“Tiernan, let go of her,” Raza's voice lured me from unconsciousness. “You need to be tended yourself.”
“I'm fine,” Tiernan said in that stubborn tone I hated.
“Lord Tiernan, you're still bleeding,” a third voice, unknown to me, calmly noted. “At least allow me to take out the arrowhead.”
“Do what you will,” Tiernan growled. “But I'm not letting her go.”
“I appreciate that you've done your job well today, and possibly saved Seren's life,” Raza sounded like he was about to lose control. “But she is my consort if you'll recall. Now, let go of her.”
“I am her guard, and I will not let go,” Tiernan said. “Not ever. Get used to that, djinn.”
Cat whined.
“What the hell just happened?” I finally found my voice.
Everything went silent, and my world shifted as Tiernan jerked. I blinked my eyes open to find myself in familiar surroundings. The swaths of night-blooming jasmine, hanging to either side of the circular bed I was on, were unmistakable. The scent of the delicate blooms perfumed the air, along with an undertone of green tea. A little kitchen lay to my left, a dining set placed within its curve. To my right, a stairway swept up the wall, disappearing into the ceiling. Fairy lights bobbed around the polished ceiling, illuminating thousands of dark umber rings which ranged out from the center of it, proof of how old the massive tree really was.
What was I doing inside Aideen's tree?
Then I registered the worried faces leaning over me; Tiernan, Raza, my Star's Guard, Bress, Aideen, and some other woman I didn't know. A lot of faces. A lot of worry. I frowned at them as I tried to remember how I got there. Cat's weight was across my legs, and her furry face was edging up my thigh, to peer at me. There was an odd taste in my mouth. It reminded me of the violet candies my mother used to like. Then pain lanced through my chest and I gasped.
“Seren!” Tiernan and Raza exclaimed together.
Cat gave a happy huff.
“I'm okay,” I held a hand to my chest. There was a bandage near my collarbone.
“Your body is healing, Princess,” the unfamiliar woman said to me. She looked a little like Aideen actually. “We've given you a suvanis flower to combat the elf poison, and it has saved you. Now your fey blood can heal the wound.”
“Help me up,” I said to no one in particular.
Three pairs of hands did as I asked. I sat up, eased Cat aside, and went straight for Raza. I kissed him, smoothing the lines of worry from his forehead with my fingers. Then I looked behind me, to Tiernan. His tunic was soaked with blood, and there appeared to be more seeping out of a wound in his shoulder.
“Tiernan!” I laid my hand to the wound, an automatic reaction, and he hissed, causing me to jerk my hand away. “What happened?”
“If I may attend Lord Tiernan, Your Highness?” the unknown woman asked.
“Who are you?”
“I am Lady Eibhleann, Aideen's mother,” she bowed gracefully to me as Aideen grinned at me over her shoulder. “I was here, visiting my daughter. We were relaxing on the top balcony when we spotted your men bringing you through the rath. We went to help.”
“It was perfect timing, Princess,” Aideen added. “Mom happens to be a healer. She knew exactly what you needed, and we were able to find a suvanis flower nearby.”
“If we hadn't, you might not have survived,” Eibhleann nodded. “But now I need to heal Lord Tiernan. If I may?”
“Oh! Of course,” I tried to shift away, but I did it too quickly and ended up clutching at my chest again.
“Seren!” Raza growled. “Damn those elves! I'll burn them to cinders! There shall be nothing left of them, but smudges on the floor.”
Raza picked me up and carried me to Aideen's rocking chair. Cat followed us and sat on the floor beside me. Raza knelt before me and started inspecting my wound. I allowed it, mainly because it's best not to argue with a dragon if you didn't have to. My eyes went back to Tiernan. Eibhleann had torn his tunic open and was pulling an elf arrowhead out of his chest. An arrowhead exactly like the one Murdock had shown us.
Tiernan's eyes met mine and I froze. There was so much emotion there, my throat constricted just to see it. He leaned back against the wall, allowing Eibhleann to fuss over him, but he continued to stare at me. Tiernan's silver stare gleamed in the shadows cast by the hanging jasmine. It intensified his already fervent stare. My gaze skittered away to his shoulder.
“Raza,” I looked back to my boyfriend, “tell me what happened. I remember being attacked, but that's all.”
“We were,” Raza confirmed. “With elf-shot. Several of my guards were hit, but their wounds were minor. Elf-shot doesn't affect fairies.”
“They were after you, Seren,” Tiernan grunted as Eibhleann bandaged him.
