Page 110 of Throne of Dreams
Even though Maeve was curled up beside him, sound asleep, he found no peace. His thoughts were at war with one another, each one demanding his undivided attention. There was so much at stake. Their venture to Kells to locate the Furies, ridding the land of the Scathing, and destroying Fearghal were not small tasks. All of it would require time, effort, and energy. If Shay’s tip on Garvan and Parisa’s doings were any indication, they were on the cusp of a major battle.
As of now, Merrick had still not returned with any details regarding weaponry or numbers. He had no doubt his hunter would come back with all the information they sought, but until then, they were going in blind.
He watched the stars vanish through the glass dome of his ceiling. He watched as the night sky faded away to the glowing watercolors of early dawn, like brushstrokes across a canvas. The sun rose in the east, its brilliant beams striking up from between the twin mountain peaks of the border. By the time Maeve roused from slumber, he was already dressed and waiting for her to awaken.
She stretched her arms up over her head and gave him a sleepy smile. “You’re up early.”
Tiernan walked over to her and lowered himself onto the edge of the bed. “Yes.”
“You didn’t sleep, did you?”
“No.”
He waved his hand and a pile of neatly folded clothing appeared. A blouse and leggings, her boots, but also…armor. There was a corset and leathers for her arms and legs. He thought the color suited her. Aubergine, Ceridwen had called it. The stitching was a fine rose gold, a perfect match to her tattoos, and it was embellished with tiny rare faerie stones that shifted colors from purple to crimson, depending upon the light.
She sat up at once and blinked down at the stack of armor, her fingers carefully touching the material as though it was a fine silk and not leather made to protect her from a blade.
“Do you like them?” he asked.
“Tiernan, they’re beautiful.” She lifted the corset and admired it in the early morning light. “But…”
“But what?” Doubt needled its way through him. Perhaps he’d made a mistake in commissioning them for her.
Her brow furrowed. “They’re not Summer colors.”
“No, but they are colors that suit you.”
Her gaze darted to him.
Shit. He’d gone a step too far. He couldn’t read her face, he couldn’t analyze her expression. For the first time, she was a blank page. Void of any emotion.
“You’re right. That was out of line, even for me. I shouldn’t have assumed.” Tiernan hastily scooped up the leathers. “Let’s just toss these out, then you can choose whatever you want and—”
“Tiernan, stop.” She snatched them from his hold and pulled, clutching them to her chest. “They’re perfect for me and…my Court.” She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you.”
“Your gratitude,” he warned.
“Is never wasted on you,” she countered. “But if there’s something I can give you in return…”
She shimmied a little, allowing the bed linens to pool around her, showcasing her breasts and abdomen, and lower still. He reached out and gently lifted the opal and amethyst necklace dangling between the valley of her breasts. Her skin was warm against the gentle graze of his knuckles.
“Wicked little queen.” He released the necklace and pulled back. “But I’m afraid your offer will have to be postponed until we return from Kells. The others are already waiting for us.”
Maeve jolted out of the bed. “What? Why didn’t you wake me?”
“As if I would.” He smirked. “A female suffering from lack of sleep is damn near a death wish to anyone who approaches her.” His gaze slid to the door, and then, “You’ve seen Ceridwen…”
“Point taken.” She pulled on the leggings and blouse, then laced up the heavily beaded corset. Tiernan helped her with the leathers, and by the time he stepped back to admire her, his blood started to hum.
She did a little twirl. “What do you think?”
She was a warrior. A queen. And all he wanted to do was put her right back into his bed where she belonged.
“You know,” he drawled and gave her ass a gentle smack, “I think we can make them wait a few minutes more.”
He made to grab her, but she twisted out of his reach.
“Not a chance, my lord.” She pulled her Aurastone from under the pillow and sheathed it on her thigh. Then she stalked into her adjoining bedroom and reemerged a few moments later with her sword of sunlight at her hip. “Ready?”
