Flight (Children of the Sidhe)

by J. R. Pearse Nelson

  “People end affairs for all sorts of reasons. What’s one more?”

  “Don’t be cavalier. This is a big one. Don’t do something you’ll regret.”

  Tessa didn’t have time to form a retort before he left the room. She didn’t know how he’d known, but a moment later the bell rang, calling them to dinner. Leave it to Mikhail to be extra perceptive when it came to food.

  Tessa hung back, weighing her thoughts like she could actually feel them in her hands. Could she promise that she wouldn’t hold Nathan’s half-human nature against him, in the end? And if not, what right did she have to treat him so callously?

  THIRTEEN

  When Nathan heard the bell calling them to dinner, he frowned. He still wasn’t halfway through the sample he’d taken, but he’d already found a number of very peculiar things.

  The wing was the most disturbing, from a llaiadian, as Tessa had called it. She’d said it meant Tir Nan Og grew darker. That sounded pretty ominous. From looking through his sample, he already had suspicions about several species he would not like to run into in the forest. It was hard to gauge what a darker Tir Nan Og meant. This place was so strange to him just as it was.

  Among other things, he’d found part of a snakeskin, with scales so large Nathan shuddered to think how vast the creature must be. How many of those were in the forest? He was glad the form he was most likely to take in the forest had wings. He’d also found what appeared to be a chipped off piece of razor-sharp tusk, ivory white and as large as his thumb.

  Now he understood a bit more why Season had been so nervous when he went into the forest with only her for company. Friendly company, that is. There had surely been other things out there. In fact, he had a sneaking suspicion that one of them had noticed them, and that’s why Season had hurried him back to Tessa’s.

  Nathan was still pondering as he left the study and ran headlong into Tessa. They collided hard enough to leave his jaw aching. “Tessa. I’m so sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”

  She rubbed her cheekbone, but shrugged. “No, it was my fault. I’m distracted.”

  “Are you?” He smiled, thinking of last night.

  Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t be so full of yourself. It’s not attractive,” she said haughtily.

  “I’ll try to remember.” He knew damn well she found him attractive. She’d admitted as much yesterday, in numerous ways.

  They walked down the hall together, toward the dining room. It was a large house, with enough time en route for Nathan to take Tessa’s hand, threading his fingers through hers and stroking the soft skin of her wrist with his thumb.

  They entered the dining room that way. Mikhail was seated to Tessa’s right, leaving the left hand seat for Nathan, who took it without question. Mikhail smirked at his sister, a look Nathan could only take as one thing – Mikhail knew they were lovers, and he was taunting her over it.

  When Mikhail looked at him, Nathan held his gaze with some belligerence. The familiar smirk soon returned, but they both turned toward their plates before pressing a confrontation. The food was delicious. A rich stew of potatoes, leeks and salmon, and a platter of soft, freshly baked bread. After Hazel’s advice, Nathan had decided to put worry over Otherworld food out of his mind. He had enough to ponder without borrowing trouble.

  “I thought you’d appreciate knowing how the investigation is proceeding,” Mikhail told Nathan.

  He nodded, not quite sure what to say. The idea he was on an assassin’s hit list, and there were others out there who weren’t yet safe from harm…well, it was hard to grasp next to the revelations about his own nature.

  “There were three others on the list,” Mikhail started in. “The twins, Joel and Therese, are safe with their Sidhe father, at the sacred Well of Slaine, where he resides. The third, a young woman called Eva, has yet to be located.”

  “So, what, you’re a cop or something?”

  “I’m an agent of the Sidhe Authority, yes. Law enforcement. I understand this term, cop, though we don’t use it in Tir Nan Og.”

  “So you’ve done some work in my world, then?”

  “Yes, I’ve been beyond the veil often in the course of duty.”

  “You definitely talk like a cop.” Nathan raised his glass as if in salute, and Mikhail returned the gesture, obviously taking it as a sign of respect. Nathan didn’t bother to correct him. He just ate his soup and let the silence carry.

