The Fae bowed his head to her as he went back to listening to Dorcha. But Fianna wasn’t fooled. He had been good enough to detect her, which meant he was skilled. The kind of skill that few possessed. The kind she trained every day to achieve. Someone of his talents would be a great addition to the security team. And when it came to her brother’s safety, she was willing to sacrifice just about anything.
But if she brought the Fae onto her team, she knew what would happen. As much as she loved Dorcha and wanted him to succeed, Fianna wouldn’t go down that path. She had been pulled back from it once already. It was a miracle she was even standing there today. She wasn’t about to test herself again.
Hopefully, the stranger would leave this meeting and not return for the second. If he did, she doubted he would come for the third. Though there was a chance that he would. And if that happened, and Dorcha allowed him into their organization, she would have to face things head-on. Until then, she would continue as if nothing had happened.
And keep everything to herself.
Fianna was glad that her father wasn’t here tonight. He always seemed to know when she battled the demons within. So many times, she had tried to lie to him. And every time, he had known. At least this once, she would be able to keep her secret. Dorcha and her father were the only two who knew what Fianna battled. It was a secret that would never be leaked because their family name had suffered enough, and her da wouldn’t let that happen again.
The fact that she could get control of herself before things got out of hand proved how far she had come. She would not succumb. No matter how often her father warned her that she wasn’t strong enough. She would prove him wrong. He and Dorcha were all Fianna had in the world, and she wouldn’t do anything to disappoint either of them. The simple fact that they continued to stand by her told her how much they loved her.
Fianna forced herself to look around the room. She prayed for something else to focus on, but the crowd was quiet and calm. At any other time, she would be happy with such an outcome. But right now, she needed a distraction from the turmoil within.
She believed that she had gotten past the old ways that had nearly taken her down a dark path forever—lost to her family and herself. It seemed so long ago. Like another lifetime, really. She had become complacent, content. And look what that had gotten her. She hated this…thing…inside her that tried to rule her. She did everything right, followed all the guidelines. Why had it chosen her?
More importantly, why couldn’t she vanquish it once and for all?
She swallowed past the lump of emotion in her throat as she grasped that she might never be free of such a burden—no matter how hard she trained, no matter how accomplished a warrior she was. It made her wonder why her father and Dorcha allowed her to remain with them. She knew that if anything got out about her affliction, it could—and would—ruin everything her father had been working towards all these thousands of years. He had lost so much, given up so much. He, above anyone else, deserved to achieve that which he desired most.
Just thinking of her father and how he had stood beside her gave Fianna the strength she needed to stand tall. He was the one she had leaned on during her lowest time. He was the one who’d made her face the demons, who told her that only the strongest of their line survived. He had never told her that he would disown her if she didn’t get herself straight, but he hadn’t needed to. It had been unspoken and had been what’d propelled Fianna to prove that she was worthy of his approval. Despite the tremendous uphill battle, Fianna had gotten herself together and had made her father proud.
And that day had altered her life irrevocably. It was what kept her motivated now, kept her focused.
“Thank you,” Dorcha said.
Her brother’s words pulled her from her thoughts, alerting her that the speech was finished. Fianna swallowed and nodded to her guards as the room erupted into applause and cheers. She was surprised to find even the handsome Fae clapping, albeit not as enthusiastically as some others. He didn’t look her way again, and she was thankful for that.
Dorcha smiled, nodding to those in attendance as the applause continued. He raised his hands for quiet. Once the room fell silent, he said, “I hope you liked what you heard tonight. If so, return tomorrow night for more. See you then!”
The minute the words were out of his mouth, Dorcha was off the stage. Fianna remained behind with the other guards to ensure that no one tried to follow her brother or linger in the hopes of getting another glimpse. She found herself searching the crowd for the handsome Fae, but he was gone. She let out a sigh of relief, even as she felt a slight pang in her heart.
But she would ignore that part. Because she’d escaped something that had the potential to destroy everything.
Chapter Two
It was one thing for Rordan to take on the task of spy. It was quite another to infiltrate a group of Fae who were hellbent on continuing the Others. The very thought made him want to hit something.
The Others had begun with a Druid from another realm, Moreann, who had sought to claim Earth as hers because her planet’s magic was dying. Moreann hadn’t cared that the Dragon Kings ruled this realm. She’d devised a plan that she believed would be the Kings’ downfall and would allow her and her people to rule on Earth.
As powerful as the Druid was, it wasn’t enough. Moreann enlisted the aid of the Light Queen, Usaeil. However, even the two of them together didn’t have sufficient magic to take down the Kings. In the end, it required the combined magic of two Druids from Moreann’s realm, two Druids from Earth, and both a Dark’s and Light’s Fae power to finally cause havoc for the Kings.
Rordan smiled. “But even that wasn’t enough.”
With the death of both Moreann and Usaeil, the Others had been defeated and disbanded. Or at least they should have been. It seemed the Druids and Fae on Earth had gotten a taste of power and what merging magic could get them. Now, both the Druids and the Fae were trying to organize their own groups of Others.
Which was why Rordan was currently in Keel. The small village on Achill Island on the west side of Ireland was scenic, but he would rather be reaping souls or searching for Xaneth. Yet it wasn’t his call. Death wanted someone to infiltrate this fledgling organization. Eoghan, the leader of Rordan’s group of Reapers, had chosen him for the task. Most everyone else in his group was still hunting for Xaneth.
Rordan shook his head. He wasn’t convinced that the royal Light Fae was still alive. They might have found where Usaeil, his aunt, had held him, but there hadn’t been a body. And knowing Usaeil as they all did, no doubt she had executed her nephew. The more Rordan thought about it, the more he thought it might be better for Xaneth if he had been killed. Because if the Fae was alive, there was no telling what Usaeil had done to mess with him.
But that wasn’t Rordan’s mission. He drew in a deep breath and stood on the white-sand beach and stared out over the waters of the Atlantic as the moon glinted off the surface, making the light shimmer in otherworldly radiance.
The night before, he had attended the first meeting under the guise of rebuilding the Fae into a unified species. The entire night had been filled with words about uniting the Light and Dark Fae, about returning to one great race as they had been initially. Not once had it been touted that it had anything to do with the Others. But then again, that would be too obvious. The ringleader of this group was cautious and diligent in who made it to the future gatherings. From what little Rordan and the Reapers had gleaned, the first two meetings were meant to see who wanted more. After that, it was by invitation only.