The Seduced

by Cheyenne McCray

  Cassia focused on Hawk. “When you have concluded your business, go to the Great Guardian and ask her to use the transference point to return you to where you belong.”

  With that, the Elvin witch turned her back, walked straight into the mound, and vanished.

  Tiernan heard the Dryads tending to their trees and the Pixies playing among the star flowers.

  Pixies. He’d never think of them the same way again.

  Silently Hawk accompanied Tiernan, obviously lost in his own thoughts. When they reached the village, other D’Danann warriors greeted them with smiles and slaps on the back. Hawk gave them orders to meet him in the training yards, and the men and women warriors simply nodded their understanding.

  Tiernan parted from Hawk, who left for the D’Danann training yards. Tiernan strode to the gates behind the Chieftains’ chamber and through the black gates. His thoughts were clear as he neared his home. Surely this was the right thing to do—for himself and for Airell. Gods, he hoped so.

  His insides burned even hotter at the thought of what he must do.

  After he entered the manor, he waited for one of the servants to summon his mother. Lady Cian hurried from the parlor, a flurry of pale blue silk and a smile of delight on her pretty features. “You have returned early!”

  Tiernan forced a smile and kissed his mother’s knuckles. The sight of his mother brought warmth to his chest. As well as guilt, along with the desire to not disappoint his parents. But he had no other options.

  “Where is Father?” Tiernan asked, his voice gruffer than he intended.

  Cian’s hand fluttered in the direction of his father’s study. “In there, as always.”

  Tiernan glanced at his mother as he took her by the arm and escorted her to the study. His chest tightened and his gut burned. How could he disappoint the people he loved? How could he turn his back on his responsibilities, on honor and duty?

  How could he not be with Copper?

  Tiernan’s father appeared delighted to see him, his smile wide and his handshake firm. Tiernan wished he could return the smile.

  Artan stepped back and frowned. “What troubles you, son?”

  Tiernan drew his sword from his sheath, knelt, and laid it at his father’s feet. With his head bowed he said, “I have come with much to discuss, Father.”

  The symbolism of Tiernan’s laying down his sword could not have been lost on Artan.

  “Rise.” His father’s gruff voice held concern.

  Tiernan stood and met his father’s gaze head-on. Tiernan was taller, but not by much. His father wore a brown shirt with bloused sleeves and brown breeches.

  The ache magnified in Tiernan’s chest over what he must now do. He was negating all of his duties as his father’s son. He was disregarding the responsibilities that had rested so heavily on him. That still did, even though he must now renounce them.

  He was forsaking his honor.

  Tiernan cleared his throat. “I cannot wed Airell.”

  The silence following his statement made his ears ring.

  “How could you even say such a thing?” Cian stared at him with horrified eyes. “This marriage has been planned since Airell was a babe.”

  Artan’s face turned a ruddy red that nearly matched his tufted hair. “You will join with Airell. There is no further discussion.”

  “We will discuss this, Father.” Tiernan’s voice held a note of finality. “I am in love with a witch of human and Elvin blood, and if she will have me, it is her I will wed.”

  Artan slammed his fist on his desk, upsetting a bottle of red ink so that it toppled and began to bleed across pages on his desk. “You will wed Airell or you will be disowned, never to be taken back into our family.”

  “No!” Cian gave a little cry. “You must join with Airell. Her family would be devastated by the loss. Airell will be humiliated. There is no other man of stature that she may marry. And our house? What of the House of Cathal?”

  Tiernan swallowed and raised his head. “Airell is in love with Urien.”

  “She what?” Cian said, disbelief in her voice.

  Artan’s expression darkened. “Urien does not have the gold to raise his stature within the court. He must equal you in wealth for him to join with Airell.”

  “I realize this.” Tiernan raised his hand indicating that his father hear him out. Artan sputtered but let Tiernan continue. “I will go to the sum-keeper and transfer all my gold to Urien. That will provide him with more than enough to buy his way higher in the court and to provide for Airell, and make the House of Brend one to contend with.”

