by Donna Grant
“A black blade,” Fintan said.
Daire couldn’t believe he was so wrapped up with Ettie and the weapon that he hadn’t realized the others had been veiled inside the house, as well. It was a good way to get himself—and everyone—killed.
“I’ve never heard of such a weapon,” Baylon said.
Neve shook her head. “Me either.”
Daire raked a hand through his hair and looked at the ground. “Forget the weapon for now. We need to discuss Bran. I don’t think he suspects we’re here, but just in case, we should spread out and be prepared for him to test the area for us. He’s already done that with me.”
“How did he miss you?” Talin asked.
Daire shrugged. “I stood behind Ettie.”
“Smart,” Kyran said.
Cael hadn’t spoken since the cottage. His gaze also hadn’t moved from Daire. “We’re taking a chance that Bran is focusing on this family and not his other descendants.”
“He’s here, though,” Neve said.
Daire shrugged. “That could be to throw us off.”
“But you don’t think so,” Kyran said.
Daire gave a shake of his head as he looked down at the cottage to see Ettie walk out and look their way. “Bran is intent on having Ettie. I thought it was something about the land because he asked her if she inherited it. She lied to him.” Daire looked at the others. “Other than Bran and us, there are no Fae in the area. The O’Byrne family has never encountered one before. They’ve been searching for Fae all these years.”
“That’s vexing,” Talin mumbled, a frown furrowing his brow.
“It’s fekking odd,” Fintan stated.
Daire squeezed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “There is a locked cabinet within the cottage. The sisters opened it for me last night. It’s filled with books and journals where every one of the girls’ ancestors got it wrong about the Fae. But, it was an old jar of dirt that Ettie pulled out, which I didn’t see until she handed it to me that’s the most troubling.”
“Why?” Cael asked.
“I sensed magic in it. It was faint.”
Baylon rubbed a hand over his jaw. “All of this is weird.”
A flash of the black sword filled Daire’s mind. “Then there’s the weapon.”
“I think there’s more to these O’Byrne women than we realize,” Cael said.
Neve fingered one of the many knives on her person. “It could be why Bran is interested in them.”
“Her,” Daire corrected. “He’s shown no interest in Jamie or Carrie. Only Ettie.”
Fintan moved to the start of the path leading down to the cottage. “We’ve set up a perimeter. If anyone crosses it or teleports in, we’ll know.”
One by one, his brethren began walking down the path, leaving Daire with Cael.
“Our perimeter is strong enough that we’ll be alerted even if Death pays us a visit,” Cael said.
Daire nodded to let Cael know he’d heard him. It was the knot of apprehension in Daire’s gut that made him wary of everything.
He turned his head to Cael. “You know what the black sword is, don’t you?”
Cael sighed and looked out over the valley below them. “There are many things we witness, hear, and read in our lives before and after we become Reapers.”
“True.”
“I don’t know facts, Daire. I want you to understand that. It’s something I read once a very long time ago when I was only a lad. It was a story about a god of war, though some said it was really a goddess. This being was war. The pictures drawn with the story showed a black sword.”
Daire knew all stories were based on fact. His head snapped toward Ettie. “You can’t think she’s related to this god or goddess.”
“Guessing will get us nowhere. But there is someone who would know.”
“Death,” Daire said.
Cael moved to stand beside him. “I’m not saying she’ll tell us anything, but we can ask. The quicker we learn the reason Bran wants Ettie, the sooner we can stop his attack.”
“I don’t think we have long.”
“I know we don’t,” Cael said.
Daire glanced at him. “I . . . ah . . . I slept with her.”
“I know.”
Two words. That was all. Daire didn’t know what he’d expected, but he was glad Cael knew. The one thing Daire hated was secrets.
“I’m going to Erith,” Cael said.
When Daire looked over, Cael was gone. He blew out a breath and started down the mountain, eager to be near Ettie again.
* * *
Cael knew he was pushing his luck by visiting Death again so soon, but he had a good reason. Never mind that he was glad he had motivation because he’d been searching for some.
His concern for Erith grew with every heartbeat, but he wouldn’t let anyone know just how worried he’d become. Or how she occupied his thoughts—both waking and dreaming.
He stepped through the Fae doorway on the small isle and immediately relaxed. There was something about Death’s realm that always comforted him. Probably because she was there.
With no time to lose, he started toward the tower. As he walked the meandering path, he expected to see her with every turn. She always knew when he arrived and was there, waiting.
Except he reached the tower without a single glimpse of her. And his worry skyrocketed.
“Cael.”
He spun around at the sound of Seamus’s voice. The Dark Fae made his way to Cael from the dense forest. Cael looked behind Seamus. “Where’s Erith?”
“She’s not here.”
Seamus was lying. Cael didn’t know how he knew, he just did. And there was only one reason Seamus would lie to him—Erith had asked him to.
That stung far more than Cael expected. He took a step back as if physically hit. Though he wanted to shout and demand Death show herself, he didn’t. Nor did he look up at the tower to see if she was at one of the many windows.
