Page 85 of Her Irish Treasures
While she was quickly typing a reply, Doran pulled on pants and joined us. “What’s your plan?”
“We head into the cave while the Demon Hunters guard outside,” Aidan replied. “They’re tough as nails and excellent shots but they don’t do as well in dark or tight locations against fae, even lesser fae. I’d rather they pick off any stragglers that get by us and make sure we don’t have a surprise attack from outside.”
Doran lowered his voice, trying to whisper. “I meant the plan formo stór’sprotection.”
“Excuse me?” Riann strode toward us in a magnificent display of naked flesh. Eyes sparking with fury, her hair mussed and tangled from Aidan’s manhandling.
I tried not to ogle her while she was obviously upset, but I couldn’t keep my gaze from sweeping down her frame to drink in the full, delicious curves of her body. Her breasts would fill my hands. Not to mention her ass. No wonder Aidan hadn’t been able to resist the urge to redden those lush cheeks at least a little. My mouth watered at the memory of her taste on my tongue. The heat and wet flesh over my face. I would gladly die every day for eternity as long as I could wake between her thighs again.
“As I said earlier, our powers deal in war,” Doran said. “Your gift lies elsewhere. We won’t risk you.”
She marched right up to the big man and poked him in the chest with her index finger. “I can’t stay behind twiddling my thumbs while you’re in danger either. I won’t.”
He gently gripped her shoulders. “We’re not the only ones who’ll be watching the city for signs of dark fae activity. Anyone who knows about the treasures will come to the realization that such a cave collapse will draw our attention. If they know about us, then they know about you. If we take you with us, you’ll be exposed.”
“And if you leave me behind, I won’t be protected. Right?”
“Warwick—”
“Is no match for an old, powerful fae like Balor,” she broke in. “Not alone, and especially not when he’s bound by the oaths he had to swear. Right?” Her head swiveled back toward the leprechaun. “No offense.”
Despite being fully clothed, Warwick managed to look positively decadent in a careless lounge across the foot of the bed. His ridiculously long black hair swept out around him like a silken cape. He huffed out a laugh. “None taken,mo stór, and you’re absolutely right. If the changeling showed up, there is very little that I could do. I couldn’t raise a finger against him, even with your life at stake. A geas bound by a leprechaun’s gold is unbreakable.”
Doran glowered, Aidan looked like he was about to start spitting coffin nails, and even Ivarr’s normally soft, golden light carried a glittering diamond edge.
“Let’s think this through carefully,” I said, lifting my hands in a soothing gesture. “She makes a valid point. This house is an unknown location as far as we know but he could track by scent, like you, Aidan. Could you find her by scent alone even if there wasn’t a trail?”
He grunted sourly. “Aye. It would take me longer, sure, but I’d know almost immediately that she wasn’t in the city. Evil Eye’s focus be here and now, so I’d assume she’d remain close enough to return. I’d loop around the city in growing arcs until I picked up her scent. A few hours at most, and I’d have her location.”
“There has to be a reason he didn’t scoop me up when he had the chance.” Riann gnawed on her bottom lip, her brow scrunched. “When I thought he was still human, he fought the divorce in court for almost a year. He knew where I was living and working, because I had to provide all that detail to the court. I didn’t know anything about you yet. So why didn’t he nab me then before I could free Doran and learn more about what was going on?”
Warwick joined us. “He wanted you to lead him to something that he believed would help him kill Evil Eye once and for all. Maybe he thought we had to be with you to unlock that possibility.”
Her gaze focused on me. “When you were telling the story about Bres and Balor, you said they were allies. Why would Bres want to kill Balor now?”
“I would guess that he wants to protect Maige Tuired. Magic is slowly weakening across Faerie in all dimensions except Balor’s. He takes more and more for himself, gorging on the magic and devastation of others. While the rest of Faerie fades, Dún Bhalair only grows stronger.”
Warwick nodded. “Very true. Her Majesty says the veil thins more and more every day.”
“The veil between my world and Faerie? What happens if that comes down?”
“Neither Tír na nÓg nor your world will exist any longer,” Warwick said softly. “All realms will be absorbed into Evil Eye’s domain.”
“Let’s assume that I really do have something that Jonathan wants, even though I have no idea what it is. He did argue over the property settlement several times. My attorney thought that was especially strange since I left with very little property of my own. He also kept demanding I come get my things that I’d left behind, but I refused. I told my attorney I didn’t want any of it.”
“He wanted you to trigger the trap,” Aidan growled.
“Yes, probably, but he kept acting like I was lying about taking something. Could it be the painting you saved?”
“It does have a great deal of power in it,” Warwick replied. “The longer you stare at it, the more you see, especially in light. Though I haven’t dared study it much for fear of drawing Evil Eye’s attention to it. If a High Court fae wants into my court, I won’t be able to keep him out for long. I thought it best to suppress all traces of its lingering magic as much as possible.”
A sinking pit of certainty weighed heavily in my stomach. “This cave-in is a trap. I don’t think it’s an imp nest at all.”
“Oh there’s gonna be imps.” Doran shook his head slowly. “And pookas and likely redcaps too. The changeling be clever enough to get us to strike Evil Eye’s minions and expose our treasurekeeper at the same time.”
“A two for one with a cherry on top,” Aidan added grimly. “We attack Balor and weaken his forces, or we die, or better yet, both. Either way, the changeling takes the opportunity to stealmo stór. That painting will be in the bleeding bastard’s slimy hands before our bodies are cold.”
“Every trap can be sprung.” Riann’s chin lifted, her shoulders squared bravely despite the faint quiver in her voice. “Knowing is half the battle, right? So what can we do?”
