by Kristen Cobb
Will managed to keep from falling, quickly turning around to face her. “I was not actually going to kill him and he is not your husband yet.”
“You pulled a knife on him and he is my husband.” Just thinking about it made her angry all over again. Thankfully for Will she had not been in human form when he threatened Conri. There is no telling what she would have done. She could feel energy flowing into her body, drawing it towards her instinctively. Quickly throwing out her arm silver strands of energy leapt from her fingertips, flying towards Will’s chest.
Will looked down at his body, running a hand over his chest after it hit him.
“He is the man I choose.” Nessa threw another small burst of energy at Will.
“Stop it. That hurts.” Will took a few of steps backward, trying to put some distance between them as if that would help.
“He is the man that I love.” Nessa flung another burst of energy at Will, a glittering mass of silver tendrils spiraling toward him in the blink of an eye.
“Fine, I get it. He is your husband.” Will rubbed his chest.
“If you ever try to hurt him again you may not live to regret it.” She took a step toward Will, determined to make him understand how much Conri meant to her.
“Since when are you able to turn into animals and throw lightning bolts with your hands?” The look in Will’s eyes said he knew she would never seriously hurt him. He was more surprised than truly frightened.
“You lied to me, then you lied to everyone about me, and now you expect everything to just be forgiven? Why are you suddenly so determined to marry me? We have never been anything more than friends and you know it.” She really should not be surprised. Will never apologized or admitted he was wrong.
Will broke eye contact, looking off into the distance. The hint of amusement wiped from his face in an instant. “I am desperate.”
“That is not possible. You are handsome and wealthy. Most women would be thrilled to marry you.” Will constantly bragged about his female conquests, one of his less admirable qualities. Up until relatively recently Will had no serious desire to be with her in that way. Their relationship long ago became one of mutual respect and friendship. She never had any romantic feelings for Will.
When Will finally looked at her again a shocking degree of anguish transformed his face. Gone was the selfish rogue without a care in the world. “My life is not exactly as it seems.”
“In what way?” His statement made it sound like he had been keeping secrets from her. Why would he do that? They were friends. Her next thought put it a bit more into perspective, she had been doing the same thing. She never once confided in him about her powers or ability to change form, putting her in no position to pass judgment.
“I always thought my mother was his only wife, and I his only child. The assumption being I would inherit his ship and any wealth he accumulated. I counted on that.” Anger mixed in with the sadness on Will’s face now.
“Your father had another wife? That is not possible. He loved your mother.” She expected something more along the lines of a pregnant girl’s family trying to pressure him into caring for her and the baby.
“He did love her but as it turns out his real life is in England. He has a title, the earl of something or other, a wife and three grown children. Two of those children are sons. His oldest son will inherit the title and wealth while the youngest generally gets nothing. To rectify a bit of that imbalance my father has given his youngest son the ship and the cottage in Dublin. Apparently traveling around on that ship was more of a hobby than a necessity for my father. His family in England does not even recognize me as his son. I tried working for the man who is supposedly my brother. I will never do it again. So here I stand with nothing and nowhere to go.” Will removed the bag slung across his upper body, throwing it to the ground. “An extra set of clothes and this horse that I basically stole is all I have. I found it wandering around Dublin in the aftermath of Dermot’s attack.” Will sat down on the grass, stretching out his legs, leaning back on his hands.
Nessa lowered herself to the ground next to Will, sitting with her legs bent and crossed at the ankle so she could face him. Thankfully there had been no rain recently so the ground was dry. “Exactly how did you think marrying me would solve your problem? I own nothing more than the clothes on my back, an extra set of clothing, the shoes I am wearing, and the bag I carry my clothes in.” And the flask Conor had given her. The one the poisonous potion recently resided in. Odd how the plan to murder Rory and save Conor seemed to be a distant memory now with so many other things going on in her life.
“You are basically the daughter of a king. If I were your husband Dermot would take care of me too.” Will glanced at her as he said it then turned away, shrugging his shoulders.
“So you intended to use me as a way to provide food and shelter?” Absolutely amazed at the casual disregard for her own happiness, Will was undoubtedly the most self-serving person she ever met. He would have certainly continued bedding other women, probably saddling her with who knows how many other women and children, expecting her to take care of them as well.
“It would have been a mutually beneficial arrangement.” Will looked at her with a great deal of sadness in his eyes.
“Really? In what way would marriage to you have been beneficial to me? Perhaps it would have been the sheer joy of watching you stick your manhood in every willing female or perhaps the honor of trying to support any children you would father with them.” She could not help the anger in her voice or her eyes. For a pauper Will had the audacity of a king.
“When you are not on dry land for long there is no time to be choosy. With you it would have been different.” Will laid down, putting his hands behind his head, looking up at the sky.
“How would it have been different? If there were any physical attraction between us we would have been all over each other long ago. How many times did we sleep in the same bed and never touch each other? You would have continued to seek out other women. Neither of us would have been happy. Do you remember the one time we tried to have sex?” The memory made her smile now. At the time there had been nothing amusing about it.
