Eight

It was a statement of a lifetime, and my mouth fell open.

"But, you're immortal," I said, as if that would explain everything.

"We're dying, all vampires and we have been for a while. There are few of us left." Sadness briefly flitted across his face. "We're starving," he told me. "The nest I belong to is small, but one struggling to hold onto some form of dignity. Many of my kind have been reduced to senseless cannibals who would just as likely drain another vampire as a human. They have fallen to the madness of the dark."

This was big. Huge. I didn't know how to begin to respond. I decided to be polite but frank.

"Tomas, I'm sad for you, but I don't see how this could have lead to you to me."

"You know vampires used to be human."

"No, you used to be pussycats." I made a noise of frustration. "We don't have time for this."

He held a pale palm up. "You listen, or I won't help you."

Tomas had saved my life from the Lady Cleric. He had helped Breandan and me escape from the Temple at a risk to himself. Surely I could hear him out like I promised. I mashed my fisted hands into my side.

"Go on," I huffed, bad naturedly.

"We used to be human, but changed and became vampire. We are not infectious. I cannot turn you; I am what I am because of genetics. Just like shifters are born human then discover the ability to change form, we too are born human and change at some significant point in our lives."

"You mean, you're not dead?"

He did one of those fast and annoyed movements with his hand. "Yes. My human body died."

That explained a lot. "Oh, well, um sorry about that." It was an awkward moment for me, though Tomas seemed at ease. I talked over it, "But that does not explain why you're dying."

"What do we eat?"

"Blood."

"Yes. Where do we get blood?"

I tapped my foot and rolled my eyes. He was leading me somewhere and was opting for the prolonged and dramatic route instead of spitting it out. "You drink from humans."

"Where do the survivors of the humankind live?"

I stared at him like he was dumb. "Uh, behind the Wall-"

It hit me between the eyes like a flying brick. Vampirekind had lost their food source. During the Rupture the demons, vampires in particular, had all but made humans extinct. Now they were paying the price for the humans had locked themselves away from the rest of the world.

"You see," he said. "We are starving. Some humans are gifted in magics and become witches. There were some vampires who could touch the Source before they turned, and we have such a one in the nest I was born into, gifted with the Sight. She saw you in my future, though she never said anything about the blood we have shared. You are the key to my survival." He touched a cold hand to my lips. "Rae, you will save me."

Oh gods. I opened my mouth then closed it again. I forgot what he was and prodded him in the chest. "You didn't think to tell me this earlier?"

"I told you it was important."

"No," I hissed.

"You said yourself. I took a great risk diving through the Wall so I could meet you. I'd been trying for a month. I have fairies hunting me. I slept in a wardrobe. Of course what I have to tell you is important."

"Well yeah, but I figured you were going to spew some vampire crap about some bad vampire hurting lots of good vampires, and that maybe you wanted me to get the fairies to help. I didn't realize it would be something as huge as saving your life. The gods damn it, Tomas."

"What will you do now?"

"Figure out how to call a fairy to come fix Breandan."

"Good idea. He does not have much time left." He sounded positively happy at the idea. I glowered at him at he smiled. It was not a beautiful smile, but one of charm and my lip twitched. "Will you call to someone in particular?"

I thought about it. "I've only met one other fairy and he knew loads. Breandan trusts him. He'll have to do."

I closed my eyes. Time passed and nothing happened. I rubbed my temples and resisted the urge to hum.

Tomas sniffed the air. "No magic?"

I shifted on the spot then sat down. Folding my legs beneath me I closed my eyes again. "I haven't touched the Source yet. I wascentering myself."

Lie, lie, lie. I was trying to figure out what the hell to do next, because I had no clue what I was doing. After a few minutes I still had done nothing. I didn't want to call on the Source because I didn't know what to do with it, and I didn't want to make anything bad happen. There was no conscious fairy nearby to fix my mistakes. Urgh.

