by Grant, Donna
It caused chills to rise on his skin. He leaned closer, seeking more of her attention. All the while, their eyes were locked.
Of all the times for him to lose control, this was not the place to do it. But he was powerless to resist—not to mention, he didn’t want to fight Thea’s allure.
Bradach’s words from the day before continued to drift through this mind, warring with the part of him that knew it was folly to surrender.
“You look at me as if you want nothing else but me,” Thea said.
His gaze dropped to her mouth. He remembered how sweet she tasted, how perfect she felt in his arms.
“But you push me away.” Her nails slid over his neck to his chest. “I’ve never known anyone with your strength of will before.”
“Th—
“Eoghan.”
Eoghan jerked when he heard Rordan call his name. He pushed away from the wall and looked around the room.
“What is it?” Thea questioned.
“Rordan just said my name. It was done as a warning,” he explained.
Thea’s gaze darted around. “About what?”
Eoghan’s did a double-take when he spotted Rhi. The Light Fae was veiled and reclining on an archway about thirty feet above Balladyn. Rhi swung her feet like a child while she looked at Balladyn with murder in her eyes.
For his part, the new King of the Dark seemed distracted as he looked around as if searching for someone.
“What is it?” Thea asked.
Eoghan smiled. “Someone who can help.”
Chapter Fifteen
While caught in a palace of killers, there was only one who ensnared Thea’s attention. Eoghan. Even with his glamour that turned his eyes a vivid red and the thick silver streaks in his midnight locks, he was still the most gorgeous, magnificent man she had ever laid eyes on.
Or ever would.
There wasn’t a single being in all the worlds that could compare to him. While some might find his solemn, serious nature a drawback, she thought it sexy. Or maybe that was because he was one of those rare individuals who would rush into the most extreme danger to save others without regard for themselves.
It was no wonder Death wanted him for a Reaper. Eoghan was strong, courageous, and powerful. His intense, deep-rooted sense of justice made him stand out from all others. He was a survivor, as was evident by his betrayal and subsequent death, and then the hellish world he’d pulled himself from.
Such things would’ve broken lesser men. Instead, it had only added to Eoghan’s strength, making him a dangerous enemy—and a powerful ally.
In the little time she had been around the Reapers, she’d seen how he commanded with quiet authority. He expected no more from his team than he was willing to give himself.
The fact that he’d allowed her to go on such a mission said a lot about the man he was. Thea would be lying if she said she wasn’t terrified, but if there were anyone who could keep her safe, it was Eoghan.
She was supposed to be looking and listening for the Fae who’d kidnapped her, but her attention kept returning to Eoghan. If only they were alone. If only he would kiss her again.
Thea frowned as his worry penetrated the haze of her desire. “You see someone who can help?”
“Maybe,” Eoghan murmured, his attention directed elsewhere.
She mourned the loss of their semi-seclusion. There might be a thousand Dark around them, but for just a few minutes, there had only been the two of them.
“Good,” she said. “Do you want to go talk to them?”
“We will,” Eoghan murmured as his brow furrowed.
Thea turned her head to the side to take a look at the Fae surrounding them as she was supposed to. Her gaze ran over several faces before her eyes jerked back to a man standing off by himself in a corner. His attention was locked on two Dark deep in conversation.
She tapped Eoghan’s arm, not taking her gaze from the Fae for fear of losing him. When Eoghan didn’t immediately respond, she hit him harder.
“Um . . . Eoghan. I found him,” she said.
Instantly, Eoghan’s gaze was on her before turning to where she looked. “Which one?”
“The one by himself.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. He didn’t change his appearance.”
Eoghan glanced at whoever he thought could help. “I’ve alerted the others. Talking to him here is a bad idea. Too many Dark.”
“He’d follow me if he could see my real face.”
“No,” Eoghan stated.
She looked to Eoghan. “We need answers. I need answers. We don’t want an incident where we call attention to ourselves. But I might be able to lead him out of here to somewhere more private.”
He stared at her a long minute. “If I agree to this, I’ll be beside you, veiled the entire time.”
“I’d want it no other way,” she stated. “I might want answers, but I’ve no wish to be caught by anyone here.”
Eoghan’s lips flattened as his gaze slid away. “Aisling and Dubhan will also be veiled while the others station themselves elsewhere. There is statuary out back. It’s a good place to talk since few are out there.”
“Okay,” she said, reservations rushing through her now that Eoghan had agreed.
His eyes snapped back to her. “I’ll lead you there, but it’ll be up to you to get the Fae to follow.”
“I understand,” she stated.
He hesitated, then said, “I’ll be beside you the entire time with my hand on your arm to help guide you.”
“How do you know this place so well?”
“The Reapers have been here many times for those Death has judged.”
Thea nodded. “Ah. Right.”
Eoghan blew out a harsh breath. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” she replied.
She missed his nearness the moment he stepped away. He gave her a nod and said, “I’ll be right back.”
Though Eoghan was only gone for a matter of seconds, Thea had never felt so exposed. She imagined that every Dark was now staring at her.
