by Donna Grant
“Who is that?” Torin asked.
Dubhan said, “She’s a Halfling.”
“She’s powerful,” Rordan replied.
Eoghan turned to look at Thea. “It was her music that drew me out of the hell I was in with a beast I couldn’t see closing in on me. She helped me find the portal out. Then, she pulled me through it.”
“Damn,” Torin murmured.
All Eoghan wanted to do was listen to her play, but the Reapers kept him from doing that. He turned his head to the side to talk to them. “Bran doesn’t know about us. While no one aligned with Death can harm Bran or his army, it’s still an advantage we can use.”
A robin came out of nowhere and flew right at Eoghan. It had been a while since Death had used her birds to send messages, but it was a good sign that she was communicating with him.
He held out his hand as the robin dropped a scroll onto his palm. Eoghan didn’t watch the bird fly away. He unrolled the paper and read the list of names before he faced his group.
“More souls to call home,” Cathal said in delight.
Bradach cut his eyes to Cathal. “Someone has to continue following Death’s orders while the other Reapers are busy with Bran.”
Eoghan looked up at his group. He tore the paper into six sections and handed each of them their targets. “Death has already decided their fates. You know what you need to do.”
“And what will you be doing?” Aisling asked.
Rordan grinned. “As if we need to ask.”
Eoghan ignored Rordan’s comment. “I’m going to find us somewhere to call home.”
Dubhan was the first to teleport out, followed closely by Torin and Cathal. Bradach was next, and then Rordan. Aisling was last. She held Eoghan’s gaze for a moment, then bowed her head and left.
Once more alone, Eoghan dropped his veil and walked to Thea. Her eyes were closed. When she played, she gave herself wholly to the notes. It was as if she became one with them, as if they were the reason for her very existence.
Her bow moved slowly over the strings, drawing out the last of the melody until it faded away. Only then did she open her eyes and lower the instrument to her side.
“Did you write that piece?” he asked.
She shrugged half-heartedly and replaced the violin in the case before shutting it. “I play what comes into my head.”
“Your music touches people.”
Thea rose, a smile on her lips. “Playing makes me happy. I’m blessed to make money doing something I love.”
“I don’t think you realize what kind of gift you have. The place I was in . . . your music reached me there.”
“What kind of place was it?”
“A horrible one. I’d call it Hell. It was dark. So very dark. I couldn’t see anything.”
Her brown gaze was troubled as she moved a step closer. “You’re free of it now.”
“Why were you playing at the dolmen?”
Her lips twisted into a smile. “When I was very little, the children’s home I was in visited the megalith. I felt . . . something. I couldn’t explain it then, nor can I now. It’s almost like it was calling to me. I never heard words, not in my head.”
“But your soul did.”
She nodded. “Exactly. It didn’t matter how many times I went back, I still felt that it wasn’t done with me yet.”
“Do you still feel its call?” he asked.
“No.”
Though he was Fae and thousands of years old, there was still a lot about magic Eoghan didn’t know. The idea that the portal stones had brought Thea there so he could be released wasn’t farfetched.
“You believe it brought me there for you, don’t you?” Thea asked.
Eoghan shrugged. “It could be.”
“How long were you in that other place? Years?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Time moves differently in other realms, and then there was magic involved.”
She sighed and looked away. “Magic. I can’t believe we’re talking about it like it’s a fact of life.”
“Because it is for me.”
Her head swiveled back to him. “Are there other Halflings out there?”
“More than you would believe.”
“Why do I feel like it’s a secret then?”
He watched the wind ruffle her blue locks. Each time he looked, he found a different color in them. Some shades were so pale they could almost be white, while others were navy, and still others a vibrant turquoise.
“As I said, this isn’t our realm. The Fae came here and soon learned that the realm was protected by powerful beings—the Dragon Kings.”
“I’m sorry,” she said with a chuckle. “Did you just say Dragon Kings?”
“They walk among your kind, just as the Fae do,” he said.
She blew out a breath. “I can’t believe we don’t know any of this.”
“The Dragon Kings go to great lengths to ensure mortals don’t know about them. Most Fae could care less what humans see.”
“So these Dragon Kings just let the Fae come here?” she asked.
Eoghan shook his head as he made a sound at the back of his throat. “There was a great war. You see, the Dragon Kings protect the humans. And the Dark feed on them.”
“Feed?” she asked with a quirk of a brow.
“They suck the souls from them as they have sex. The mortals only feel pleasure until they die.”
Thea’s eyes widened in shock. “Are you serious?”
“Mortals are drawn to all Fae. They can’t stay away.”
“No wonder the Dragon Kings got pissed. And the Light? What do you do?”
Eoghan hesitated because as soon as she asked the question, he had the overwhelming urge to taste her lips.
Chapter Six
The flagrant desire pouring off him caused Thea’s knees to weaken. Since Eoghan had come through the portal, she hadn’t stopped thinking about him.
When he showed up at the pub with his attention squarely on her, it had sent thrills shooting through her. And when he spoke to her . . . it caused her heart to skip a beat.