Tomas sat behind me and pulled me onto his lap. I stiffened and my eyes opened. He reclined against a tree, pulling me with him.

"You need to calm down," he said. I looked over at Breandan, who rested so still a few paces away. I could barely hear him breathe, and I was expected to be calm? Tomas placed both hands either side of my face. They were cold, and felt wonderful against my warm cheeks. He sighed. "Relax, and do what you need to do."

With no more time to lose, I closed my eyes and gasped as pure, blistering energy filled me the instant I reached to the Source. I was learning intense anger or fear helped to focus my mind. I drifted from my body, and sought out the memory I instinctively knew would help me find Conall. Suddenly he was there, aware of me and I locked onto the tenor of his mind like a homing beacon. I reached my hand to touch.

"Conall," I said and he whirled round. "Conall," I called louder. The energy felt like a thrashing rope, crackling and fighting my control. "I need you, can you feel where I am? Find me."

Exhausted, I sobbed and snapped back into my own mind. I slouched backward and the forest canopy swung into view. Tomas caught me and rested me on the leaf-strewn floor next to him.

"Did it work?" he asked close to my ear. "Keep your eyes open, Rae. Did it work?"

Sighing, I didn't have the energy to shrug. "I'm tired," I said.

"Rest then. I will watch over you."

I stared up at him. His face was already so dear to me. How could that be? He was not my kind; he wasn't' even human. Vampires were cold and deadly, and Tomas would have probably killed me if he had crossed my path in any other circumstance. What would I do when Breandan woke? Did I tell him about the kiss that set my heart on fire? Did I tell him the darkness that enveloped Tomas was now my darkness to? I sighed.

Maybe it would be best if I closed my eyes and never opened them again. Life was too complicated. I felt strongly for Breandan. When I was with him here was no one else. But it was the same with Tomas. Oh gods what was I going to do?

Then pain sliced through everything. Breandan was getting worse, much worse. Gulping air, I focused on the shiny space in front of me rather than how difficult it was to breathe. My heart pumped hard and tried to punch through my chest. I clutched at it and squeezed, hoping the pressure would help. It sped up. There was a distant keening in my ears. It tasted like someone had just shoved a fist full of metal into my mouth. Faint, but growing louder was sound of my heartbeat. My vision blinkered, and my heart slowed enough to feel comfortable. A cloying numbness seeped through my limbs, and the darkness hovering at the edge of my vision looked inviting, sweet. I turned to embrace it and float within its cool nothingness.

Someone dragged me backward, away from the painless dark to the murky surface of consciousness. I felt irritation. Who was taking me away from the peace of the dark? A low buzzing grew louder and louder, until I could distinguish words. My eyes flickered open. Tomas had my head clasped in his hands, and his eyes were focused on mine. His hands, clothes and skin were soaked in blood. Of course, only he would drag me back from bliss to painful reality.

"You are bleeding," he said. "But there is no wound. It seeps through your skin."

I was startled to see my top pushed up to expose my midriff. Blood gushed to the ground in a dark puddle beneath me. My blood, the source of the gushing blood was me. I went to speak, but the metallic taste of blood silenced me. Should there be so much in my mouth? Looking down the body I once saw as strong, I could barely move. In the low glow of the moonlight from above, my skin was pale. My tail limply flickered on the ground, and my wings were spread and crumpled, they fluttered uselessly at my sides. I doubted it was a good look for me.

"You're still hungry," I said practically.

Tomas's dark eyes bored into mine. "I am fine."

"You said you were hungry, and it's just going to waste. You need to be strong and quick in case Conall doesn't listen. Just don't bite me, okay."

After a few moments, I giggled. I was dying and there was a vampire licking blood of my stomach. Tomas stopped, and his blood smeared face peered at me with interest. The world blurred at the edges. My lungs forced me to suck in air in shallow pants, but they couldn't fill.

