by Lisa Cardiff
Avery casually dismissed his hand from her back with a shrug. She ordered a coffee and a scone while he pulled out his phone to check his messages.
As she was about to pay, she turned to him and said, “Do you want anything?”
He looked up from his phone and took a deep breath. He was trying to send a quick text to Aerin with an update. Frustrated with Avery’s interruption, Kalen flicked his wrist and then curtly responded, “No, I’m fine.”
Avery grabbed her scone and cup of coffee from the counter and walked to an adjacent counter holding cream and sugar. As she passed a light green built-in bookshelf holding some tourist brochures, she picked up a map of Galway County and shoved it into her pocket.
Trying to hurry Avery along, Kalen walked toward her, picked up her coffee off the counter, put a black plastic lid on it, and stuffed the scone in her purse.
Startled, she looked at him with a frown that pulled her eyebrows even and her mouth into a straight line. Ignoring her frustration, he wrapped his arm around her waist and tucked her face against the side of his chest. The less people who saw Avery, the safer she would be until he could get her back to the compound.
Feeling her spine go rigid against his arm, he whispered, “Shh, I think somebody is watching us. We need to leave now.”
As they left the shop, he saw two men pretending to examine a shelf displaying books. Placing her coffee on the ground, Kalen made sure he and Avery were well hidden in the shadows of a nearby building by the time the men came out of the coffee shop. Kalen strained around the corner to get a good look at them. Flannigan wasn’t with them, but one of them was the man who accompanied Flannigan to the hotel. The two men peered down the street in search of Kalen and Avery, never realizing they were both neatly tucked around the corner only a few feet away. One of the men swore and then pulled out a phone.
“It’s me. I think I lost them, but I’m sure they’re not far. I’ll keep searching.”
Kalen was too far away to make out every word of the conversation, but he concentrated harder and willed the conversation to flow through him.
“Yes, I found them near the Spanish Arch just like you said.” The conversation paused. “I don’t recognize the man she’s with, but he’s got Fae written all over him, which means he could be right under my fucking nose.”
Trying to remain calm, Kalen looked at Avery to see if she heard their conversation. He let out a breath when he looked at her face. She clearly recognized one of the men from last night, and she was too caught up in her fear for any of the conversation to register. He gently clapped his hand over her mouth to silence her in case she wasn’t past the point of screaming or protesting while he concentrated on the Faeth Fiada chant, which was a powerful but short-lived spell that wove a blanket of invisibility around him and whomever he touched, making it impossible for humans to detect them.
He tucked her closer to his chest, telling himself she needed to be folded in his arms to ensure the Faeth Fiada worked on her too and concealed her from prying eyes. He knew that wasn’t entirely true, but he wanted her too distracted to listen to the conversation, and a part of him admitted he liked the way she felt nestled next to him.
“Let me know if you have any more updates about her location.” The man stuffed his phone into his coat pocket, looked in both directions, then kicked a rock down the sidewalk before heading back toward the coffee shop.
It wouldn’t be long before the Foundation sent reinforcements. He needed to get them away from their current location before they arrived, and he preferred not to sift out their current location fearing that magically transporting her somewhere would send Avery into hysterics. The glamour of the Faeth Fiada flickered. It wouldn’t last much longer.
When the men went into the coffee shop, he released his hand from Avery’s mouth, letting it hover near the side of her face. He hesitated, carefully studying her face. Placing his hand on her cheek, he pushed her hair out of her eyes and then tenderly trailed his hand along the side of her head, letting it rest behind the nape of her neck. He wanted to kiss her when she was awake to see if her lips were as soft as he remembered. Would she panic? Probably, but he wasn’t sure he cared at the moment. Before she could object, he moved her further toward the wall—if that were possible—and slowly bent his head to kiss her.
