“Kiernan,” Neala chided and he cut off. “Come sit down?”
“You boys just want to grab a pair of swords so you can work this out the old fashioned way?” Tara asked, biting her cheek to keep from laughing.
“Absolutely,” Kiernan growled.
“I’d prefer guns,” Alaric added, but he grabbed the two glasses of wine he’d poured and returned to sit by her. He pressed a kiss to her lips before he sat back, a flush in his cheeks either from the heat in the kitchen, or the heat of being cramped into the small apartment for two weeks.
“Do I need to remind you both that you’re only going to strain Eltera if you pointlessly injure each other?” Neala glanced at Alaric before planting her full glare squarely on Kiernan. The ancient warrior quailed under her stare and actually mumbled an apology – which just made Tara tilt her head at Alaric.
“I’m sorry, dolcezza. I just can’t wait until we have our own space again, so I can do everything I’ve been -”
“Hey, we’re right here,” Kiernan interrupted.
“Trust me, I know.” Alaric grumbled as the timer in the kitchen went off and he stood up, holding a hand out as Kiernan went to stand as well. “I’ve got it, I’ll pull the steaks and the bread out.”
“Thanks.”
“You know, we’ll leave whenever you guys need some alone time.” Neala smiled, and Tara nodded at her, sighing at the boys’ constant pissing match. Half the time they were great friends, joyfully arguing over sports or current events, and the other half they were like two alpha males trying to mark the same territory.
The apartment was way too fucking small for this.
“I appreciate it, and I’m not saying we won’t take you up on it, but how much longer until the cottages are ready? Have you heard any new updates?”
“Ours is getting close to finished, but they started yours later. You can keep staying here until it’s ready, but like Alaric said – I also want some time alone to do all kinds of things.” The low growl at the end of Kiernan’s comment had Neala laughing, a sultry sound that dissolved into a soft moan as Kiernan kissed her.
Tara was overjoyed for her sister, because even though it had been strange to be around Kiernan at first – cursed Laochra that he was – the one thing that was apparent was how much he loved Neala.
It took a few minutes to have all the food on the table, but then they were eating and the tension seemed to ease as casual conversation sprung up again. One thought kept turning over and over in Tara’s head though, and she sat her wine back down before she spoke. “What about the others? Our other sisters?”
Three sets of eyes lifted to hers, the sounds of silverware and chewing halting.
“Our cottage is going to take time to build, I understand that, but, well… shouldn’t we just have them build more then? So that the others don’t have to wait?”
“That’s a good idea,” Neala smiled at her, excitement sparking behind her eyes.
“Wait, you mean, just keep building? An entire village?” Kiernan asked, looking a little stunned.
“Yes.” Tara grinned as the idea took form inside her. “Exactly like a village. A village for all of us to be together again, because one day it will happen.”
Neala leaned across the corner and grabbed her hand, gripping tight as the possibility floated in front of them. Their sisters together, free, happy.
“I hate to be harsh, but we’re pretty far off from needing an entire village.”
“It’s better to prepare though, isn’t it?” Alaric asked, and she wanted to kiss him for the support. “I mean, Eltera surprised you two with us, right? What’s to say she won’t surprise us again?”
“She said she wants to help us all, it was one of the last things she said to me before she left.” Tara said, looking over at Kiernan whose expression had turned dark.
“She asked us to help save my sisters,” Neala added, turning to Kiernan. “We are far from done, we all know that, but what’s wrong with a little hope?”
“Nothing,” Kiernan sighed, leaning forward to brush his fingers over Neala’s cheek. “Absolutely nothing, ma ghaol. You’re right, you’re all right. We should prepare for them, we should prepare for as many as we can.”
“Will this cause any problems?” Neala asked.
“Problems?” Kiernan laughed, and the darkness seemed to disappear from his face, his green eyes sparkling. “Are you kidding? I think we’re about to make a lot of mortal workers very happy. They’re going to have steady work for a long time.”
“Speaking of work, did you ever figure out what you guys wanted the inside to look like?” Neala turned towards them, her smile radiant, and Tara found she couldn’t stop smiling either.
“Home,” Alaric answered, and she nodded.
“Exactly, we just want it to feel like a home.”
“I think that is something I agree with you on.” Kiernan smiled at him and raised his wine glass. “A toast. To having a real home.”
“To the village,” Alaric added, raising his own glass.
“To Eltera’s gifts.” Neala raised her glass, and Tara smiled as pure happiness bubbled up inside her, effervescent and perfect.
“To bringing all of our sisters home.” She raised her wine as well, and they all clinked them against each other in a clattering of glass on glass, before they drank.
The conversation changed after that, full of a boisterous excitement that none of them seemed able to let go of. It was a whirlwind of plans, of discussions around styles and how to make the cottages as neutral as possible so each new Faeoihn could make it her own – could make the house a home. Alaric knew a surprising amount about interior design, and Tara couldn’t help but laugh as he discussed the idea of a working island in the kitchens, where the stovetop was integrated. It was genius, and she loved that every day she seemed to learn something new about him.
She hoped that they learned more about each other for eternity, as they grew and changed together, even as time passed them by.
Kiernan was laughing at something Neala whispered as he stood to carry their plates into the kitchen when an explosion rocked the apartment to their right. The sound of a plate crashing to the floor was the only other thing Tara caught as Alaric was out of his chair in an instant, his body curved around hers as he shielded her, one arm braced on the table and the other on the seatback.
