Devlin and I arrived back at the picnic tables out of breath and soaking wet. Somewhere along the way, we had both ended up in the surf, and I could only grin as my Earth Bound friends watched us approach. I wrapped my arms around my torso and shrugged, my teeth beginning to chatter. The two of us had been gone so long the sun had already dipped behind the hills.
“Might be a good idea to make use of the fire,” Brynlee, one of the new girls, pointed out, her eyes glittering with mirth.
Ignoring what that particular look was trying to tell me, I moved toward the fire. Ah, yes. Heat! I stepped up to the flames, basking in their warmth. Devlin moved to the opposite end of the fire and proceeded to peel off his wet shirt. Suddenly I forgot everything else save for the half-naked male figure standing in front of me. From the sound of utter silence behind me, I imagined all of my female friends in Earth Bound had done the same. Damn, Devlin was a splendid specimen. His lean build was only accentuated by the curve of toned muscles and golden skin made even more beautiful by the firelight. My fingers twitched, eager to glide through his tousled hair and dance over the ridges of his ribcage.
Ack! Knock it off Robyn! I snapped my eyes back to the fire and clenched my teeth. I turned my back on the fire and my eyes away from Devlin. The heat from the blaze had suddenly grown far too warm.
In an attempt to ignore the temptation standing just behind me, I turned my eyes toward the parking lot and noticed a familiar figure climbing down the steps leading onto the beach. I had to squint against the darkening sky to make out his face, but the dark hair and the way he walked were distinctive enough. I watched Evan make his way to our little party, his pace faltering as he took in his surroundings. If I didn’t know any better, I would have guessed he was searching for someone.
Deciding it would be best for me to introduce Evan to Devlin, I waved my hand and smiled, calling him over to the bonfire.
Evan’s dark gaze met mine, and for a split second I was reminded of Halloween night and the deep emptiness that had lingered in his eyes. A chill threatened to rattle me, but then my strange friend blinked away the coldness and gave a friendly smile.
“Hey, Robyn,” he said almost sheepishly.
“Glad you could make it,” I said. “There are hotdogs and other snacks on the table.”
I pointed over my shoulder with my thumb, and Evan took a step toward the food before freezing in place. When I heard Devlin’s voice over my shoulder, I knew what had stopped my friend. I turned to watch the encounter, afraid of what might happen should Evan be the villain Devlin sought. Suddenly, my palms grew clammy and my heart kicked up its pace. Would Devlin make a scene here on the beach, in front of all the Earth Bound members?
“Devlin O’Brolaigh,” the Lorehnin man said, stretching out a hand to take Evan’s.
Evan shook it weakly, his skin seeming to pale even further.
Devlin held onto Evan’s hand for far longer than what was considered polite and when he finally retracted it his fingers curled into a fist. I shot my eyes up to his, but his gaze was trained on Evan, who was now skirting around the shirtless, Otherworldly warrior like a nervous cat. Once out of Devlin’s reach, Evan all but sprinted to the table weighed down with food. Although he took up a friendly conversation with Claire and her boyfriend, his eyes kept darting away to study Devlin.
Finally getting over my bout of gawking, I sidled up next to Devlin and whispered, “Well?”
He glanced down at me, one eyebrow quirked in question.
“I assume the reason you shook his hand for so long was to give your magic a chance to investigate.”
Devlin gave a small smile and reached for the extra jacket he’d brought with him. After shrugging it on and zipping it up, he murmured, “Very clever observation, Robyn.”
I opened my mouth to ask him more, but at that moment he froze beside me, his face growing stony and his gaze drifting off to the parking lot. When Devlin didn’t move, I turned, following his gaze. A tall, dark-haired man and woman stepped gracefully from a red luxury sedan, their clothing clearly purchased from a high-end store. I didn’t need to wait for them to get close enough to see their faces. Moira and her brother Mikael belonged to a rare breed of human, seemingly born with natural beauty and perfect posture. I glanced down at my own attire, my jean shorts and the lower half of my hoodie still wet from my run through the surf. Even if I had the budget to afford name brand clothes, I would never be as stunning as Moira. Frowning, I slapped away that pointless thought.
Since when have you cared about being poised and perky? I asked myself.
Wanting to get out of my own head, I turned to talk to Devlin but found his eyes still trained on Moira and her brother.
A tiny prick of something irritating jabbed at me. It took me a moment to realize what it was: jealousy. Good god, what the hell was wrong with me?
Clearing my throat, I gave a small laugh as my co-worker and her hot brother closed the gap and came to stand before us. Moira seemed taller than usual, and I discovered why when I glanced down at her feet. Honestly, who wore heels to the beach?!
Of course, that question was answered when she shifted her weight, the movement showing off her well-toned legs and making Devlin take notice.
Before I turned into some mindless she-devil, I took a breath and said, “Moira! So glad you and your brother could make it.”
Gradually, I introduced them all around, most of the girls naturally becoming fixated on the glorious male figure standing before them. Only this time it was Mikael who captured their attention.
As her brother started up a conversation with three of the other girls, Moira pulled me away from Devlin and hissed, “Oh my god, is that your boyfriend?”
My head jerked in Devlin’s direction, but he was too busy watching Mikael. For some reason, his gaze at that moment reminded me of the faelah that attacked us behind the cafe.
Forcing down a shudder, I swallowed and looked back at Moira. Her eyes looked hopeful.
“Uh, no, he’s not my boyfriend.”
She immediately relaxed. “Then you won’t mind if I give him a try?”
I bristled at that. Devlin wasn’t my boyfriend, but something about her tone of voice and the strange light in her eyes made me edgy. However, I couldn’t tell her that I did mind because what excuse did I have?
Shrugging, I said, “Sure, but he’s really busy with work and school, so I don’t know if he has time for a love life.”
I grimaced. I didn’t know that for certain. But if Moira hadn’t already been on my radar as someone to steer clear of in the romance department, her predatory smile at that very moment would have been a huge warning sign.
She squealed and gave me a hug, lifting me up off the ground as if I were a rag doll. My dislike of the girl was growing by the minute.
“Oh, I’m not worried about that,” she crowed with a mischievous grin. “No male alive can resist my charms.” She sashayed over toward the boys, flipping her hair and hiking her skirt farther up her thighs. I fought the urge to vomit into the empty fire pit behind me.
To distract myself from Moira’s blatant flirting, I joined Evan on the far side of the bonfire. He must not have seen me coming because when I spoke his name he jumped.
“Whoa, you okay? I know it’s Samhain and all but I think we’ll be safe from the Otherworldly beasts this close to the fire.”
I chuckled, not only to reassure Evan but also to keep the bubble of hysteria from overtaking me because I was pretty certain if said Otherworldly beasts wanted to maul us to death, nothing short of a Faelorehn man with a sword could stop them. And of course, that thought made me glance up at Devlin. Moira had her hand on his shoulder, her long fingers trailing down his arm as she leaned in to say something in his ear. But Devlin didn't seem to care what she had to say. In fact, he didn't seem to notice her at all. His eyes were fixed on me, the blue irises like ice. Suddenly I felt like the mouse cornered by the cat. That was the look of murder on his face, and I was beginning to wonder what I had done to piss him off, or what he had discovered after shaking Evan’s hand.
Batting away my unease, I kept my gaze on Devlin as I said over my shoulder, “Hey, Evan, want to go for a walk?” I needed an excuse to get away from him and this circle of hormonal girls, and a stroll with Evan was just the thing. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to talk to my classmate about what had happened Halloween night. He might not be comfortable discussing his strange behavior, but I would find a way to get it out of him.
When Evan didn’t answer me right away, I glanced over my shoulder, only to catch sight of his wide eyes. Nighttime had completely descended, but the firelight offered enough brightness for me to read the expression there: fear. Evan looked terrified. Yes, a walk would be good.
Before I could ask what was wrong, however, a smooth, rich voice said, “I’m afraid your friend looks a little under the weather. Would you accept a substitute?”
How Mikael had snuck up on us without my noticing was beyond me. Perhaps I’d been a little more distracted by the whole Devlin-Moira debacle than I’d like to admit.
“Uhhh . . .” was my articulate answer.
“I won’t bite,” he said with a wink, flashing me his bright teeth. For a split second I pictured Mikael as a vampire again, trying to seduce me off into a dark place where he could drain my blood. I gave an internal snort of laughter. Perhaps I should point him in Sophie’s direction.
“All right,” I said, crossing my arms and stretching to my full height. I would never be as tall as his sister, even if I managed to find the highest pair of heels on the planet, but I’d do my best.
“I think you should probably have a seat for a while, get something to eat,” he said to Evan.
Without a word, Evan sank down onto the splinter-infested bench beside the fire and grabbed a handful of potato chips. He proceeded to eat them mechanically, as if someone else’s brain was doing his thinking for him. Odd.
“Shall we, Miss Dunbarre?” Mikael asked, stretching out an arm in the direction of the shore a few dozen yards away.
Taking a deep breath and resisting the urge to glance back at Devlin, I stepped forward, the orange glow of the firelight fading away as we marched into the darkness. Soon, the cheerful chatter of the Earth Bound members was overtaken by the rush of the water. The wet sand stuck to my bare feet and I tucked my hands under my armpits, trying to keep warm. My mind finally started to relax, my thoughts and concerns melting away.
“The perfect night for a stroll along the beach with a pretty girl, wouldn’t you agree?”
Mikael’s voice cut through the fog in my mind and I didn’t quite catch what he said.
“Pardon?”
He paused, his hands tucked casually in his pockets. “I was just commenting on the beautiful evening and the similarly lovely company.”
“Oh,” was my brilliant reply.
Taking a breath, I turned and gazed down the shore toward the pier, standing like the skeleton of a huge, beached sea serpent in the distance.
Not entirely comfortable with the silence that hung between us, I said, “So, why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself. Moira never really talks about you at work.”
“What would you like to know?”
“How about you tell me more about your job and why you came to America.”
Mikael nodded as we continued onward.
“When I graduated from University a few years ago, there weren’t too many job opportunities at home. Moira was already looking to go to school out here, so I thought I’d try my luck in California.”
His smooth voice had the same lulling effect as the crashing waves beside us and I had an overwhelming urge to lean into him.
“And how do you like it here on the Central Coast?” I asked, strolling closer to the water and putting a little distance between us. “Not really the hub of excitement. I mean, compared to Los Angeles or San Francisco.”
“San Luis Obispo is comfortably situated between the two locations, close enough for me to drive or fly in for the weekend, but far enough away that the press of the city doesn’t grow too overwhelming.”
As we walked, Mikael spoke of a childhood running wild through the rolling hills of Wales. From the way he described it, I imagined a place of magic and mysticism, very much how I pictured the Otherworld. And of course thinking about the Otherworld reminded me of Devlin back at the fire pit with Moira. Mikael and I had been gone long enough.
“Maybe we should start heading back,” I suggested as we passed under the pier.
“Very well,” Mikael murmured.
I turned to retrace our steps, but a sudden, firm grip on my wrist halted me. Mikael had grabbed me.
“What the hell?” I demanded, my tone angry.
“I’m sorry, Robyn,” he whispered, “but I’ve been wanting to do this since I first met you.”
Before I could puzzle out what he was talking about, he pulled me close and lowered his head, pressing his lips to mine. My eyes flew open in shock but I couldn’t really see anything within the pitch-black shadows cast by the pier. The kiss started out as an aggressive impulse but soon Mikael’s lips were softening against mine, lingering and learning the shape of my mouth. I didn’t quite give in to him, but I didn’t resist either. Despite the anger and outrage I could feel brewing beneath my bewilderment, some outside force was propelling me to ignore my desire to fight Mikael’s advances.
Of their own volition, my hands shot up and my fingers tangled with Mikael’s hair. He groaned and mimicked my actions, pulling me in closer. This wasn’t what I really wanted, at least not with this particular man. What about Devlin? Wasn’t it his touch I craved? Who cares! a wild, unfamiliar voice crooned. Just enjoy this moment and forget about everything else. And like a hapless audience member under a hypnotist’s control, I obeyed. I felt my rationality drift away and forgot about everything else as Mikael trailed his fingers down my back, bringing his hands to rest at my hips. His grip tightened and a little bit of that helplessness evaporated. A tiny prick of warning grew beside my heart. This was wrong, something was off, but I simply couldn’t pull away from Mikael. And then a strange numbness gathered in my hands and spread out to each finger and up my arms.
Before I knew what was happening, a searing blast of pain, like static electricity on steroids, jolted through my fingertips, causing Mikael to shout and tear away from me. He staggered up against one of the pylons, grasping the sides of his head in his hands. I glanced down at my own fingers, studying them in the dark and trying to puzzle out what on Earth had just happened.
A curse in an unfamiliar language, Welsh probably, broke me from the odd spell.
“What the hell was that?” I fumbled as I tried to catch my breath. Now that there was some space between Mikael and me, the anger from earlier was coming back. That bastard had just forced himself on me.
I glared up at him, ready to give him a tongue-lashing that would leave welts on his skin, but I hesitated when Mikael lowered his hands and slowly lifted his head. He was looking right at me. I couldn’t see in the dark, but I knew his eyes bore through me. I could feel them piercing my skin.
Finally, Mikael said in a low, dangerous voice, “Probably just some static electricity.”
Okay, not the answer I’d been seeking, but something told me not to push it. As much as I wanted to tell him off for what he had just done, something told me that remaining alone in the dark with him was a bad idea. Besides, whatever had happened to force him away from me, that powerful shock, was not a case of static electricity. If that wasn’t enough to rattle me, then the strange feeling of subjection during the whole interchange was. I might be impulsive at times, but never to the point where I felt completely out of control.
I cleared my throat, took a deep breath and said, “Maybe we should head back.”
“Yes, perhaps we should,” he added, his voice hard and clipped.
Mikael reached out a hand, trying to touch my hair. Oh no, no more of that. I’d had enough physical contact with this man for one evening. I pulled away and started to head north up the beach. I could detect Mikael behind me, and even with my lingering irritation at his brashness, the man’s aura reached out and caressed my senses, there was no doubt about it. But something, perhaps some primitive instinct, was running around in my mind, slamming pots together to get my attention. Maybe if it wasn’t making so much noise I could figure out what it was trying to warn me against.
