Page 64 of Her Irish Treasures
His tongue stroked over mine, his grip fierce. As if this might be the last time he was able to kiss me. At least without Doran or one of the other guys watching.
:Brace yourself.:
I wasn’t sure what he meant. Breathless, I clung to him. Sinking further into the glowing green magic that flowed around him.
Something crashed. Deep bellows and shouts echoed in my head. I opened my eyes, but I already knew where we were.
The dark cave and my forgotten painting were gone. I sat on top of the glossy wooden bar atShamrocked. And four very angry men tore at the front door of the pub, determined to reach me despite whatever protections Warwick had on the place.
Aidan roared. “There’s the bloody bastard! Your head is mine, Greenshanks!”
15
Frozen in horror, I watched Aidan barrel toward Warwick, a sword in each hand. Then it dawned on me.
Aidan couldn’t see me. I was behind Warwick. Even now, he was protecting me.
I jumped down off the bar and ducked under Warwick’s arm, sliding around in front of him. “I’m okay! He saved me!”
Aidan didn’t slow his charge. Maybe he couldn’t. He was the Slaughterer, the mighty Spear of Lug. Once he was revealed, there was no escape.
I threw myself at him, trying to slow him down. Distract him. He wouldn’t ever hurt me, so if I could get in his way…
Smoothly, he hooked his arm around me and swept me behind him, throwing me backward so hard I lost my footing. Doran caught me up against him, his big hands cradling my face, turning me this way and that to make sure I wasn’t hurt. Then he crushed me against him so hard I couldn’t breathe.
“I died a thousand times while you were gone,” he growled against my ear. “I fucking hate being so helpless. What happened, love? How did you get away?”
“I’ll tell you,” I finally gasped out. “But stop Aidan from hurting him.”
Aidan swung both swords, hacking at the bar and knocking over bottles as his quarry dodged and rolled.
Warwick chuckled, a bright, cheerful sound that reached me over the thuds and crashes. “Don’t worry about me, Riann. High Court fae are nigh impossible to kill on the mortal plane, even for the treasures.”
His last few words were strangled. I pulled out of Doran’s arms enough to see that Aidan had his forearm pressed hard against Warwick’s throat, bending him backward over the bar. The other sword flashed in a downward arc toward Warwick’s face.
I flung out my hand, instinctively reaching for him. To stop the sword. Somehow. I couldn’t bear for him to be hurt. Ever. Especially not now.
The sword spun out of Aidan’s hand, flipped around, narrowly missing his face, and shot over his shoulder toward me. Reflexively, I closed my fingers over the hilt as it thumped into my hand. The sword was surprisingly heavy. My arm trembled under its weight, forcing me to wrap my other hand around the hilt.
Aidan whirled, a fierce scowl gouging his forehead. “What the fuck are you doing?”
I stared at the sword. His sword. My mouth opened but no words came out.
Doran closed his fingers over mine, carefully removing the vicious blade before I dropped it and cut off my own foot. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. Nobody stops the Slaughterer.”
Still glaring, Aidan stepped closer and took back his sword. “Humph. Evidentlyshedoes.”
Shaken, I stared at him, not sure what to say. I refused to apologize for taking his sword away before he could hurt Warwick. Though I had no idea how I’d done it, or what exactly it meant. I was supposed to be the treasures’ conduit. I didn’t have any power of my own.
But I’d just taken the Slaughterer’s magical weapon from his own hand.
I hadn’t meant to cause any harm. Neither had Warwick. He’d fucking saved me and then been attacked by a sword-wielding maniac.
Just as smoothly as he’d thrown me to safety, Aidan hooked his arm around me and dragged me up against him into a full-body hug. Keane and Ivarr joined him, holding me as tightly as Doran had earlier.
“I thought for sure that you were gone for good.” Aidan’s voice was hoarse and rough with emotion. “I couldn’t bear it. I lost my mind, Riann. All that matters is your safety, and if he saved you, then I’ll give the leprechaun three wishes.”
“No offense but I’ll not take you up on that deal.” Warwick straightened his tunic and shook his hair loose about his shoulders. “Twas wishes that got me into trouble in the first place. Why don’t you all sit down, and I’ll tell you what I can, though I’ll warn you now that I’m still under geasa.”