A faint buzzing drew my attention. "that is enough for me," Tomas said and leaned forward, slowly, to brush his mouth against mine. His tongue licked over my lips and they parted. He tasted salty, like blood.

I tried to smile, to show that I liked him kissing me, but it was lopsided and brief. "I'll b-bet you never had this in mind when you came t-to find me. So far, all I've done is g-get you into t-t-trouble." I shivered and felt goose bumps pop up all over me. Tomas frowned then shifted away, and started to rub my arms and legs. His hands moved so fast they blurred.

After a while, when I stopped shaking, he stopped and pulled me closer. He touched my ears and grinned, all toothy. "I find I want you to live, Rae. I want-"

A fierce roar brought my head swinging round to see a giant rushing forward, sword unsheathed and glinting in the moonlight. He weaved through the trees like a ghostly phantom, and was heading straight for us. Another phantom was close behind him, Conall. His own weapon was drawn and he leaped forward with a guttural cry when his eyes locked on Tomas. The world slowed to a torturous pace.

My throat was on fire but I breathed a faint, "No." Just in time before the pressure of my emotions heightening caused more pain, and my voice cut off.

Slamming to a stop, Conall's demeanor switched from death incarnate to wary so quickly, I wondered if I'd started hallucinating. My vampire-boy crouched in front of me and snarled so fiercely I was afraid to place my hand on him as I staggered up, and draped myself over him.

"Not him," I mumbled. "He helped me."

Tomas's hands were scrunched into claws, and his body was statue still with either fear or rage. He shuffled back and kept me with him. To get to Tomas, the fairy-man would have to either hurt me, or haul me out the way. His sword swung high. It looked like he was opting for decapitation.

Conall cried out, "Not her."

The giant halted to complete stillness, and his sword arm dropped. He breathed in deeply, and his face smoothed from a snarl into a composed mask of cool indifference. "Peace," he said, voice booming and clutched his sword at the ready.

The pointed ears and radiant features named the giant as a fairy-man. A magnificent mane of blonde of his hair rippled down to his bare shoulders and his face was hard and strong. Most arresting was that he had one blue eye and one green eye. He made a short, commanding noise at Conall, who bowed his head meekly. Then he headed straight for Breandan, and knelt down to touch his chest. His brow furrowed and he murmured something too quietly for me to hear. He stopped halfway and turned his head to fix his blue eye on me.

I shrank away from the steely glare, for some reason ashamed.

Tomas was tightly wound. Fangs fully extended, eyes glazed over black and nostrils flared. So large and dark were his eyes they made his skin paler, absorbing the moonlight to radiate outwards. It was peculiar to see an immortal react with such fear. If you didn't have a stake around the only other thing that could kill a vampire was fire. Or decapitation, but that worked on pretty much every being.

Swallowing the bitter taste at the back of my throat, I ignored nausea in the pit off my stomach. My eyes scanned Conall's face, looking for the kindly fairy I knew within this monstrous warrior. Incomprehension was followed by anger at his expression. His eyes flicked across Tomas with distaste, and in them I saw death. His searching eyes met mine and his face filled with pain.

"Conall," I said softly. My knees trembled. "You came. You heard me."

He sheathed his sword in one fluid motion and rushed to my side.

Tomas disentangled himself and stepped away from me. The darkness that surrounded him, and me, wobbled then retreated. Suddenly he was no longer so accessible to me. The familiarity was gone, but there was something still tying me to him, a poignant memory of the dark.

Conall narrowed his eyes to slits and looked at the space surrounding me. Could he see the darkness? Mouth pulled into a grim line he eased me onto the floor and tried to make me comfortable, gently moving my wings. I gritted my teeth at the sharp forks of pain that shot down my right pinion. My body was battered and I was not healing.

"What has happened here?" he asked and eyed Tomas with distaste.

"I wish I knew. I did something with magic and I can't say it was one of my brighter ideas. It hurts like hell."