I need some time to think about this, away from Mikael. Someplace where I can clear my mind, I told myself.
Mikael didn’t say a word to me the entire walk back, and I all but sprinted the last several yards once my other friends were in sight. I hardly had any time to catch my breath because the moment I stepped into the ring of firelight Devlin appeared by my side, taking hold of my arm with a grip so tight I gasped.
“We need to leave. Now,” he growled into my ear.
I was starting to figure out that when Devlin was in this particular mood, I should listen to him. Nevertheless, I angled my head back and glared at him. I was about to tell him to let go of my arm in a very unladylike way when I caught the look on his face. He wasn’t focused on me, but on Mikael, and those blue eyes were murderous. The tension in his relentless grip made sense now. Something about Moira’s brother had him struggling to keep his cool. Too bad my arm had to suffer for it.
Mustering a halfway decent smile, I yanked my arm free of his hold. Fortunately, Devlin got the hint and resorted to clenching his fist at his side instead. I cleared my throat and announced, “Well, we’re going to head off. Devlin has to be at work early in the morning, and I’m his ride.”
All those present made their disappointment known, Moira the most boisterous of all. As we left the group behind I gave Mikael one quick glance. His eyes looked almost black in the firelight but they burned with the same intensity as the sun. Despite my slight apprehension at his now black mood, I returned his look with equal spite. Screw you, Pretty Boy, I wanted to say as I turned my back on him.
By the time Devlin and I crammed ourselves into my car, I had recovered a little from my strange encounter with Mikael. I wanted to take a few minutes to figure out what his behavior had meant, but the loud click of Devlin fastening his seatbelt distracted me. I glanced at the passenger seat only to find him staring through the windshield with a gaze strong enough to melt glass.
He took a breath and said, “It’s not your friend Evan.”
His comment caught me off guard. With Mikael’s kiss still taking up most of the space in my head, I’d forgotten all about the purpose of Devlin’s presence tonight. When my mind settled a little I blurted, “You mean, he’s not the one you’re looking for?”
He didn’t answer me yes or no. Instead he murmured, “I can tell you that Evan is not an immediate threat.”
I felt myself relax at that. Oh, thank the gods. I was by no means really close to Evan, but despite his oddities, he was a good person, and I’d hate to think he was caught up in all of this.
Devlin continued, “He is far too weak to be the leader of some grand scheme.”
I frowned, wondering what he wasn’t telling me.
“However,” he added quietly, “I found out a few other things as well.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?” I jammed the key into the ignition and turned it, the engine sputtering a little before finally roaring to life.
“Your friends, Moira and Mikael, are Faelorehn. And I think Mikael is the Daramorr.”
Thank the Celtic gods I hadn’t taken the car out of park or we may have collided with oncoming traffic. The sudden bluntness of Devlin’s statement stunned me at first, but once the shock wore off the truth hardly surprised me at all. So, Moira and Mikael were from the Otherworld. It all made sense now, what with their tall stature and unearthly beauty. And the weird fog that seemed to envelope my brain whenever they were around. Was that why I hadn’t come to the conclusion on my own? Had they been manipulating me with their glamour so that I wouldn’t recognize them for what they truly were? Of course they had. It explained the weird vibe from Moira and why I thought her eyes looked different in the brighter light. Ugh, I’d been a complete idiot.
Devlin turned cold eyes on me as the car idled. My fingers gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles white, but I was far too tense to attempt driving on the road with other vehicles right now.
“I suspected something was off about him when he first arrived, but after you returned from your walk, there was dark magic clinging to you like a hundred leeches.”
Oh, now wasn’t that a lovely little mental image. Devlin reached out and placed his hand gently on my forearm. I flinched, but he didn’t pull away.
“Robyn, did he do anything to you?”
Devlin’s voice was a low grumble, and I realized that the heat I felt was the pure violence flowing from him. I didn’t think he would ever hurt me, but it was never safe to be around a man in a rage.
“Uh, no, he didn’t hurt me,” I answered, taking long, deep breaths and trying to get the memory of Mikael’s kiss out of my mind. Of course, trying not to think about it was the worst way to get it out of my thoughts. I could almost feel his warm mouth pressed against mine; his strong fingers pinching my waist.
Whatever lingering magic that stolen kiss had left behind evaporated instantly as I recalled the strange static shock that had thrown us apart. Now I only felt dirty and violated.
Suddenly, Devlin reached out and took my face in both his hands, tilting my head so that he could see my eyes. I took another shuddering breath and one of Devlin’s thumbs caressed my temple. Slowly, I began to relax. This was not the demanding grip Mikael had used on me. No, Devlin’s touch was gentle and reassuring, as if he were trying to hold me together. I was really tempted to crawl over the console and curl up in his lap, but that would have been utterly ridiculous. Instead I reached up and hooked my fingers over his wrists.
“I’m fine, Devlin, honestly,” I insisted.
“Tell me what happened during that walk,” he repeated.
Sighing, I nodded and tried to pull his hands from my face. Reluctantly, he let go and crossed his arms over his chest.
“We walked all the way to the pier. He told me about himself, about his childhood and his sister, then, all of a sudden, he grabbed me and kissed me.”
Devlin made a strange sound in his throat, and I glanced up at him. During the few encounters I’d had with him, I’d never seen the Lorehnin man look so dangerous.
“Did he hurt you?” Devlin finally asked.
“No. But he did surprise me. And ticked me off,” I added as an afterthought.
My fingertips prickled with the memory of shocking him. “Actually, I think I hurt him. Some sort of static electricity build up in my hands or something.” I snorted. “Though I don’t buy that. The shock was too strong. Whatever it was, it worked in my favor because after that, he let me go.”
When I looked back at Devlin, one of his eyebrows was arched. “A static shock? On a beach saturated with water?”
I shrugged. It made no sense to me either.
Devlin turned his head to look out the windshield once more. The engine was still idling, wheezing a little like an old woman with bronchitis. The headlights shone onto the pavement ahead, one of them angled higher than the other. Someone who didn’t know any better might think my car had gotten into a scuffle with a telephone pole.
Finally, Devlin took a deep breath and let it out. “As much as I’d love to march back down onto that beach and drive my sword through Mikael’s heart, I cannot. I am forbidden by the queen to execute the Daramorr unless I have no other choice.”
I grimaced at the picture that painted in my head, even if it was a welcome one. No, not a good idea to deal with Otherworldly issues on mortal soil. I knew that from personal experience. Besides, it would be so much fun trying to explain it to the police when they showed up.
“Is that a possibility?” I asked in a whisper. I was no friend of Mikael’s, but I also didn’t condone murder. Yet if he really was the Daramorr, then it was his fault Evan was so stressed out. It would also explain my classmate’s look of utter fear when Mikael had asked me to go for that walk.
“Let’s discuss it on the drive back,” Devlin suggested as someone on the road behind me flashed me with their brights. Oh, I guess I’d had the turn signal on all this time.
Waving through the back window, I pulled out, my old car lurching a little as I made a U-turn in order to head back into San Luis. Devlin remained silent as we meandered down the dark road, so I spoke up once we merged onto the freeway.
“So what now?” I prompted.
Devlin released a heavy sigh. “He knows for certain that I am on to him now, so things may get a bit complicated. If this Mikael is smart, which I think he is, he will lie low for a while. Of course, it doesn’t help that he’s able to cloak his glamour so well.”
This last part was added as an afterthought, as if Devlin hadn’t wanted me to hear it.
My fingers tightened on the steering wheel. Oh, yay! Something more to worry about.
Another mile passed before he spoke again, his voice low and cold.
“I’m not comfortable with the Daramorr’s interest in you.”
Immediately, my shoulders tensed. Oh, and I was? Hot or not, I was a bit averse to young men overpowering me and forcing their advances on me. And if Mikael was really what Devlin said he was, then I was even less enthusiastic about it.
“If it makes you feel any better, I’m not too thrilled about it either,” I grumbled.
Ten minutes later, we pulled off of the freeway and headed toward my neighborhood. I pulled up alongside the curb and turned the car off. Devlin joined me on the driver’s side and escorted me across the street to my door.
As I fumbled with my key, I tried to think of something to say, but what could I possibly say after what I'd learned tonight?
Before I could push my door open, Devlin’s arm reached out, and he planted his hand against the wall, catching my attention. I blinked up at him, wondering what he had meant by the gesture. His blue eyes were stern, his face hard. The mask of a soldier battening down all emotions.
“I need you to be honest with me Robyn.”
His voice was quiet, terrifying. I swallowed back a lump of fear and tried to move away from him. What had happened to the easy-going guy from earlier that evening?
“What are you talking about?” I rasped.
He cocked his head to the side, his eyes narrowed.
“The Daramorr would not waste this much time on a mortal, at least not a normal one. If he is hiding out on this side of the dolmarehn, that makes some sense. But to send faelah after you and to seek you out and seduce you? You have something he wants, and it would be better for both of us if you would just come clean.”
The accusation in his voice was impossible to miss, and that made me angry. The old Robyn, the one from high school, wouldn’t have given a damn what someone else thought of her. More than likely, she would have made a flippant remark, and the one casting out insults would have limped away to lick his wounds. But you aren’t that person anymore, my conscience reminded me, at least not entirely. And this isn’t some hotheaded jock from senior class looking for an easy mark. This is Devlin O’Brolaigh, the gorgeous, Otherworldly man who’s saved your skin more than once, and who has also managed to get under it a little. I clenched my teeth and fought against that concept. Nope. Not going to let it affect me. You’re just a bit knocked off your game because of what happened tonight, I reminded myself.
“I am being honest with you,” I snapped, “I was being honest with you from the very beginning.”
“Then explain Mikael’s actions tonight.”
That was enough. I understood that Devlin was concerned about Mikael being the Daramorr, but that was no excuse for him to attack me.
“I don’t know,” I hissed. “Maybe he’s lonely here in the mortal world. Maybe he really is interested for other reasons than nefarious ones.”
Devlin’s mouth grew harder, if that was even possible. Which only encouraged me to continue on.
“Perhaps he needs some female companionship and hell, I wouldn’t mind volunteering. He’s pretty hot, after all.”
About ninety-five percent of what I said wasn’t true, but I was pissed. It had been a pretty crazy night, and Devlin wasn’t helping by accusing me of lying and insulting me at the same time.
Frustrated, it took me longer than usual to get my door unlocked. The entire time Devlin only towered over me, his mood a low and angry simmer gradually working its way toward the boiling point.
Finally, I flung the door open, shouting over my shoulder, “If you don’t want to believe what I told you when we first met, which was the truth by the way, then maybe you were right. Maybe it would be better if you forgot our conversation from earlier tonight and hunt this Daramorr on your own.”
I slammed the door in his face and made an effort to slide the deadbolt into place as noisily as possible. Throwing my purse onto my bed, I headed directly for the bathroom, stripping off my still-damp clothes as I went. It wasn’t until the scalding stream of water was washing away the chill from my skin that I began to wonder why Devlin’s sudden mistrust in me had hurt so much. And it wasn’t until I lay curled up in bed, desperately trying to fall asleep, that I realized perhaps some part of him had gone further than just skin-deep after all.
* * *
My head was killing me when I woke up the next morning and a strange ache lingered in my hands and arms. When the pounding behind my eyes finally subsided, the memories from the night before came suddenly to life and proceeded to play tag in my head. Oh yeah, that’s right. The Samhain bonfire. Moira’s lascivious glances toward Devlin, Evan’s weird behavior, Mikael’s intrusive kiss and that blast of static electricity that forced him away, and finally, Devlin’s revelations and cold accusations. Ugh. Could my life get any more complicated?
As I lay there in my own misery, my thoughts settled back to Evan. I didn’t recall seeing him after returning from my walk with Mikael, so he must have left the party early. Poor Evan. I sighed, a bubble of guilt welling up over my own self-pity. I thought my life was in a shambles, but Evan was most likely being manipulated by Mikael, his strange robotic behavior indicated as much. If Mikael were really Faelorehn, and if he had as much power as Devlin suggested, then I’d have to be really careful around Evan, or avoid him completely. At least until this whole mess blew over. And then there were the Noctyrnum to consider. What if I had been right in my theory regarding their involvement? What if Mikael was using them as a cover or as a means to get what he wanted? Was Evan just one of many troubled young adults being used against their will? But what bothered me the most was everyone’s sudden fascination with me. Why was I so special? As much as Devlin’s words had stung last night, he did have a point. The Daramorr couldn’t be interested in me just because I possessed some strange, earthly magic.
Hold it, Robyn, I chastised myself, keep your head on straight. All of this is just conjecture. Maybe the reason Mikael is interested is because some of Meghan’s glamour rubbed off on you at some point in time and he hasn’t had a chance to realize that it isn’t your own.
I took a deep breath and gazed down at myself, my favorite Jolly Roger T-shirt I liked to wear to bed faded and worn, the white skull and crossbones cracked from age. I splayed my fingers down my torso, smoothing out the wrinkles. There was nothing extra special about me. Last night, Devlin had tried to insinuate that I contained some sort of rare magic. As if I truly was from Eile, but deliberately kept that information from him.
Don’t you think I would know if I was from the Otherworld? I wanted to scream at him now. Do you think I’d be working my tail off to make ends meet, while trying to get a decent education when I could be living in a world full of magic and myth?
Then again, Meghan hadn’t known she was Faelorehn. Cade had told her. And if Devlin, with his gift of reading magic, couldn’t say for certain whether I was or wasn’t Otherworldly, then how on Earth would I ever know?
I growled and picked up my pillow, launching it across the room. Yes, it was incredibly immature of me to do so, but a girl needed to throw something every now and again, if only to work the rage out. Fortunately, it was only Sunday and I didn’t have to be into work until two in the afternoon. A shift I’d be sharing with Moira. I grimaced. Now that I knew she was Faelorehn, and in league with the Daramorr, would that change our work relationship? And what about her interest in Devlin? Was that even genuine, or was it some scheme to give her brother time to sneak me off to a dark, isolated place? I shook my head in dismissal. That was memory I didn’t need to dwell on. Time to find something to keep me occupied so my thoughts didn’t drive me insane. I ended up spending most of the day loitering around my apartment, tidying up here and there and getting some laundry and studying done.
