by Donna Grant
Instead, he veiled himself and teleported into a copse of trees just outside the Light Castle. And he watched. At one time, it had been a beacon for him, a place that he believed would outshine the Dark Fae in all ways. It didn’t matter if it were the castle on Earth or the one on the Fae Realm that was destroyed.
Just because a Fae was Light, didn’t mean they couldn’t turn Dark. His wife was a prime example. How had he been so blind to the fact that she wanted power? His position had given her just that, but it wasn’t enough for her.
The pain of her betrayal no longer cut as deeply after so many thousands of years. It was a dull ache now. But it would never leave him.
Perhaps it was time to put aside his silence. He couldn’t lead the Reapers if he didn’t talk. Damn. This was going to be harder than he thought.
He was about to teleport away when he spotted Rhi off to his left, hiding in some trees not far from him. The infamous Light Fae who’d fallen in love with a Dragon King was of interest to Death. So much so that Erith had Daire following Rhi.
Yet, as Eoghan sought a glimpse of his friend, there was no sign of Daire. A Reaper could see any Fae—veiled or not. Without a second’s thought, Eoghan dropped his veil. Immediately, Rhi’s head jerked to him.
“Eoghan,” she said as she released her veil and walked to him. She looked him over, a grin forming as she tossed back her long, black hair. “We didn’t know what happened to you.” Her smile froze when she looked into his eyes.
He frowned, wondering what had caused such a reaction.
“Look, hunky, I’m not a mind reader. I know the human adage of ‘silence is golden,’ but not in this instance. I need you to talk to me.”
Eoghan hesitated. He swallowed twice before he asked, “What’s . . . wrong . . . with . . . me?”
“Your eyes. They’re silver but . . . different.”
He formed a mirror in his hand and looked into it. Rhi was right. His eyes were different. No longer did he have a pupil showing. All he saw was metallic silver staring back at him.
Rhi wrinkled her nose. “You might want to think about using glamour or wearing sunglasses when around humans.”
He made the mirror vanish and gave her a nod.
“Are you going to tell me how you got back? Where were you?”
“Tonight. Not sure.”
Rhi sighed dramatically. “Well, I guess I should be happy that I’m getting answers at all. Have you seen the others?”
Eoghan shook his head. “Where’s Daire?”
She shrugged indifferently, but she couldn’t quite hide her pain. “I don’t know. One day he was following me, and then he wasn’t.” Rhi suddenly put her hand on his arm. “I’m glad you’re back. Cael and the others have been beside themselves with worry.”
He didn’t get a chance to reply because she teleported away. Eoghan blew out a breath. It was time he spoke with Cael. He teleported to a cliff on the east side of Ireland and said his old friend’s name.
Within moments, Cael was standing before him. Their gazes met. The relief on Cael’s face made emotion well up in Eoghan’s throat. He’d never had a brother, despite wishing for one. The Reapers were his family, but Cael was like a true brother in every sense of the word.
They embraced before Cael grabbed his shoulders and stepped away to look at him. There was a slight frown when Cael saw his eyes. “Where have you been? How did you get back? When did you get back?”
“One at a time.”
Cael’s smile vanished as he dropped his arms and stared in shock. “You’re speaking?”
“Death said I must.”
All emotion was wiped from Cael’s face. “She spoke with you?”
“Aye,” Eoghan said carefully, wondering what he’d missed out on between Cael and Erith. Because there was definitely tension between them now.
“When?”
“This night.”
A muscle ticked in Cael’s jaw. “I’m glad she spoke with you since she won’t answer any of my calls.”
There was much Eoghan had seen that others missed while they stood talking. Because of his vow of silence, Eoghan observed things more closely than others. It’s how he knew Cael had feelings for Death—feelings that Cael would never act on. But they were there.
“She’s dying,” Eoghan said.
Cael ran a hand down his face. “You could see it?”
“Yes.”
He turned away and put his hands on his hips as he stared out over the sea. “Why won’t she respond to me?”
“I don’t think she wants you to see her. I believe if she’d had a choice, she wouldn’t have shown herself to me.”
“What did she say?” Cael asked as he turned his head to Eoghan.
“Apparently, we aren’t the only Reapers. She’s asked me to lead another group.”
There was no surprise in Cael’s eyes as he dropped his arms and faced Eoghan. “I always wondered if she’d stopped finding others like us. I agree with her naming you as their leader.”
“Bran doesn’t know about them.”
“This information will remain between us. Where are they?”
Eoghan shrugged. “I didn’t ask, and she didn’t say.”
Cael shot him a crooked smile. “That sounds like Death.”
“How are the others?”
“Good. There is much I need to catch you up on. Fintan fell in love.”
Eoghan gaped at him. “You jest.”
“Afraid not, old friend. And he isn’t the only one. Daire has, as well.”
Eoghan listened raptly as Cael retold the stories.
Chapter Three
Thea had never driven her car so fast trying to get back to Dublin. She couldn’t stop shaking, not even once she was back in her own flat.
