“What do I do?” I asked Devyn, who had taken a spot next to me.
“We've concluded that love is the strongest emotion to use when we don't know what specifically to channel,” Devyn said. “Regardless, I think it will be perfect for this because of its ability to transform. Just hold your warlord's hand and focus on the love you share.” Then he looked sheepish. “Sorry, I'm assuming you're romantically together.”
“We are, and our love will be more than enough to fuel Shane's magic,” Taeven said confidently.
I grinned at him before saying to Devyn, “He's my mate.”
“Congratulations,” Devyn said brightly. “Vathmar is my mate too.”
“Uh, Valorians?” Varcir called to us. “You'd better hurry.”
We all looked over at the Goblins to see several of them twitching.
“Clasp hands, everyone,” Devyn instructed. “Focus on love. On what it means to you specifically. Feel it. Sink into it. Then lift it up and direct it at the faeries before us. See them whole again. See the dark magic burning out of their bodies and souls. Then set your magic free!”
I looked at Taeven, and he smiled softly. The vast sea of emotion that I felt for him opened inside me, surging up to tingle over my skin and lighten my chest. Inside it was a memory of the fear and pain we'd struggled through to get there. Of the obstacles we'd overcome, including the plots of a man who Tae had once thought of as a friend. So many things had worked against us, but our love had been blessed by the Goddess herself and nothing could stop it. I let that gratitude and power fill me and, against the skin of my palm, I felt a responding tingle from Tae.
Taeven nodded to me encouragingly, and I felt that tingle grow. Felt the magic slip into me and magnify mine. But, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a Goblin sit up, his eyes opening to shine green light through the space, and fear lanced through me. My magic faltered as more Goblins stirred. It became a downward spiral, and I couldn't seem to swim up through the doubt. Couldn't rise back to my love. More emotions hit me—disappointment, shame, panic—and I drowned in them. More Goblins sat up. I could hear Devyn speaking encouragingly to me, but I couldn't focus on the words. I was going to fail. I was going to ruin the whole thing. I shouldn't have been so cocky. How could I have thought that I could do this on my first try? These Goblins were going to pay the price for my hubris. They were—
A warm cheek pressed against mine and through it, I felt a shiver of magic. I opened my eyes and turned to face Tae. He smiled again, not a shred of panic in his eyes, only confidence and love. So much damn love. My love rose to meet it, and everything else disappeared. I went calm under his violet stare. Then he nodded to me—just one sharp nod to remind me that I had a job to do.
I set my stare back on the Goblins and pictured them whole as I gathered my love for Taeven into my chest.
Several Goblins were standing now.
“Hold!” Varcir ordered his soldiers when they started to angle their weapons at the Goblins.
The Goblins stumbled toward us. More roused. Clawed hands clicked and lifted. The glow of green eyes turned the room into a haunted tomb.
I pushed down the anxiety that threatened to rise and prayed,Please, help me, Goddess. I've got them here, now help me save them.
Magic burst from me in a brilliant rush, and I screamed with the burning intensity of it. The other valorians and warlords made grunts of effort along with me as shimmers of energy blasted forth from them. They'd been waiting for me, gathering their power so we could release it together. And boy did it make an impact.
The Goblins were blown off their feet as a brilliant light shot through them. Those still in stasis shook with the hit, and then all of them fell into a violent trembling. Horrible shrieks came from their throats, even those who weren't awake, but as they shook and screamed, the spikes retracted from their shoulders and the claws shrank to more natural proportions. Gray skin blushed as color flowed back into it—shades of pale green, rust, and yellow bringing the faeries back to their true selves. The shaking stilled and Goblins began to sit up, opening eyes that didn't glow.
“Well, it's an improvement, I guess,” Ravyn muttered. “Ow! Stop hitting me, Dal!”
Chapter Forty-Seven
The Goblins were welcomed back with Red Cap hugs and thumps upon their backs, a few of them succumbing to tears of relief and joy. We were thanked profusely, then offered drinks in Commander Varcir's tent. We could hardly refuse, so Tae and I went with the others and settled onto blankets around Varcir's campfire, just outside his tent, then warily sipped the liquor doled out by the Red Cap commander. It turned out to be quite good and our group began to celebrate in earnest.
Tae made sure there were guest tents available for the visiting warlords and valorians before we started drinking and also made sure to keep his own drinking to a minimum. Even when celebrating, he was still responsible for the camp and couldn't lose his senses entirely. Not entirely but maybe a little.
Taeven and I indulged our exhibitionism a bit, making out like a pair of randy teenagers on our blanket while the Unsidhe camp rejoiced around us, laughing and drinking in the way that soldiers do after a successful battle. The other couples were enjoying a bit of romance as well, but none of them were as . . . enthusiastic as we were. When Tae's hand slid down my pants, someone cleared their throat.
“Oh, shut up, Thorne,” the Leopard Lord huffed. “If they want to put on a show, that's their right. And, frankly, I'm all for it. It's been ages since I've seen a good campfire performance. In fact . . .”
“Not happening, Kar,” Tristan said dryly.
“But, Tryst, we're celebrating,” Kardri cajoled. “At least rub my cock a bit.”
“We will celebrate like that in the privacy of our tent.”
“Perhaps we should as well,” Tae whispered to me.
“Wherever, whenever, Tae,” I whispered back. “You sure you want to leave?”
Taeven chuckled, stood up, and held a hand down to me. “I think the middle of an Unsidhe camp is a bit much even for me.”
