thought. In all
honesty, I hadn’t expected to live.”
That’s when she remembered
what he had said when he first saw her on his isle. “You thought I
had come to kill you. Have you been waiting for
that?” He didn’t
meet her gaze as he nodded. “I’ve asked for it.”
“So you think you deserve death?”
“Most certainly.”
The conviction in his voice gave her pause.
“You were given a second chance. Why not grab hold of it with both
hands and live your life?”
“It isn’t that easy,” he said, his voice
laced with sorrow. “I have much to pay for, Ahryn. My deeds demand
my death.”
“Yet King Theron didn’t allow it.”
She heard what sounded like a chuckle, but
surely that couldn’t be since she hadn’t even seen him smile.
“Theron had nothing to do with it. The only
thing he did was place me on this realm instead of somewhere
else.”
Ahryn was more confused than ever. If Theron
didn’t halt the hand that would end Lugus’ life, then who had?
She watched Lugus with his cool demeanor and
somber blue eyes and knew what she had to do.
Chapter Seve
Lugus rubbed his tired eyes and looked out
over the sea. He couldn’t believe he had gotten Ahryn here safely,
but then cursed himself for not having her on the Isle of Skye
before nightfall.
He knew in the depths of his soul that Marcus
was coming for her. Lugus would have another soul on his conscious
if he didn’t send Ahryn through the gateway before Marcus arrived.
And all because his mind couldn’t let go of the dream and waking up
atop Ahryn.
The dream was still vivid in his memory, and
with it the glowing blue eyes that had stared back at him. It’s why
he had called Moira’s name. It was as if she had transformed in his
arms to someone else, someone looking like Ahryn.
He told himself it was simply because he had
been alone for so long and had not tasted a woman’s flesh in all
those years. It was because of those reasons alone that Ahryn had
been taking over Moira’s image in his dreams. It had to be, he told
himself. He refused to think of the other possible reasons.
His gaze moved to Ahryn. She had been quiet
and withdrawn the entire day, and he couldn’t blame her after what
he had done that morning. He wouldn’t speak to him either after
what he had done to her that morning.
What really angered him was that Ahryn was a
good sort, someone that he didn’t want to harm, yet he seemed to be
doing just that. It was one of the reasons he had wanted to reach
the Isle of Skye that day. The sooner she was away from him, the
better off she would be.
He was surprised when she moved her head and
met his gaze. Her mystical blue eyes sparkled in the fading light
of the sun.
“What will you do once I am returned to my
realm?”
He pondered her question a moment. “I don’t
know,” he said after not being able to come up with a lie.
“You cannot return to your isle.”
He shook his head. “Nay. Even if we manage to
get to the Isle of Skye and you pass through the gateway without
Marcus catching you, he will hunt me. Returning to my home isn’t an
option.”
“You like Scotland,” she said suddenly.
He was surprised that she had managed to see
that about him. “I do.”
“You won’t leave it.”
“It suits me,” was all he said in answer.
She tilted her head to the side and regarded
him. “Aye, it does. Marcus’ hand reaches far and wide, and his
power over other clans is great.”
“I had assumed as much. There are many places
in which a man can live undetected for a few years.”
He had already decided he would head deeper
into the Highlands and the rugged mountains. There he would find
some place to call home.
“And you?” he asked. “What will you do?”
She looked down at her hands
that played with the material of her skirts. “I will return to my
parents and explain what happened, and then, after that, I want to
visit Caer Rhoemyr .”
Lugus jerked at hearing of his city.
honesty, I hadn’t expected to live.”
That’s when she remembered
what he had said when he first saw her on his isle. “You thought I
had come to kill you. Have you been waiting for
that?” He didn’t
meet her gaze as he nodded. “I’ve asked for it.”
“So you think you deserve death?”
“Most certainly.”
The conviction in his voice gave her pause.
“You were given a second chance. Why not grab hold of it with both
hands and live your life?”
“It isn’t that easy,” he said, his voice
laced with sorrow. “I have much to pay for, Ahryn. My deeds demand
my death.”
“Yet King Theron didn’t allow it.”
She heard what sounded like a chuckle, but
surely that couldn’t be since she hadn’t even seen him smile.
“Theron had nothing to do with it. The only
thing he did was place me on this realm instead of somewhere
else.”
Ahryn was more confused than ever. If Theron
didn’t halt the hand that would end Lugus’ life, then who had?
She watched Lugus with his cool demeanor and
somber blue eyes and knew what she had to do.
Chapter Seve
Lugus rubbed his tired eyes and looked out
over the sea. He couldn’t believe he had gotten Ahryn here safely,
but then cursed himself for not having her on the Isle of Skye
before nightfall.
He knew in the depths of his soul that Marcus
was coming for her. Lugus would have another soul on his conscious
if he didn’t send Ahryn through the gateway before Marcus arrived.
And all because his mind couldn’t let go of the dream and waking up
atop Ahryn.
The dream was still vivid in his memory, and
with it the glowing blue eyes that had stared back at him. It’s why
he had called Moira’s name. It was as if she had transformed in his
arms to someone else, someone looking like Ahryn.
He told himself it was simply because he had
been alone for so long and had not tasted a woman’s flesh in all
those years. It was because of those reasons alone that Ahryn had
been taking over Moira’s image in his dreams. It had to be, he told
himself. He refused to think of the other possible reasons.
His gaze moved to Ahryn. She had been quiet
and withdrawn the entire day, and he couldn’t blame her after what
he had done that morning. He wouldn’t speak to him either after
what he had done to her that morning.
What really angered him was that Ahryn was a
good sort, someone that he didn’t want to harm, yet he seemed to be
doing just that. It was one of the reasons he had wanted to reach
the Isle of Skye that day. The sooner she was away from him, the
better off she would be.
He was surprised when she moved her head and
met his gaze. Her mystical blue eyes sparkled in the fading light
of the sun.
“What will you do once I am returned to my
realm?”
He pondered her question a moment. “I don’t
know,” he said after not being able to come up with a lie.
“You cannot return to your isle.”
He shook his head. “Nay. Even if we manage to
get to the Isle of Skye and you pass through the gateway without
Marcus catching you, he will hunt me. Returning to my home isn’t an
option.”
“You like Scotland,” she said suddenly.
He was surprised that she had managed to see
that about him. “I do.”
“You won’t leave it.”
“It suits me,” was all he said in answer.
She tilted her head to the side and regarded
him. “Aye, it does. Marcus’ hand reaches far and wide, and his
power over other clans is great.”
“I had assumed as much. There are many places
in which a man can live undetected for a few years.”
He had already decided he would head deeper
into the Highlands and the rugged mountains. There he would find
some place to call home.
“And you?” he asked. “What will you do?”
She looked down at her hands
that played with the material of her skirts. “I will return to my
parents and explain what happened, and then, after that, I want to
visit Caer Rhoemyr .”
Lugus jerked at hearing of his city.
Similar Books