At half past one, I was pedaling up the street, heading into town. Kelly and Jonathon, who’d been on shift since the Green Tea Leaf opened earlier that morning, looked eager to end their shifts.
“Alright Kelly, you’re off,” I breathed, darting from the break room as I frantically tied my apron behind my back.
Kelly ducked into the back room to gather her stuff and I glanced around the nearly-empty cafe. “Jon, you can go too. I think I can manage until Moira gets here.”
“No can do,” my co-worker said as he cleaned one of the steamers.
I arched a dark eyebrow at him.
“Moira called in sick. I said I’d cover.”
A strange sensation rippled through my stomach. Relief with a pinch of fear.
“But, you’ve been here all day,” was my jumbled response.
Jonathon turned to look at me as if I’d been a cup of coffee that had spontaneously broken into song.
Eventually he shrugged. “It’s no biggie. Besides, I can use the extra income.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, I clapped him on the back and smiled.
“Awesome. So, do any of the shelves need restocking?”
As I checked the inventory out on the floor, Jonathon took orders from the customers who sporadically came and went.
By the end of my shift, I was feeling a lot less stressed out about the whole Moira-Mikael-Evan-Devlin thing. Maybe my mind just needed time to come to terms with everything, or maybe it was too numb to care. Margie came in to replace me at the end of my shift and I escaped into downtown San Luis.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, most people would be going home and spending time with their families, but I had no idea what my plans might be this year. About two weeks ago, I had sent my foster parents a letter, as I did every year around this time, informing them that I had an entire week off at Thanksgiving. I might not get along with them but they were still my family, after all, and I thought we should be able to act civilized around one another at least once or twice a year. Unfortunately, I hadn’t heard back from them yet. They never seemed to be home when I called and they didn’t return messages, so I had resorted to writing.
Finding myself suddenly on my street, I shook the dismal thoughts from my mind.
I think you should take a shower, get into your most comfy PJ’s, make something delicious for dinner and chill out in front of a good movie, I told myself. Fabulous idea.
I didn’t notice it until I had parked my bike behind the house, but something bright and colorful was sitting at the bottom of the concrete steps leading to my door. Confused at first, I walked faster to see what it was. Once I was only a few feet away I was able to make out a simple glass jar full of flowers. Only, I didn’t recognize a single one of the blossoms. Some of them resembled roses, the petals crinkly instead of smooth. Others poured over the rim of glass like sweet peas, the blossoms unfurling like peach-hued butterfly wings. A sprig of something comparable to baby’s breath was the most intriguing. Instead of tiny, white cotton ball tufts, the tiny flowers on this plant were all star-shaped and a gorgeous shade of aquamarine. I was so entranced by the exotic bouquet that I forgot all about my earlier worries, and it wasn’t until I plopped down to sit on the steps that I spotted the envelope taped to my door. Furrowing my brow, I reached out and pulled it free. My name was scrawled across the front in a bold, beautiful hand.
Swallowing back my trepidation, I began to pull it open. Thick, expensive paper that looked handmade greeted me, and I very carefully unfolded it. Taking a breath and getting a sample of the sweet, heady fragrance coming from the flowers, I began to read:
Dear Robyn,
I cannot begin to express my regret at the way I spoke to you the other night. I was angry and concerned with regards to your safety, but instead of remaining calm, I lost control and took that frustration out on you. I hope you will accept my sincere apologies. I would have liked to give you this letter in person, but you were not at home and I had pressing matters to attend to in the Otherworld. I would like to meet with you again, for I still value your friendship and would very much appreciate your help in dealing with the Daramorr. Unfortunately, I will be quite occupied for the next few weeks, so I may not be able to call again for some time. Know that I’ll not be far away, and that I’ll be doing my best to ensure the Daramorr stays far from your home. I look forward to seeing you again in the coming weeks, but if you wish never to associate with me again, I will understand.
Sincerely,
Devlin O’Brolaigh
P.S. The flowers are all from the Otherworld. Knowing your love for nature and your appreciation of living things, I wished to bring you a plant you could have kept in your house. Unfortunately, the plants from Eile cannot survive for long in the mortal world, so hopefully these will do.
I must have sat on those cold concrete stairs for nearly half an hour, reading the letter over and over again. At some point I returned to the present and realized I should probably go inside.
Slowly and carefully, I picked up the jar of flowers and proceeded to unlock my door. At first, I wanted to place them on my tiny kitchen island, because it was a central location, but in the end I decided on the windowsill above the sink. For some reason I felt the flowers needed to be there, maybe because they represented something wild and free and the window was the closest to the outside world they could get. However, a tiny part of me hoped that should Devlin pass this way anytime in the near future, he would see the bouquet and understand what it meant: that he was most definitely forgiven.
Despite my anticipation at the possibility of seeing Devlin again, and my need to offer my own apology, the next few weeks flew by without any faelah sightings or awkward encounters with Mikael. I partially blamed my professors for the distraction since they had started loading us down with outlines and review handouts for the upcoming exams. I could have complained like the rest of my classmates, but maybe getting ready for finals would keep my thoughts focused on the real world for once. And that, for some reason, reminded me that I had a friend who needed rescuing from the demons that chased me. During the week following the Samhain bonfire, I didn’t see Evan at all. I had started to think that maybe he’d finally been taken completely in by the Daramorr, but the following Monday he showed up to class. I wasted no time, descending upon him like a vulture as soon as our instructor excused us.
“Evan! Hey, how have you been? You had me worried at the bonfire,” I said.
He only shrugged, tossing back his black, shaggy hair. “I guess I’d been coming down with something. That’s why I was gone all last week. Sick with the flu I think.”
I nodded grimly, accepting his excuse but not fully believing it. He had been sick, I had no doubt about that, but probably not with the flu.
Feeling like my old spunky self, I slugged him on the arm and said, “Well, try not to make me think you’ve gone off and died the next time you get sick, okay? Text me or send me an email or something.”
He scowled and rubbed his arm but his eyes looked a little brighter.
“All right,” he grumbled.
Satisfied Evan was safe, mentally and physically, for the time being, I tackled my next issue: Moira. She, too, seemed to be avoiding me. For nearly two weeks, we didn’t share shifts at the Green Tea Leaf. When I finally came in one evening and found her hovering over the cash register, I nearly panicked. Now what do I do? I asked myself. Then, realizing I was acting like an idiot, I sniffed and held my head high. As far as she knew, I never had that conversation in the car with Devlin. She was still the air-headed, boy-crazy, vain Moira I’d come to know. Not Faelorehn. Not the sister of the Daramorr. You’ve got this Robyn. Time to channel some of that sass and confidence you had in abundance whilst in high school.
“Moira!” I said with amplified cheer, “I haven’t seen you in ages.”
She returned my smile and twirled her hand in the air. “Oh, I know! Something I ate at that bonfire of yours didn’t agree with me. Food poisoning I think.”
Huh, go figure, all these people coming down with something all of a sudden. Yeah right.
“Sorry about that. Must not have been something I ate because I felt fine the next day.”
“Well, I’m glad Margie’s new schedule has us working together again,” she said nonchalantly.
We gave up our conversation as a sudden influx of customers entered the cafe. Once the crowd had dispersed, Moira pulled me aside, her usual, perky mood back in commission.
“So, tell me more about your friend Devlin,” she hissed excitedly behind the cappuccino machine.
I eyed her warily, trying to glean what I could of her reason for asking. Either she really was interested in him or she was fishing for information. Either way, she was good at hiding her thoughts. Taking a shallow breath and deciding to play it safe, I shrugged.
“I wouldn’t say he’s my friend. Met him one day on the bus on my way to class and we started talking. Turned out he was interested in Celtic mythology and I invited him to the bonfire. But I don’t think I’ll be seeing much of him again.”
Best to let Moira think whatever relationship I had with Devlin was over. Whatever speck of trust I thought I’d had with Moira was long gone now.
Moira’s eyes widened and I thought I saw their color shift, but it was gone in a flash.
“Oh. That’s too bad. I was hoping you could get me his number or something. Wait, do you have his number by any chance?”
I fought the urge to slap her, but just barely.
“No,” I snapped and got back to work.
Moira and I didn’t talk much for the rest of our shift and when it was time to lock up and leave, I moved as quickly as possible. Before Devlin’s revelation, I’d been perfectly happy believing she was just another hormonal college girl, but now that I knew she was Faelorehn, and the sister of a demented murderer, I had to question every single one of her motives.
For the next several days, I tread lightly around Moira, doing my best to come off as the old, feisty Robyn I was before my world had been turned on its head. I thought a lot about Devlin in that time as well, wondering if he had meant what he’d said in the letter. The flowers he’d left for me had long since wilted and died, but the note itself stayed tucked away in my desk drawer. I hoped that he wasn’t in trouble, wherever he was, and instead tried to focus on school.
On the Friday before Thanksgiving break, I arrived home in anticipation of having an entire week off to relax and maybe go on a few outings with my Earth Bound friends. On my way in, I checked the mailbox like I did every day, shuffling through the letters as I headed for my door.
Electricity bill, coupon book, water bill, credit card offer . . . When my fingers brushed against an envelope addressed to me in thin, formal cursive, my heart dropped to the bottom of my stomach. With everything that had been happening of late, I had almost forgotten I’d been waiting for this letter. I fumbled for my keys and, once I was inside, I tossed the other envelopes onto my desk and began peeling open the one from my father.
With the envelope torn off and discarded, I stepped into the kitchen where the light was better and began reading furiously.
Robyn,
We have received your letters and, although we appreciate your enthusiasm, your mother and I must insist that you stop sending them. We have prayed for you often during our Bible study sessions and have asked the congregation for advice. It is with great regret that I must inform you that we have come to the conclusion that any further interaction with you may be harmful to our chances at Salvation. For my sake and my wife’s, please do not contact us again.
Sincerely,
Timothy Dunbarre
I couldn’t feel my fingertips. My ears were ringing, and I had forgotten how to breathe. All thoughts about Thanksgiving break and Devlin and dealing with Moira and her brother scattered like cockroaches across my brain.
I didn’t understand. Kelly and Jonathon were Christians and they never treated me this way. But my father, the man who had taken me in as a foster child and raised me, could not accept who I was. My parents had fought so hard for years to finalize the adoption, choosing to keep me as other foster kids came and went. And they had been so happy the day I became their legal daughter. What had happened since then?
Taking a long, deep breath, I tried very hard not to come undone. When the wave of panic stopped its swelling and subsided, I turned and glanced out the kitchen window. The sky was still grey, and the forecast called for a chance of some light showers later. Perfect weather for my mood. Maybe I could take a walk downtown and window shop, or perhaps I’d go to the big used bookstore a few blocks from the Green Tea Leaf. Perusing some stacks of old books was a good idea. Anything to get my mind off of my father’s letter.
My gaze was still aimed toward the outside world when something moved at the edge of my vision, something at the end of the street. At first, I thought it might be another faelah coming to get me, and for a moment I contemplated letting it rip me to shreds. But then I realized it was far too bright out for faelah, and the figure wasn’t an animal at all. A moment later, I recognized the blond hair and tall frame. Devlin. He had finally returned to the mortal world, and of all the times for him to make an appearance. My heart kicked up its pace as his long strides cut across the distance separating us.
Without giving it a second thought, I dropped the letter and darted into my living room. Time to get out of my apartment before the walls caved in all around me. Grabbing a scarf and my purse, I opened the door and stepped out into the blissfully overcast day.
“Hey,” I shot over my shoulder with a smile as I locked the door behind me.
Devlin had made it to the lawn and stopped in his tracks. His clothing matched the mortal world, so my quickly brewing plan would be a bit easier.
I turned and approached him. “What are your plans for the day?”
His face showed mild surprise but he answered, “I was going to check if any new dark magic had accumulated around your apartment.”
He dropped his eyes, then slowly returned them to meet my own. “And hopefully get a chance to apologize in person for my past behavior.”
The scream that was lodged in my throat so eagerly wanted to break free, but I couldn’t let it. I needed to make peace with Devlin, not allow the anguish caused by my father’s letter to take hold. I shook my head. “No, I should be the one apologizing. I totally overreacted after the bonfire. I shouldn’t have said those things to you.”
Devlin’s mouth curled up in a smile that made my bones melt. “How about a mutual forgiveness?”
He stuck out a hand and I took it, shaking on our deal as I fought back the turmoil unfurling inside of me.
Clearing my throat I said, “Can your inspection wait?” I gestured at my apartment.
This time, both his eyebrows rose.
“I was thinking about catching a movie,” I blurted. “I have the afternoon off from work, and I could really use a day of frivolity.”
He continued to scrutinize me and I was really tempted to start fidgeting. Instead I hiked my purse up onto my shoulder. “Have you ever been to a movie theater before?”
“No,” he finally answered.
Feeling desperate, I grabbed his hand and started pulling him toward the sidewalk. “Then I’m going to take you. It’ll be my treat.”
To my great relief, Devlin followed without objection. As we headed into downtown, I chattered on about how rainy weather gave us mortals the perfect excuse to sit in front of a giant movie screen while stuffing ourselves full of junk food. Devlin remained silent, listening to me as if what I said was more than remotely interesting. That was nice; having someone care about what I had to say. The words from my father’s letter threatened to make a second appearance at the forefront of my thoughts, and I had to smack them right back into the part of my mind that had no business functioning right now.
Downtown was busy, what with everyone gearing up for Thanksgiving break, but fortunately they seemed more interested in the adjacent coffee shop and bookstore than in the movie theater. There were several choices as we stared up at the marquee, but only three were playing within the next half hour. One movie was a typical American comedy featuring actors who were known for using rude bodily functions and lewd jokes to encourage laughter. Ewww, no thanks. Another was a war drama. Way too intense for my tastes, especially considering my current mood, though I couldn’t speak for Devlin. The last listing, which started in ten minutes, was the movie adaptation of the latest young adult paranormal series. And we have a winner . . .
“Mind if I pick the movie?” I asked Devlin, hoping he didn’t.
He shrugged, and the corner of his mouth curved upward again. Despite his casual attitude, his eyes studied me too closely, as if he knew something wasn’t right.
I’m fine. Nothing wrong here. Just a normal day in the life of Robyn.
“Whatever you choose will be perfect.”
