by Donna Grant
Except for Cathal. He was the exception to the rule.
Well, if she were honest, that also extended to Aisling. She was very different from the other Fae Sorcha had encountered.
“Hello,” he said, smiling.
She had already pegged him as a Fae, so his Irish accent didn’t surprise her. Sorcha gave him a nod. “I believe you’re trespassing on my neighbor’s property.”
“Am I?” he asked, not seeming to care.
“You are. He doesn’t take kindly to such transgressions. You should leave now before you’re seen.”
The Fae smiled, showing even, white teeth. “Perhaps you’d like to invite me onto your property.”
“Why would I do that?”
Without missing a beat, he said, “So we can chat.”
Sorcha wanted to tell him to kiss off, but she was out here for a reason. She needed information. However, that didn’t mean she would do something stupid like invite a Fae onto her property.
Unless it’s Cathal.
She almost smiled at the thought of the Dark. Sorcha inwardly gave herself a shake so she could focus and stay on task. She looked the Fae up and down. Because they lived so long, it was hard to determine their exact age. “Why would a Fae want to chat with me?”
“Ah.” One side of his mouth lifted in a smile. “I wondered if you knew what I was.”
“I’m a Skye Druid. Of course, I know who the Fae are.”
He bowed his head, giving her that. “I hear you don’t ever leave your estate.”
She almost laughed at the fact that he’d called her little plot of land and the cottage an estate, but she managed to hold it in. “I like my privacy. However, I’ve seen a lot more Fae around than usual. You wouldn’t happen to know why that is, would you?”
“I would.”
Sorcha ignored the fact that his smile grew as if he had caught her. “Care to share?”
“Care to invite me onto your land?” he countered.
She gave a shake of her head and turned on her heel. As she walked away, she said, “No, I wouldn’t.”
Three steps later, he called out. “Wait. Please.”
Sorcha stopped, knowing that now was her chance to return to the cottage and forget this wild idea of hers. She scanned the area, wishing she knew exactly where Cathal was. He was there somewhere, and that was enough to give her the courage she needed to continue. She drew in a deep breath and faced the Light Fae.
“I’m sorry,” he said as he held up his hands and walked closer to the fence.
He ignored the mare, who hurriedly walked away. Sorcha wasn’t sure, but she didn’t think that animals usually shied away from the Fae. What was it about this one that caused the horse to give him a wide berth? Whatever it was, Sorcha wasn’t going to take it lightly.
Sorcha crossed her arms over her chest. “Why is it so important for you to come onto my property? And if I hear another lie that it’s to impregnate me with your seed so you’ll never have to be forced from this planet, I’m walking away now.”
The Fae smiled. “You’re as smart as I thought you’d be.”
That got her interest, but she didn’t let it show. “Why is that?”
“Do you know you’re a Halfling? A mortal with Fae blood in your veins?”
She shrugged. “I might have heard something about that. What does it matter? I’m a Skye Druid. That means more to me than being a Halfling.”
“You wouldn’t say that if you had been raised with the Fae.”
Sorcha narrowed her eyes on the Light. His words were as smooth as silk, but she didn’t buy any of it. “How about you just tell me what it is you want me to know. You can say it there just as easily as you can say it on my side of the fence. And just so we’re clear, I’m not inviting you onto my land.”
“I’m really sorry to hear that,” he said as he frowned. “I’d be happy to tell you what you want to know, but I’ll only do it if I’m standing next to you on your side of the property line.”
“I figured you’d say something like that,” she retorted.
His black brows rose in his too-perfect face. “No counter?”
“I told you my offer. You don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. I’m not going to let a Fae onto my property.”
“Oh, now that isn’t entirely true, is it?”
She blinked, wondering if he knew about Cathal and Aisling. “Shall I repeat my sentence?”
“There was a Fae here before.”
Sorcha shot him a bored expression. “I’m sure there have been Fae on all of Skye before. That doesn’t mean I’m going to allow one onto my land now. You want something from me, and I’m not going to give it to you until I know the truth. I’m fine not hearing what you have to say. Are you fine not getting whatever it is you want from me?”
“You’re just like your mother.”
The words were like a knife cutting straight into Sorcha’s heart. Her arms dropped limply to her sides. She knew without asking who this man was. This was her chance to ask him why he hadn’t come for her mother, why he had broken her mum’s heart. But, more importantly, she wanted to know what he was doing here now.
“I see I’ve caught you by surprise.” His lips twisted ruefully as he put his hands on the fence. “I’ve been standing here for hours, thinking of how to tell you who I am. I’m sorry it didn’t come out better.”
Sorcha decided to play stupid. “Who are you? I’m shocked because you act as if you knew my mother.”
Her words caught him by surprise. He stilled. “I told you that you’re a Halfling, and that you act like your mother.”
“A lot of people tell me that. If you think that will make me think you’ve slept with my mum, you’re wrong.” The words were difficult to get out, but she was glad she’d said them.
He swallowed and shook his head as he looked down. “She never told you about me?”