He stared at me hard. Then he snorted. "You have shared your life with Breandan, but you are not strong enough to sustain it."

I had? I nodded weakly and my attention shifted to what the fairy-man was doing with my fairy-boy. He winced at the pole and gingerly avoided touching it.

"It is iron," he rumbled.

"Who are you?" I asked. When he did not answer, the corners of my mouth pulled down but with no time to go into the specifics of good manners, I turned to Conall, "We don't like iron?"

"It drains our strength and is poison to us. It burns." He paused and made a small waving gesture with his hand, as if brushing off an errant thought. "There are stories of iron-working fairies, but such a one is rare. I have never met one in my lifetime."

I remembered how weak I had felt when I touched it, how all my energy had drained away. Then I remembered the sizzling of flesh when Cleric Tu had cut Maeve's face. Iron drained our strength, and burned us when it touched an open wound. How quickly would we die if it was to be stabbed into us, and was there any other material that affected us so? I shuddered for the thought was hideous.

"I want you to be honest with me, I'm not too late? I mean, you can save Breandan?"

He nodded, hesitantly. "I will try, but I do not think you will like me for being able to soon." He smiled. "I did not teach you to call to another, you taught yourself?"

I grinned back at him, proud. "All I need was to be calm and focused."

My eyes darted to Tomas. I could not have done it without him.

The world blacked out, a scary thing to happen with your eyes wide open, blood pooling around you and your failing heartbeat thumping in your ears. A sweep of cold brought me to. Tomas's hand was leaving my forehead.

Conall smacked his hand away. Hissed. "Watch yourself," he said.

Tomas tried to touch me again with the same result. "Touch me again and you'll lose that hand, fairy," he growled and rolled onto his haunches.

I couldn't bear it if they started fighting. The importance of the moment held fast I opened my mouth. "Please stop."

All eyes snapped to my face.

The fairy-man stood, and lifted his chin at Conall, before glaring at me again. I took in the hard angles of his face, and the blue eye that held the warmth of a glacier, not that the green was anymore soothing. The proud set of his mouth, the shape of his jaw was so familiar I could reach out, close my eyes and map the dimensions.

"You should not be here," Conall said to Tomas and firmly pressed down on my chest wound. I barely felt the pressure of his hand.

The numbness was back, a light, seeping sensation that flowed steadily over me.

"I would rather face the sun then watch what is about to happen, but I cannot leave."

My mouth dried up. Sweat beaded my brow and ran down my temples. "What shouldn't he see?" I asked Conall in a small voice.

"Are you sure you wish for me to do this?" he asked the fairy-man, ignoring me.

He sniffed and crossed his arms across his bared chest. The muscles in his arms rippled. "You are better at healing than I. I want him whole so I can tear him apart myself."

Conall fell silent, the corner of his mouth curving up. Kneeling between Breandan and I, holding a hand over each our brows and chanted something rhythmic and urgent. The life in the forest was suspended. I sensed it was going to happen, that big pain that made you sick just to think of it. I was feeling everything Breandan felt. I'd bound my body to him and now I was dying alongside him. They were going to pull the iron pole out of Breandan and it was going to hurt. A lot. He was unconscious. I was not.

"Don't let them," I whispered.

Tomas could hear me, of course, but he was focused hard on the middle distance. I tried to yank on his arm but my fingers merely brushed his skin.

He looked down at me. His eyes burned against his stark white skin. "It'll only hurt for a little while," he said.

I stared at him. He was not going to help me.

"Take your hands off me. Let me go right now." I wiggled with renewed vigor fed by fear, and all I could do is kick the air. "Please don't hurt me anymore."

Tomas's heavy hands held my shoulders down.

The fairy-man gripped the iron pole. My stomach dropped and my heart leaped into my throat. I felt the blood drain from my head.

I screamed, "Don't!"