Alrighty. I turned back around and purchased two tickets. A bucket of popcorn, two sodas and a couple of candy bars later, I was cringing at the gaping hole in my recreation fund. Oh well. I was determined to enjoy the day with Devlin. Perhaps if I kept myself distracted enough, the memory of my father’s rejection would disappear.
The movie turned out to be pretty good, action-packed with a touch of violence but not too gory for my taste, and just enough romance to keep it out of the chick-flick department. When we emerged out into the overcast day two hours later, Devlin said, “You explained to me before what a movie was, but I’m not so sure I understood what just happened in there.”
Devlin’s expression was one of amused confusion. I had to fight off a laugh. “You’ve seen plays before, right?”
He nodded.
“A movie is just like a play, only the producers and film editors can add special effects.”
Devlin furrowed his brow then said, “You mean illusion.”
I was about to argue with him but then I gave his observation some thought. He was right. Computer-generated images and sound effects were a type of illusion. Smiling, I picked up my pace as we left the plaza and headed up the next street. Devlin followed in silence and I peered into the windows of the shops we passed by. Even though Thanksgiving was a week away, several of the local stores had already decorated for Christmas. Fake snow, holly and glittering garlands bordered the windows, and the manufactured scents of pine and cinnamon wafted from some of the buildings. I gritted my teeth against the familiar smells as memories of my family surfaced in my mind, memories from when I was young and they still loved me.
The door that suddenly swung open onto the sidewalk would have hit me if Devlin hadn't pulled me out of the way. The woman emerging from the store gave me a perturbed look as she breezed past us. I bit my lip, kicking myself for doing what I had promised myself not to do.
Enjoy the afternoon with Devlin, Robyn. Forget about that stupid letter.
Something warm and slightly rough brushed my hair out of my eyes.
“What’s wrong Robyn?” Devlin asked quietly, his hand resting on my cheek. “Is it about the night of the Samhain bonfire? Have Mikael and Moira harmed you?”
There we stood in the middle of the sidewalk, people streaming around us like water around a large stone in a creek bed.
“No. Nothing like that,” I breathed. “Nothing is wrong, just got distracted by the Christmas decorations.”
I pulled away from him and indicated the winter scene in the window display across from us. My smile felt forced and I really would have liked to stay nestled up against Devlin, but it wouldn’t take much to make me cry at the moment and that would just be disastrous. We crossed the street and started heading back toward the center of town.
“I have an idea,” I chirped, trying to break free of my own thoughts. “There’s this really cool used book store a few streets over. We can hang out in there for a while until we warm up a bit.”
It was still too early for me to go back to the apartment. When I finally allowed the reality of my father’s message to sink in, I wanted to be so exhausted that I’d be asleep before the real pain hit me. Traipsing all around San Luis with Devlin would definitely do the trick. I just needed to keep him from figuring out why I’d suddenly become so active, which was proving harder and harder as the minutes ticked by. Every time we stopped, he tried to ask what was wrong, which only made the tears press harder against the back of my eyes.
Stop it Robyn! You don’t cry, ever!
But that had been before my parents had cut all the strings. My last connection to whatever semblance of a family I had ever had.
The bookstore greeted us with the glorious scent of dust, ancient cracked leather and yellowed paper. As soon as we were inside, I closed my eyes and just breathed. Ahhh, balm to my recently wounded soul. I reached back and grabbed Devlin’s arm, pulling him past the table heaped with discount paperbacks and toward the side room. The shelves ran from the floor to the ceiling ten feet up. Each genre was well-marked in large, hand-made signs. I spotted the markers hanging above my favorite sections, Mythology and Fantasy & Science Fiction.
Once nestled back in the empty corner of the store, I let my fingers run over the spines of the books in the mythology section. My own personal library back at my apartment was mostly composed of whatever Celtic myth books I could get my hands on, as well as the newer editions of some of my favorite contemporary authors. Not until the floorboard creaked behind me did I remember Devlin was still with me.
I glanced over my shoulder and caught a glimpse of him, truly studying him for the first time that day. He was dressed in his customary mortal clothing, jeans and a T-shirt with a black jacket for the cold. It had only been three weeks since I’d last seen him, but a few things appeared different about him. His hair was a bit longer, the lines of his handsome face a little more strained. Even though he still exuded that calm, quiet demeanor, there was definitely a sharper edge to his ever-watching eyes. I was certain discovering the identity of the Daramorr had something to do with it. For a few moments, I was tempted to ask him if he’d made any headway in flushing Mikael out of his mortal hiding place, but I decided to hold off until later.
The books seemed to have caught Devlin’s interest because he pried one out of a particularly crowded shelf and had begun leafing through the pages. The image of him in that outfit reminded me of Meghan’s husband, Cade. He’d worn something similar the two times I had met him. Thinking about my old friend, living in the Otherworld with a loving husband and her biological mother, threw my thoughts off-kilter again. I pressed my forehead against the spines of the books on the shelf in front of me and took deep, shuddering breaths. No matter where I went and no matter how hard I tried to distract myself today, my thoughts always ended up back in the same place.
Before I was aware of what was happening, a dark shadow blocked out what little light had made its way back into this room. Slightly surprised, I looked up. Devlin loomed over me, his face etched in concern.
“Tell me,” he murmured. “Tell me what is wrong.”
Curse it. I bit my lip and gently pushed him away. “It’s nothing,” I insisted, “just didn’t do very well on a test this week is all.”
The lie came easily, and I felt a little crappy for telling it but the last thing I wanted to do was bare my soul to Devlin. No, that was way too terrifying, even more so than the threat of falling into that deep crevasse I was teetering ever so close to.
Someone came around the corner, a shaggy-haired college student with the beginning of a beard and glasses. He arched a brow at us and I gave a watery smile. It was time to leave the bookstore. As much as I loved the comfort it offered, there was just too much quiet to let my mind wander. Besides, having Devlin pressed this close to me was dangerous. Very dangerous. I needed someplace with noise, just enough sound to keep my idle thoughts quiet. It didn’t take long for me to decide where to go next.
Reaching for Devlin’s hand I said, “Come on, there’s something I need to show you.”
We brushed by the shaggy guy, almost shoving him into a cart full of magazines, and headed for the door. Outside, the clouds had parted a little, allowing slivers of sunshine to pool on the ground around us. I wasn’t expecting the sun to make much headway, though. In the distance, the sky was almost black and I knew our outdoor adventure wouldn’t last much longer. Heading toward the mission, I crossed the street and entered the plaza, the iconic fountain with its bronze statue of a bear standing watch. The crowd had thinned, the denizens of San Luis either heading back home for the encroaching evening or finding refuge indoors before the sky opened up again. Holding a hand up to my eyes, I peered through the treetops. We had anywhere between a half an hour to an hour, maybe more. Plenty of time to explore the creek that ran through a narrow canyon at the heart of the city.
“Where are we going?” Devlin asked behind me.
Devlin had been such a good sport all day, following me like a devoted shadow. He had also remained quiet, which had me worried. True, he’d never been a very talkative person, but there was something different about his silence this afternoon, as if the weight of my distress from earlier had expanded beyond myself and affected those around me. I gave a mental snort. Well, going by the way it felt, I wouldn’t be surprised if my misery had become some invisible, physical presence.
I reached the edge of the plaza and found one of several sets of stairs that led down into the creek. Twenty-to-thirty-foot walls of concrete and stone held the canyon walls in place, securing the busy restaurants and shops that sat on the edge of the small cliffs above. The gentle rush of the water below greeted my ears, and I all but melted into a pool of calm when my shoes sank into the pebbled beach of the creek bank, the wet crunch of the rocks reminding me that this was my kind of place; a natural oasis for my soul to imbibe in the mortal world’s hidden magic.
Devlin’s crunch was louder than mine, and the heavy intake of breath told me he felt the same way as I did about this place. With my head tilted back and my eyes closed, I smiled just a little, my spirit glad to be in Nature’s embrace once more. Not a single soul, save Devlin and I, lingered. We had this stream and its lush greenery all to ourselves. The real world whirred and chinked above us, busy with everyday life, but in this place only the earth itself resided.
“I love it down here,” I said without turning to look at Devlin.
I opened my eyes to the sky above. The clouds still churned, and the air still smelled of rain, but none had fallen yet. Despite the tranquility, however, my thoughts would not settle. Tears began to pool in my eyes, and I had to do something to distract myself from this gnawing sorrow that threatened to consume me. Maybe it had been a bad idea to spend the day with Devlin. Perhaps I should have locked myself in my apartment and let it all loose at once instead of holding it in. But no, I was here now, and I’d be damned if I was going to break down in front of Devlin O’Brolaigh. Taking a deep breath and letting it out through my nose, I lowered my head and watched the cold water slip over the stones.
“Tell me about the Otherworld, Devlin,” I said.
I could hear him shift behind me, but I didn’t turn to face him.
“What would you like to know?” he asked softly.
“Everything. How many people live there, what your cities are like, what sorts of animals live in your forests, the climate . . .”
I trailed off before finishing. “Just tell me all you can think of.”
I suspected Devlin still sensed my distress, but fortunately he went along with my request. He described the lush green fields and massive, snow-capped mountains of his homeland. I closed my eyes and felt the icy, wet kiss of snowflakes in winter and breathed in the crisp scent of autumn in the Weald. Otherworldly foxes, deer and horses danced around in my mind, and the sound of songbirds in the spring filled my ears, their cheerful notes mixing in the air with the sweet scent of wildflowers.
“Where do you live?” I asked in a soft voice.
“For now I live in the Weald in a small cabin.”
I turned to look at him, my sorrow having left for the time being.
“For now?” I prompted.
He nodded and moved closer to where I stood beside the creek. He squatted down and studied the water, smiling as a small school of tiny fish darted about below the surface.
“This mission to hunt down the Daramorr was a request from the high queen, but it does not come without a reward. Should I fulfill this task, I will be given my own land, with a castle to call my own.”
That snapped me right out of my melancholy.
“Castle?” I asked, my attention now one hundred percent on Devlin. Not only was he ridiculously attractive, but he would soon have a castle too?
His blue eyes trailed over my face for a moment before returning to the creek.
“It’s more like a pile of rubble at the moment, but it is the land that comes with it that makes it worthwhile. And I suppose the fortress could be rebuilt into something livable.”
He shrugged and picked up a few wet pebbles, testing their weight in his hand. I tried to imagine a castle in the Otherworld. I knew Meghan lived in one with Cade. She had told me about it the last time she had visited the mortal world.
“Tell me more about this rubble pile that was once a castle and the property that comes with it,” I pressed.
Devlin sighed and stood up, stretching his long frame to its full height. I mimicked him, and when he gestured toward a massive sycamore limb resting against the ground, I took a seat. He settled down beside me, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body.
“The old fortress was once called Diarnan. Lake Ohll, Eile’s largest body of water, lies to the east, and part of the land encroaches into the Weald, a place where an ancient oak grove grows.”
I sighed as my mind conjured up an image of such a place. “And oak trees are so very sacred, at least to the Celts,” I murmured.
Devlin nodded. “Their presence would bring my brother and me peace, and we would be near the Weald if we wished to visit Enorah and the other Wildren.”
A single drop of water from above hit my nose and I started a bit. Curse it, the rain was coming. I could sit here all day and listen to Devlin talk about the Otherworld, but the clouds up above had other plans. Resisting the temptation to snuggle up to him, I took a breath and said, “You’ve mentioned your brother before. Tell me more about him.”
Devlin smiled but didn't look at me. “Rhyne is unlike anyone I’ve ever met, yet he reminds me a little of you. He’s always been the type of person who has to help those he views as weaker than himself. If someone is in danger or in need of help, he’s usually the one to volunteer first before learning all the details. It has often gotten him into trouble.”
A shadow crossed Devlin’s face, and I reached over, resting my hand on his forearm.
Devlin looked at me, and the corner of his mouth twitched. “If I can complete this mission to Danua’s satisfaction, then the both of us can settle on Diarnan’s land. My hope is that the task of restoring the old fortress will keep Rhyne so busy he won't get distracted by his quests.”
This conversation was heading into dangerous territory. The way Devlin spoke about his brother was exactly how family members should view one another. Not my family, though.
I cleared my throat. “You love your brother very much.”
The slow nod Devlin gave was answer enough but he added, “He’s the only family I have, besides the Wildren of course. We relied on one each other for so long after my mother’s death, and it was up to me to raise him.”
Another icy drop hit my cheek, and then another splashed down onto my hand. The light pitter-patter of raindrops hitting the dead leaves piled around us reminded me that it was time to head home.
Devlin looked toward the sky and frowned. “I think we need to find shelter soon.”
Gritting my teeth, I stood up and said, “Let’s head back to my apartment.”
Maybe I could persuade Devlin to watch another movie with me on my laptop. And after that, maybe it would be too late for him to leave and he’d have to sleep on my futon again. I hoped so. If I had him in the house with me, maybe my mind wouldn’t have time to wander and remember that although Devlin had a brother to love him, I had no one.
The sky didn’t really open up until we reached my street. As the rain poured down from above, Devlin and I darted over the sidewalk, avoiding the quickly growing puddles and laughing like school children. Being the gentleman he was, Devlin held his jacket out like a makeshift umbrella as I struggled with the lock on the door.
“Sorry,” I grumbled as we stumbled into the dark apartment.
Fortunately, there was no clutter lying around to trip over as I went around turning on lights. I piled my purse and sweatshirt onto my bed and pulled the rubber band out of my hair. The rain and half-run from the creek had tangled it.
“Mind if I take a shower real fast?” I asked Devlin.
He shook his head.
I smiled. “You can just hang out in here. There are some books over there if you get bored.”
I gestured toward the old staircase that had once connected this room to the house above. The door had been boarded up, and I’d taken advantage of the awkward space the stairs had created by turning it into a miniature library.
Devlin nodded and strode over to take a look, and I squeezed past him to get into the bathroom, but not before pulling out a change of clothes. Fifteen minutes later, I emerged from the steamy room, towel-drying my hair to get the moisture out. Devlin wasn’t standing beside the book-encrusted staircase any longer, nor was he in the main room. Had he left? Feeling a pang of disappointment, I turned the corner and felt the towel slip from my grasp.
