Chapter Nine

I opened my eyes, and Finn’s face came into focus. His large hand rested beneath my shirt just below my breasts. I tried to scramble away, but each movement was agony.

“Stay still,” Finn said in a dark voice. “I’m trying to assess your injuries.”

I wheezed, and my body shuddered for breath as I coughed up blood. My throat tightened, and I choked. Eyes widening, I grasped onto Finn’s hand in terror as all the air escaped my body.

“Elizabeth, look at me. You have a punctured lung. You need to relax.”

A warm, tingling sensation flooded my chest. With a great sobbing heave, sweet, beautiful oxygen filled my lungs. He framed my face with his other hand, his rough fingers tracing over the collapsed flesh against my shattered cheek.

The pain subsided, and the throbbing in my head faded. Opening my eyes, I startled to find Finn’s face drawn close to mine. I studied the soft, ice-blue flecks in his irises as he scanned my head for more cuts and bruises. His mouth relaxed, and even though I could no longer feel the pain in my ribs, his hand lingered beneath my shirt. I felt like a cornered deer, blood pounding in my ears as his chest hovered just inches over mine. In spite of the warmth of the bed, I shivered.

“Are you cold?” he asked softly.

“No.” I licked my lips, parched from thirst.

It was a slight, almost imperceptible movement, but I felt his thumb caress the soft skin of my breast, like the flutter of a butterfly wing.

“Is that better?” He ran his finger through a wayward spiral of hair falling across my forehead, playing with it, letting it spring back against my cheek. A small smile danced on his lips.

“Yes,” I breathed.

I closed my eyes and turned away, heat rising in my face, realizing I no doubt had vomit in my hair, and my jeans were soaked with piss. Lovely.

I raised myself up and pushed him away, my head swimming. “I…I need to clean up.”

“Let me help you—”

“No, I’m fine!ˮ Lifting myself off the bed, I immediately tumbled to the hard floor, my hamstrings screaming at me.

Finn crouched down and trailed his fingers down my leg, taking note of my shredded jeans, the blood tracking into my boots.

“Aoife must have gotten to you, then,” he said, his hands glowing over the back of my knees.

I flinched, wincing. I was ticklish there. Finn must have noted it because he glanced over me with a smirk.

“Why…” I could barely choke out the words. “Why did you leave me? With them?”

Finn looked at me, his eyes pained. “I went searching for Amergin. I was trying to free you!”

I nodded, glancing back at my shredded jeans, the blood crusting on my knee. “So is this just another part of the interrogation?” I narrowed my eyes at Finn. “Are you playing good cop with me?”

Finn’s mouth turned in a resentful frown. “Is that what you think? ˮ

I sighed. “I don’t know what to think. I mean, all you want is information, right?”

“And do you have information, Elizabeth?” Finn’s eyes flashed in the darkness.

I bit my lip, the searing pressure of tears welling up behind my eyes. Finn might think I was a brainless American, but I couldn’t have him believe I was a murderer. I grabbed his hands, and he looked up at me, eyes widening.

“Finn,” I said, swallowing hard. “Carolan, Grainne, Máirtín…” I choked, staring down at the floor, trying to swallow the sob rising in my throat. “I never—”

“No.” Finn’s fists clenched beneath my fingers. “This is my fault. I promised to protect you. I should never have left Chicago. If I had stayed with you…” He shook his head.

“Then…then you don’t think I’m a spy?”

“You’re not clever enough to be a spy.”

“Hey!” I punched him in the arm, a little hurt at the insult. He flashed me a teasing smile, but I could see the depths of grief in his eyes.

“It was Thornton,” I said. “He tricked me, Finn. I was so stupid. I should have known—”

He placed his fingers to my lips. “That’s enough now. I’ll draw you a bath, and we’ll talk about it once you’ve cleaned up. All right?”

“But what about Amergin?”

“Amergin can go to hell.”

Finn stood up and walked to the bathroom adjacent to the bedroom, stooping slightly through the small door. The rushing sound of water erupted through the silence, and I stared down at my stained clothes, curling my legs closer to my chest. What a disaster. Finn came back into the room.

