How had he known it was a snake? He’d been passed out for quite some time by the time she dug the creature out of him. It had grown as large as a full-grown snake, expanding as it became free of his skin. When it had tumbled to the ground, it had hissed and twisted and bared its fangs. And then Nollaig had slammed her sword down on top of its head.
Now, Tarrah was cooking it up in some stew. Reyna would just stick to the potatoes.
“It’s all gone,” she said, gently brushing her fingers through his hair. “You can rest now. You’re free.”
“It was Unseelie.”
A chill went down her spine. “What do you mean?
“The snake. It was Unseelie.”
Reyna twisted toward Tarrah where she was happily chopping the creature into bite-sized pieces. “Um. The snake was Unseelie? Does that mean Tarrah shouldn’t eat it?”
Lorcan chuckled, a sound that was music to her ears. “Thesnakewasn’t Unseelie. Unseelie was inside the snake, and the snake was inside of me!”
“I think my Buntata is finally kicking in,” Nollaig muttered.
“You might be right about that,” Reyna said, settling back onto the rock. “I’ve had my fill of potatoes for the night. I’m going to stay here with him and see if I can get some sleep myself.”
Nollaig nodded. “Good luck.”
The shadow fae pushed up from the ground and rejoined Tarrah by the fire. A very animated discussion about the snake soon ensued, but Reyna’s eyes were far too heavy for her to focus on it for long. Soon, sleep pulled her under, the warmth of Lorcan’s body soothing her tired soul.
When she awoke, the darkness of the sky had deepened. She was curled up on the rocks, and a soft blanket had been placed on top of her. Throwing it aside, she stood and padded through the rocky valley, finding Lorcan perched on the edge of a cliff, staring out at the expanse of mist-enshrouded fields they had left behind.
“How are you feeling?” she asked, staying back. She hoped he did not hate her for what she’d done to him. For the pain she’d put him through, even if he’d asked.
“I forgot what it was like to live without that mark inside of me,” he said softly. “My mind feels clearer than it has in a very long time.”
He stood then and strode toward her. He was still naked from the waist up. The wound on his arm had already begun to heal, but there would always be a scar.
She swallowed hard, flustered by his naked torso, even though they had already shared a bed. “I’m sorry if the pain was too much. I tried to be as gentle as possible, but…”
He tucked his thumb beneath her chin and gazed at her fiercely. “Do not apologize to me for that. You saved me. Again. Before, it was my life. This time, Reyna, I swear it was my soul.”
She trembled from the heat of his touch. It was difficult to focus on their conversation when his eyes were raking across her with a feverish need. “Before, when you said it was Unseelie, was that true?”
He nodded, jaw rippling. “What’s more, it spoke to me. It tried to make me kill you, Reyna.”
“I’m very glad you didn’t.”
“I would never harm a hair on your head.” He pulled her closer, so close that she had to tip back her head to see the fire in his eyes. “Do you know what you have done for me? Do you have any idea how trapped I’ve been by my father’s words? I am finally free, Reyna. I am free because of you. And I would rip apart the very fabric of this godforsaken world to do the same for you.”
Reyna could not help but gasp at the intensity of his words. They filled her up with hope and fear, all thrown together in a perfect storm. No one had ever spoken to her this way, with so much conviction and emotion in his words.
“I would do it again a thousand times over,” she whispered.
“We should celebrate,” he growled into her ear, scattering goosebumps across her bare arms. “Let me claim you under the stars.”
Her breath hitched as he lifted her from the ground and carried her to the edge of the cliff. She clung to him, fingers entwined behind his neck, and he slowly lowered her onto her back. As she watched him undress, her eyes caught on a brilliant light behind his head.
Stars.
She pushed up onto her elbows and gazed up at the sky. The mists had cleared, revealing a dazzling display of distant suns, shooting light across the expansive universe. There were hundreds of them. Thousands. The shadows had cleared, revealing a darkness that was as deep as any she had ever seen. But with it came the stars.
“Lorcan, I can see stars,” she said, pointing up at the sky.
“I know. I’ve been staring at them for the past hour, trying to make sense of it all.” Smiling, he sank to his knees, fully naked and very much aroused. “Our world is changing, Reyna Darragh. I don’t know why and I don’t even understand how, but we’re a part of it. You and I. And I will gladly face whatever it is with you by my side.”