There in the middle of my kitchen, holding a familiar piece of paper, stood Devlin. His head was bent, and his brow was furrowed with confusion or irritation, I couldn’t say which. But it wasn’t Devlin’s odd stance that bothered me, it was what he held in his hands. My father’s letter.
All at once, my muscles stiffened as sheer panic pierced through me.
“What are you doing?” My voice grated against my throat.
Devlin looked up at me then, his bright blue eyes razor sharp.
“Who wrote this?” he growled, his voice hard enough to cut diamonds.
I shook my head, partly in answer to his question and also to regain my senses. I felt dizzy and hot, as if I might pass out. Oh no you don’t! my inner voice chided. Robyn Dunbarre is not a fainter!
“It’s nothing,” I managed, stepping forward and trying to take the letter from him.
Devlin lifted his arm just enough so I couldn’t reach the paper.
“This isn’t nothing,” he said.
“Look,” I breathed, my panic slowly being replaced by anger, “that was private. You weren’t supposed to read it.”
How had he found it anyway?
“I did not know that. It was lying on the floor in here, and I only meant to peruse it to make sure it wasn’t anything important. Now answer me, who wrote this?”
I gritted my teeth and fought the temptation to jump for it. The thought of looking like a little kid attempting to get the better of an annoying older cousin kept my feet planted right where they were. That’s all I needed to do: add more embarrassment to the already mortifying situation. Instead, I crossed my arms because pouting was sooo much more mature.
“You know, most mortal men would be ashamed of reading a lady’s private letters.”
It was total bull, of course, but I might as well try and guilt him into giving it up.
“I’m not a mortal man,” Devlin countered.
I eyed him carefully. You’ve got that right.
“I’ll ask one more time. Robyn, who wrote this? Who said these things to you?”
His voice had softened, like that of a parent trying to sooth his child. Or the voice of an older brother trying to reassure his sibling. The loving voice of someone who cared. My lip began to tremble. All day I had been avoiding this, but it looked like I was going to have to face it after all. And yay for me, I was going to break down right in front of Devlin.
“Robyn?” he prompted once again.
I took a deep, shuddering breath and, as the tears began to stream down my face, I croaked, “My dad.”
The world tilted and I began listing to the side. Fortunately, someone was there to catch me. Someone with strong arms and a solid chest and the scent of the wild wood enveloping him. I stopped fighting and cried. I cried so hard I could barely breathe and all the while a deep, familiar voice murmured kind words into my ear. I couldn’t understand them, but I knew they had to be nice words because some of that soul-devouring pain began to subside.
“I tried s-so hard when I was y-younger to be a good daughter,” I sobbed, “but I just c-couldn’t keep up the facade any-any longer. I just w-wish they could under-understand!”
“Hush,” Devlin murmured. “There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. In the short time I’ve known you, you have proven to be a good person. If your parents can’t understand that, then it is their deficiency, not yours.”
He lifted my face in his hands and gazed down at me. “Do not let their blindness convince you that a light does not shine within you, Robyn. Just because they cannot see it does not mean it is not there. They merely lack the ability to perceive it, the way most mortals cannot see my kind and that which comes from my world.”
Devlin lowered my head back to his chest so that the rhythm of his heartbeat echoed in my ear. The sound was a welcome comfort, especially at that moment.
For hours, it seemed, Devlin simply held me. At some point, he carried me over to the futon and rocked me like a child. I would have felt ridiculous, but no one had ever done that to me when I was little. The Dunbarres had never comforted me in this way when I got upset, and over time, I had forgotten about this soul-deep, human need for contact. It was as if the young child inside of me had never grown up; hadn’t received the love she needed so she had never really gone away. Devlin was comforting that forgotten child now with his kindness.
Eventually the wracking shudders and black hole of despair melted away and I pushed against Devlin. Oh, wonderful, I’d managed to stain his T-shirt with drool.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, trying to wipe the wet spot away with my hand. How embarrassing. As if pouring out my soul for the past several minutes hadn’t been humiliating enough.
Devlin snatched up my hand with his own and stood up.
“Leave it,” he said, letting my hand go as he headed toward the kitchen.
My fingers, in their usual, nervous way, reached up and raked through my hair. It was still wet, so maybe that had left the stain on Devlin’s shirt.
Before I could dwell too long on my own awkwardness, sounds of banging cupboard doors and slamming drawers filled my tiny apartment. What the heck?
I stood up, still feeling a bit wobbly but determined to recover from my meltdown. Using the frame of the doorway in the kitchen to steady myself, I glanced in to find Devlin searching my cabinets.
“What’re you doing?” I asked.
He pulled out a large pot and a frying pan and set them on the tiny island, then reached for the refrigerator door.
“Making us something to eat.”
I blinked up at him. Was he serious?
I didn’t have much time to consider it because now he was pulling out bacon, cheese, carrots and celery. A bit of leftover roast beef from three nights ago joined the pile.
I glanced at the heap of odd ingredients and at the large pot he’d set on the stove. Crossing my arms, I narrowed my eyes and drawled, “What are you making? Stone soup?”
He’d moved to the pantry but turned around to face me, three potatoes in one hand and an onion in the other.
“Stone soup?”
I waved a hand and said, “Never mind. What are you planning on throwing together in here?”
“Soup, but I’ve never heard of a soup that uses stones in the ingredients.”
“It’s a children's story,” I grumbled, pulling up my kitchen stool to the island so I could watch him. “Need any help?”
Devlin gave me a wicked grin, and I felt my toes tingle. “I want you to sit back and relax, though I may need you to point me in the right direction with regard to spices and such.”
As the steady rain pelted down outside and the sky gradually grew darker, Devlin began chopping and dicing and cutting and slicing and grating. We found some cans of vegetable broth in my pantry and some garlic salt in my spice rack. Devlin dropped a few tablespoons of butter into the pot before adding water to give the soup a good base. While the broth heated, he peeled potatoes over the sink and, despite his protests, I started taking the skin off the onion.
Soon the soup was simmering and a potpourri of savory scents infused the air. My stomach rumbled, so I filled the tea kettle and set it to boil. Once the tea was done, I settled back on my stool as Devlin cleaned the utensils and dishes we’d used to prepare the soup. The patter of rain and the low bubbling of the pot on the burner did little to disturb my thoughts, but at least the lingering ache from earlier had finally vanished. It was strange how easily Devlin had made it disappear. I wasn’t sure what to think of that, but I was grateful. The pain had washed over me like an all-consuming flood, and Devlin’s presence was the sun that had finally dried it up. I gave a mental snort. How very poetic of me, and cheesy. Oh well. It was the truth.
I sipped my tea and turned my attention to the Lorehnin man standing at the sink. His back was to me, so for now I could admire him openly. And just like that, a warm, somewhat unfamiliar emotion spread over me, reaching to the very tips of my fingers and toes.
Oh no. Don’t Robyn, stop right there and don’t you dare go on. A fresh revelation flushed the contentment right from my mind. I looked up at Devlin again, only this time I noticed his reflection in the window. He was concentrating on rinsing the dishes, but in the next heartbeat he glanced up, catching my gaze. I didn’t pull away. I needed to know for sure. He must have seen me as well because his eyes, usually the cool calm blue of the sky or the biting sharpness of ice, softened and a tiny smile graced his mouth.
I returned my attention to my cooling tea and took a deep, steadying breath, closing my eyes as I did so. Somehow, amid all this turmoil in my life of late, I had managed to do the one thing I had warned myself against from the very beginning, and there was no turning back. I had made the biggest mistake a mortal girl could with a man from the Otherworld. I had let Devlin’s charm and kindness breach the walls of my hardened heart, and I was pretty certain I was falling for him.
“Are you all right?”
The question was accompanied by the gentle brush of Devlin’s fingers across the top of my hand. I jumped a foot in my chair, and he pulled back, like a snake striking in reverse.
I grumbled some apology and proceeded to blame my nerves on a combination of my recent role as faelah bait and my emotionally severed heart.
Devlin poured himself a cup of tea, adding a little sugar and milk. I made a mental note to remember so I could fix his tea in the future. Why? In case he feels the same way about you and you end up moving in together? Whoa. Take it easy there, conscience. It had only just occurred to me how I felt about the guy, and that was more than likely due to the fact that he’d wrapped a nice big bandage around my heart only an hour or so ago. I focused on the cup in my hands and listened to the soft murmur of simmering soup. Devlin lowered himself into one of my spare chairs across the island from me, the wood groaning under his weight.
“So,” I said by means of banishing the encroaching and potentially awkward silence, “before I kidnapped you and dragged you off into today’s whirlwind adventure, you mentioned you were going to scout the area for dark glamour.”
He shrugged and leaned back, his own expression growing darker. “That was my original plan. I told you I’d be back, or did you not get my message?”
Devlin seemed unsure, his eyes worried. The memory of the flowers, and of the note tucked safely away in my desk drawer, blossomed in my mind. I felt my cheeks redden so I cleared my throat.
“Yes, I did. But that was weeks ago. Wasn’t sure if you’d changed your mind.”
Devlin said, “The Daramorr has been harder to track of late. His glamour seems diluted or masked. Or changed somehow so I cannot recognize it. I’m certain he did this because of what happened on Samhain.”
“So, what does that mean?” I asked.
His eyes met mine, and they held none of their earlier warmth. “It means it’s getting harder for me to track him, as if I’m chasing a spirit and not a Faelorehn man of flesh and blood.”
I tried not to let that bother me. Devlin might have chased Mikael back into the Otherworld by now if I hadn’t invited him to the Samhain bonfire.
“For the last several weeks I’ve been crossing between this world and my own quite frequently. Enorah, my friend I mentioned earlier, knows a lot about the Morrigan’s magic and what it is capable of. I've been consulting her with regards to this case. Every time she suggested something, I’d test it and it would fail. I feel as if I’m running around in circles because the Daramorr always seems to be one step ahead of me. I need to find another way to draw him out.”
The memory of our conversation at Avila Beach came back to me, the agreement we had come to before our argument.
I swallowed my unease and said, “Were you coming today to ask for my help?”
Devlin blanched. “Yes and no. I was going to do some closer investigating around your house, in case Mikael’s been snooping or using the Morrigan’s abandoned faelah to do more of his dirty work, then ask if you’d seen anything strange of late.”
I actually laughed out loud, and Devlin arched an eyebrow at me. “Everything I’ve seen of late has been strange. But I’ve noticed nothing Otherworldly since I saw you last.”
He nodded in agreement, then rubbed his hands over his face. “My ability to pinpoint specific glamour is weaker in the mortal world. That might also have something to do with it.”
I took a slow, shuddering breath and let it out gradually. So much had happened in the past few hours that I found it hard to think. My brain felt like mush and my heart a bruised lump of muscle. What I needed was a vacation from being me for a while.
“The glamour seems strongest around your apartment,” Devlin was saying, “but I didn’t sense any this morning, and we left before I could take a good look around.”
That smile again, and this time I had no business trying to look innocent. I bit my lip and fiddled with my hair, still a bit damp from the shower.
“I shouldn’t have dragged you off like that,” I murmured.
Devlin’s warm hand covered mine.
“No. You needed a day of distractions.”
I glanced toward the dark window, the rain painting sheets of moisture along the glass.
“Won’t the rain wash the glamour away?”
Did it work the same way that scent did? I had read many books and seen movies where animals and people alike used water to hide their trail.
“In the Otherworld, it wouldn’t be an issue. Here, with the glamour already showing up strange on my radar, I don’t know.”
Despite that bad bit of news I smiled at him. “How do you know about radar?”
“Cade told me about it once.”
The reminder of my best friend’s husband sent a pang through my heart. Too bad Cade wasn’t here with Meghan. I could sure use my friend’s company and I bet Cade could help Devlin with this frustrating hunt of his. Oh well. Looked like we were on our own.
Devlin got up to stir the soup. “Almost ready,” he proclaimed.
Good. My stomach was eating itself alive. Ten minutes later, we were both savoring a mug full of rich, cheesy bacon and beef stew. Mmm, heaven. I scraped at the bottom of my cup but didn’t go for seconds.
Devlin, on the other hand, was on his third serving when I said, “So what’s the game plan?”
He glanced up at me, his spoon halfway to his mouth.
“How are we going to catch this bastard?”
“Honestly, I don’t know yet. I need to gather more information before we can act. When I have a better idea of where the Daramorr is hiding on this side of the dolmarehn, then maybe we can come up with a strategy for flushing him out.”
I nodded, then flashed my eyes up to meet his. “Maybe I can squeeze some details out of Moira.”
Devlin eyed me carefully, and I was reminded of her interest in my Lorehnin friend. Irritation laced through me and I cleared my throat.
“Or maybe not. I have all of next week off from school, so I’m free if you’d like my help.” Then, feeling particularly bold, I added, “You could come over on Thursday. It’s Thanksgiving.”
At his curious look, I elaborated.
“It’s a holiday we celebrate here in the mortal world. There will be lots of food, and it’s normally a time that family and friends get together.”
Devlin offered me a light smile then nodded and got back to his soup.
“I like the sound of that. You’ve had enough to think about today, and I trust Moira about as much as I trust her brother. It could be dangerous for you to snoop around in her territory.”
I didn’t argue with him, though some part of my pride bared its teeth. Faelorehn or not, I was pretty sure I could handle Moira.
“Let me do some investigating, and then we can discuss it on this Thanksgiving of yours,” Devlin continued with a light smirk.
I nodded once, a warm sense of satisfaction gently soothing my irritated ego. As eager as I was to help fix this huge mess and prove that I could be helpful, I needed a few days just to zone out. And that’s exactly what I planned on doing.
Devlin showed up around ten Thursday morning with an Otherworldly wreath, this one composed of branches full of brilliant autumn leaves and berries.
“The flowers have long since faded in Eile,” he offered by way of an explanation.
“It’s so beautiful,” I murmured, taking the wreath from his outstretched hand and carrying it inside.
Devlin strode past me and entered the kitchen.
“What can I do to help?” he asked over his shoulder as he shoved the sleeves of his sweater up to his elbows.
Smiling, I turned and joined him, my nervousness melting away. “Well, the turkey’s in the oven, but there are still the mashed potatoes, yams and cranberry sauce to make.”
