She’s hearing what he’s saying but her fight or flight response was in high gear at the moment and she wasn’t sure which to go with. Blowing out a huge breath she looked at the two of them, still holding onto her pendant, Rowan prayed that God or someone high up was going to have her back on this.
“Yes. I see it.”
After admitting it, Rowan felt some of the tension that had built up in her body start to ebb. Rowan always prided herself in being a “what will be, will be” kind of chick. She fought for what she thought was right, worked hard to get what she wanted, told her opinions whether they were kind or not, and always thought that the Fates would guide her where she was meant to go. That’s why she never had a psychic reading of any kind. Every day was a gift and looking over your shoulder and constantly expecting something to happen meant you were going to miss the little moments of life. No way to live if you ask her. Life will happen however it’s meant to happen. Just live it.
Devlin blew out a breath himself, as if, he too, was nervous.
Adam grinned. His teeth looked like perfectly white pearls all straight and gorgeous and his lips curved into a smile that reached his blue eyes. Was he relieved too? Nothing was making sense to Rowan.
“We need you to come with us,” Adam stated, although it sounded more like a demand. Standing up, he waved a hand in the air and the whole world was noisy again.
The furnace roared, the air conditioning hummed annoyingly overhead, and Jeremy finished his sentence with, “I put on that Braveheart channel you like.”
“Uh, thanks Jer. Hey listen, can you manage things here for now? I’ve gotta run out for a bit and might not make it in later today.” Rowan, already being ushered out the door by the two men, left her purse, her mirror, and her fantasies behind.
Walking down Main Street sandwiched between two hot men might have been awesome yesterday at the faire but today Rowan was scared shitless and didn’t know what to think or do. Her brain was running madly and her body seemed to be sluggish. She was all out of sync again. The men kept glancing at each other, one smiling while the other looked brooding.
Rowan stopped dead in her tracks and yanked her arm free from the smiling Adam. “Stop. Just stop and tell me what the hell is happening.”
As if on cue, a shadow lurking under a parked car on the street hissed loudly in her ears. So loudly in fact, Rowan clapped her hands over her ears to ease the volume of it. Devlin’s head was bent low, as if trying to suffer through the noise tough-guy-style, although he couldn’t see what was making the sound. Adam let out a hiss of his own and bared fangs at the thing. It shrunk away within seconds and Adam grabbed Rowan by her elbow and walked faster.
“They grow bold. Come, my dear, we have much work and precious little time.”
Chapter 4
They walked up to a black Audi A8 parked at the corner of Main and Glyndon. Adam punched the key fob and the doors clicked as they automatically unlocked. He held the door for Rowan, ushering her into the back seat and then slammed the door shut. Stalking over to the driver side, he yanked the door open angrily and slid in. Devlin silently got in on the passenger side still looking annoyed by the incident on the street, and the drive was quiet all the way out to the Valley. Rowan didn’t know what to say to either of them, so she chose to keep her mouth shut and her thoughts churning. She had to trust her gut that these men would help her, not hurt her. Too late for running, she was buckled up in the back seat and driving off with them. Here’s hoping this wasn’t a huge mistake that’s going to cost Rowan her life.
Adam pulled into a long winding driveway and up to a manor house that took Ro’s breath away. The home was a buttery yellow, dating back to 1700s, and there were three stables filled with the prettiest horses Rowan had ever seen. One chestnut colored horse was prancing along the gate, as if it was happy to see the car pulling up. The garage door lifted and the car slid inside, engine purring like a happy cat.
Devlin opened the door for Rowan. Adam walked up the steps and into the house leaving the other two to follow in line behind him. Rowan stopped in her tracks when she got inside. The house was gorgeous. High cathedral ceilings, bare wood rafters that you could see were original to the house, hard wood floors throughout. It was open and airy, but cozy and comforting all at once. The men led her into the living room, neither of them talking, and Rowan sat down on a sofa that looked like it probably belonged in a castle for a queen to sit on while someone rubbed her feet. The house smelled like old wood, fresh air, spring rain, and man. It was wonderful. Adam plopped down on a leather wingback chair and Devlin stalked over to the enormous fireplace. Snapping his fingers, Devlin set waiting logs aflame and Rowan jumped in her seat.
“How did you do that?” If Rowan had any doubts before about what these men were, she doubted no longer. Magic was thick in the air. She could feel it, smell it and hear it. It made her feel like a dozen hummingbirds were fluttering in her body, her vision was brighter , making the plants along the windowsills almost glow with their own auras around them. She was a sensitive with certain types of magic and energy. But it had been a long time since she felt it like this. Rowan was both in and out of her element here, and it was comforting and bothersome. Out of sync was her constant way of life.
The fire cracked and snapped as the heat seeped into the chilly room. “I mean it, how did you do that?” Ro repeated. She didn’t like being ignored.
“’Tis Druid magic, my lady,” answered Devlin.
