by Grant, Donna
Eoghan’s gaze narrowed on Rordan. “You speak as if you know who it is.”
“I’ve an idea.”
“And?” Aisling asked with a loud sigh.
Rordan’s nostrils flared as he glanced her way. “There has long been talk of a Fae banished from the Light. He can find anything you need. Some call him a Seeker. It’s also said that he does business with both the Light and the Dark. He doesn’t discriminate.”
“Why was he banished?” Bradach asked.
Rordan shook his head. “I never heard that part of the tale.”
“Do you have a name for this Seeker?” Eoghan asked.
“No, but I know how we can find him.”
Eoghan contemplated that idea. He wanted to know if it was Bran after Thea, even as there was a part of him that knew it was a new enemy.
Dubhan crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll say what none of you have. We found the cottage too easily. Whoever veiled it, lowered their magic so Eoghan could find her.”
“I know,” Eoghan said.
Torin raised a black brow. “And you brought her back here?”
“It’s the safest place,” Aisling stated.
Eoghan ran a hand down his face, his mind sorting through the facts. “If it is this Seeker who kidnapped Thea, there’s a chance he could know we’re Reapers.”
“How?” Bradach asked. “None of us have made it known.”
“It’s better to be prepared,” Cathal stated.
Eoghan nodded in agreement. “Rordan, see if you can find this Fae. Use glamour to alter your face. Don’t talk to him. Just locate him.”
“Aye,” Rordan said and teleported away.
Eoghan looked at the others. “Someone hired this Seeker to take Thea. We don’t know if it’s a Light or a Dark Fae.”
“If a Dark wanted her, they would’ve taken her themselves,” Dubhan said.
Cathal gave a nod of agreement. “True, but if they weren’t sure where Thea was, they might have hired the Seeker. Still, once she was caught, why leave her in the cottage?”
“Thea did say someone was in there with her,” Aisling said.
Eoghan got a sick feeling in his stomach. “Thea is an orphan. She never knew either of her parents. She was dropped off at a children’s home when she was an infant.”
“Oh,” Aisling said with a frown.
Torin looked around. “What am I missing?”
Bradach said, “Eoghan thinks that it could be her Fae parent looking for her.”
“Fek,” Cathal said with a twist of his lips.
Dubhan grunted. “Well, if it was a female with the Seeker, that narrows down who we’re looking for.”
“It also points us to the Light,” Torin replied.
Eoghan lowered his gaze to the ground. The magic within Thea was strong. It was rare in a Halfling with several generations of Fae blood flowing through him or her. Not so the case when one of the parents was a Fae.
“We’re assuming the Fae after Thea is her mother,” Torin said. “It could just be a woman working for the father. Think of how many mortal women put their children up for adoption.”
Eoghan turned his gaze to Aisling. “We need more information on how Thea came to be at the children’s home. Take Cathal and see what you two can find.”
Once they were gone, Eoghan looked at the other three. “I put up wards around this level. Work your way up to the top with more. I want to know the moment another Fae comes close.”
Now alone with Thea, Eoghan turned on his heel and looked at the door where she lounged in a tub on the other side. His emotions were still too raw to talk to her. Besides, he wanted information first.
Chapter Twelve
The cold seeping up through the stone floor didn’t bother Thea as she rolled the empty wine bottle on its side. The bath had done wonders to relieve her tired muscles, but nothing could ease the ache within her except for Eoghan.
And he’d made it clear how he felt on that matter.
She still couldn’t understand how someone could have such passion and ignore it. Or maybe he just didn’t feel it as strongly she did.
Thea leaned back against the bed and closed her eyes. Aisling had given her all the comforts she could want. Thea had been awed by the magnitude of the female’s magic.
While Aisling had been kind, Thea was all too aware that the Fae was part of Eoghan’s group. A team he apparently led—a detail he’d left out.
Not that they had done a lot of talking. She knew very little about Eoghan, but still, she was drawn to him. It wasn’t something she could ignore like Eoghan apparently could. But it would be handy to know his little trick for avoidance. Maybe then, she could get some sleep.
There were no windows in her room, and she had no way of knowing the time. She stifled a yawn. After being up for nearly forty-eight hours straight, her body wanted sleep.
She climbed into the bed and slid under the covers on her side. Her gaze was on the door, wondering what Eoghan was doing. She wished he’d come to her, but she knew he wouldn’t. And that meant she couldn’t—and wouldn’t—go to him.
Her mind was too full of everything to allow her to find sleep. She rolled onto her back and put her hand on her forehead as she thought about her band and Annie. Did they even know she was gone?
She’d let it be known that she didn’t like to talk on the phone and rarely texted. That made it so people rarely contacted her, which was exactly what she liked.
Or it was what she liked.
It was never clearer than at that moment that she had truly isolated herself from everyone. How many days would go by before Annie went to her flat?
She swiped at a tear. All her life, she’d felt as if she didn’t belong. Even at the children’s home where everyone was an orphan just like her. She always stood out, unable to fit in anywhere.
Nothing had changed as she grew older. It just became less of an issue. Even in her band, she didn’t quite fit in. But the others didn’t care, so it didn’t matter to her.
