by Kristen Cobb
Rory’s grip on her fingers tightened. “I have no plans to die any time soon.”
She was doomed to lose everyone she loved. When had she come to love Rory? Only so much of her current reaction could be blamed on Conri’s abduction. The mere thought of Rory’s death left her feeling devastated. That implied far more than friendship yet Conri was the man who set her very blood on fire, a conundrum for which she had no answer, or time to deal with.
Fighting back the tears she took a moment to get her emotions under control before speaking. Her plan would cast them both from her life forever. “I need you to pretend that we are together.”
Rory’s grip on her hand tightened to the point that it became painful. “I cannot do that.” Releasing her hand he stood, attempting to pace across the room.
Nessa could remember trying to do the same thing in Conri’s chamber while upset, a futile endeavor. She waited until Rory became frustrated with the lack of space, standing up when he sat down on the edge of the bed, walking over to stand in front of him.
“I cannot do that to him.” The turbulent array of emotions in Rory’s eyes could not be allowed to sway her determination.
“It is the only way I can think of to protect him. He will not bond with me and we both know he would never allow me to guard him constantly. Declan will not be the last person to use Conri against me, unless they believe I no longer love him.”
“We would have to tell Conri what is going on. I cannot…”
“No.” On this she was immovable. “He cannot know. The only way it will be believable is if he hates me. It is the only logical outcome when your wife begins openly having a sexual relationship with your best friend.”
The torment quickly returned to Rory’s face. “Ness, I cannot. You obviously have no idea how much I love that man.”
“I am well aware of your devotion to my husband. I know it is a lot to ask but eventually he will forgive you, after I leave.”
“Leave?” Rory looked up at her quickly, surprised by the very idea.
That actually brought her to the next topic they needed to discuss. “Are you still planning to execute Conor?”
“There is no need to discuss this now. I would never put you through that while Conri is missing.”
“But after we find him, do you still intend to execute the hostages?” She refused to even consider the possibility of never finding Conri.
Rory hesitated, most likely deciding whether to lie. “Yes. I intend to set the date as soon as we find Conri and bring him home.”
“Then I can plan on leaving immediately after the execution. It will be the perfect time to explain the ending of our relationship. You and Conri can bond over what a horrible, heartbreaking monster I am. Everyone will assume I hate you for killing Conor.” Moving over to the window she opened the wooden shutters.
Rory walked up behind her, the warmth radiating off his body settling against her back. “You will hate me.”
Nessa peered out into the darkness. Her mind conjured the vision of Conor’s head being chopped off, the ax coming down on his neck. Oddly enough the image did not incite even a trace of anger toward Rory. Dermot left him very little choice but to retaliate. She even understood Rory’s reluctance to wage war. Hundreds, possibly even thousands of lives could be lost. Nessa shook her head. “I could never hate you.”
Rory turned her around by the shoulders to face him. “There is another reason I think this plan is a very bad idea.”
Nessa looked into his dark eyes. They were almost as black as the night. Wavy blonde hair framed his finely chiseled features. Rory was actually a fine looking man, although nowhere near as handsome as Conri in her opinion.
He wanted her, his desire a nearly tangible presence between them. While she felt something well beyond friendship for him Conri held her heart. If it were a contest between the two Rory stood no chance at all. “I have every faith that you can control yourself.” While in most areas Rory proved to be a master of self-control sex was not one of them. She really would be asking a lot of him.
“And what if your faith is misplaced. You are asking me to share a bed with a woman I want and not touch her. If not for Conri can you honestly say we would not be together?” Rory continued staring intently into her eyes, running a hand through her hair, pushing it gently away from her face.
“Please, I am begging you.” Nessa laid a hand on Rory’s chest, using his own desire against him, desperation forcing her to deal with him in a less than fair manner. “This is the only way I can think of to protect him. My presence in Conri’s life puts him in danger.”