He cried out something harshly as he yanked the iron from Breandan's chest. My torso jerked violently. My eyes bulged and tried to escape their sockets. Stomach squeezing into nothing every muscle in my body clenched. My insides wrenched, and my heart just - stopped. Tomas held my thrashing body by the shoulders, pushing me down onto the damp, mossy floor. Conall spun round, took Breandan's head in both hands and roared. The sound was deep, vex and violent. Breandan's back contorted, arced off the floor. Writhing in agony a silent screech of pain deformed his expression. He convulsed then became languid.

Conall slumped, pressing his head on the ground.

The pain released me, and the absence of hurt was stark. I curled into a ball. Peering into Tomas's face, remarkably, my thoughts were clear and focused. I had survived the ordeal and it had felt like the end. What would have happened to Breandan?

"The next words coming out of your mouth need to be telling me he's okay," I said.

He glanced over her shoulder. There was a beat where he stilled and everything around me disintegrated but then, he breathed out and nodded. "He lives," he said and slid back.

I craned my neck to see around him, and for a moment all I could see was the broad back of the fairy-man, huddled over and blocking Breandan from my sight. Hissing in anger, I surged onto all fours. And then he shifted to the side, holding Breandan by the arm. He said something close to Breandan's ear, and my fairy-boy started, looked around wildly before our gazes locked.

I crawled forward, the effort sweetly painful. The closer I got the brighter his skin glowed. I sprung up, stumbled, and slid on a branch. Legs wobbling my tail twitched madly. The glow of Breandan's skin increased. He sat on his knees swaying; opening out his arms his face brimmed with emotion as I fell into them. The moment he clutched me I pressed my eyes closed at the brilliant light that blasted from our joined bodies, and the power that flowed through me was hot and eager. It flared, rubbing at my nature until I found myself digging my fingers into Breandan's back for fear it would sweep me away.

A startled yell echoed into the trees, and a flock of nesting birds took off into the sky. The energy drained, the light cut off and it was dark. I opened my eyes, and as my vision corrected itself I blinked to help it along.

My gaze travelled down to see someone sprawled on the floor. Tomas, whorls of sweet smelling smoke emanated rising from his body, was face up and motionless. I jerked from Breandan's grip and crawled toward him. Opening his eyes he groaned. I stopped, wary. Lightening patches on his ivory skin healed as he jumped up and wobbled unsteadily. He scowled, plainly troubled at his own lack of dexterity. He saw me, half reaching out to him and half holding back.

"I'll need to feed again," he said quietly.

My heart back flipped in my chest. I had a flash of memory, his fangs sinking into my flesh and shivered.

"Then do not let us keep you," said the fairy-man before I could answer.

Tomas's gaze twitched from mine, and he bowed his head in a show of respect. "The girl and I have personal business to attend to," he said with more than a hint of ownership in his voice. "I cannot leave."

The fairy-man returned the gesture though his mouth pressed into a thin line and a vein in his neck bulged. "Whatever debt she owes you for your help will be paid. You have my word, but you cannot come where we are to go."

I studied his face and wondered who he was. Clearly he was an oath-sworn rebel, to have come with Conall. He couldn't be older than his mid twenties in human years, making him ancient as a fairy. He felt dangerous, vicious. In comparison Conall's presence was timid.

"You know boy-vampire," he continued. "When a fairy speaks it can only speak the truth."

I blinked at that. I'd lied out of my ass a thousand times before.

"Yes, I know this. Just as I know Rae will do her best to return to me."

I felt my face flush and my heart thump too hard. He was standing up for me, and I liked that he had such a high opinion.

Breandan tipped my face to his and peered at me. I avoided his eyes.

"Let's go," he said. He released me and stood, slowly, nodding his head at Conall to say thank you. The fairies drifted a few paces away then waited for me.

Tomas and I stared at each other. We had been through so much together in so short a time. To be parted from him would hurt me, I was sure of it.

He saw my confusion. "Go with your kind," he said.

