56. Mare
Mare
Brighid would have been beautiful, had she not looked so terribly sad. She seemed less a bride and more a corpse, dressed in her finest before being lowered into the ground.
I turned away from her to see that a third Solheart had departed the queen's entourage to join us. My limbs stiffened, and I reached for my sword belt. My fingers swept through the air—I had not worn Cierthine tonight.
Lord Sorley dressed in blinding white. He looked no different than he had in Vaf’s memory: clean-shaven with a wide jaw and a memorable beauty spot under his eye.
Reese’s father, Lord Tiernan, nodded to Sorley. “She’s lovely, Eamon.”
“Isn’t she?” Sorley smiled. Slimy, self-satisfied. I wanted to rip it from his face.
My mouth moved before I could stop myself. “This is unusual, isn’t it?” I blurted out. “For a Solheart lord to marry a lesser Fireborn?”
Sorley took a step toward me. “Unusual for a first marriage, perhaps. My late wife already bore me legitimate children. I simply yearn for companionship.”
Every word of his response sent fire rolling through my veins.
Lord Tiernan's eyes narrowed. “You will not speak until you are spoken to.”
“Oh, it's alright.” Sorley waved his hand. “She's a special case, is she not? A Paragon in the making?”
“She is not a Paragon yet.” Reese’s father glared at me, waiting for me to apologize, to bow my head.
I would not. I would rather peel my skin off than apologize to that monster. Setting my jaw, I glowered at the men before me.
Reese’s brother met my stare. A smirk slowly spread across his lips.
A warm hand touched my shoulder. “Excuse me, dear,” Brighid said, slipping between Reese and me. “I need to greet my guests.”
Smiling sweetly, Brighid offered a hand, and Sorley took it.
I wanted to cut his arms off.
Sorley led Brighid up to the dais, and she shot me a withering glare.
‘Don’t cause trouble,’ I’m sure it said.
Breathing in, I turned to Reese. I’d been so focused on Sorley, I hadn’t noticed how he clenched his sword hilt, how his eyes crackled with hate.
Reese’s father turned away, leaving us be. But the brother remained.
“Oh, my dear little dirt crawler,” he tutted. “Are you planning to disrupt another gathering?”
Reese exhaled heavily. “Oh, Raild. You are the last person I ever want to see.”
“Every year, your tongue grows bolder.” Raild’s orange eyes flicked off his brother onto me.
He peered down his nose at me—it was sharper than Reese’s, slightly curved.
“You’re learning bad habits from him, dear.
” He paced around me, pausing at my side.
“Tell me. How much do you know about my charming little brother?”
“Raild,” Reese warned.
“I’m talking to her, not you.”
Keeping my head high, I didn't let him see a flicker of doubt. “I know enough,” I lied.
“Is that so?” Raild glanced out at the ballroom. “He might have all you lesser-born fooled, but some in Forlaith remember who he was before—and the mutilated bodies he left in his wake.”
Heat burned against my back. I turned to look at Reese, but his gaze was set on his brother.
Raild sneered. “Dirt crawlers will always be scum. That’s why.” He grabbed my chin. “He prefers whores.”
A blade sang through the air, slicing for Raild’s hand. The Solheart lord yanked his arm back, barely avoiding the radiant rapier.
“Don’t touch her,” Reese seethed.
Fear danced in Raild's eyes, but for only a moment. Clutching the hand he’d nearly lost, his mouth slowly curled back up. “That anger of yours is going to get you killed one day. But for now.” He glanced around. “It’s drawn a scene.”
The ballroom had fallen silent. All eyes had turned on us—on the Paragon who’d drawn his blade.
I grabbed Reese’s hand and pushed his rapier down. Red-hot fire burned my skin—even covered by a glove, his radiant prosthetic hurt me.
“He’s not worth it,” I whispered.
Reese glanced at me, then reluctantly shoved his sword back into its sheath. “Crawl back to father, Raild.” He turned his back. “You’re not going to get anything out of me.”