The pained expression returned to Rory’s face as he realized she would not be deterred so easily. Walking back toward the bed he turned around, looking at her with renewed hope. “So you are willing to kiss me repeatedly in front of Conri and everyone else. To tear his heart out in such a cold and brutal way, day after day.”
“There will be no kissing.” That was also nonnegotiable. Pretending to betray Conri and actually doing it were two completely different actions.
“How are we supposed to convince everyone you are in love with me if you will not even kiss me in public. After the way you carried on with Conri…”
Nessa leaned in to whisper directly into his ear. “Allow me to show you.” She laid a hand on his arm just below the shoulder, standing so close her breasts pressed against his chest. Looking deeply into his eyes she slowly ran her hand down the length of his arm. Taking his hand in hers she lifted it, weaving her fingers intimately through his, continuing to gaze deeply into his eyes the entire time. Nessa grinned when she saw his breathing deepen, his eyes intently focused on hers. “It will work.”
“Ness, please do not ask…”
“But I am asking. Please. If not for him then for me.” Nessa laid her hand on Rory’s chest, feeling the thump of his heart beneath her palm.
Rory pushed her hand away. “That is not fair. You are blatantly taking advantage of my feelings for you.”
“I am desperate. I need a plan to protect him. This situation cannot be allowed to occur again.” She waited patiently for Rory to make his decision. What would she do if he said no? Will was the only other man people might accept as her lover, although far less feasible after very publicly rejecting him. Many would see that as questionable and rightly so. No, it had to be Rory. No one would question her desire to share the bed of a king over the captain of his guard. They might even assume she was doing it to save Conor.
“Fine.” Rory looked away.
“Thank you. I will return shortly with Etain.” She turned toward the door without feeling even a smidgen of guilt for taking advantage of Rory’s feelings so callously. Protecting Conri was her only concern.
3
They reached Killala just before dawn as the first rays of sunlight were peeking over the horizon. It would have taken a couple of days to get here with the guard of twenty. Etain led them to a balcony on the top floor of an enormous structure that looked out over the ocean. There were five other balconies on this side of the building. It was easily as large as any castle she had ever seen. From what she could tell the front of the building did not have a door. The only entrance appeared to be a set of stairs carved into the cliff itself, a long way down if one tripped and fell. The massive structure was constructed of the same bluish grey stone as the cliff, nearly blending in with the ocean beyond it.
Landing on the cool stone of the balcony they both turned into human form. She would rather not be naked while meeting Conri’s father for the first time but it could not be helped.
Etain stared at the double doors leading inside. Made from some kind of dark wood a woven circular design had been intricately carved into them. Nessa could only imagine the turmoil grinding away at Etain right now. Conri’s mother reached for the metal handle on one of the doors. Pushing it open a slight creak alerted the room’s occupant. He sat up in bed as Etain pushed the other door open, allowing a flood of early morning sunlig
ht into the dark room.
Etain and the man who could only be Kaelan stared silently at each other. Feeling a bit like an interloper Nessa considered giving them some privacy but there was nowhere to go unless she left completely.
Instead she found herself staring at the man in the bed. Conri bore a striking resemblance to his father. Kaelan’s upper body, although not the heavily muscled chiseled physique of his son, would certainly catch any woman’s eye. That said they had the same exact shade of light brown hair, facial features that fit together perfectly, and full sensual lips. A light growth of facial hair was cropped short just like his son’s. She could not see the man’s eyes from here but knew they would be a deep brown.
“Why are you here?” Kaelan did not sound at all pleased by their presence.
“Our son needs your help.” To Etain’s credit she did not hesitate or seem unsure of herself in any way. Head held high she met Kaelan’s gaze without looking away.
“Our son?” Kaelan threw off the blankets, climbing out of bed completely naked. Opening a trunk at the end of the bed he pulled out a few pieces of clothing. Kaelan threw a shirt at Etain. He finally looked her way as if just now noticing Etain did not arrive alone. “Who are you?”
Nervous flutters bounced around inside Nessa’s stomach as Kaelan’s intense gaze scanned her from head to toe, finally focusing on her eyes. “Your son’s wife.”