Will rolled his eyes and groaned. “Could we not talk about that?”
Conri set the bags of food on the ground then sat down next to her. “Apparently it did not go well.”
Donal sat down next to Will, listening intently to their conversation.
Will sat up. “Do not tell him a thing.”
Nessa could not stop the grin that spread across her face. It was actually a rather humorous tale given Will’s self-proclaimed prowess in this particular area. “Total and complete disaster. Parts that should have worked would not. I had no idea what to do so Will tried to give me direction. We both became frustrated when said interventions did not work and the entire episode devolved into an argument.”
“That has never happened to me before or since. My parts generally work just fine.” Will reached into the bag, grabbing a round loaf of bread. He ripped off a large hunk, handing it to Donal.
“Which is why we do not belong together.” Comparing that experience to her nights with Conri provided a startling contrast. Being with Conri was effortless.
Will ripped off another hunk of bread, handing it to her. Splitting the rest of it in half he handed a quarter of the loaf to Conri. “What am I supposed to do now that I have Donal to take care of as well?”
Conri took the bread from Will, laying it on his lap. Pulling a wheel of cheese out of the bag he began cutting out wedges. Conri laid his dagger under the first wedge, putting his thumb on the top, then pulled it out. Dagger still under the small wedge he handed the first piece to Donal.
“Thank you.” Donal did not meet his eyes, looking away as if embarrassed.
Conri felt an odd kinship with the boy, having been in a similar predicament at his age. Donal was lucky Will happened along and took him in, even though Will had nowhere to go himself. That one actio
n said a great deal about Nessa’s friend. Looking around the group he realized they all had one thing in common. None of them had a place where they truly belonged, where they were loved and wanted. They may have all come to that pass from different routes but the end result was the same. How could he turn them away? After handing Nessa a wedge of cheese he cut another. Looking down at the wedge Conri pondered the decision he was about to make.
“Deciding whether to feed me or not?” The animosity in Will’s voice was impossible to miss.
Conri held out the wedge of cheese to Will, still balanced on his dagger. “Deciding whether to intervene on your behalf and ask Rory to let you stay.”
Will took the cheese, looking directly at him with total and utter shock rather than anger. “You would do that?”
“If you cease lying to people about Nessa and respect the fact that she is my wife.” It would actually solve one of their biggest problems at the moment. Conri suddenly realized having Will as an ally rather than an adversary might be highly preferable. It provided one more person he could trust implicitly to be loyal to Nessa. Conri cut another wedge of cheese then slipped the rest back into the bag.
“You have my word.” Will held out his hand.
After sliding the dagger back into the sheath on his belt Conri grabbed Will’s forearm then quickly released it. Realizing he failed to consult Nessa concerning her feelings on the matter Conri slowly turned to look at her. The smile on her face and the way she was looking into his eyes told him everything he needed to know. His decision pleased her a great deal.
“Now do you see why I love him so much?” Although speaking to Will her eyes remained locked on his.
Conri snuck a glance at Will out of the corner of his eye. Will was trying hard not to smile. Apparently Will’s romantic pursuit of Nessa had been more desperation than love. Hopefully he could simply be happy for her now. Will’s continued presence would however create another problem. “We will have to bring them with us to Knocknashee. I cannot send him back to the castle until I speak with Rory.”
That wiped the smile from Nessa’s face immediately. She had no problem telling Will about their immortality or that Conri’s family could change form. What truly concerned her was having no idea what kind of reception they would receive. For all she knew Conri’s family might tell them to go away. Having her witness Conri’s pain was one thing, Will and Donal quite another.
“You seem hesitant all of a sudden. Do you not trust him with the rest of our secrets? If that is the case…”
“No. I am worried about what might happen when we get there. What if your family is less than pleased with our arrival?” She could think of no better way to phrase it. There really was no pleasant way to say it sounds like your family hates you.
“There is a very good chance my mother and grandfather will refuse to even speak to me. My plan is to tell them about your powers, hoping that will spark their curiosity and get them to at least agree to speak with you if nothing else.” Conri took a bite of cheese, feigning nonchalance as if the topic were of very little importance.
She knew better. These people put in motion the most painful event in Conri’s life. Now he was about to give them the power to wound him all over again. More than anything else in the world she wanted to keep those people away from her husband but he seemed unwilling to let this go. He needed to know for certain she would still want him after seeing the other shifters, understandable given the circumstances. If revealing her existence to his family would allay that fear then she had little choice but to agree. How could she tell him she was worried about Will and Donal witnessing his pain?
“Why would your family refuse to speak to you?” Will took a bite of bread and cheese, leaning back on one elbow.
“My inability to change form. In the world of immortals those that cannot turn into some form of animal are cast out. I will not exactly be welcome back with open arms.” Conri stretched out his legs, taking a bite of bread.
Will continued chewing the food in his mouth without commenting. First he just stared at Conri then he looked at her.
Nessa could see the question in his eyes. She decided to answer before he could ask. “Apparently I am immortal as well.”
“What is immortal?” Donal asked the question with his mouth full of food.