I stood, and rubbed my hands on my thighs. I avoided looking at him. "Where will you go?"

"Back to my nest."

"Uh, you'll be okay? I mean, you'll make it back there with no problems? I'd hate for anything toit's just I don't like the idea of " Gods, it was pathetic. Why could I not just spit it out?

He stepped closer. "You owe me," he said in a low voice.

"I'll see you again, and pay my debt. I promise." A bird screeched nearby and I looked to the east. I frowned, worried. The sky was getting much lighter. "You'll need to find a dark place."

He reached for my hand. "A safe place."

"Rae," Breandan called. "Come now."

Tomas stopped reaching for my hand, and instead leaned forward to whisper into my ear, "I'll find you."

He blended into the shadows and was gone. There was a peculiar feeling on my mouth. I pressed my hand to my lips and they were cold, plumping back up as if they had given under pressure.

When I turned round, Conall beckoned to me with a grin, and took off behind the fairy-man. Breandan waited for me then we ran too. My thoughts lingered on Tomas. Our goodbye had felt wrong. Incomplete.

Breandan ran for a long time without saying a word and that was fine by me. He kept sneaking looks my way. Opening then closing his mouth. Sighing. He said, "Will you explain why I feel a connection between you and the vampire?"

"No," I said simply. "It's separate, from us and not something I can discuss with you."

He didn't like that. He darted in front of me and pushed me back by the shoulder. It was not meant to hurt me, or knock me down, but in his anger he went to far. I tried to swing the force from falling to my advantage, and roll back up, but I was not nearly skilled enough. I hit the floor face first, and spat a leaf out of my mouth. Huh. Looked like we were going to have it out right there and then. I had wanted to give him some time, since he'd only just been brought back from the brink of death, but clearly he had something to get off his chest. Getting annoyed at his high-handedness would get me nowhere. We'd been here before too, him pulling and chucking me around like I was unbreakable.

I stood up and faced him. "What do you remember?" I asked shortly. "After the explosion what do you remember?"

He paused, eyes far away. A spasm rippled across his features as his eyes flicked to me. "There was pain in my stomach and my strength was gone. The pain was from iron." He shuddered. "I heard you call to me but I could not answer then there was darkness."

"That's it?"

"Then, there was more pain. Mine and yours." His eyes sparked anger. "You shared all you are to keep me alive. Do not do it again."

"No," I said and looked him in the eye. "I know my own mind, I can-"

"-take care of myself," he finished. He sighed and looked away, eyes becoming unfocused. His brows mashed together. I didn't like how it scrunched his eyes and smoothed out the furrows. "Conall healed me," he continued. "It was unpleasant. Then there was only you. You glowed like the sun." His face had taken on a look of awe.

I shook my head; worried he got it wrong. "Not me," I corrected. "You glowed, not me."

His eyes softened. "Trust me, your light is like no other. I woke to find you whole. Close to me."

He smiled and I blinked. His teeth were sharper than normal teeth, fang-like. Even shown in a smile they were scary. I ran my tongue around my mouth and corrected myself. Our teeth were fang-like.

"You want me to fill in the blanks?" He nodded. I thought about how best to break everything to him. "You want the good or the bad first?"

"I am aware the vampire has fed from you." His jaw was tight with distaste. "He attacked you?"

My anger had cooled down some, and I hesitated. I took my worry out on my bottom lip. "Tomas saved me," I said slowly, knowing his pride was going to swell and shatter the peace. "He saved you.

He stiffened. "No."

"You owe him your life."

"I owe that scavenger nothing."

"You're not thinking clearly. You're seeing things warped by jealousy."

"Jealousy." His face was incredulous. "I am not jealous of that-"

I put my hands over my ears. "Don't."

His body quaked with repressed anger as he struggled to contain his reaction. "You and I are bonded. Do you understand what that means?" Teeth clamped together his words sounded short and punchy.

"Yes, and I accept it."