  Artan straightened, his face impossibly redder. “You will not.”

  Cian gasped. “We will not stand for it.” She clenched her hands in her skirts. “Neither will Edana and Faolan.”

  “I understand Airell’s parents will not be pleased, but Urien is a good man.” Tiernan looked from his mother to his father. “The gold is mine to give. I do not care that it shall make me a pauper.”

  He sighed as his gaze returned to his mother. “I know you have expected much of me, and it is with a heavy heart that I must disappoint you. But what matters now is the woman I love.”

  Artan bellowed, “What you propose now is unacceptable. These responsibilities have been given to you for centuries. You have been trained to accept them from the time you were born.”

  “You are usually levelheaded,” Cian said, panic in her voice. “Has someone made you ill, or perhaps used magic against you?”

  Tiernan sighed again. He felt tired, as if the weight of worlds rested on his shoulders. “No, Mother. I am in my right mind. I know what it is I must do.”

  Artan gritted his teeth then said, “I warn you, you will be disinherited. You will get nothing from your mother or me.”

  “I am sorry to disappoint you, Father.” Tiernan gave a low bow. “I have sought only to please you and Mother all my years. But I have no choice. I cannot leave behind the woman I love.”

  Tiernan knelt and retrieved his sword, then sheathed it as he looked at his parents. “I love you both as well, and it is to my sorrow that I have hurt you so.”

  He paused, looking from one horrified face to the other. “This maid is far more important to me than anything in Otherworld. If she will have me, then my life is hers. If she will not, then I will continue serving as a D’Danann warrior and live with my comrades in the village.”

  “Out!” Artan pointed to the door, his entire body shaking. Tears rolled freely down Cian’s face. “Do not return.”

  “As you wish, Father.” Tiernan bowed again to Artan and nodded to his mother before he walked out of the only home he had ever known.

  His insides twisted and his head ached. A strange sensation pricked the backs of his eyes. What he had proposed was the only solution, but the responsibilities he had forsaken weighed heavily on him.

  Honor. Duty. Responsibility.

  Was it not honorable to make Copper his life mate? Was it not his duty to provide and care for her? Was it not his responsibility to share his heart with the one he truly loved?

  Tiernan went to the sum-keeper’s house next. Crevan, a bald, jovial man, seemed delighted to see him and escorted Tiernan into the study where he did his sum-keeping. “Lord Tiernan. What may I do for you?” the man asked.

  Tiernan did not sit. “Transfer all my gold, every last coin of it, to Urien’s account.”

  Crevan’s jaw dropped. “P-pardon?”

  “Urien is to receive all my wealth.” Tiernan gestured to a stack of blank parchment. “Please draw up the papers now.”

  “But—”

  Tiernan braced his hands on the sum-keeper’s desk and met his watery-blue eyes. “Draw up the papers,” he repeated slowly, with enough authority in his voice to make the sum-keeper blink rapidly.

  Obviously flustered, Crevan brought out sheets of parchment and began to scratch words feverishly across the pages.

  Tiernan drew away from Crevan’s desk. “May I send your serva
nt to bring Lord Urien and Lady Airell to your quarters?”

  The sum-keeper did not look up from his work and waved one hand toward the doorway. “Yes, yes.”

  Tiernan spoke to the servant, a beautiful blonde woman dressed in a simple gray frock. She nodded her understanding and curtsied as she said, “Yes, my lord,” and scurried from the manor.

  By the time the sum-keeper had finished making three copies of the document—one for Tiernan, one for Urien, and one for his own records—both Airell and Urien had arrived.

  They appeared confused, and Airell seemed somewhat flustered to be in the same room as Tiernan and Urien at once. Her gaze darted from one to the other, and then she looked at her hands that were clenched before her.

  Airell wore apparel befitting ladies of the court. Her blue gown was snug down to her tiny waist that would soon blossom with child. The gown had voluminous sleeves and the skirt that reached her toes was so wide and full that it was a wonder she had been able to pass through Crevan’s front doors.