She looked to Conri for help, her knowledge on the subject limited to folklore. She could tell Donal that it meant she would never die but that might not be accurate. Nothing lived forever, did it? Maybe it just meant she would live for a really long time.
Conri finished chewing the food in his mouth then stepped in to save her. “Do not talk with your mouth full. It means Nessa and I will not grow old as fast as other people.”
Donal started to open his mouth then decided he best finish chewing first. Once he swallowed the cheese in his mouth he began asking questions again. “Can you turn into an animal like Nessa?”
“No, that is what I meant when I said I cannot change form.” Conri seemed to consider taking a bite of cheese then changed his mind. The look of intense concentration on Donal’s face suggested he had more questions.
“And that is why your family does not love you?” Donal’s face scrunched up, clearly confused by the concept.
Nessa agreed with Donal. It was perplexing to say the least. How could anyone not love their child for such a reason? She wanted to argue the point with Donal or tell him he should not say such things but the words would not come out. Nothing she said would change the fact that Conri’s family cast him out into the world alone because he did not possess all of the abilities they desired.
“Yes.” Spoken softly with a great deal of sadness that one word put Conri’s pain on full display. “They sent me away when I was ten years old.”
“Where did you go?” Enthralled now Donal leaned forward, focused intently on Conri’s story.
“At first I just walked until I got hungry. I stopped at the next house I saw and pleaded with them to give me some food. They offered to feed me if I did some chores. After that I moved from place to place, sleeping wherever I could, working for my food whenever possible.” Conri was staring off into the distance, reliving painful memories.
Watching Will and Donal’s reaction to Conri’s tale Nessa knew they were finally seeing what she already knew. Conri was an extraordinary man. Even after being thrown away as a child, shunned by his family, forced to beg each day just to survive, he was generous and kind, even offering to help a man that tried to kill him.
Oddly enough she did not even mind that there would be no privacy for them tonight. All she really wanted was to fall asleep in Conri’s arms. Watching the last of the sunlight fade below the horizon she prayed to Laurence’s God that tomorrow would not be a complete disaster.
Conri felt nearly paralyzed by emotion as they rode through the wooded area at the base of Knocknashee, the tension inside him taught as a rope being pulled at both ends. He could hear the sound of the water flowing over the rocky riverbed, as if all of his senses were heightened. At any other time he would not have noticed the light breeze rustling the leaves on the trees. The canopy of brightly colored fall leaves blocked out the vast majority of sunlight, leaving a world that appeared shrouded in mystery. Red, orange, and yellow leaves danced about on the ground each time the breeze blew, creating an almost ethereal beauty.
A woman knelt at the river where the water flowed out of the hill, washing clothes. Bright rays of light shone down on her, the only direct sunlight in the immediate area, making her presence a startling contrast. Nessa’s hooves made a crunching sound when she stepped on a patch of dried leaves and sticks. The woman turned around quickly, the wet shirt in her hands dripping water.
Glenna. Although many years had passed he recognized her immediately, long brown wavy hair and expressive brown eyes. Right now those eyes conveyed outright terror at the presence of strangers. Will and Donal rode next to him. Conri pulled gently on Nessa’s mane with one hand, holding out t
he other toward Will, silently instructing him to stop.
“Look closely Glenna and you will see that I mean you no harm.” Would she remember him after all these years? Their time together was indelibly branded in his memory?
Glenna dropped the wet shirt onto a clothing covered rock then slowly took a few steps toward them, eyes narrowed, focusing intently on his face. He knew the moment she realized his identity, her entire face lit up. Conri threw one leg over Nessa’s back and dismounted. Pulling off the sacks hanging over her back he dropped them onto the ground.
“Conri.” Glenna threw herself at him before he could even look up. Wrapping her arms around his neck she basically hung off him. A rather petite woman her feet were literally dangling as she held on tight to his neck.
Conri found himself smiling and wrapping his arms around her in return. Lifting her just a bit higher off the ground.
Glenna slid her arms down off his neck, her feet slowly lowering to the ground. She stepped back, looking him over from head to toe as if trying to ascertain if he were truly healthy and whole.
Nessa turned back into human form. They traveled at a more leisurely pace today so she was not dripping with sweat, merely covered with a light sheen. “I am going to wash up and get dressed.”
“Glenna, this is my wife, Nessa.” Conri lifted the bag containing Nessa’s clothing off his shoulder and up over his head.
“How is it that I do not know her? She is a shifter.” Glenna was staring at Nessa as if she were an enigma, the very idea of a shifter growing up anywhere but Knocknashee apparently beyond her comprehension.
Handing the bag to Nessa he did not immediately answer. Did he really trust these people enough to reveal Nessa’s powers? Perhaps he had not given this plan enough thought. He was so intent on Nessa meeting other shifters that he hadn’t really considered the possible ramifications for her. How would they react? To the best of his knowledge there were no other ancients in existence.
“Let me rinse off in the river and get dressed, then we will explain everything.” Nessa walked toward the riverbank carrying the bag.