All she kept seeing was the man’s eyes and the bubble that had formed in his hands. An orb that destroyed the portal stones.
She sat against her headboard with her knees drawn up to her chest, waiting for dawn. Except the sun did nothing to dispel the fright that had taken a firm hold of her. How was she supposed to live now?
A man had come from the dolmen. He’d literally pulled himself out—with her help.
Then he’d instructed her to run.
She hadn’t needed to be told twice. Thea had grabbed her violin and ran to her car. It wasn’t until she was halfway to Dublin that she wondered who the man was.
Perhaps she should’ve asked where he’d come from. And just what had been trying to get through after him. For all she knew, the man was here to harm others.
Thea sighed and dropped her forehead to her knees. She didn’t need anything else to be anxious about. But she was a worrier.
She closed her eyes and tried to think of anything but the man. His face was imprinted on her memory, though.
Thick, lustrous, black hair had hung down his back. It had been windblown with strands cutting across his face. His features were strong and defined, noble even. Black brows cut over impossibly thick-lashed, quicksilver eyes. His lips were wide and had been firmed into a harsh line. Then again, he had been fighting for his life.
When he’d landed on top of her, she had felt his strength, the powerful sinew beneath the skin. He could’ve snapped her neck without breaking a sweat. Instead, he’d protected her.
She couldn’t stop seeing his eyes in her mind. It must have been a trick of the light. No one had silver irises like that. And he had to have a pupil. She just hadn’t seen it.
Thea lifted her head and scooted off the bed. After a shower and some breakfast, she tried to sleep. When that didn’t work, she read the rest of the morning. It was sometime after lunch when she finally managed to dose for a couple of hours. Then, it was time to get ready for the show.
It wasn’t until she went to put on her favorite cat earrings that she remembered wearing them the night before. She checked her ear and found only one. Those were her favorite pair.
She took out the remaining stud and chose another set. The
Betsy Johnson jewelry was some of her favorites. Tonight, she opted for the crown and scepter mismatched pair.
Thea shrugged into her favorite coat—one she’d designed. A black piece that fell past her knees and laced up the back to conform to her figure. There were also laces along the outer seam of her forearms.
With her violin case in hand, she walked from her flat and out into the street. The tavern where the band performed was only a few blocks away. Most times, she walked it, even in bad weather.
She rarely got sick, but in truth, there was just something about getting out in the air and walking. Many of those around her missed so much by being absorbed in technology or distracted by other people.
Thea loved the architecture of her city. She adored the sights, the sounds, and especially the people. It was those who moved about Dublin that made the city as vibrant and infectious as it was.
When she reached The Deacon, she made her way to the back entrance of the pub. She greeted Duane, who was flirting with a girl. Thea smiled as she walked past him until she found Noah drumming on the walls, the beat of some music playing in his head that only he could hear.
“Hey, Thea,” he said with a nod.
She smiled, noting that he’d opted to keep his dark hair in a mohawk with the sides of his head shaved. After she’d turned the corner, she found Josh tuning his guitar with their manager, Annie, beside him.
Josh lifted his blond head and smoothed his hands over the stiff locks fashioned a la David Beckham. “Hey.”
“There you are,” Annie said as she blew a curl of strawberry blond hair out of her blue eyes. “I thank God every day that Duane found you. All of their testosterone drives me batty. And because you keep me sane.”
Thea laughed. “What did they do now?”
“What haven’t they done?” Annie cried as she followed Thea. “If you look at them, you’d mistake them for adults, but I swear the fairies got to them because they’re children. Silly, irrational kids.”
Thea stiffened at the mention of fairies. They were part of Irish legend, and thereby Irish culture, but she’d always gotten a peculiar feeling whenever they were mentioned.
She forced a smile as she set her violin down on a chair and faced Annie as she removed her coat. “Fairies?”
Annie rolled her eyes and sighed. “Sorry. I’ve been reading some of the Irish folktales to my niece and nephew. You bailed on me last night. What happened?”
“I just wanted some time alone.”
Annie flattened her lips and shot Thea a hard look. “You went to the portal stones again.”
“I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”
“But you forgot me.”
Thea’s mouth fell open as she realized she had done just that. “Oh, God, Annie. I’m sorry. I’m a horrible friend.”
Annie waved away her words. “As soon as you left, I knew that’s where you were headed. I got a ride home with Noah.”
Thea grinned. “Did he hit on you again?”
“He really doesn’t get the hint, does he?” Annie asked in a conspiratorial whisper.
“Maybe because he sees what the rest of us do—that you’ve got it bad for him.”
Annie refused to meet her gaze as she looked for something to do. “You know, I’ve got . . . there’s something I need to see to. Bye.”
Thea laughed as Annie hurried away. Annie was the brains behind their band. It was the woman’s connections that got them such great gigs and kept them at The Deacon a couple of nights a week.
Annie was organized, ambitious, and one of the nicest people Thea had ever known. It didn’t hurt that Annie could talk anyone into doing whatever she wanted. The fact that they were the only two females in the band had made them gravitate to each other.
