Lorehnin: A Novel of the Otherworld

by Johnson, Jenna Elizabeth

  “Do you come here often?” I asked Mikael by way of distraction.

  “Yes,” he murmured all too close to my ear. “I own the place.”

  Of course he did. I wondered what other secrets he was ready to tell . . .

  I was preparing myself to push in that direction when he spoke again, “You know Robyn, I’ve been thinking. Ever since that Samhain bonfire, I’ve wondered what it would be like if you hadn’t recoiled from my advances.”

  I swallowed and pulled slightly away from him. His gaze was intense, and for a fleeting second I thought I’d lose control of the situation.

  “What do you mean?” I breathed.

  He leaned in, his lids lowered and his mouth curving in a self-satisfied grin. I hissed in a gust of breath when his lips brushed my neck.

  “The two of us, together,” he whispered. “I could protect you from the faelah, even bring you to the Otherworld with me if you wish. Have you ever wondered what the Otherworld is like, Robyn? It’s a place of magic and wonder, far more enchanting than the mortal world. In Eile, I am a powerful man. You would be like a queen beside me.”

  All of a sudden, a cool rush of emotion swept over me and I could see exactly what he was talking about. The green, verdant hills and the deep, wild forests. Dark, heavy storm clouds floating over snowcapped mountains and the brilliant, indescribable tingle of magic coursing through my blood. I felt a little dizzy and light, something I had attributed to the alcohol in my drink, but perhaps Mikael was using his glamour on me.

  Fight it Robyn, fight it! I told myself. If you hadn’t been so sure of his lies before, you most definitely know now. His promises of taking me to the Otherworld were false. I knew for a fact that mortals couldn’t cross over, or else I’d be hanging out with Meghan in her castle every weekend.

  “That does sound amazing,” I breathed, doing my best to come off as a hapless mortal enchanted by his words.

  He smiled against my skin and continued to kiss me. Squirming would send some really bad signals right now, so I closed my eyes and once again imagined Devlin holding me in his arms. We made a few turns on the dance floor, swaying along to the music, the other people surrounding us offering just enough room to maneuver.

  At some point, I opened my eyes, my gaze settling on someone near the far end of the crowd at the club’s entrance. At first, I thought I was hallucinating, especially because my brain could not conjure up a good reason for him to be here. But then the strobe light paused and there was no longer any doubt. Devlin O’Brolaigh was standing just inside the entrance to Noctaine, his attention pinned to me, his eyes practically on fire. It was at that moment that my senses returned and I realized Mikael was still kissing his way up my neck. Panicking, I pushed away from him while turning him gently so that his back was to Devlin. I still hadn’t learned as much about the Daramorr as I’d wanted to, but I had to get out of here.

  “Sorry,” I muttered breathlessly, giving Mikael a coy smile. “But where is the ladies’ room?”

  Mikael seemed to pull himself out of his own daze, the slight scowl on his face proof that he didn’t like my sudden retreat.

  “I just need to check my makeup,” I rasped as I pulled further away.

  That slow, dangerous smile that often frightened and thrilled me made an appearance. “No you don’t,” he drawled, his voice as smooth as silk. “You are perfect.”

  He leaned down and nuzzled my neck once again, his tongue caressing my skin. I gasped and shivered, and every instinct in my body encouraged me to move closer to him, but I resisted. Not tonight. Not now. Not ever.

  I shook my head. “Please, I’ll only be a few minutes. Besides,” I added with a flirtatious smile, “I need a break. You overwhelm me.”

  He seemed pleased by this and at last relinquished his hold on me.

  “The ladies’ room is in the back, behind the bar.”

  Mikael gestured in the opposite direction of the club’s entrance and I nodded, too terrified to check and see if Devlin was still standing near the front of the building. When I made it to the hallway that led to the bathrooms, I spotted a set of double doors with a neon sign reading EXIT posted above them. A quick glance over my shoulder informed me that Mikael had returned to our booth and become distracted by a set of young girls who had cornered him into a conversation. Good. I returned my gaze to the front of the club, where I found Devlin again. He was impossible to miss, what with his height and the aggression streaming off him. By some miracle of the Celtic gods, Mikael hadn’t seen him yet, but that would definitely change. Devlin seemed intent on reaching the Daramorr, and with the purpose of his stride I knew if the two had a confrontation, it wouldn’t end well.