He pulled another tunic from the pile of clothing, handing it to her. It seemed telling that he threw the garment at Etain but handed it to her. Etain’s path to forgiveness was unlikely to be smooth. Nessa slipped the dark brown tunic over her head while Kaelan pulled on a pair of brown pants that appeared to match the tunic. The shirt reached the top of her knees. On Etain Kaelan’s deep blue tunic fell well below the knee, nearly becoming a dress.
Kaelan walked onto the balcony without saying a word, looking out at the ocean, appearing to ignore them. They both waited patiently. It was a lot for him to process all at once and would only get worse.
The waves below could be heard slamming violently into the rocky shore as Kaelan finally turned around, the pain in his brown eyes impossible to miss. “We have a son and you never told me?”
Etain showed an enormous amount of courage by moving toward him. “Yes. He has been taken by an outcast we believe might have lived here. His name is Declan.”
“I banished Declan along with a small band of men that shared his tendency toward violence. If he has taken my son to get back at me I will…”
“Your son’s life is in danger because of me. I am one of the ancients. Declan is demanding that I bond with him. He wants access to my powers. I am trying to find Conri without giving in to Declan’s demands. Is there anything you can tell me about Declan that might help us figure out where his men are holding Conri?”
“My son’s name is Conri?”
Nessa nodded. “And now that I know about Declan’s propensity for violence I am even more concerned about my husband. I need to find him. Please, is there anything you can do?”
“Declan has been gone for quite a few years. I will send people out to ask around. It might take some time but I am certain we can find out where he has been living. Have you tried Declan’s mother? She was very attached.” Kaelan spoke directly to her now, completely ignoring Etain.
“We have. I do not believe Breena will be of any help. She is obsessed with her son being able to change form. Were you aware the woman chained him to a tree each night as a child to make him change form.” Time. Kaelan said it would take time. That she did not have. Knowing Declan and his cohorts were violent made it all the more urgent. Conri was likely being mistreated. How badly she hated to even consider.
“Declan never spoke of it. I assume my son cannot change form since they were able to abduct him.” Now Kaelan did look at Etain.
Etain’s eyes revealed an enormous amount of regret. This would not be an easy conversation for her or Kaelan. “No, he cannot.”
“Yet he was allowed to remain at Knocknashee? I find that difficult to believe. The elders are not known for their compassion.”
Etain reminded her of a trapped animal, waiting for the hunter to strike. “Our son was cast out as a child. My father would not even make an exception for his own grandson.”
“Who is your father?” The quiet violence radiating from Kaelan reminded Nessa of Conri.
“Ciaran.” Voice barely above a whisper Etain stared at Kaelan, waiting for the eruption.
Kaelan moved toward Etain, clearly attempting to frighten her. “Where did my son live after being cast out?”
“He begged for food and slept outside most of the time.” Etain took a few steps backward. Eventually reaching the stonewall she could retreat no farther.
Kaelan stalked closer, staring at the woman who shared his bed with a terrifyingly angry gaze. “Get out.”
Wide-eyed, Etain did not move at all, paralyzed with fear.
Kaelan was not wearing a shirt. Nessa could actually see his upper body rising and falling as his breathing deepened, struggling to control himself. “Leave, before I hurt you.”
Nessa decided to intervene. “Wait for me at Rory’s. If I do not locate Conri soon I will bond with Declan. Have Glenna keep working on him and let me know if she learns anything at all.”
Etain glanced at her and nodded. Quickly stripping off Kaelan’s blue tunic Conri’s mother turned into a seagull and flew away.
Kaelan watched Etain fly away then looked down at the discarded tunic with a mix of emotions impossible to decipher. More lives Ciaran ruined.
“Ciaran hates Conri. I think he might have something to do with this plot against me.” Perhaps Kaelan could provide some insight. She also wanted to know if Conri’s father was actually one of the ancients.
