A Cursed Kiss (Myths of Airren Book 1)

by Jenny Hickman

His eyebrows flicked up beneath his hair. “Have I?”

  Tadhg’s breathing had been even and steady. His eyes closed for hours. He had certainly looked like he’d been sleeping.

  The corner of his lips lifted a fraction and my stomach fluttered.

  “Are you telling me that you’ve only been pretending to sleep?”

  He shrugged. “It was better than engaging in conversation with you.” The carriage jolted, sending us both careening into the wall. “Dammit. I’ve half a mind to take the wheel again just to give my arse a break.”

  If he did that, maybe I would kill him. “Or we could share the bench.”

  He frowned at the empty space beside me. “You’ve made it abundantly clear that you do not want me near you.”

  Was he saying that he stayed on the trunk for my sake? That didn’t make any sense.

  He retrieved his balled-up overcoat from where it had fallen and stuffed it under him.

  Don’t trust the creatures.

  The warning rolled through my mind as if the crier had shouted it in my ear.

  I was already in the carriage with Tadhg. What did it matter if he was on the trunk or the bench? “Don’t be daft. There’s more than enough room for the both of us.” I scooted toward the window as a peace offering.

  Instead of changing seats, Tadhg pulled out his flask and drained whatever was inside. His eyes met mine, and he said without a drop of humor, “Do you promise not to murder me?”

  “I promise not to murder you today.”

  He gave a startled laugh. “Why, Maiden Death. Was that a joke?”

  I bit my lip to keep from smiling. “Perhaps.”

  He returned the smile, and for a brief moment, I felt lighter, almost as if everything was as it should be.

  Except it wasn’t.

  Aveen was still gone.

  What right did I have to joke and laugh and smile? What right did I have to experience even a fleeting moment of happiness when my sister may never do any of those things again?

  Tadhg stood but had to hunch so he didn’t knock his head against the low ceiling. A whip cracked. I caught the drapes to steady myself for the inevitable jolt.

  Tadhg’s knee slammed against the bench and his shoulder banged the window. “I hate these damned boxes. Fancy feckin’ cages on wheels is what they are.” He collapsed beside me, rubbing his sore leg. Muscles flexed in his strong thigh where it pressed against mine, solid and warm.

  I tore my gaze away and focused on counting the rivets in the trunk.

  One. Two. Three—

  If I shifted a fraction, our shoulders would touch.

  Four. Five. Six—

  His shirt smelled like it had been dried by the wind.

  Dammit.

  Seven. Eight. Nine—

  It was no use. My mind kept drifting to him and the way the light played on his dark hair as he stared out the window. The slight pulse of his jaw as the muscles flexed beneath the layer of dark stubble.

  I scrubbed a hand down my face, gritty from dried sweat. Me. I needed to focus on me.

  My boots were in desperate need of a polish. The hems of my cloak and dress were caked in muck from the market, and my head was beginning to itch.

  Did I smell as terrible as I looked?

  What I wouldn’t give for a bath.

  “I’m keeping my magic to myself.” Tadhg shoved himself further into the curtains.

  Magic? What was he on about? “I didn’t say anything.”

  “You didn’t have to. I can tell from the look on your face that you find my scent unpleasant. Most women find it irresistible.”

  The way he said it was so matter-of-fact, the look on his face so bewildered, that I didn’t respond with a snide remark. “I find my own scent unpleasant,” I confessed, waving a dismissive hand. “You’ve had a bath, and I desperately need one.” What I wouldn’t give for a tub filled with steaming water, surrounded by flickering candles.

  Tadhg angled his head toward my hair and inhaled. “You smell like sunshine and lavender.”

  “Liar.” I smelled like sweat and muck and—Was that manure on my heel? Lovely.

  He gave me a sidelong look. “I cannot lie.”

  I laughed.

  Tadhg’s expression didn’t change.

  “You expect me to believe a witch cursed you as well?” That wasn’t happening. It would be too much of a coincidence. Too convenient. A ploy to make me trust him.

  His chuckle sounded forced. “I don’t expect you to believe anything I say.”

