Page 87 of Throne of Dreams
The magic of destruction could overwhelm him if he wasn’t in complete control of his thoughts. He shoved it back down into the darkest part of his soul. With a shaking, shallow breath, he centered himself. Then he waved a hand, releasing his hold on Maeve, and she sagged against the wall. He slowly turned to her.
“Do you take pleasure in mocking me?”
“I could ask the same of you,” she spat. Her chest heaved and the harsh accusation in her glare sliced through him like a thousand blades dipped in nightshade.
He’d hurt her far worse than he’d realized.
But he’d kept Ciara at arm’s length. He hadn’t allowed her to touch and fondle him like she would’ve liked, instead he’d pushed her away. It wasn’t until the moment before Maeve burst into his bedroom that Ciara had wrapped her arms around him like some gnarled vine and let her breasts spill from the confines of her ill-fitting gown. Maeve, on the other hand, had blatantly aroused Malachy. She’d allowed his hands to rove over her body for everyone to witness.
“You bear my mark and yet—”
“And you bear mine!” she fired back. “Yet you had no problem letting Ciara hang all over you.”
“You are gravely mistaken.” Tiernan’s blood turned to ice. “I kicked her out.”
“You never should’ve invited her in,” Maeve snapped and spun on one heel.
Tiernan snatched her arm and dragged her against him. “Do not walk away from me, High Princess.”
She wrenched herself free from his hold and her eyes frosted over. “Don’t tell me what to do.” She jabbed him in the chest with one finger. “You don’t get to choose when you want me or when I’m enough for you. I lost everyone, Tiernan.Everyone. Every soul I cared about was taken from me. My entire life was stolen from me! Then there was you and you offered me whatever this,” she gestured between them, “thing is between us. And I wanted it because I wanted you.”
Smoke furled around her like ribbons of gray velvet, and Tiernan brought the rain, a light sprinkle, to soothe the fire raging inside her.
It wasn’t enough.
“But you,” she accused, “you didn’t even think well enough of me to tell me your ex-girlfriend was coming to town. And to make it worse, you had Merrick cover for you.”
A terrible mistake.
“I only did what I thought was right, Maeve. I knew Ciara would purposefully try to hurt and insult you.” He spread his arms wide. “I was trying to protect you from her.”
“I am perfectly capable of protecting myself!” She fisted her hands on her hips, glowering at him. “You of all people should know that.”
Tiernan raked a hand through his hair. She was maddening. Absolutely infuriating. Fiercely independent and stubbornly foolish. Of course she could handle herself, he was fully aware of the fact, but no matter how many souls she slayed, no matter how many times she ran into a battle alongside him, none of it would ever be enough to keep him from protecting her. He would rather die, multiple times over, if it meant she was safe.
“All I know is that Garvan is here. And I’ve seen the way he watches you. He’s waiting for us to make a mistake, for us to falter. Just one time is all it will take.” Tiernan nodded vaguely in the direction of the ballroom. “He’s looking for an opportunity. I’m sure he wants nothing more than to drive a wedge between us.”
“It looks like he didn’t have to.” She cocked one hip to the side. “You did that yourself.”
“Gods damn it, Maeve!” Tiernan slammed his fist into the wall beside her head, and she jumped. Pieces of stone and rock tore into his flesh, staining his hand red with his own blood. “I told Ciara to leave me. I told her there was nothing left of what we used to have, and eventhatwas dozens of years ago. I only care for two things in this life.” He gripped her chin and angled her face to his. “You and my Court. Nothing else.”
His hand fell away from her. “Yet tonight you mocked my fidelity to you by showing up in a dress that would make every male within a five-foot radius want to fuck you.”
She didn’t flinch. She didn’t waver. “As was my intent.”
Wind howled through the corridor, and vicious bolts of lightning ripped across the sky. “We are going back into that ballroom, and you are going to stay by my side for the remainder of the night.”
“No.” Her dismissal was clear.
“You. Are. Mine,” he growled. “I won’t have you acting like a shameless flirt and throwing yourself at the feet of unworthy males just because you think it’s my jealousy you crave. Those are not the actions of an Archfae. It’s the behavior of a common whore.”
“Fuck you.”
Her hand collided with his face, and the stinging pain from her palm burned his cheek. He stumbled back as fire erupted from her, blasting toward him. His magic surged and the rain poured down, dousing her flames. Her eyes flashed, wild with fury. Cloying smoke clouded his senses. Overhead his storm raged against the wall of power building between them. Her skin glowed and she opened her hand, calling her sword of sunlight to her. It burned bright, its flames licking the space between them. Her gaze narrowed and she took aim.
He drew his own sword, wary. “You really want to do this right now?”
“Do not ever call me that again.” It was the only warning he had before she attacked.
