Page 14 of Throne of Dreams
“Well then, my lady.” Tiernan stood from the table and offered her his hand. “I suggest we increase your training.”
Maeve knew she’d probably regret it, but she took his hand. “I thought you might say that.”
* * *
Tiernanfadedthem back to the strand of beach where they usually practiced. It was far enough away from Niahvess not to disturb the public, and close enough to the palace in case things got out of hand.
Unlikely, but necessary.
Tiernan took Maeve by the shoulders and made her face him.
“You can do this. You are the lifeblood of magic. Of creation.” He squeezed her gently, enforcing his words. “Whatever you see in your mind’s eye, take it and make it yours. Do not hesitate.”
She nodded and he was acutely aware of her resistance. The necklace dangling between her breasts told him as much. She was nervous.
“Don’t think, just do.”
Another nod, this one sharper.
“Draw on your anger if you must. Your vengeance. Imagine I’m Fearghal.”
At those words, fire burned bright in her eyes. “What if I hurt you?”
He patted her cheek. “Then I’ll expect you to tend to my wounds.”
She subjected him to an eye roll, and he turned around to walk away from her when a gust of icy wind barreled into him. Hands out, he caught himself before his face slammed into the sand.
“What the—”
Tiernan jumped up, kicking sand in his wake. He spun back around. What he saw stole his breath. Pierced him through his heart like a dagger.
There stood Maeve, calling upon Summer, upon his storm, using his own magic against him. Menacing clouds of black boiled, blocking out the sun. Frozen drops of rain pelted the once calm shore. The grit of sand stung his face, blasted his arms. He raised his hand, shielding his eyes from its onslaught. The waves roiled, the sky roared. With her arms locked down on either side of her, she called up the full fury of his wrath. Gusts of wind howled in challenge, whipping around her, lifting her hair from her shoulders. Magic pulsed in angry, beating throbs so the ground trembled and the rumble of thunder cracked overhead. She called the heavens down, for the seven circles of hell had met their match.
Tiernan shoved his hair back from his face. All he could do was stare at her.
She glowed with the strength of her power, with the pure, raw force of it. Her grayish-green eyes focused on him as the storm above them intensified. She was magic incarnate. She was illustrious. She was a fuckingqueen.
He stumbled back a step as the might of the wind assaulted them. It lashed out and sparked with the blaze of fire. Lightning splintered across the sky and took the shape of swords. They fell like rain.
“Fuck.” Maybe shecouldhurt him.
He used his own power to blast the swords up and away from them, back to the clouds from which they’d fallen. Her eyes widened in shock. Frenzied wind swirled around her, creating a cyclone, and the momentum of it was enough to almost knock him off his feet. It howled, angry and vicious. White-capped waves slammed the shoreline, drenching them in swells of brine and salt. The sea lashed the shore in raging beatings. But she didn’t sway. And she didn’t yield.
Fear.
Her fear was a raging river and it threatened to drown her.
She cried out for him. “Tiernan!”
“Son of a bitch.” He reached for her thoughts, for her mind, and tore into the storm ravaging her from the inside out. Her emotions wereeverywhere. She was at war with herself, lost in the assault of power, wonder, and terror. Held hostage by the memories of her past.
“TIERNAN!”
Her scream had him running, and he slammed into the wall of wind barricading her from him. It threw him back like he was nothing. Like he wasn’t a powerful Archfae.
“Ceridwen.”He reached out to his twin.“Cer, I need you. I can’t reach her. I need your help to calm her down.”
His sister’s response was a shout in his mind.“She’s too strong! I can’t get through! My magic…it’s not enough!”
