Page 9 of Evil Eyed
I would help Riann see that she was more than the girl she’d wished she could be. She was the woman who’d been strong enough to survive all the girl had endured.
And I would ensure she received all the love and affection that she had long been denied.
6
With Vivi and Hammer gone, the house descended into eerie silence. On one hand, the quiet was a good thing. It let me think about all the things I’d just learned about my childhood and possible heritage.
On the other hand, it let me think.
Everything felt off-balance, as if an angry god had kicked the axis of the globe and knocked the poles an inch or two out of alignment. I’d never fit in with anyone but Vivi my whole life, so finding out that I might be fae made at least a little sense, though I still couldn’t bring myself to believe it. Not completely.
To me, fae were beautiful creatures like Warwick and Queen Morgan. Wispy, delicate fairies of light with wings and flowing hair and robes.
Or worse, dark, nasty things like pookas and imps that fed on people.
I wasn’t either of those things. So what was I? Really?
I still didn’t fit in. I still didn’t belong.
A hard hand clamped on my nape and dragged me up against a granite wall. Aidan lowered his face, glaring down into my eyes. “You fucking belong everywhere. And if anyone dares say otherwise, I’ll have their fucking head.”
I rolled my eyes but didn’t pull away from him. “You can’t chop off everyone’s head.”
“Watch me.”
I tipped my head slightly, searching the harsh lines of his face. The deep grooves in his forehead from his perpetual scowl. The formidable lines of his grimly set jaws. The harsh slant of his mouth, lips hard and tight. “You don’t even like fae, so why do you care?”
“I care because it’s you,” he growled. “Besides, I never said I don’t like fae.”
Ivarr laughed, shaking his head. “Oh, sure now. Seems as though I remember you trying your best to separate the leprechaun’s head from his shoulders just days ago.”
“A minor disagreement,” Warwick replied, winking at me. “Nothing more.”
I looked from one man to another, trying not to blubber like a baby. They’d start cursing and swinging swords, determined to end whatever had upset me. But I wasn’t sad. Not exactly. Just… overwhelmed. By everything. But especially by how much I loved them.
I’d only known them for days, but it seemed like years. An eternity. I could barely remember life before Doran had barged into my dreams and started demanding that I find his prison. Though to be fair, my memory had been damaged for years by the changeling. Maybe all that trauma had made it too easy for me to fall head over heels for them. Or maybe I’d fallen in love with them in spite of that trauma because it was all meant to be. We were threads of the same tapestry, finally woven together as we were always supposed to be.
They just felt… right. Granted, I had a lot of holes in my memory, but they brought pieces of myself to life. It was more than treasurekeeper magic and Faerie gifts. It was Doran’s steady, unfailing support. Aidan’s formidable temper—turned on anyone who even thought of hurting me. Ivarr’s glowing warmth and gentle spirit. Keane’s passion, not just for sex but in beauty around us in the world. Warwick’s teasing and trickster personality that brought spontaneity and laughter.
They believed inme. In my gift of painting. My heart. My imagination. They didn’t make me feel foolish or less in any way. They certainly never hurt me. Yes, that was my trauma talking, but the idea that five men could be so overwhelmingly dedicated to my happiness and wellbeing after the unending hell of my marriage…
I swallowed hard, willing my eyes not to fill up with tears.
“What ails you, love?” Doran asked.
Giving him a wobbly smile, I shook my head. “Nothing. I’m just a bit shaken by everything I guess.”
“What you need is a fine homemade meal,” Keane declared. “We’ve been eating carryout and junk food for days. It’s time we sit down to a real feast. You had the kitchen stocked, right?”
“Aye,” Ivarr replied. “Delivered and ready for you to work your magic.”
“Perfect. Wash up, everyone. We have a feast to prepare.”
* * *
KEANE
As the Cauldron of Dagda,I ensured no one ever went away unsatisfied. While I’d prefer to showcase my gift in the bedroom, I was more commonly known for my bountiful feasts. The saying about gaining a man’s heart through his stomach? My cooking worked for men and women alike, and there was one woman I very much wanted to watch indulge.
