The safety the isle always seemed to have was shattered the day Corann was taken. It was a new dawn for those on Skye, but they weren’t the only ones. The Dragon Kings, as well as the Warriors and Druids of MacLeod Castle, also faced new times. The Kings had seemed to come out ahead, at least for the moment. As had the Warriors and Druids. Sorcha couldn’t say the same for those on Skye.
Everything felt as if they teetered on the edge of a knife. One wrong slip and they could fall into a quagmire of shite so deep, they’d never pull themselves out. And all Rhona could think about was Sorcha going to the ritual at the Fairy Pools.
“No way in hell,” Sorcha stated.
Chapter Four
“Skye?” Aisling stated in shock, and a little bit of annoyance. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Cathal was as surprised as she. He was more troubled by why a Halfling would be living on Skye. While mortals without magic lived on the isle, it was a haven for Druids. There were more Druids on Skye than anywhere else in the world.
He and Aisling stood veiled outside a stone cottage. It was perched atop a hill with lovely views in every direction. Reapers could locate Halflings, and he had been drawn to the Isle of Skye whenever he thought about the woman. Unease rippled through him as he wondered why.
“Please tell me you got it wrong,” Aisling prodded.
Cathal shrugged and glanced at her. “We won’t know until we take a look.”
“You go ahead. I’ll stay here.”
He frowned as he faced her, wondering why she seemed so irritated. Then he realized what it was. “You’d rather be searching for Xaneth.”
Aisling released a long breath and met his gaze. “Xaneth helped us. And because of it, Usaeil targeted him. The longer he goes without being found, the more I think he’s dead.”
“If he was, Death would’ve felt his soul. She hasn’t.”
“That doesn’t mean Usaeil didn’t do something to him.”
Cathal couldn’t argue with that. Usaeil had done a great many things that no one had seen coming, including casting a spell that kept her returning from the dead, again and again. Rhi, along with Con and the other Dragon Kings, had finally taken care of that. Though the armies of the Light and Dark Fae had also been involved.
Aisling flattened her lips. “Not that this isn’t as important—”
“You don’t need to say more,” he interrupted her. “I understand.”
Probably more than she realized.
Aisling shot him a quick smile. “Thanks.”
“I’ll take a look inside to see if it’s the Halfling. Be right back.”
Cathal didn’t wait for a response as he teleported inside the house. He got in easily, which meant that there were no markings to keep Reapers out. Not that a Druid would know of such spells, but at this point, nothing would surprise him.
He looked around the homey dwelling, noting the simple décor in shades of light gray, white, and cream. It gave the place a contemporary air, except for the dated appliances that only seemed to add to the charm, instead of detracting from it.
Then his gaze landed on the woman reclining on the sofa. Her auburn curls were spread out on the pillow she rested on as her emerald eyes stared at the ceiling. She wore a pair of jeans and a soft beige shirt and had her injured foot resting on a stack of pillows. He couldn’t believe that he had found her so quickly.
As soon as that emotion went through him, apprehension returned. What was a Halfling doing living on the Isle of Skye surrounded by Druids? Then he thought of the Fairy Pools. There was a good chance that the Halfling was here for the pools. As easy as that connection was, Cathal didn’t buy it.
He might be veiled, but it didn’t mean that someone couldn’t hear him. All Fae could veil themselves for a few seconds. Only Reapers—and a special few Fae like Rhi—were powerful enough to do it for as long as they wanted.
Cathal couldn’t tear his gaze away from the Halfling. She had been pretty in the middle of a storm, drenched and needing help. Now, she was so stunning, she stole his breath. Her creamy skin had a few freckles scattered across her nose and along her chest. Her toenails were painted an iridescent gray with a chip on the inside corner of her left big toe.
She hadn’t moved her gaze from the ceiling, and he couldn’t help but wonder what it was that she thought about. He wished he could reveal himself and talk to her. That almost made him snort because he wasn’t what anyone would call a talker. He much preferred the silence. There was so much a person could notice and pick up on if they only shut their mouths for a few minutes. Unfortunately, few people adhered to such a rule.
Except the Halfling.
Cathal found himself moving closer to her. He noticed that she wore a delicate gold necklace that had a shield knot dangling from the chain—a symbol of protection for the Druids. At the sight of it, his trepidation doubled. In a blink, he returned to Aisling.
The female Reaper stood with her arms crossed over her chest and a foot tapping in annoyance. “Took you long enough. Where are we off to next? I felt a Halfling near Arran.”
“It’s her.”
Aisling’s foot stopped mid-tap. Red eyes slid to the cottage before returning to him. “You’re sure?”
“Go see for yourself.”
She took him up on the offer. A few seconds later, Aisling returned. “Fek me. It is her. Did you see her necklace?”
“Aye.”
“She’s on Skye, wearing a Druid protection symbol. I don’t think there’s any denying that she’s a Druid.”
Cathal hid his grimace. “And a Halfling.”
“Bloody hell.”
He shrugged, trying to throw off his worry. “It isn’t the first time.”
“It is for a fekking Skye Druid.”
“It explains why she was spying on the Druids in Ireland, though.”
Aisling rolled her eyes dramatically. “Yeah. She was doing it for her people here. Shite. I honestly believed that the Halfling we searched for wouldn’t be here.”
“The Skye Druids are powerful. The fact that she’s also a Halfling makes her particularly interesting. I cannot imagine what kind of magic she has.”
Aisling blew out a breath and dropped her arms to her sides. “All right, big guy. How do you want to play this? You obviously have some kind of connection to this Halfling, so I’m going to let you take the lead. And do not assume I’m doing that because I’d rather be elsewhere.”
If there was one thing he’d learned about Aisling, it was that she was as tough as any male Fae he’d ever known. In most cases, tougher. Each Reaper had been through their own kind of Hell in their previous life. And while they didn’t share such things with each other, he had an inkling that Aisling’s story was particularly appalling.
But she was loyal to the Reapers. She also had more confidence than anyone he knew. Cathal suspected that it was just an act to hide her scars. They all bore them—both visible and invisible—and he assumed Aisling’s might be the worst out of all of the Reapers. The fact that she was stepping back had nothing to do with her being unable to make decisions, and everything to do with the fact that she recognized he was somehow attached to the Halfling.