“No! Tier, no!” Maeve’s cry, her devastating keen of despair, was the last thing he heard before everything fell silent around him.
This is it.
They would lose this war.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Maeve’s knees struck the ground as she covered Tiernan’s body with her own. Blood soaked the ground beneath him, flowing from his back where his wings had been ripped from him. His breathing was too shallow, his pulse was painfully slow. The bronze of his skin had lost all its luster. Now, it was pallid, leached of all color.
He was dying.
Her heart severed.
The witch thread ached as the strain of death threatened to steal him from her. It burned her skin, and her breath caught in her lungs, making it impossible to breathe. Her wrist pulsed in agony, and without warning, the searing heat from the mark binding them turned cold.
Maeve whispered a prayer to the god of death, begging him for mercy.
If you take him, take me. For if he goes, I may live, but my soul will die.
She waited for a response, but Aed did not answer her plea.
A white and gray wolf raced toward her, with about fifty Summer warriors chasing behind him. His fangs were stained crimson, his fur was matted around his vicious jaws. He loosed adeafening howl lanced with heartache. One silver eye flashed at her. The other was missing.
Lir shifted into his fae form a moment later, pulling both of his curved swords at once. He’d suffered a wound to his shoulder and back, but neither stopped him from defending her. From protecting them both. His gaze flicked to Tiernan’s near-lifeless body sprawled on the ground. Then he spun away.
“Take up arms!” he shouted, and in unison, a clamor of swords and shields answered the deep command in his voice. “Fight unto death for your king and queen! Danua favors the bold, the realm of paradise awaits all those who die a hero’s death!”
At once, the warriors charged toward the horde of dark fae assailing them.
“Commander!” Rowan shouted above the fray, spreading his wings wide to shield Maeve and Tiernan. “Where is the rest of your legion?”
“This is all that remains!” Lir glanced over his shoulder, the planes of his face were etched with unyielding determination. “Get her out of here!”
“No!” Maeve shrieked as Rowan’s arms locked around her waist, hauling her away from Tiernan’s body. “No!”
She struggled, kicking and flailing, but he dragged her against him, and shot into the sky.
“Tiernan!”
The wind swallowed her scream.
“Rowan, you fucking bastard!” She twisted in his grasp, fought to get away from him even as she saw Brynn rushing to Tiernan’s side. “Put me down!”
“Be still,” he grunted as her elbow jammed into his hard stomach.
“Put me down!” she cried, tears burning in her eyes. “Put me down now!”
Maeve twisted, then slipped, and she was certain he’d let her go. But then he snared her arm, yanking her closer so this time she faced him. She cocked her arm back, clenched her hand tight, and swung.
Rowan grabbed her fist before it collided with the side of his face.
His lavender eyes burned hot, boring into her.
“He needs me,” she choked out, unable to stop the tears from sliding down her cheeks.
“Look around you, Maeve.” He showed her no pity. Not an ounce of sympathy. “Faevenneedsyou.”
Hating him in that moment, hating herself even more, she did as she was told.