  Tessa rose from her place before Nathan had finished his meal. “Please, continue. I’ll be back in a moment.” Whether she realized the tension between him and her brother or not, Nathan couldn’t tell.

  Nathan forced himself not to fidget, and focused on his meal. He was surprised when Mikhail said, “Enjoying my sister?”

  Nathan sputtered, choking on his soup. “Um. She’s…nice?”

  Mikhail frowned. “Nice? She’s wonderful.”

  “Yes.” Nathan frowned back. He locked eyes with Mikhail, noting he had Tessa’s brilliantly blue eyes. “Look, there’s nothing I can say to relieve your brotherly anxiety.”

  The other man nodded. “You’re right. Just don’t hurt her.”

  “I’ll try. But I won’t promise just to break that promise later.”

  “You know I have every right to be protective.”

  “I’m not questioning that. From Tessa’s attitude, I wouldn’t have thought she had someone looking out for her like you. She seems pretty self-sufficient.”

  “Yeah, she acts like she doesn’t need anyone looking out for her. But I know I’m appreciated.”

  “What are you telling him, Mikhail?” Tessa spoke from the doorway. Maybe she’d spilled on herself or something, and that’s why she’d disappeared, because she was in a completely different outfit now. A crimson silk blouse topped a flowy cream-colored skirt. Her legs stretched a mile long to strappy heels. Before he could stop himself, he gave a low whistle of appreciation.

  Mikhail’s frown returned, and Tessa tilted her head to the side with a giggle she stifled abruptly for some reason. She stopped next to Mikhail, dropping a kiss on his cheek. “Don’t be grumpy, Mikhail. We’re adults. Both of us.” Tessa glanced at Nathan, smiling. He wondered how long it would be before they could be alone. Maybe it showed in his eyes, because Tessa said, “Anyone up for a nightcap?”

  “I get the picture. I’ll get out of here and let you two be alone, despite my better judgment.”

  Tessa turned to Nathan. “Nightcap?”

  He leaned in close, stroking one finger along her jawline as he whispered, “Can we skip it?”

  “I don’t mind,” Tessa told him.

  When Nathan looked back at Mikhail, he caught a strange look in the man’s eyes. Appreciation?

  “Do you get it now?” Tessa asked her brother.

  “Yeah, his draw is powerful. Is that a little strange for a half-human? Hazel’s was incredibly strong, but you know – she’s the daughter of a love god.”

  “I don’t know. Nemglan Lord of the Skies is old, too, though not as old as Aengus.”

  “Enough of talking like I’m not standing right here.” Nathan glowered.

  Four stunning blue eyes swiveled to him. Tessa grabbed her brother’s arm, and guided him to the door, somewhat more swiftly than was necessary. They said their goodbyes, and Mikhail said something Nathan didn’t catch, but that made Tessa laugh out loud. When she shut the door and turned to face him, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkling. “Alone,” she stated.

  Nathan crossed to her in a few steps, and lifted her in his arms.

  “The carrying again?”

  “You don’t find it romantic?”

  “I didn’t say that. It just seems like a waste of energy carrying me up the stairs when I have my own two feet that work quite well. I have plans for your energy.” When she smiled, she showed teeth.

  “Not to worry. I have plenty of energy.” Nathan gave her his own predatory smile to match hers.

  They were kissing before Tessa’s feet hit
the floor. Nathan closed the door, and turned to press Tessa against it. “I like this outfit. How did you guess?” She moaned as his teeth caught an earlobe, and he trailed kisses down her collarbone to the edge of her blouse. “That top is far too tempting.”

  He retreated just enough to lift her. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he pressed her back to the wall. One hand slid up the silky smooth skin of her thigh, nudging her skirt up as he went. He moaned into her neck as he reached the juncture of her body and found her surprise. No panties.

  Tessa laughed at his reaction and arched into his hand, begging for his touch. He obliged, his fingers sliding against the slick entry to her body as she kissed him, her tongue darting between his lips, tasting of strawberries.

  “Now would be a good time for that clothes trick of yours. Except…leave this blouse. I like it.”