His lips brushed over hers, tentatively, so light she wasn’t sure if he actually touched her or if she imagined it. Trying to appear unaffected, Avery held her body still, her lips unmoving, and her eyes alert like a recently caged animal. Despite her passive protest, she couldn’t find the will to move away from him. Every touch seeped under her skin, racing through her veins like a drug. His free hand moved behind her shoulders, gently making its way to the small of her back, arching her pelvis into him. She caved into his seductive haze. She stood no chance against him; he knew exactly what do, how much to give, when to do it, and it devastated her will to resist.
Close your eyes. She tensed even more. She couldn’t believe what she heard. It sounded like Kalen’s voice, but she was watching his mouth move over hers, and she knew he hadn’t made a sound.
Just let me in, Avery. She should have been alarmed as his voice echoed through her mind, trying to soothe her. Instead, she felt her resolve melt and without thinking, her eyes fluttered then closed. He feathered a light kiss over each of her eyelids as though he were rewarding her for complying with his unspoken command. He dragged his mouth across her cheek to capture her mouth in a soft, entrancing kiss.
This can’t be happening, Avery thought with desperation. She wasn’t kissing a strange man she hardly knew in some alley while they were being chased by crazy people, was she?
She couldn’t decide what to do with her hands. They hung limply at her sides, and the thought of pushing him away crossed her mind, but she knew she wouldn’t do it. Her hands itched to touch him, feel him, and be connected to him. Just when she thought she would go crazy with want for more, he parted her lips with his and began exploring her mouth with his tongue. Unable to stop herself, Avery leaned into him and started kissing him back. Kalen lifted both of her hands and pinned them above her head while he pressed himself against her.
Continuing to kiss her, he loosened his grip on one of her hands, sliding his fingertips down the side of her throat, across her collarbone, and then lightly stroked the top of her breasts, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. Her free hand reached for the back of his neck and feathered through his hair and inside the collar of his shirt.
Sensing her surrender, he worked open the top two buttons of her shirt and slid his hand inside the front of her bra.
Avery felt exposed to the traffic and pedestrians walking by, but he had woven a sensual spell over her, and she didn’t care about anything except his next caress. She drowned in him, in their connection. Small nibbles at the corner of her mouth, wicked strokes with his tongue; she was intoxicated, craving his touch, utterly lost to the outside world.
He fumbled with the front clasp of her bra, and at the last second, he checked the impulse and jumped back from her as if he had been burned. She didn’t want to open her eyes. She was afraid to let him see the unguarded desire she knew would be obvious, like a brand stamped across her face. Feeling breathless and splendidly alive, she was stunned by what she had done with this stranger; odd that he didn’t feel like a stranger, especially during that kiss.
Regaining her composure, she slowly opened her eyes, peering uncertainly at him. Remnants of their passion passed between them, and then it was gone as quickly as it had materialized. Turning to the side so she didn’t have to face him, Avery adjusted her clothing. She was grateful for the shadows of the building that hid the awkwardness of the situation and the blush that surely stained her cheeks.
As she finished re-buttoning her shirt, she felt Kalen standing directly behind her.
“I’m sorry about that. That was complete insanity,” he said softly.
“You’re right.
” Her lips felt bruised, and she was sure she looked as frazzled as she felt, not that there was anything she could do about it. She turned to face him.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked. “We need to get out of here before they retrace their steps.”
“Huh?” Avery wasn’t ready to face reality, but with the Foundation’s goons lurking in the area, there wasn’t time to delay. She scoured her mind to come up with a sarcastic remark to clear the air and reset the boundaries between them, but her mind drew a blank. Instead, she raised her chin defiantly and mumbled, “Fine.”
Kalen hesitated, knowing he should say something to soothe her, but he was too preoccupied admiring her lustrous eyes and her cheeks blushing in embarrassment from their kiss to think clearly.
