The Silent Goddess: The Otherworld Series Book 1 (6 page)

Annie returned to the garden to find Duncan squatting in front of her newly planted meadowsweet.  She couldn’t be sure but she thought she heard him whispering; to her plants.

“Are you talking to my flowers?”  The words escaped her mouth before her brain had time to filter them.  Mentally she kicked herself, not only for her words but for her tone.  It sounded as if she were accusing him of something evil.

He didn’t seem startled by her sudden appearance instead he inhaled deeply.  Annie watched as his broad shoulders rose higher with the breath, he held it for moment then exhaled slowly as he stood.  Annie sucked in her own breath as he did so.  A memory sparked to life; of a different time, a lake, a handsome boy so much younger than this one but with the same stormy blue eyes and careless dark hair.  Annie watched spellbound as the memory and the present flickered in her mind, both fighting for her attention.  Neither the boy from the past nor the man before her spoke; both were wearing identical looks, waiting, watching and hoping.  Once again Annie’s mouth spoke without consulting her brain.

“Who are you?”  She asked the boy from her memory. 

To the man in front of her, “Why do I think we’ve met somewhere else before?  It’s like I should know you.”

He took a step forward and the faint memory flickered once then was gone leaving only the present standing before her.  Annie shook her head blinking rapidly to clear her vision.  Absently she raised a glass to her mouth and began drinking.  Realizing she was being rude she offered him the other glass.  He accepted the offering.  It was then she realized he had not answered her and for some unknown reason she wanted an answer.

As if he had read her mind he began to speak. “I believe we met this morning remember?  My name is Duncan Norris,” he said taking another step closer.  He smelled clean, like freshly cut pine trees she noticed.  It had always been one of her favorite scents.  “And yes,” he said softly.  “I was talking to yer flowers.  I told you they remind me of home.”

“Of you
,” she heard whispered across her mind making her shiver.

“Oh my god Annie, why didn’t you tell me you had a brownie?” she heard a screeching voice from behind her.

Annie pivoted startled sloshing the contents of her wine glass on to her hand.  She licked the spilled contents of her drink off her hand while she glared at the owner of the voice that interrupted the most intense moment she had ever experienced.  The excited voice belonged to Robert her swarthy pirate-styled friend.  Robert was tall with skin the color of mocha and bright knowing amber colored eyes that always sparkled with mischief.  His moods could swing between morose and humorous with no more than a snap of his fingers.  He was a mercurial character at his best and according to the local witch community a young and powerful practitioner.  He was a student of everything, and although on the outside he resembled an 18
th
century New Orleans pirate, he had deep hidden Celtic roots stretching back to the Black Watch and Mary Queen of Scots.

Now he was jumping up and down in her yard interrupting a very intensely interesting conversation with a devastatingly handsome neighbor.  She would kill him later.  The feathers he wore stuffed in his hat bouncing happily above his head, mirroring his obvious excitement, drew some of her anger at him out of her, but only some of it. 

“I told you it was only a matter of time before your own magick woke up.  After all this is Salem,” he said gleefully.

“A Brownie?” Duncan asked.

Robert realized they weren’t alone and glared at the man standing behind her.  All his earlier glee melted off of him as a sarcastic face quickly took up residence in its place.  “Yes you know, little brown men who like to help around the house,” he explained as though he was talking to a small child. 

Enter Robert the sarcastic
, Annie thought rubbing her neck in embarrassment and soothing her aching whiplash.

Duncan replied, good naturedly, “I am well aware of what a Brownie is
Mo Caraid
,”

Annie glanced over her shoulder to see if his tone matched his face.  To her surprise he was grinning happily back at Robert.  His gray blue eyes flicked down to hers and he winked at her as if to say “I got this.”  Then stepped out from behind her and extended his hand to Robert.  He easily accepted the hand but instead of shaking hands each man grasped the others forearm.

“Well met, I am Duncan.”

“Robert.”

Annie was baffled.  Not just by the strange greeting, but usually she had to explain Robert to other people.  At times she swore he did not live here on this plane.  People either loved him or hated him instantly.  Luckily Robert was a natural charmer and more people loved him than hated him.

Duncan inquired, “Why a Brownie? Perhaps it was a Bean Tighe or other helpful household sprite?” 

Robert pondered the question and shrugged.  “It could be either I suppose.  Kat just said it was a Brownie.”

Duncan nodded his head in understanding.  Annie shook her own head in disbelief.  Leave it to her to be attracted to a man who had no problems believing in and openly discussing Faeries like one would discuss the weather. 

Did she just say that out loud?

             Her eyes darted to the two men happily discussing the differences between Bean Tighes and Brownies seemingly unaware that she was even still there.  She downed the rest of her wine grateful that her brain had refused to allow her mouth to talk about attraction and Duncan in the same sentence.  Yes. It was easy to admit to the deep dark corners of her mind, body and soul that was definitely attracted to this tall, dark, good looking stranger.  She could look and think about him all she wanted; she just couldn’t talk about it. 

That could lead to unwanted trouble
. 

Now that was a strange thought.  Why couldn’t she talk about it?  Well obviously not to Duncan that would just be too bold. Why not to Kat?

‘
Too dangerous
,’ whispered a tiny voice inside her head.

“Wine,” she said out loud.  Yes she needed more wine tonight was definitely taking a turn towards the strange.  Robert raised his hand, Duncan shook his head indicating his glass was near full.