“Fuck!” Kiernan growled. “Neala, you have got to talk to Eltera about how she delivers messages. This is insane!”
“You want me to tell a goddess capable of turning you to dust that you disagree with how she communicates with us?” Neala’s calm voice seemed to make Alaric relax, and Tara smiled up at him.
“You really do have quick reflexes, sweetheart.”
He shrugged, shaking himself as he stood up straight. “What the bloody hell was that?”
“That was another message from Eltera.” Kiernan stepped over the shattered plate and walked into the living room, lifting up what looked like an old fashioned piece of parchment. Instantly, his face changed, shock spreading as he raised his eyes to them.
“What is it?” Neala asked, pushing out of her seat, and Tara stood as well, grasping Alaric’s hand.
“It just says one thing, but I almost don’t believe it, and I have no idea what to do with it –” he laughed, shoving a hand into his hair. “Because, honestly, if everyone in this room wasn’t touched by the gods themselves, I wouldn’t even think twice about it. It’s ridiculous. It’s a fucking bedtime story.”
“What, Kiernan?” Tara asked, her heart racing inside her chest.
He turned the parchment around, holding it out to them so the thick script was visible just above the ouroboros that was burned into the bottom. “It says Tír na nÓg.”
“Are you joking?” Neala moved around the table, and they all crowded around the item in Kiernan’s hands. “Tír na nÓg isn’t just a bedtime story, it’s a fairy tale!”
Tara laughed softly, glancing over at Alar
ic’s confusion as she shook her head. “Well, I’ve seen the underworld first hand, I’ve met Hades, and looked into the light of Elysium. Finding out that the realm of faerie is real honestly doesn’t shock me.”
“The realm of what?” Alaric asked, disbelief reigning in his voice.
“Tír na nÓg is the land of the young, the forever young. The fair folk. Faeries.” Neala laughed too, throwing her hands up. “I think I need to call Irena.”
“Who?” Tara asked.
“She’s a pixie, and she’s due for a visit anyway. I think we need to ask her just how much she knows about the realm of faerie.”
“Has she ever mentioned Tír na nÓg?” Kiernan asked, and Neala shook her head.
“No, but we also haven’t asked.”
“Well, I’m game.” Alaric clapped his hands together, and they all looked at him. “What? I knew life with Tara was going to be interesting. I’ve met Faeoihn, I’ve met a goddess, why shouldn’t I add a pixie and some faeries into the mix?”
“If the legends are true, they’re incredibly skilled fighters, and they have magic. Real magic.” Kiernan flicked his eyes between the three of them, a slow, wild grin spreading across his face. “Sounds like fun to me.”
“Me too,” Tara added, the wild grin catching. “So, when do we start?”
END NOTES
I hope you loved this adventure with Tara and Alaric, the next book with the Faeoihn will take us into the realm of faerie, where a reluctant prince might just find himself face to face with someone he never expected! Before you go, it would mean the world to me that if you liked this book that you take a few minutes to write a review and capture how you’re feeling right now so other readers can find my work! Reviews are truly one of the most effective ways to help authors out, and I would be very grateful.
Want a FREE book? Everyone who signs up on my mailing list gets a copy of ‘Lethal Sin’, my dark erotic book that follows two assassins as they go head to head! In addition, you’ll always know about upcoming releases, special sales, and sneak peeks just for being on my mailing list, and I only send out one message a month – so please sign up!
Again, thank you for reading and if you enjoyed this one I hope you’ll check out one of my other books. They’re all listed on the next pages!
Books by Jennifer Bene
Dark / BDSM Erotica:
Security Binds Her (Thalia Book 1) (Amazon #1 Best Seller in BDSM, and Romance Erotica!)
Striking a Balance (Thalia Book 2)
Salvaged by Love (Thalia Book 3)
Of Fog and Fire (Part I & II)
Taken by the Enemy (Blushing Books)
Lethal Sin (Dangerous Games Book 1)
Dark / Paranormal Romance:
Fae (Daughters of Eltera Book 1)
Tara (Daughters of Eltera Book 2)
BDSM Novellas:
The Invitation
The Rite
Christmas at Purgatory (Thalia Extra #1)
Reunited
Anthology Appearances:
The More The Merrier (Ménage / BDSM Erotica)
The Darker Side of Love (Dark / BDSM Erotica)
Twist (BDSM Erotica)
The More the Merrier 2 (Ménage / BDSM Erotica)
MÉNAGErie (Ménage Boxed Set)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer Bene is a best-selling author of erotic fiction. Her writing has been described by readers as "dark in a way that turns you on", and she definitely takes that as a compliment! She has a terrible mouth that often gets her in trouble but comes in handy when she's writing. She loves to write strong female characters and dominant male characters in stories that take readers for a walk on the dark side.
When she's not attached to a keyboard, she likes to read, drink wine, do yoga, binge on Netflix, and enjoy life with friends/family. She lives in Texas, and no, she doesn't own a horse or wear a cowboy hat, you'd have better luck finding her on the dance floor downtown. Seriously.
Jennifer would love to hear from you! She does her best to keep readers up to date via social media, and tries to always respond when readers are nice enough to message her!
Check out her website - http://jenniferbene.com/
Find her on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/jbeneauthor
Follow her on Twitter - http://twitter.com/jbeneauthor
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