Deceiver's Bond: Book Two of A Clairvoyant's Complicated Life (40 page)

“You ran into those black tentacle things when you went outside, didn’t you?” I asked. “And then you came back … to warn us.”

“Yes.”

Definite anger there. I suspected masculine ego had reared its ugly head.

“I can’t imagine you were anything less than valiant. I’m glad you’re okay.” I laid my cheek on his shoulder. The stress of the attack and then the demon’s appearance followed by the relief of escape had left me exhausted. “How are you feeling?”

“Weak as a … helpless … newborn,” he growled. By way of demonstration, he struggled to lift his right arm, but got just six inches before I felt him shake with effort. Releasing his breath in a furious rush, he went limp. His arm dropped and landed on my thigh.

“Be grateful you’re alive,” I chided. “That poison could have killed you.” I brushed aside his hair to examine his neck.

He jerked his head away and almost tipped the both of us over. I struggled to keep us upright while he issued a spate of fierce whispers, “Staying behind … to coddle me almost … did the same … to you.” He labored to catch his breath before continuing, “You should have … escaped … when you had … the chance.”

“As
if
.” I restrained his head between my hands. “Look, I’m tired enough. Stay still and let me check you.”

“You will not … make that mistake … again,” he commanded, managing to increase the volume of his voice to near scolding levels.

“Right, because I’ll end up strangling you first.” I came close to flicking him on the ear. “The redness is almost gone. That’s something. I’m sure you’ll be back to your usual superior self in no time.” I none too gently thrust his head back against my collarbone, making it clear what I thought about his edict. “Halfway there already,” I muttered, briskly replacing my arms around his torso to keep him in place.

He uttered something in Silven.

“Yeah? And what does that mean?”

“You are an obstinate woman,” he grumbled, although his tone wasn’t harsh.

“Yes. I am,” I replied stoutly, keeping my voice low since his ear was so near to my lips. “Especially about what matters. I’d not have left my worst enemy to that thing.”

He grunted a reluctant sound of acknowledgment, then asked, “Is that … who you think I am … Lire? Your worst enemy?”

I drew in a long, slow breath and released it, finally allowing myself to relax. He still smelled of the Otherworld, even after he’d used my shampoo and body wash—much to my chagrin. It was a pleasing scent.

“No,” I replied.
You smell way too good to be my enemy.

Whoa.
Where had that come from? I firmed up my voice and added, “I don’t think so, anyway. If you were my enemy, you wouldn’t scold me so much.”

He chuckled, the sound little more than a soft rumble in his chest. It stirred my insides, and I had to fight the urge to snuggle against his body. Clearly, the stress of the demon’s attack had addled my brain. It made me feel closer to him than I had any right to feel. I knew this, told myself this, yet I couldn’t stop enjoying the feel of his hard body as he leaned against me, or the warmth of his legs against mine as I straddled his trim, muscular form.

I promptly released my embrace and, instead, leaned on my hands to keep us steadied.

Get a hold of yourself, Lire. This is a sidhe who has little use for humans.

But, even as I thought it, I knew it wasn’t true. Yes, he’d formed a prejudiced opinion based on his upbringing and never bothered to look past the few humans who’d unwittingly reinforced his views. He’d been guilty of stereotyping but now seemed to realize it. In so many words, he’d said I’d opened his eyes. Knowing me had shaken him. And his behavior didn’t seem to indicate he had little use for me. If that were true, he wouldn’t have told me to leave him behind, to save myself. He wouldn’t have wasted his breath ordering me not to ‘make that mistake again.’ And he sure wouldn’t care whether I thought he was my worst enemy or not.

I wanted to smack myself.
Idiot!
What did it matter? I shouldn’t be appreciating Kieran’s enticing attributes, period. I’d already been dumped by one sidhe. Okay,
part
sidhe. Even considering potential involvement with another was moronic. Dumb, dumb, dumb. And I wasn’t desperate. I wasn’t about to take up with the nearest hot guy I could touch without a skin-suit just because it was convenient.
Stupid hormones.

Kieran was here because of Maeve’s order and the need for more emissaries. Thinking otherwise would only open myself up to more heartbreak, and I’d had my fill of that, thank you.

