Page 35 of Throne of Dreams
Maeve scrubbed her hair and body, rinsing away the salt of the sea. She lathered up the soap and let the lightly sweetened scent of vanilla coat her skin. With her head tilted back beneath the hot spray, scalding water poured over her and enveloped her in a blanket of steam. She stood there, cleansed, and refused to feel guilty for what she’d done. It may not have been the best course of action, but so far, for as long as she’d been in Faeven, all her more reckless decisions had gleaned new information of some kind. And for that, she wouldn’t be ashamed.
She dawdled a moment or two longer, until the water cooled, then turned off the overhead faucet. She toweled off, squeezed the excess water from her curls, then glamoured them dry and held up the robe Deirdre had left for her.
It was sheer turquoise chiffon, with matching silk bands at the hems. And while it was exceptionally lovely, she doubted it would be nearly as comfortable as her cotton nightshirt. Wrapping herself into the decadently soft fabric, she pulled open the bathroom door and shrieked.
Tiernan stood before her, his face a barely contained mask of fury, and she was directly in his path.
* * *
Tiernan knew he scared her.But he didn’t care. Her pathetic little scream had been a balm to his soul. She’d been the one to scare him. The surge of magic, of all her emotions, had barreled into him. Overwhelmed him. For the first time in a long time, he’d felt true fear. He’d been seconds away from tearing through the realms, from destroying the life and soul of anyone who stood in his way, when Lir had appeared before him and reported that she was safely back in her room.
Now she stood before him, in the flesh and blood, wearing a pretty robe that left absolutelynothingto the imagination. He could see each curve, each dip, every inch of skin.
And fuck if he didn’t want to take her right then.
Instead, she crossed her arms and cocked one hip to the side. Like she was the one who had the right to be angry. Already his presence enraged her, and he hadn’t uttered a word.
She lifted her chin, defiant as always. “Can I help you, my lord?”
“You can start by telling me where the fuck you’ve been,” he growled, enjoying the way her lashes fluttered back in surprise before she quickly schooled her expression into one of disinterest.
She bristled against his harsh tone. “What I do and where I go is none of your concern.”
Maeve attempted to shove past him, but he threw his arm out and blocked her escape, barricading her inside the bathroom. “Everything about you is my concern.”
She glared up at him. All fire and fury. Smoke and seduction. “Why?”
“Because.”
Gods, it was the most pathetic answer, but everything about her made him want to slam his fist into a wall.
“Oh, real smooth, my lord.” She rolled her eyes and barreled into him. He didn’t give her an inch.“Move.”
“No.” He braced himself for impact in case she threw a punch. “Not until you tell me why you felt the need to vanish for hours without telling anyone where you were going.”
“I didn’t vanish.” She threw her hands up in the air. “All of you knew I was with Aran.”
He reached out and curled his hand around the pendant dangling between her breasts, smirking with satisfaction at her sharp inhale. “Then why, High Princess, were you so terrified? Why was your fear so palpable, so consuming, that Ceridwen nearly broke down and I sent every soul in my Court in search of you?”
He would not tell her about the power she held over him.
She ducked her head, and a curtain of curls blocked her face from his view. When she spoke, her voice was soft, laden with something like guilt. “Because I wasn’t in your Court.”
“Where were you?” He ground the words out and tried to force himself to remain calm, but every muscle, every nerve was wired and strained. All of it for her.
“I was on theAmshirwith Aran.” She flipped her mass of hair from one side to the other. “For a bit.”
“And then?”
“And then…”
Tiernan’s hand shot out and he captured her chin, so she had no other choice but to look directly at him. “Tell me what happened.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she shook her head. “No.”
“Why not?”
“You’ll hurt them.”