  With a laugh, Tessa made it happen, and Nathan’s skin flushed with heat at the sudden, blissful contact of her skin. “Yes, Nathan,” she whispered, clutching his back as he lifted her a notch higher, his body sliding into her as she tilted her hips, rocking with him, where he held her.

  Nathan breathed in the scent of her, felt her slippery heat, her eagerness. She moaned into his mouth when he kissed her, tasting her lips, her tongue. The rest of the world, this world and any other, slipped away as he lost himself in her.

  It frightened him. Sex was all well and good, but he shouldn’t feel for Tessa. Not so soon. Yet in response to that small voice, a chorus rose up in protest. Better to have loved…

  FOURTEEN

  Tessa winged her way through the darkening sky, darting and weaving among the branches that were becoming difficult to see. She chirped to call Nathan, and plunged to the ground, where she released the doves, and gathered her true form.

  Nathan joined her a moment later, his shift taking a few seconds longer than hers. She watched him stretch, finding she hadn’t tired of seeing him in the nude. Sexy, sexy.

  She walked to him before she realized what she was doing. One hand glided over the rippling muscles of his back and shoulder. She reached the back of his neck, and turned him insistently so she could kiss him. He grinned, and let her continue her exploration of his body with her hands and mouth.

  A flash of memory startled her, and she pulled back with a groan. “Oh, I wish we had more time, but I have somewhere I need to be.” Abarta had called another meeting, and he’d scoffed when she told him she needed a few hours. No more time was forthcoming.

  The pair of them returned to the house in silence. The last few days had been full of peaceful moments and the excitement of Nathan’s exploration of his hawk form during the day, and their exploration of each other at night.

  Tessa glanced at her new lover, who appeared deep in thought as their steady strides ate up the distance. The surge of warm affection she felt for him was as foreign as a new language. These comfortable silences were common with Nathan – the man was always thinking through some question. As they reached the porch, Tessa remembered something. “I have a book for you. I’ll grab it quickly before I go.”

  Nathan entered the study behind her, as she rummaged among the new arrivals a courier had brought earlier in the day.

  “I asked a few friends about a reference detailing forest life, and this is the only book they knew of in Old English, so you can decipher it.”

  “Great!” Nathan exclaimed. Tessa wondered just how bored he was getting if a book could get him that excited. There wasn’t much for him to do here, and he was supposed to stay safely inside most of the time. He started paging through it as soon as she handed it over, holding it in the crook of one arm.

  “That book is huge. Sit at the desk,” Tessa told him as she moved her work to the same shelf where he’d placed it when he’d taken over her workspace a few days ago.

  “Thanks. Any idea how long you’ll be gone?” Nathan asked.

  Tessa could tell she’d already lost him to the book she’d offered. His brow was furrowed in thought as he turned another page. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours, before dinner.”

  He only nodded, immersed in answering the questions he’d been struggling with since seeing all he found in the soil sample collected from a Tir Nan Og forest. And that was just one soil sample, in one part of Middleworld Tir Nan Og. What would he find if he took the same approach to a sample from Underworld?

  Not willing to let Abarta see her as dressed down as she’d been living in recent days, Tessa ran a hand over herself in the hallway. As she did, a deep blue gown that accentuated her eyes, and a soft grey cloak replaced her informal clothes. She pulled up the hood, guarding more against her own nerves than any sort of weather.

  Abarta faced away from her as she approached, and for a moment Tessa considered attacking him. If she could finish him here and now, he couldn’t threaten Nathan or Mikhail. He turned as she thought it, and she kicked herself for not acting in the split second she had the chance.

  “Tessa. So glad you could join me.” His tone said no such thing, and his eyes were icy. “You’ve been rather busy lately. I appreciate you fitting me into your schedule.”

  Tessa smiled. “Not in the least, Abarta. Now, why have you called me here? Didn’t we say I’d call you?”

  “And yet I know you don’t plan to do so at all. I’ve seen you with him, Tessa, so don’t deny that you’ve taken one of the half-humans as a lover.”