“You know, I didn’t pee myself because I was scared or anything,” I blurted out.

Finn laughed. “Sure you didn’t.”

“I’m serious.”

He walked over to me and lifted me up from the floor, leading me into the bathroom like a small child. The air inside felt thick and humid, the small mirror in front of the porcelain basin foggy, reflecting back our figures in a blur. The only light burned from a single candle.

“Do you need help getting undressed?”

Heat rose in my cheeks, and my mouth gaped open. “Um…no…no, I think I can…”

Finn squeezed my arm. “Take it slow. I’ll be right outside if you need me. Just call.”

He closed the door, and I slowly stripped off my soiled clothing, throwing it into a heap in the corner. I stood up gingerly, my legs still aching, my body raw from the interrogation.

The bathtub was a huge, claw-footed monstrosity that could have fit the basketball team from St. Brendan’s. I sank my weary bones beneath the foamy surface, letting the hot water seep into my skin, relaxing my tense muscles. Closing my eyes, I rested my head against the stone wall.

I should probably get out now.

But it was just a fleeting thought. The water was so warm, and I was so tired.

“Elizabeth.”

My eyelids fluttered, and I felt the gentle lap of water on my chest as I tried to return to a state of wakefulness. The bath had turned cold.

I must have fallen asleep. I leaned my head back against the stone, not caring either way.

A gentle hand shook me. “Time to wake up now. You’ll catch a cold in there.”

I opened my eyes, and Finn stood over me, his features soft in the dim candlelight. He plunged his arm into the tepid water and lifted me up, encircling my dripping body in a fluffy white towel.

“…Don’t…” I mumbled against his chest, trying to protest, but my eyelids slid closed. Finn guided me over to the bed and finished patting down my body. Soft flannel fell around my shoulders, and my head sank into a feather pillow. He tucked a blanket beneath my chin and settled beside me, his long legs falling over the edge. I nestled deeper into the mattress, the sound of his breathing lulling me back to sleep.

“You know,” I whispered against my pillow, “you’re a pretty nice guy when you’re not being a jerk.”

Finn turned his body toward mine. He smoothed a strand of damp hair away from my face. “Shhh…don’t tell anyone.”

“Thank you,” I said, “for believing me.”

“Of course I believe you, Elizabeth.”

“What happens now?”

Finn leaned over me, his hand caging me in against his hard chest, and I thought for a moment he was going to kiss me. But he only blew out the candle on my bedside table, throwing the room into pitch darkness.

“Now, you sleep.”

And I did.

The smell of coffee roused me, and I breathed in the heavenly scent of the fine roast before opening my eyes. Finn stood over me, showered and fresh, the warrior transformed by an immaculate white button-down shirt and neatly pressed trousers. He set a mug down on the bedside table with a plate piled high with pastries.

Raindrops tapped on the window and for a moment, the scene struck me as strangely domestic, as if this were just a typical rainy Sunday morning, a good day to stay in bed and do a crossword. But then memories of the night before came flooding back, and my heart sank. People died. I was a prisoner here, and while Finn may have drawn me a bath, tucked me in, and brought me coffee, he still worked for the man who had me beaten to a pulp.

“Good morning,” I mumbled, pressing the coffee mug to my lips.

“More like, good afternoon,” Finn said, sitting on the bed. I drew my legs to my chest to make room for him as he settled onto the mattress.

“You should have woken me up.”

Finn smiled. “I wouldn’t have dared. You looked so peaceful.”

My skin warmed thinking of Finn lying beside me, watching me sleep. In spite of the flannel nightgown covering my body, I felt very naked beneath his piercing gaze.

“I’m sorry about what happened last night.” Finn swallowed hard. “I didn’t know that’s what they had planned.”

“Nice friends of yours,” I said. “Do they greet all their guests this way?”

“Only the Americans.”

I smirked. “I thought the Irish were known for their hospitality.”

“Don’t believe in the stereotypes, Elizabeth Tanner.”

“Don’t lecture me about stereotypes, Finn. So far, I’ve been bitten by a giant snake, attacked by goblins, and oh…what’s the last one? Traveled through standing stones? I’m ready for answers. You owe me an explanation.”