“Is Ciaran aware that you are one of the ancients and that Conri is my son?” Kaelan picked up the tunic, throwing it into the room toward the trunk at the end of the bed. The garment fell short, landing on the floor.
“We went to Knocknashee, Conri’s idea. He is very sensitive about his inability to change form. I think he needed reassurance I would not leave him for a shifter. That is when Etain came back into his life. Ciaran was less than pleasant. I became a bit angry and set him in a tree using my powers, so yes, he knows I am one of the ancients. Etain lied to Ciaran. She told him Conri’s father was a mortal but he looks very much like you. I believe Ciaran figured out the truth pretty early on.” She regretted their visit to Knocknashee now. If not for that trip Conri would be safe at Rory’s castle, the shifters and outcasts unaware of her existence.
“You are devoted to my son?” Kaelan looked into her eyes now as if searching for the truth.
“No one means more to me than your son. Although repugnant I may be forced to bond with Declan if I cannot find Conri soon. I will do whatever is necessary to save your son.”
“Bonding with Declan would be a mistake. He cannot be trusted to release my son. Making him more powerful is not the answer.” Kaelan walked over to the edge of the balcony, peering out at the ocean.
The first rays of sunlight reflected off the water in a brilliant display of color as Nessa watched Kaelan. “Ciaran said you are one of the ancients. Is that true?”
“I was the last of the ancients until you appeared.” Kaelan turned around, focused on her eyes again. “I have never seen eyes so green. Nor has there ever been a female ancient.”
“What happened to the others? Did they die?” How was that even possible when Kaelan still appeared no older than her or Conri?
“There were four of us, all male. Ciaran and the elders murdered the others. He could very well be involved in this plot. You and I are both a danger to my son.” Kaelan looked out at the water again. “Get some sleep. You look exhausted. Use my bed. I will make some inquiries and send people out to begin questioning the mortals. When you wake I would like to speak with Declan. ”
Now that he mentioned sleeping in a nice warm bed Nessa real
ized how exhausted she felt. After not sleeping for days keeping her eyes open was becoming a struggle. Kaelan’s recent revelations were certainly no help to her state of mind. Kaelan agreed that her presence in Conri’s life put him at risk. Hearing that her assessment of the situation was accurate provided no comfort.
Nessa quietly walked into Kaelan’s chamber and climbed into bed, curling into a ball under the pile of blankets. Listening to the rhythmic crash of the waves against the rocky shore she could feel herself quickly succumbing to exhaustion. Her last thought as she fell asleep was a silent message for Conri. Over and over in her mind she kept repeating I am coming my love, I am coming my love.
NESSA HEARD the waves crashing against the shore the instant she woke. The smell of saltwater and seaweed reminded her of the cottage in Dublin. Slowly opening her eyes she sat up.
The thick wooden doors were open. Kaelan stood outside staring at the ocean. He seemed to spend a lot of time on that balcony. The dark sky meant she slept the entire day away.
The room was enormous compared to Rory’s bedchamber. The walls were made of the bluish grey stone of the cliff. The odd thing being they did not appear to be individual stones hewn from the cliff stacked on top of each other. There seemed to be no separation between stones or defining ridges. How was that even possible? She imagined the building being lifted out of the cliff magically, as one large piece of stone.
On the far side of the chamber a table large enough to seat four with a wooden bench on either side filled one corner. The light brown color and long grain of the wood made her think they were probably made of oak. Five candles burned brightly in an iron candelabra on the table, lighting the entire room. A wooden plate piled high with food waited for her along with a metal pitcher and a goblet. A large hearth was set into the outside wall next to the doors leading to the balcony.
Looking down at the bed itself Nessa realized it was by far the largest she had ever seen. Four people could probably sleep comfortably in it. The man standing outside alone in the darkness seemed to have everything. Nessa knew better than anyone things were not always as they appeared. Etain’s initial assessment of Kaelan sprang from her memory. Loneliness fairly radiated from Conri’s father, surrounding him like a fog that refused to dissipate and allow in the sun.
