Love's Fury (Immortal Ireland Book 2)

by Kristen Cobb

  THE TIME for her true performance arrived, her first meal with Rory as a couple, in the great hall, in front of everyone. Rory ordered his guards to stand at each end of the dais rather than behind him, giving them some degree of privacy to talk without being overheard. The room was packed with more people than she had ever seen, all eager to be there in case another spectacle ensued. Some were forced to stand because all of the tables were filled. Every eye not fixed on the dais watched Conri, wondering what he intended to do about the situation. Apparently the answer was nothing.

  Etain, Glenna, Will, Donal, and Ronan were all sitting with Conri at his table in front of the king’s wooden platform. The only place she wanted to be. Glenna openly glared at her. Etain attempted to ignore her presence altogether. Will appeared thoroughly confused by the situation. Ronan was the only one looking at her with pity rather than curiosity or anger.

  Conri seemed to be ignoring everyone but her, watching every move she made as if he could not look away. The exact opposite of what she expected. It was disconcerting, his intense and nearly constant gaze riveted on her. It seemed intended more as intimidation than anything else. As if he were saying I will not be the one chased away. It was working. She felt incredibly uncomfortable.

  Rory leaned in close, laying a hand over hers on the table. “If you want this to work you need to pay less attention to him and more to the man you are supposed to be in love with. The man you left your husband for.”

  Forcibly tearing her eyes from Conri she looked into Rory’s. Waging an inner battle to keep her gaze from returning to Conri she looked into Rory’s dark eyes. “I am not very good at hiding my feelings.”

  “Try harder or your plan will not work. Where is all that sensual touching I was promised. I am not feeling loved at all.” Rory pretended to be insulted, pulling back and looking at her with feigned indignation.

  She rewarded him with a genuine smile. Rory had a charming disposition most of the time. She truly did love him, just not the way he wanted her to. “Do you always have to cajole women into touching you?” Rory’s warm hand still lay on top of hers. Turning her hand over she wound her fingers through his, still staring deeply into his eyes.

  “Never once in all my days have I needed to work this hard for so little reward.” Rory lifted her hand to his lips. Slowly kissing the back of her hand he allowed his lips to linger, never breaking eye contact.

  In a world where Conri did not exist she might have fallen in love with Rory. She tried to ignore the fact that Conri sat watching her stare into his best friend’s eyes with feigned desire, like a thousand silent stab wounds to his heart. “Then perhaps this will be good for you. Who knows, it might be exactly what you need.”

  Rory leaned in close. “What I need is sex. I am being forced to abstain while we perpetrate this ruse of yours, pretending to be madly in love with one woman. It is inhumane to ask a man with my needs to abstain from the pleasures of the flesh.” Lowering her hand back to the table he gently rubbed his fingers against the palm of her hand.

  “You have had enough sex to fill ten lifetimes. What you need is someone who truly cares for you.” The moment the words flew from her mouth she realized how hurtful a statement it might be, implying no one actually loved him. A man constantly surrounded by people, women fought for the right to please him in bed yet there was something missing in his life. She could still remember the sadness in his eyes when he admitted to never having been in love. His entire life had been a serious of manipulations designed to gain power, even his marriage. Attaining his dream would now make it difficult to find someone who loved the man rather than the king.

  “I never should have ordered Conri to guard you.” Rory eyes held no sparkling glint of humor or flirtation now.

  “It would not have made a difference.” The man in question was destined to claim her heart. The trees warned her the moment she set eyes on him.

  Nessa could not stop her eyes from seeking him out. Conri remained seated at the table right in front of the dais, watching her. Their eyes met and held.

  She knew how much her actions were hurting him. Not because it was revealed in his eyes or the expression on his face. She knew because he allowed her into his private world. Now she very publicly threw it back in his face as if the gift meant nothing. The damage she was currently inflicting would drive deep into old wounds created by his grandfather.

  A numb kind of resignation kept the tears at bay, pain a constant companion these days. Looking at him nearly stole her breath.

  At least she found a way to remain close. Everyone would assume her nights were being spent in Rory’s bed, leaving her free to be with Conri on the tower roof as the hawk with none the wiser. It would have to be enough.

  She spent the majority of the day mentally revising her plans. No longer would she actually be leaving. Remaining as the hawk seemed the perfect solution. If anyone attempted to harm Conri again she would be there to protect him. Ronan was the only person other than Rory she intended to tell.

  Knowing she had a way of staying with Conri lessened the pain a bit, at least for her. Conri stood up to leave, still staring straight at her. Etain grabbed his arm in an attempt to convince her son to sit down. Conri pulled his arm from his mother’s grasp without even glancing down at her. Stepping over the bench he walked away toward his tower.

  “I hate to tell you this but your feelings for the man are rather obvious to anyone with eyes.” Rory’s voice held no trace of accusation, only sadness.

  Nessa stood up the instant Conri disappeared into the hallway. “Then let us leave this place and adjourn to a more private setting.” She held out her hand to him with a flourish and a bow.

  Rory stood up, placing his hand in hers. He leaned in close as they walked across the dais behind the long table. “Are you actually staying with me tonight?”