  Urien, as one of the younger D’Danann, wore the black garb of the warriors.

  Tiernan ignored them for a moment as he took a quill from the sum-keeper, dipped it in ink, and scratched his signature across one of the documents. He proceeded to do the same with the other two.

  When he finished, Tiernan cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention to him. “Airell, I cannot wed you. We both are well aware of the circumstances.”

  At that the blonde, blue-eyed beauty’s cheeks flamed, but Urien went pale.

  “Let me continue,” Tiernan said, raising his voice. He took two of the documents from Crevan and handed one to Urien.

  “I am turning over my entire fortune to you, Urien.” Tiernan watched the man’s eyes widen. “This will be more than enough to increase your stature and the House of Brend within our courts so that you may wed Airell.”

  The pair of them stared at him, shock and confusion on their features.

  Tiernan smiled, feeling as though at least one burden had been lifted from his chest. “I have fallen in love with an Earth witch. I do not know if Copper will have me, but I know I cannot wed another.”

  Both Urien and Airell looked stupefied. Then Airell came alive. She flung her arms around Tiernan’s neck and hugged him, enveloping him in her powdery scent. “Thank you.”

  She released Tiernan to wrap her arms around Urien. “This means we can truly be together!”

  Urien seemed hesitant, but then hugged Airell back. They held on to one another as they drew away enough for Airell to look up into Urien’s gaze. Airell had tears in her eyes, and Urien appeared to be choked up.

  “This gift—” Urien stared at the document that gave him instant wealth. “It is too much... I cannot—”

  Tiernan interrupted him. “You can and you will.”

  Urien shook his head, more in disbelief than in argument. “Why would you do such a thing?”

  Tiernan smiled. “As I said, I love another.” He looked to Airell. “I could not leave you with nothing and I would never dishonor you.”

  The front door to Crevan’s home opened with a slam against the wall, causing Airell and Urien to spring apart from their embrace.

  Airell’s mother, Edana, and her father, Faolan, stood in the entryway as the servant shut the door behind them. Edana’s head was high, her pinched features taut with anger. Faolan’s mouth was a furious slash across his face, his hands curled into fists at his sides.

  Both of Airell’s parents looked accusingly at Urien and Airell, who each had a high blush on their cheeks. Then Edana’s and Faolan’s gazes riveted on Tiernan.

  “How dare you attempt to break your vow to our daughter?” Edana clenched her hands together and her hands were completely white from gripping them together so hard. “You cannot break your betrothal.”

  “I have given my wealth to Urien,” Tiernan said calmly, looking from Edana to Faolan. “It is done. The sum will give the House of Brend the stature in the court that he may wed Airell.”

  Faolan shook his finger at Tiernan and bellowed, “No! It is your house that is to be joined with ours.” His burning gaze turned on Urien. “Not someone bred of a lesser court.”

  The power of Faolan’s prejudice sparked Tiernan’s anger and he gritted his teeth. “Urien is a good man. He and Airell love one another and will make a perfect joining.”

  Spittle flew from Faolan’s mouth as he turned on his daughter. “You will not wed the likes of this—this lesser man.”

  Airell straightened, her shoulders thrown back and her chin high. “I choose Urien.” A blush tinged her cheeks as she glanced at Tiernan.

  Edana’s mouth opened in surprise and Faolan looked taken aback.

  “What—you—how dare—” Faolan sputtered.

  Urien put his arm around Airell’s shoulders, holding her tightly to him, and stood tall before her parents. “We love one another and have since we were children. It is a blessing that Tiernan has given us.”

  Edana and Faolan looked too shocked to speak.

  Airell turned to Tiernan and gave a deep curtsy, spreading her sapphire skirts before standing straight again. “I owe you much, Tiernan.” Her gaze turned to Urien’s. “We owe you much.”

  Urien reached out and grasped Tiernan’s hand. “Thank you, brother. If there is any way I can repay you, I will do so gladly.”

  “Your happiness will be my reward,” Tiernan said with a small bow to Urien and Airell.