Looping my arm through his, I followed him away from the dais to a quiet corner.
We paused beside a table littered with plates of food.
It smelled divine: plates of Lavaire’s spiced meats, golden bread from the Forlaith fields and bowls of coffee cream.
Earlier today I was so looking forward to dinner. Now, I had no appetite.
Reese scowled at the gathering of Solhearts, notably Lord Sorley. The Solheart lord looped an arm around Brighid’s waist and pulled her close.
“I can’t do this,” Reese said. “I’m going to kill him. Maybe Raild, too.”
“Why didn’t you mention them?” I demanded. “Your family?”
“I don’t think of them as my family. My father only recognized me when I became a Paragon,” he snarled. “Raild is the one I warned you about—the Lecovair member who hates me. I’ve never known what his problem is.”
“Really? I never would have guessed. He was so polite.”
Reese didn’t respond. His hand tensed around his blade, gaze searing into Sorley’s back.
“Why don’t we step out?” I touched his back. “The garden looks empty—we can catch our breath and—” I lowered my voice. “Refrain from turning this wedding into a massacre?”
He refused to budge, so I leaned my weight into his side. He made a noise that sounded like a growl, but turned and marched outside.
The door slammed behind us, locking out the noise of the crowd. The fort’s back garden was small, but beautiful—an oak with yellow leaves loomed over a fountain, shading the bubbling water. Flowers had begun to bloom in the early weeks of spring. Pale blues and pastel greens.
“Did you just growl?” I asked, hiking up my skirt as I followed Reese across the garden. “What are you, a feral dog?”
He stopped beside the fountain and whirled around. “I would love nothing more than to stab someone right now.”
I took a step back. “Should I be worried?”
“No,” he breathed. “God, no.” He held out a hand, beckoning me to come near.
Joining him, I regarded my reflection in the fountain. I looked like the woman I’d been before, the clueless noble. But I did not remember that girl. She was buried in the past.
“When did Brighid tell you?” I asked, looking up at Reese.
“A year ago,” he said stiffly. “If we talk about it, I’m going to murder him.”
“Alright.” I shimmied closer to the fountain, blocking his view of the fort. “Shall we discuss our feelings, then? I could lament about the boy who broke my heart when I was fourteen.”
“Who would do such a foolish thing?”
“Lord Fitheal’s brat son,” I spat. “He only favors Stormborn with lavender hair. Do you know how rare those are?” Pulling my hair over my shoulder, I leaned against the tree.
“When I was fourteen, I was playing rogue.” Reese dragged his collar aside, revealing part of his tattoo. “We called ourselves the Sun Chasers.”
“You got that when you were fourteen?”
“No, this was when it became official—when we grew up.”
“Wait—you were a thief?” I rolled my head to the side. “First Liam, now you. I’m doomed to the company of delinquents.”
“How dreadful for you." He looked wistful, "I never believed Cleiv Solais should have chosen me.” He leaned against the tree, too close, too warm.
We stood like that for a while, surrounded by birdsong and flowers. I twisted my hands together, wondering if I should say something, burning beneath the distance he didn’t know was between us.
“I should return,” he said quietly. “Tell my father I intend to oversee your anointment, once I’ve finished training you. “
“This isn’t your burden, you know.” I twisted my neck to look up at him. “To train me, to deal with all this.”
“Maybe you could’ve convinced me of that back when we first met, but not anymore.”
“Yes, well.” I swallowed, and looked away. “Now we have the problem of you coddling me too much.”
“I can’t help it. I’m overprotective. And . . . selfish. I don’t want you to leave my side.”
Vaf’s promise echoed in my mind. Lurching from the tree, I put space between us. “Maybe we should part ways, then.”
His eyebrows fell. “What?”
“We’re being foolish, courting forbidden temptations,” I said, heart pounding. “Distance will ensure we don’t cross that line.”
Reese took a step toward me. “What line?”
