home. It wasn’t safe. She wasn’t crazy about the idea of staying in the home of another of Fae—particularly one of Miach’s sometime lovers. But if Miach was so anxious for her to leave his house, after he had spent months wooing her from afar, then she was certain the danger was real.
“When does Beth arrive?” she asked. Although she knew Beth was walking into danger, she desperately wanted to talk to her oldest friend. There was no one else who would understand what she was feeling.
“Her plane lands at Logan in a few hours,” said Miach. “I’ll send her straight to Deirdre’s. They’ll take good care of you, Deirdre and her Kevin.”
“And who will take care of you?” Helene asked.
“Elada,” said Miach.
“He doesn’t strike me as the nurturing type,” said Helene.
Miach smiled. “He’s not. Elada’s the killing type. And that’s going to be more useful to me tonight. I need someone to stand guard while I destroy a good portion of the city’s greenbelt. And to watch my back while I negotiate with my enemies.”
“I should have stopped you,” she said. “It’s my fault that you violated Beth’s geis .”
Miach laughed. “No. It is my fault for underestimating the power, and comprehensiveness, of the little Druid’s prohibition. And for underestimating the allure of your charms. You were as compelling, in your passion, as any Fae.”
He looked suddenly vulnerable. “Will you still want to finish what we started, if Beth will release me from my vow?”
“If?” asked Helene, puzzled. “Why wouldn’t Beth release you?”
“Because you are her friend and she cares about you, and I . . . I am a dangerous man.”
“Beth is in love with a Fae,” Helene reminded him.
“Beth is in love with a single-minded warrior Fae. A surprisingly trusty champion who has lived under a hill for two thousand years. You are involved with the paterfamilias of an exceptionally successful crime family, a seducer and a sorcerer. My Fae nature is perhaps the least of your problems.”
He had been so confident earlier, so sure he would be able to win her. Now he was warning her off. “Why are you telling me this?” she asked.
“Because I find that I want you to see me and accept me for what I am.”
“I do see you,” she said. She wasn’t certain that she could accept everything that he was, that she wanted more from him than a brief sexual affair, but today he had put her safety ahead of his own, had courted her body just now at reckless risk to his health. And he had bared his scars, quite literally, to her. There was more to him than it appeared, than she had first suspected.
“How long do I have to stay at Deirdre’s?” she asked.
He looked relieved that she was agreeing to his plan. “For this afternoon, at least. I need to time to arrange a meeting with Finn.”
She watched him cross the room to his desk to call Elada. Blood still dripped from his ears and his nose, disappearing in the rich pattern of the Persian carpet. She listened as he gave his right hand instructions to bring the Range Rover around and take Helene, Nieve, and Nieve’s son, Garrett, to Deirdre’s.
“You’ll be safe at her house,” said Miach. “She’ll afford shelter until I can come to some arrangement with Finn. I am sorry about the Range Rover. I know Elada tried to run you off the road in it, but it is the only armored car we have to hand. Except the minivan. And nothing will persuade Elada to drive the minivan.”
“Where do you get an armored minivan?”
“Quincy,” he replied, without missing a beat.
“That was a rhetorical question. You think this Fae will shoot at us?”
“I don’t know what to think, Helene. But I am certain this Fae has human allies or followers. Compulsion would be too risky for a job like the trap at the museum. Iron is too toxic to the Fae. No sane Sídhe would risk anyone but a trusted follower handling something so deadly. And a hundredweight of iron
“When does Beth arrive?” she asked. Although she knew Beth was walking into danger, she desperately wanted to talk to her oldest friend. There was no one else who would understand what she was feeling.
“Her plane lands at Logan in a few hours,” said Miach. “I’ll send her straight to Deirdre’s. They’ll take good care of you, Deirdre and her Kevin.”
“And who will take care of you?” Helene asked.
“Elada,” said Miach.
“He doesn’t strike me as the nurturing type,” said Helene.
Miach smiled. “He’s not. Elada’s the killing type. And that’s going to be more useful to me tonight. I need someone to stand guard while I destroy a good portion of the city’s greenbelt. And to watch my back while I negotiate with my enemies.”
“I should have stopped you,” she said. “It’s my fault that you violated Beth’s geis .”
Miach laughed. “No. It is my fault for underestimating the power, and comprehensiveness, of the little Druid’s prohibition. And for underestimating the allure of your charms. You were as compelling, in your passion, as any Fae.”
He looked suddenly vulnerable. “Will you still want to finish what we started, if Beth will release me from my vow?”
“If?” asked Helene, puzzled. “Why wouldn’t Beth release you?”
“Because you are her friend and she cares about you, and I . . . I am a dangerous man.”
“Beth is in love with a Fae,” Helene reminded him.
“Beth is in love with a single-minded warrior Fae. A surprisingly trusty champion who has lived under a hill for two thousand years. You are involved with the paterfamilias of an exceptionally successful crime family, a seducer and a sorcerer. My Fae nature is perhaps the least of your problems.”
He had been so confident earlier, so sure he would be able to win her. Now he was warning her off. “Why are you telling me this?” she asked.
“Because I find that I want you to see me and accept me for what I am.”
“I do see you,” she said. She wasn’t certain that she could accept everything that he was, that she wanted more from him than a brief sexual affair, but today he had put her safety ahead of his own, had courted her body just now at reckless risk to his health. And he had bared his scars, quite literally, to her. There was more to him than it appeared, than she had first suspected.
“How long do I have to stay at Deirdre’s?” she asked.
He looked relieved that she was agreeing to his plan. “For this afternoon, at least. I need to time to arrange a meeting with Finn.”
She watched him cross the room to his desk to call Elada. Blood still dripped from his ears and his nose, disappearing in the rich pattern of the Persian carpet. She listened as he gave his right hand instructions to bring the Range Rover around and take Helene, Nieve, and Nieve’s son, Garrett, to Deirdre’s.
“You’ll be safe at her house,” said Miach. “She’ll afford shelter until I can come to some arrangement with Finn. I am sorry about the Range Rover. I know Elada tried to run you off the road in it, but it is the only armored car we have to hand. Except the minivan. And nothing will persuade Elada to drive the minivan.”
“Where do you get an armored minivan?”
“Quincy,” he replied, without missing a beat.
“That was a rhetorical question. You think this Fae will shoot at us?”
“I don’t know what to think, Helene. But I am certain this Fae has human allies or followers. Compulsion would be too risky for a job like the trap at the museum. Iron is too toxic to the Fae. No sane Sídhe would risk anyone but a trusted follower handling something so deadly. And a hundredweight of iron
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