She threw off the covers and rose from the bed. Her bare feet hit the stones, sending a chill through her. She ignored it as she walked to the door and opened it. Unsure where to go, she stood in the doorway and looked around.
Thea took a few steps toward the circular room at the center of the dwelling. She’d hoped Eoghan might be there. After a look in all the rooms, she discovered that she was alone.
It was how she normally preferred it, but now, she discovered she didn’t want to be alone. She walked to one of the sofas and sat in the corner, tucking her legs against her. She was glad for the thick pajamas Aisling had given her.
She spotted her violin case, yet she didn’t go to it. Odd since it was never far from her.
The sound of approaching footsteps pulled her gaze away from her instrument. Her heart leapt at the sight of Eoghan. As soon as he saw her, he came to a halt.
“Is everything all right?” he asked.
She wrapped a hand around her cold toes. “Actually, I was hoping one of you might have found my mobile. I need to call Annie. She’s my best friend.”
“I know.”
She frowned while trying to remember if Eoghan and Annie had met.
“I saw Annie at your flat.”
Thea’s back straightened, she was so taken aback. “Uh . . . what?”
“After I returned you to the pub, I found that I wanted to see you again.”
“But you didn’t know where I lived.”
He shrugged as if to say it was no big deal. And for him, it wasn’t because he was a Fae.
“When I was at your door, Annie arrived. She was frantic with worry.”
Thea’s heart warmed at the mention of her friend. “Really?”
“We searched your flat, and it took some convincing before she accepted that I wasn’t a serial killer.”
Thea laughed out loud. “Annie has an . . . well, I call it an obsession with serial killers and all movies and shows. Both documentaries an
d fiction. She’s always telling me how a murderer could kill me since I take the same path home every time.”
“She’s a dedicated friend.”
“Yes, she is,” Thea said as she thought about Annie. “I need to let her know I’m okay.”
“I agree. Especially since she’s been shouting my name for the past hour.”
“What?”
Eoghan sighed. “I promised I would go to her if she called for me.”
“You told her what you are?”
“Of course not.”
Thea was confused. “And she accepted the fact that she could just say your name?”
“No, but she was willing to take a chance for you.”
“Then why haven’t you gone to her?”
Eoghan looked offended at her question. “I didn’t want to leave you alone.”
“It’s probably better that you didn’t. She’s going to want to talk to me anyway.”
Eoghan held out his hand, and a mobile phone appeared. He handed it to her. A part of Thea wanted to make sure their fingers touched, but she also couldn’t be rejected a third time.
She took the phone and rose. “I’ll go in my room so you won’t have to hear the chatter.”
“You think it bothers me?” he asked with a frown.
“I just assumed you’d rather be alone.”
When he didn’t reply, she turned and made her way to her room. Once the door was closed, she hastily dialed Annie’s number.
As soon as her friend answered, Thea smiled. “Annie, it’s me.”
“Thea! Oh, my God. I’ve been so worried. What the hell happened to you? And why aren’t you calling from your phone?”
“Mine is gone, but I’m fine.”
Annie paused a moment then asked. “Who is Eoghan?”
“Someone I met the other night.”
“He’s a stunner, I’ll give you that. But he’s very . . . what’s the word I’m looking for?”
“Reserved?” Thea suggested.
Annie snorted. “I was going to go with secretive, guarded. Cagey. Yes, cagey is a good word. Care to tell me how he just disappeared? I’d like to know that trick.”
“He’s the one who found me,” Thea stated.
“Did he?” Annie whispered in shock. “I wasn’t sure if he would. I mean, he certainly looked capable and all that, but I was about to head to the authorities to file a missing person report.”
Thea walked to the bed and fell back onto the mattress before tucking her feet beneath the covers. “Thank you for caring.”
“I know you may not believe this, but people do care about you.”
“I’m learning that. I’m so sorry for being such a pain.”
“Come over, and we can talk about it as well as Mr. Cagey.”
Thea closed her eyes. “I wish I could.”
“What’s going on?”
“I can’t tell you all of it, at least not now. Once it’s over, I will. But someone kidnapped me. I don’t know why. Eoghan found me, and I’ll be with him as we figure things out.”
“Damn,” Annie murmured.
Thea thought of all the times she’d brushed Annie off and felt a pang of regret. She swept aside a tear that fell down her cheek.
“What do you need from me?” her friend asked.
Thea opened her eyes and looked at the far wall. “Nothing. Just go on as usual.”
“What about the band?”
“I don’t know how long this could take. Replace me if you have to.”
Annie laughed dryly. “Ah. No. I’ll tell the others an emergency came up. Can I contact you through this number?”
“I think so.”
“Well, there’s so much more I want to say and ask, but you sound exhausted. Get some sleep. Check in when you can.”
Thea smiled. “Thanks, Annie. And thanks for not freaking out on me.”
“Oh, honey. I freaked. I’m still freaking. Trust me. You’ll get a dose when I see you.”
The line disconnected. Thea laid the mobile next to her pillow as she turned onto her side and pulled up the covers. This time when she closed her eyes, she felt sleep pulling at her.
