Page 78 of A Celtic Vow
When that happened, it set a new plan in motion.
Siobhán had just enough control of Constance’s dragon by that point to simply lure Constance back to her side, and they would go from there. Yet her plans were thwarted once again not only because of a Viking dragon stepping in but because Constance’s memories were, for the most part, wiped out once more by someone unseen. Even worse, Aodh and Shannon were able to snap the tether between Siobhán and Constance’s dragon.
Now the enemy had no choice but to let things play out between Constance and Aodh and pray her influence over Constance’s dragon had worked because she’d lost all connection with her.
To that end, Constance intended to play right into her hands.
It was a huge risk, but she would go to the enemy offering a lot. Enough to give Siobhán all the power. Power over Constance and her sisters. Moreover, enough power to destroy Constance right then and there.
Enough to make the dark druidess undefeatable.
The only thing Constance still couldn’t figure out in all this was why she had forgotten her connection with Siobhán across time? Not just that, why she and Aodh had forgotten everything in the first place? Because it happened right after she hid the blade at the base of their tree. Soon after she tapped into Siobhán’s magic.
Because truly, thatwaswhen everything should have gone horribly wrong, yet it hadn’t. Instead, that had been her last memory of this place. Her last memory of Aodh until she remembered in New Hampshire only to promptly forget again after her last nightmare before traveling back in time.
If either of them had removed their memories, their dragons would have realized it by now. But even then, despite her power, she didn’t think she could pull off a feat like that. So had Siobhán done it? Did she possess that kind of power? Doubtful.
Either way, she knew what she needed to do now.
Her only course of action.
And it was going to be heartbreaking. It would mean her end.
Yet it would also be the beginning of the future Ireland was always supposed to have.
So she put Aodh to sleep, kissed him one last time, made sure he was presentable, and left without looking back. Left before her heart got the better of her, and she told him everything. She knew his dragon would be angry when it woke him up because her dragon held him back, but there was no hope for it.
This was the only way.
She proceeded to bypass their siblings and warriors without them being the wiser. All but Ulrik, perhaps, because she swore his gaze followed her as she made her way through the encampment into enemy territory. Swore, she felt his dragon brush her mind, trying to sense what she was up to. If he did see her, though, he never said anything. Never alerted anyone.
And she couldn’t be more grateful.
As expected, the moment she was out of sight, Siobhán’s warriors melted out of the woodland and kept their weapons at the ready as she walked. Pretty pointless because she didn’t stick around long before she chanted herself onto the enemy's drawbridge. She took in the great, rather sinister castle before she continued on.
Knew right where her former druidess sister would be waiting for her.
Naturally, Siobhán’s appearance was relatively unchanged as she stood on a cliff overlooking the sea. She was every bit as beautiful as the druidess who had taught her so much. Who at one time she’d loved dearly. Who she would only pretend to love now and pray her talisman protected her. More so, that her inner dragon behaved when faced with a woman who had caused so much harm.Sleptwith its mate.
“Ye came, dear girl.” Siobhán’s eyes softened on her for a flicker of a moment before hardening. “Ye came despite hiding yerself from me once again.”
“I did not hide, mistress.” She sank to a knee and lowered her head. “It was no more me who separated us recently than it was years ago when I felt your power at the base of the tree. I had forgotten everything until I came back into my magic. When I realized I’d unknowingly done everything you asked of me, I came straight away. Where else would I be when I remembered what you meant to me despite everything that happened in our last life?”
“Happened?” There was no missing the sarcasm in Siobhán’s voice. “Ye mean drugging me so ye could run away? Drugging me so ye could be with yer monster?” Her voice grew tight. “Then, when we were bonding again so recently, ye vanished from my mind once more.” She tilted Constance’s chin until their eyes connected and then went on. “Whether ‘twas ye or not who managed to block me, I cannot be blamed for acting accordingly. For trying to help yer beautiful beast shed its human skin and rule beside me.” She shook her head. “Can ye blame me when I had no idea what yer true intentions were?”
She could only hope her dragon continued behaving at Siobhán’s reminder of what she'd done to Constance when she traveled back in time just days ago. What she attempted to do before Aodh and Shannon brought Constance back from the brink of death and returned her dragon to her body.
“Ican'tblame you,” she admitted. “I probably would have done the same.” She straightened her shoulders as though making it clear she was ready to stand strong. “Yet let us not forget everything I did to prove my loyalty. I lured Aodh to your side. Gave you all the power until—”
“Untilwhat?” Siobhán’s eyes blackened with anger. “Yer sister stole Aodh away from me, making it painfully clear ye only ever had limited control over him? That yer love was not as strong in this life as you thought it was?” Her eyes rounded. “Yet ye still did not kill him at King's Fall as my magic instructed ye to because I continue to smell his stink about.”
“No,” she confessed. “It was too risky.” She shook her head. “Had I done away with him then, my sisters wouldn't have trusted me. They wouldn't have touched my dagger.” She perked her brow. “The very thing we wanted them to do, right?”
“Ta.” Siobhán narrowed her eyes. “Though I suspect ye could have found a way to kill Aodh yet still gain their trust.” She snarled at Constance in disgust before her eyes softened ever-so-slightly. “Fortunately for ye, yer inner beast made it clear it wanted to come to me.Rulewith me.” Her anger lessened some, and she relented. “And now here ye are having done what ye swore ye would do.”
Her dragon had given Siobhán the impression it wanted to rule with her? So it appeared, and she couldn’t be more grateful. It seemed despite her distaste for her inner beast when she traveled back in time days ago, it had her back and had given Siobhán a false impression they could be trusted. But then she suspected it had the luxury of knowing its mate awaited her.
“My inner beast does want to be here,” she vowed. “As do I.”