We both became absorbed in the work of putting together the meal after that. As I prepared one dish after another, Devlin took the used bowls and silverware and washed them. Sometimes we would switch jobs and he would keep an eye on the gravy bubbling on the stovetop or partition out ingredients for me. At some point, I ended up scrubbing another round of dirty dishes soaking in the hot soapy water while he peeled potatoes beside me.
I stilled in my ministrations as a wonderfully content feeling washed over me. I stole a glance at Devlin, methodically stripping the brown, rough skins off the potatoes and dropping them into a waiting colander. Here was a man used to wandering the wild woodlands of the Otherworld, fighting monsters and the Morrigan’s powerful followers with his sword and magic. A man capable of striking terror into the hearts of those he met should he wish to. Instead, he was here in my cramped kitchen, peeling potatoes of all things. Why? I wanted to hope he did it because he enjoyed spending time with me, but part of me warned not to get too comfortable with that image.
He’s here for now Robyn, but for how long? He has made you no promises, and you had best remember that.
I batted my sensible conscience away like an annoying fruit fly. I would enjoy the moment while it lasted.
Biting my lip to keep from smiling, I slapped my hand across the water and sent a stream of it onto Devlin’s hands.
He grew still, and I risked a glance. Uh-oh. Those blue eyes were much too bright.
“Oops, sorry,” I said, not a hint of remorse in my voice.
“Not to worry. I’ll simply rinse the potatoes off.”
Devlin turned the faucet on and proceeded to rinse away all of the soap. I had become engrossed in my scrubbing once again when a cool splash of water hit me in the cheek.
Gasping, I shot my gaze in Devlin’s direction. His grin was pure mischief.
“Pardon my clumsiness with the water.”
I scowled, then gently shoved my shoulder against him, an action he returned. By the time the potatoes were finally boiling in the pot and the dishes done, we were both far more thoroughly soaked than we should have been with a stray potato peel or two stuck to us.
“I’ll get you a towel,” I offered as I disappeared into my closet.
I tossed Devlin the towel and proceeded to get as much water off myself as I could. Honestly, what had gotten into the two of us?
“Did I miss anything?” I asked Devlin.
He put aside his own towel and stepped forward, his eyes focused on my face. Suddenly, my stomach dropped to my toes. Oh, dear gods, that look.
Devlin moved even nearer, closing most of the space between us and reaching a hand out to my face. I froze where I stood, my heart thudding in my ribcage. My eyes rose of their own accord to meet Devlin’s.
“A stray potato peel,” he murmured quietly, gently brushing something out of my hair.
Only his hand didn’t leave, it dropped to my cheek and lingered there, warming my flushing skin even more.
I swallowed hard as he inched forward and I closed my eyes.
Before either of us breathed, the loud, angry buzzing of the kitchen timer shattered the moment. Devlin jerked away and I flinched.
“Sorry,” I grumbled as I scraped at my hair. I brushed past him and headed into the kitchen, “I’ve got to check on the turkey.”
Damn the turkey! I wanted to shout. I was convinced that Devlin had been about to kiss me and every instinct in my body screamed at me to go back into my living room, grab Devlin’s face in both my hands and pull his mouth down to meet mine.
Gritting my teeth, I snatched up a pair of oven mitts and removed the turkey from the oven. According to the meat thermometer, it was ready. I shoved it back in and turned the heat off, wondering if Devlin and I could pick up where we had left off. When I stepped back into the living room, I could tell the moment was over. Relief and disappointment hit me in equal parts, but my sensible side informed me it was probably a good thing nothing had happened.
“Turkey’s done, so all we need to do is get some plates out,” I said in a light tone.
Devlin nodded. He seemed to have recovered from our almost kiss, but his eyes still smoldered. I tried not to let that get my wild side all worked up.
As I set out the various side dishes, making use of the limited counter space in the kitchen, Devlin removed the turkey from the oven and proceeded to carve it. An awkward fissure had grown between us, but once we started eating it gradually closed up. I told Devlin stories about my friends from high school, and he in turn told me once again about the battle between Danua and the Morrigan and of Meghan’s bravery that day.
A feeling of smug satisfaction welled up in my chest, so I took a sip of apple cider to keep it from getting too far out of hand. In that moment I was so incredibly proud of my friend. I only hoped that she and Cade visited the mortal world again soon. I missed her so much.
I took a breath in order to press Devlin some more, but the sound of something thudding against my door stopped me. Furrowing my brow, I stepped through the kitchen doorway and glanced at my front door. Before I could decide what it might have been, a low, rattling growl, muffled by the wall but obvious nonetheless, greeted my ears. I froze in terror, the blood in my veins turning to ice. Oh no, not again. Not now.
Devlin was up off his stool and striding toward the door before I could blink. After glancing through the window, he jerked the door open and barked over his shoulder, “Do not leave this room until I’ve come back.”
The flippant, rebellious hellion in me wanted to brush him off and follow right after him, but the side of me that was conjuring up images of what was probably out there convinced me to stay put. That and the tone of Devlin’s voice. The woodland warrior was back, and since I wasn’t in the mood to get into another argument with him, I listened to his advice this time.
Despite my misgivings, I climbed atop my futon and peeked out the window. The late afternoon light had given way to the cool grey tones of early evening, yet not enough so that I couldn’t see the yard. I tried to spot Devlin, but he was nowhere to be found, which only made me worry. Only when he came bursting through the foliage at the end of the street did I relax a little. I was there to pull the door open for him when he returned.
“What was it?” I hissed.
His face was grim, and he clenched his fists by his side. “Did you not see it?”
I shook my head. Not this time.
“It was a wolf,” Devlin was saying.
I blinked up at him. “A wolf? Are you sure it wasn’t a coyote? We don’t have wolves on the Central Coast.”
He gave me a dubious look and answered in a dry tone, “I know a spirit guide wolf when I see one.”
“A spirit guide wolf?”
Devlin smiled a little, though something akin to fear flitted in his eyes. “The Daramorr’s spirit guide, if I were to make a guess. His personal body guard, servant and spy, complete with its own powerful glamour. A white wolf with red ears.”
Ah yes, the Otherworldly familiars who had a special connection with their Faelorehn counterparts. Before Meghan had told me all about the Otherworld being a reality and not just a place I had read about in the myths of ancient Ireland, any animal with the description Devlin had just given me was simply an Otherworldly creature, not one with telekinetic powers linking it to other people. I knew that Meghan had a spirit guide, Meridian her merlin, and that Cade had his wolfhound Fergus, but something told me that this particular wolf was lurking around my apartment for far more nefarious reasons than trying to make friends or seek out stray rabbits to hunt.
“What was it doing here?” I asked.
Devlin’s expression was a dour one. “You mentioned the faelah have been scarce these past few weeks?”
I nodded. It was the truth.
Devlin released a sigh then invited me to return to the kitchen where we’d left our plates. After both of us were seated on our stools he said, “I’m beginning to wonder if the reason the Daramorr has been harder to detect of late is because he’s taken to hiding in the Otherworld. Not the safest place to be because he has more enemies there, but if he’s desperate for magic then that’s a risk he might be willing to take.”
Devlin’s laugh was dry and devoid of humor. “And now that he knows I am on to him he’s pooling all of his resources, or so it would seem.”
I took a breath to apologize, because in a way, this was my fault, but Devlin shook his head once and gave me a hard look.
“Do not apologize, Robyn. Mikael may know who seeks him now, but because of our meeting I have a face, and a name, to go with the person I hunt.”
He drew in a long breath through his nose and dropped his gaze. Something in his stiff yet irresolute posture sent tiny spindles of fear through me. What now?
“What concerns me most at the moment is the presence of that wolf,” he murmured. “Spirit guides are profoundly intelligent, far more so than faelah. As a powerful wielder of magic and a follower of the Morrigan, I’m not surprised that Mikael has one.”
Devlin stopped speaking but I remained silent, letting him think through what he wanted to say next.
“The fact that the wolf was so clumsy and obvious about its presence troubles me. It’s as if he wanted you, or me, to see him.”
Devlin’s bright eyes lifted and met mine, the gaze of a predator honing in on the scent of its quarry.
“A challenge, perhaps. A taunt. This is a game to him and he has just thrown down the gauntlet. He now knows I was here, and he will be working even more cautiously than before, but I believe he wants me to go chasing after that wolf.”
Devlin seemed to be fighting his own internal battle, so I reached out and placed a hand on his forearm. He jumped, not expecting my touch.
I grinned at him. “What can I do to help?”
My friend’s gaze was calculating. “You can keep going about your daily life in the hopes that he hasn’t discovered you know more than you should. Whatever lair he’s squirreled away into in the Otherworld will take some time to discover. But if he wishes to regain his magical strength, then he’ll need to remain there for quite some time.”
“How long?” I asked.
Devlin shrugged. “Another few weeks. A month maybe.”
A wicked grin suddenly spread across his face. “If he feels he needs to stay in Eile that long then perhaps we have found his weakness.”
“Which is?” I prompted.
“Fear. The fear of being caught. The fear that his opponent might be more powerful than he is. Danua grants no mercy to those who willingly seek out and use dark glamour.”
“So,” I said, exhaling, “how are we going to go about exploiting this fear?”
Devlin shrugged. “Right now I think that perhaps it is best if I lie low for a while, avoid coming to this part of the mortal world.”
His eyes looked regretful, and although I appreciated it, I didn’t like what he was suggesting.
I gave him a lopsided smile and nodded. “You mean stay away from me.”
I had grown far too comfortable with his presence; had come to rely upon it far too much to get me through the day. But he was right. If we wanted to stop Mikael, and if he feared capture as much as Devlin suggested, then Devlin had to retreat from the Daramorr’s favorite haunts. In order to do so, he needed to be in the Otherworld.
I lowered my eyes and murmured, “Do you think he’ll still try to come after me?”
Gentle fingers settled over the top of my hand, pressing my palm to the cool surface of the kitchen island. Devlin’s blue eyes met mine the moment I glanced up.
“We must assume that he will,” he said quietly. “You have a fire in you, Robyn Dunbarre, and although you may not be of the Otherworld, your mortal magic burns fiercely. Outside of Eile you are a wealth of glamour he cannot resist. I do not like the idea of leaving you unguarded, but it cannot be helped.”
Devlin released my hand and stood from his stool, towering over me like a great Norse god.
“Are you leaving?” I asked.
He nodded, his face grim. “Perhaps I should follow this wolf after all, give the Daramorr the impression that I’m taking his bait.”
He moved from the kitchen and stepped into my living room, pulling the door open. I followed him, at least to the archway that separated the two rooms.
“Remain vigilant Robyn, and stay inside during the dark hours as much as you can.”
I nodded, not missing the calm suggestion in his voice. It was a far cry from the authoritative demands he’d thrown around earlier, and I appreciated it.
“I will,” I promised.
Just when I thought he was about to step through that door and disappear for who knew how many days or weeks or months, he leaned back inside, took my hand and pulled me into a close hug. Caught off guard, I merely stood rigid for a few moments before succumbing to my own desire to return his embrace.
“Stay safe,” he murmured into my hair, “and keep a sharp eye and ear open.”
Nodding my head against his chest seemed safest. If I spoke, the emotion might bleed through and transform a nice moment into an awkward one.
Devlin held me for a second more, then let go and stepped away, passing through the door and disappearing into the encroaching twilight. I watched him for as long as I could until the frosty November air became too much to bear. Then I shut the door, slipped all of the locks and bolts into place, and returned to the kitchen, my mind abuzz with unanswered questions and my nerves on fire with the emptiness of what I’d been too cowardly to do.
I found it ironic that the idea of how to entrap Mikael came to me the very next evening during my work shift. It wasn’t quite dark yet when I pulled my bike into the alley behind the cafe, my thoughts returning to the events from Halloween night. A month ago, I’d been convinced that the craziness disrupting my world had finally migrated south, and then just as suddenly as he had dropped into my life the first time, Devlin reappeared in all his masculine glory, ready to save me from yet another Otherworldly horror. Now I was being jerked right back onto that terrifying, runaway train with no end in sight. And I had the wily Mikael and his capricious sister acting as the demonic conductors. Shaking those thoughts from my head, I locked up my bike and headed to the front of the building.
Kelly smiled at me when I stepped through the doors of the Green Tea Leaf at ten minutes to five.
“How was your Thanksgiving?” she asked.
We caught up a little before the next wave of patrons arrived with their requests for the wonderful, caffeinated confections the Tea Leaf was famed for serving. I was grateful for the work. I didn’t want to think too much about all that had happened the week before and the endless demands of our customers helped take my mind elsewhere.
Kelly and I worked pleasantly together for a couple of hours before Moira came in. After that, it was just me and the Faelorehn girl to keep each other company. I gave her a look as she hummed an unintelligible tune while refilling the coffee grinder, spilling at least a third of the coffee beans all over the counter, some of them clattering onto the floor and disappearing under the sink.
“Crud,” she muttered under her breath, retreating into the back room, presumably to fetch the broom.
She came back out, broom and dust bin in hand, and got to work sweeping up the mess, dropping everything into the trash bin before continuing her previous chore of preparing the coffee machines.
It was then that I realized she played her role in this world extraordinarily well. She was focused on her task, the look on her face one of mild concentration as she rolled up the bag to keep the extra beans fresh. She was very convincing as a garden variety college human working a typical job as a cafe barista. I had a sudden desire to know what the real Moira, sister of the Daramorr, was really like. And that got me back to thinking of my conversation with Devlin the night before, after the incident with the white wolf.
Devlin had thoroughly convinced me that Mikael was powerful and clever, but I was beginning to suspect that his sister wasn’t the burned-out light bulb she pretended to be. Devlin was dancing around the edge of discovering how to trap them both, and it was suddenly dawning upon me that perhaps we needed to play our own roles as well. So far, Devlin had been the hunter, trying to capture them in the shadows while I stood back and watched like some shell-shocked tourist on a safari. But maybe this whole time he, and I, should have been going about this from an entirely opposite direction. Perhaps we should have been taking the stage with them.
The beginnings of a plan trickled into my mind and took over my thoughts as I steamed a tankard of milk for a cappuccino. Before I could let the idea slip away, I acted.
“Did you and your brother do anything for Thanksgiving?” I asked Moira nonchalantly.
