“That’s not what I mean, Your Highness.” Nollaig came to a sudden stop. “Look across the field.”
Lorcan drew his sword and lifted his eyes, peering through the red mists. In the distance, he spotted a form stumbling toward him. An owl soared through the sky above her head, and the curve of her hips was as familiar to him as the back of his own hand.
His heart stopped. The mists cleared.
“Reyna?” He choked out a strangled cry as she raced across the ash and launched herself into his arms.
27
Reyna
“You’re alive.” She pressed her damp cheeks against his skin, breathing in the scent of leather, smoke, and steel. “You’re alive. You’re alive, you’re alive.”
She clung on tight, her arms around his neck, her thighs wrapped around his waist. Her entire body trembled from the ferocity of her emotions. She still did not understand what was happening or how he was here or if she had lost her damn mind. All she could do was hold on and never let him go.
She wouldneverlet him go. Not again.
“Reyna, I don’t understand what’s happening,” he murmured into her ear. His embrace was just as tight as hers, and she swore she saw damp skin beneath his eyes. “Why wouldn’t I be alive?”
Her heart shattered, even as it was being made whole again. “I saw you…” She swallowed hard and started again, her arms still locked around his neck. “Ulaid Molt has taken the city. You surrendered. He…”
“Wait.” His voice turned to steel. “Molt has taken the city?”
Slowly, he lowered her to the ground and extracted himself from her arms, though his furrowed face suggested it was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do in his life. He took her face between his hands and lowered his forehead to hers. His eyes flashed with so many emotions that it took her breath away.
“I love you,” he whispered. “I love you so much that I would rip the stars from the skies just to have you by my side. I would follow you into darkness even if it meant I’d never see light again. Now that you’re here against all odds, I want nothing more than to throw you on the ground and claim you as mine before the entire world. But first, I need you to tell me what the hell is going on.”
She shuddered at his words, and her heart leapt toward him, as if it wanted nothing more than to feel his touch.
“Lorcan, I wish I understood it myself,” she said, grasping his hands. She filled him in as quickly as she could, stopping at nothing. She told him about Thane and the ships, about his plan to march south by Beltane. That was only a few days away now.
She explained how she’d ended up in the Wood Court and what she’d seen and done. Fighting Ulaid Molt. Chasing him into Findius. Watching Lorcan’s head tumble to the ground by her feet. The pain was still fresh and real in her soul, even though her love stood before her now. Tears streamed down her cheeks, leaving hot trails in their wake. She hated that they did not freeze.
When she was done, Lorcan stepped back and glanced at Nollaig, who had waited patiently while Reyna spoke. The shadow fae was silent even now, her cloak hiding her expression from view. Reyna could imagine what she thought. It all sounded mad.
But what Nollaig said surprised her most. “That fucking priest.”
Darkness flickered across Lorcan’s face. “I never should have trusted him. I should have known he’d never accept my refusal to kneel before his god.”
Reyna frowned and glanced between them. “What priest? What are you talking about?”
Lorcan let out a heavy sigh that spoke of his own exhaustion. Weariness lined his eyes. While Reyna had been battling to return to his side, it seemed he’d been fighting his own battles inside of Findius. “I left Commander Segonax in charge of the castle while Nollaig and I went to request assistance from Caraid. Priest Tighe asked if he could help Seg with feeding the city. I agreed.” Lorcan shook his head, pain churning through his eyes. “Priest Tighe is a follower of Unseelie. I don’t know what he did to Seg, but he must have gotten rid of him somehow. And then he took my place, acting as me.”
“He must have used blood magic to create an illusion of you,” Nollaig added. “And then he pretended to be you. He surrendered the city in your place.”
Reyna’s mouth dropped open. “But why would he want to surrender?”
“He thought the low fae of Findius would be better off if we gave in and let the wood king take over. Everyone is starving.” Lorcan’s jaw rippled as he clenched his teeth. “I refused to surrender and chose a different option instead. So, he took it upon himself to do it in my place.”
Reyna stared, her heart tumbling inside her chest. She still could not quite believe that Lorcan stood before her now. Alive. And real. His breath shuddered from his lungs. His heart still beat. Her entire body itched to launch itself at him once again. She wanted to bury her face in his warm chest and never let go again.
“You’re alive,” she whispered as fresh tears filled her eyes.
He stepped in close, took her hand in his rough palm, and brought her fingers to his lips. His soft kiss against her knuckles made her come undone. “I am alive, and I love you.”
She shuddered, leaning into his touch. “I love you, too. I love you so much that it felt like my entire body shattered when I saw you die. I didn’t think I could go on. I just wanted to curl up in the dirt and wither away while the world burned down around me.”
His eyes shone; he tucked a finger beneath her chin. “And yet you didn’t. You came here, searching for Nollaig. You still tried to save the city. My god, Reyna, you are the strongest person I have ever met.”
