“Why didn’t he come with you? Stay with you?” I asked.
“That is Rufus’ story and he can tell you if he so chooses,” Ian responded.
Damn banshees and their secrecy.
Bryce cleared his throat bringing my attention to him. “What Ian has left out is that the child they had ordered him to kill was you. Because of Ian your parents were able to hide you with me.”
“This is why you came for me five years ago?” I asked Ian.
“Yes. I had thought of you quite often over the years. I could no longer stop myself from checking on you. Then there you were. This feisty little half-fairy so concerned with the life of a mortal that she attacked a man nearly twice her size. I knew you would make a superb Hunter. I was right.”
He wouldn’t look at me, so I moved closer to him until he did.
“This is what you were afraid to tell me? I’m alive because of you. How the hell can you think I would be upset about that?”
“That is only the beginning of the story.” He took a step away from me.
“Oh… What’s the rest?”
He backed away from me until there were a few feet between us.
“Later, the Elders had ordered the execution of your parents. I did not go to them right away. When I did go to warn them… I was too late.” Ian looked to Bryce. The pain in his eyes was heart-wrenching. “I tried.”
“I know you did, mo chara,” Bryce said and the expression on Ian’s face changed. His eyes brightened and his features softened.
“When I arrived at their home, I was ambushed and shot with multiple faeritonium arrows. I was too weak to do anything but watch them murder your parents.”
“Thankfully you were with me, or you may have been killed as well,” Bryce added. “Mating between Fey and the mortals had never before happened. That your parents had succeeded frightened the Elders.”
“Okay, who killed them? Who’d the Elders hire? You must have seen them.”
Ian stiffened and looked to Bryce again. Bryce nodded his encouragement and Ian sighed.
“Gabriel.”
I turned on Bryce.
“Are you fucking kidding me? Why am I just now finding out about this? You should have been the one to tell me this!”
“My pip, please understand it’s not something I wanted to keep from you, but I thought it best to do so. Look at how upset you are. If I had told you, you may have tried to find Gabriel on your own. You were so young and inexperienced. He would have killed you. That was not something I was willing to risk.”
Bryce had his own way of thinking, and while I may not always agree with him it’s a huge part of why I love him. He hadn’t told me because he truly thought he was protecting me. He was right about my possible reaction, too. I more than likely would have tried to hunt Gabriel alone.
“I get it. You believed you were protecting me. For that, I can’t blame you.” I turned back to Ian. “This was what you were dreading?”
“Yes. I could not save them. I tried, I really did, but in the end, I could not do it. Brycson has blamed me for years. I assumed you would as well.”
“I blamed you out of sorrow and it was wrong. I have forgiven you, mo chara,” Bryce said.
Ian looked relieved, but still stiff. “Do you?” he asked looking to me.
“I do not,” I said. His hands clenched into fists, and he turned to leave the room. “I do not forgive you, Ian MacBeaghne, because there is nothing to forgive.”
He stopped walking but kept his back to me. I placed a hand on his arm and turned him to face me. His grey eyes were almost black, and bright with emotion. His lips pressed into a tight line. He was like a cornered animal ready to spring into action any second.
Vaguely aware of Bryce slipping out of the room, my attention stayed on the man in front of me. I slid my hand over his heart and felt him take a deep breath, then another.
“You did what you could. You did more than most would. It was not your fault.” He tensed again and gave his head a little shake dismissing my words. “Oh Ian, how long have you been blaming yourself? There was nothing you could do.”
He stepped back out of my reach. “I could have, should have brought others with me. I should never have gone alone.”
This is why he always got so upset when I went on a hunt on my own.
“It was not your fault,” I repeated.
When my words didn’t penetrate the blame in which he’d encased himself, I wrapped my arms around him, looking up at him.
“I love you, and no matter how much you blame yourself, I will not. They were my parents and if I don’t blame you, you can’t either.”
His lips twitched, but the frown stayed in place. He stared at me for a while before he finally slipped his arms around me.
“You really do not blame me, do you? Not at all?”
“Not one bit,” I said rising to my toes to kiss him.
“Ian,” Peder called as he came storming through the door. “You were right, it’s a vacant mall. We have to go.”
Ian’s eyes never left mine. “We have to go,” he repeated.
“Mall?” I asked.
“The room Juliana described. I figured it had to be in a large building. I had everyone available search for large deserted buildings. Where?” he asked Peder.
“A few hours north of here. Right off 95.” Peder hesitated to look from Ian to me then back again. “He has a small army.” Peder looked at me again.
“I’m going,” I said.
“Goldie, I do not think that is a good idea.”
“I am going. Just because we have a relationship now does not mean you can keep me from the dangers of our work. I am still a Hunter. This is my job, Ian.”
I gasped as Ian threw me over his shoulder and strode out of the room. I struggled, but he refused to put me down, bellowing for Seth as he strode into our room.
“Tell her she is not coming with us.”
“First, explain what you’re talking about,” Seth said, sitting beside me on the bed where Ian had unceremoniously tossed me.
“They think they found the auction site. From what we know, Gabriel has an army there. Ian thinks I should stay here. He is mistaken. I am going.” Ian and I glared at each other.
Seth looked from me to Ian and back again. “Oh, hell no. I’m so not getting involved in this.”
“She listens to you.”
“Sorry, bro. I can see it in her eyes. While I agree with you and I want to keep her safe, I have to side with her. He’s a sick bastard, and she’s seen what he is capable of firsthand. She needs this.”
“Leave,” Ian hissed. When Seth left, Ian crouched in front of me to take my hands. “Goldie be reasonable. We do not even know if he is there. You could walk into a trap.”
“I’ve walked into traps before and survived,” I said instantly feeling guilty when he stiffened. “I’m sorry, that was low. But I have to go. If you try to prevent me from going, you know I’ll just follow on my own. I’d rather be by your side.”
“You cannot follow me if I lock you in the bathroom.” He grabbed me by the waist to hold me in place when I tried to get off the bed.
“You wouldn’t dare!”