  “What do you mean you’ve seen me? What, are you skulking around my windows now?”

  “I see you’ve taken my advice – you don’t deny it.”

  “What’s important is that you couldn’t kill Nathan anyway. He’s already been delivered safely into my keeping. If he dies now, I’ll never be close enough to the investigation to get more names as they come in.” Sometimes Tessa was surprised at how smoothly lies rolled off her tongue. “You know I have a...let’s call it a reputation issue. I was only recently involved with Bertran, and you know how that turned out. Taking a half-human into my bed makes me look like I’m on the right side.”

  “And he’s so good looking.”

  Tessa met his gaze at that. Were those his words, or his echo of her words to her brother yesterday? How could he have overheard that? “Yes. I happen to think so myself.”

  Abarta grinned, and Tessa had her answer. Somehow he had overheard her conversation with Mikhail. Did that mean he’d heard Mikhail’s update on the other half-humans?

  Tessa didn’t give the slightest physical indication she got the joke. “Why is that funny? I find many men attractive.”

  “But when was the last time you invited one straight into your bed?”

  “Bertran, actually. A few weeks ago. It was a long dry spell.” It was Tessa’s turn to grin. It wasn’t a smile of humor, but one of challenge.

  Abarta laughed. “It is good. We Sidhe have appetites. They must be answered.” What was that sparkle in his eye? Suddenly, Abarta grabbed her. Yanking her forward, he took advantage of her surprise and kissed her full on the mouth.

  She shoved him away, hissing in disgust. She swung at him.

  He dodged her, and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “You see? It isn’t any man. I know you find me attractive, on some level.” He smiled and she scowled in answer. He turned his back to her, and she clenched her fists in impotent rage. “But the half-human has you in his thrall. It isn’t just sex, or reputation. Is it love?” He spat the word.

  What did Abarta care about Tessa’s heart? She refused to ponder his actual question. It was preposterous. She’d only known Nathan for a handful of days.

  “You are arrogant, Trickster. A woman like me could turn you away for any number of reasons. Chiefly, you’re not good enough for me.”

  Tessa’s mind worked as she spoke. She had to focus on the problem at hand. Abarta wasn’t happy she was having an affair with Nathan. Would it be enough for him to end their bargain and cut her out of the loop? Or could she put off their inevitable confrontation for a few more days?

&nb
sp; So it came to the ultimatum.

  “Do you want me to keep working on your assignment? Or not?” Tessa thrust her chin in the air, and stared him down.

  Abarta just watched her for a few moments, no doubt attempting to evaluate her intentions. “If you haven’t provided new information by sunset three days from now, our bargain is off. And Tessa,” he held her gaze, the ice returning to his eyes. “The child’s life will be forfeit.”

  “That wasn’t part of the deal, Abarta!” Tessa snarled. “You had better remember who you’re dealing with. I can squash you like an insect under my heel. That girl is your only hold over me.”

  “Still, the child will die,” Abarta hissed as he stepped forward. Instead of his repulsive kiss, this time she felt his hot breath on her face, making her want to cringe. “New information, Tessa. Three days. Do not fail me.”

  FIFTEEN

  Slowly, through a book-induced fog, Nathan realized the wards on the front door were chiming. He rose, and stretched. If it was someone coming to kill him, he doubted they’d use the front door, or attack him inside a warded building. They’d wait to catch him in the forest. So he only hesitated for a moment before answering the door.

  Nemglan stood outside, glowering at the trees over his shoulder. His eyes widened as he took in his son at the door. “Nathan. It is good to see you. May I enter?”

  Nathan waved him in, watching the forest. Season was nowhere to be seen. In fact, it had been almost a day since he’d seen her. She must be checking in with the Morrigan. He realized he was focusing his thoughts on anything except the man he’d just let into Tessa’s house.

  “You look well,” Nemglan stated, taking him in with a sweeping gaze. He stood in the center of the hallway, his feet squared, as if prepared for a confrontation.