Page 11 of Chorus of Ashes
“Well, she’s in great pain. And you’ve done this to her, so I hope you can make amends. Particularly since you said you wouldn’t harm them. How are they supposed to believe your word when you’ve already broken your promise?” Callahan’s words stung, like icy flecks of water from the angry sea below, and Rian turned on his heel.
“Show me where they are.”
“She’s a lovely woman, you know,” Callahan commented, easily keeping pace with Rian as they crossed the uneven terrain.
“I wouldn’t, actually.” Rian didn’t need the old man getting any matchmaking ideas. He’d been trying for ages to get Rian to abandon his plan of revenge and to settle down with a sweet girl. Every time Rian pointed out that Callahan had failed to do the same, the old man had just laughed it off claiming he’d already enjoyed the love of his lifetime and that was enough to keep his heart warm forever. A sentiment that Rian didn’t rightly understand, or care to know, buthe’dnever pushed a woman on Callahan. Yet the man refused to acknowledge Rian’s requests that he stop trying to find him a woman.
“She has kindness. Not all people do, but it radiates from her. But don’t let her softness fool you either, boyo. There’s great power that lies within her. You’d do well to respect that.”
“Who says I don’t?” They crested a hill, and Rian paused at the top, marveling at the view before him. Somehow Callahan had managed to transform abandoned ruins into abundant accommodations for them. The stone walls that still stood from the old settlement had been incorporated into the new, and the result was like one of those high-end glamping experiences posh people preferred over roughing it in the wilds. Canvas roofs, wood pillars, and elevated floors would keep occupants dry and off the ground, and streams of smoke poured merrily from metal chimney pipes. Two of the cottages had doors that were closed, and Rian assumed those were where his captives were being kept.
“Terra is in the cottage to the left. Your accommodations are…” Callahan trailed off as Rian strode toward Terra’s cottage, dismissing the man. With a flick of his hand, Rian unlocked the magick that held the door closed and pushed into the one-room cottage. There, he found Terra sitting on the edge of a bed, stroking her wrists, head bent. Something unfamiliar squirmed in his gut, a long-forgotten emotion, and Rian ignored it as Terra shot to standing.
“Let me see your wrists.” Rian held out his hands, his tone brooking no argument, and Terra held out her hands.
“It’s fine,” Terra began, but stopped speaking when Rian leveled an angry look at her.
It wasn’t fine. Not in the slightest. His breath hissed out when he saw the red welts marring her delicate skin, and he cradled her wrists gently as he tamped down at the anger that threatened to boil over. Not anger at her, of course, but himself. It was the one emotion he rarely blocked, because anger was the fuel that kept his vision for revenge alive. Now, though, he admonished himself for not doing a better job with magicking the iron cuffs that had bound Terra’s wrists.
“It’s not fine. I promised you that you wouldn’t come to harm at my hands.” Terra’s skin heated beneath his fingers and, despite his concern for her wounds, Rian couldn’t help but flash back to seeing her naked body in all its impossible beauty when he’d visited her by the stream. The desire to touch almost overwhelmed him, and he found himself stroking the insides of her wrists with the lightest of touches. When she trembled at his touch, he stopped, his eyes spearing hers. “I’m sorry. I’m hurting you.”
“No…” Terra whispered, her pupils dilating, her voice breathy. “You’re not … it’s not…”
Rian knew that look on a woman, but he hadn’t expected to see it on Terra’s face. Not for him, that is. The ice cracked, and his anger poured through, heating and morphing to lust, and he did what he’d been aching to do for months now when he’d dreamt of her.
Rian kissed her, frustration making him more forceful than necessary, and heat speared him as she gasped against his lips. Dropping her wrists, he dove his hands into her hair and angled her head, wanting, no …needing, more of her. She tasted of honey and something effervescent … like moonlight dancing across a fairy garden, and he savored her kiss as though it was the most precious of sweets. When she moaned, stumbling slightly against him, Rian broke the kiss and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close for a moment. They stood like that, breathing in tune to each other, and Rian bent his forehead to hers. He had no idea what he was going to do with this intoxicating woman.
Her scent teased him, and he shifted, trailing his lips to her neck, determined to imprint her on his mind. There was the honey again, but also something earthy and fresh, like diving into a frigid mountain stream. He inhaled deeply, as though he could take this piece of her with him, and he pressed a kiss to the soft spot behind her ear. Rian eased his arms from around her, and found her wrists once more, though he kept his face buried at her neck. With each breath, Terra’s body trembled beneath his, and he couldn’t help but wonder — was it fear or lust?
Working quickly, before he did something stupid like drop to his knees and bury his head between her legs to worship at the altar of the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, Rian pulled at his thread of magick and poured it into his hands that circled Terra’s wrists.
“Oh, Rian,” Terra gasped out, turning her head slightly so that her lips were close to his. “You’ve taken the pain. You didn’t have to do that. I would have been able to heal myself, I’m sure.”
“As I said … you’ll not come to harm at my hands.” She’d come to pleasure though, if he had any say about it. Rian had no idea what had transpired to take him from merely lusting after this woman to desiring her so strongly that he was certain he’d kill for her, but the one thing he now understood was that he had to have Terra. Already he was calculating ways to protect her from the Domnua.
The idea of someone having this type of power over him didn’t sit well with Rian. He needed to get his head back in the game and put his walls back up. Try as he might, he was currently struggling with keeping the wall up around his emotions.
This was all Callahan’s fault, Rian decided, as he dropped Terra’s wrists and took two large steps backwards. A ray of sunlight speared through the window, catching the glinting gold tones in her warm hair. Her mouth hung slightly open, faintly pink from his kiss, and her eyes widened as she watched him retreat. If ever a woman looked appetizing enough to bed, it was this one.
Swearing, Rian stormed from the cottage and threw a furious glance at a grinning Callahan.
“Stay out of it, old man.”
“Me? I’d never meddle, and that’s the truth of it.” Callahan’s cheery whistle was all Rian needed to hear, and he swore once more.
Just what had he gotten himself into?
7
Terra paced her cottage,unused to being stuck inside, and relived every moment of their kiss. The intensity of emotion had sent desire coursing through her body, and she was certain Rian was equally as touched as she had been. Which made her wonder — did he know they were fated mates? While one of her magickal abilities allowed her to see what others couldn’t, through scrying, that didn’t mean that Rian had the same.
A knock sounded at the door, and Terra whirled as a cool breeze with the taste of the sea entered along with Callahan. He held a tray of food and was followed by Bianca.
“Refreshments for you ladies. Miss Bianca wished to speak with you.” Callahan’s gaze darted to Terra’s wrists where Rian had erased her wounds. “Ah, I see Rian has attended to you. Do you still have any pain?”
Just in my heart.
“No, thank you, Callahan,” Terra said instead.