She knew the instant her feelings reached him. His eyes flared.Magic wrapped around her with sudden electric warmth. But the warmth changed in an instant as a powerful primitive force invaded her mind, calling to her, roaring with triumph and searing hunger, battering at the privacy of her soul. She felt something inside her start to give way, and fear rose hard and fast. With a cry, she flung herself out of Rain’s arms.
Rain groaned aloud, a raw hoarse sound. His hands fisted and he closed his eyes. Sparks flashed around him like fireflies.
“Sieks’ta,” he apologized tightly. “Do not be frightened. It is the tairen in me that frightens you, but I can control it. I will control it,shei’tani. I promise you. Please, do not shrink from me.” Even as he spoke, the sparks began to fade.
“The tairen?” Her heart was pounding, her breath coming in shallow gasps.
“The tairen lives in all Fey warriors,” he replied, opening his eyes. Relief flooded her as she saw that his control was back. His magic no longer sparkled around him, the glow in his eyes was dimming. “In most it is dormant, but when a Fey is born with full strength in all the Fey magics, the tairen awakens. These Fey become Tairen Souls. The tairen is conscious within them, leashed by their will, but always driving the Fey with the same instincts of a true tairen.”
“It-it attacked me.”
“Nei. It did not attack, it tried to claim.” His hand reached out, but stopped shy of touching her face. He pulled his hand back, thrust his fingers through his hair, and sighed. “Mating and the claiming of a mate is the fiercest of any tairen instinct. I have recognized you as myshei’tani. A moment ago your soul reached out, willingly, to mine. I felt it. The tairen in me responded as any tairen would to its mate. I should have been prepared. I was not.” His eyelids lowered. “For this, I apologize. I have dishonored myself.”
Even though she was still frightened, her heart could not bear to see him humbled. He was the Tairen Soul, the hero of her life’sdreams. And for some strange reason, some joke of the gods she could not hope to fathom, he had claimed her as his mate. She bit her lip in indecision, then dragged a deep breath into her lungs and stepped forward to clasp his hands.
At her touch, his eyes flew open and fixed on hers. “Shei’tani?”
“I’m the one who should be sorry,” she told him. “You asked me not to fear you, to understand that you would never hurt me, but at the first test, I let myself be terrified. I’m afraid I’m not going to be a very good truemate for a Tairen Soul. I’m a coward at heart.”
“You are all that a truemate should be,” he told her firmly. “Never think otherwise.” The harsh line of his mouth softened. “Come,” he said. “The afternoon is ours to enjoy. What would you like to do?”
She bit her lip. “Actually, I have another appointment with the queen’s dressmaker to review fabric samples for my wedding dress.”
“This does not appear to please you.”
“No,” she admitted. She wasn’t looking forward to yet another half day of sneering dislike from the cold, haughty tradesmen recommended by Queen Annoura. She’d particularly hated standing in the presence of Maestra Binchi, the queen’s dressmaker, this morning, being measured—both physically and figuratively—by a woman who obviously found Ellie lacking. “But she’s making a special effort to fit me into her schedule. Besides, I have an appointment at the palace with the queen’s Master of Graces after that.”
Rain glanced at Bel for a moment and his face grew still. A hint of anger entered his eyes, and Ellie realized Belliard had just related the morning’s events. Rain’s next words confirmed her suspicions. “Bel has told me of this dressmaker. You are the Feyreisa. She will attend your pleasure, not the other way around. As will the queen’s Master of Graces.”
Ellie blinked at the implacable finality of his statement. “Oh, but—”
“Ellysetta.” He gave her a look that made her close her mouthand swallow her objection. “I despise Celieria. I remain here only to fulfill my oath to your father and to give you a little time at least to grow accustomed to me before I take you from all that is familiar to you. I will not cut short my time with you merely to indulge the self-importance of a foolish woman who insults the Tairen Soul’s truemate—and I am speaking of both the queen and her servants. The dressmaker will attend you tomorrow morning. Early, before I come to you. The Master of Graces will tutor you after that, while I am there to observe him. And, Ellysetta...” He lifted her chin with a gentleness that somehow made the fierce look in his eyes even more terrifying. “If anyone insults you again, you—not Bel—shall tell me of it.”
Ellie gulped and nodded. She would promise almost anything to stop him looking at her with those eyes that leapt with flickering lights of cold fire.
“Beylah vo. Thank you.” The hard lines of Rain’s expression softened and his eyes calmed. “Now, what would you like to do?”
“I—” She wet her lips and tried to still her rapidly beating heart. “I don’t know.” She’d never been courted before, didn’t have the first idea of where to go or what to do. Inspiration struck. “You could take me flying. After all, I did win that wager.”
“You did, indeed. Very well, then. Flying it is.”
Chapter Eleven
With wings unfurled and joy unbound,
I dance on laughter-spangled winds.
I bathe in freedom’s rushing breath
And drink cool nectar from the clouds.
Up, up, through sunlit fields of blue,
I soar through boundless ether.
Look! Starlight shines at height of day.
I hear infinity calling.
