all the Fae power dumped into her system, her metabolism had been excellent. But why push the envelope?
“You know I love you, sweetie,” Maggie said. “But when it comes to boys and you? Nobody’s the ‘fun’ one.”
“My life sucks,” Eileen complained.
“I hear that,” Bezel seconded.
“What’s for dinner?” Maggie demanded.
Bezel sniffed. “Torkian beast.”
Maggie frowned. “What?”
“Think roast beef but better.”
He always said that. Like everything in Otherworld was superior to Earth. He even insisted their version of hell, Ifreann , was scarier. But Maggie had her doubts. She’d been to weekend religious classes when she was a kid. She’d been taught by nuns, and nobody did hell better than Catholics.
“Is it endangered?” Eileen asked.
Bezel laughed and the sound was like a dry paper towel against cloth. Raspy and irritating.
“ Ifreann take me,” he admitted. “For humans, you’re pretty entertaining.”
“Aunt Maggie’s not all human anymore,” Eileen reminded him. “And she’s Queen.”
Bezel’s gaze moved over her paint-stained jeans, green-streaked hair and spattered hands. “Yeah. I’m getting that royal vibe.”
“And, I’m not all human, either,” Eileen reminded him proudly. “I’m part-Fae, too.”
Which brought Maggie back once more to thoughts of the grandfather she’d just found out was alive and well and living in Otherworld. When she told Nora about him, her sister was going to want to search for GrandFae and Maggie wasn’t sure that was a good idea. After all, they might not have guessed that he was still around, but she was betting he had known about them . Which made her wonder just why the hell he’d never come around.
“It’s ready!” Bezel announced, and jumped off his stool, carrying his platter of, Maggie had to admit, great-smelling roast Torkian. So she put off thoughts of her grandfather in favor of a hot meal she hadn’t had to cook herself.
God knew, there’d be plenty of time later to worry.
A few hours later, Culhane shifted into Maggie’s bedroom and went perfectly still. Moonlight speared through the window and lay across his sleeping Queen in a silvery caress. Her hair spilled around her head like a dark red halo. Her lashes made soft half circles on her pale cheeks. Her mouth was curved as if she were enjoying her dream, and that made Culhane smile as well.
Her dreams would soon bring her more enjoyment than she would have thought possible. Three long strides took him to the side of her bed. He sat down gingerly on the edge of the mattress, then reached out with one hand to gently brush a lock of hair from her forehead. She stirred, shifting position, pulling the sheet down from her shoulders. Culhane’s gaze locked on her breasts—full, ripe and hidden from him by nothing more than the sheer fabric of her nightgown. He wanted to lift it from her, bare her skin to his gaze. But that would wake her and he wanted her to sleep deeply. Tipping his head to one side, he quietly studied her and felt a powerful surge of desire grip him. Years he’d waited for her.
At first, she’d been nothing more than a random prophecy he’d found in an ancient scroll. But he had believed and held on to the promise of her in his darker hours. Then she was a girl. A part-Fae girl who touched his heart when he’d thought it long dead. Finally, she was Maggie, his Queen. She’d defeated Mab, come into the power that had been foretold and now she was, for him, the One.
The one woman, mortal or Fae, who could bring the mighty Culhane to his knees.
She sighed in her sleep and he leaned over her, his face just inches from hers. She still had no idea just what she was. How much she was becoming. The moonlight was soft and a breath of wind slipped beneath the partially opened window. It was cold and carried the scent of coming rain. Maggie, unaware of his presence, slept on, lost in her dreams.
All around him, the house was silent, as if
“You know I love you, sweetie,” Maggie said. “But when it comes to boys and you? Nobody’s the ‘fun’ one.”
“My life sucks,” Eileen complained.
“I hear that,” Bezel seconded.
“What’s for dinner?” Maggie demanded.
Bezel sniffed. “Torkian beast.”
Maggie frowned. “What?”
“Think roast beef but better.”
He always said that. Like everything in Otherworld was superior to Earth. He even insisted their version of hell, Ifreann , was scarier. But Maggie had her doubts. She’d been to weekend religious classes when she was a kid. She’d been taught by nuns, and nobody did hell better than Catholics.
“Is it endangered?” Eileen asked.
Bezel laughed and the sound was like a dry paper towel against cloth. Raspy and irritating.
“ Ifreann take me,” he admitted. “For humans, you’re pretty entertaining.”
“Aunt Maggie’s not all human anymore,” Eileen reminded him. “And she’s Queen.”
Bezel’s gaze moved over her paint-stained jeans, green-streaked hair and spattered hands. “Yeah. I’m getting that royal vibe.”
“And, I’m not all human, either,” Eileen reminded him proudly. “I’m part-Fae, too.”
Which brought Maggie back once more to thoughts of the grandfather she’d just found out was alive and well and living in Otherworld. When she told Nora about him, her sister was going to want to search for GrandFae and Maggie wasn’t sure that was a good idea. After all, they might not have guessed that he was still around, but she was betting he had known about them . Which made her wonder just why the hell he’d never come around.
“It’s ready!” Bezel announced, and jumped off his stool, carrying his platter of, Maggie had to admit, great-smelling roast Torkian. So she put off thoughts of her grandfather in favor of a hot meal she hadn’t had to cook herself.
God knew, there’d be plenty of time later to worry.
A few hours later, Culhane shifted into Maggie’s bedroom and went perfectly still. Moonlight speared through the window and lay across his sleeping Queen in a silvery caress. Her hair spilled around her head like a dark red halo. Her lashes made soft half circles on her pale cheeks. Her mouth was curved as if she were enjoying her dream, and that made Culhane smile as well.
Her dreams would soon bring her more enjoyment than she would have thought possible. Three long strides took him to the side of her bed. He sat down gingerly on the edge of the mattress, then reached out with one hand to gently brush a lock of hair from her forehead. She stirred, shifting position, pulling the sheet down from her shoulders. Culhane’s gaze locked on her breasts—full, ripe and hidden from him by nothing more than the sheer fabric of her nightgown. He wanted to lift it from her, bare her skin to his gaze. But that would wake her and he wanted her to sleep deeply. Tipping his head to one side, he quietly studied her and felt a powerful surge of desire grip him. Years he’d waited for her.
At first, she’d been nothing more than a random prophecy he’d found in an ancient scroll. But he had believed and held on to the promise of her in his darker hours. Then she was a girl. A part-Fae girl who touched his heart when he’d thought it long dead. Finally, she was Maggie, his Queen. She’d defeated Mab, come into the power that had been foretold and now she was, for him, the One.
The one woman, mortal or Fae, who could bring the mighty Culhane to his knees.
She sighed in her sleep and he leaned over her, his face just inches from hers. She still had no idea just what she was. How much she was becoming. The moonlight was soft and a breath of wind slipped beneath the partially opened window. It was cold and carried the scent of coming rain. Maggie, unaware of his presence, slept on, lost in her dreams.
All around him, the house was silent, as if
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