  Nessa stared straight ahead with a slight smile on her face to make it appear as if she were pleased with the current situation. “No.”

  “Then where may I ask are you going?”

  “I will tell you once we are upstairs in your chamber.” Reaching the end of the wooden platform they stepped down. All six of Rory’s personal guards surrounded them as they made their way to his tower.

  Just before they stepped into the hallway a scuffle sounded behind them.

  “Ness. Get out of my way. I just want to talk to her.” Will stood a short distance behind them, two of the guards holding him back by the arms.

  Nessa looked at Will for a moment as he struggled to break free from the guards. “There is nothing to talk about.” Turning her back on him she stepped into the hallway. The instant darkness fully descended she would turn into a hawk and wait on the tower roof for Conri.

  The four guards not busy restraining Will followed them up the stairs to Rory’s bedchamber. There were always two guards stationed at the bottom of the stairwell to ensure no one went into Rory’s tower without his authorization.

  Once safely in Rory’s chamber with the door closed she went straight to the window, throwing open the shutters. The sun was just beginning to set. Leaning on the stone sill she watched the magical display of color across the sky, knowing it would not be long before darkness enveloped the world and she could be with the man she loved.

  “Where are you going? I promised not to try anything. I gave you my word. That should be enough.” Rory was clearly insulted.

  “To be with Conri.” Nessa waited patiently for Rory to say something. She could almost hear him turning the statement over in his mind.

  “You told him the truth?” Rory stood beside her now, staring in utter confusion.

  “No. I flew up to the tower roof last night as a hawk. I knew he would probably sleep up there. He thinks I am in here with you so there is no reason for him to suspect that I am the hawk. By the time I am supposed to leave Conri will be so accustomed to having the hawk around he will not even question its presence.” The setting sun cast its light into the clouds on th
e horizon in one last brilliant goodbye before the moon took over. Thankfully Rory’s chamber window faced out the back portion of the castle. Hardly anyone ever milled about back there but she could not risk taking unnecessary chances. If Conri were to find out she was the hawk her plan to remain in his life would be ruined. Waiting for complete darkness should help ensure no one saw the hawk flying out of Rory’s tower. Once she publicly left Rory there could be no changing back into human form. It posed too much of a risk.

  “Supposed to leave. So you are not actually leaving?”

  “No. I am going to stay, as a hawk. Can I leave my clothes and weapons in the trunk at the end of your bed? In case of an emergency.”

  “Of course. Does that mean you are planning to remain a hawk, permanently?” Rory sat down at the table beside the window. She could hear the disbelief in his voice.

  “Yes. Conri can never know I am the hawk. Changing back and forth from human form would be too much of a risk. This will allow me to remain close and keep watch over him without anyone realizing it.” It seemed to be taking forever for the sun to set tonight. Even after it fell below the horizon she still needed to wait for complete darkness. Standing here and watching would not make it happen any faster.

  Turning away from the window she almost laughed at the way Rory was staring at her. He clearly believed she had lost control of her mind.

  9

  She needed to get out of the castle. Hiding in Rory’s tiny bedchamber for over a week would drive anyone a little mad. The only time she left this room was at night, to meet Conri as the hawk. He even started bringing her meat from dinner, cut up into small bite sized pieces.

  Today she could not seem to help herself. The need to see him overwhelmed any common sense she possessed. He would most likely be on the training field with his men at this time of day. Gathering all of her courage she headed out of Rory’s chamber. Making her way down the steep uneven stone steps she could feel her heart thumping wildly at the thought of seeing Conri.

  Any number of things could go wrong but that would not deter her this day. Glenna and Etain were both angry at her for carrying on with Rory. Will tried to get in to see her at least once a day. The guards always turned him away but informed her of his efforts.

  Walking through the hallway past the stairwell to Conri’s tower she stopped for a moment. There were always two guards posted at the entrance to this tower now because of Declan and Conor. Both men completely ignored her presence. She was now universally despised due to her callous treatment of Conri. A man they all loved despite his less than pleasant demeanor.

  Conor remained locked away in the top of the tower again while she did exactly nothing to stop his execution. Conor had somehow become a minor problem not worthy of her attention or effort. Ignoring him might not be the most adult choice but she simply could not face him right now. She continued on down the candlelit hallway toward the front entrance, suddenly desperate to feel the sun on her face. The incessant cold inside Rory’s home seemed to be in her very bones at this point, refusing to release its hold on her body

  Pushing open the heavy wooden door her eyes were momentarily blinded by the bright sunlight after so many days spent inside. Narrowing her eyes and looking back into the much darker castle for a moment she slowly peered outside again. Blinking a few times her eyes eventually adjusted.

  One of the guards standing sentry outside closed the door behind her. “Thank you.”

  He ignored her, staring straight ahead as if she did not even exist.

  Nessa sighed and began the long journey toward the training field, and eventually the bridge leading off castle grounds. There she might be able to find some peace, watching the slow ambling flow of the river, listening to the birds twitter happily in the trees.