She blinked up at me, pausing in her attempt to sweep up some more spilled coffee grounds.
“No,” she answered tentatively. “We don’t really celebrate that holiday where we come from.”
I nodded and turned the steamer off before I burned myself. Oh, I’m sure you don’t . . .
“Oh, I was just wondering,” I said aloud, “since I hadn’t seen Mikael around in a while.”
I shrugged, hoping I was coming off as unobtrusive.
Moira took notice of my unspoken interest, her eyes growing shrewd as a small smile graced her face. “You know, Mikael asks about you from time to time. Especially after that beach bonfire. Did something happen between the two of you?”
Not believing my luck, I fought the temptation to beam like a prospector uncovering a cavern of gold and instead sighed, mumbling, “Yeah. He kissed me.”
Moira dropped her stained dish towel and gaped at me. “Seriously? What did you do?”
“Well, I panicked and gave him the impression I wasn’t interested. Kind of regretting that now.” I shrugged and forced my heart rate to slow. I wasn’t home free quite yet.
“Oh my goodness! You should have said something before now!”
Moira’s reaction would have done any soap opera actress proud, and if I hadn’t known any better, I would have thought the idea of me having a thing for her brother was the best news she’d heard all week. Good. That’s what I wanted her to think. I needed her to believe that I was falling for her and Mikael’s tricks.
I looked up from my current chore with doleful eyes. “Do you think he’s still interested?”
Moira’s laugh was pure mirth. “Oh, I’m certain he is!”
“Can I get his number from you then?” I braved.
My co-worker adopted a pensive look and shook her head. For a split-second, I felt my stomach drop. Oh no, after going through that pathetic display of sappy interest, she was going to make me feel even more foolish.
“He flew out of the San Luis airport this morning for business. He’ll be out of the country until after Christmas.”
Ahhh, so Devlin had been right. Out of the country, I sniffed to myself. Out of this world more like. Trying not to seem too desperate, I said in a subdued voice, “Oh, okay. Never mind then.”
“Now hang on a minute,” Moira piped, holding up a well-manicured hand. “I know he’s going to be gone for a while, but he plans on throwing a big New Year’s Eve party at Noctaine when he gets back, and I bet he’d love for you to be his date for the night.”
My eyes grew wide at that. Noctaine. Of course. Where else would Mikael hang out but the club known for its macabre and Gothic atmosphere? And for its reputation as being the favorite hangout of the Noctyrnum. Long ago, one of my fellow Earth Bound friends had mentioned a rumor they’d heard about Noctaine originally being the headquarters of the Noctyrnum before it grew into a popular club. I had totally forgotten about it. And there is the connection between that ruthless gang and the Daramorr we’ve been looking for, I griped to myself, wondering how I could forget such a useful piece of information. It was a bit too late to inform Devlin now, yet if I could secure a date with Mikael in the very lair of the Noctyrnum then we might finally be able to bust this whole thing wide open.
Pushing my racing thoughts away for later, I plastered a cheesy smile onto my face and turned to Moira. “Do you really think so?”
Moira’s eyes glittered as she placed a hand on my shoulder. I fought against the desire to shrug away.
“Yes, I really do.”
The rest of our evening was spent in a shared silence, the bounce in Moira’s step evidence of her delight at my interest in her brother. On the outside it brought to mind a sister happy for her sibling and friend, yet it seemed likely she was celebrating for her own more selfish reasons. All this time I had denied Devlin’s claim that I was of interest to the Daramorr but Moira’s behavior was just another piece of evidence pointing in that direction. Now I just had to keep it together long enough to follow through with my scheme. Yes, I would meet Mikael at Noctaine on New Year’s Eve, and then I’d use every feminine charm I possessed to seduce the key to his defeat from him. What a glorious plan it was!
One of the streetlights in the alleyway had burned out during my shift, so the shadows cast by the building were deeper when I left the cafe a few hours later. Again, memories from Halloween night nipped at the corners of my mind and I had to fight my fear just to retrieve my bike. On the ride home, I imagined the shadows leaping to life and chasing after me but I made it to my apartment unscathed despite my rattled nerves. All of this recent talk of the Daramorr recharging in the Otherworld and Moira’s eagerness at my renewed interest in her brother had me acting more jumpy than usual. Perhaps it was a bad idea, agreeing to go out with Mikael, but if that’s what it took to get him to come out of hiding, then that’s what I was willing to do.
Before, I might have said it was all because I was tired of waking up wondering if I’d get attacked by some Otherworldly monster that day, or that I was sick of seeing Evan looking like a zombie. Now I suspected that I was taking this risk for an entirely different reason. When this was all over and the Daramorr was taken care of, Devlin would return to the Otherworld and I would probably never see him again. I wanted to help Devlin, not because it would bring some semblance of normalcy back to my own life, but because it might bring some joy to his. And that harsh realization stung in a place I thought had long since learned to steel itself against such things.
Apparently, I wasn’t entirely immune to love after all. My parents’ final disownment of me was proof enough. But not just that, Robyn Dunbarre, a voice whispered through my mind as I pressed against the inside of my door, taking slow, steadying breaths. I leaned my head back against the wood with a dull clunk. My conscience was right, as usual. My heart wasn’t an impenetrable fortress, and the fact that I was willing to risk it to help Devlin, even though helping him meant waving goodbye to his retreating form when all was said and done, was all the evidence I needed.
The days passed and I saw neither Devlin nor Mikael, although that didn’t come as a surprise. Final exams for the fall semester grew ever closer, and I spent a lot of my free time with Evan, studying in the library or at the Green Tea Leaf after our classes. He looked a little less pale of late and more like himself, which had me much more relieved than I’d like to admit. With the prospect of a date with Mikael lurking in the recesses of my mind, I had enough worries to gnaw at me. It was nice to have something positive to serve as a distraction.
A week before Christmas, Margie treated her entire staff to dinner at one of the fancier restaurants in San Luis. For the occasion, Kelly and I browsed the department stores for something nice to wear. I ended up picking out a black dress that was just a tad on the revealing side and a sweater to match. The dress fit comfortably, and the sweater was warm and soft. The shoes I decided on, however, were anything but. Being under five-and-a-half feet tall, I had no choice but to get the black pumps with four-inch heels. They pinched and I knew I’d be regretting them by the end of the night, but they went so well with the dress.
Fortunately, the restaurant Margie picked was within walking distance from my apartment, so I didn’t need to drive. By the time I reached my destination, however, I could already feel the blisters forming. Jonathon saw me first, eyeing me up and down with a bemused look on his face.
“Wow. You look nice,” he said.
I gritted my teeth against the pain in my feet and took in the slacks and dress shirt that covered his lanky frame. Ugh, guys had it so easy when it came to dressing up.
“Thanks,” I managed, “so do you.”
He glanced down at my feet. “No wonder you look so tall. Don’t those hurt?”
I wanted to claw his eyes out. Instead I smiled. “I would take them off if I could, but I’m afraid the muscles in my feet have seized up and I’d be walking on my toes all night.”
That must have answered his question because Jonathon lifted his eyebrows, then turned to talk to Kelly.
“Hey guys! I hope I’m not late!”
Moira came hurrying around the corner. Forgetting my feet for the moment, I glanced up and nearly fell over when I saw her. She was dressed from shoulder to mid-thigh in a glittery red cocktail dress with shoes and purse to match. Her long dark hair was curled and styled to flow away from her face and down her back. Every single male patron standing outside the restaurant stopped what he was doing to watch her.
Although I knew she was Faelorehn and really had no control over the way men noticed her, I couldn’t help the pang of slight jealousy that shot through me. I glanced down at my own dress that flattered what curves I had and the shoes that gave me the luxury of feeling tall at the sacrifice of my feet. Not anymore. Not with Moira towering over everyone in her own heels. And her hair and that bright red lipstick she wore? I had taken extra time with my own hair and makeup, not applying my eyeliner and mascara as heavily as I normally did. Usually I felt invincible on these outings, but tonight I felt like a drab crow next to my co-worker’s brilliant cardinal ensemble.
“Does she think we’re going to the Academy Awards or something?” Kelly asked out of the side of her mouth. Her curly auburn hair was pulled up on the top of her head, several tendrils spilling down her neck, and her dress had hints of gold and green running through it.
I turned toward her and snorted. “Going by all the drama that erupted as soon as she showed up, I’d say that’s a rather fair conclusion.”
Moira had finally reached us and was chatting happily with Jonathon, who seemed both overwhelmed and excited that the belle of the ball had chosen him as her conversation partner. Jon was playing the part of the listening receptacle on the other end of a one-sided conversation. From what I could gather, however, he didn’t look too upset by this fact.
Moira turned her head and spotted me, her eyes growing wide with delight.
“Oh, Robyn! I talked to Mikael last night,” she crooned, her joyful look turning mischievous. “He says he can’t wait until New Year’s.”
I gave her a watery smile, and Kelly arched a curious eyebrow in my direction.
Before my friend could inundate me with questions about our co-worker’s brother, Margie stepped out of the restaurant and caught sight of us. She waved a bangle-encrusted hand, and we started heading in.
Kelly linked her arm with mine and yanked me forward. My feet screamed in protest, but I managed not to stumble and pull her down with me. That would have been awesome in the worst sense of the word.
“Let’s go,” she hissed into my ear, “and I insist on knowing what Moira’s talking about with regard to her brother and New Year’s.”
Releasing a mental groan, I complied and began to whisper the whole story to Kelly as we found our seats. After all, if I wanted to play this out properly I had to be the character Moira expected me to be: the awkward mortal girl, oblivious to her and her brother’s origins but very much ensorcelled by their charms. So far, I was hoping I had pulled it off.
Kelly was thrilled to hear I would be spending New Year’s Eve with Moira’s handsome brother, and I, the ever semi-simpering college girl, agreed.
“What about that other guy that was hanging around for a while? The seven-foot-tall blond that resembled a Norse god?”
I froze in the middle of buttering a dinner roll and arched an eyebrow at her. Out of the corner of my eye, I could just make out Moira’s head tilted almost imperceptibly in my direction. I almost informed Kelly that he was busy and I hadn’t seen him in a while, which was true, but some instinct told me to take a slightly different path.
Clearing my throat, I set the knife and bread down. “Well, things really didn’t work out with him. Turns out we are not at all compatible.”
“That’s too bad,” Kelly murmured, sounding genuinely disappointed. “You two seemed to have some good chemistry going on.”
I shrugged, trying not to look too pleased at her comment, and picked up the recently buttered roll on my plate. “Haven’t seen him in weeks and I have no idea where he is. Might have gone back home for all I know.”
Kelly sipped her iced tea. “And where’s that?”
Again I shrugged. “I don’t know. Somewhere back east or something. He told me once, but I can’t remember.”
After that, the conversation moved in a different direction. As I ate, I made a note to check on Moira every now and then, wondering if she believed the story I had fed to Kelly. There was no doubt in my mind she had been eavesdropping. I only hoped that my nonchalant attitude toward Devlin gave her the impression that he truly wasn’t around anymore and that I no longer had my Otherworldly guard. If not, then I was going to all this ridiculous trouble for nothing.
Jonathon didn’t offer to walk me home after dinner like he normally did. He was far too enamored with Moira. Not wanting to ruin his evening by bringing it up, I slipped away as fast as my limping feet could carry me. Kelly ran me down, asking if I’d like to split a cab with her.
“No thanks. My apartment’s really not that far. I can manage.”
“Robyn, the way you’re walking, you look like some well-dressed, drunken zombie. It can’t be good for your feet.”
Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to stand upright. Splitting a cab fare wasn’t a bad idea. There was just that whole stubborn thing I had going on that made things difficult.
“Really, Kelly. I’ll be home by the time the cab gets here.”
“All right, but if you can’t walk tomorrow, don’t blame me.”
Waving my friend’s concerns off, I turned and walked down the street. Okay, it was more of a slow limp than anything else, but I was making progress. By the time I reached Mission High School, a full four blocks from the restaurant, I was convinced the skin on both heels had been ripped away and my shoes were slowly filling with blood.
Just a few more blocks Robyn, just a few more blocks, I chanted to myself as I pulled my sweater close. The night was cold, and it had rained earlier in the morning, so the dark puddles on the road and sidewalks shone like patches of ice under the street lamps and occasional strand of Christmas lights winking from the eaves of the houses I passed.
I was just coming to the corner of the next street when the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Instantly I stopped my hobbling, the burning sense of fear freezing me in place. Nothing stirred on the quiet street, no rustling in the bushes, no shadows moving in the distance. And then a cold voice whispered next to my ear, “Now I’ll have you, Robyn Dunbarre.”
Letting loose a scream, I swung my purse around, the small bag making contact with something solid. A grunt, followed by a growl met my ears and I bolted forward. Too bad I had forgotten all about my shoes and my raw feet. My heel wedged in a sidewalk crack and jerked me to a stop, sending me tumbling to the ground. A nasty crunching pop, followed by a sharp sting, blossomed in my ankle, and my knee burned with pain as it made contact with the abrasive concrete.
Oh crap. I was totally screwed. Strong, gloved hands grasped at my good ankle, but I kicked out, the narrow point of my other heel digging into fabric and then skin. My attacker cursed in anger and drew back. I took that moment of reprieve to glance up. Whoever was intent on capturing me wore a dark cloak with the hood pulled over his head. I was convinced it was Mikael, hiding his identity under the dark cloak, or one of the Noctyrnum working for him, though they usually wore hooded sweatshirts, not capes. And I hadn’t seen them lurking around my apartment since the night I met Devlin. What I couldn’t figure out was why he was attacking me now when I had a date set up with Mikael. My blood grew even colder when a thought dawned upon me: What if Moira knew about my plot to play along with their act? What if she and Mikael had arranged this; had planned to attack me when they discovered Devlin wasn’t around?
The conversation with Kelly at dinner came roaring back into my mind. I had said, plain as day, that Devlin was gone for good, right in front of Moira, thinking that such information would help my plan. Now I was regretting that decision.
The man took an unsteady step forward and clutched at his side, dragging my attention back to the present. Good. Maybe my kick had injured him. The moment of triumph passed, however, when he pulled a dagger free of a sheath attached to his belt. Oh, no. Was I going to die tonight?