  Devlin! No! Look at me, over here! I screamed in my mind.

  Several desperate heartbeats later, his eyes found their way to me. I wave one hand, keeping it low so as not to catch Mikael’s attention, then inclined my head toward the exit. My jacket was back in the booth with Mikael, but keeping Devlin away from him was far more important than keeping warm once I exited the building. Besides, I planned on heading home as soon as I was out. My purse and my jacket weren’t as important as Devlin’s life. And besides, there was nothing in there I regretted losing except maybe some cash. My driver’s license, house key and cell phone were in my jeans pocket, so there was no need to return to the booth.

  With slight apprehension, I wondered if the back doors were alarmed and if opening them would announce my escape. The music from the club could drown out a police siren, but I was jumpy from the events of the evening. One last look into the dark, noisy building informed me that Devlin had seen my intent and was headed back toward the entrance, presumably to meet me once we had both escaped this crazy place.

  Dizzy from the noise, lights and Mikael’s seductive glamour, I slammed my hip against the club’s back door, stumbling out into the night air like a fish dumped onto a ship’s deck. For several minutes, I merely stood in the back lot taking deep, soothing breaths of icy air. As soon as my senses returned, dread pooled in the pit of my stomach. Where on earth had Devlin come from? He’d looked like a warrior pulled from an ancient battlefield, his eyes sharp and his stance aggressive. And he had seen me dancing close to Mikael. I groaned and covered my face with my hands. He would view it as the worst kind of betrayal. My head shot up as the last vestiges of Mikael’s seductive glamour fizzled away. Devlin wasn’t inside the club anymore. He had been heading back toward the entrance and might even be making his way to me right now.

  I was about to turn and sneak around the side of the building when a low snarl reached my ears. Oh crap. Not more faelah. But tonight wasn’t my night. I peered down the dark alley and locked gazes with a great white wolf. Double crap. Mikael’s spirit guide. I would have braved going back into the club, but the door I’d escaped through was locked. Swallowing my fear, I glanced down the alley once more. The wolf had lain down on the ground, its intelligent eyes watching me. I took a step backward, then another. The spirit guide didn’t move. Okay. Maybe it was just meant to guard the old warehouse. Or the Faelorehn man inside of it. My boots weren’t really meant for long strolls, but it seemed I had no other choice.

  Gritting my teeth and making a decision, I leaned down and pulled off my shoes then headed toward the footbridge spanning the gully behind the building. Cold, scraped feet were much better than sprained ankles, in my opinion, and if I was really lucky I wouldn’t run into anything else tonight. I only hoped that Devlin didn’t go back into the club looking for me when I didn’t show up in front of the building.

  -Twenty-Two-

  Confrontation

  Half an hour later, I turned down my street only to remember that my housemates had invited half the city over for their raging New Year’s Eve party. Lovely. That’s all I needed to end this harrowing night, a bunch of drunk guys making suggestive comments as I tried to sneak back into my apartment. Well, at least the wolf hadn’t followed me but maybe it had more important things to do than chase
after foolish mortal girls who thought they could trick Faelorehn men into giving up their deepest, darkest secrets. I bit my lip in frustration as I limped across the lawn, my feet sore from my barefoot stroll.

  I was about a hundred yards from the house when someone stepped out of the shadows, scaring me nearly half to death.

  “What in Donn’s dark underworld were you doing in that building!?” Devlin hissed, moving toward me like an angry boar.

  Blinking in surprise, I stopped dead in my tracks.

  Devlin took one aggressive step forward and grabbed my arms. “And what were you doing dancing with the Daramorr!”

  His grip tightened when I didn’t answer right away and my anger boiled over. I flung my arms down, breaking free of his hold.

