at her in amusement and curiosity.
Siobhan came closer. “Do not fear,” she said and took her hand. “We are here to help you, not hurt you.”
One of them, a young, rebellious-looking man, came closer as well. “Mi faic thu, óg, Marie. I'm Liam and I'm very pleased to meet you.”
Marie mumbled something back. He held her hand and kissed it. She felt uncomfortable. He was heart-breakingly handsome, but there was something slimy in him that she didn't like.
Tiamhaidh grunted behind her, but Liam ignored him. “We have been waiting for you, daughter of Sofia,” he said formally and smiled at her. His eyes didn't leave hers and she felt kind of dizzy.
She was scared. Something in the way he had said it made her want to run as far as she could, but her legs seemed glued to the ground. Unconsciously, she started to mimic Liam's moves and she felt like a marionette. She tried to move her eyes, but he seemed to be sucking out all her energy, and soon she was too tired to even lift a finger. Her head felt muddled and all she could hear was his hypnotic voice.
“Come,” he urged, and she noticed herself moving.
She swallowed and gathered all her powers. With one quick move she turned her eyes from Liam's and glanced at Faol and Baz. They were smiling, but refused to meet her eyes. She tried to back away, but Liam grabbed her arm.
“Come,” he whispered again and managed to catch her eyes. This time, however, the grip of his gaze was much stronger. He licked his lips and flashed his perfect white teeth.
Marie gasped. She wanted to fight against him, but part of her felt like sleeping and she didn't have any strength.
He kissed her hand again and let his lips stay on it a bit longer than was appropriate. “I know you're tired and confused, but soon you'll feel better. I promise. We have so many questions for you, but they can wait. First we must drink some tea.”
“Don't hurt her!” Tiamhaidh's shout broke the spell.
Liam turned slowly and stared at him in annoyance.
“Please, don't hurt her,” Tiamhaidh whispered desperately.
“Don't worry. We won't.” Liam smiled deceptively. “Much,” he added, but only Tiamhaidh could hear it inside his head.
“No!” he cried out. “You promised she would be perfectly safe here! You promised to cure her!”
Marie looked at Tiamhaidh and saw that the yellow-eyed men were holding him so he couldn't follow her.
“Liam, what's going on?” Faol asked in confusion and moved closer to Marie.
“You want me to cure her don't you?” Liam snarled.
Faol nodded.
“Then stay out of my way and let me do my job!”
Faol hesitated for a moment.
“Now!” Liam snapped.
Baz took Faol's hand and she stepped aside.
Marie was deathly white. “Tiamhaidh!” she screamed in horror. “Help!”
He tried to struggle free, but it was impossible. The men holding him seemed to have overwhelming powers, and though he managed to hurt them, he was losing. They pressed him down roughly and finally one of them knocked him out.
Marie went crazy. “Tiamhaidh! Oh my God! You bastards! You killed him!” She tried to struggle free, but Liam's grip was like iron. She looked at Tiamhaidh, who lay motionless on the floor. She looked at Faol and Baz, too, and they looked as horrified as she was. Siobhan was holding back tears and one of the older women had turned her face away from the outrageous vision and was lulling herself softly.
“ Tiamhaidh!” Marie's silent cry tried to reach his mind. He didn't answer.
“Shh. You don't need him, gaol, not now. Just relax and let me take care of you,” Liam murmured in her ear.
“No!” she cried. Liam's fingers sank into her arms. “No!” she cried again and tried to struggle free.
“Shh,” Liam calmed her and slowly moved his hands from her arms to her head. He pressed his palms lightly on her temples and a weird calmness filled her. Nothing seemed important anymore and she barely noticed the people around her, not even
Siobhan came closer. “Do not fear,” she said and took her hand. “We are here to help you, not hurt you.”
One of them, a young, rebellious-looking man, came closer as well. “Mi faic thu, óg, Marie. I'm Liam and I'm very pleased to meet you.”
Marie mumbled something back. He held her hand and kissed it. She felt uncomfortable. He was heart-breakingly handsome, but there was something slimy in him that she didn't like.
Tiamhaidh grunted behind her, but Liam ignored him. “We have been waiting for you, daughter of Sofia,” he said formally and smiled at her. His eyes didn't leave hers and she felt kind of dizzy.
She was scared. Something in the way he had said it made her want to run as far as she could, but her legs seemed glued to the ground. Unconsciously, she started to mimic Liam's moves and she felt like a marionette. She tried to move her eyes, but he seemed to be sucking out all her energy, and soon she was too tired to even lift a finger. Her head felt muddled and all she could hear was his hypnotic voice.
“Come,” he urged, and she noticed herself moving.
She swallowed and gathered all her powers. With one quick move she turned her eyes from Liam's and glanced at Faol and Baz. They were smiling, but refused to meet her eyes. She tried to back away, but Liam grabbed her arm.
“Come,” he whispered again and managed to catch her eyes. This time, however, the grip of his gaze was much stronger. He licked his lips and flashed his perfect white teeth.
Marie gasped. She wanted to fight against him, but part of her felt like sleeping and she didn't have any strength.
He kissed her hand again and let his lips stay on it a bit longer than was appropriate. “I know you're tired and confused, but soon you'll feel better. I promise. We have so many questions for you, but they can wait. First we must drink some tea.”
“Don't hurt her!” Tiamhaidh's shout broke the spell.
Liam turned slowly and stared at him in annoyance.
“Please, don't hurt her,” Tiamhaidh whispered desperately.
“Don't worry. We won't.” Liam smiled deceptively. “Much,” he added, but only Tiamhaidh could hear it inside his head.
“No!” he cried out. “You promised she would be perfectly safe here! You promised to cure her!”
Marie looked at Tiamhaidh and saw that the yellow-eyed men were holding him so he couldn't follow her.
“Liam, what's going on?” Faol asked in confusion and moved closer to Marie.
“You want me to cure her don't you?” Liam snarled.
Faol nodded.
“Then stay out of my way and let me do my job!”
Faol hesitated for a moment.
“Now!” Liam snapped.
Baz took Faol's hand and she stepped aside.
Marie was deathly white. “Tiamhaidh!” she screamed in horror. “Help!”
He tried to struggle free, but it was impossible. The men holding him seemed to have overwhelming powers, and though he managed to hurt them, he was losing. They pressed him down roughly and finally one of them knocked him out.
Marie went crazy. “Tiamhaidh! Oh my God! You bastards! You killed him!” She tried to struggle free, but Liam's grip was like iron. She looked at Tiamhaidh, who lay motionless on the floor. She looked at Faol and Baz, too, and they looked as horrified as she was. Siobhan was holding back tears and one of the older women had turned her face away from the outrageous vision and was lulling herself softly.
“ Tiamhaidh!” Marie's silent cry tried to reach his mind. He didn't answer.
“Shh. You don't need him, gaol, not now. Just relax and let me take care of you,” Liam murmured in her ear.
“No!” she cried. Liam's fingers sank into her arms. “No!” she cried again and tried to struggle free.
“Shh,” Liam calmed her and slowly moved his hands from her arms to her head. He pressed his palms lightly on her temples and a weird calmness filled her. Nothing seemed important anymore and she barely noticed the people around her, not even
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