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I heaved my body onto the back of the horse, clenched my jaw, and clutched at its mane when it moved side to side, adjusting to my weight.
Tiernan pushed my feet into the stirrups and took up the reins to lead me outside, the horse following his gentle pull in slow strides. It wasn’t so scary. I took a deep, steadying breath. The warm air filled my lungs. The smell of horse dung was replaced with that of morning dew and cold earth. Tiernan lunged himself into the saddle behind me and tugged on the reins when the horse tried to run.
He tucked me in close between his legs, my back pressed against his broad, solid chest. His arms came around me and he placed my hands around a horn-like handle at the front of the saddle.
“Do you trust me?” he whispered against my hair, setting my nerve-endings ablaze.
Gripping the handle tighter, I swallowed, and let my body mold to his, “I do.”
He loosened the reins, and tightened his arms around me, “Good,” he stated, and then, “Marron,” he said to the horse, and the beast’s ears turned as though listening for a command, its head nodding, and hooves digging at the soil in anticipation. “Fly.”
My stomach dropped to my toes, and a squeal escaped my lips as Marron vaulted forward. My hands released the horn for only an instant before I latched back on, my body jolting and bouncing in the saddle. I tightened my thighs against the flexed sides of the animal as it soared over the wooden fence.
Tiernan laughed as we crashed back to solid ground and he braced his arms around me to lessen the impact. It was exhilarating. And terrifying. A scream died in my throat, transforming instead into a lengthened sigh. We turned toward the front gates of the palace, and the wind whipped my hair back, cooling the perspiration on my breast.
“Not yet,” I shouted over the roar of the wind in my ears, longing to go further, for the feeling to never end. “There,” I said, and lifted a pointed finger towards crest of a grassy hill to the east of the palace.
Tiernan shifted his weight and spurred the horse down to the road that would take us there. There wasn’t another soul in sight as we raced through the growing dawn. I pulled my hair into a knot on one side of my neck to keep it from lashing Tiernan. His chest rumbled against my back, and he dipped his head into the crook of my neck. His warm breath against my flesh had my own coming in fast shallow gasps. He laid a kiss on my shoulder and shifted the reins into one hand, splaying his other flat against my abdomen.
I turned to face him and found his sea-water green eyes glinting in the dawn light, hungry. An image of Kade and Finn came unbidden into the forefront of my mind.You belong to us, they had told me, and I promised them. Butuswas my Royal Guard, and they had agreed to make Tiernan a member. Could he now be a part ofus?
His hand moved lower and his lips parted. “Liana,” he breathed. I clenched my teeth against the corporeal urge to kiss him. My body shook. My eyes closed, giving in to the desire flooding my veins—but his hand stilled, and he drew back.
I turned. A shadow crested the hill as we began our ascent. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it was our own, but the horse was black as coal and held only one rider. The heat of a moment ago turned to a chill in my core. If the rider came over the hill, he must’ve been coming from the North road.
At this hour?
Tiernan slowed Marron until he came to a standstill, the horse’s massive body heaving and muscles spasming with the wish to push further.
“Whoa, Marron. Be still,” Tiernan whispered, stroking his flank.
I looked back toward the palace, judging if we could outrun the other rider to the front gates—to safety, but I saw how the horse hobbled, barely able to walk, and how its rider slumped in the saddle, as though asleep.
“Who are you?” Tiernan hollered at the rider, “State your business here.”
When the rider made no response, Tiernan’s lips tightened, and his eyes narrowed.
A pained sound came from the rider before he leaned to one side and slid from the horse, landing with a clatter of armor in the grass.
I moved to dismount, but Tiernan stopped me with a hand clasping my hip.
“He needs help,” I said, and tried again to get off the horse.
Tiernan shook his head, “You stay here,” he told me, “Don’t let go of the reins.” He whistled once, loud and sharp, handed me the reins and dropped from the horse, stopping only to whisper soothing words into its ears.
The rider lay limp in the grass, the slight rise and fall of his back the only indication he still lived. Tiernan approached with caution, and the unnamed riders horse bayed, backing a few paces from the Day Court Fae. He stooped to examine the rider, snapping his fingers in front of the man’s face, but there was no response.
A screech filled the valley, and I whirled at the sound. Marron bucked at my jerked movement and I fell from his back, landing hard on the ground. Tiernan’s falcon, Arrow, whizzed past me, slowing to a smooth landing on his master’s shoulder.
“Are you alright?” Tiernan called down to me.
My joints groaned, and backside ached as I stood, “Fine,” I hollered back, “Is he alright?”
Marron nudged my face with his wet nose in apology, and I gave him a light pat, so he would know I wasn’t upset.
“He’s near death,” Tiernan told me and whistled to Arrow, pointing at the palace. “Wake the guard, Arrow.” The falcon took off, soaring back the way he’d come, disappearing into the light of the rising sun.
Chapter Two