“No.” That’s all she was going to give him.
The Fae blew out a breath and raised his gaze to hers, no longer seeming quite so confident. “My name is Eamon. I met your mother twenty-nine years ago tomorrow. As soon as I saw her, she claimed my heart.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“I thought she would’ve told you about me. Where is she? Bring her out here, and she’ll tell you the truth.”
Sorcha’s throat clogged with emotion as she said, “Mum died ten years ago.”
The shock on Eamon’s face was real. “I didn’t know.”
“If you’re my father, then why are you here now?”
“I’ve been…away. I couldn’t get back here.”
Sorcha rolled her eyes. “Convenient.”
“It also happens to be the truth.”
She quirked a brow, waiting for him to tell her more.
He blew out a frustrated breath. “I wasn’t supposed to touch your mother. I wasn’t supposed to fall in love either, but I did. I went against my queen, and for that, Usaeil locked me in a prison so I couldn’t return.”
“Usaeil is dead. You could be making that up.”
“She put me in a cell she designed, not the Light Prison. When she died, the magic holding me evaporated. That’s when I began looking for your mother. I saw you and realized who you were.”
Sorcha wanted to believe him. If this were true, it would mean that her father wasn’t a bad person. But she couldn’t forget the way the mare had moved away from him. “Tell me why the other Fae are here for me?”
“They’re looking for me.”
She gave a snort of laughter. “You were doing so good, then you had to go and ruin it. You aren’t my father.”
Sorcha spun around and started back to the house. There was a sound of something behind her, then she heard Cathal shout her name. She looked over her shoulder to see an iridescent ball coming straight at her. It was pure instinct that had her diving to the side.
Chapter Seventeen
He was going to kill the Fae. The moment Cathal saw the ball of magic b
eing thrown at Sorcha, he started toward the Light. But Aisling held him back.
“Get yourself together,” she whispered through clenched teeth.
He glanced down at her, surprised by her strength. Then his gaze jerked to Sorcha. She was on the ground, the magic having missed her by a foot. The Fae sneered at her. Cathal fisted his hands.
“Get ahold of yourself,” Aisling ground out.
They were close enough to both Sorcha and the Fae to be heard, which was why Aisling whispered. Fortunately, Sorcha and the Fae were too focused on each other to take notice.
Sorcha jumped to her feet and glared at the Fae. “Take a good look, wanker, because this is as close as you’ll ever get to me.”
He laughed. “You think you’re smarter than me? Think again. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Halfling or a Skye Druid, you’ll never have what it takes to best me.”
“I just did.”
“You think you can keep us off your land forever?” The Fae threw back his head and laughed.
It sent a chill down Cathal’s spine. He glanced at Aisling to see her staring intently at the Fae.
Sorcha suddenly smiled. Then she yelled, “Hey, Fae! Any Fae in the area? Show yourselves.”
To Cathal’s shock, twenty other Fae appeared. Both Dark and Light, male and female. But not one of them was on Sorcha’s property.
She let her gaze scan over them, completely ignoring the one who had attempted to harm her. “I hear there is interest in coming onto my land. I also hear it’s because one of you wants to get me pregnant.”
One of the female Dark barked with laughter. “I don’t want to get you pregnant.”
Sorcha walked closer to the Dark on the opposite side of the property and that fence. Cathal stayed near her while Aisling remained behind.
“Of course, you don’t,” Sorcha told the Dark. “What is it you do want from me?”
The female shrugged, her pixie-cut black and silver hair barely moving in the wind. “You really think you’ll get one of us to tell you something other than a lie?”
“Good point,” Sorcha said with a twist of her lips. “If that’s the case, then there’s no reason for any of you to be here because I’m never letting you onto my property.”
An older Light Fae male spoke up then. “You won’t have a choice soon.”
Sorcha’s gaze swung to him. “And why’s that?”
“Because you’ve been protected. That’s ending.”
Cathal frowned, his mind racing while trying to figure out what was going on.
Sorcha nodded slowly. “That’s a plausible story.”
“It isn’t a story.” Silver eyes held Sorcha’s as the Fae blew out a breath. “There’s a bounty on your head. There has been since the moment you were born.”
Cathal found his gaze locked on Sorcha. He knew that he should be looking at the others, but he was too concerned about her. He couldn’t tell if anything she was being told affected her. She had already been through so much. He didn’t want her to suffer any more pain.
Sorcha licked her lips. “One Fae told me he was my father.”
“Your father is the one who has been protecting you,” the Light told her.
Cathal moved closer to Sorcha so he stood just a few feet behind her. It allowed him to watch her as well as the Light she spoke with. The other Fae gave the Fae dirty looks, which made Cathal think that he might be telling Sorcha the truth.
The Light didn’t seem to notice or care that the others were coming closer to him. His gaze was on Sorcha alone. “Your father’s name is Eamon, and he wanted nothing more than to come here and meet you himself. He’s wanted it for so very long.”
