Page 65 of The Court of Thorns and Wings

“Because I view both UnseelieandSeelie as my people now.” I straightened my back.

Our fated-mate connection expanded as Tavish’s love flowed through. He leaned toward me, a faint smile on his face.

“Which means we should learn to live harmoniously. Neither side should be killing the other unless it’s inevitable.” I took the time to look at Tavish, then Eiric, stopping with Finnian.

Finnian nodded. “Exactly. The guards tried to kill me, and I merely defended myself.”

“Someone has to make the first move toward peace between us.” I lifted my chin in challenge. “Why can’t it be you? After all, you claim you have a big penis. Prove it.”

A deep, menacing growl came from Tavish, followed by rage flooding our bond. “I’m not kidding, sprite. I will kill him if—”

“For crying out loud, it’s a saying.” Eiric rolled her eyes. “She didn’t mean for him to actually show her his dick. She meant for him to prove he’s brave by taking the first step and not killing guards.”

“Then the others would know we’re still here.” Finnian bit his bottom lip. “I did that to protect us so we could get out of there.”

And that was why, even though I was disappointed in them and wished they hadn’t killed anyone, I wasn’t mad. Peace between Unseelie and Seelie wouldn’t be an easy change, and Iwas asking a lot of them. “But maybe next time, just knock them out. It’s not like they can locate us in a hidden spot underground. The other guards know you were injured—they could assume we still haven’t left.”

“They did see us in Unseelie territory.” Tavish scratched the thick scruff on his face. “They could narrow down the search area. Right now, they’re probably searching the woods where they lost track of us.”

Eiric slammed a hand down on the table. “They’re still our people, and your father started the feud, so quit pretending you’re innocent.”

“My father?” Tavish straightened and bared his teeth. “He didn’t doanything. The Seelie came into our kingdom and randomly attacked us!”

“Is that the story you’ve convinced yourself to believe?” Eiric barked out a hard laugh. “That’s pathetic.”

Of all the times for Eiric to decide to be the mouthy one, it’d be now. Normally, I was the one who impulsively spoke without thought, but for the first time, I could see both sides. “He can’t lie, E.” My appetite had vanished, and I turned to face my clueless fated mate.

No wonder he held such hatred toward the Seelie.

“Is that the story Eldrin told you?” His cousin had retrieved him from the Seelie and perverted the situation to make Tavish believe he’d saved his life. I had no doubt he’d played additional mind games with him. After all, Tavish had been such a young boy… not even yet a man, though the responsibility of ruling had fallen to him.

“Why would he lie about that?” Tavish shook his head. “Neither my father nor any of his guards had left Unseelie land in weeks. There is no way anything they did could’ve been mistaken as a threat. He’d gotten sick weeks before, and herecovered but continued to act strangely. None of us could figure out what was the matter.”

Eiric gestured to the room. “He could’ve used this place to go to Seelie lands, and you wouldn’t have been aware of it. You just told us that.”

“Mother wouldn’t leave his side for long, and I was learning to handle the business of the kingdom while he recovered. I had control of the guards with Eldrin assisting me.” Tavish’s determination flowed into me, confirming he believed every word. “There was nothing we did to even hint at war. Even then, I was planning on a future with Lira by my side. I would never have risked the peace within our grasp.”

“If that’s the case, why were Gleann Solas and Tìr na Dràgon’s skies covered in darkness?” Eiric leaned forward, watching Tavish’s every move.

Tavish spat, “Is that what your king and queen led you to believe? Did you not see the sun each day rebuking their claims? They had to be masterful with their words in order for you to not believe what you saw.”

My heart stopped because I could feel the truth in his words through our bond. He didn’t believe his father had done anything. I didn’t want to tell him and change his perception of the man he loved. I feared what that might do to him. He loved and cherished his parents, but I thought he knew what they’d done.

He felt the change in our bond, and his gaze landed on me. He whispered, “What are you hiding from me?”

20

LIRA

My throat thickened, and I couldn’t answer. The words wouldn’t form, and I knew why. I wanted to protect him from the truth… the one he didn’t know. In his mind, it was easy to view the dragons and the Seelie as the enemy. That was the reason he’d been able to push forward with his life and become the man he was today. If I took that from him, I didn’t know what might happen to him.

He blanched, turning the same color as the snow he covered his lands in as he stared deep into my eyes.

“Great Fates, Lira.” Eiric rubbed a hand down her face. “Just tell him. He won’t believe me.”

“You believe this too?” His face crumpled, and a sense of betrayal wafted through our bond.

The damage was already done, so I had to get past my fear. Still, I grimaced as I started, “I more than believe it, thorn. I saw it. Everyone in Gleann Solas and Tìr na Dràgon did. That’s what brought my parents and the dragons into their alliance. I even flew around the country because Father feared leaving Mother and me behind at the castle with all the royal guards gone.Everything was blanketed in darkness, hiding the sun and even the moon and stars. Our crops and flowers were dying.”

---