“She’s gone and didn’t tell me where,” Seamus said as he stopped at the table and chairs and lowered himself into one of the seats.
If this were the game they wanted to play, then Cael would go along with it. For now. “What has your research revealed?”
“Unfortunately, not much.”
“So you still don’t know how Bran is stealing her magic?”
Seamus stilled, his gaze snapping to Cael’s face. “Whether you believe it or not, I’m loyal to her. As strong and powerful as Erith is, she underestimated Bran, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop looking. There is something, somewhere in those books of hers, and I’ll find it.”
“Before it’s too late?”
The Fae studied him a long moment. “If it’s within my power, yes. You and your Reapers need to step up your game and help.”
“I won’t fail her.”
“She knows that,” Seamus said softly.
Cael took a deep breath and looked at the forest that surrounded the entire realm. “Have you ever heard of a black Fae blade?”
“Black, you say?” Seamus asked as he sat forward, resting his arms on the iron table.
Cael turned his head back to the Fae. “Yes.”
“Nothing definitive. Just a legend about a being of w—”
It was the way Seamus’s eyes briefly grew round that told Cael the bastard knew something.
Seamus quickly recovered and cleared his throat. “Excuse me. As I was saying, a being of war.”
Cael walked until he stood so close to Seamus that the Fae had to lean his head back to look at Cael. “Tell her I was here. And if either of you has information on this blade, we need it. It could be what ultimately ends Bran.”
With that, he spun on his heel and stalked away. As he did, the hairs on the back of his neck rose. He was being watched. And he knew by who—Death.
Chapter Fifteen
The arrival of so many Fae on the property affected each of the O’Byrne sisters. But it was more than
that. It was the restlessness, the tension, and the unease that grew like silent, grotesque entities all around them.
And there was nothing Ettie could do about it.
She’d believed she would feel better with the Reapers there. But that’s not what happened. She stood outside, looking at the mountains. The Reapers were veiled, so she never knew exactly where they were, but it didn’t stop her nervousness.
Or maybe it was the thought of the upcoming battle that made her jump at every sound.
It didn’t matter how much training she had, nothing could prepare her for an actual battle. And that’s exactly what was coming. Worse, it was a clash involving magic.
Her gaze turned to the garage where Jamie had the bonnet of the car raised as she leaned over it, looking at the engine. It had been ten minutes since Jamie moved. She held a tool in hand, but her mind was elsewhere.
Ettie swiveled her head to the other side and looked through the window at Carrie. Her sister had been cooking nonstop. It was what she did when she was anxious.
The calm Ettie had always relied upon at the cottage was shattered. She didn’t blame Daire or the Reapers. The fault lay with Bran.
Ettie raised her hands and turned them palm up as she looked at them. Bran was coming for her. It didn’t matter why, only that she was able to ready herself.
But how did one prepare for such an event? She would fight. It wasn’t in her to stand meekly by as Bran said or did whatever he intended. It was in her bones, in her very spirit to stand for what she believed in, to defend her family, her home, and herself.
She hadn’t been raised to be a lady. She’d been raised to be a warrior. Her father had warned her to be ready, and though she didn’t know if Bran was what he’d meant, it really didn’t matter.
Because she was ready.
Whether she had a Fae weapon or not, she would fight. She might die within the first few seconds of battle, but at least her sisters would see that she’d tried, that she’d given it her all.
A cold chill slithered down her spine in warning. She dropped her arms and slowly lifted her head. Then she turned and came face-to-face with Bran.
“Ah, I thought so,” he said pensively.
She wasn’t worried about Bran’s arrival. The Reapers were there, but that didn’t stop the flutter of fear and dread. So she raised a brow. “What are you talking about?”
“How long have you known who I was?”
Ettie briefly thought about lying, but what was the point? “A few days. You were too . . . aggressive in your approach.”
He gave her a flat look. “You were dying for male attention. It wouldn’t have mattered what I looked like. You would’ve still acted the same.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jamie take notice of them and straighten. Ettie didn’t look her way or to the cottage. Bran’s attention needed to be all on her, not her sisters.
“Maybe. Maybe not. The fact is, you screwed up,” Ettie said. “You were too concerned with my sisters liking you and learning if this land was mine when you should’ve been trying to sleep with me.”
“If I wanted you in my bed, you would’ve been there.”
His retort didn’t hurt her as it might have weeks earlier. “What do you want?”
“You know.”
She widened her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. “If I did, I wouldn’t have asked.”
“I believe you. Because if you knew, you wouldn’t speak with such insolence.”
“Then tell me.”
His gaze narrowed as he gradually began to smile. “I don’t think so. I rather enjoy the thought of you fretting over something you can neither change nor stop.”
Ettie fought not to say Daire’s name. Why weren’t the Reapers attacking? What were they waiting for? She didn’t care what Bran wanted. She only needed him gone. Forever.
Bran chuckled and shook his head. “It’s sad, really.”
“What?” She couldn’t seem to help herself. Even though she knew he was egging her on and she should keep her mouth shut, she kept the conversation going.
“You sided with the wrong people. The Reapers can’t help you.”
