Before he could answer, I overheard Tiernan's conversation with his mother.
“Where's Father?”
Aodh gave me a look in response to Tiernan's question and shook his head. I closed my eyes and sighed, knowing the time for keeping my distance had passed. Tiernan was about to get some very upsetting news, and I needed to be there for him. I eased up to his side and took his hand. Tiernan glanced at me in surprise, then squeezed my hand, taking it more firmly before looking back to Sorcha. But it was Latharna who answered him.
“He's being an absolute brute,” Latharna huffed, swinging her thick, ebony braid over her armored shoulder. Her silver eyes flashed as she met Tiernan's nearly identical stare. “He said we were being traitors, and he was finished with his family disobeying our queen. Father said if we left, we shouldn't come back.”
“Mother?” Tiernan gaped at Sorcha.
“He didn't mean it,” Sorcha's jaw clenched.
“Mother,” Latharna sighed. “You know he did. But he has no say over whether we are let back into Seelie. The Queen gave us her consent. We are here with her permission, if not her approval.”
“I hate that woman,” I muttered under my breath.
“She did not force my father to be...” Tiernan trailed off.
“A huge bastard?” Sorcha asked, shocking us all.
Sorcha looked pretty impressive in her seelie armor, just as Latharna did, but she hadn't really looked deadly until she'd said those words. I gave her a smile and looked over her lightweight leather with its inset silver plates. There were signs of age to the armor, but also signs of use. Sorcha Silverlight had fought before. More importantly, she had survived.
“It's good to see you, Countess,” I said to Sorcha.
“Come here, child,” she held her arms out to me. “I'm glad to see you as well.” Then she whispered in my ear, “Please forgive him. Take him back before he hardens his heart once more. I can't bear to see him suffering.”
I gaped at her as I eased away.
“We're happy to be here, Princess,” Latharna gave me a hug too. “Honestly, it feels damn good to get away from Seelie, and that bitch queen of ours.”
“Latharna,” Sorcha chided, her cerulean eyes softening on her daughter, despite the censure.
Sorcha's hair was just like Tiernan's, and seeing her standing directly beside her daughter brought home the fact that they each had one of his features. Put them together, and you got a Tiernan...with lady bits.
“Tonight we feast!” Raza shouted, drawing our attention over to where he stood, surrounded by seelie. “We will celebrate our new friendships and our true allies.”
Raza's eyes landed on me, warm and happy until they lowered to my hand... which was still holding Tiernan's.
Chapter Thirty-Two
I spent a tense evening with Raza at the high table. Normally, he'd invite a few other people to dine with us. Seeing me holding Tiernan's hand must have unsettled him, though because we were eating alone. Oh, he conversed with the rest of the hall, calling out good-natured comments to his people and his new allies, but there was a distinct boundary around us. Obvious enough to prevent any but our servers from approaching.
“I was just comforting him,” I finally said.
I had spent fifteen minutes playing with a few kuperis who had come to light our table, and Raza had sat and stared at me through all of it. A clawed hand on my thigh and one wing curled around my shoulders. It should have felt safe, pleasant. Instead, it felt awkward. Possessive, and not in a good way. I had the strangest feeling that he was going to snatch me up and fly out a window with me.
“I realize that,” Raza whispered.
I found it very telling that he knew exactly what I was referring to.
“So why does it feel like you're upset with me?” I looked up into molten, gold eyes.
“I'm not upset with you,” Raza sighed, his wings finally folding away. “I sense something stirring around us, something which feels a lot like fate, and it... concerns me.”
“I don't believe in fate,” I shrugged.
“Yes, you do,” Raza's hand clenched briefly on my leg. “You don'twantto believe in fate, but you do.”
“Raza... sometimes I feel like you drug me kicking and screaming into this relationship.”