  To Faolan and Edana, Tiernan gave another bow. When he straightened he said, “Urien will make a good match and a good son-in-law. They will bear many children and carry forth the name of both your houses.”

  Tiernan folded his copy of the document and then slid it into his black trench coat. He gave the stunned sum-keeper, Urien, Airell, and her parents each one last nod and strode out the door.

  Now that he had forsaken all that he had ever known, he would return to Copper and tell her of his love.

  21

  The ocean breeze hit Copper full in the face as she watched the water slap the shore then recede before slapping it again. After realizing she’d fallen in love with Tiernan, she’d needed to get away for a while.

  Not to mention she had to have time to focus. To figure out where the door was and to come up with a spell she could use against Darkwolf to keep him from opening it. The time was nearly at hand. She knew what had to be done.

  Copper had jogged from the Haight-Ashbury district to Golden Gate Park, then to the opposite end of the three-mile-long park. Jogging cleared her mind and got her blood pumping and her thoughts churning.

  She’d gone all the way to Ocean Beach, where she now sat on the sand for a bit to catch her breath. She stared at the water for a while longer, contemplating spells that could work to keep the door to Underworld closed.

  When Copper felt she had worked out a strong enough spell, she brushed sand off her backside and returned to the apartments and Enchantments.

  If her dreams were true, the door would be opened tonight, and somehow she would see it happen. It would be up to her to either make sure it stayed closed, or to close it if it was opened.

  It made her feel a little better to have a plan and a spell readied before she arrived at that door. She just hoped it wouldn’t be too late by the time she got there.

  Too late for what? she asked herself. What if I’m wrong about this door? What if I can’t find it?

  She’d experienced dream-visions, and whether Balor influenced them or not, she would face whatever came next.

  She had no doubt now this answered her question of why she’d been stranded in that small part of Otherworld. She’d had firsthand experience with the Drow, had been inside their realm, and had even seen the massive tunnel the giant had come through.

  That was the key to it all. She had to return to Otherworld, and one way or another get through that tunnel and to the door. She had no doubt in her mind the Dark Elves had been working side by side with Darkwolf to find
the door, and her ticket to stopping whatever could happen lay with Garran and the other Drow.

  Except, unlike in her dream-visions, she wouldn’t be alone. She’d damn sure take reinforcements.

  She’d had time to think about a lot of things during her mind-clearing six-plus-mile jog, and plenty of time to plan what she would do next.

  The fact her sister was missing, and that she’d been unable to help Silver, was like molten lead in Copper’s belly. Somehow, someway, she had to get to Silver. It didn’t matter that all the divination readings had said otherwise, she couldn’t just wait.

  She refused to let her thoughts stray to Tiernan. She kept him pushed well to the back of her mind.

  Copper’s body and mind ached by the time she made her way up the stairs to Silver’s apartment. Fortunately, the key remained in the pocket of the black jeans she’d been wearing since yesterday. She felt sweaty, sticky, and grimy after her long jog and her time on the beach.

  She let herself into the quiet apartment and choked back the knot of emotion in her throat. Goddess, she felt alone.

  Silver wasn’t there. Her absence could be felt in every way. Polaris curled up in a chair beside the door, as if waiting for Silver to walk through. Copper went to him and stroked his head. “I’m sorry, big guy. If I could carry a big ol’ python like you. I’d take you with me to find her.”

  When she turned away from Polaris, Zephyr zipped up to her with an angry sound. She’d left him in Silver’s apartment last night, and he obviously wasn’t happy at her for spending most of the day away without him.

  “Give me some time to get myself together,” she said, and the familiar buzzed in her face. She felt his anger die and his sorrow for her flooded her being before he flew up to rest on the curtain rod.

  Once she was out of the shower, Copper jerked on her bra and panties, a pair of well-worn jeans, a soft sweater, and comfortable jogging shoes. After she dried and then braided her hair, she stuffed her wand in her back pocket, grabbed her jacket, and got the hell out of there. She had things to do. For now she had to push aside all the pains in her heart and concentrate on Silver.