Pushing her hands through her hair Alex shuddered at the malice she had unleashed on
a male who had always made her welcome. The Bard was distant and alluring, but rarely
did he make her feel inferior.
“Take my hand Aingeal, I promise you will be happy with the outcome of this journey.”
Standing to tower over the female he laced his fingers with hers in a spark of static that
offered a fascinating meeting of like souls.
The shimmer of translocation brought them to the shores of the lake. Taking a moment to
steady her legs, Alex realised they had moved through dimensions not taken the route of
the portal. “How did you do that?”
Face to face with Teague she noted swirls of opaque white clouding his eyes.
“My powers grow in strength due to the formation of a new court. Previous limitations are
no longer a bane to the Queen’s enforcers.” Lifting his hands to her shoulders, the Bard
turned Alex to view her new home.
“They’re finished…?” Sinking back against his chest Alex wanted to cry. She had watched
the first one being erected on Cat’s lawn, the warriors disguised in human form as they
soaked up instructions, ready to lend a hand when asked.
Another dream had been realised. A string of yurts formed a V formation to be swallowed
up by the surrounding trees.
“Aye Aingeal, the foremost is yours. Iscatya had us transport thy belongings from the
residence. I hope you approve…?” His whisper flowed across her cheek with the caress of a
balmy night.
“I approve wholeheartedly…” Tears fell onto peach tinted cheeks unashamedly.
“Thank you.” Alex clutched at his fingers. “Which one is yours?”
Leading her forward Teague indicated to the Yurt on the right. He would be at her side
whenever the Angel of Edanholme was in residence.
“Oh… That’s pretty close.” Too bloody close for her peace of mind.
“Do you object to my presence Aingeal?” His hand tightened on her fingers.
“No, not really, I enjoy solitude that’s all.” She could lie artfully, where he couldn’t.
“You will be busy doing what you do. I have tasks to fulfil also. The yurts have no significance
except to sleep.” The cold facts of the situation calmed her heart. The placing of the yurts
was not ideal, but it meant he was close if she needed him. Oh God she needed him, more
than Teague could ever know.
“Go sleep with the angels, nothing will harm thee here.” With a bow he escorted her to the
entrance of the yurt. In a different world Alex would have invited the Bard to join her.
She wanted to feel safe in his arms throughout the night. A dream wasted on a male who
showed nothing more than tranquil acceptance of an alien presence in his paradise.
Waking to the pale pink light of dawn Alex stretched languorously, the soft fur under her skin
tempted her to turn over and dream some more. She had a place to lay her head in the Sidhe
realm, one free of needy women. Surrounded by warrior males she felt safe and protected for
the first time in ages. The brothers had made it their business to place her home exactly where
she wanted it to be, on the shores of an inviting lake.
Pulling on a one piece bathing suit, Alex crept from the yurt, easing into deep water she stroked
out to the tiny island that had beckoned to her for weeks. She would love to have her yurt on the
small strip of land, but common sense prevailed. There was a difference between solitude and
isolation. She would have to depend on one of the males to transport her to the encampment
or face a long swim each way. Stepping up onto the shelving beach Alex hunkered down to
watch as each warrior emerged from the yurts.
Teague glanced around before shimmering to leave in a blue white mist. Phelan and Turi
shifted to animal form heading away from the encampment.
Kynthelig stripped down to leather breeches before entering the lake in a slicing dive.
The surface was a mill pond. Getting to her feet Alex scanned the expanse of clear water with
growing anxiety, Kynthelig should have surfaced by now. Before panic threw her back into the
water, head and shoulders surfaced mere feet from her. Shaking drops of moisture from long
blonde plaits he grinned, a wide reveal of gleaming white teeth.
“Come back into the water angel, I will teach thee to hunt down a fitting meal for the saviour
of the Sidhe.” Treading water, the warrior waited for her compliance.
“Cat’s not here Kynthelig…” Slipping into the water Alex side stroked round the massive
figure of the Queen’s enforcer.
“I was not referring to Iscatya. Come…” He gave the challenge before diving deep.
Sucking down oxygen in deep lungs-full, Alex flipped over to follow the warrior, certain that
his alternate form had to be a seal. She must remember to ask him sometime.
Following the undulating contours of sand Alex watched for the signs of blow holes before
her oxygen ran out. She had spent a wonderful day in the company of a bevy of attentive
males bent on securing her regard. Free from stress, free of the need to be careful that she
didn’t overstep the frigid barriers erected by Teague, Alex laughed and played with his
brothers. Bubbles rose in her peripheral vision. Striking fast she dug into the sand to get a
grip on the rose tinted shell of a huge scallop. Feet kicking out she headed for the sun.
Teague was waiting as she broached the surface with a yell of triumph.
He had approached the edge of the lake on silent feet, fearful of finding a lifeless body.
Kynthelig had informed him of Aingeal’s ability in the water with a secretive smile. To keep
up with the guide’s harsh pace one had to be either superhuman or dogmatic.