If I’d been on Earth this would be easy. Step one: Walk away. Step two: Go home. Step three: Get on treadmill and run myself to exhaustion. But I was stuck here, and Kieran’s nearness, his warmth, was more than a little distracting. There was no denying that I found him attractive. If we’d been anywhere else, I’d have scooted away and put some serious distance between us before I did something stupid. With that in mind, I was tempted to use my power to put several inches between his back and my torso, but then I worried he’d figure out why.

As if aware of my warring thoughts, Kieran curled his right hand around the outside my thigh, keeping me close. It was an intimate, tender gesture and it electrified me. Thank God I was sitting behind him so he couldn’t see my astonishment and the flush heating my cheeks, not to mention the rest of my body. With his back up against me like this, he was sure to feel how warm I’d gotten. He had me so flustered, I was sweating.

Pathetic.

He offered smoothly, “If not your enemy, then mightn’t we be friends … if nothing more?” There was a hint of hesitation in his voice as he stressed the latter.

I tried to speak but seemed to have little breath for doing so. “I … uh …” I swallowed, but in spite of trying to compose myself, my voice dwindled to a hoarse whisper. “You want to be friends? With me?”

“This surprises you?” He didn’t chuckle but I could hear it nonetheless.

Trying to sound intelligent, if I could even manage such a thing in my befuddled state, I replied, “Yes, actually. Isn’t that frowned on? Sure, maybe with a half-blood, like the emissaries, but a friendship with a mere human?” I tried for flippant, but I’m pretty sure I ended up sounding insecure.

“I won’t deny there are those who look upon such a notion as absurd, but I no longer count myself among them. And I’ve come to realize, there is nothing
mere
about you, Lire.”

Uh …
I blinked, feeling dizzy.

I had no words.

Actually, that wasn’t true. I had lots of words. They were just too jumbled to make any sense. It only took a moment for one, in particular, to rise above the others amid my chaotic thoughts.

Rebound.

I hoped to do the smart thing for once. I kept my mouth firmly closed.

After almost a minute of silence and holding myself as still as possible, Kieran turned his head in an attempt to peer over his shoulder at me. “Nothing to say?”

“I think my brain’s taking a nap at the moment.”

He laughed, a deep musical rumble that made me shiver in all the wrong ways. Or right ones, depending.

“You sound like you’re feeling better,” I observed, anxious to get off this subject and his back away from my torso. His speech had definitely improved. He no longer labored between words and wasn’t whispering.

“Yes. The poison’s effects are on the wane. I can feel my toes again.”

“Can you sit up, do you think?”

“Perhaps, but it might be better if I lay on my back for a bit. I’m sorry for not suggesting it sooner. I must be heavy for you.”

You have no idea.
“Nah. I’ve been helping out with my TK. If you’d rather stay like this …”

“No.” He worked to sit forward, grunting with the effort. “I find I’m missing half of our conversation when I can’t see your face.”

Uh oh.

If this wasn’t a case of ‘careful what you wish for,’ I didn’t know what was. Before he could turn to look at me, I wiped what was undoubtedly a telling expression from my face and moved my left leg so he could lie down next to me. He struggled with the effort, but I didn’t want to hurt his pride by offering to help. I kept my magic readied to catch him in case his strength failed.

It didn’t.

Right arm folded into a triangle to support his head, Kieran gazed up at me from his side. I noticed the red marks on his neck had completely faded. I leaned back on my hands and crossed my ankles, looking at my toes and hoping to appear relaxed if not bored.

I pursued a safer topic. “When you’re feeling strong enough, we can decide whether it’s safe to slide back into the house. But I have no idea how long the demon might hang around, or if it even will. I guess it depends on whether it knows where we went.” Conscious of his scrutiny, I smoothed several loose strands of my hair behind my ear. “I wish I knew more about how this all works.” I pressed my lips together and glanced at our dizzying surroundings.

“As would I. How did you end up with this ability? You and Red have both spoken about your time in the Between. We call it Níláitidir. I have never been, but I know it isn’t a place one ventures freely.”

