I still hate him though, she reminded herself. I still hate him, and I’ll remind him when I don’t feel like I’ve been through another round of the Battle for the Shard.
But she wasn’t entirely certain she would be able to get the words out. Not because they were lies. Of course they weren’t lies. She didn’t feel anything toward Lorcan Rothach, the Prince of Shadows, but hatred. Hate, hate, hate, and nothing else.
His heart thudded against her ear. Despite how muscular he was, his chest was surprisingly comfortable. Not soft like a pillow, but smooth and warm and safe. With a contented sigh, she snuggled in and gave in to the exhaustion that tugged insistently on her eyelids.
Her eyes drifted shut as she basked in the steady warmth of him. Reyna had never liked the heat. In fact, she hated it. The burning cold of the northern ice was far better than anything created by fire. But this was different. A good kind of heat. The best kind, really.
Distantly, she was aware of Lorcan stroking her hair and pressing soft lips against her forehead. The stubborn part of her wanted to wake up and slap him right in his stupid handsome face, but the other part of her—the part that was enjoying this far more than she should—begged her to yield. Just this once.
You’re healing. You need the rest. There’s no reason to be so stubborn all of the time.
Time passed as slumber pulled her into the darkness of a dreamless sleep. Eventually, she heard the clattering of footsteps on a wooden floor, but she did not have the strength to rouse. Her face was still plastered against Lorcan’s chest, her limbs heavy, her stomach still throbbing with pain. She stayed right where she was, eyes still shut against the world.
A familiar voice cut through the silence, a grating voice she would recognize anywhere. “Your Highness. Thank the gods. We were worried you hadn’t made it to safety.”
More thudding of footsteps followed.
“How’s the princess?” Tarrah asked in a soft voice.
“She’s in a lot of pain, but she’ll live.” A pause. “These wood fae saved her, Nollaig. If they’d turned us away, she’d be dead.”
“Yes, quite right. We’re lucky they aren’t loyal to the wood king.”
“This village is awfully close to the border,” Lorcan said, so quietly that his words were almost garbled in Reyna’s tired brain.
“What are you saying?” Teutas asked.
“I’m not sure. All I know is that I will not let another village full of innocents burn down.” He cleared his throat, his voice sounding strangled. “Did you stop the scouts?”
“Some,” Nollaig replied tensely. “But not all. The wood king will soon know we’re here, if he doesn’t already. And he will come for us.”
21
Lorcan
Lorcan paced a line from the window to the door and back again. He did not know what to do or even if he should do anything at all. At least one of the wood king’s scouts had made it back to Craobhan. Now, the Wood Court would know that shadow fae had been poking around the forest just north of Findius. And they would likely know why. As cruel as the wood king was, he was not dim-witted. In fact, he was very clever indeed, if the tales were true.
Only a male of great cunning could have gotten as far as he had.
Duff suddenly strode inside Reyna’s healing room, flanked by two of his fellow warriors. They eyed Lorcan’s frantic pacing, and then exchanged knowing looks.
“Sure you don’t want to join us at the tavern tonight for a round of ales?” Duff asked, still donned in boiled leather armor even now. “Our local bard is a sea fae, and he’s got some tall tales he loves to sing about. You ever hear of the Ghaisgeach, the one who’s supposed to save the world?”
“I’ll pass. Meredith said Reyna is getting better, and I don’t want her to wake up alone.”
“If she does wake up soon, it likely won’t be for long,” Duff said. “It’ll be several more days before she’s back to normal.”
“I don’t care. I’m staying here.”
“Suit yourself.” Duff shrugged. “In the meantime, I thought you might like something to wear. I’ve brought you a tunic.”
The wood fae tossed a small bundle of green his way. Lorcan caught it, held it up, and frowned. “I appreciate it, but this looks a bit small.”
Duff chuckled. “That’s because you shadow fae are so damn big.”
Lorcan bristled, but he didn’t bother to correct him. He might have inherited his father’s court, but he’d never considered himself a true shadow fae. He belonged to his mother’s court. The Air Court. Even though he’d betrayed them, he would have the heart of an air fae until the day he died.
A knock sounded on the door, and then Meredith bustled inside without waiting for an answer. Duff and his friends gave Lorcan a quick goodbye, and then backed out of the room while Meredith fussed at Reyna’s wound, wrapping a new bandage and wiping away the fresh blood. Before covering it back up, she spread an ointment across the wound. A healing salve meant to speed up the process, though it would never replace the powers the fae had once had.
If only the Fall had never happened, Reyna would already be fully healed by now.
And the kingdoms would not be at war.
“How is she doing?” Lorcan asked as Meredith finished up with the bandage.
“Much better. She is a strong one, this Reyna.”
Lorcan audibly sighed. “Good. We will leave first thing on the morrow.”
Meredith frowned. “I said she’s better, but she is not fully healed. The poor thing needs to rest, to gather her strength back.”
His heart pulsed. The wood fae knew they were somewhere in the area. It would not take them long to realize where they’d gone. If the shadow fae knew Oxgrove was a welcome place for strangers, the wood king would know it, too.
“How much longer?”
“A few more days.” With a gentle smile, she patted his shoulder. “And then she will be good to go.”
“A few more days,” he echoed.
A few more days, and the wood fae would be here. That or they would cut off their return path to Findius. If they did, Lorcan and his party would never be able to cross beneath the wall. The wood fae would spot the hidden tunnels if they used them. And they couldn’t risk the enemy discovering the only path across the border.
“And there is no way to speed up her healing?”
She swatted at his arm. “No. You’re lucky she’s even alive. Now why don’t you go join the lads and leave her be? The more she rests, the faster she’ll heal.”
Lorcan merely crossed his arms over his chest and kept his feet firmly rooted to the timber floor. With a roll of her eyes, she gave Reyna one last glance and left. As she departed, another visitor announced her arrival with a rustle of her cloak against the floor.
“Your Highness,” Nollaig said, bowing slightly. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard what the wood fae said. It appears our fate has finally caught up with us.”
Lorcan twisted to face her with a frown.
Nollaig continued. “We will fight our best, of course, but the wood king will send far more warriors than we have here, even including the many villagers of Oxgrove who know how to wield a weapon. I suppose it is a matter of how soon we will fall, not if.”