Yet nothing could surpass being the center of his attention. He’d brought her to Egypt! But it wasn’t just the pyramids. It was Eoghan himself.
He was mysterious and inscrutable, but she couldn’t get enough. She felt completely safe despite the attack earlier. The fact that he had saved her, taking the blasts of magic and the pain, only made her want to know him more.
Less than a foot separated them. Twice, he had wrapped his arms around her, and both times had been to protect her. She wanted his touch for another reason entirely.
While the idea of the Dark feeding off human souls was disgusting, the thought of finding pleasure in Eoghan’s arms made her stomach quiver with anticipation.
“And the Light?” she repeated.
His lips parted while his quicksilver gaze bore into hers. Thea swallowed hard. Her pulse quickened, her heart thumped erratically. She couldn’t catch her breath.
The pads of his fingers tenderly touched her jaw, caressing downward until his hand fell away. “Once a mortal mates with a Fae, they are forever ruined. No human can ever satisfy them again.”
“And a Halfling?”
His nostrils flared. “None of that applies to you. Your Fae blood prevents it.”
She moved a step closer to him. “Really?”
His gaze dropped to her mouth. Thea put her hand over his heart and felt the rapid beat beneath her palm. She jerked her gaze to his face, their eyes clashing.
“I . . . can’t,” he said and backed away.
Thea let her hand drop to her side. She didn’t try to hide her disappointment. She had never made the first move on a guy before, and the one time she did, she’d read his interest wrong. It was humiliating.
“The Fae Wars raged for a long time,” Eoghan said and cleared his throat as he faced the pyramid. “Eventually, Usaeil, the Light Queen, joined her army with the Dragon Kings and beat
back the Dark. A treaty was signed where the Kings agreed not to wipe out all the Fae if we left.”
“But you didn’t.”
Eoghan’s gaze slid to her. “Oh, we left. A few remained behind, but the majority departed. The problem was that we had nowhere to go. Little by little, we returned to this realm. The Kings had their own problems, and as long as no mortals were affected, they left us alone.”
“Was that wise?”
“It’s something the Kings regret now, but as I said, they have their own troubles. Usaeil decreed that any Light who mingled with humans could only have sex with them once. The problem with that is that many such couplings end with pregnancy.”
Thea wrapped her arms around her middle. “The Dark kill humans, while the Light leave offspring.”
“Yes.”
“I have no information about my parents. The people at the children’s home named me. They don’t even know the exact date I was born.”
Eoghan’s brow puckered. “I know how difficult that is.”
“What happens now? Do you return me to Dublin, and I never see you again?”
“Yes.”
“And if I want to see you?”
“If you’re ever in trouble, just say my name. I’ll hear you.”
Trouble. Which meant that unless she truly needed him, Eoghan would never walk into her life again. Sadness filled her so quickly, it felt as if she were choking on it.
But after everything Eoghan had shown her and told her, how could she be angry with him? She was merely a Halfling who had no clue as to her roots in the Fae or even how strong her connection was.
For all Thea knew, she could have generations of Fae blood running through her. Or her father could’ve been a Fae. Most likely, it was information she would never gain.
She bent and grasped the handle of her case. “I’m ready.”
Eoghan looked from her to the pyramid and back. “We can remain as long as you want.”
“You said you were part of an elite group. They’re waiting for you, aren’t they? And I’ve been holding you up.”
“I wanted to bring you here,” he stated.
She forced a smile. “In exchange for helping you last night. I appreciate it, but I’m tired.”
“My words have hurt you.”
Thea quickly shook her head. The last thing she wanted was to bring up her failed attempt at seducing him. “No. It’s fine.”
“In our group, it was forbidden to have any sort of relationships outside of our circle.”
“Oh.” Well, that certainly made her feel a little better. Still, it did nothing to halt her attraction—or what she thought she saw in his eyes.
He held out his hand. Thea glanced at it, hesitating a moment before sliding her palm into his. The contact made her shiver with awareness. With one touch, she was cognizant of his strength. Of the power that ran just beneath his skin—the absolute control he had.
She envied that restraint. While there had never been a reason before tonight, she wished she could learn such a skill. Because despite him making it clear that he wasn’t interested, her attraction only seemed to grow.
His long fingers wrapped around her hand. But instead of Egypt and the pyramids disappearing, he simply held her hand. Then he pulled her closer.
Thea studied his face, but Eoghan revealed nothing in his features. It was as if his countenance were made of stone. And his mercurial eyes were impossible to read.
“Do they disturb you?”
She knew he was referring to his eyes. “They’re unusual, yes, but beautifully striking. Have they always been like that?”
“They changed after I escaped the other realm.”
“Do you see differently?”
He gave a single shake of his head.
She liked being so near to him, as well as having his hand holding hers. And she was in no hurry to return home because, once she did, Eoghan would vanish from her life.
“I don’t think I’d mind having your eyes. It’d be better than my plain brown.”
His brow furrowed slightly. “Plain? Is that what you think?”
A soft laugh passed her lips. “Yes.”