Lady Alex fit the mould of dogmatic. She was but human, with the limited gifts of humanity
he feared for her safety.
Shell in hand Alex swam overarm to the water’s edge to drop the scallop on a growing pile.
With a wave she flipped over to dive deep.
Teague followed the trail of her passage with the breath catching in his throat, fear held him
paralysed. He had once loved the water, but the old Queen’s torturer had cured him of that
love.
Breaching the surface a tiny female held onto two more shells, a smile of satisfaction on her
face. Tossing the shells overhand, she swam gracefully to look up at the fully armoured Sidhe
warrior.
“Aren’t you warm in all that regalia Teague? Come in and swim with me…” Sapphire eyes
beguiled him to join her. Shaking his head the Bard crouched down close to the water’s edge.
“I feel neither heat nor cold. I need no water to cool the heat of my blood.” Violet hued eyes
strayed over the contours of an angelic face absorbing the sunshine of an ingenuous smile.
“Ok, if you won’t swim with me, will you eat with me?” Easing out of the water Alex sat on
a wide stone shelf to wring water from long strands of black hair.
“Gladly, if it pleases thee…” His eyes dropped to the outlines of a curvaceous body, drinking
in the essence of true femininity. A gasp left his lips a the bruises and raw abrasions running
over inner thighs.
Oh shit, her heart raced at the misplaced anger on his face. Alex could let him come to his
own conclusions, they would be wrong, but the mere chance he was jealous made her heart
/> soar. “I’ve been bare back riding with Turi…” The light in his eyes darkened to deep purple.
“He’s teaching me to ride a horse.” She watched the darkness lighten before throwing the
next brand on the fire.
“Although riding bare back on Phelan’s wolf was amazing…” She hadn’t expected the sub
sonic growl that made her ears ache.
“We elected to track down tonight’s meal for the encampment.” Her voice was low, daring
the Bard to take offence at an innocent adventure.
“And what of the brother’s Charon and Fintan…?” He held her gaze with an unwavering glare.
This was all that he had feared. Once Aingeal made her home among the Sidhe, the warriors
would trade favours in the hope of securing an innocent.
“They make me laugh.”
Wrapping a towel around her waist Alex stared him down. If he wanted to make an argument
out of a day she had thoroughly enjoyed, Teague was wasting his time. The warriors had been
both courteous and gentle. Ok… So Turi was pretty obvious where he planned to go.
But she had managed to dispel his philandering ideas. The bear was big and strong, he would
make any woman drool at the thought of taking him to bed, but he wasn’t the Bard.
Alex had made her decision. She would have none of them as a lover, contrary to popular
belief. She was sure that Drusal had placed bets on her decimating the enforcers. More fool
him for listening to gossip.
Alex had her pride. She actually had a moral code. If her conduct could be seen as wanton
and harmful, then it wasn’t going to happen however much she was tempted.
“I have had the most restful and inspiring day of my life, don’t spoil it for me.” Scooping the
scallops into a bucket of water, Alex carried it back to the fire pit in front of her yurt.
Settling down cross legged on the grass she went to work with a sharp knife.
“Give that to me Aingeal, I will clean the fish whilst you dress.” Husky voiced with longing
to be all that she needed, Teague went to work with a vengeance.
Alex slipped under the entrance to the yurt. The Bard was an enigma. He appeared on her
doorstep, traded music with her and still he was remote.
Come on Alex, you want remote, you want to steer clear of an entanglement that could serve
no purpose other than basic gratification. Why do you care? I care because I love him, her
heart screamed at her. Yes, you love him, but you can’t have him.
Donning shorts and t-shirt Alex ventured out into a tranquil scene.
Teague had placed the fish she had caught on skewers, the scallops broiling in pink shells.
Handing Alex a whole fish enveloped in a broad frond he smiled, a warm smile of friendship
and trust.
“I misread the signs Aingeal. I feared that my brothers had been overly zealous in their regard.”
Tasting a flake of the fish she had caught with her own hands, Alex felt whole.
Her life had been a disaster until she met Cat. No parents, except the ones thrust upon her,
she had never had brothers or sisters, now she had. However long Eden lasted for her, she
would embrace the dream. If it meant she would never have the love of a male, fine, her
heart could cope with loss. It had been lost for twenty odd years. Her eyes showed none of
the yearning in her soul as she lifted them to Teague.
“Will you sing for me Bard?” If she could have nothing else, at least she would hear him sing.
“What would you have me sing Aingeal?” Laying down a scallop, Teague licked the juices from
his fingers.
“Anything… I don’t care. I just want to hear you sing for the joy of it.” Sapphire eyes glowed in
the twilight.
Teague could deny his Angel nothing. A soft refrain rang out into the heavens. The lilting
melody of the Glen of Imaal tugged at her heartstrings at a cry of lost love.