Reversing the Faeth Fiada, he pulled Avery into the street. He rushed through the city to Eyre Square to hail a cab. A taxi pulled up almost immediately. He gently escorted her into the cab with his arm around her shoulder. He had to find refuge until he could deliver Avery safely to her father and the Queen. He considered taking her to her Aunt’s house, but he rejected the idea; the Foundation would be watching the house—he stood a better chance hiding her in the safe house outside of Tuam. The decision made, he gave the address of a Tuatha Dé safe house then leaned against the cab’s vinyl seats while rubbing his face.
He watched the rust colored peaks of the Quincentennial Fountain fade from view. It unsettled him the Foundation had located them so quickly this morning. It didn’t make sense that they followed them to the Spanish Arch last night but waited to make contact until this morning outside the coffee shop. Something was not right.
Nearing the outskirts of the city, Avery shifted out of his hold, and he reluctantly released her. Kalen flicked her a sideways glance.
With her arms crossed across her waist and her body pressed to the opposite door, she stared blankly out the window, avoiding his gaze. Her hair framed her face, soft curls highlighting her uptilted eyes, now red-rimmed from tension and strain. With all of the chaos of the last few days, he sensed she was on the verge of a breakdown and holding herself together by sheer force of will. He needed to get her someplace safe before she lashed out at him or went into shock.
They arrived at the safe house outside of Tuam and pulled into its driveway. Kalen hoped the house didn’t look as bad inside as it looked outside. The Tuatha Dé had stopped using the house fifteen years ago when the Court voted to minimize their contact with humans. Even if the Foundation knew about the safe house, he hoped they would be safe for a day or two. It would take at least that long for the Foundation to review their records and locate all the potential Fae safe houses in Galway County.
Kalen escorted Avery to the front door and told her to wait there while he settled the taxi fare. He had to do something with the driver. He didn’t want him to lead the Foundation to the safe house but killing him in front of Avery was not an option. The Tuatha Dé vowed to interfere with the human world as little as possible. Kalen chose the lesser of two necessary evils: he handed the driver the money for the fare, grabbing the man’s hand in a firm grasp. The driver tried to pull away, but Kalen tightened his hold and locked gazes with the driver. The driver’s hand went limp, and his eyes became clouded and unfocused. Once the driver was under his control, Kalen probed the driver’s mind and sifted through his recent memories. One by one, he suppressed the driver’s memories of Avery and Kalen and planted benign memories in their place. Once Kalen was certain he was successful, he reset the taxi fare to zero, released the driver’s hand, and then summoned a Faeth Fiada spell. Kalen and Avery momentarily disappeared into the afternoon mists, preventing the driver from creating any new memories of the two of them.
The driver looked at the money in his hand, shook his head, and then climbed back into his car. Leaving the money with the driver may trigger the recovery of memories of his passengers to Tuam, but he couldn’t worry about that now. Besides, the driver would be too shaken and confused to scrutinize the memory for a few days.
When he returned to the front door, he noticed Avery shivering as fierce winds whipped her hair around her pale face. She rubbed her hands together as Kalen tried to open the door. He shook it hard. Locked. He released the handle and stared at the doorknob, briefly lost in thought.
“Don’t you have the key?” she snapped, glancing at his hand.
“What do you think?” He gave her a sideways look. Without waiting for a response, he turned and headed to the back of the house. Avery followed closely.
“I hope you’re not going to break a window,” she said.
“Do you think I just made up an address, hoping no one was home?”
“Who knows what you planned. You broke into my room and took me hostage.”
Kalen shrugged.
He found a set of glass doors in the back of the house disguised by untamed vines growing over the low-hanging roof. Turning the doorknob, he pushed the door open.
“Was it open?” Avery inquired.
Dismissing her question, he announced, “Ladies first.”
Chapter 9
Immediately assaulted by a stale, dusty smell, Avery noticed the home had not been occupied recently. She cautiously walked through its rooms, feeling uncomfortable and out of place. She reached a dimly lit sitting room with dusty and worn furniture. She froze at the sound of a door closing somewhere behind her with a thud that reverberated through the vacant home. Feeling Kalen’s presence behind her, she forced herself to stay still.
