Read Online Irish Moon by Amber Scott - Free Book Online Page A

there.”
Finn’s tone was casual.
    “And your thirst for blood? Where is it now?”
Breanne pinned him with her eyes. If she would have to trust him
with more than simply watching the man whilst she left, she wanted
assurance.
    “Rest your
fears , Breanne.
If I still wanted his head, I’d have had it while you were off
wandering the woods.” He managed to sound bored.
    Though his point rang
honest, Breanne trusted the instincts that sprang up alongside the
prophetic words. She would take him to the place Finn suggested,
ensure he was safe there herself , but Finn would come back with her. She’d drag him
by the tail if need be.
    It took her a full and
arduous fifteen minutes to get the man from the cottage to the
cave , despite how
close it turned out to be. And though just a few cubits inside the
forest boundaries, the small cave was concealed well by foliage. If
a person didn’t already know it was there, they’d be hard pressed
to detect it.
    Breanne laid the man on deerskin and wrapped
him in every woolen blanket Heremon owned. Hopefully, the items
wouldn’t be missed when Niall’s men inevitably searched the
dwelling. With one last press of her hand to the man’s cheek, she
silently promised him he was safe and to return posthaste, then
left.
    Finn joined her on the path freely, and
relieved her of the ugly imagery her mind had formed of carrying
him back by the neck scruff kicking and yowling and scratching.
They made good time and once within the keep walls, Breanne knew he
would be forced into silence. Now was her last and best opportunity
to speak what she must.
    “You will tell no one, Finn. Heremon said
tell no one. Out of respect for Heremon, I will ask you to obey my
wish, his portending.”
    Finn nodded soberly and
Breanne entered the kitchen door, where she’d snuck from only hours
before. She left Finn in her bedchamber with a bowl of wine and a
plate of leftover venison to go wake her soon - to - be stepfather. Sadness ached inside
of her as she tried to prime herself for Niall O’Donnell’s
disappointment.
    He answered soon after her first knock and
looked disheveled but alert. “What is it?” Urgency rang in his
words.
    “It’s Heremon, my lord. He has fallen. Please
dress quickly. We must retrieve him.” She couldn’t meet his eyes
and her hushed words felt inadequate.
    “Fallen. Fallen where?”
    “He no longer lives, my lord.” The tears
stung before they fell. She tried to stop them and couldn’t. “The
cliffs. He’s fallen from the Slieve League. Near his home. We must
retrieve him.” She wiped the tears and met his gaze.
    Niall closed the door hard. Dumbfounded,
Breanne reached her fist up to knock again when the door flew open.
Niall exited, fully dressed and motioned her to follow. “You saw
him fall?” With surprising efficiency, he had four men ready and
waiting within moments of her first knock.
    She shook her head. “I found him. I thought I
heard something and found him on a small outcrop some twenty feet
below the edge.” She stuck to his queries, grateful to save
explanations of why she’d been there for later.
    “Where in proximity of his
home did you see him, Breanne?” He tightened his sword belt and tucked his mantle
as he spoke.
    She understood that they weren’t taking her
with them and explained in as much detail as she could where he
lay. She bit back the sobs that threatened her composure. He needed
her calm, not blubbering with emotion.
    The five armed men left into the night air
with the remaining household undisturbed. The quiet was unsettling.
Breanne sat on the bottom stair where Niall had left her with a
dogged nod.
    She hugged her knees close and rested her
chin on them. Finally free to do so, she exhaled and let the sorrow
come. Her world felt inside out, backward. This pain in her chest
that radiated from her heart wasn’t foreign. It was familiar
despite the years of healing and burying she’d done. She had known
this loss before and