Page 138 of Throne of Dreams
“Try not to terrify the innocent.”
Their smiles, no matter how threatening, exhibited a glimpse of humor. Then they were gone, doing her bidding without question.
“Lir,” she huffed, “what else can I do?”
But he wasn’t looking at her. His gaze was trained beyond her and the expression he wore coasted prickles of alarm along her skin. It resembled…regret? Remorse? She couldn’t be sure.
“Lir? What is it?” She attempted to follow his line of sight, but he captured her other arm and hauled her back around, making her face him, refusing to let her go.
He swallowed. “I beg you not to look, my lady.”
She stared up at him, into silver eyes that mirrored molten steel. If he didn’t want her to look upon a dead body, she could understand that, but it wasn’t as though she was absolved from witnessing death. She’d seen her fair share. Many moons over. But this was different. His jaw was clenched tightly, his face somber. Whatever was behind her, it would do more than make her stomach turn.
She asked a more pointed question, her gut clenching. “Lir, who is it?”
He didn’t answer her. He looked over her head, unwilling to make eye contact.
An unwanted wave of hysteria bubbled up inside her. Something was wrong. He never acted like this. Her heart rate spiked, and she gulped down air, tasting nothing but smoke and death. “Lir, tell me at once.”
Still he remained silent, his grip on her never wavering.
“Lir, we are beyond this!” How many times had she fought to get him to speak to her, to open up to her, even in the most trivial of ways? “If you trust me, if you have an ounce of respect for me, then I beg you to tell me now. Please.”
His eyes flashed and he dropped his hands, releasing her.
She whipped around, confused at first, because she couldn’t pinpoint who or what had consumed him. She glimpsed Brynn kneeling by a body, crimson pooling around them both, staining the stone and her leggings. Except…that particular body was familiar to her.
Golden hair and clothing in jewel-toned hues. The colors of Autumn.
“Shay?” Maeve stumbled forward, tripping over herself before bursting into a full sprint. “Shay!”
Her heart caught in the back of her throat at the sight of him.
He was sprawled on the ground, his skin leached of all color. The length between the rise and fall of his chest was too long. He was dying. And to Maeve’s utter horror, she could see why. He’d been gutted. Wholly. His abdomen shredded, his insides exposed to the elements.
Icy panic slammed into her. She couldn’t think. She couldn’t breathe. Her heart raced and her magic surged, imploding inside of her. Fear raked its claws down her back, ripping her to pieces. Grief consumed her, all-encompassing.
She clamped her hand over her mouth, swallowing down the rise of hot bile. “Oh, gods.”
“I’m so sorry, my lady!” Brynn’s voice broke, shattering her. She glanced up, tears streaking down her cheeks, her hands covered in Shay’s blood. “I don’t…I don’t know what to do! I can’t save him!”
“Shay,” Maeve breathed, dropping onto the ground next to him. She ignored the way his blood seemed to stick to her leathers, and she bent down, smoothing his hair back from his clammy forehead.
“I can do it.” She croaked the words out. “You’re going to be alright. Just stay with me, Shay. Stay with me.”
“Maeve.” His voice reminded her of gravel.
“Don’t…don’t talk. I’m here.” Tears burned her vision, and she stared down at the mess of his body. Her magic billowed. “I’m going to save you, okay?”
He smiled, but it was a ghost of its usual beauty. His lips were dry, cracked and peeling.
“He knew.” Shay tried to speak again, his words garbled. He stole a breath and the sucking sound of it made a knot of acid roil in Maeve’s stomach. “Garvan knew I was against him. He used…used me to get to you.”
Maeve shook her head. “He didn’t though, see? He didn’t get me. I’m right here.”
Carefully, she placed her hands upon his heinous injuries and tried not to retch.
“Yes. But he has Ceridwen. He wants to trade…a sister.” He coughed and Maeve winced against the jerking motion that pressed his insides into her blood-soaked palms. “For a sister.”