“Are you cold? I don’t think the house has heat.” He pointed toward the wall and murmured, “I saw some wood stacked around the side of the house. If it’s not too damp, I could start a fire.”
At that moment, Avery regretted accepting Kalen’s offer of protection. Something about being alone with him in a strange place made her uncertain. It might have been more prudent to take her chances with the Foundation rather than stay with Kalen. After all, she was familiar with all the players or at least the structure of the Foundation, and she might be able to outwit them. There was always Peter. He was her friend, and she was pretty sure he wasn’t part of whatever was happening with the Foundation. Kalen, her dad, and whoever else was part of this mission were a different matter altogether. She wasn’t sure who they were or what they wanted.
She twisted a strand of hair around her finger, ignoring the strained silence between them. Avery felt Kalen studying her. He removed his jacket, rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, and stretched out his long, powerful legs in a nearby chair. Sunlight streamed through his wavy black hair, making it appear almost red. He had an unflinching pride chiseled on his striking face, determination and intelligence etched into every feature. Avery hated to admit he unnerved her with his cold, emerald eyes and his baritone voice. His presence took up so much space he made her feel small and weak in comparison.
She avoided making eye contact with Kalen since getting into the taxi, but now she felt compelled to look at him. Turning to face him, his eyes bored into hers, preventing her from looking away. He had a preternatural handsomeness that brightened the shadows of the dreary room. His elegant yet mocking mannerisms were unlike any other person she had ever known.
Getting up from the chair, he moved closer to her with an unnerving grace, forcing her to snap out of her musings. Remembering his earlier question, she said, “A fire would be nice. Thank you.”
As he continued walking closer to her, he seemed to disappear into the shadows. This trick of the light caused her heart to pound. She averted her eyes, thinking if she ignored his movement through the darkened room the fear slithering through her would stop. She heard the back door open and close again, and she took a deep breath as if she wanted to save the air for later.
When he returned, she glanced over her shoulder. His arms were piled with underbrush and logs. Keeping her face turned away from him; she investigated the perimeter of the room. Dust covered every surface. Avery ran a finger over the top of a consol
e table, leaving a clean line. Her emotions were too exposed to look at him, and she still wasn’t sure she could trust him. She needed to find some way to regain control of the situation and the future, her future. She should be the one calling the shots. Both the Foundation and whomever he was with appeared to be ready to take extreme measures to gain control of her.
She sat down in a chair next to him as he kneeled in front of the fireplace, stacking logs and kindling. Crossing her legs, she pushed her tangled hair behind her ears. “How long are you going to hold me hostage?”
Her question didn’t take him off-guard. She doubted whether anything could penetrate his cold exterior. “Feeling difficult?” He replied.
“Can you give me some sort of timeline of when I can expect to come face-to-face with my dad?”
“Why? Are you eagerly anticipating the reunion with him? Do you need to prepare yourself mentally to make peace with him, or are you worried you’ll discover the lovely Dierdre wasn’t completely on the up and up with you?”
Avery let out a bitter laugh. “I don’t think I was ever delusional enough to believe Dierdre told me the truth about anything. As for making peace with my dad…” Avery shrugged her shoulders. “Whether or not that’s a possible outcome remains to be seen.”
Kalen raised an eyebrow. “Dierdre, is it? She’s not mom to you?”
“I haven’t thought of her as mom for a long time. She wasn’t exactly a loving, maternal figure in my life.”
“I’m sure she had many regrets about her relationship with you before she died.”
“I’m not interested in talking about her or analyzing our relationship. It’s kind of you to care about it and all, but I don’t need you to play therapist. When it comes to Dierdre, my conscience is clear.”
He contemplated her words and placed his hand lightly on top of hers. “Good. I would hate for you to have any regrets hanging over your head.”