  “I was trying to discover where he’s been hiding in the mortal world! Trying to get him to spill his secrets so that you can fulfill your duty to the high queen. And I almost had him, Devlin! A little bit longer and he would have been telling me all sorts of useful things. But then you appeared out of thin air and ruined it all!”

  Boy was I ticked. To think, I’d been all ready to forgive Devlin, and here he was acting crazy again.

  “No,” Devlin snapped. “You didn’t almost have him. He almost had you. You would have fallen under his spell, and then I’d be back at the beginning, only this time he would be stronger because he would have secured that strange magic you carry around. The gods and goddesses only know what that might do to his own glamour.”

  My stomach began to churn, and suddenly I wanted to be anywhere in the world but right where I was. He was only worried about me because if Mikael succeeded, then he’d be harder to defeat, not because I might be dead. I was just another mortal, an unfortunate loss but a necessary sacrifice.

  Devlin must have sensed the sudden change, because that hot anger radiating off of him cooled. “Robyn,” he said in a softer voice, reaching out a hand.

  “No,” I rasped. “No, stay away from me.” Time to throw away all of my foolish ideas about mending our friendship. Clearly, it was over.

  I tried to finish the short journey to my door, but Devlin cut me off. Oh, no way was he going to stop me. I was so angry that I lifted my hand and with some degree of horror, watched as it flew through the air to make contact with his face. Only thing was, he was faster. He caught my wrist and turned burning eyes on my own. My other hand decided to finish the job. With a fierce growl, I threw all my weight behind the attack, but curse Devlin, he caught that one too.

  I struggled to get free, my rage so fierce my skin felt impossibly hot. Devlin easily held me off, pinning my wrists behind my back so I couldn’t attack him. That’s when I started kicking. I managed to connect my heel with his shin, and he grunted. I took advantage of this small reprieve and shoved him hard against his chest, managing to make him move to the side. Brushing past him, I pulled my keys out of my pocket, finding them right away for the first time in my life, and shoved my house key into the lock. The turmoil rolling off of me should have been enough to knock out an elephant, but something told me that no amount of energy I could muster would be enough to overwhelm Devlin. I barely managed to unlock the door before his hand descended onto my shoulder, turning me around to face him. I ended up with my back pressed against the door. It was time to put an end to this childish confrontation of ours. Devlin obviously wasn’t through with our argument, but I most definitely was.

  I took a breath to scream obscenities at his refusal to leave me in peace, but I never made it that far. Devlin’s mouth found mine and in a flash second, my anger scattered as instinct took over. The kiss was not, by any means, gentle. His lips pressed hard against mine, hot and demanding, and his body trapped me against my apartment door. My anger raged on, only now I recognized it as something else: intense fear quickly burning away into desire. Forgetting about my vulnerable heart and my irritation at Devlin and everything that had gone wrong that evening, I gave him back just as much as he was giving to me. My hands shot up and I groaned as my fingers raked through his silky hair. Oh, how long I had wanted to do that.

  During this whole ridiculous, immature tirade, neither of us spoke a word to the other. We were running on pure emotion and passion. All the tension that had built up between us finally breaking down the barriers we had constructed with our own stubborn pride.

  “Get a room!” someone shouted rudely over the din pouring from the house above.

  As the guy’s friends added their own bawdy laughter, Devlin pulled his mouth from mine. I felt suddenly cold, and only his tight grip on me kept me from collapsing to the ground. Devlin leaned in and pressed his lips to my ear.

  “Well?” he asked, his voice deeper and huskier than usual, the heat from his body nearly suffocating me. “Should we take his advice?”

  My neurons were misfiring like nobody’s business, but somehow I managed a nod.

  “Y-yes,” I murmured. I lifted my eyes to meet his, their pale blue color almost glowing.

  Devlin smiled softly, all the anger gone from his face. He leaned in and kissed me again, this one softer, more sensual than the one from before.

  When the kiss was finally over, he whispered, his hand reaching behind me and turning the knob on my door, “I think I know just the place.”