  I sat back and looked at him—really looked. If I didn’t know better, I would have sworn sincerity touched the corners of his unnerving eyes as he returned my gaze.

  “How do I know you’re not lying?” I asked.

  Tadhg’s shoulders lifted in a shrug. “You don’t.”

  Don’t trust the creatures.

  If he was lying, then nothing had changed. But if he was telling the truth and he was bound by his promises, I’d be a fool not to secure a vow of my own. “Do you swear you won’t harm me or Padraig with your magic?”

  The slight wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened. “I swear not to harm you today.”

  Touché.

  A reluctant smile tugged at my lips. “Let’s say I believe you. You can’t lie. Why were you in the Green Serpent the night we met?”

  With his shoulder propped against the window, Tadhg crossed his arms over his chest. This close, I could see a number of small silver scars marring the tanned skin at his wrist. “Someone I know bet that I wouldn’t last an hour in the pub. I proved him wrong.”

  “What did you win?”

  He withdrew the gold cufflink.

  He’d bet his safety for a bloody cufflink?

  Who was Tadhg, really? And why was he here? If he could shift biscuits, then he could presumably shift coins. Which meant he didn’t need my silver. There had to be some other reason he had agreed to bring me to Tearmann.

  “Why are you really helping me?”

  Almond-scented air consumed my senses when he leaned forward to whisper against the shell of my ear, “Because you have something I want.”

  “What’s that?” I breathed.

  Tadhg traced a finger down my cheek, leaving my skin tingling when his finger looped beneath the chain and slid it free.

  His eyes blazed with fierce need, but he wasn’t looking at me. His full lips twisted into a derisive smile as he touched the emerald. “I want the ring.”

  The forest reflected in the lake turned the still water the same shade of dark green as the leaves fluttering on the trees. After traveling for three hours, I had been more than ready to escape the tension inside the carriage and stretch my legs.

  Tadhg had refused to tell me why he wanted the ring or why he didn’t just steal it from my neck. It wouldn’t be that difficult. If he pulled hard enough, the chain would easily break. But Tadhg seemed content to keep his secrets, another reminder that he couldn’t be trusted. Our conversation had waned, and I had spent the rest of the time trying not to be so aware of him.

  The sun peeped through a break in the rolling clouds. I shoved my sleeves to my elbows and lifted my face to catch a few elusive rays. My cloak, purse, and dagger were safe in the carriage with Padraig. For a moment, I pretended it was just me, the sunshine, and the softly lapping water.

  And then Tadhg coughed and ruined the illusion.

  Every piece of the puzzle that was Tadhg left me more confused. The first few days, he had been irritable and downright rude, intent on sabotaging me at every turn. But since I’d offered him that room last night, he’d been almost congenial—until I started asking about the ring.

  I dipped my fingertips beneath the lake’s surface, sending ripples chasing one another away from the shore. The water was cold and clear, unlike my murky thoughts.

  Why was the ring so important?

  Wiping the drops on my cloak, I hugged my knees to my chest and studied the far bank.

  I shouldn�
�t be hurt that he’d refused to confide in me. We weren’t enemies per se, but we weren’t friends either. We were two people stuck together, trying to survive until we got what we wanted. And all Tadhg wanted was the ring.

  To forget that would only lead to disaster.

  Tadhg lounged in the soggy grass, legs propped on a boulder, lining breadcrumbs on his shins. “I wouldn’t sit so close to the water if I were you,” he said, breaking off a hunk of bread left over from lunch and scattering crumbs on his stomach.

  “Oh, you’re talking to me now, are you?”

  “I was never not talking to you.”

  “Then tell me about the ring.”

  He went back to covering himself in crumbs.

  “I wouldn’t sit so close to the water if I were you,” I muttered. He thought he could order me around? The sooner he got that notion out of his head, the better. I removed my boots and stockings and crossed the pebbled shore to let the frigid water soothe the blisters on my feet.

  “Is there something wrong with your hearing?” Tadhg clipped.

  I snagged a pebble and launched it at his insufferable head. He was lucky I had terrible aim.

