Darkly Fae: The Moraine Cycle by Tera Lynn Childs

Author:Tera Lynn Childs [Childs, Tera Lynn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780986162350
Publisher: Fearless Alchemy
Published: 2016-12-05T13:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

While the queen readied for the ritual, one of her guards led Regan and the others to a private chamber. No doubt as much to keep them contained as to allow them some time to prepare the human for the Tastail Tine.

He had no idea what he was getting into.

“So what exactly does this Tastail Tine entail?” he asked as Regan closed the door on the chamber. “I’m picturing toasted marshmallows and ghost stories around a campfire.”

Regan shook her head in disgust—or perhaps fear. “Are you never serious?”

“Not if I can help it,” he replied.

“It’s a test of will,” Winnie explained, ignoring their exchange. “Kind of like walking on hot coals.”

That was a vast oversimplification, but at this point Regan thought her observation would be unwelcome.

The human made a dismissive gesture. “No big deal. I’ve walked on way worse than hot coals.” He lifted his foot, as though they could see through the leather to the skin inside. “Still in tact.”

Winnie winced. “This is a bit more intense than that.”

“Impossible,” Regan blurted. “There is no way we can prepare him for this in such a short time. The priestesses of Morrigan train for years to endure the Tastail Tine.”

“What have we learned about the word impossible?”

“You are impossible!” She threw up her hands. “You will die in there.”

“You have a better plan?” the human retorted. “You want to send Winnie in?”

Regan jerked back, stunned by the anger in his voice, even as the emotion fed her magic.

“Or better yet, you want to go in? Lose your magic? Piss off the great and powerful Morrigan?” When she didn’t respond, he continued. “There are no other options. If we want to stop Ultan, then I have to do this.”

His nostrils flared and his eyes were wider than usual.

But there, underneath the anger, she saw something else. She felt something else. Something the anger hid. Wounded pride perhaps? Irritation that she had dared to suggest that he could not complete the test?

No, more than that. Deeper. Beneath even that she saw...fear.

He was truly frightened. He understood that he was risking his life for the sake of the fae, and that the survival of the entire fae realm might depend on him successfully completing the trial. He knew the risk, he was terrified of it, and still he intended to go through with it.

Regan admired that kind of courage in the face of insurmountable odds.

It also reassured her that, despite his outward appearance of recklessness and lack of concern, he was actually taking the Tastail Tine quite seriously. That gave her hope that perhaps it was not so impossible after all.

“You are right,” she said quietly. “I am sorry to have voiced such doubts.”

Now it was his turn to blink in surprise. Clearly he had not expected an apology from her.

She could not be offended. He did not yet know her well enough to have learned that her humility was greater than her pride. Though it happened infrequently, she could admit when she was wrong.

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