I spread my arms. “Don’t be coy with me. You’re warm and sweet and frustratingly good-looking. I feel like all I’d have to do is frown a little bit, and you’d happily pamper me like a princess for a week.”
“I would.”
“Ugh.” I flopped my hands back at my side. “Even if you weren’t a Solheart, you’re . . . perfect. And I'm . . . ” I trailed off. “I’m not good enough to be a Paragon.”
Heat washed over me as Reese stood opposite me, hand gently cupping my face. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you blurt out a bunch of words like that before.”
My shoulders slumped. “I try very hard to keep up appearances, you know.”
“And I melt through your defenses?” A wry smile spread across his face.
“Don’t get smug, now.” My eyes darted away. “You’re a Solheart. You’re supposed to think I’m lowly.”
“I think you’re funny, charming, and beautiful. Not to mention incredibly brave.” He ran his thumb down my cheek. “And I am not perfect.”
Clenching my hands, I forced myself to look into his eyes. He leaned toward me, and I tensed, turning my face.
‘You are doomed to forever stand on opposite sides. Your heart will shatter, long before your blades clash.’
Even without Vaf’s price, this was a mistake. Forbidden. It would bring nothing but a headache.
“No one,” Reese breathed, turning my face back to his. “Tells Paragons what to do.”
“Really? I was under the impression we had to follow laws.”
He smiled, warm and inviting. Red waves fell over eyes that still burned with rage, giving him that wildly handsome appearance.
My heart was primed to leap from my chest, and my fingers trembled. This was agony.
“Have I told you?” Reese whispered. “That your eyes are beautiful?”
“Oh, fuck it,” I murmured, throwing myself at him.
Reese wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against him. Our lips met in a fiery blaze, but it was a pleasant heat—not the painful touch of his magic. I tangled my fingers in his hair and felt my feet lift from the ground as he picked me up and pushed me against the tree.
Half my body screamed, no stop. The other half cheered, yes more.
His fingers knit through mine, dragging my arm above my head, pinning me in place. The dissenting voices fell silent after that.
I curled my fingers through his and traced my other hand through his hair. Heat burned through my body—like I was aflame. And like the idiot I was, I buried myself tighter against the man who ignited me.
His grip tightened around my waist, and he swept me away from the tree. With a gentle kick, he nudged my feet out from under me.
Frigid cold gripped me as I fell back onto the soft grass, freed from his fiery touch. I had a fleeting moment to realize the mistake I was making, to break away, to beg him to stop.
Reese gripped my shoulders and pushed me down, mouth pressing onto mine, tongue parting my lips. His hands found mine, twining them in his, trapping them above my head.
A realization pooled in my core as I lay beneath his mercy.
I was perfectly happy to be dominated.
Reese tilted his head, trailing kisses down my jaw to my neck.
I gasped. “I’ve had enough of the ball. Why don’t we just leave?”
“And retire to my chambers?” He breathed against my neck.
My fingers tightened around his. Images flashed through my mind of rolling around in the sheets with him.
His lips found mine again, and I was just about ready to throw away my dignity.
A voice shattered the bliss.
“Oh my, how scandalous.”
Reese shot to his feet and drew his blade. Raild—his brother—sauntered toward us, face twisted into a satisfied sneer.
“Sorry,” Raild drawled. “Was I interrupting something?”
“Are you trying to goad me into killing you?” Reese stepped between Raild and me.
Smoothing my dress down, I stumbled to my feet.
“Go ahead and try. I don’t think it would go well for you.” Raild smiled at me. “I’m reasonable, though. Run off now, little harlot, and I won’t tell everyone what I just saw.”
Saints, what was I thinking? I hid so much more than a forbidden affair. My magic, my allegiances . . .
I promised to help my mother. To be part of something that mattered. I couldn’t throw it away here.
So, I took his offer. Lifting my skirts, I turned and ran.
Reese called my name, but I didn’t look back.