seamus asked.
“Together in your cottage. Cormac has been restrained in Terra’s. He sleeps now.” Callahan’s gaze danced across Rian’s cut lip. “He’ll live.”
“That’s too bad.” Rian sneered.
“Perhaps,” Callahan shrugged, pragmatic as always.
“In that case, whiskey would be welcome,” Seamus said, moving to stand by the fire. Rian joined him, holding his hands out to the blaze, the wind carrying the melancholy call of the sea with it.
“I’ve plenty of it, for just such a moment, as well as some sausage rolls to heat over the fire.” At that, Rian turned and shot Callahan a questioning look.
“Sausage rolls?”
“You’re not the only one with magick. But your disgusting amount of wealth also helps in the matters. I’m well stocked, as I wasn’t sure how long we’d be on this desolate rock in the ocean.”
“It’s beautiful here,” Seamus said. He accepted a camping enamel mug from Callahan and grinned his thanks when the man poured the whiskey, the firelight catching the amber tones of the liquid. “Thanks for that.”
“Of course.” Callahan repeated the same for Rian, and soon the three of them sat on the benches, their feet outstretched to the fire, sausage rolls warming at the edge of the flames.