She sagged against the wall when an invisible hand touched her arm. Eoghan. Thank God he was back, even if he was now veiled. Since this was her idea, there was no backing out now. Besides, she wanted answers.
“I’m ready when you are,” Eoghan said from beside her.
His disembodied voice reassured her. Thea pushed away from the wall and made her way to the Fae. She was almost upon him before his red eyes swung to her. Thanks to Eoghan’s glamour, there was nothing about her the Fae recognized.
“Can I help you?” he asked, not bothering to keep the irritation from his voice.
She stood beside him and looked at the men he’d been staring at. “Thinking of kidnapping someone else?”
That’s all it took for his attention to land squarely on her. “Do I know you?”
“You would if I didn’t look like this. It was only a few days ago that I got out of the cottage you locked me in.”
“Thea?” he whispered in shock. “What the holy fek are you doing here?”
“Looking for you.”
His eyes lifted and scanned the room with narrowed eyes. “Who else is with you?”
“Some friends. But you don’t need to concern yourself with them.” She was proud of how commanding her voice sounded. “How about we talk somewhere more private?”
His red eyes slid to her, and he stared for a long minute. “And if I don’t want to?”
“You really want to.”
“Now isn’t a good time.”
She shrugged. “It wasn’t exactly a good time when you took me from the street either, but you didn’t care about that.”
His nostrils flared. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”
Thea turned in the direction Eoghan tugged her. She and the Dark didn’t utter another word as they walked side by side from the room and through a labyrinth of corridors until she spotted a doorway.
She continued
walking out onto the veranda and down the steps to the statues below. There were dozens of them, some naked, some clothed, but all modeled after Fae—if their beauty was any indication. Thea did a double-take as she looked at a statue that was a replica of David.
As soon as she was outside, she drew in a breath to steady herself. Being outdoors and away from so many Dark made her feel better.
The Fae snorted as he came to a stop. “Being out here is no different than inside those doors. You should remember that.”
Thea faced him and glared. She didn’t know how long she had before Eoghan and the others made themselves known. “Why did you take me?” she demanded.
“It was a job.”
“Who wanted me kidnapped?”
The Dark folded his arms over his chest and looked around. “I know you’re not alone.”
“Answer my question.”
“Not until the others show themselves.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Eoghan dropped his veil. The other six then did the same. The Fae looked at each of them before his gaze halted on Eoghan.
“Give her the answer,” Eoghan ordered.
Thea waited anxiously, but the seconds ticked by with only silence.
Cathal took a menacing step toward the Dark. “You were given a command.”
The Fae glanced at Cathal and smiled. “I’m not afraid of you.”
“You should be,” Dubhan stated.
The Fae and Eoghan stared at each other, neither moving. Thea looked at Aisling, who gave a shake of her head, warning Thea to remain silent.
Thea stared at the Fae, trying to understand why he didn’t fear the seven surrounding him. And that’s when it hit her.
“You’re more afraid of who paid you to take me,” she said.
There was the slightest twitch in the Dark’s countenance to prove that her theory was correct.
“You’ve got it wrong,” Bradach told the Dark. “You should be more afraid of us.”
The Fae snorted. “I know who you are—or rather what you are.”
“That’s impossible,” Torin said.
Eoghan took a step closer to the Fae. “Who are you?”
“If you’re going to kill me, do it,” the Dark stated. “Otherwise, let me go so I can finish what I began.”
“Another victim waiting to be kidnapped?” Rordan quipped.
The Fae turned his head and speared Rordan with a hard look. “No.”
“But you’re the one they call the Seeker, aren’t you?” Eoghan asked.
The Dark swung his head back to Eoghan and gave a brief nod of his head. “I am. Now, get on with the killing.”
A sword appeared in Dubhan’s hand, but he didn’t advance on the Dark. Instead, he waited for Eoghan’s order. Thea looked at the group. Curiously, the only one who hadn’t spoken was Aisling.
“Wait,” Thea said as she moved to stand between Eoghan and the Fae.
Eoghan’s gaze lowered to her with a frown. “You would protect him after what he did to you?”
“He never harmed me. He took me against my will, yes, but that was all.” She licked her lips, searching for the right words. “I’ve gone my entire life without knowing anything. If he holds even one answer, then I ask that you don’t kill him. Yet.”
“That’s not up to us,” Aisling said.
Thea turned to find the Dark staring at Aisling, but she wouldn’t look at him.
Then the Fae swiveled his head toward Thea. “Be wary. The one who wants you will be after you again.”
“Who is it?” Thea implored.
The Dark’s lips thinned as he inhaled. “A very powerful Fae.”
“You need to give us more than that,” Eoghan said.
The Dark shook his head. “I’ve got one chance to come out of this alive, and you’re ruining it.”
“So, you did allow me to find her.” Eoghan reached for Thea’s hand and drew her beside him.
“I did.”
Thea was taken aback by the admission. “Why?”
“I’ve my reasons.”
Bradach said, “Whoever hired you, pissed you off. It’s your way of getting back.”
