Page 110 of Realm of Nightmares
Maeve might have faced a setback in Diamarvh, but she wouldn’t allow one misfortune to dictate the course of her future. There had to be another way. But first, she was going back to the House of Death to find Laurel…and possibly to strangle the damned fae for being so absolutely wretched.
ChapterThirty-Two
Tiernan sat on the balcony facing the western sky, where fog and low-lying clouds continued to loom. Before him was a small spread of sandwiches, some sugar-dusted berries, and a pile of raspberry tarts. He wanted to eat, knew he should maintain some semblance of energy, but everything he ate tasted like ash in his mouth.
“Would you care for some tea, my lord?”
He glanced over his shoulder to see Deirdre bustling around the other end of the table, a silver platter in her hands, complete with a fresh pot of tea, a cup, and a glass carafe of cream. She huffed once, blowing a loose strand of hair out of her face, the piece somehow falling loose from the tidy bun she always wore at her nape. Setting the tray down, she twisted the blue apron around her waist, crinkling the fabric. He didn’t miss the way her hands continued to shake, even after she finished serving him.
The mortal was aging.
There were more streaks of silver in her hair now and her once smooth, youthful face was lined with deep-set wrinkles around her eyes and the corners of her mouth. The proof of her brief life was more prominent than ever.
It gave his heart cause to twinge.
“Thank you, Deirdre.” He nodded, accepting the cup of steaming brown liquid she quickly poured for him. He added a splash of cream, noting the way her wary gaze slid to the horizon.
“You don’t have to stay, you know.” Tiernan stirred the tea slowly, watching her. “I can always send you back if you’re worried about how things might end.”
She waved away the notion like she was swatting a fly. “Nonsense, my lord. Faeven is my home. It has been for almost forty years.”
Her words took him back to the memory of when they first met.
Deirdre was young then, a few months past her twentieth year, when he’d found her alone in the remains of a shipwrecked vessel drifting along the Eirelan Pass. She’d been starving and half-mad with delirium, sobbing to Lir and him about how her ship had come under attack by merchants in search of immortals for some sordid trade dealings. In the end, they’d stolen most of the women and only the strongest of men, killing off everyone else. Deirdre only survived because her mother hid her away in an empty barrel stored with dried fish. It took weeks for the smell to go away, even longer for her to recover.
“Besides,” Deirdre continued, oblivious to his train of thought, “there’s no one left for me in the human lands. I’ve not stepped foot onto Veterra’s soil in far too long. If I die in your service, then there’s no nobler way for me to go.”
Another twinge in his heart, sharper this time. He opened his mouth to respond when Merrick walked out onto the balcony.
“My lord.” His hunter bowed.
Deirdre bobbed a curtsy. “I’ll leave you to it then.”
Tiernan hated to see her go, but he vowed to himself then and there that no matter the outcome of this war, he wouldn’t let anything happen to the human who’d given her life up to serve him willingly.
He gestured to the empty seat beside him, nodding in Merrick’s direction. “You have news.”
“I do.” He dropped into the chair and grabbed a plate, loading it with berries and raspberry tarts, leaving the sandwiches untouched. “I spoke with Ciara this morning.”
“And?” Tiernan prompted.
“And she intends to pay us a visit tonight to discuss the possibility of forming an alliance with Aeramere.” Merrick scooped a spoonful of the berries into his mouth. “Apparently, the prince owes her a favor.”
“What do we know about Aeramere?” Tiernan was well-versed in his studies, but he would readily admit to not having much knowledge regarding the histories of other kingdoms and continents. Lir, however, was a mastermind on such subjects.
Merrick bit off the corner of a raspberry tart, chewing thoughtfully. “Admittedly, not much. My interactions with them are limited. I had a few conversations whenever they came to Ashdara for balls or other social gatherings hosted by my mother. Their realm is divided into houses with one reigning faerie queen, and the prince who owes Ciara a favor being her only son. But other than that, my sister knows far more about them than I do.”
It wasn’t as much information as he would’ve hoped, but it was a decent start.
“Lir is currently in talks with Aran to see if the High Prince has alliances with any of the eastern realms,” Merrick said, pouring himself a cup of tea as Tiernan’s grew cold.
“I’m assuming Aran and Dorian are still here.”
“Yes, my lord.” Merrick took a hasty gulp of the steaming liquid and winced. “They haven’t yet returned to Kyol.”
“Excellent. We should plan for a meeting tonight. That way, everyone is kept informed and aware of the circumstances.” Relenting, Tiernan finally plucked a sandwich off the platter.
“Of course,moh Rí.” The hunter nodded, adding another helping of berries onto his plate. “I’ll ensure Aran and Dorian plan to stay after dinner.”
