Page 129 of Beyond the Faerie Gate

“So many scars,” she whispers, an edge of the Goddess still undercutting her tone. “This will be avenged.”

The second she releases him, she stumbles backwards, and I hurry to catch her before she falls.

She shouldn’t be so worn out so quickly, but she keeps using her powers without the proper training. Kitarni is rightfully concerned with catching her up on the basics like reading and writing, but Rose is going to need practical lessons on managing her connection to the Goddess so she doesn’t keep letting go too soon and starting to drain her personal power.

Her gift is just too taxing for her to fuel it that way. That she can actively use another powerful Nicnevin’s magic at the same time as her necromancy without dying is a testament to how strong she already is.

Hefting her into my arms, I glare at the Fomorian, whose arm is still extended through the bars. There’s still blood on his face, but otherwise he looks completely healed.

“You will not do anything to drain her like this again,” I snarl.

He recovers quickly. “Aww, wolfie. Is that your way of telling me you don’t like it when I get hurt?”

“Jaro?” Rose murmurs, twisting in my hold until I have to adjust her so I’m cradling her in my arms. “Please don’t fight. It was my fault.”

“We’re not fighting,” I promise. “But we need answers.”

I turn back to Caed, who’s staring at his hand like it’s about to fall off. He closes his fist, then opens it again, repeating the motion as he rotates his wrist, as if trying to see every angle.

“She needs rest,” I grunt. “When I return, you’ll tell me what I want to know.”

I don’t phrase it as a question, but Caed just can’t keep his mouth shut.

“Sure. Why wouldn’t I just tell my enemy everything? It’ll take more than fixing my hand for me to turn traitor.”

Rose peeks her head up over my arm and looks him in the eye, sleepily.

“Jaro’s not asking you to.”

I roll my eyes. “My lady, please rest. Let me deal with the Fomorian.”

But she isn’t done. “I wouldn’t make you betray the people you care about,” she insists. “The knights just want to know that the people they care about are safe too.”

Wrong. We want to know that she is safe. I don’t correct her, though.

Caed raises a brow. “No one is coming to slit your throat in your sleep, Your Majesty.” He says the last with a little bow. “There’s no glory in that.”

I should be relieved to hear the words, but even though I don’t sense a lie, I don’t believe him.

Rose must, because she finally slouches in my arms.

We have to do something about her naïvety… but I can’t find the will to destroy her innocence just yet.

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