Page 25 of A Celtic Vow
“It has always meant good things to me,” he enlightened, hopeful.
“It has, hasn’t it?” Her eyes seemed a little lost when her gaze drifted to his face. “You’re happiest there?”
“Ta, I suppose you could say I am.”
“I’ll bet that means something,” Shannon said in passing. “Our location, King’s End, certainly meant something to Liam and me.” She smiled at his brother. “Everything, for that matter.”
“Then we will head to King's Fall soon,” Aodh assured Constance. But first, after she changed, he would show her around. Enjoy her company before he suspected things got strange again.
So he brought her to Bea, who paced inside, waiting for them to return to see she was warmed up and dressed for the day.
“Are ye well, lassie?” Bea wrapped a blanket around Constance’s shoulders. “Ye’re a sight for sore eyes, ye are!”
“I’m fine.” Concern flashed in Constance’s eyes when she glanced at her. “Please tell me everyone doesn’t know what I just did?”
“’Tis highly unlikely.” Bea ushered Constance into her chamber. “I’ve just an ear for wee dragons causing mischief, is all.”
Aodh narrowed his eyes as Bea winked at him and shut the door after Zeke slipped in. Did his aunt know about Constance? Had she seen her here when she was a child? He had never sensed she might possess such an ability.
Curious about something else as well, he stopped Ulrik in passing. “Now that I’ve embraced my dragon again, will the magic ye used on Constance and I still work?”
“’Tis hard to know,” Ulrik replied. “It may be weakened some now, but in turn, the more you’re around each other, the easier it should be to control your dragons’ appetites.” He gave Aodh a telling look. “Unless she goes into heat, that is. Then ‘twill be the battle of your life to stay away from her.”
While he knew better than to hope for such, he could admit to being intrigued by the idea. For how much better could she possibly smell? How much more could she possibly appeal to him?
Ulrik only chuckled and kept going, reiterating over his shoulder that Constance going into heat would be harder than Aodh could imagine.
“Not going to lie.” Shannon grinned at him as she and Liam passed as well. “I wouldn’t mind a few little dragon nieces and nephews if they’re half as cute as Constance was.”
If there was one thing Aodh had never, not for a moment, let himself entertain, it was having children. How could he when they might be like him? Cursed with a ruthless inner beast? Now he wondered.Wouldthat be so bad? Especially considering what he had felt coming from Constance’s dragon? And the kindness his own dragon had shown lately?
While a part of him felt an unusual surge of excitement at the thought, he tempered it and focused solely on Constance when they reunited a short time later in the great hall.
“You seem more comfortable today than you did yesterday,”he noted telepathically as they broke their fast with the others.“More at ease in my great hall.”
“Because I am.”She offered him a small smile that caught him off guard.“Since seeing myself as a little girl, everything feels more and more familiar. Even your people, strangely enough.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”Happy to see her appetite intact, he made sure she was served a variety of meats.“I want you to be comfortable here.”
Despite the same wariness he’d seen in her eyes earlier when he’d said he wanted her to stay, she thanked him. He wished she wouldn’t, though, because it felt too formal. As though she were merely a guest in his home when he suspected she was far more than that.
Or at least had been at one point in time.
Either way, he meant what he said despite how fast it seemed. Hedidwant her to stay. Wanted a chance to get to know her better. Be around her. That she might travel back to the twenty-first century after all this seemed wrong. Or, even worse, that she would somehow end up in Siobhán’s clutches.
“Where should we begin?” Constance wondered after they ate. “Inside or outside?” She cocked her head. “You said you wanted my opinion on how you could better help those in need, so maybe we should start there?”
So they did as they headed into the courtyard, and he continued introducing her to his people. All were charmed by her, from the stable hands to the smiths to those selling wares. His people were sturdy folk used to unpredictable weather, so none shied away from working in the biting wind or chatting whether the sun was out or it spit a mix of sleet and snow.
It was clear Constance was in her element with those used to working hard for a living. Not just that but people too old or unable to work because of one ailment or another. She thought nothing of stopping and talking with them. Asking that they be brought something warm to drink and eat.
He had always taken good care of his people, but it seemed she had an even softer touch and would see them treated more special. It didn’t matter their age or state of cleanliness. She sat and enjoyed their company. Where he could tell some of his people were wary of the cross around her neck, others believed in this one god of hers, so they conversed about it.
“I won’t talk about it if you don’t want me too,” she said softly as they made their way through the cottages. “I’m not here to spread the gospel and change your people’s beliefs.”
He noticed she didn’t remove her cross or at least tuck it beneath the top of her dress, though. While tempted to tell her she should or that he would rather she not speak so openly about her god, he had never been forceful with his people in that way. While he made it clear he would always worship the old gods, those he knew without question existed, he would not dissuade his tribe from following their hearts, and he told her as much.
“That’s kind of you.” She looked at him in a way he wished she would more often. “And unexpected, if I am being honest.”
