30. Ciara
“No,” I sobbed. I’d put everything on this working and now…
I sprang to my feet and ran through the garden. The tangled mess of the overgrown plants tore at my clothes and skin beneath. The human shoes were atrocious. I kicked them off and the connection with my powers flared with more force than I’d ever experienced. Shadows danced from my palms and over my forearms, and more and more engulfed me with every step I took. I dashed down the steps of the underground library and along the first aisle where I cowered at the end of the row of books.
I’d thought I could do it. Put my happiness aside for the sake of my father and our people, but every limb shook. This wasn’t right. Nothing about marking Sir Axis felt right.
There had to be another way. I grabbed the nearest book and laid it on the floor in front of me. The words were blurry through the tears in my eyes, but I forced myself to focus on them. To find another way.
“Ciara?” Aislinn called. “Are you in here?”
I bit my lip. There was nothing Aislinn could do to help me except study the books.
“She’ll be here,” Roisin said. “She loves books. They’re her comfort.”
Bloody sisters understood me too well.
“I’m here,” I croaked out through the tightness in my throat.
Footsteps grew closer until they almost stepped on me.
“Stop,” I cried. “You’ll damage the book.”
“Dia, forbid we damage a book.” Aislinn rolled her eyes.
“Or our sister,” Roisin said, kneeling on the floor mere inches from the book. “We can’t see you. How about you drop the shadows?”
My bottom lip quivered. “I don’t think I can.”
“We’re not letting you mark someone who’s not your fated mate,” Aislinn said.
“But it’s the only way to get Sir Axis into the Summer Court to fix the spring.”
“No. Not happening,” Aislinn said.
I loved her take no shite attitude.
Roisin’s hand crept through the shadows and touched the book. “I found a book, so I’ll find you.”
I let out a strangled laugh. My power became less insistent on protecting me and bit by bit the shadows drew back until they disappeared.
“There she is,” Pepper said. “Pretty cool power by the way.”
“Thank you,” I said to my sister-in-law. “Do you have a potion or something that would get Sir Axis through the Veil?”
She tipped the cloak from her head. “Not that I know of, but I’ll double-check my spell book.”
“I’d appreciate that,” I said, snapping the book shut and standing.
“I’m with your sisters here. You can’t mark someone who is not your fated mate.”
“But witches don’t have fated mates.”
She shrugged. “But I understand how much it means to your brother to have me. I saw his memories of you. And Malachi… are you sure he’s not your fated mate?”
“What?” Aislinn asked. “They’re best friends. Aren’t you, Ciara?”
My cheeks warmed so much it was as though the sun was blazing down on them.
“Oh, do tell.” Roisin rubbed her hands together.
I shrugged, then smiled remembering all the things we’d done to each other.
“We, ah, had sex.”
“What!” Aislinn screeched. “When?”
“I fell into heat while we were away.”
“You’re pregnant too?” Roisin asked.
“No. Sir Axis gave me a contraceptive potion.”
“Why would he do that?” Aislinn asked.
“We were at a ball. All the Water Sprites drink them before they have their orgies.”
Pepper cackled. Aislinn appeared appalled, and Roisin giggled.
“You were at an orgy too?” Aislinn asked.
I heaved out a sigh. “We left the ball once it started.”
She slid a dagger from a holster and twirled it around her fingers. “What is Sir Axis up to?”
I shrugged. “He seems to think I’ll help him with something using my powers and that’s why he’s helping us.”
“At least we recognize he’s not here by the goodness of his heart,” Aislinn said.
“He and father were friends, so I think he wants to help him.”
“Back to you and Malachi,” Pepper said. “Are you certain?”
“Aye,” Roisin said. “What about you and Malachi? Do you love him?”
“Of course, I love him. I’ve always loved him.”
“But now you’ve had sex, do you love him more?” she asked.
Did I? Was it possible to love him more than I already did? I tossed the question through my heart instead of my mind. It comprehended the answer to the question.
“I love him so much more I can’t imagine loving anyone else more. I can’t imagine not having him in my life. If I lost him, then I’d die from a broken heart.” I heaved out a long sigh.
“Sounds like the way I feel about Fallon,” Aislinn said. “Maybe Pepper is right. What if Malachi is your fated mate?”
“Why wouldn’t I have known?”
Aislinn shrugged. “The moment I met Fallon I comprehended they fated him to be mine. What if because you met so young you didn’t realize what the sensation meant?”
“Perhaps.”
“Plus, Lorcan didn’t realize the feelings he was having for me meant I was his fated mate,” Pepper said. “Men can be clueless sometimes.”
“True,” Aislinn said. “Although Saoirse didn’t realize Arrow was her fated mate because she was in heat.”
“I think the spring’s decline is messing with everything,” Roisin said. “I couldn’t think of a better man for you than Malachi. He makes you so happy.”
“He’s my best friend.”
“You make him happy too,” Roisin said with more wisdom than most fifty-year-old Fae. “We had to stop him chasing after you.”
“Why would you do that?” I gasped.
“See you want him more than anyone,” Pepper said.
I frowned. Was Malachi my fated mate? Had he been all this time? What if they were right?
“How do I comprehend for sure he’s my fated mate?”
“Your powers will tell you,” Aislinn said. “They’ll make you want to mark him.”
Dia, ever since we’d had sex that was all my powers wanted to do. I’d struggled to keep them from overwhelming me. But did I dare believe we were fated?
“But our powers aren’t right with the way the spring is now. We have to fix the spring.”
“We do.” Aislinn placed a calming hand on my shoulder. “And we will. We’ll get the Water Sprite into the Summer Court another way.”
“How?”
“I’m not sure yet, but we’ll think of something. We’ll find it in this library. In these books.” She nodded as though she was right.
“We don’t have time. Father…” I gulped. “Doesn’t have time.”
“At least let us search for a day?” Roisin pleaded.
I couldn’t say no to my little sister. She was father’s favorite and if she was willing to make father wait another day to be healed, then there had to be hope.
“Ciara?” Malachi’s voice called out.
“I’m surprised he waited this long,” Roisin said.
“Me too,” Aislinn said.
“You made him wait to see how long he’d stay away?” I fought the smile trying to form on my lips.
“Aye fated mates can’t stand to be apart,” Aislinn said.
“You should see Lorcan.” Pepper rolled her eyes but smiled while doing it. “It’s like I can’t even pee in peace.”
We all laughed, easing the tension of the moment. Malachi’s footsteps emanated down the stairs and then he walked down the aisle.
“Are you all, right?” he asked, his gaze settling on my face.
I drank in the sight of him letting the relief at being near him settle the pain I’d had in my heart. Perhaps they were right, and Malachi was my fated mate all along.
“I am now you’re here,” I said.
One by one they hugged me and left us alone in the library.
“We’ll keep everyone out for as long as we can while you two talk, but we’ll have to get back to researching soon,” Aislinn said.
“Research?” Malachi asked.
“Aye. We’re not letting Ciara mark Sir Axis,” she said.
His shoulders sagged as they walked past him.
“I don’t know whether to be happy or concerned,” he said.
“About?”
“You not marking him.” He scowled as though the idea of my mark on another man made him angry.
“I’m both,” I said. “I understand if you’re feeling both too.”
One side of his lips tipped up into a smile.
“Ciara…”
“Wait. My sisters think…”
“Think what?” He stepped closer.
The comfort I always experienced in his presence grew. Hope blossomed inside my heart.
“They think we might be fated mates,” I whispered scarcely daring to say the words I hoped were true.
“What?” he croaked out the word.