by Donna Grant
Daire closed his eyes. Damn. Ettie O’Byrne and her sisters, Jamie and Carrie, were exactly who he’d come to find. Without wasting another moment, he returned to Inchmickery and Cael’s office.
Cael lowered the map of Ireland he’d been studying and raised a brow. But as soon as he saw Daire’s face, concern filled his gaze. “What is it?”
Daire ran a hand down his face. “I found the O’Byrne sisters.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
He met Cael’s gaze. “Bran is already there. He’s . . . well, he’s inserted himself in the eldest O’Byrne sister’s life. I believe he’s trying to become her lover.”
“You’ve got to be fekking kidding me.” A muscle ticked in Cael’s jaw as he hurriedly rolled up the map and tossed it aside before he put his hands on his hips and hung his head.
There were no words to describe how upsetting the situation was, and Daire didn’t even attempt it. Seeing Bran with Ettie was one thing, but actually telling Cael was another kind of abuse he’d rather not go through again.
“You need to get back to Killarney immediately,” Cael said.
Daire nodded. “It’s my plan.”
Cael speared him with his silver eyes. “Find a way into the sister’s life. Lie if necessary. We can’t let Bran earn her allegiance. Any of the sisters, for that matter.”
“I’m not lying to her,” Daire announced. “If I do, and I manage to sway her to our side, as soon as she learns the truth—and she will—she’ll go to him.”
“I don’t care how you do it, but stop her from aligning with Bran.”
Daire bowed his head and teleported back to Killarney. He was surprised and pleased to discover that the O’Byrne sisters lived in a remote area. It would make things easier if he did run into Bran, which was likely to happen.
Though Daire wanted to know more about Ettie and her relationship with Bran, he remained at the cottage and observed the other two sisters. It allowed his ire time to cool so he could focus on his objective. If he hadn’t been so enamored with Ettie, Daire would’ve known right away that Jamie was a Halfling.
As he watched them, he realized the girls had gotten more than just their beauty from the Fae. Though a few half-Fae had some kind of magic, it was rare.
Daire wouldn’t exactly call what the girls had magic, but having Fae blood certainly helped. It allowed Jamie to understand anything mechanical, breaking it down in her mind into the most basic of terms, which then allowed her to fix, build, and rebuild anything.
For Carrie, it was food. She didn’t need recipes. She simply saw something in her mind and knew exactly what ingredients were needed, how much of them to use, and how long to cook it.
At the moment, Daire was standing in the kitchen of the homey cottage inhaling the delicious aroma of bread. His mouth watered for a piece, but it wasn’t time to show himself to the girls yet.
Instead, he looked around the house. He saw nothing that would give him reason to think the sisters knew they were Halflings. That would make his job more difficult, but he was more than up for the challenge.
He found himself standing in front of a small cabinet. By the look of the wood, it was very old, possibly something passed down through generations. Oddly, it was locked. What could be inside that the O’Byrnes felt the need to hide from others?
Could it be something related to the Fae?
“She’s not back,” Jamie said angrily as she burst into the house.
Carrie looked over her shoulder as she stirred some ingredients in a bowl. “I don’t like him.”
“And the more we say that, the more Ettie wants to be around him,” Jamie said. She sighed and sank into a chair at the table. “What do we do?”
“Nothing.”
Jamie shook her head of long, blond hair. “You’re asking the impossible. She’s interfered in our lives for as long as I can remember. It’s only fair that we do the same with her. Especially because she can’t see what we can.”
“She won’t believe us,” Carrie said and set aside the bowl to wipe her hands on her apron as she faced her sister.
Jamie frowned as she cocked her head. “About what? That this Bran guy is a creep? That he makes me want to gag? That there’s something really off about him?”
Carrie swallowed hard, her gaze darting to the locked cabinet. Intrigued, Daire moved closer to the girls.
“And why the hell are you looking at the cabinet? You hate that thing,” Jamie said.
