“King Drustan.” Tearloch bowed his head in respect. “It is an honor to meet your highness.”
Drustan kept his right arm wrapped around Callie’s shoulders and lifted his left to hug Arianne in just as close.
“Are you…” The king trailed off, as if unsure how to word his question.
“Father, this is Tearloch Donne,” Arianne supplied. “Of the clan Moraine. He guided me on this journey to find Callie, and therefor to find you.”
“Thank you,” Drustan said, his voice tight with emotion, his cheeks pink and wet as he released Callie to offer Tearloch his hand. “Words cannot express my gratitude.”
“A service many years overdue,” Tearloch replied, shaking the king’s hand. “And I will be honored to serve as the guide for you all on our return.”
On our return. Arianne did not think she could get happier. Finally her father could return to their home. To the palace. To the throne.
Though Arianne had never resented her position or the duty thrust onto her, she would gladly hand the same back to her father. Especially if it meant having him home.
Drustan’s face shadowed. “I-I’m not sure,” he stammered. “It has been so many years…”
“We should wait,” Callie said. “At least until I have been able to work more on recovering his memories.”
“No,” Arianne cried.
“I will be able to work more quickly in isolation,” Callie explained. “Returning to the chaos of the palace will only make the recovery more difficult.”
“Until more of my memory returns,” Drustan said, “it is better that I am not on the throne. There may be secrets in my past that put the clan at risk.”
Arianne nodded. He was right. She knew he was right. The mystery of his missing years could have repercussions for their clan, and she trusted his judgment to believe that they were safer if his memories were in tact.
And if delaying his return made him stronger, made him feel whole, she would give him all the time he needed.
She hugged herself tighter to her father’s side. “The palace will be ready for your return.”
“In the meantime,” Callie said, extending a hand to Tearloch, “here is the information you seek.”
Tearloch reached out and took the square of parchment from Callie’s outstretched hand. He unfolded it, frowned, and then looked at her. “You are certain?”
She nodded.
“I thank you,” he said, slipping the note into the pocket of his shirt.
There was something in the grim set of his jaw, the dark look in his eyes that said the information Callie gave him had been far worse than he anticipated. Arianne instinctively moved closer to his side.
Smiling, Callie turned her attention to her sister. “It is time for you to return home,” she said. “With the promise that the curse is broken and that your father and sister will soon join you there.”
Arianne wanted nothing more than to stay there with them—with her family—in this secluded glade, protected from the dangers and duties of her normal life, forever. But she also knew that was not possible. She needed to make sure relations with the Moraine were restored. She had countless duties carry out, hers to fulfill until her father returned. Her people needed a leader and news of the promised return of their beloved king would do wonders for clan morale. With the curse lifted, perhaps they could finally return to the life they once lived.
She forced a smile. “The palace will be thrilled by this news.”
“We shall follow soon,” Drustan promised.
They nodded. After one more tearful hug, Callie nodded at Tearloch and told Arianne, “Take his hand.”
She did, and the flash of light followed immediately after.
Chapter 17
“Not sure I could ever get used to that means of travel,” Tearloch said as he steadied Arianne.
The witch had returned them in the forest, not far from the Moraine palace.
The princess smiled. “I am not sad to have bypassed our campsite on the return trip.”
Tearloch laughed. “Nor I.”
If he were being honest, he would have gladly taken the long route home if it meant spending additional time with her. What he wouldn’t have given for just a few minutes more in her company.
But their quest was complete, he had the location of the traitor, and the princess would return home to her palace. Where she belonged. Where she would rule. Where she would one day, as tradition dictated, wed a royal.
Tearloch studied her. He couldn’t help himself.
Her face tilted down and she seemed to study her hands.
“So,” she said slowly, as if she too were stalling for time, “I suppose there is no reason for me to go inside with you.”
“No. You should return to your palace.” He realized he was still holding her hand. Which meant she was still holding his. He did not let go. “I’m sure your people are worried.”
He could not tear his gaze away from their entwined hands. It was madness, folly to even think he might stand a chance with one as elevated as Arianne. That a humble soldier could aspire to win her heart.
But his own heart did not seem to heed the warning.
“Yes,” she said, her voice a mere whisper, “I am eager to tell them curse has been lifted.”
When she started to pull away, he held her fingers tighter.
“Tearloch?”
“It was I,” he said, finally lifting his gaze to meet hers.
“You?” A thin crease formed between her brows. “What was you?”
His gaze dipped to her throat, to the slim silver chain peeking out above her sweater.
“The fox,” he said, staring at the spot where he knew the silver pendant to be hanging still—just above her heart. “I was the boy in the maze. I gave you the fox.”
She pulled one hand free from his, lifted it to his face.
His breath caught. His now-free hand fell to his side.
Her fingers caressed his cheek.
He leaned into her touch. Met her steady gaze.