  Once inside my apartment, with the door shut and locked behind us, any remaining ties to caution and rational thought were washed away. Devlin lifted me so that our faces were on the same level. I wrapped my legs around his waist and clasped my hands behind his neck before leaning in to kiss him again. Tomorrow, a week from now, next month. Any day, he could leave and never come back, whether he finally cornered the Daramorr and completed his mission or got called back to the Otherworld to resume his life there. I had to enjoy his company while I could.

  Yes, if I let this night continue in the direction it was heading, it would hurt like hell when Devlin left. But by the gods of the Otherworld, I would worry about that pain later. There was too much to feel and see and breathe in at the moment, and all I wanted to do was get lost in it all.

  Eventually, we made it to my bed and Devlin brought both of us down gently, never once breaking our kiss. Between my sophomore year in high school and now, I’d had my fair share of boyfriends, so it wasn’t as if I was inexperienced with the opposite sex, but this was an entirely different world Devlin was opening up for me. The tempo of the music and general clamor of the party above raged on, mimicking the rhythmic, primitive pulse of my heart as Devlin and I worked together to expose bare skin. I could feel myself falling deeper and deeper, and there was nothing in this world or the Otherworld that was going to stop me.

  * * *

  I woke up the next morning practically smashed against the back wall of the closet that acted as my make-shift bedroom. My eyes shot open and I stared at the wall that held me captive, only inches away from my nose. As I tried to unwedge myself from whatever had me trapped, I realized I’d also lost my pajamas during the night. Oh wait, I hadn’t lost them. I’d never put them on to begin with.

  Cursing, I flung my arm out to pull myself away from the wall and ended up smacking something big, warm and solid. For a fraction of a second, I was completely dazed but then I realized what it was that had me pinned against the wall. Devlin. I bit my lip, the memories from the night before crackling through my mind like electricity.

  The scene at Noctaine, Mikael’s seductive and unwanted touch; Devlin’s sudden, unexpected appearance and the argument in front of my apartment; his possessive, unyielding kiss followed by . . . I groaned and ran my hands over my face.

  Devlin must have heard me because he stirred, his huge frame stretching across the entire bed. No wonder I was so cramped. I guess it could have been worse. Had I been on the other side of him, I’d probably be on the floor. Devlin turned his head and his eyes fluttered open. For a few terrifying seconds his expression was one of confusion.

  Oh dear gods, I thought as my heart raced, he regrets last night.

 
; Then he smiled, a lazy, satisfied smile, baring those perfect teeth that nearly lit up the dark room.

  “Your bed is far roomier than your futon, and much less lonely,” he murmured, picking up a strand of my hair and playing with it.

  I returned his smile, my apprehension dissipating. “Well, roomier for you maybe.”

  In response, he scooped me up and rolled the both of us over so that I faced the outside edge of the bed. I released a squeal of delighted outrage as he pulled me in for another kiss, his warm, bare skin pressing so comfortably against mine.

  For a few moments, we simply lay there, studying each other. I lifted my hand and ran my fingers over his face, memorizing each detail so it would remain always in my mind. His straight nose, his well-formed ears and the silver hoops in them, his strong chin and the suggestion of a collection of tattoos that adorned the skin that remained mostly hidden under the sheets. As my fingertips trailed over his lips, Devlin opened his mouth and playfully nipped at them.

  He reached out his own fingers and mimicked my actions, then sighed ever so softly. “I understand now why my mother did it,” he murmured.

  “Did what?” I asked sleepily.

  “Traveled here to the mortal world to be with my father.”

  Pleased by his comment but unwilling to analyze it any further, I sat up a little and brought a corner of the sheet with me. “You never did tell me that story.”

  Devlin propped his elbow up to match my position. “You already know that I’m Lorehnin, that my mother was of the Otherworld and that my father is of this one.”

  I sighed and curled even closer to Devlin, pressing my back against his broad chest. It kept me from falling off the bed, but more importantly, I was determined to be as close to him as I could. Our recent disagreements had not been resolved with what had happened last night. Devlin had not completed his task here in the mortal world and in the end he would still leave for Eile, and I would still be left behind, wondering if I’d just been a fling in the mortal world; wondering if I’d ever see him again. But at the moment I didn’t want to think about any of that.