Carrie took the few steps to the table and put her hands on the back of a chair. “I couldn’t sleep last night. The stories Papa told us kept running through my head. So, I snuck into Ettie’s room and took the key.”
“Well, let me say that I’d be high-fiving you right now for stealing the thing, but I’m more interested in what you did with it.”
“I opened the cabinet,” Carrie said matter-of-factly. “And I looked through the books.”
Jamie shrugged, her face wrinkling in confusion. “What did you hope to find? A picture of Bran labeled Fae?”
Daire’s brows shot up. So the girls did know about their ancestry. Good.
“If you’re going to act like that, I’m not going to tell you,” Carrie announced and turned back to the counter.
Jamie rolled her eyes and blew out a loud sigh. “Fine. I’m sorry, Care. Tell me.”
That’s all it took for Carrie to whirl back around and yank out a chair across from Jamie to sit. “I was hoping there would be something that told us what a Fae looked like. In all of those books and journals, all it says is that the Fae are so gorgeous they seem not of this world.”
“Bran fits that bill,” Jamie said, twisting her lips in disgust.
“It’s not like we can come out and ask if he’s Fae.”
Jamie’s blue eyes crinkled in the corners as she grinned. “Why not? If he is, he needs to know that we’re on to him.”
“If only we knew why he was after Ettie.”
Daire knew he was taking a chance, but he was gambling on the sisters’ love for Ettie and their worry for her when it came to Bran. If he was wrong, everything could be lost.
He moved far back from the girls so they wouldn’t feel as threatened and dropped the veil. Almost instantly, their gazes jerked to him as they shot out of their chairs so fast both toppled to the floor.
Daire held his hands up before him, palms out. “Easy. I’m not here to harm you. I’m here to help.”
“How?” Jamie demanded.
“I’m a Fae. A Light Fae,” he amended.
Carrie quirked a brow and gave him a dark look. “And we’re supposed to believe that why?”
“You know you’re Halflings, but you know nothing of Fae,” he said. “All Fae can use glamour, but without it, the Dark have black and silver hair and red eyes. The more silver, the more evil they’ve done.”
Jamie and Carrie shared a look before Jamie asked, “And the Light?”
“Silver eyes and black hair.”
Carrie shook her head. “How do we know you’re not using glamour to pretend to be Light?”
“You don’t,” he said.
Jamie went to the door and opened it. “We don’t trust that easily. Get out.”
He would have to talk fast in order to gain their trust and assistance. “I ask your forgiveness for eavesdropping, but I came here looking for all of you. I know who Bran is, and he isn’t someone any of you should be friends with. I can help get him away.”
“Why would you do that?” Jamie demanded.
Daire knew there would be a time to tell them everything because, otherwise, they would never help him. But now wasn’t it. “It’s a very long story, but suffice it to say that my friends and I have been battling Bran and his army for some time. Your family has been dragged into it because of your connection.”
Carrie walked around the table to stand next to Jamie. “Say we believe you. What connection are you talking about?”
“Your family members are direct desc
endants of Bran’s,” he told them.
Jamie reached over and took her sister’s hand, shock causing her breathing to quicken. “What does that mean?”
“He wants to use you in our war.”
Jamie slowly closed the door. “The only reason I’m not forcing you out is because neither Carrie nor I like Bran. We took an instant aversion to him.”
“It’s because he’s Dark,” Daire said.
Carrie frowned. “So he’s using glamour?”
Daire gave a small shake of his head. “Bran has spent the last several million years in a prison realm called the Netherworld. He was sent there because he turned on the group of men he was with. He divided them, killing some.”
“Who sent him to this Netherworld?” Jamie asked.
Daire looked at each of them a long second before he said, “Death.”
Jamie’s eyes widened. “You’re talking about a person.”
“I am. Death is the judge and jury of the Fae. My brethren and I are her executioners. Bran was once part of our group, but he broke the rules. Death created the Netherworld and put Bran there for his sins.”