She lifted up on her toes. Whispered, “How I hoped it was you,” a breath before she pressed her lips to his.
Her lips were warm and soft. Gentle. Tentative.
It took all his willpower not to crush her to him. Instead, he closed his eyes and focused his every thought on the searing connection.
When she lowered back to her heels, he forced himself not to follow her with his mouth. One kiss did not a promise make.
The tears streaming from her beautiful dark brown eyes were at odds with the blinding smile on her face.
“Princess?” he asked, worried that he had done something. When she didn’t answer, he said, “Arianne?”
Her smile grew wider, if that was even possible, and she shook her head. “I’m fine,” she said. “I’m just happy. So very happy.”
He smiled as he heaved a sigh of relief. He understood. “As am I.”
She trailed her fingers along his jaw and down his arm to recapture his hand.
“When the hunt is over,” she said, using their joined hands to wipe away her tears, “when the traitor has been found and dealt with, come to me. Come to the palace.”
Come to me. Those three words were the promise he sought, the hope he so desperately needed. Hope that this parting would not be their last. They would be together again.
He nodded. “I will.”
“Tell the queen and the prince that our clans are allies in truth,” she continued. “The Deachair will be ever ready to stand by the Moraine in any circumstance.”
Tearloch lifted their hands and pressed a kiss to the back of hers. “As I am ever ready to stand by you.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
She lifted up for another fleeting kiss and then turned and ran. As she moved, her body shifted, shrank, transformed into the shape of a small red fox. Her ainmhi was his clan’s symbol. Surely this was fate.
Tearloch smiled, watching as she ran toward ho
me, until he could no longer see the glint of sunlight on her shiny fur. And even longer after that.
When he knew that she was long gone, he headed for the palace.
His heart was light—with the knowledge that the princess shared his feelings and that he had acquired location of his clan’s greatest traitor. He fought the almost irrepressible urge to skip as he crossed the bridge and made his way through the palace’s front door. He followed the sound of voices to the royal hall, where a crowd had gathered.
There was a frantic energy that set his nerves on alert. Hushed voices and tense bodies.
Tearloch made a beeline for the great stone throne at the far end of the room. On it he found the queen, her head in her hands, with Cathair comforting her from one side and Winnie from the other.
Cathair saw his approach. “Tearloch.”
“My prince,” he said, holding up the witch’s parchment. “I have the traitor’s location.”
“Good,” Cathair said, and Tearloch did not miss the tightness in his voice, “because he has taken my brother.”
“What?” Tearloch jerked back.
The queen wailed.
Cathair bent to whisper reassurances in her ear.
Tearloch turned to Winnie.
“There was a ransom note,” she said. “Ultan has kidnapped Prince Aedan.”
Tearloch clutched the witch’s parchment tight in his fist. He would hunt Ultan down and send him to the Everdark if it was the last thing he ever did.
A Note from TLC
Thanks for taking the time to read When Magic Dares. I hope you loved it! If you did (and even if you didn’t) please consider taking the time to leave a review on GoodReads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or other sites. It would mean a lot!
I love to hear from my readers. If you want to connect with me, you can find me lots of places online. Here are just a few:
Twitter: @teralynnchilds
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Website: teralynnchilds.com
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TLC
Acknowledgments
This novella would not have been possible without the amazing help of my team of beta readers from the Darkly Fae Street Team. An extra special thank you to:
Angela A.
Carrie
Colette G.
Gwen Y.
Heather B.
Jessica W.
Reilly H.
And, as always, the incomparable Shana Galen.
About TLC
Tera Lynn Childs is the RITA-award-winning author of the mythology-based Oh. My. Gods. series, the mermaid tales of the Forgive My Fins series, and the kick-butt Sweet Venom trilogy about monster-hunting descendants of Medusa. She is the co-author, with Tracy Deebs, of the Hero Agenda series. She has indie published her City Chicks sweet chick lit series and the Darkly Fae fantasy YA series. Tera lives nowhere in particular and spends her time writing wherever she can find a comfy chair and a steady stream of caffeinated beverages.
More by TLC
the Darkly Fae series
When Magic Sleeps
When Magic Dares
the Hero Agenda series
co-written w/ Tracy Deebs
Powerless
the City Chicks series
Eye Candy
Straight Stalk
Trying Texas
the Oh. My. Gods. series
Oh. My. Gods.
Goddess Boot Camp
Goddess in Time
the Forgive My Fins series
Forgive My Fins
Fins Are Forever
Just For Fins
Pretty in Pearls
the Sweet Venom trilogy
Sweet Venom
Sweet Shadows
Sweet Legacy
Copyright
When Magic Dares
© 2015 by Tera Lynn Childs
Cover design by Damon Za
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, downloaded or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Fearless Alchemy
www.fearlessalchemy.com
Digital edition 1.0
ISBN 9780990460572
Tera Lynn Childs, When Magic Dares
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