It wasn’t long before they became fast friends. While Annie was the type always on a call or texting, Thea was just fine losing her phone for days at a time so she didn’t have to talk to anyone.
And Annie respected that.
Thea opened her case and took out her violin. She checked the strings and then moved off by herself to warm up. After only a few notes, she felt transported back to the portal stones. With her eyes closed, she saw the dolmen, and the hand reaching out to her.
She kept playing but left her eyes open, hoping the memories would leave her alone. No such luck. This time, she saw liquid silver eyes and heard a hoarse voice telling her to run.
Thea stopped playing and shook her head while attempting to find her focus again. There was a whistle behind her. When she looked, it was Josh, motioning that it was time for them to go on stage. She glanced at the clock on the wall to find that thirty minutes had gone by seemingly in a blink.
She made her way to the raised platform and took her place on the right side. Her gaze scanned the thick crowd, but she didn’t see . . . who? Who had she thought to find?
Clearing her throat, she nodded at Duane to let him know she was ready. After a quick introduction, Noah called out a four-count and drummed the first beat. Josh came in with the guitar, and Thea followed an eight-count later. As soon as Duane began to belt out the song, Thea found herself engulfed by the music.
For a moment, she had been really worried that whatever had happened at the dolmen would affect her music as well as her mind, but all was well again.
She smiled as they moved from song to song. After their first set, they took a break where she downed an entire bottle of water in seconds. Then, they were back on stage once more.
Thea loved that they played their own music but also covered popular tunes as well as songs from their heritage. It was a nice mix that kept their popularity growing.
Their second set came to a close, and Thea walked off stage even as men called out to her. She ignored them. She grabbed another bottle of water and lifted it to her lips to drink.
“They’re some handsome ones out there tonight,” Annie said from beside her.
Thea shrugged and put the cap on the now empty bottle. “I’m not looking for anything.”
“But they say that’s when you find it.”
For some reason, Annie felt it was her mission to find Thea a man. And Thea didn’t have the heart to tell her friend to stop. She’d attempted to remind Annie that she was content with the way things were, but Annie didn’t listen.
Thea couldn’t explain why she didn’t want a relationship. She got lonely, incredibly so sometimes, but that didn’t change things. Just as she knew she had to go to the portal stones, she knew to remain alone.
“I’ll pass,” Thea said.
Annie stepped in front of her. “I know you like your space. I know you like going off on your own, but do you ever wonder if you keep people at a distance because you were an orphan?”
“I’m still an orphan. That fact will never change.”
“I just want you to be happy.”
She raised a brow. “Like you? Are you going to take Noah’s offer? He’s put himself out there for you numerous times. You want him. Take him. How much longer do you think he’ll wait?”
Thea walked past her to retrieve her violin for their last set. She shouldn’t have been so harsh with Annie, but her friend needed to heed her own advice.
The crowd cheered as the band returned to the stage. Thea put her instrument on her shoulder and raised her bow. She waited for her bandmates to give her a nod, and then she pulled the bow across the strings.
The song was an exciting, hypnotic piece that stirred a special place in her soul. She closed her eyes and let herself be transported to a place far, far away. Somewhere she belonged, somewhere she felt . . . connected.
Heat suddenly rushed over her body. It was heady and exciting. And sensual. She opened her eyes and scanned the crowd. She found him towards the back, standing just on the edge of the dim lighting. His black hair was loose with part of it falling over his thick shoulder.
He had his arms crossed over his chest as he stared. At least she thought he was staring at her. She couldn’t
tell since he wore sunglasses. But she knew it was him.
Her heart started to pound. He remained in his position for the entire set of songs. And she knew because she couldn’t take her eyes off him.
When the last note of the final song played, she lowered her arms but kept her gaze on him. She didn’t care that others were calling her name or that she was drenched in sweat. He had come. And she didn’t know why.
She backed up a step before turning on her heel and making her way to the rear of the stage. Thea put her violin up before she dabbed a towel on her face to get most of the sweat off. Her hands were shaking when she put on her coat and grabbed her case.
Even as she walked to the back entrance of the tavern, she knew he would be there. Her steps were slow, her heart slamming against her ribs. She had helped him. Surely, that counted for something.
She slowly opened the door and stepped outside. Thea looked around as the heavy metal door slammed behind her. There were shadows everywhere.
“It was you,” came the deep, raspy voice.
His Irish accent was thick, his words gruff as if he hadn’t spoken in a long time. She turned her head in the direction of the voice.
He stepped from the shadows into the light from above the door, this time without the sunglasses. He was taller than she remembered. He also wore different clothes—clean ones. The dark shirt conformed to his upper body like a glove, showing off his defined physique.
“It was your music that helped me escape.”
“Escape?” she repeated.
“Thank you,” he said as he came closer.
She couldn’t look away. Her gaze was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. His mouthwatering features, his air of dominance. It drew her like a magnet. “Who are you?”
“You saved my life. I’m indebted to you until I can repay what I owe.”
No one had ever been beholden to her before, and she had to admit that she quite enjoyed having such a hunk in that position.