The huskiness of a voice so deep and strong brought his brothers to the camp fire to join
in a chorus of longing. Alex curled up in the grass. She slipped into sleep with a lullaby
remembered from a distant past. Someone had sung this air to her.
A mother, a father, Alex had no clue, other than once long ago she had been loved. Before
the hard times of her adolescence, there had been hope. That hope had been sullied,
quashed by the need for survival in a harsh world.
Waking alone, tucked into furs bathed in the pink tinged light of day, Alex knew that
whatever she had shared with the warriors yesterday would have to sustain her heart in the
foreseeable future. Each day would bring more of the same. More Sidhe refugees to cast
doubt on the competence of a mere human female to sustain the life they were used to.
Cat was too distracted, conferring with Phillipe, Regent of the Dark Court of vampires to
recognise that bigotry was alive and well, it lived and breathed in paradise in defiance of
the Queen’s mandate that all were welcome, whatever species they derived from.
One day the shit would hit the fan…
Alex wanted to be there when it happened, just to say I told you so.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The spreading branches of a laden fruit tree arched overhead as Alex leant her weight
against the trunk, arms crossed over her breast. A small frown creased her brow, eyes
locked onto a steady stream of refugees heading towards the meeting hall.
A long arm reached above her head to snatch a ripe red fruit off the branch.
“Hungry Aingeal…?” The husky whisper played havoc with her heart. Teague was beautiful
and strong, and occasionally playful. Mostly he was sealed away in a private place no-one
was allowed to see or know.
“Mmmm…” Alex leaned towards him, eyes lifting to devour every inch of a serene face.
“I’m always hungry.” Normally just looking at him made her want to smile. Today she felt
grumpy. Today she was expected to be welcoming to the refugees.
Violet eyes fell to her lips as she sank pearly white teeth into the succulent fruit.
Teague sensed the disquiet in a rigid stance. Clad in t-shirt and denim shorts, Alex’s usual
attire in the warmth of the never ending summer of Edanholme, her body was lusciously
curved, a decadent temptation for any unattached male. The glow of purity and innocence
that delineated her aura appeared dimmed, sapphire eyes clouded with repressed anger.
“What ails thee Aingeal?” Leaning broad shoulders into the bark of the tree he slipped
beside her in a protective stance.
“Same shit, different day…” Hand gripping at the fruit, Alex indicated with her index finger
at the milling Sidhe. “Them….” She almost growled in frustration.
“They’re so superior and arrogant, assuming everyone is here to do their bidding, including
Cat. Not one of them has acknowledged her as their rightful Queen.” There, she had said it
out loud. It rankled that her best friend didn’t put an insufferable species in their place.
But no, Cat had vowed there would be no throne in Edanholme.
“Ahhh, Aingeal….” Teague blew out a breath. “They are but dignified in adversity.”
He wanted to wipe the frown from her forehead. Aingeal had to deal with housing his
Sidhe brothers and sisters, the lone human in a microcosm of eternal beings.
To pure bred Fae, human-kind were classed as servants and occasionally playthings,
unworthy of respect. Aingeal had taught them differently.
Every new arrival became a battle for the Angel of Edanholme to win approval and a
measure of respect.
“Nope…” She leaned into his broad chest, unconsciously seeking some warmth, some
friendship.
“Like I said, superior, arrogant, exquisite and frigidly unapproachable, much like you.”
Alex gasped when she realised she had voiced the frustration in her mind, had craved the
support of his body then insulted the Bard. She tensed waiting for Teague to repulse her.
Instead he stroked her hair, calming the whisper of fear that had gripped at her heart.
“Am I so unapproachable Lady Alex?” The soft rasp of his voice held surprise.
Daring to look into glowing violet eyes Alex nodded. Her heart skipped a beat, a breath
caught in her throat in an effort to choke her. He wasn’t angry, the delicious smile on his
face was softly amused.
“Yes… No... Sometimes, maybe…” She mumbled out the truth as she had lived it.
“At times it would be simpler to cut out my tongue than have a conversation with you.”
She felt unaccountably brave with his arm sliding across her shoulders, warm against her
skin. Teague’s smile widened into a full grin, making her heart beat speed up and desire
well hot and aching in her belly.
“Aye… T’would cause thee pain and prove messy Aingeal…” A husky chuckle brushed cool
air across her cheek.
“Is this not a conversation?” Canted violet eyes creased at the corners, serenity had been
put aside in a surprising show of mirth. Teague was fascinated by the emotions cascading
across her face.
Consternation was uppermost at present. Her aura was replenished, fear and frustration
forgotten as sapphire eyes went wide, full lips falling open in a soft ‘Oh’ of surprise.
“Ok… Then I cut out your tongue, definitely less painful for me.”
A bark of laughter rumbled through his chest. A bigger shock than the arm that tightened
around her neck. Leaning down Teague rubbed his forehead against hers, an intimacy
never seen by Alex or his brothers.
“It has been tried my Aingeal…. Aye, it has been tried.” A whisper of breath touched her
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