"Then how could you do this?" He roared. "You hid the monster the we tried to protect you from, the monster that killed my sister."

Eyes wide, I shook my head. "No," I said and sucked in a breath. "Breandan, you can't blame him for something he had no part in."

"His scent was all over the forest. We found a pool of Maeve's blood and nothing else makes sense."

He needed to know the truth. If not he would hunt Tomas, and I couldn't have that.

"I never lied to you, but I never told you the truth," I said and swallowed hard. "I'm not good, y'know, and I never pretended to be. Maeve," I said, coming round to the point. "She's dead and I watched her die." The words tumbled into the empty air and hung heavy. Remnants of confusion drained from Breandan's face, leaving a mask of pure horror, and the expression was horrible to see. I cast my gaze down to the floor. "This morning, when you found me, I was running from the Clerics that killed her. I found them torturing her. She saw me, even in the dark and she told me to run." Evidence of my pain streamed down my cheeks and ran into my mouth. "It's my fault. They shot her, and it's my fault."

"No. My fault." He scrapped a hand over his face, eyes burning. "Maeve was there because I was obsessed with keeping you safe. She was too young for such a charge, to guard you, but she is so stubborn and persistent and I-"

His face crumpled, his body was racked with a sob.

"I'm sorry," I said and reached to touch him.

He flinched so hard it shocked me to still. Growling darkly, he backed away from me. The silence stretched on and on and on, and I thought I would drown in the hurt in his eyes

I scrubbed at my cheeks. "Please," I whispered. "Please, understand why I couldn't tell you. I was afraid. You were this strange demon and I was lost. You were showing me the way back to safety. If I told you what had happened you know you would have done something regrettable."

His fingers curled into claws and a wild look twisted his face. "You knew how I worried, and you knew she was my sister. You, said, nothing."

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, to explain but there were no words. What I had done was selfish and cruel. I was a coward. I reached out to him again and he knocked my hand away. He paced before striding up to me and clamping his hands down on my arms. He stared into my face and squeezed me until I thought my bones would break. Instinct took over. I pulled my lips back to bare my teeth as a hiss rumbled out of my throat. I held my ground until his face fell into some semblance of human again. Storm clouds rolled in Breandan's eyes and lighting flashed in mine, but then the desire to fight him drained. I was left empty. His eyes widened, realizing his grip was hurting me, and he dropped my arms as if contact with me would infect him.

"You break my heart," he said and clenched his fists, looking up at the dark tree canopy. He took a series of short, sharp breaths, and when he looked at me he was composed. "We don't have time to waste bickering. Let's go."

"I want to talk. To explain."

He turned away. "Must you fight me on everything?"

"Now you understand that Tomas had nothing to do with it. He helped me, carried you to safety. When I thought you were-" I couldn't say it. The memory was too horrible and cast a shadow over the joy of having him safe, with me. "I was a mess and I couldn't think straight. Don't you see we both would have died without him? He pulled me together."

"And before then, when you first met him? You knew I hunted him."

I shrugged helplessly. "I did the only thing I could. A vampire cornered me and told me he was not going to kill me, but wanted to talk. I was terrified, and he behaved so well before I knew it I was agreeing to hide him."

Apart from a tightening of the eyes he was calm. "There is more." It was a simple statement of fact. "He did not feed from you the first time you met. I would have known it."

My face pinched in preparation and my eyes welled with repressed worry. "You'll be mad."

His were impatient. "I need to know, to decide how to act." His finger tapped my chin up. "Tell me."

"He needs my help."

He held my eyes, disapproval stamped across his features. "This relationship you have with him, it cannot last. Our kinds do not mix."

"How did you know?"

He looked away and sighed. "It was obvious that he cared for you. Such a creature of darkness could not feel such a thing without it being returned." His face became blank and his eyes blazed. "I will kill him if he dares to touch you ever again." His eyes gentled. "Come, we can go now to the Grove. You wanted to go."