“If the Fae is as powerful as he says, why isn’t he worried?” Torin asked.
Eoghan raised a brow. “Good question.”
The Dark shook his head, a small smile playing about his lips. “That it is.”
“How about you answer it,” Cathal demanded, a warning in his voice.
The Fae shrugged indifferently, looking bored with the entire encounter. But Thea suspected that it was just for show. She could be wrong, but what would it hurt to see?
“You didn’t have to take the job to kidnap me,” she said. The Fae’s red eyes slid to her. “You also didn’t have to let me go. If the one who wanted me taken is so powerful, I’m guessing you were getting something pretty important for accepting the job.”
“Or you wanted something,” Eoghan added.
The Dark grinned as he looked at Eoghan. “You’d better be on your toes, Reaper. Because the one who wants Thea will stop at nothing to have her.”
No sooner had the last word fallen from his lips than he vanished.
“You’ve got to be fekking kidding me,” Rordan replied angrily.
Thea looked around in confusion. “What’s the problem?”
“We were preventing him from leaving,” Aisling said. “Or so we thought.”
Eoghan took Thea’s hand and told the others, “Return to the base.”
Chapter Sixteen
Xaneth hated being taken by surprise. He’d made it his life’s work ensuring that didn’t happen. Never in his wildest dreams did he think the Reapers would be able to find him, mostly because they had no idea what he looked like.
That was the reason he hadn’t altered his facial structure. If he’d had even a hint that the Reapers would bring Thea to the Dark Palace, he would’ve taken the appropriate steps.
And he’d been so close to finding someone who would take him to Bran.
Then Thea had to go and ruin it.
He teleported to the ruins of an old Irish castle and squatted on his haunches with his back against a wall while he tried to sort out the most recent mess.
The longer Xaneth remained without Bran’s assistance, the easier it would be for Usaeil to find him. When she did locate him . . . it would be game over. The hope that had kept him going all these centuries would be destroyed, much like his family had been.
And now that the queen knew of his existence, she wouldn’t allow him to live regardless. There was much the Light didn’t know about Usaeil.
If only he hadn’t tried to reach for the impossible. He’d made a good life for himself. Well, good might be the wrong term. Decent was more like it.
He had friends in both the Dark and Light. There were many who owed him favors, and more that were willing to help him. He was respected, and in some cases, even feared.
And he’d thrown it all away just because he wanted to go home. Everyone in his family had been killed to ensure there was no one left.
Then he’d gone and let Usaeil know that he was still alive.
“Great fekking thinking,” he growled to himself.
Xaneth squeezed his eyes closed and propped his forehead on his hands. He knew his magic exceeded most of the Fae’s, but he wasn’t sure about going up against Usaeil. Yet, he may have no other choice.
He dropped his head back on the wall and opened his eyes to the night sky above him through the busted roof. A simple life with simple pleasures had been his for the taking. It had been in his grasp. Now, even that was gone.
And to make matters worse, he just had to show off and alert the Reapers that he knew who they were.
He never made such horrible decisions. What was wrong with him? But he knew. The possibility of having the banishment reversed and his family’s name once more spoken with pride had been too much for him to resist.
The last time he’d done something
so stupid, it had gotten his little sister killed. This time, he would forfeit his own life.
Who would find him first? Death? The Reapers? Or Usaeil?
He really hoped it wasn’t the Light Queen. If he couldn’t win, at least he could make sure that she didn’t get to take his life. It would be a small victory.
If only he could’ve found Bran. He didn’t know or care what the Fae was doing building an army. It was enough that Bran might have the means to kill Usaeil.
“Shite,” he mumbled.
In his quest for vengeance, not once had he thought what might become of the Light. If Bran was as powerful as he’d heard whispered, then with an army at his back, he might wipe out the Light entirely.
But one problem at a time. Right now, Xaneth had to find a way to stay alive—and stop making enemies. The only solution was Bran.
He blew out a breath and stood. The palace had been the perfect place for him to get to Bran, but he couldn’t chance returning with the Reapers there. Which meant he needed to find another place where the Dark gathered.
He teleported to Cork.
* * *
Erith wanted nothing more than to give Xaneth the information he wanted. She could point him in Bran’s direction. But Xaneth was a Fae who didn’t see the lines between Light and Dark—through no fault of his own.
Because of his family’s banishment, they’d learned to live in harmony on the outskirts of both worlds. It was a feat no one else had ever accomplished.
In truth, it was Xaneth who’d managed such an accomplishment, not his family. Yet he made sure everyone he loved was included in the pacts and truces he made.
She had been watching him for some time. Despite the betrayal of his family, he still managed to live life to the very fullest. He had his moments of melancholy, but he never allowed them to last long.
He was a Fae who could truly judge both the Light and the Dark impartially. He didn’t hold the Light responsible for his banishment any more than he did the Dark. He knew the blame lay squarely with Usaeil.
If only it were as easy as sending out judgment for the queen—which in fact, Erith had done a millennia ago. But things worked differently with those in power.
