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Lastly, I felt for the Great Divide—the magical curtain which separated the Summer Court from the Winter Court and all of the Seelie Fae from the Unseelie Fae and I gripped it with my mind. Imagining a blade with moonstones in the hilt, just like Liath’s long dagger or my little knife, I stabbed it into the fabric that divided our two realities.
Power poured out of me as my pleasure exploded outward and I lifted my head and cried my husband’s name over and over. The sparks were flying everywhere and dimly I felt the fabric of the Great Divide ripping—tearing as it never had before. This was no small rip, easily mended after a hasty trip from one Realm to another. It felt as though I had grabbed the entire curtain and was tearing it down!
But I didn’t have long to think about the strange sensation. The power and the pleasure were too much…too, too much. I felt myself losing hold of reality. Grimly, I tried to stay conscious—I needed to keep control of my magic, I told myself. But the combination of overwhelming sensations was simply too much.
With a gasp, I collapsed on Liath’s broad chest and knew no more.
32
“Alira? Little bird? Gods, are you all right? Wake up—please, wake up!”
Liath’s deep voice and his hand patting my cheek brought me back from the deep darkness I had somehow fallen into.
“Wh-what?” I blinked, opening my eyes at once. “What…what happened?”
“You lost consciousness when you came again. Gods, it scares the fucking hell out of me when you do that!” He stroked my cheek, his bronze eyes worried. “How do you feel? Are you all right?”
“I…think so.” I realized I was still laying on his chest and made myself sit up. Liath was no longer inside me but there was blood on both our thighs. My virgin blood.
Blood magic. Pleasure magic…pain magic, whispered a little voice in my head. What was going on?
“What did I do?” I asked, because I knew I had done something, even if it wouldn’t come to me right away.
“See for yourself,” Liath growled. He nodded around us and I looked and saw…
“By the Shining Throne!” I exclaimed.
For every single iron bar had been turned into a rose vine and all of them were blooming—filling the small cell with their rich, sweet scent. The iron manacle around Liath’s ankle was now a circlet of flowers and the chain was nothing but a blooming vine, which he stripped easily off his leg.
But that wasn’t the only change.
“Liath!” I exclaimed, reaching up for him, since we were both on our feet by now and straightening our clothes. “Oh, dear…”
“What is it, little bird?” He took my hand and pressed my palm to his lips for a kiss. “Is there a problem? Did you turn my nose to a rose too, while you were at it?”
I had to smile at his remark, but I wasn’t so sure if he would be laughing once he found out what I had done.
“Your scar,” I murmured, stroking his cheek, which was now perfectly clear. “The one you told me not to heal because you got it trying to save Quill…”
“Yes?” He frowned and put his own hand to his cheek. “Fuck—it’s gone!” he exclaimed, looking surprised.
“I’m sorry,” I said contritely. “I didn’t mean to do it—I just wanted to heal you completely so that was what I told my magic to do.”
Liath rumbled with laughter.
“It’s all right, little bird—I forgive you. And I hope that wherever he is, Quill forgives me,” he added more soberly. “The Gods know I tried to get to him on time.”
“I’m sure he would forgive you—especially if he knew what good care you’ve been taking of his little sister,” I said gently. “Come on, Liath—let’s go home.”
“I’ll be more than happy to come home with you, but I don’t have my dagger,” he growled.
“That’s all right, I’ve got my knife,” I said. I frowned. “I thought I tore a portal for us, though—back when I was getting rid of the iron and healing you.”
Liath looked impressed.
“That’s a hell of a lot to do all at the same time while you’re coming so hard, little bird.”
I blushed.
“Well, I just told my magic to do it and then just kind of…let it go when I, er, came. But I don’t know why the portal didn’t work. I was sure I felt the Great Divide tearing.”
In fact, it had felt like it was more that tearing—but I must have been mistaken for there was no dark opening leading into the Winter Court.
“Two out of three isn’t bad,” Liath said practically. “You said you had your knife, right? Give it to me.”
I took the little knife out of my secret pocket and handed it to him. It looked like a toy in his huge hand but he gripped it confidently and reached above his head to open a portal.
