Page 14 of Chorus of Ashes
Terra hadn’t considered the aspect ofherfalling in love, and she held the idea up in her mind, twisting it from all angles to look at what it would mean for her, while her heart shivered in her chest. Had it only taken his kiss to already tip her over the edge into love? Already she understood that she would put her life on the line for this man, which she’d heard was one of the most compelling aspects of being in a fated mate union.
Maybe, just maybe, this plan might be the answer they needed.
“Yes, Bianca. Let’s do this. Tell me what you’re thinking…”
8
Later that evening,after Terra had all but worn a path across her cottage from her pacing, she gave up and knocked lightly at her door. Within a few moments, the door opened quietly, and moonlight spilled inside the cottage.
“Yes, Lady Terra?” Callahan asked politely.
“I understand your duties to Rian, and that I am being held as a captive. However, I’m not used to being inside.” Terra gestured at the stone walls. “It’s … well, I’m very restless and unable to sleep. Is it possible that I might go for a walk? If I give you my word that I won’t try to escape or bring any harm upon myself or others?”
Callahan regarded her carefully as he considered her words. Would his loyalty to Rian forbid him from breaking the rules, or would he trust her to do as she promised?
“A walk it is, my lady. If you’ll please be cautious in your step, as there are many steep cliffs nearby, and not wander too far, I certainly don’t see a problem with you taking in some fresh air.”
“Thank you.” Terra squeezed his arm as she slipped past him, surprised by the buzz of energy that she got from touching him. The man was much more powerful than just a butler, Terra realized, and she flashed Callahan a knowing look.
“Fire Fae,” Callahan said, an easy smile on his lips.
“Ah yes. You conceal it well.”
“Habit, I suppose. Living among humans causes you to mask constantly, and you get better at it the longer you do so. I suppose that can be said for many things we mask, can’t it?” Callahan gave her a small smile before fading discreetly into the background as Terra gulped the fresh night air as though she was a drowning woman coming up from the depths for a breath. She paused, closing her eyes as the cool night air filled her lungs, and the moonlight bathed her face in its caress. The sound of the waves hitting the cliffs far below was more prominent now that she was outside and, drawn to the water, she followed a path that led away from the cluster of buildings. The moon was full this night, and she itched to take her dress off and perform her usual full-moon rituals. Maybe she would, though she’d left her pack with her tools back at the cottage. The knife pulsed at her thigh, happy as she was to be out in the wilds again, and she felt the tension ease from her shoulders.
Granted, Terra understood that she was in a predicament. However, there was no use in trying to escape. Not when they were isolated on an island with the very man she’d sought to find and deter from his evil plans. The situation may have changed, but the players were still the same. Now Terra just needed to play the new game, while seeking to shift Rian’s focus. According to Bianca, most men were similar in their desires, and Terra shouldn’t have much problem distracting Rian. Terra wasn’t so sure. Rian was a powerful warrior in his own right, and he’d likely be well versed in sniffing out and avoiding any obstacle that got in the way of his goal.
And destroying it.
With those thoughts on a loop in her mind, Terra stopped at a small beach with the tiniest strip of sand, that led to a miniscule channel between several high pillars of rocks. No boat would be able to approach there, and Terra was beginning to understand why Rian had chosen this location. A flash of silver in the water caught her eye.
But that didn’t mean the Water Fae couldn’t reach it.
When the Fae lifted his head from the water, the moonlight glinting off his opalescent eyes, Terra bowed her head to him.
“Sister.”
“Brother,” Terra said, acknowledging the Fae. “How are your people?”
“Concerned. We’ve been sent to try and find you. King Callum is distraught. Will you come with me?” The Water Fae swam closer, the moonlight glinting off the dark water surrounding him. Terra glanced over her shoulder to where she could just see the small cluster of buildings up on the hill over where she stood. A lone light shone from a window in one of the outer buildings, and she wondered if Rian was awake.
If he thought of her as much as she thought of him.
“I can’t go with you brother. I’m still needed here. Please tell King Callum that I am safe for now. I’ll try to check back with you when I can.”
“Do you require our people to stay close?”
Terra thought about it. On one hand, it would be wise to have the help if needed, but she wasn’t quite ready to call in the troops. Unless the Domnua attacked — then she might be thinking differently.
“As of now, I do not, but if a few can remain close in case of need? Perhaps to bring messages back to the king?”
“As you wish.” The Fae slipped beneath the water, becoming nothing more than a shimmer of silver below the surface, and Terra continued her trek up a narrow path that led to a grassy meadow and ended at a steep drop-off into the dark ocean far below. Terra stepped carefully back from the edge, remembering her promise to Callahan, and turned in a circle. From here, she could no longer see the settlement, and she felt free to indulge herself in a small full-moon ritual. Carefully, she knelt and slipped off her soft boots that melded seamlessly to her feet, and unlaced the ties of her dress, before pulling the silky material over her head. With a sigh of relief, Terra stood, naked but for the knife strapped to her thigh, and smiled up at the moon.
This was all she really needed to be happy, Terra reminded herself. The kiss of moonlight, the salty night air, and her feet dug into the springy moss of the Earth. Already she could feel her power recharging, as though the Earth itself fed her its energy, and she stretched her arms up to the sky.
“Mother moon, the most graceful artisan of our night skies, thank you for blessing us with your light.”
“What are you doing out here?”