“Well,” Carrie murmured, her hand at her throat.
Jamie lifted her chin. “All right. How do we get Ettie away from Bran?”
It was just the question Daire hoped they’d ask.
Chapter Six
It was all a dream. It had to be.
Ettie might like the attention Bran gave her, but it also made her uncomfortable. And she couldn’t put her finger on why. Bran was considerate, thoughtful, and more than devoted.
In fact, it was almost too much.
She couldn’t believe she was even saying such a thing. Especially after lamenting the fact that no one was interested in her. Now, she didn’t like just how much he was? There was something wrong with her. It was the only explanation.
Because anyone else would be over the moon to have a man like Bran courting them. For the last couple of days, he’d taken her to dinner, visited the cottage, they’d gone on walks, and talked.
He asked her dozens of questions about her family and her, but he rarely spoke of himself. Even when she pointedly inquired about something. He always managed to change the subject.
And it didn’t help that her sisters were seemingly in an uproar. They made their feelings about her seeing Bran clear. At first, she’d thought they were jealous, but the looks they sent Bran said otherwise.
“Oh, come now,” Bran said with a grin as he took her hand while they walked. “Don’t let your sisters ruin our day.”
Ettie stopped, his words annoying her to the point where she desired to lash out at him. She didn’t pull her hand away, though she wanted to. Somehow, she kept her calm. “My sisters are all I have. I need to talk to them and sort this out before it gets worse.”
“I’ve seen the men trailing after them. They’re just resentful that I’m not one of them.”
She smiled, though it was forced. Ettie didn’t know what was wrong with her. Had her sisters’ attitudes soured the only romantic interest she’d had in years? She wanted to be furious, but she kept hearing her father’s voice in her head, cautioning her while reminding her that family meant everything.
“I know,” she replied when Bran looked pointedly at her. “You’re right. They’re jealous, but I still want to talk to them. We live together, and it’s hard on a good day.”
Bran took her other hand in his. “Perhaps it’s time for them to move out. The land is yours, right?”
“Actually, it’s split between all three of us.” She wasn’t sure why she lied, but the words were past her lips before she could think about why.
A small frown furrowed his brow. “Are you sure?”
“I am. Why would you think otherwise?” If he was interested in her land, she wanted to know the reason.
His fingers tightened on hers slightly. “I just assumed since you were the eldest that it passed to you.”
“Let’s pick up this conversation later.”
“Of course. Let me drive you home. You don’t want to have to walk that distance.”
In fact, she didn’t. “Thank you.”
Shortly after, they were in his Range Rover headed toward the O’Byrne cottage. She nodded as Bran talked, but she wasn’t listening. She wondered why she was suddenly so wary of him. Had something been said or done to make her so cautious all of a sudden?
All those stories her father told her were turning her against anyone who might give her a bit of happiness. Carrie was right, there was no such thing as a Fae. How could there be when there wasn’t a single description of one in all the books and journals her father had?
If her father had met one, he hadn’t known it. Otherwise, he’d have made a note of it. And that went for everyone else in the family who had kept the lore alive.
Some families had normal traditions, but not the O’Byrnes. No, they had to believe in the Fae and be ready—though no one said for what.
“You’re deep in thought.”
She glanced at Bran before looking out over the countryside as they bounced along the dirt road. They crossed the stone bridge that signaled the start of her land.
“Thinking about family,” she replied.
He grinned. “Everything’s going to be fine. You’ll see.”
“I hope so.”
They didn’t speak again until he pulled up at the cottage. Ettie opened the door and was climbing out when he said her name. She looked up into his silver eyes.
“Shall I come in?” he asked hopefully.
She smiled because it was what she was supposed to do. “I don’t think it’d be wise for you to be here while I’m talking with my sisters about you.”
“True. Shall I ring you later?”
“Of course.”
He winked. “Good luck.”