Cathal knew how words regarding a parent could confuse a person. He’d let someone do that to him once. The problem was, he wasn’t sure if this Fae spoke lies, or if it was the truth. He turned his head to Aisling to find her staring at him. She gave him a nod to let him know that she was listening, as well.
“Is this where you tell me I act just like my mother?” Sorcha retorted.
The Fae smiled sadly. “I never met your mother. I wish I had come to see her, but I…well, I listened to others instead and didn’t.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a ball of magic slammed into him from behind. The Light fell to his knees, pain contorting his features. Sorcha started to go to him but decided against it at the last minute.
“Stay here,” Cathal told her. “Aisling is going to help him.”
He’d never told Sorcha that he could be veiled indefinitely. She didn’t seem surprised to hear him so close beside her. Nor did she look for him. Most people would’ve demanded that he tell them what was going on. But not his Sorcha.
He watched as Aisling took out the female Light who had attacked the male. Unfortunately, the original attack on the Light seemed to broadcast to all the others that it was time to kill the Fae.
Cathal needed to help Aisling, but he didn’t want to leave Sorcha there alone. One stray orb of magic could find its way to her. He debated things for a second before he told her, “Get to the house and stay low.”
Without a word, Sorcha pivoted and ran to the house. Cathal noted that the first Fae she’d spoken with near the fence watched it all with interest. He was the only one who wasn’t attacking the Light who had spoken with Sorcha.
Cathal didn’t think about it any longer as he joined Aisling, and the two of them—while still veiled—quickly dispatched those closest to the Light. The others soon got the hint and left. The last was the Fae near the fence. He stared in Cathal’s direction, but it didn’t matter. No one other than Death or another Reaper could see through the veil they used.
The coughing of the Light near his feet drew Cathal’s attention. He looked down to see the older Fae on his hands and knees as he spat blood. He had several wounds, some severe, but there was no reason to think that he wouldn’t heal. At least he would now that the others were no longer attacking him.
The Light lifted his head and looked around to see that he was alone. He wiped the blood from his mouth and moved to a nearby tree where he sat against it and blew out a breath. His shoulders sagged as regret and grief filled his face.
Aisling lifted a brow, asking if they should show themselves to the Light. Cathal shook his head. He motioned for her to wait as he teleported into Sorcha’s cabin. The moment he did, he lowered his veil so she could see him.
She was huddled in the kitchen near some cabinets. At the sight of Cathal, she gave him a smile. “Is it over?”
“For now,” he said and held out his hand.
She took it so he could pull her to her feet. “What about the Fae who was talking to me?”
“The one who was attacked is still out there. I think he wants to finish what he began.”
“I don’t know if I can believe him.”
Cathal tugged at a ringlet, remembering how close she had come to being hurt by one of the orbs of magic. “Someone is going to a lot of trouble to make sure you don’t find out something. The shite about getting you with child is just that. The more I’m hearing, the more I’m inclined to believe that there is a price on your head.”
“But why? I didn’t even know I was a Halfling until you told me yesterday.”
He shrugged and dropped his arm. “We won’t find that out until you finish talking to the Light.”
“Will you be with me?”
“Aye.”
She gave a nod. “Then I’ll do it.”
He frowned then because he’d been fully prepared for her to ask him how he had been so close but not visible. “Aren’t you going to ask me how?”
“It’s one of your secrets,” she told him simply.
“Don’t you want to know?”
She laughed softly. “Of course, I do. But I also respect the fact that you might not be able to tell me. If you wanted me to know, then you’d say.”
The problem was, he did want her to know. The other problem was that he was now up aga
inst one of the most significant rules the Reapers had. No Fae could know about them. Somehow, the other Reapers had gotten by that regarding their mates. But Cathal wasn’t sure he would be able to do the same.
Before he knew it, words fell from his lips. “Fae can veil themselves. It means we can hide from others.”
“You become invisible.”
He issued a single nod. “Most can only do it for a few seconds. I’m…different.”
“That’s what you did out there? You veiled yourself so you could stay near me?” she asked.
“Aye.”
“That’s amazing.” She smiled. “And a little scary. Are you telling me there could be Fae around now, and we wouldn’t know?”
“No,” he told her. “It takes a lot of power to hold a veil for even ten seconds. You’d know if someone was there.”
“But you can hold yours for…?”
He swallowed, unsure if he’d made the right choice in telling her. Then he figured if he was in for a penny, he was in for a pound. “As long as I want.”
“Wow. You must be extremely powerful.”
Cathal didn’t say anything to that. He cleared his throat. “I think you’d better get back out there and see if you can learn any more.”
“All right.” She walked to the door and looked over her shoulder at him. The smile she flashed him made him giddy.
The moment she walked out the door, he veiled himself and teleported right beside her.
Chapter Eighteen
Sorcha was still reeling from what Cathal had shared with her. She hadn’t had any idea that a Fae could remain veiled for as long as they wanted. At least she knew Cathal was near her, and that was enough for her.
She spotted the Fae near a tree and walked to him. Sorcha had learned her lesson the first time and didn’t get close to the fence. Neither said anything as they stared at each other.