It was as simple as that. Druid magic. Why was she not at all shocked by his answer? She knows why, because Rowan is a believer. She looked around the room once more when something moving in the corner of the large open kitchen caught her eye. Leaning in for a better look she saw what looked to be a small child pulling something out of the lower oven and hoisting the hot pan onto the granite countertop. Rowan got up and walked quietly over to the small child but realized a little too late that it wasn’t a child at all. It was a woman, smaller than Rowan, and covered with short brown hair. Rowan stopped and stared at her. “Hello,” she offered a smile but the tiny woman grunted and flitted away into another room, leaving warm steaming bread cooling on the countertop.
What was that about? Rowan, a little embarrassed and frustrated, sat back down on the big couch. She wasn’t scoring big on the friend-o-meter today.
“Brownies do not like to be talked to, and that particular Brownie has never seen a human before now,” Adam walked over to a small table that held liquor and crystal glasses. “Whiskey, my dear?”
Rowan rolled his words over in her head. Devlin was a Druid. And the Brownie had never seen a human before now. Yup, we are definitely not in Kansas anymore. That whiskey sounded like a good idea right about now. Rowan took the offered glass and drank the stuff in one big gulp. Fire burned down her throat, scorching her belly and melting into her toes. She tried to hide a slight shiver that ran through her as the aftershocks of the strong stuff usually gave Rowan.
Adam smiled as he took a sip from his own glass. “Another?” Not waiting for her reply, he poured more liquid fire into her glass.
A Brownie, that’s what Adam called the tiny woman. Well, Ro never saw a brownie the likes of her before. Rowan was used to the kind of brownie that was yummy, chocolaty and tasted like another. As if her stomach had the same train of thought, it let out a growl that all but echoed up to the rafters. Well, if she wasn’t embarrassed before, that sure did the job.
“Are ye hungry, my lady?” Devlin asked walking up to where she was now sitting hunched over and looking slightly broody herself.
Embarrassment got the best of her and Rowan’s attitude switched over from sweet to nasty. “Why do you keep calling me My Lady? I have a name. It’s Rowan.” Boy, she gets grumpy when she’s hungry. She was what she and Brinley would call hangry – hungry and angry at the same time. Not a good combination if you aren’t holding up a container of ice cream or pasta to her face. She inhaled and exhaled. Twice. �
�Sorry. I’m not my best today, I guess.”
“’Tis understandable, Rowan.” Devlin gave a small gesture of a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes like she knew a real smile would. Now she felt like a bitch. Not sure of how to rectify the situation she figured she might as well keep talking, “I am hungry. Do you mind if I have some of that bread that smells so good?” Rowan was answered by a plate of warm bread topped with butter and drizzled with honey. It was pure heaven in her mouth. “Mmmm, this is so good.” She couldn’t stop shoveling it in and making small yummy noises of pleasure while she closed her eyes and chewed. The more she ate, the more she felt like she’d been starving.
Ballocks! If she kept that up Devlin was going to have to leave the room. If something simple like warm bread with honey had her making noises like that, he can only imagine what sounds he could have her make in his bed. A low growl sounded in his throat and Rowan stopped mid-chew to stare at him.
“Sorry. I’ve been told I’m a noisy eater. I can’t help it. If it tastes good, you’ve gotta let it out.” She gave him her best sorry-but-I-can’t-stop smile and popped another piece into her mouth. “So, what’s the Brownie’s name? “
Adam looked at her like he was trying to translate what on earth she’d just asked. Finally he answered, “Nora.”
“Well, tell Nora that this bread is delicious. I’d tell her myself but she doesn’t seem to like me,” Rowan gave a little smile to the two of them and then she did the unthinkable. That siren smeared her finger across the damn plate, collecting any spare honey that dripped onto it, and licked her finger clean. That was it. Devlin marched out of the room on that note growling and grumbling to himself.
Watching Devlin storm out of the room, Rowan felt a little sad and wondered if she had offended him in some way. Adam answered her gaze, “It’s been a long day for us all, Rowan,” and got up to pour himself another whiskey.
Alone with his shameful thoughts, Devlin paced back and forth in the sunroom in the south wing of this ridiculously big house. He could never understand why Adam liked big homes. Devlin preferred his simple cottage, deep in the woods, where no one bothered him and few knew he was there. He wasn’t into people, not since his own family had perished centuries ago. Time passed slowly for Druids, even slower for the Fae. That was nature’s way for them. Devlin and Adam tended to have a solitary existence, few friends and even fewer lovers.
Devlin was the last Druid on earth, so he felt excruciatingly alone in all manners of existence. Other than Adam, he had no other companions in his life that lasted longer than a few years. And he’d done his best to not get attached to a woman. Aye, he’d had his share of rolling in the sheets, but nothing lasted more than a night or two. That was just the way of life for him. Getting attached to a woman would mean watching her grow old and die while he stayed in a body of a healthy thirty-three year old. That was the age Devlin was the year he came into his full Druid power and the Goddess Morrigan had blessed him with everlasting life. Thinking of the woman in the other room, Devlin felt like his gift was not much of a blessing today. He heaved a big sigh and tickled one of the purple orchids blooming on a stand. The orchid let out a tinkling sound and wiggled beneath his fingertips.
