Read Online Smoke in Moonlight (Celtic Elementals Book 1) by Heather R. Blair - Free Book Online

about me the night I left and it freaked her out. I guess it freaked me out, too. I had a dream just like the one she'd described. It was really your stock nightmare—dark woods, me alone, running from something awful…"
    Ronan knew damn well it had been more than that, but he let that go. "But, tonight," he prompted, "was this one no' so…typical?"
    "No," Lacey said softly. "I...I've never felt anything like it. I woke up shaking...and sick. I walked for a minute," Her hand floated back and forth, indicating pacing. "Then I sat on the little couch. I didn't want to go back to bed, but I didn't want to wake anyone either. Then you came in. I kinda thought I was still dreaming at first. Until—" She stopped and looked awkward.
    He understood. Dreams, even truly awful nightmares, didn't actually try to murder you. At least in not in the so-called 'real' world. And he was beginning to consider for the first time that Lacey might just be from that world.
    Unfortunately for her, it didn't mean she couldn't be a pawn. And pawns could bring down a king. He'd seen it happen.
    Ronan was no king—though he'd been used by a few. And like a king he had people to protect, a duty to bear. He couldn't afford not to consider every angle.
    He leaned back on his heels, watching her face. Emotions flickered across it like light on water. Very normal, very human emotions: exhaustion, confusion, and fear.
    The fear was the only constant, it emanated from her like the rays of a cold sun. He didn't miss her furtive, despairing glances toward the door.
    Poor thing, alone. In a houseful of strangers, in a strange land. Plagued by vicious nightmares. Stalked by one of those strangers…attacked…
    Ronan forced himself to think of all this from her point of view—if she truly was what she seemed—and hated himself more than a little.
    He had enemies that could easily have foreseen his reaction to Lacey....or even induced it.
    Aine.
    How diabolical would it be, Ronan thought, if they were actually using a normal human to bring about the unseen doom the dream warned of? To get to him in the oldest of ways. Guilt tightened his throat again.
    If that were true, what he had done—and what he would in all likelihood still have to do—was almost unforgivable.
    But only almost. And only if it were true.
    He was far too old to make the mistake of taking anything at face value. Even if wore a face and form this lovely.
    "Tell me about the dream." It was a command, but he softened his tone, recognizing now that if she were just some female tourist, he was incredibly lucky she hadn’t already passed out on him.
    Bewildered, but obviously terrified of refusing, Lacey closed her eyes and leaned back against the whorled cushions, in a clear attempt to calm herself. But Ronan could see the rapid rise and fall of her breasts beneath the thin nightdress. He could practically hear her heartbeat. His hands clenched.
    "I was in the woods...the woods between here and Lough Gur." From her pause, she had just realized that.
    It was no surprise to him.
    "I was running through those woods. I had scratches everywhere and blood here," her fingers indicated her forehead, her eyes remaining closed. "And there were all these aches and pains all over my body, like I'd been in a car accident, or had fallen over and over again, really hard—something like that— because everything hurt. But I couldn't stop running, it was too important. So important…. Something terrible was coming, and I felt awful, sick—like I wasn't going to get there in time."
    " Where were ye going?" Ronan hissed, fighting to keep his voice low.
    Lacey moved her shoulders. "I don't remember, but the urge to get there was overwhelming. I think I was headed… east? It went so fast, trees flashing by and all these shadows from the moonlight. It had to be the full moon, because it was so bright, but the shadows were...scary. I don't think they were just shadows either, but I didn't stop to look. There