Her stomach fell to her feet like lead. How had he guessed?
Bran’s smile was gone as he took a step toward her, his face lined with anger. “We’ve clashed so many times. I know their methods. Just as they know they can’t hurt me. It’s why they’ve not attacked. That is what you’ve been waiting on, isn’t it?”
She didn’t think it was possible to feel such hate for someone, but Ettie was literally shaking with fury. She refused to confirm or deny anything. “Leave.”
“I’ll decide when I’m done with you.”
“No.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Perhaps I should demonstrate just how powerful I am.”
He snapped his fingers, an evil smile in place. Then he pointed toward the house. Ettie looked at Carrie and found a tall Fae with blazing red eyes behind her sister.
“Carrie!” Ettie shouted.
But it was too late. Just like that, the Fae took her sister.
Ettie swung around to Jamie in time to see Jamie slam the bonnet down on the hands of a Fae before turning and grabbing one of their training staffs.
A smile grew on Ettie’s face as she watched Jamie fight, but it was short-lived. The Fae threw what looked like a bubble toward the staff, and it disintegrated the weapon immediately.
And then Jamie was gone, too.
Ettie fisted her hands at her sides. Where the hell were Daire and the Reapers?
“Was it Cael who promised to protect you?” Bran asked. “Which Reaper assured you they could safeguard you from me?”
She glared at him, despising him with everything she was. “No one told me anything. I figured out you were Fae all on my one. So go feck yourself.”
“The Reapers can’t stand against me. They know they can’t win either. I will kill each and every one of them. You need to understand you’re on your own. Because where are they now?” he asked with his arms wide as he looked around.
She didn’t want to talk about the Reapers. Not now. “Where are my sisters?”
“I’ll be holding them.” Bran dropped his arms and smiled at her. “They’ll be returned as soon as you give me what I want.”
“I can’t until you tell me what it is.”
“You’ll sign over this land and your home as well as all of your belongings to me.”
Of all the things she’d thought he might want, that was a strange request. “And if I don’t?”
“You’ll never see your sisters again.”
The full comprehension that she was well and truly alone in this was like having a boulder dropped on her. She wanted to cry and scream and hit something—namely, Bran.
Daire wasn’t there for her to turn to and ask for guidance. He claimed to know Bran, and that could’ve been an asset. If Bran had actually been there for her. Now, however, she’d have to go with her gut.
She was sick to her stomach at the knowledge that she had trusted Bran and the Reapers. And for what? When she needed them, they hadn’t helped her. Her sisters were now under Bran’s control, which meant that Ettie would do whatever he wanted.
“If I do this, my sisters will be returned, unharmed?” she asked.
Bran wrinkled his face, his lips twisting. “Relatively unharmed.”
“If anyone touches them with or without magic, this deal is off.”
“I can’t be responsible for what my men do.”
She gave him a derisive look. “You just told me you were powerful enough to do whatever you want. Now you can’t control your men? I’m beginning to think you’re all talk and no action.”
If she wanted a reaction from him, she got it in the way his nostrils flared with fury as his eyes shot daggers at her.
“Best see to Jamie and Carrie,” she told him.
“You’ve got until the end of the day to turn everything over to me.”
&n
bsp; That gave her precious little time to . . . what? It wasn’t as if there was a plan or anything. Halfling or not, she couldn’t stand against Bran and his army. Still, something told her to ask for more time.
“I need more than a handful of hours to—”
“What?” Bran interrupted. “Pack? You’re leaving with the clothes you have on your back and nothing else. Not even your sister’s vehicle.” He smirked at her. “See you at sunset.”
The silence after he departed was so loud that her ears rang with it. She closed her eyes as a wealth of emotions threatened to pull her under.
After being in Daire’s arms, she’d believed that everything would work out. How could it not with a Fae such as he by her side? And then the rest of the Reapers came. They were set to win.
Daire spoke of taking precautions so Bran wouldn’t know the Reapers were there. Either Daire lied, or Bran was that good. Not that it mattered now. Because the Reapers had left her all alone to deal with a madman.
She walked into the cottage and stood by the door. Her gaze wandered around the kitchen to the biscuits, scones, and cakes Carrie had made. There was also enough breakfast food to feed an army twice over.
Ettie made her way to the stove and shut off everything. Usually, she couldn’t pass up anything Carrie baked, but the delicious aromas did nothing for her now.
She walked to the cabinet and put her hand atop the ancient piece for a few moments. Then she continued on, pausing at the doorways of her sisters’ bedrooms before ending up in hers.
The rumpled bed and the indent on the second pillow were reminders that Daire had stayed the night with her. Images of them making love beneath the sultry Greek moon flashed in her mind. It was all too much for her to handle.
She leaned back against the wall and slid down as tears filled her eyes. Ettie covered her face with her hands and released the flood. She cried so hard her shoulders shook, her body aching at Daire’s betrayal.
Was anything he told her true? She’d felt sorry for him and how his friends deceived him. It was the one thing she figured he’d never do to her because he knew how it felt. So why had he?