"Breandan"

He remained silent but his grip on my chin tightened.

My foolishness pricked like thorns. "Have you never done anything stupid for someone you-"

He chuckled. "What? Love?" With a snort, he released my chin to brush his fingers along my collarbone. His mood swings didn't surprise me anymore, so I smiled up at him tentatively. "You should know something. Devlin was right about you being part of the Tribe. In the eyes of fairy law, my claim on you does not have to be honored unless you swear fealty to my brother. Because our union is not lawful our bond is weak. What you feel for the vampire is the result of this. When our bond is sealed any feeling for him will be overwhelmed by your love for me." He grimaced. "Will you swear fealty to my brother? Was he kind to you?"

My mouth dropped as I remembered the proud face so familiar yet strange to me. If Breandan's raw energy and beauty were refined, and hardened the result would be Lochlann, Breandan's older brother and leader of the rebels had returned. And what did he come back to? His brother in company with a vampire and the silly fairy he'd bonded to practicing dangerous magic, after nearly destroying his rebellion. And I had wondered what his problem with me was.

Breandan shifted and looked apologetic. "He can be over protective at times."

The air in my throat caught. "He came back. I-I have to be honest, I didn't expect him to, did you?"

"Oh yes." He covered my hand, holding it to his face and a dark smile played on his lips. "He was not happy when he learned of our connection, but do not worry, he will accept us. I will make it so. We have the amulet of wisdom and that will please him, even if he does not show it."

I laid my hand over my pendant and grimaced. Breandan thought I was going to be handing it over. He thought wrong.

A rash excitement was lighting Breandan's eyes up. "Are you ready to begin your new life? I have so much to show you."

I sucked in a deep breath, my chest puffing out. "Don't you dare think because you're all gorgeous and perfect I'll start following you around and doing everything you say because I'm mated to you. I won't hide behind you like a love struck fool every time there's a fight. I want to learn magic, how other fairies fight and how to defend what's mine. And don't think I won't question you and Lochlann's logic because, I got news for you-"

His hand tugged my chin forward. "Stop talking."

I became still as he closed the distance between us. "Breandan," I said his name as his lips silenced mine.

He kissed me, slow and gentle. Then he was grabbing at my hips and biting my lip. When he pulled away my lids were cast to half-mast and my lips bruised.

"Oh," I said and whimpered as he smirked, tugged on my arm.

We ran again, and I could not stop smiling. Then when I stopped I was in the Grove and I positively beamed.

It was nothing special, the same trees of the forest and the same star speckled sky. I stepped forward and nearly walked into a side of roasted pig hung high from a tree. What made me smile was the fairy-children dressed in knee length tunics, swinging from hammocks, and slumbering peacefully. Snuggled into their mother's side. I peeked at a few and cooed at their rosy cheeks and soft crowns of hair. Many of the fairy-women were dressed in heavy fabrics, jeans, jumpers and thick plaid shirts. The popular hairstyle of choice seemed to be up in a sloppy bun. Well I'd fit right in. The men slept below on the floors under their women in coarse blankets. To the back there was a large tent. A fire crackled and popped outside it. The Grove looked like any other campsite, but the campers had pointed ears and glowed with an inner light.

The smile slid from my face as Conall stepped into my path.

"No," I said and stomped my foot. "No, because I just got here and I am tired and dirty and grumpy. So no."

His small smile was apologetic. "Lochlann wants to speak to you."

"Later," I gritted through my teeth. "I need some sleep and something to eat, if you wouldn't mind. Is there somewhere I could wash up?

"Lochlann wants to see you," he repeated.

I snorted and looked at Breandan for back up. My heart sunk. "We can't go sleep, can we?" He shook his head. "We have to go see your brother right now, don't we?" He nodded. I sighed and made a 'move it along' motion with my hands. "Lead the way, Conall. The sooner we get this done, the sooner I can sleep.