Page 33 of Shadowed Fate

“Where’r you running off to?” Rory asks, as he stabs his fork into a giant slab of chocolate cake with mocha frosting.

"Somewhere they don’t allow mutts, sorry old boy,” Callen says, but there’s no malice in his words.

Rory tosses a bread roll at Callen. “Keep your secrets, fairy.”

Chapter 16

Brigid

I decide to take Tiernan up on his offer.

He leads me through winding corridors, out into the cool night air. Silvery moonlight bathes the academy grounds, and the wind rustles the trees.

We pass by the metal gate that leads to the poison garden and I shudder, remembering my encounter there with Callen. I briefly wonder if I should be going anywhere with a guy I’ve basically just met, when everything at Grimstone has me so off-kilter and confused.

I think this for half a second before I remember about Tiernan’s abilities, then try to shut down the thought and think about anything else.

I think about Fiona and our last conversation in the coffee shop.

The pink rabbit vibrator.

No no no! Anything but that.

Too late.

It’s literally all I can think about.

As we walk, I’m picturing the bright pink sex toy and itwill not go away.

Tiernan stops and turns back to me.

My eyes are wide as I’m still trying to get the thoughts of a hot pink vibrator hopping itself across a table out of my damn head.

I hope he’s not reading my mind right now.

I see Tiernan has the tiniest smile playing at the corner of his mouth, and I sigh.

One day without embarrassing myself doesn’t seem like too much to ask. And yet, I can’t seem to manage it, here or anywhere. To his credit, Tiernan says nothing, just gestures with his arm for me to walk into a grove of trees to our right.

The grove is like something out of a storybook. Massive ancient oaks form a natural cathedral, their branches intertwining overhead to create a living canopy. Moonlight filters through, dappling the forest floor in an diaphanous glow. The air feels different here—charged, alive.

Tiernan steps into the center and motions for me to join him. "This place is sacred," he says softly. "The trees remember things we've long forgotten."

I move to stand beside him, keenly aware of his presence, but the embarrassment from earlier fades as I take in the otherworldly beauty around us.

"It's incredible," I breathe.

"Close your eyes," Tiernan instructs. "Listen to the whispers of the leaves, feel the energy pulsing through the earth."

I do as he says, surprised to find I can actually sense what he's describing.

Tiernan moves to the center of the grove and sits cross-legged on the ground. The dark green of his shirt is almost black in the moonlight, but I can see the subtle rippling of the fabric as he moves. The fabric hangs loosely over his lean frame, even so it’s evident that his muscles are toned and strong. I notice the simple bracelets he wears, woven around small polished stones.

He pats the space beside him. "Come, sit with me."

I hesitate for a moment, then join him on the forest floor. The earth is cool beneath me, though not cold like it should be for this time of year, and I can feel a faint pulsation.

"Feel that?" Tiernan asks, his voice reverent. "That's the heartbeat of the earth."

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