  A pudgy black and white bird flitted from the briars and settled on his knee. Its tail feathers twitched as it picked up a crumb with its tiny black beak. A second bird, a red-breasted robin, landed on his other knee.

  “My record is twenty-one,” Tadhg whispered.

  “I don’t care.” I lifted my skirts to keep them from getting soaked as I waded to my calves. The slick stones made it difficult to stay upright as I continued to my knees. Closing my eyes, I imagined I was going for a swim, letting the water support my weight as I glided through the lake, allowing it to wash away the sweat and grime and tension.

  Tadhg’s annoying voice cut through my fantasy. I ignored him. We would be leaving soon and there was no telling when I would get another opportunity to breathe and enjoy the peace and quiet.

  Water splashed against my legs, and my eyes burst open.

  In front of me stood a white horse, neck-deep in the lake. The beast shook its massive head, spraying my face and chest with droplets. The magnificent animal probably belonged to a wealthy lord living nearby. When I reached for its tarnished silver bridle, the horse backed into deeper water.

  “Shhhh. I’m not going to hurt you.” I dropped my skirt and followed it one step. Two. Three. I caught the dangling leather strap.

  The horse whinnied. Its loose lips pulled back, revealing rows of razor-sharp silver teeth dripping with slimy green algae.

  I screamed. Whirled. Bolted for the shore.

  Birds scattered when Tadhg shot to his feet. He seemed miles away. How was that possible? I’d only taken a few steps.

  The still lake came to life, churning into a whirlpool, sucking me beneath white-capped waves.

  Water muted my thrashing. I spun out of control, legs and arms flailing. Murky liquid stung my eyes. The horse looked like it was running beneath the waves as it swam with powerful strides. Silver teeth flashed, seized my skirts, and jerked me toward the dark depths.

  Which way was up?

  Where was the shore?

  Everything was dark and cold and heavy, and I kicked and flailed but I was no match for the sheer power of the white horse flying to the depths. My dress was an iron net, weighing me down down down.

  Panic seized my chest in its vice like grip. My lungs burned in agony. The more I told myself not to breathe, the more I needed to breathe, and oh god, I was going to die in this lake, and my sister, my poor sister. No one would bring Aveen back. I was her only hope.

  Something wrapped around my waist.

  An arm.

  Pain jolted the top of my spine. My dress and stay loosened; the swirling vortex swallowed the sliced fabric.

  I could feel myself drifting. Fading gray light grew brighter and brighter until my head broke free from the water. I gasped, but there wasn’t enough air to rid my lungs of the fire.

  My savior hefted me to the shore.

  It wasn’t Padraig.

  Tadhg swiped sticky hair from my cheeks, my forehead. Black kohl dripped into bloodshot eyes.

  His palm flattened against my chest. “Deep breaths. That’s it. In, in, in and out, out, out.” Water tumbled down his face, falling onto mine. “Do it again.”

  I focused on expanding and contracting my lungs with his count of three. He had risked his life for me. I should be grateful. I was grateful. But part of me wondered if I deserved to be eaten by an underwater monster. At least then I’d be with Aveen.

  Tadhg’s shirt clung to his muscular chest, rising and falling in exaggerated movements as he dragged air into his lungs. His pointed ears refused to remain hidden.

  He was too near and not near enough, kneeling between my thighs. A thin, sheer shift was the only barrier between his hand and my skin. Warmth collected in my belly. The thing living inside of me writhed, begging to be unleashed.

  “Next time I tell you to avoid the water,” Tadhg said, his voice huskier than I’d ever heard it, “I suggest you listen.”

  “I will.” It was clear that I knew nothing of his world. There were dangers on this island that I’d never expected. Monsters that attacked in broad daylight. Nowhere was safe.

  Tadhg nodded, then stiffened.

  “Unhand my lady or I’ll send ye straight to hell, ye rutting bastard,” Padraig growled.

  Where had he come from? Last I’d seen him, he’d been napping on the bench atop the carriage.

  Tadhg removed his hand from my chest, taking his heat with him.

  Padraig shifted. An emerald glowed in the hilt of the dagger pressed against Tadhg’s ribs. “Stand up. Now.”

