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“For everything I’ve learned about you, nothing indicated to me that you’re hard of hearing. However, I’ll reiterate … my body is not yours to comment upon.”
“It could be…” Rian arched an eyebrow and, despite herself, heat slid low into Terra’s core.
“Why are you here?” Terra shifted the conversation.
“I don’t know … bored, I guess…” Rian shrugged a shoulder, looking around in pretended nonchalance. Terra hoped he was better at subterfuge in his business than he was in speaking to her, because it was clear he was lying.
“I’m finding that hard to believe. No need to dance around it, Rian. Why do you come to spy on me?” Terra kept her eyes on him, squinting as his form seemed to shift under the wan moonlight that filtered through the trees. Was he transporting the image of himself in some manner? He’d been legendary when it came to magicks, so she wouldn’t be surprised if he’d worked out a way to travel here without fully being here.
“You know my name.”
“Of course I do. And since we’re commenting on bodies, why do I suspect yours is not here?” Terra stepped closer, squinting her eyes at his form.
“Ah, she of the wild woods and magick streams, unraveling my illusions so quickly.” Rian blinked out of sight and, when he next spoke, it came from over her shoulder. Terra whirled, annoyed he’d gotten the edge on her.
“What do you want?” Terra asked, brandishing the knife in front of her. When his eyes dropped to the Earth Fae’s amulet, her heart shivered. “No. Rian …no. It’s not yours to take.”
“Just like it wasn’tmypunishment that I’m currently stuck with?” A sardonic grin crossed Rian’s handsome face.
“Have you appealed your judgement?” Terra asked, stepping lightly back from his apparition.
“Have I…” Rian bit off the words and shook his head, anger clouding his features. “What’s there to appeal, princess? I made my case, and everyone refused to believe me. You would know … you were there.”
“I’ve looked for more evidence since.” Terra stilled when he stalked forward, until they stood barely a foot apart.
“I find that hard to believe. In fact, if I remember correctly, you were furious. If looks could kill and all that.”
“Rian…” Terra gasped as the first wave of icy magick hit her gut, almost doubling her over, but her grip remained strong on the knife. This wouldn’t be the first time that someone had tried to steal it from her, but it would certainly be one of her strongest adversaries. Hurriedly, she whispered an incantation, inviting the woods to take a stand. The trees behind her shifted, groaning as though the movement caused them to ache, and their branches swept down, knotting together in front of her to create a barrier between her and Rian.
“Do you think that will do much?” Rian laughed, and vanished, before appearing inside the makeshift branch cage with her.
“Yes, I do.” Terra shifted, quickly running a spell that would force Rian to stay within the branches, rendering his power useless in this safe haven her Earth friends had created for her.
“Wait a minute…” Rian glanced down at his hands and then muttered under his breath, no doubt trying to run his own magicks on her. When nothing happened, Terra grinned.
“The Earth is our friend, Rian. Do you forget so easily?” Terra asked, keeping her hand tight around the hilt of her blade. The branches cocooned the two of them closely together, and she could pick out the flecks of gold in his moody green eyes.
“Like I was forgotten? Forsaken, even? Years of service to our people. And for what? To be exiled with little proof while my mother was on her deathbed.” Rian’s voice cracked, and Terra’s heart twisted.
“And now? You seek revenge. To what purpose?” Terra was torn between wanting to hug her fated mate and throttle him. Did he even know they were mates? Had he sung their song on purpose?
“I’d rather die trying to destroy the Earth Fae than live knowing I’ve been exiled unfairly. My mother…” Rian shook his head. “Her last time seeing me was before a jury of our people convicting me. Can you imagine what that does to a mother? How she was shunned after? So yes, princess, I’ll seek my revenge as I see fit. And it starts with that lovely knife of yours there.”
Terra matched his stance, knowing she was protected in this woodland enclosure, and lifted her chin. His mother had warned Terra that Rian was a stubborn one. She’d spent time with Aster while trying to uncover the truth of the accusations against Rian and had learned something of the man’s nature from his mother.
“You’re working for the Domnua, aren’t you? What did they promise you? You should know they rarely fulfill a promise. They’ll use you and toss you aside.”
“It won’t be much different than my own people, will it then?” A wry smile crossed Rian’s face before he vanished from sight. Terra took a moment, schooling her breathing, before turning and pressing a hand to the tree trunk in front of her. Her heart pounded in her chest, both from Rian’s nearness, and from realizing how far he’d fallen.
“Thank you, brethren.” Terra pressed her lips to the bark of the tree, and the branches behind her unknotted, freeing her from their protection.
Her path was now clear. Where once she thought that she could ignore Rian and save her people, now she knew it wasn’t possible to separate the two. Rian had fallen into darkness and, with his life’s mission to destroy the Earth Fae, if she left this loose end untethered, it could unravel her people.
Decided, Terra strode toward the castle to find Bianca and Seamus.
They were going to Ireland.
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