now.”
Marcus looked away from the accusing copper
gaze. “Mayhap. However, you know to what lengths I went to obtain
Ahryn. I couldn’t sit idly by and wait for her to return to
me.”
A low chuckle reached Marcus as his companion
folded his arms across his chest and regarded him. “Ever the
insecure lord. Admit that you didn’t take Lugus as a threat because
he is the only one that can lead her to a gateway safely. It is the
very reason I warned you to stay away from him.”
Marcus waved away his words. “We will reach
her in time.”
“You better pray to your god that we do or
else the entire Fae army will descend upon you.”
~ ~ ~
Ahryn didn’t think her body could get more
exhausted than it was, yet somehow she had managed it. The lack of
natural magic on Earth drained Fae easily, and, when exerted as she
had been, it went even faster. She briefly closed her eyes and
tried to gather some calm around her.
She had thought that her hurt would have
melted away by now, yet here it was late afternoon and she couldn’t
shake it. Very few words had been spoken since they had left the
widow’s cottage. Lugus seemed lost in his own world, and she had no
desire to intrude again.
His harsh tone when she had asked about his
past told her just how fresh his wounds were. She tried to imagine
the worst thing he could have done, which was try and destroy the
Fae realm. Yet, it still didn’t stop her from trusting him. In the
little time she had been with him, she had seen the real man.
If he had done the unthinkable, Ahryn knew
there had to have been a reason. She didn’t for a moment believe
that a man capable of what was hinted about on her realm would save
her instead of leaving her to die.
She wished her mind would stay occupied with
such thoughts, but inevitably, they shifted to his kisses and the
feel of him that morning. The love and desire shining in his eyes
as he spoke Moira’s name would be etched in her memory for
eternity.
Ahryn barely saw Lugus stop in front of her.
She hastily sidestepped and missed running into him and ignored the
inquisitive look he shot her. When he turned his head she followed
his gaze and found herself looking across the sea to a large
isle.
“Is it the Isle of Skye?” she asked
hesitantly.
“Aye.”
She looked to the sky and the growing
darkness. “Will we make it today?”
Lugus sighed and turned away. “It is too
late. We’ll go first thing in the morning,” he said as he searched
for a place for them to bed down for the night.
She had noticed how uncomfortable he became
in the darkness and wondered if it was her imagination or if he
truly didn’t like the night. Slowly, she turned and followed him.
As preoccupied with his own thoughts as he was, he never noticed
her studying him.
Lugus looked very much like his brother, King
Theron, yet there was something missing from him besides the Fae
glow of his skin. It was then she realized what it was. Hope. He
had no hope in him, and without hope, it would only be a matter of
time before he died.
She leaned against a tree and asked, “Can we
chance a fire tonight?”
Lugus paused in his perusal and looked at
her. “I cannot shake the feeling that Marcus is not very far behind
us. If I had pushed a little harder today, we could be on the
isle,” he said and pointed to the Isle of Skye. “And you could be
nearly home by now.”
“It isn’t your fault,” she assured him. “I
slowed you down. I’m not so sure that Marcus will know where we
are. I don’t know how you stand it,” she said and rubbed her head.
“I hate not being able to read the future.”
He shrugged and sat down against a tree. “You
get used to it, just as you get used to not healing quickly.”
“It must be dreadful.” She sat across from
him, hoping he would continue talking without her having to ask
more probing questions. She had no idea why she felt the need to
know him as she did.
“It wasn’t as bad as I had
Marcus looked away from the accusing copper
gaze. “Mayhap. However, you know to what lengths I went to obtain
Ahryn. I couldn’t sit idly by and wait for her to return to
me.”
A low chuckle reached Marcus as his companion
folded his arms across his chest and regarded him. “Ever the
insecure lord. Admit that you didn’t take Lugus as a threat because
he is the only one that can lead her to a gateway safely. It is the
very reason I warned you to stay away from him.”
Marcus waved away his words. “We will reach
her in time.”
“You better pray to your god that we do or
else the entire Fae army will descend upon you.”
~ ~ ~
Ahryn didn’t think her body could get more
exhausted than it was, yet somehow she had managed it. The lack of
natural magic on Earth drained Fae easily, and, when exerted as she
had been, it went even faster. She briefly closed her eyes and
tried to gather some calm around her.
She had thought that her hurt would have
melted away by now, yet here it was late afternoon and she couldn’t
shake it. Very few words had been spoken since they had left the
widow’s cottage. Lugus seemed lost in his own world, and she had no
desire to intrude again.
His harsh tone when she had asked about his
past told her just how fresh his wounds were. She tried to imagine
the worst thing he could have done, which was try and destroy the
Fae realm. Yet, it still didn’t stop her from trusting him. In the
little time she had been with him, she had seen the real man.
If he had done the unthinkable, Ahryn knew
there had to have been a reason. She didn’t for a moment believe
that a man capable of what was hinted about on her realm would save
her instead of leaving her to die.
She wished her mind would stay occupied with
such thoughts, but inevitably, they shifted to his kisses and the
feel of him that morning. The love and desire shining in his eyes
as he spoke Moira’s name would be etched in her memory for
eternity.
Ahryn barely saw Lugus stop in front of her.
She hastily sidestepped and missed running into him and ignored the
inquisitive look he shot her. When he turned his head she followed
his gaze and found herself looking across the sea to a large
isle.
“Is it the Isle of Skye?” she asked
hesitantly.
“Aye.”
She looked to the sky and the growing
darkness. “Will we make it today?”
Lugus sighed and turned away. “It is too
late. We’ll go first thing in the morning,” he said as he searched
for a place for them to bed down for the night.
She had noticed how uncomfortable he became
in the darkness and wondered if it was her imagination or if he
truly didn’t like the night. Slowly, she turned and followed him.
As preoccupied with his own thoughts as he was, he never noticed
her studying him.
Lugus looked very much like his brother, King
Theron, yet there was something missing from him besides the Fae
glow of his skin. It was then she realized what it was. Hope. He
had no hope in him, and without hope, it would only be a matter of
time before he died.
She leaned against a tree and asked, “Can we
chance a fire tonight?”
Lugus paused in his perusal and looked at
her. “I cannot shake the feeling that Marcus is not very far behind
us. If I had pushed a little harder today, we could be on the
isle,” he said and pointed to the Isle of Skye. “And you could be
nearly home by now.”
“It isn’t your fault,” she assured him. “I
slowed you down. I’m not so sure that Marcus will know where we
are. I don’t know how you stand it,” she said and rubbed her head.
“I hate not being able to read the future.”
He shrugged and sat down against a tree. “You
get used to it, just as you get used to not healing quickly.”
“It must be dreadful.” She sat across from
him, hoping he would continue talking without her having to ask
more probing questions. She had no idea why she felt the need to
know him as she did.
“It wasn’t as bad as I had
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