Best get back in there before he looked like a total ox. Gaining control of his lusty thoughts and reining in his nerves, Devlin walked back into the room, poured his own glass of whiskey, and stood by the fire mantle. One more glance at Adam and he knew it was time to spill the truth of their nature, their duty, and ultimately her purpose. Och, he had a feeling it wasn’t going to be pretty. Rowan was so young, fresh and innocent. Full of life and spirit. How was the wee woman going to take the news they’d come so far to bring her?
Rowan’s stomach unclenched when Devlin came back into the room. She watched with hawk eyes as the men exchanged glances with each other. Sensing their tension, she decided to make the first move. Taking a deep breath, she stared past Devlin and into the crackling flames deciding how to start her long untold story.
Secrets will spill this night.
Chapter 5
“I was five when I saw the first creature. He was small, like the size of a fat cat, and sat at the end of my bed.”
Adam perked up with a look of surprise that was quickly masked. He didn’t expect Rowan to speak first and her boldness gave him a startle. His hard Sidhe-side was getting sloppy after spending so many centuries away from the Faelands. Not blinking, Adam sat straighter and gave her a nod signaling she had his undivided attention.
“He didn’t do anything but just stare at me. Wouldn’t talk, move, or go away. I just remember closing my eyes and feeling the corner of the mattress go from sinking with his weight to light and flat again when he’d gone. I didn’t open my eyes though, just in case.” She gave her small audience a little smile and a shrug. “He came back a few years later, lashed out and scraped my leg. It wasn’t a deep scratch, but left a scar all the same.” Eyes lit with a flash of courage then, and Rowan looked away from the fire and straight to Devlin as she continued.
“Shortly after that, I was at my best friend Brinley’s house for a slumber party. She got a Ouija board for her birthday and all us girls sat in her basement and tried to speak to the dead.”
Grabbing her pendant she fiddled with the charm as she went on lost in the memory of that night.
“At first, you know how it goes: everyone’s trying to push the oracle back and forth to make out words and all. But one girl there asked if we could try and contact her grandmother who had just passed away the previous week. Of course we said yes and when I said her Gran’s full name, I opened my eyes and there she was sitting in front of the fireplace. She wore a pink skirt and matching blazer with a corsage pinned to it. She stared right at me and I couldn’t even move. It was then I knew I had a something special: I could see and talk to dead people. It didn’t scare me though, it felt… good. Afterwards I was obsessed with seeing more of them. I got to the point where I would try Ouija boards, automatic writing, pendulums, and candle flames, anything I could think of to contact someone from the other side, including the greats like Poe, Jim Morrison, and Patsy Cline.”
She smiled while thinking about how silly that was. Clearing her throat nervously, she continued.
“One day, my mom found me doing a séance on my own in the basement bathroom. No windows were in there and it was quiet and calm, the air was still so I could feel the energy better down there. She totally freaked out and said that I was never to do such things on my own. She said it was dangerous and foolish. But I was a young, rebellious as hell too, and when she threw out all my boards, papers, and candles, I did what any unruly teenager would have done. I went all out. I made a new Ouija board out of birch wood, used a burning tool to brand symbols around the edges and bought more candles and herbs. That board was amazing; it was triangle-shaped and gorgeous.”
Devlin stared at Rowan like she had six heads. He was astonished that such a wee young thing would go against her parents like that and still have such delight in her face while recalling her actions. By Danu, ye could see the pride she still had for her craftsmanship. Why didn’t she understand that such things of power are nay used in frivolity? Anger stirred in him and then he realized he was not one to throw stones. Had he not misused his own powers in the beginning? She had no way of knowing what her actions would lead to, a curse he knew all too well.
Rowan continued spilling out her story like someone who had held in sins for too long and was happy to release it with confession. “I got my first job at the New Age store close to home. It had all kinds of cool stuff in it like dream catchers, magic crystals, singing bowls and such. I loved it because every time I went in I got this great vibe like a bunch of hummingbirds fluttering in my chest, ya know?” She looked up waiting for someone to respond.
Devlin shook his head staring at her with a look of half fear, half pity. Aye, he knew that feeling. ‘Twas strong magic. He couldn’t imagine how she had
lasted this long without any guidance. He was starting to feel sorry for the poor lass.
“Anyways, I got hooked on Wiccan spells and Paganism shortly after. The stuff just seemed to make sense to me. A lot more sense than what I was taught in my confirmation classes at church. So I’d take my homemade board I kept hidden under my bed, and I’d head up to the cemetery closest to my house and sit under my favorite tree in the oldest part and just soak in the vibes. Then I’d open up for whoever wanted to come to me.”
Rowan loved cemeteries. It was part of what she liked to call “her weirdness.” She’s loved them since she was a kid going on walks with her mom. As she got older, she started to really appreciate them for what they were. Most people saw death and sadness buried behind those gates. But to Ro, they were a place of positivity, each marker representing a person who had done something great in their life. Even if it was just one thing, it was something good and that goodness went out into the universe and had made life a little happier and made the world a better place. Rowan was a glass half-full kind of girl.
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