“I don’t owe you anything.”

I sat up in bed, my jaw dropped open. “I gave you Arranmore!”

“You gave me half of Arranmore,” he countered.

“That’s all I had transcribed!”

Finn sighed. “Yes, Elizabeth, but things are not quite adding up with you, are they?”

“What? You don’t believe—!”

“No, I don’t think you’re working for Thornton, but…” Finn glanced up at me, his eyes wide, beseeching. “Carolan is dead. Grainne and Máirtín…” Finn’s voice broke and he looked down for a second, biting his lip to gain his composure. “They’re gone. I need to understand. What happened that night?”

I took another sip of coffee, cupping the warm mug in my hands. There was no sense in hiding it from him. “I don’t know how, but…Thornton tricked me, Finn. He came to me in a dream, disguised as my mother.” I spilled out all the details, stopping at the point where my mother and I paused at the door. “He said it would release her from a-a prison or something like that. Of course I opened it.” I glanced up at Finn, his face unreadable. “Wouldn’t you? If your mom came to you? I didn’t know…I couldn’t have known that…”

Images of Carolan falling under the fangs of the snake, Grainne, and Máirtín swallowed by gray men and horned dogs swam in my head. Tears welled up in my eyes, and this time I couldn’t stop them.

“I’m…I’m so sorry Finn. I didn’t mean to…” I covered my face, not wanting him to see me cry, but a sob escaped through my fingers.

I willed myself to shut down the waterworks, but the more I tried, the worse it became.

Finn took my coffee cup out of my hand and set it on the side table. He laced my fingers with his and crushed them against his chest.

“Elizabeth…Elizabeth, please look at me.”

I shook my head, my hair falling over my face in a great curly mass.

“Elizabeth. Look. At. Me.”

The demanding tone of his voice forced my eyes up, and his face was set in firm lines, his mouth grim.

“You did not kill Carolan or Grainne or Máirtín. This is not your fault, do you understand?”

“But if I had—”

“No.” Finn sighed, gripping my hands tighter. “Thornton is treacherous. He finds your weakness and preys on it. You had no way of knowing, and I…I shouldn’t have left you alone. I knew he was after you. I should have been there to keep you safe. I broke my promise to you, and I’m sorry.”

I swallowed my tears. “I never wanted to hurt anyone.”

Finn drew me into his arms. “I know you didn’t, lass” he said. “I know you didn’t.”

I cried hard into his chest, and his hands brushed my long hair away from my face. The tension in my shoulders relaxed, my breath releasing in long, hiccupping gasps.

He shushed me lightly in my ear and brushed his lips against my cheek. Then his lips were on mine, warm and soft. My eyes widened, but I kissed him back, leaning in to him. His tongue flickered in my mouth, and my heart pounded, the blood rushing in my ears. Finn moaned low at the back of his throat, and then abruptly pushed me away. I covered my face, breathing hard.

“I’m sorry, I—”

“We shouldn’t—” We spoke over each other.

Finn jumped off the bed as if I had burned him. “Right. Then.” He made his way to the door. “I’ll…um…tell Amergin what happened.”

I brushed my swollen lips with my fingers, sinking back into the pillows in shock.

Finn turned around, but avoided my eyes. “Um…it will be dinner soon. Amergin wants you there.”

I blinked. “Why, so he can beat me up again?”

Finn ignored me and walked over to a small door hiding a tiny closet. “There are clothes here for you. It’s formal attire for dinner at Trinity Galway, so you should put on a dress.”

I snapped to attention. “A dress? Oh, no. No way.” I folded my arms around my chest. “You can forget it! I’m not shaving my legs for that psycho!”

Finn’s face darkened, his mouth set in a hard line. His hand slashed through the air, pointing to the floor. “Do you want Amergin to send you back to your cell?”

“No.”

“Then do as I say and put on the damn dress,” he said and slammed the door.

O…kay?

I put my knees against my chest and stared at the wall. Perhaps it had just been our adrenaline, the intensity of the past few days taking its toll. It’s a logical reaction to extreme situations. A kiss is just a kiss, right? There was no reason to get worked up about it.

No reason at all.