Page 143 of Throne of Dreams
Brynn shifted in her seat, her eyes switching colors so rapidly, Tiernan could barely keep up. “Even still. Lir is right. Whether she’s in the air or in the water, she’ll be caught.”
Merrick clicked his tongue. “Only if she resurfaces.”
Maeve’s head snapped up and her gaze landed on him. “The merrows.”
He nodded once. “Exactly.”
Tiernan sat back in his seat, impressed. It could work. He had to admit, the plan was slightly reckless and there was no guarantee of Maeve’s safety, but it was a start. The waterfalls running on both sides of Kyol’s palace flowed into the Black Lake, and from there, it emptied into the Gaelsong Sea. Maeve had survived when the merrows caught her by surprise and took her to the depths of Ispomora below the Lismore Marin; and that was a saltwater sea, not a small, winding river. Not only that, but Queen Marella had promised to offer the Summer Court support if they needed it, and right now, her assistance could be the determining factor between losing his sister or hissirraforever.
It was precarious, and though he knew she would agree, there was something else there. Her necklace alerted him to it…to the hesitation she was feeling.
Brynn gnawed on her bottom lip, her apprehension clearly visible. “Do we really think this can work?”
“It’s a risk.” Tiernan strummed his fingers idly on the table. There would always be an element of risk. “But it’s the best we’ve come up with so far.”
“Agreed.” Merrick crossed his arms, awaiting Maeve’s decision. “It could be our one shot to get both High Princesses back.”
“What about you, little bird?” Lir dropped into the chair across from Maeve, tracking her every movement with his silver eyes. “Are you up for it?”
“Yes.” She swallowed. “I can do it.”
But…but there was something she wasn’t saying. Something she wasn’t telling them.
“I’ve been to Ispomora before, so I’m not worried about that.” Her brow was pinched when she focused on Merrick. “You said every level of Kyol’s palace has a balcony overlooking the falls?”
He nodded sharply. “Right.”
“Okay,” she drew the word out. “So, all I have to do is make it to a balcony and jump?”
“Exactly.” A shadow fell across his face, and he reached out to her, gently patting her hand. “I know it’s not the best idea, my lady.”
She bristled. “I’ll make it happen.”
“When you get to the railing, don’t hesitate. Don’t look back. Don’t waste a single second, okay?” Merrick had never been so somber. “Just jump.”
Maeve glanced down at her lap and ran her teeth along her bottom lip. She fiddled with the hem of her oversized blouse, smoothing away imaginary wrinkles. Her thoughts were a whirlwind. Panicked. All she seemed to focus on was the water and its current. If it was cold. If it was dark.
Ah.
Tiernan finally understood. This was where her uncertainty stemmed from. It came from her memories of Kells, the cage, and when Carman nearly drowned her out of spite. She was struggling to find her strength, to convince herself she could go through with it. The jump from one of the balconies, from any of them, would be no small feat. It would be like reliving her fall from the Cliffs of Morrigan all over again, the one he’d witnessed in her nightmares. If her terror resurfaced, she could panic. She could drown. She could die.
Lir inched forward, his exterior calm, but he read her like one of the many pages in her books. “There’s a waterfall on each side of Kyol’s palace, supplied by a river of water that flows south from an inlet off the coast. The palace is built into the side of a mountain, and the water pools at the base, much like a moat. The water you will be jumping into is frigid. It will steal your breath. From what I’ve gathered,” he said, with a fleeting look to Tiernan, “you’ve been in the Black Lake before.”
The understated slight was not overlooked.
In Tiernan’s defense, when he’d tossed Maeve into the lake to cure her of thespraedaghshe’d inhaled, he didn’t think she would drown. She knew how to swim, but her terror had been too great.
“But it is also extremely dark. You won’t be able to see anything, you will be relying completely upon the merrows to guide you.” Lir trailed his finger across the table in front of her. “It feeds into the Black Lake and that’s where we will be waiting for you. The current is fairly strong through the river section, but once the merrows have you, they will be the ones to bring you to safety.”
Maeve nodded, processing. “When should I jump?”
“As soon as the opportunity arises,” Tiernan answered, not allowing anyone the chance to contradict him. “We don’t know how long Garvan will wait before summoning Parisa, if he waits at all.”
“Alright.” Maeve continued to fidget with her blouse, twisting the fabric around her finger, then loosening it altogether. “And how will the merrows know when I’ve jumped?”
“They’ll be on a constant rotation until you do.” Merrick glanced at Tiernan for confirmation. “We’ll have two of them waiting for you, and a third will be the messenger to alert us. They’ll be there for you as soon as you hit the water.”
Maeve blew out a breath, a rush of calm radiating from her. “Okay.”
