Page 65 of The Seer

“What she means is why the feck couldn’t this wait until mornin’?” Fintan clasped her hand, drawing her closer to avoid a table in the darkened hallway.

Her breathy “thank you” almost made him turn back. Every look, touch, sigh, or word she spoke aroused him.

Taryn squeezed his hand, reminding him she’d heard his internal thoughts.“It’s the same for me, Fintan.”

Without slowing, he raised her hand and kissed her knuckles.

Peter halted before a paneled wall on the second-floor landing, shot a covert glance upstairs, then gestured to him to tug a sconce. The exposed passageway was new to Fintan.

“Sure, and I thought I’d found them all,” he muttered.

“This old estate still has a few surprises for ya, boyo.” Peter ushered them inside the narrow tunnel, peeked his head out to check for goddess knew what once more, then told him to shut the door.

The instant the panel clicked back into place, the cramped space illuminated, revealing a larger room beyond the small entry.

“This is exciting, but why the covert skulking?” Taryn asked.

“Spies, girl. Spies everywhere.”

Fintan shared a concerned look with Taryn.

“Is it possible for a spirit to turn insane in the afterlife?”she telegraphed.

“Aye,” Peter said. “But I’m not mad.”

She gasped, and Fintan’s jaw dropped right along with hers.

“You heard her?” he asked hoarsely.

“We’re Sullivan’s. Sullivans are the original Sirens from the sea gods, my boy. How do you think they communicated underwater? Sign language?” Peter scoffed. “No. They read the minds of others.”

“Yeah, I knew we could with family, but not with anyone not sharing our blood.”

Peter paused in leading them through the vast chamber and faced them. “You and Taryn can share one mind because of what you are, Fin. You’re not destined to be mates for the duration of your lives, and so ya weren’t gifted with the bond ya think you have.”

The breath left his lungs, and Fintan swayed on his feet. Taryn appeared equally as devastated. Rage followed on the heels of his shock, and he shook his head like a wounded bear.

“Fuck all the way off with ya!” he growled. “What fuckin’ game are you and the ancestors playin’ this time, Uncle? Because we’ll not be part of it. Taryn is the love of me life.”

Mine.

“Fintan,” she warned, sliding her arm through his and hugging it. “Don’t lose your shit, sweetheart. You’ll open yourself up to your Siren. I can feel his rage building, too.”

Fintan’s muscles twitched,and the skin along his arms rippled. Having heard the Siren’s possessive growl, Taryn feared he was in the throes of a transformation. Her heart jumped into her throat.

It was hard to shove aside Peter’s claim that they weren’t fated mates, like Viv and Damian or Soleil and Trev. Was it true? If not, why would Fintan’s uncle push his buttons? Was it to trigger the Siren? If so, why?

She met his considering gaze, and the sick feeling of having her privacy invaded twice in one night sparked her anger. “Stay out of my head. Siren blood-gift or not, I don’t like anyone else poking around.”

“But not our boyo, yeah?”

“What are you trying to pull, Peter? Because whatever it is, I want you to knock it off. Triggering Fintan’s creature is dangerous in the extreme.”

“You think you know what he’s capable of, but you don’t,” Peter warned. “In here, he can’t hurt me, but he can certainly hurt you.”

A shiver of apprehension traveled through her, but she lifted her chin. “He won’t.”

His crafty expression indicated he knew her bravado was false, and he glanced sharply at Fintan. “She fears ya, boyo.”

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