Noreen gave herself a mental kick and dragged her mind out of the sex gutter. It was time for business. There might be time later for fun, but not now.
Before she stepped out of the house, she pulled back on her arm just enough to halt him. “I don’t know your name.”
“It’s Cain,” he said in his smooth Scottish brogue.
“Mine is—” she began.
“Noreen,” he finished for her. “I overheard your … exchange … with Brian, remember?”
She nodded. “Right.”
“You’re making the right decision,” Cain told her.
She blinked, thinking how warm his hand was around hers. It wasn’t sweaty or clammy, proving that he was calm and not nervous.
“For years, I thought I was doing the right thing. Now, I’ve switched.” She didn’t know why she was telling him this, but the words kept tumbling out. “They’re onto me. I know it. And they’re waiting for me to make a mistake. You standing out here is that mistake.”
One side of his lips lifted higher as his deep green eyes twinkled. “I would’ve thought it was me holding your hand.”
Despite the severity of the situation, Noreen chuckled as she briefly lowered her eyes. When she returned her gaze to Cain, he gave her a wink and a nod.
“It really is going to be all right. I willna let anything happen to you. I give you my word.”
“You can’t promise such a thing,” she stated, though his vow made her heart skip a beat.
He stepped closer, his fingers tightening slightly on her hand. The smile was gone, and his eyes blazed with intensity. “I never give a promise I can no’ keep. Perhaps it’s difficult for a Dark to understand that.”
Noreen took a deep breath and released it. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. I know firsthand how powerful the Others are. I’m trying to tell you that I won’t hold you to that promise.”
“You doona have to hold me to anything. We Scots hold ourselves accountable.”
She lifted her chin, ready to defend her fellow Irishmen, but she thought better of it.
“If we’re going to do this thing, then we should get moving,” Cain told her. “You doona want them seeing us, do you?”
Her gaze lifted, scanning the area around the cottage. “No.”
“Well, lass. What is your decision?”
Noreen glanced at their interlocked fingers. With Cain holding her hand, she didn’t feel as alone or frightened as she had for the last several weeks. If there was even a remote chance that she might live after betraying the Others, she knew that likelihood increased in the company of a Dragon King.
She stepped out of the cottage, closing the door behind her. Cain gave her a quick grin of encouragement. “You should know that the first place the Others will look is Dreagan.”
“Then it’s good we willna be going there.”
She blinked, taken aback by his words. “There is nowhere else on this planet the Others can’t find me.”
“I know,” he said as he turned them to start walking—all while keeping a hold of her hand.
Noreen wasn’t sure if he just liked touching her or if it was because he thought she might bolt. Frankly, she was debating that very thing. “I planned on standing with you to battle them. But … well, I thought we might have some time to plan things.”
“We will.”
When he didn’t say more, she rolled her eyes. “We can’t just go strolling through the village. Do you want them to see us?”
Finally, he halted and faced her. “If they suspect you’ve switched sides, they’re going to head straight to Dreagan. I doona want that. At least no’ yet,” he added.
“Oh,” she said as it dawned on her. “You want them to see us leave together.”
“Aye. They’ll come after us.”
“For a while, maybe. Eventually, they’ll turn to Dreagan.”
“By that time, lass, we’ll have everything we need to bring them down.”
Noreen couldn’t believe that this was actually happening. All her fears and worries had been for naught, because she knew in her heart that the Dragon Kings were stronger. Even Moreann knew that. It’s why she’d gathered together so many to build the Others’ power. But all it took was one crack.
And Noreen was that chink in the armor.
“Ready?” Cain asked.
She shook her head but whispered, “Yes.”
He laughed softly. “I’ve got you. Remember that.”
They began walking again. The closer they got to the village, the more nervous Noreen became. “They can follow my magic.”
“But no’ mine,” he answered. “We’ll be going to several different locations.”
“You’re going to throw them off?”
“That’s the plan. I figure they’ll eventually trace where we’ve gone. At the verra least, they’ll figure out the first spot, but I doona want to take any chances.”
They walked for several minutes in silence before she said, “I didn’t realize the Kings could teleport.”
“We can no’.”
There was no more after that little quip. Noreen tried to let it go, telling herself that not everyone explained things like she needed. But the irritation became too much. “Please elaborate. I need more than that.”
Dark green eyes briefly slid her way. “Do you now?”
“Yes.”
He was silent, and she began to think that he wouldn’t tell her more when he lifted their joined hands and pointed at the silver cuff on his wrist with his free hand. “This. It was given to one of us by a powerful Dark Fae.”
“For a group who has been in nearly constant battle with the Dark, you seem to have friends there.”
Cain lifted one shoulder. “I suppose we do.”
The village came into view, and Noreen’s stomach knotted so hard that she grew nauseous. Would it be Brian or Moreann who saw her? Sweat broke out on Noreen’s brow, and it became difficult to breathe.
“Easy,” Cain whispered. “I’ve got you.”
“So much could go wrong.”
“Think about it going right,” he told her. “Doona let doubt creep into your mind. Keep your thoughts focused on our goal, on you gaining the upper hand with those against you.”
Noreen turned her head to look at his profile. His handsome profile. “You make it sound so simple.”
“It is. Our minds are incredibly powerful. They can overcome fear and doubt, but you have to let it happen.”
She straightened her shoulders, doing exactly as he suggested. It took a few minutes, but by the time they reached the edge of the village, she was once more in control of herself.
“Verra good,” Cain said. “Now, get ready, because it’s about to begin.”
Her gaze scanned the people, and in an instant, she spotted Brian. She jerked, the fear once more trying to take over her. Cain kept walking and squeezed her hand. She put one foot in front of the other and tamped down the terror that threatened.
Brian’s mouth fell open in shock. He forgot all about the woman he was charming as he stared. Noreen and Cain came to a halt together.