Keeper of Storms (The Fallen Fae #3) - Jenna Wolfhart Page 0,88
punishment like the kings of Tir Na Nog did.
But all of this only confused her even more. He was kind and just. To others. Why not to her?
“Lir,” she whispered, pressing her cheek against the pillow. He met her gaze with piercing eyes, the corner of his lips tilting up. He didn’t even correct her for failing to use his title. “Will you ever let me go?”
Anger flashed across his features. Every hint of softness vanished as if it had never even been there at all. “You know the answer to that, Eislyn.”
“It’s not fair,” she hissed, unbidden tears flooding her eyes. “I’ve seen you. All this time, I’ve watched what you do. You aren’t cruel, like you want me to believe. You try to do the right thing for your people. How could trapping me here be the right thing? How can you think this is just or kind?”
She held her breath in her throat, a desperate hope plunging through her. Maybe she would get through to him. Maybe he would somehow change his mind and undo the magic that trapped her inside this palace for the rest of her life.
But all that hope vanished in the blink of an eye. With an irritated sigh, he turned to his other side so that his back now stared her in the face. She glared at him, her fingers itching to reach out and drag their nails down his skin. That would show him!
“Goodnight, Eislyn. I think that’s enough discussion for one night.”
“You’re impossible,” she whispered at him. “I take back everything I said. You aren’t a just ruler at all.”
“Do I need to put the chains on you to get you to be quiet?” His voice had lost every hint of kindness now. All that was left was thorns and steel.
“No,” she grumbled, twisting to the side so that she didn’t have to look at him any longer. Not even his stupid back. “I hate you by the way.”
“So you’ve said.”
30
Lorcan
Sand scratched his back as he rolled over and draped his arm over Reyna’s body. Her skin was hot, and sweat dripped down her neck. His heart pulsed as he drew her closer to him. The Ruin was wearing her down. Even Wingallock’s presence did not seem to soothe her the way it always did.
She was stronger than anyone he’d ever met, but she was not indestructible. If she was right, if she’d used up the last scraps of Seelie’s powers, eventually the Ruin would kill her. He did not think she had much longer.
All she seemed to care about was getting back inside Findius and killing the king. But none of that would matter if she was dead.
Reyna was not as selfish as he was. She cared about Tir Na Nog in a way that defied the truth of mortal condition. Over and over again, she had sacrificed everything to save her people. To save them all.
He did not think he had it within him to do the same.
Gently, he unwound himself from her body, stood, and collected her into his arms. She didn’t even stir. Pale purple lined her eyes, and there was a frailness to her he’d never seen before. Even Wingallock seemed exhausted. He had perched on a nearby rock, nodding off while the rush of the waves drowned out the world beyond.
He had ignored it all for awhile, but no more. He had to find a way to save her.
Lorcan carried her up to the tower and tucked her into the bed of his guest quarters, a magnificent room the lords had always kept available for kingly visits—back before the exile when that kind of thing happened frequently.
He left her to rest while he aimed his feet toward the tower library where he knew he’d find a druid willing to speak. On his way, he woke Nollaig. She might enjoy her secretive nature, but it was time she came clean. About everything.
The library was small and dark, lit only by a single candle. Cobwebs clung to the leather spines. He could not help but think Eislyn would hate how unkempt it all was.
“Right.” He crossed his arms. “I need to know everything you can tell me about the Ruin, the Namhaid, and Seelie’s magic.”
Nollaig shifted uneasily on her feet. “I see you’re done acting as though you think I’m normal.”
“We both know you’re not normal, Nollaig,” he said. “And you’ve made no attempt to hide it from me.”