sections of their being, and Cian felt the loss.
Meg felt her pulse pound as she was flooded with memories of
Cian’s lovers. She had a brief vision of a beautiful blonde with her
hand possessively on Beck’s arm. They walked into a brilliantly lit
ballroom, and everyone cheered. Cian was left out. It was the night of
his formal engagement, but he didn’t want to be there. He couldn’t
stand the woman. Cian was sure she felt the same way about him. He
was in the way, and he knew it. Beck was resplendent in his formal
court attire, but his face was pinched with duty. Beck didn’t love her,
either. How were they going to get out of this? Meg was swamped
with Cian’s panic as he realized he was trapped.
Bound
145
Meg heard herself moan as the siege continued. Her hands
tightened on Cian’s arms. She held on for dear life. Tears squeezed
out of her eyes as she became sure her skull was going to split. She
hoped it did. It would relieve the overwhelming pressure.
No, she felt Cian protest deep in her soul as the scene in her brain
changed. He didn’t want to remember, but it was coming, anyway. It
was far too strong to be denied.
Smoke was everywhere. Meg lifted her head and put a hand to her
ears. It was so loud. She was in the middle of a battle. There was fire,
heat, and the sound of metal on metal. She looked down. A teenage
girl was lying in her lap. She looked up with soft brown eyes. They
were filled with tears.
“Mama?” the girl asked. She wasn’t confused, Meg realized. She
was asking a question.
“She’s gone, Bron.” Meg heard Cian’s voice speaking, saw
through his eyes, was assailed with his memories. His voice was filled
with sorrow. His mother was dead. He’d seen her die at the end of a