  Tadhg stumbled to his feet, hands raised in the air. “I understand how this looks, but I didn’t hurt her. I swear.” Wide green eyes begged for assistance, pleading silently.

  “Is that true, milady?” Padraig adjusted his hold on the dagger. Tadhg winced and cursed.

  “It’s t-true,” I forced through trembling lips. “He s-saved m-me from a . . . a . . .” What the hell had that thing been? A lake demon of some kind?

  “Kelpie,” Tadhg finished.

  Padraig’s white eyebrows came together. “Kelpie? I thought those cursed beasts were extinct.” He removed the dagger and stepped back.

  Tadhg’s hands slowly lowered. “That’s what they want you to think.”

  A blue heron flew across the lake’s mirrored surface, landing in some reeds along the rocky shore. The scenery was so serene, so peaceful. How was anyone to know a ravenous beast lurked beneath the water?

  “I suppose I owe ye an apology.” Although Padraig still appeared wary, he held out a weathered hand.

  Tadhg stared at it like he hadn’t a clue what to do. Then he clasped Padraig’s hand in his. “I . . . understand how it must’ve looked.” He darted a glance at me. “And I appreciate that you didn’t stab first and ask questions later.”

  “And I appreciate you saving Lady Keelynn.”

  Tadhg had risked his life for me.

  Why had he bothered?

  He wants the ring.

  That was all. If the kelpie had eaten me, the ring would’ve been swallowed by the lake. Lost forever to the depths. Tadhg didn’t care whether I lived or died.

  All he wanted was the ring.

  9

  People sang in the streets and hung out windows with drinks in their hands. Barrels had been set up outside the pubs to be used as extra tables for patrons spilling from within. Colorful banners zigzagged from one side of the street to the other, fluttering in the soft breeze.

  The woman at the inn said we could have the two remaining rooms and that they’d be ready in another hour or two. Tadhg and Padraig were still in the stables when I returned. After the incident at the lake, I had changed into a dry dress and spent the next three hours trying to process what had happened.

  If only I had listened when Tadhg said to avoid the water. The next time he told
me something was dangerous, I would heed his warning.

  The sight of Tadhg leaning against the wooden slatted wall, grinning, took me by surprise. He looked so carefree and was still by far the most handsome man I had ever encountered.

  He muttered something low to Padraig that sent my coachman bowing over the horse trough in a fit of wheezing laughter.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked, closing the gap between us.

  Padraig jerked upright and wiped a hand over his face.

  “Nothing, milady.” His words strained with pent up laughter.

  I offered Tadhg a genuine smile, the one reserved for people I actually liked. Tadhg pushed away from the wall and stepped toward me. “All I said was that the horse”—he nodded toward a hulking black stallion tied behind him—“and I both have impressive—”

  “I’m afraid Master Tadhg’s humor isn’t suited to a high-born lady’s ears,” Padraig blurted, his color rising beneath his whiskers.

  Tadhg gestured beneath the horse, then held his hands in front of him and pretended to measure something. Heat crept from my neck to my ears when my gaze inadvertently dropped to Tadhg’s breeches.

  “The stall at the end’s empty if you’d like a closer look,” he drawled, reaching for the buckle on his belt.

  My racing pulse left sweat collecting at the back of my neck. I could’ve ignored the challenge in his eyes but didn’t want to. “Doesn’t seem impressive enough to warrant my attention.”

  “Milady!” Padraig’s gaping stare bounced between us.

  Tadhg’s grin turned wicked, leaving my knees trembling beneath my skirts. “You’d be surprised.”

  “Master Tadhg!” Padraig grabbed him by the collar and hauled him so that Tadhg was no longer facing me. “Ye will remember to whom ye are speaking and stop this sort of talk immediately.”

  Tadhg offered a conspiratorial wink over his shoulder.

  Creature.

  Dangerous.

  Padraig let him go and stepped between us. “Did ye organize lodging fer tonight, milady?”

  Lodging?

  “Um . . . Oh, yes! I did.” I explained about the delay, and we all agreed it would be best to find some sustenance before retiring for the night. It would have been a brilliant plan, except every pub and inn we tried was busier than the one before it.