  Considering Conor again Nessa wondered if there was anything at all she could do to save him. Conversation on the topic would not change Rory’s mind. She could claim to actually be in love with him but that would necessitate having sex with him, definitely not an option. Joining with Rory and telling him she loved him would make her the worst possible version of herself although if not for Conri she would probably consider it a viable option. It always came down to a choice between Conri and Conor with Conor being the loser. She loved Conri far too much to ever allow things to progress beyond a feigned relationship with Rory.

  Conor’s execution was set to take place in a matter of days and she simply did not have the energy to deal with it. As the three stone stables came into view her heart began to race. The training field lie just beyond the stables. Would Conri be there?

  She considered turning into a raven and flying down to the river but rejected that idea immediately for two reasons. One she would be naked when arriving at her destination and two she should not be changing form any more than necessary. That risked putting ideas into Conri’s head that were not already there. Right now he seemed to have no idea she and the hawk were one and the same. She intended to keep it that way.

  People glanced her way as she walked by but no one spoke to her directly. Quickly striding beyond the last of the stables her eyes spotted him instantly. He already gained most of the weight back. His hair was soaked with sweat as he struck a blow at his opponent with a wooden practice sword but his shirt remained on, no doubt because of the scars. Although the wounds she and Kaelan healed left no scars there were plenty that had. Conri fought quite often without a shirt on. His men would notice the abundance of angry new scars instantly and realize they were from the kidnapping.

  A wave of intense sadness washed over her for all the ways his abduction changed their lives. She could not seem to tear her eyes away from him, standing at the edge of the last stable leaning against the cool stone, immobilized by the sight of him.

  Ronan stood nearby watching Conri fight. Slowly some of the men began to notice her. One would poke another then point her way. Within moments all the fighting completely stopped as the men stood around casting furtive glances her way and whispering to each other.

  Will emerged from a cluster of men, heading right toward her. Conri finally noticed her, effortlessly blocking a blow from his opponent as their eyes met across the distance. The man fighting her husband turned and looked in her direction when someone poked him in the shoulder and pointed at her.

  Nessa reluctantly tore her gaze from Conri and continued walking past the field toward the bridge over the moat that would take her away from the castle, at least for a little while.

  Will reached her as she passed the training field. “How could you do this to him? I thought you loved him.”

  “Leave it alone Will.” Picking up the pace Nessa stared straight ahead hoping he would go away.

  Will grabbed her arm. “No, I will not leave it alone. This makes no sense. You were crazy about the man mere days ago yet suddenly you are all about sharing the king’s bed at any cost. The girl I knew would never do something like this.”

  Prying her arm from his grasp she continued walking away. “Then maybe you never really knew me.”

  He refused to be deterred so easily. Keeping pace beside her Will continued his verbal assault. “Is Rory so incredibly talented in bed that it is worth making your husband the object of pity or have you suddenly succumbed to the lure of power? Neither one makes any sense. I have known you for most of my life. This is not who you are.”

  “Perhaps I am trying to save Conor. Did you ever think of that?” A brilliant and plausible argument, Will knew how much she cared for Conor.

  Will walked beside her in silence for a time after that, mulling over the possibility. Nessa found herself reluctant to reveal the truth. There was a strong possibility her childhood friend would run straight to Conri and tell him everything.

  Will started up again right after they crossed the bridge. “No. If you were going to betray Conri to save Conor you would have killed Rory. I still say this makes no sense. Your husband only believes this nonsense because he is in too much pain to see the trut
h. You are still in love with Conri. It is in the way you look at him. I have no intention of letting this go so you might as well tell me the truth. What is really going on?”

  In an attempt to ignore him she headed toward Conri’s bathing spot, refusing to respond.

  “Fine, then I will do everything in my power to convince Conri you are lying. Eventually he will see what I see, that you are still in love with him. I will goad him into fighting for you, reminding him…”

  “No!” She could not allow him to do that. Will’s interference would ruin everything. “If you care about him at all please, just leave it alone.” Stopping for a moment she looked directly into Will’s eyes, allowing him to see her desperation.

  “I care about both of you. Ness, what is going on?” There was no anger in Will’s voice now, only the plea of one friend to another.

  “Please, just trust me. Everything I am doing is because I love him.” It was the truth, but likely not enough to satisfy Will. He had always been the persistent sort.

  “That works both ways. Why is it that you suddenly do not trust me?”

  Nessa started walking again, following along the bank of the river. “I am afraid you will destroy everything I have put in place to protect him. He cannot know that I still love him.”

  “Why? What are you protecting him from? He is home safe.” Will sounded so certain all would be well. He failed to see the larger problem.

  “Declan will not be the last to use Conri against me. If you had seen what they did to him you would understand. I can never let it happen again.”

  “How is breaking the man’s heart and sleeping with…”

  “I am not sleeping with Rory, figuratively or literally. I have spent every night on the tower roof with Conri, as a hawk. I would never give myself to another man. Conri is the only man I want.” It felt good to defend herself to someone.

  “Now I am even more confused. How is any of this protecting Conri?” Will shook his head, as if somehow that would increase his understanding of the situation.