Annie climbed the steps to her house and bumped into a human wall.  One arm snaked around her waist and was the only thing that kept her from falling down the stairs.  “Easy there love,” said the human wall.  “Where’s the fire?”  Annie tilted her head back and grinned up at the wall.

“Wine run Griff,” she explained.  Griffin was the rock of her friends.  He was quiet, always watching and very protective of his little circle of friends.  He wasn’t much taller than Annie but what he lacked in height he made up for in his presence.  Griffin always seemed to appear larger than he was.  Where Annie saw a kind teddy bear-like face others saw a frightening, intimidating glare.  His long wild hair was usually pulled back into a ponytail, that coupled with his all black attire and combat boots gave him the look of a renegade biker, well looks could be deceiving.  In truth Griffin was one of the sweetest guys she had ever met.

“I’ll get it,” he said dropping a brotherly kiss on top of her head.  Annie heard a growl behind her. She turned her head towards the sound and saw Duncan glowering at Griffin.  Her eyes flicked to Robert who shrugged and then back to Griffin who was staring back at Duncan.  “Kat said you should stay out here,” he said to her but continued to stare Duncan down.  Annie watched Griffin’s face carefully as his expression went from unreadable to surprise.  He cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow before turning his attention back to Annie.  “She also said to give you these and that she is starving,” he said handing her a plate piled with veggie patties.  “Robert if you want to drink that flowery swill you call wine bring it inside.”

Robert scurried past them on the steps and disappeared inside.  It was then that she realized Griffin still had on arm wrapped around her waist.

“Griffin,” Kat hollered from somewhere inside. “Get in here and help me out!”

“Coming,” he yelled back over his shoulder.  “You all good?” he asked Annie.

Annie nodded.  “Fill me up and all shall be well,” she said trading her wine glass for the plate of patties.  Griffin released her and turned to walk away then abruptly stopped, turned back and planted another quick kiss on Annie’s cheek.  Another low growl rumbled behind Annie and Griffin chuckled, his hazel green eyes shining with mischief in the setting sun.

“Yep, that’s what I thought,” he said as he too quickly disappeared inside leaving Annie alone again with Duncan.

Just when she thought the night couldn’t get any stranger Griffin had decided to act out of character.  Griffin was not an affectionate person by nature, protective yes, but usually from a distance never so up close and personal. What had gotten into her friends?  They were all acting strangely, well everyone except Kat. 

That was when it hit her, this was all Kat’s doing.

Kat was a perpetual match maker.  She took that aspect of her patron goddess very seriously and was forever trying to match up Robert and her to one male or another.  Ever since she and Griffin had become a couple she had spent all her free time focused on finding Robert and Annie partners.  Annie wondered what Kat would be spending on roses tomorrow as an offering for her patron goddess.

Annie glanced over at Duncan giving him an uneasy smile.  “So,” she said.  “That’s my little band of misfits.  Usually they behave a little better when I have company over.”

Duncan didn’t move and Annie laughed nervously as she busied herself with getting her grill ready.  She kept chatting away afraid her new neighbor would bolt, who wouldn’t?  Salem was known for its curious cast of characters from the drag queen of Salem to the homeless guy who loved to hand out strange pieces of junk to anyone who would accept them.  At times Salem was drowning in crazy, but it was what she loved most about her adopted town.  Annie kept up her idle chatter as she fought with her temperamental grill which usually refused to light; tonight was no different.  Never once did she look at Duncan, she wasn’t even sure he was still there.  Regardless she continued to talk.

“So Kat and Griffin have been together for about two months,” she explained as she gave up on the electronic ignition her grill used to possess.  She fished under the grill for the lighter she usually kept stashed there.  “Manual ignition it is then,” she said out loud in an attempt to keep an uncomfortable silence from forming.  “So anyways,” she said removing the grates and turning all the knobs on high.  “They’re kind of like momma and poppa in our little clan with Robert and I being like the brother and sister duo.”

Finally she dared to look over at Duncan who stood arms across his chest grinning at her.  “I like yer clan,” he said emphasizing the last word.  “They’re unusual aye, but verra protective.”

Annie let out a relieved breath.  “And just a little invasive,” she said to her open bedroom window which overlooked the garden.  She was rewarded by the sound of her friends scurrying away from the open window pushing each other as they tried to escape from their spy perch.

Duncan chuckled next to her.  He bent his head down close to her ear and kept his voice low so only she could hear his words.  “I have to admit to a spark of jealousy.  I didn’t expect to come all this way and have you taken from me
chuisle mo chroi
.”

Annie turned to face him.  He was inches away from her now.  All she had to do was lean forward slightly to touch him, to kiss him.  She was shocked that she wanted to do both so very badly.  She raised her gaze and found his eyes and was delighted with what she found waiting or her there.  His gaze drifted from her eyes to her mouth.  Annie felt her eyelids flutter and finally lower in anticipation of a kiss she was sure was soon to follow.  A light breeze drifted across her face, in the distance she heard a bird screech and then her nose was assaulted with the sulfuric smell of gas.

Gas!

Her eyes snapped open as she spun towards the grill remembering she had turned the gas on high.  She quickly turned all the knobs off.  She was breathing heavy, sucking putrid air in and out of her lungs.  Duncan had retreated a few steps away from her in the confusion; he too seemed to be struggling to breathe.  She heard him mutter what must have been a Gaelic curse judging by the way he raked his fingers through his hair.

“Sorry,” she mumbled.  She truly was sorry for ruining what she was sure would have been an amazing first kiss.