Page 41 of Cocktails & Cauldrons

You’re the bitch—in heat. Ha!

Ohmygod! You are toast, you know that, right? I’m totally going to eradicate your slutty ass.

“Brenna.” Eoin’s gentle prodding brought her back to reality.

Face burning as hot as the midday sun, Brenna forced herself to put one foot in front of the other and approached the Aether. In the lowest voice she could muster and still be heard by him—and only him—she said, “I’m sorry for anything inappropriate you may have been subjected to, sir.”

“Think nothing of it,” he said just as quietly. As he clasped her hand, raised it to his lips, and kissed her knuckles. His mouth twitched but otherwise didn’t move. Yet as clear as the brilliant blue sky above them, she heard him say,“It’s quite flattering, really. You’ve made my day.”

His obsidian stare made her heart flutter.

“Can you help me get rid of her or at least tame her?”

“Why would you want to? She and you are one and the same.”

With a rough shake of her head, Brenna jerked her hand back and tucked it with her other behind her. “We’re not.”

His shrewd eyes did a silent survey of her set features.

“The magic is great and all, but I worry I can’t control it. Control her.” She was helpless against the constant barrage of thoughts. Her Siren wanted everything and everyone. Brenna only wanted Eoin.

The Aether, quick to pick up on what she couldn’t say, slowly nodded. “I can see you don’t want her brand of trouble, and for that reason, I’ll help you, Ms. Sullivan.”

The immediate surge of tears stung, and she rapidly blinked them away as she swallowed the rising tide of emotion: fear of her other self, thankfulness to those willing to help her control it, longing to be relevant, inexplicable desire for the unimaginable power the Aether radiated, and last but not least, her unmistakable love for Eoin.

The trilling in her head grew stronger as her Siren fought for supremacy, and Brenna closed her eyes against the pounding headache forming. “I just want to be normal,” she whispered.

Surprisingly, it was Alastair Thorne who offered the comfort she gravely needed. He did it by placing a gentle hand on her shoulder and squeezing. “It’s going to be all right now, child.”

She sniffed.

The next thing she knew, she was enclosed within his warm embrace, and she wished he was the father she hadn’t had as she wrapped her arms around his middle and hugged him tightly. She had the vague sense of the others leaving as she quietly wept in the safety of Alastair’s firm hold.

“I’m s-sorry, M-Mr. Thorne.”

“No need to be, my dear. I’m a warlock and can remove tear stains from my suit with the snap of my fingers.” His desert-dry comeback triggered her smile and was exactly what Brenna needed to recover her composure.

He held up his hand, and dangling from his fingertips was a pink and white polka-dotted handkerchief with smiling panda bears. “It’s yours. I thought you could use a cheerful pick-me-up.”

She laughed, cleaned up her face, and blew her nose. Then she stretched on tiptoes to kiss his unlined yet decidedly masculine cheek. “I think I love you, Mr. Thorne. But in a non-partner sort of way,” she added hastily lest he believe her Siren was after him.

His wide, white smile was breathtaking. “I’m glad you clarified, or Rorie would dine on both our hearts after having them served on a silver platter, of course.” With the tip of his index finger, he lifted her chin and examined her face. “I’m not convinced I’d have ever believed you could transform the way you have, my dear. But your Mr. O’Malley is going to be dancing to your tune for a great many years to come as soon as we neutralize the spell ensuring his distance.”

“Am I truly so different?” It didn’t sit well with her for Eoin to only be with her because of her looks.

“Only on the outside. It was always your inner beauty we all found attractive.”

She smiled her pleasure at his insightful comment. “Thank you, sir.”

“My friends call me Alastair, Brenna. I’ll consider you a friend so long as you don’t hurt a member of my family.”

Woven within those words was a heavy warning. One Brenna heard and understood well. Odessa had been the queen of not-so-subtle threats. She nodded. “Thank you, Alastair,” she said,thereby assuring him she’d never intentionally hurt his loved ones.

Eoin’s stomachhad been churning since Brenna’s inner Siren woke, stretched, and mercilessly taunted Brenna, andhimin the process. All this time, he’d believed Brenna desired him, was possibly half in love with him, but instead, she’d become enthralled with the Aether as soon as she saw him, thereby throwing Eoin out like yesterday’s rubbish. Was there always going to be someone her Siren wanted more?

Once, long ago when he was still an art student, he’d believed himself in love with one of the class models. She’d led him on a merry chase, only to batter his wee heart by sleeping with another artist soon after agreeing to date Eoin exclusively. The hurt caused by her defection hadn’t felt good, but it was nothing compared to what he was experiencing with the suspicion Brenna might prefer another man to him.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Mr. O’Malley. May I speak with you privately?”

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