“There is nothing plain about your eyes. They hold a multitude of colors. Fawn, honey, chocolate, russet, as well as hints of bronze and copper. They mix and blend together to make a color as unique and individual as you.”
Chills raced over Thea. She would never look at her eyes the same again. “No one has ever talked to me like that before.”
“Perhaps you’ve been with the wrong people.”
“Yes, I believe I have,” she said breathlessly.
God. If she’d been attracted to him before, after such romantic talk of her eyes, she was ready to throw herself at him.
Eoghan caressed the side of her face. “I’m glad I met you, Thea Keegan.”
“Thank you for this.” There was much more she wanted to add, but it never made it past her lips.
The next time she blinked, the desert was gone, replaced by the sights and sounds of Dublin. She spotted the pub behind Eoghan. So she was right back where she had started.
“Farewell,” Eoghan said as he released her hand and stepped away.
She wanted to call him back, but as she searched her mind for something to say, she found nothing. All she could do was stare open-mouthed as he disappeared.
Thea remained in that exact spot for another minute. Then she took a deep breath and turned around. She gripped her case tighter and began the walk to her flat.
She had no idea how long she had been gone. There were still people walking on the streets, but most had found their beds for the night. Her gaze looked through the gaps in the buildings to the sky and noted that it wasn’t as dark. When she searched for the moon, she saw that it had begun to sink into the horizon.
Dawn was fast approaching, and while she hadn’t had much sleep in nearly forty-eight hours, she wasn’t tired. Being around Eoghan had energized her. Was it because he was Fae? Or was it because of the attraction? She might never figure it out.
And it wasn’t as if she would ever get the chance to be around him again. That saddened her much more than she wanted to admit, even to herself.
She felt a buzz in her coat pocket and drew out her mobile phone. There were four calls from Annie, and about a dozen texts that began with a casual You ok? and steadily progressed to If you don’t answer me, I’m coming over.
Thea’s smile died when she realized she couldn’t tell Annie about Eoghan. She couldn’t tell anyone about him. Everyone would think she was nuts if she mentioned the Fae or that she’d met Eoghan by pulling him from a dolmen.
The mysterious, handsome Light Fae would be hers alone. She wouldn’t share him with anyone. He would be close to her heart, the memories replaying in her head daily.
She put away her mobile and thought of the Fae, Dragon Kings, and Druids. It was interesting to know that such beings walked the Earth, but she wasn’t obsessed with learning more about any of them except the Fae.
As a Halfling, she should know that other part of herself. Eoghan had said there were thousands of other half-Fae out there. Maybe she would get lucky and find one.
Thea snorted aloud. What was she going to do? Put an ad out there asking for anyone with Fae blood to contact her? It was laughable. It would never work. Which meant she would never learn more than Eoghan had imparted.
She turned the corner and came to a halt when she spotted a man leaning against a building, one foot propped against the brick.
He drew the toothpick from his mouth and tossed it on the sidewalk as he lowered his foot and straightened. Through the shadows and the light of a nearby streetlamp, she noticed his short black and silver hair.
“So. You’re the one who drew Eoghan out.”
His words held a sinister threat. She tried to take a step back, but her feet were frozen in place. He moved into the light and smiled, his red eyes flashing with glee.
“I don’t know wha
t you’re talking about,” she said.
He laughed softly, the sound threatening and ominous. “No use lying to me, Halfling. I saw you with him. I came for you this night. Imagine my surprise when I arrived and found the infamous Reaper with you.”
Thea’s stomach fell to her feet. He was the Dark Fae who’d attacked earlier, but he hadn’t been after Eoghan. She had been his quarry.
“What do you want?” she demanded in a voice that was far stronger than she felt.
He chuckled again. “I want a great many things. You, for one, but I also want you to tell me about Eoghan.”
“If you’re referring to the man I was with—”
“He’s a Reaper,” the Dark stated.
She swallowed and lifted her chin. “I don’t know what that is. But the man I was with told me his name was Todd.”
Thea knew the lie was a long shot, but she had to think of something because she wasn’t going to help the Dark in any way.
“Keep your secrets, Halfling. I already have all that I need,” he declared and grabbed her arm.
Chapter Seven
Leaving Thea was the right thing to do. Why then did Eoghan want to go back? He should’ve walked her home. He should’ve at least veiled himself and followed her.
But if he had, he wouldn’t have left. He would’ve stayed and kissed her like he’d been yearning to do. By walking away, he gave himself the chance to fight the desire that rode him ceaselessly.
Eoghan remained in Dublin, however. Finding a place for his Reapers outside of Ireland as Cael had done would be the right thing to do. And yet, he found himself searching the city instead.
Something was keeping him in Dublin, but Eoghan had yet to figure out what it was. With time, he would.
He wouldn’t even consider that it was Thea that held him there. Even though Death now allowed the Reapers to have relationships, Eoghan preferred to keep things the way they were. It was easier for everyone involved.
Besides, his brethren had found love with those who were able to help in the fight against Bran. He didn’t want to test the waters by getting close to Thea and discovering that he couldn’t be with her.