Ettie stepped back and shut the door before heading toward the cottage. She paused before the entrance to the house and took a deep breath as the engine of the vehicle roared before Bran drove away. Then she walked inside.
As usual, Carrie was in the kitchen, cooking. Her youngest sister looked Ettie’s way and flashed her a quick smile. “Hi.”
“Hey.” Ettie closed the door behind her. “Where’s Jamie?”
Carrie motioned behind her with her hand. “Out in the garage, I’m sure.”
It wasn’t that Ettie wanted to have a confrontation with her sisters, but to get worked up for exactly that and then come home to . . . nothing . . . was, well, disconcerting.
She left the house and went to the shed Jamie used as her garage. Ettie found her sister on her back beneath a car so that only her bent legs were visible.
“I want to talk to you about Bran,” Ettie said.
Jamie set aside a wrench and grabbed another tool from the ground beside her. “Then talk.”
“I’d rather do it when I can see your face.”
“I’m busy,” Jamie replied. “If you have something to say, then say it.”
Ettie looked back at the cottage and the window into the kitchen where she saw Carrie moving about.
“You usually wait to do this at dinner, but I’m guessing you don’t want Carrie and me ganging up on you,” Jamie said.
Ettie briefly closed her eyes, irritation causing her hackles to rise. “Why do you have to make everything so difficult?”
“I’m not. It was an observation. A correct one, at that. Just admit it.”
Ettie hated that she couldn’t see Jamie’s face. Her voice was calm, belying the anger she was certain Jamie couldn’t keep from her expression. But Ettie couldn’t be sure.
“Fine. I don’t want you two to side against me. Is that what you want to hear?” she asked.
Jamie scooted from beneath the car to look at her. “Yes.”
Ettie opened her mouth to speak when Jamie moved back underneath the car. It was useless to ask her to remain. Jamie would do whatever Jamie wanted to do. It had been that way since she was old enough to cr
awl.
“I need to know something,” Ettie said. “The truth.”
There was a snort from beneath the car. “I always give you the truth.”
“I want to know if you dislike Bran, or if you don’t like the idea of me with someone.”
Jamie was out from beneath the car so quickly that Ettie had to jump back to avoid her sister slamming into her shins. She gaped at Jamie, but it was the fury she saw in her sister’s soft blue eyes that made her hold her tongue.
“How dare you,” Jamie said as she sat up. “Do you honestly think I’m so shallow that I’d begrudge you having a man? Of all the things you could’ve said!”
Ettie held up her hands. “To be fair, that’s exactly how it seemed at first. Carrie wouldn’t acknowledge me at the pub until Bran sat down with me. Then she was suddenly there. Same with you when we walked out of the bar that night. You always ignore me on your dates, but suddenly I have a man with me, and you can’t stay away.”
For long minutes, Jamie merely stared at her. Then her sister got to her feet and threw down the wrench she’d been holding before storming out.
Ettie glanced at the tool. Jamie never flung her tools. Every one was carefully wiped clean each day and put away. For her to toss it aside like that meant she was furious.
But so was Ettie.
Whether Jamie wanted to admit it or not, both she and Carrie had been all smiles with Bran for . . . Ettie’s thoughts ground to a halt as she realized somewhere over the last few days her sisters had stopped grinning at Bran and began scowling.
Jamie and Carrie were a lot of things, but the one thing none of them had ever done was fight over a man. Ettie felt like a fool for believing her sisters wanted Bran. Of course, the thought had been put there by Bran himself.
Ettie walked from the garage back into the house and straight to her room where she changed into a tracksuit and running shoes. A long jog and fresh air would help to clear her head—hopefully.
“I’ll be back later,” Ettie said to Carrie as she left the house.
Without looking around, she headed toward the stream and the trail that followed it all the way to the mountain. It was her favorite place to run. At first, the exercise had been an excuse to leave the cottage and get some alone time. It wasn’t long after that it became a much-loved habit.