I bent my knees and wrapped my arms around them. “You know some of it already. I made a deal with Brian’s summoned demon. It took possession of my soul in exchange for closing its portal and leaving Vince, Red, and my friend Jack behind, unharmed. Our agreement was that I be taken directly to its domain, but the demon took me through the Between, first. I might not have known the difference, but the djinn had taken me through the Between a few days before when they showed me their world. Since I knew we weren’t in Hell, I realized it nullified our contract. I broke the covenant and then the demon left me stranded, to fend for myself, probably hoping I’d not figure out how to get back.”

“But clearly, you figured out how to return.” He grimaced as he bent his left leg.

“Yes,” I replied absently and eyed the blood stain on his pants.

I opened my purse and rummaged inside for my psi-free disinfecting wipes, mumbling an apology to Red. I didn’t dare let him wander around. The fear of getting separated was never far from my mind.

Packet in hand, I said to Kieran, “I forgot about your leg. Roll to your back. Lemme take a look.”

“That isn’t necessary,” he clipped out, his brows a flat, displeased line.

“Wrong answer. But if it will make you feel less coddled, you can clean it yourself. Makes no difference to me.” I extended the wipe to him.

After a moment to evaluate me, he rolled his eyes, something I’d not seen him do before, and snapped the package from my fingers.

I almost laughed but swallowed the urge, not wanting to provoke him. He glowered at me, probably because of the sly smile I couldn’t repress. Straining with the effort, he struggled to a sitting position.

I immediately felt guilty. “Are you sure I can’t—?”

“I’m not an invalid,” he growled, rolling up his pant leg.

“Thanks for the newsflash, Mr. Grumpy.” I caught one glimpse of his defined calf muscles and turned away.
Lord.
It was enough to make an elderly nun swoon, I swear. I bit my lip and hugged my bent knees.

After a moment, I risked a quick glance in his direction.  He stuffed the blood-stained wipe back into its foil packet and tucked it into his pocket.

“I have a Band-Aid if you need one,” I offered. I just couldn’t help myself.

“I don’t.” As if thinking better of his tone, he met my eyes and thanked me.

After restoring order to his pant leg, he laid back, stretching out his long legs and folding his hands behind his head, his shirt pulling taut across the lissome swell of his chest. I scolded myself for noticing and planted my chin on my knees, firmly averting my gaze.

If only he hadn’t deviated from the role of self-absorbed, egotistical bastard, my life would be infinitely less complicated.

A flash from all around cut my inner grumbling short. Although the perspective was distorted and the view oddly distant, it wasn’t hard to make out that Kim and Jackie’s kitchen had been engulfed from floor to ceiling in an explosion of bright-orange flames.

“Damn,” I muttered and then remembered the truck. “Oh!” I gasped. “Oh, no. The man in the truck.”

“What man?”

“I should have helped him. I should have tried to get him out. He was driving the truck that crashed into the living room. I knew he was in there, unconscious. I told myself a neighbor would come and help him, but that wouldn’t have been possible, not if the demon was there. And now he’s probably burning to death.” My voice cracked. I could do little more than clench my hands into useless fists.

Kieran rolled to his side to consider me. “In the battle against evil, it is inevitable that a great number of people will die. Friends, loved ones, and strangers alike. Even with your gifts, you cannot prevent them all. It is a fact you must accept. Don’t allow your tender heart to steer you from common sense. It is better to survive and fight another day than act recklessly trying to save one who has been fated to die.”

“And how am I to tell who is fated and who is not?” I ruthlessly swallowed my grief, gritting my teeth against any outward display, and averted my gaze. “I know you think I did wrong, but I couldn’t leave you. I don’t care what you say.”

After a moment, I heard him sigh. “There is no right or wrong in this. I believe you have a vital part to play in the coming war. Your life is precious and I’ll not have you risk it on my account. That is all.”

“Then I guess we have a stalemate because I feel the same way about you,” I snapped, only belatedly considering how that sounded.

“Indeed,” he replied before hardening his voice and adding, “Then I must ensure you have no further need to risk yourself in such a way.”

Was he planning to leave? Had he decided to go off with Kim and Jackie when we returned? I straightened to get a look at his face, curling my legs to the side. He’d risen to a sitting position. He regarded me with a determined expression, left arm draped over his upright knee.