Trying to fight my fear, I crawled backward, the puddles leaving my dress and sweater damp. Reaching down, I pulled off my remaining shoe, holding it up with the heel facing outward like a weapon. Sure, it wasn’t a knife, but I wasn’t about to give in without a fight. With my other hand I dug around in my purse, searching for the pepper spray. Come on, come on . . . where was it?!
The cloaked figure moved closer, muttering something under his breath. Words I didn’t recognize filled the air. There was something familiar about that voice, something that didn’t remind me of Mikael’s smooth charm. Whimpering in pain and fear, I tried to stand up, but my hands and feet were too numb to be of any use. I turned anyway, ready to push myself up and run on my injured ankle if need be. Bad idea. Searing pain shot through my scalp as the cloaked man grabbed my hair. Gritting my teeth, I reached up and tried to grasp his forearm. That’s when the numb feeling in my hands burst into a thousand, hot pinpricks. The sensation was strange, but not unpleasant, and when my attacker bellowed in agony and let me go, I bolted, as fast as my sprained ankle would carry me.
I flung myself around the corner and the short length of my street stretched ahead. Too bad my house was at the end of it. The sound of footfalls close behind pressed me on, though my head was growing light from the pain. Just a little farther.
A familiar shape pulled away from the shadows far ahead, and I almost cried out in relief.
“Devlin!” I screamed just as my pursuer threw something that forced me into a stumble.
I cried out again and crashed onto my neighbor’s lawn. As the rain from earlier that day soaked through my already soggy dress, the dark figure moved to stand over me, his dagger ready. Whatever he’d used to trip me, a whip or a rope, remained tangled around my ankles, the other end of it gripped tightly in his hand.
Dark spots were dancing in front of my eyes, and nausea threatened to ruin an already horrid night. Before I had a chance to black out, my attacker moved out of the shadow cast by the closest house. My heart dropped from its lofty perch in my throat and slammed into the pit of my stomach. His hood had come loose in the struggle, and now his face was clearly visible in the sickly glow of the streetlights.
“No,” I rasped, my eyes welling with tears.
Evan Miller, my awkward friend who I had thought I’d saved from the dangers of the Noctyrnum and the Daramorr, gave me one hard, ravenous look before turning and bolting back up the street, disappearing into the shadows just as Devlin’s heavy footfalls sounded right behind me. I gave up my struggle to remain with the conscious world, the blackness taking me as the sound of Devlin’s curses filled the air.
I woke up on a boat. Or at least I thought I was on a boat, going by the swaying, weightless feeling that surrounded me.
“I’ve got you, Robyn,” a familiar voice whispered just beside my ear.
Something soft and warm brushed my temple, and I made a great effort to remember what had happened. My eyes fluttered open, and I hissed as the harsh light of an orange street lamp pierced my brain. Ow. Everything hurt.
Suddenly, the movement stopped. “Robyn, I need to set you down, but I’m going to hold onto you. Do you have your key?”
Huh? Who was going to set me down and why did he have to hold on to me? What key? I tried that whole opening my eyes thing again, and this time the light didn’t hurt as much. The headache was still there, however, and it was so intense I could feel it in my molars. I must have gone to a party and had way too much to drink.
I sucked in a deep breath and detected the scent of a wild forest. I knew that smell.
“Devlin?” I whispered. “What’s going on?”
As my mind grew less fuzzy, I came to realize the reason I felt like I was floating was because Devlin had been carrying me, his strong arms more than capable of supporting my weight. I turned my head and found my face pressed up against his shoulder. The heat of his skin burned through his thin shirt, that smell of trees and rain and wilderness once again flooding my nose, and I nearly blacked out again. Whoa. Sensory overload.
Devlin shifted, and my legs were lowered to the ground, cutting short my little fantasy. Instead I came fully awake when my bare feet touched the concrete and pain exploded in my ankle. I cried out and clung to Devlin.
“Steady,” he said calmly, taking more of my weight. My ankle throbbed, but at least there was no longer any pressure on it.
“Your key?” Devlin asked again.
I swallowed back a wave of queasiness and fished through my purse, the same purse I had used to fight off. Oh, god. As the memory of the attack flashed into my mind, that uncomfortable acidic feeling rose up again. Had it really been Evan? Had it always been Evan? Even when he had seemed to be back to normal right before winter break, when we quizzed each other for our finals? I found my keys and handed them to Devlin, sniffling as the ache of betrayal rushed through me. After being there for him through all his ups and downs, how could Evan do this to me?
A click followed by the soft swoosh of a door opening drew my attention.
“Come on, let’s get you inside,” Devlin said.
I’d been so overwhelmed with the attack and Evan’s betrayal that I was just really beginning to notice Devlin’s presence.
“You’re back,” I stated blankly, blinking up at him as if seeing him for the first time that night. Wow. I must have hit my head on the concrete earlier.
Before I could so much as ask him about his time spent in the Otherworld, he reached down and swept me up into his arms again. I squeaked in surprise, then tried to tell him he didn’t have to carry me anywhere. He growled something unintelligible and kept walking. It didn’t take long for him to reach my bed, where he gently set me down before turning to shut the door. Only when he faced me once again did I notice how tense he was. His blue eyes spit fire, and his jaw was locked so tight I was waiting for the sound of his teeth cracking to fill the silence between us.
“Are you okay?” I mumbled, rubbing at the side of my head where the invisible railroad spike was lodged.
Devlin’s hands shot up and he raked his fingers through his hair. “You were nearly killed just now, and you’re asking if I’m okay?”
I couldn’t help it, I laughed. Maybe it was because I was in desperate need of a light atmosphere, or maybe my mental health was finally taking a dive or perhaps that railroad spike had given me brain damage.
“Sorry,” I breathed, “I think I might be delirious. But I really am concerned. You look like you’re about to implode or something.”
Devlin didn’t answer. He only turned and strode into the kitchen. “We need to get your feet cleaned up, and something needs to be done about that ankle.”
His tone was cold and strained. I bit my bottom lip. Great. Not only had I just found out that my classmate had finally, and fully, succumbed to Mikael’s influence, but Devlin was mad at me too. Taking a deep breath, I fell back onto the bed, throwing my arm across my forehead. I really needed a timeout from my current life.
The sound of water running from the kitchen faucet helped distract me for a few moments, and when Devlin returned to the living room, he carried a large plastic container full of steaming water. I glanced at him from under my arm.
“Hey, that was my potato bin,” I grumbled.
“Well right now it’s being used as a bath for your feet. Sit up.”
Not wanting to anger him any further, I obeyed, pulling on the skirt of my dress so it covered the tops of my legs.
Devlin reached out and took one of my feet and drew it toward him. Despite his obvious irritation, his touch was gentle. I scooched forward and let my foot descend into the hot water. At first, the shock caused me to hiss in discomfort, but eventually the heat began to soothe away the hurt of the cuts and blisters. Devlin took my other foot, the one with the injured ankle, and did the same, only this time his hand lingered on the back of my leg, his thumb running softly over the curve of my calf. Warmth blossomed in the pit of my stomach and spread throughout my body. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, opening them again just enough to study Devlin’s face. He knelt in front of me, carefully cleaning the grime off one foot as his hand remained in place behind my sprained ankle. He was concentrating on his task as if the fate of the world rested on the outcome.
As I watched him, it slowly dawned upon me that he wasn’t angry. Those tense lines around his mouth, the slightly haunted look in his eye. No, he wasn’t mad at me. He was frightened. That seemed silly, considering he was a trained warrior from the Otherworld. Then again, he was hunting for a man intent on gathering the Morrigan’s foul magic, he had been for quite some time, and the frustration of having the Daramorr just out of reach had certainly been wearing away at him for the past few months.
Then another thought came to mind as his thumb continued to caress my skin. Devlin was afraid for my sake, and I was beginning to wonder, or hope, that this fear was something that went deeper than your garden variety concern for a friend. Suddenly, it became hard to breathe. As Devlin continued to attend to one foot, and then the other, all sorts of splendid, glorious and terrifying thoughts were running through my mind. Eventually he stood up and removed the now tepid water.
“Dry your feet. I’ll get some ice for your ankle.”
I complied without a word, my mind still on fire from my earlier observation.
Devlin came back with a small towel wrapped around a pile of ice. He dragged my desk chair over to the bed and instructed me to prop my foot up onto a pillow before arranging the ice around my ankle.
“I don’t think it’s broken. I doubt it’s even a bad sprain, what with the way you were able to get up and keep moving. But you might want to keep your weight off it for a while.”
Again, that bland tone of voice, this time with a dark shadow haunting his expression. He still wouldn’t look at me, and he seemed overly distracted by my swollen ankle.
Feeling brave, or maybe just reckless due to the effects of my earlier adrenaline rush, I cleared my throat and said, “Devlin. Look at me.”
Slowly, his eyes left my ankle and met mine. I sucked in a breath. Holy crap. Talk about a gaze that could melt through steel walls. The fire was still there, barely contained under the surface of his mask of control. The intensity surrounding him was nothing compared to his compassion a few weeks ago when he comforted me about the letter from my parents. That had been an extension of his friendship. This passion rolling off of him was an entirely different animal.
I swallowed hard, “I’m, I’m sorry about tonight. Kelly offered to share a cab with me, but in my glorious stubbornness I insisted on walking.”
If anything, his eyes grew brighter. My own gaze dropped to my hands as I smoothed out my skirt again. Pull yourself together Robyn. You’re never this flustered! But too much had happened in the past months, and the tough, hard-as-nails exterior I had built up and preserved so conscientiously over all these years was crumbling apart. Turned out I was human just like everyone else.
“This is my fault. You warned me to be careful at night, but I just wanted to pretend that that spirit guide wolf was a fluke. I mean, it was the first Otherworldly thing to invade my yard in weeks.”
I took another breath, then opened my mouth to continue my pointless, nonsensical tirade. Before I could so much as blink, Devlin moved. Warm, strong hands slid past my cheeks and his fingers wound their way into my hair. My eyes flew wide open, and I gasped as his mouth met mine. And that’s right about when I decided to throw all thoughts out the door and follow Devlin’s lead. My hands found their way behind his neck and I pulled him in closer. The kiss was fierce and demanding, and I let all the desire that had been building up fly free, sharing with Devlin what I was afraid to admit aloud.
Devlin pulled back a fraction, the fire having burned out but the coals still smoldering as he leaned me back on the bed. I went down with him. Who was I to argue? Both of us were breathing hard and I could feel my heart pounding against my ribs. Devlin’s hands left my hair and trailed down my torso, coming to a stop at my waist. He nipped at my lower lip, his teeth grazing my skin. Chills shot up my spine, and I arched against him, wanting more. Unfortunately, the activities from earlier that evening reminded me that I wasn’t quite up to this type of activity yet. My foot slipped off the chair and swung against the bed frame, scattering half-melted ice all over the floor. I cried out in pain, forcing Devlin to pull away.
I gritted my teeth as he released a frustrated huff, pressing his forehead against my shoulder.
“I hurt you,” he said, his voice deep and rough. And that tone only made my desire burn brighter.
Devlin reached a hand up behind my head and pulled me in close to plant a kiss on my forehead, this one far tamer than the others. I cursed my stupid ankle as he pushed against the mattress, rising to his feet and leaving me lying in the echo of his warmth.
He bent down and picked up a jacket I hadn’t seen him wearing and headed for the door. Wait, he was going? After kissing me senseless and leaving me on the verge of bursting out of my own skin?
“Where are you going?” I asked, cringing when my tone came off as a little too desperate for my liking. Way to be cool, Robyn.
Devlin had his hand on the doorknob, his head bowed and his back to me. “You need rest and I need to focus on my job.”
Ah. That’s right. I was the mortal distracting him from his reason for being here. Totally my fault that he had started this whole thing by kissing me.
He must have realized the harshness of his words because his body lost a little of its tension and he turned to glance at me. “The less time I spend hunting them, the more chances they have to hurt you. Tonight’s incident being a prime example. I’ve already wasted far too much time, and whatever glamour might have been left behind may be fading.”
Devlin took his hand from the doorknob and rubbed the back of his neck, a sign of his frustration.
Disbelief mixed with a pinch of anger slapped the silliness right out of me.
“We were supposed to be working together, remember?” I snapped. “I agreed to this. I agreed to help you in any way I could to capture the Daramorr. And now you’re telling me that my involvement in all of this has been nothing but a waste of time?”
Harsh blue eyes met mine. “No end goal is worth your life, Robyn, not even capturing and doing away with the Daramorr.”
He sighed heavily, a release of breath that carried the weight of the world with it.
“I beg your forgiveness for my behavior tonight, but it is best if I remember my reason for being here.”
Without a backward glance, he pulled my door open and slipped out into the night. With my temper flaring and my emotions roiling, I picked up a pillow and threw it against my door. I was convinced Devlin planned on hunting Evan down tonight for his role in all of this. A part of me ached to contact my socially awkward classmate and warn him. A smaller part of me fought against that urge. Evan had tried to kill me, after all. Why was I worried about what might happen to him?
Because you know that it really isn’t his fault, my conscience informed me.
Yes, I was certain Mikael and Moira had somehow brainwashed him. There had been no awareness in his eyes when I recognized him earlier this evening. Perhaps one, or both, of them were using their glamour or the Morrigan’s dark magic to do so. But I had other things on my mind as well, Devlin’s sudden, intense affection being the most prominent.
Trying not to let the memory of his kiss fog my brain, I leaned back on the bed and thought about my plan involving Moira’s brother. A plan I had neglected to tell Devlin. I gave a mental snort. Well, I had been a little distracted earlier, and I wasn’t about to tell him now, after what he’d said tonight. Besides, it was very possible that my plan was now ruined, what with Evan’s recent assault. Or maybe Mikael would have to meet with me after all because Evan had failed, that is if my unique mortal magic was still worth all the trouble. I had to assume that it was. The only question that remained was whether or not I still wanted to go through with all this. And no longer was it just for Devlin, but for myself as well. Yes. I would continue down this crazy path in order to help my friend and to free myself of all this madness.
Robyn, you must cast away all of your fears, I told myself, and put aside your anger at Devlin’s last words to you. There is a sinister Daramorr to catch, and his evil sister. Time to run them to ground.
I glanced down at my ankle and frowned. Well, at least as soon as you can walk again.