* * *
Eoghan stood outside Thea’s door. He hadn’t wanted to listen in on her conversation, but he’d needed to know how she was really feeling, and she would only tell Annie that.
He left his spot when Bradach returned and walked into the main room. The Light Fae lowered himself into one of the chairs before crossing an ankle over his knee.
Eoghan studied the Reaper. “I know you wanted to be one of us. I also know you can fight. Why do you hide it?”
Bradach drew in a deep breath and slowly released it as he ran a hand through his short hair. “Probably for the same reason you’re trying to pretend that you wouldn’t do anything just to have Thea in your arms.”
Eoghan sat in the spot she’d recently occupied on the sofa. “I watched Bran fall in love and try to have something that could never be his. It turned him into a monster. He divided us and turned Reaper against Reaper.”
“But the others in Cael’s group are fine. Death has accepted the women. I also know that Death has rescinded her rule about not having relationships.”
“I know firsthand how Cael and the others are bending over backwards to keep the Halflings safe. If Bran could get his hands on them, he would.”
“And you don’t want your attention divided,” Bradach said.
Eoghan shook his head. “It’s too late for me. But it’s also why I know that this isn’t the life for Thea.”
“I agree with you a hundred percent. But you didn’t see your face when we returned. We all knew the two of you were kissing. The need was palpable.”
“Bran wants to kill me. He’s after our brethren and Erith. I’m ready to die for them—for you—so he doesn’t win. If I give in to the desire and take Thea, I’ll compromise myself.”
Bradach lowered his foot to the ground and sat forward, resting his arms on his legs. “Do you really think any of us would allow Bran to get to Thea?”
“I know you would try, but there again is the conflict. Our mission isn’t to protect Halflings. We’re Reapers. We take those Death has judged.”
“Then what did you and your team do for the past few months? You saved Halflings. Hundreds of them, in fact.”
Eoghan looked away because Bradach had a point. It felt as if everything and everyone were pushing him to succumb to his desire. But he feared it. Mostly, he worried what he might become if he opened that part of himself again.
The problem was that Thea had cracked that door open the moment she looked up at him after pulling him from the portal stones. And every time he had been with her after that, the door was pushed wider and wider.
The kiss had kicked it all the way open.
“Do you know what I would do if I had such a gift before me?” Bradach asked.
Eoghan’s gaze slid to him. He looked into the Fae’s silver eyes. “Aye, I do.”
“So, you know my past? You know why I’m a Reaper?”
“I do,” Eoghan replied.
Bradach pushed to his feet. “Then don’t be a fool and make my same mistakes.”
Chapter Thirteen
It was amazing what fifteen hours of sleep could do. Thea stretched and yawned before she rose from the warmth of the bed. The cool air brushing against her shook off any vestiges of slumber.
She grinned when she saw the rack against the wall, full of black clothes and lingerie. Aisling must have done it while she slept. Thea looked through the various pants, shirts, and jackets before choosing a pair of black jeans and a black, long-sleeved, collared shirt with a low V in the front. She liked the texture of the shirt and the way it skimmed her figure.
Thea then put on her boots before combing her fingers through her hair. It was a tangled mess, so instead of fighting it, she threw it up into a messy updo at the back of her head. Aisling had even supplied a toothbrush and toothpaste that Thea gladly
took advantage of.
The Dark Fae had thought of everything. Thea needed to do more than simply say “thank you.” But how did one show appreciation to a Fae who had magic to get anything they wanted?
At the door, Thea drew a deep breath to ready herself before opening it. As soon as she stepped out, her gaze immediately found Eoghan.
He halted in the middle of speaking when he saw her. All seven of them shifted their eyes to her. It was disconcerting, to say the least. Yet she refused to let it get to her. She held Eoghan’s gaze, not quite sure what to do.
“How do you feel?” he asked.
Thea felt her muscles relax at his words. “Better.”
“Come meet the others,” he bade.
As if she would pass up such an offer. She walked to stand beside him and faced the six Fae. How different her life was now. She was in a room full of gorgeous beings with magic.
“You already know Aisling,” Eoghan said as he started on the left.
Thea smiled at the Fae. “Thank you for the clothes.”
“My pleasure,” Aisling said with a wink.
Eoghan then motioned to the man beside her. “That is Bradach.”
Thea looked into the Light’s silver eyes and grinned. Next up was Dubhan, and then Torin. At the end was Rordan, and the giant, Cathal.
After the introductions, the room grew uncomfortably silent. Thea blew out a breath and turned to Eoghan. “Should I leave so you can get back to what I obviously interrupted?”
“We were discussing you,” Eoghan said. His quicksilver eyes swung to her. Then he told the others, “We need a moment.”
Just like that, the six vanished. No questions, no arguments. Just complete obedience. Thea confirmed that Eoghan was in charge after seeing him with the group, but he didn’t seem to carry the mantle easily.
“Discussing me, huh?” she asked with a forced grin. “It must be something terrible for you to have that stern look.”
Eoghan frowned before shaking his head. “Forgive me. I’m handling this badly.”
“Who are you? I know your name, but little else.”
He glanced at the ground. “You know more about me than most.”
“So you keep people at a distance, as well, huh?”
