Chapter 14
Chapter fourteen
“The allure of shopping for baubles attracts so many people like magpies searching for something shiny. While I admit I love finding a new book, I quite detest the horde of people on market day.” – from the diary of Oren Byrne, age twenty.
The village center was as busy as it normally was on market day, even more so on account of the excellent weather we were having; it appeared extending the market days into three hadn’t affected the amount of people in the slightest. My brothers and Georgie took to the crowd with ease, navigating the waters with a skill I didn’t possess.
I often wondered—was my dislike of people was born from something innate or from the mere fact I’d lived a sheltered life until this point?
Lord Abnus remained by me, keeping my arm tightly tucked against him. Anytime people came too close to me, he drew me away and toward him. His purple eyes flickered over the crowd, and his jaw clenched when someone glanced in our direction.
I frowned.
When he yanked me, yet again, away from a laughing group of matrons, I asked, “Are you quite alright?”
“Why?”
I tried to articulate my suspicions into words and found them lodged in my throat.
Was he nervous about being with this many humans?
He didn’t interact with many humans, as far as I was aware.
Cethin quite hated crowds and people, but he seemed to detest anything that wasn’t Aidan, so he wasn’t a great measure. But Lord Abnus radiated discomfort.
Letting it go, I drew him closer until he was pressed against my side.
I would keep him from the largest swells of people.
A smile grew on my face from the thought of me protecting anyone.
Often, I was the one who was guarded, and I quite liked the idea of protecting someone else—especially Lord Abnus.
He was dear to me in a way I couldn’t explain.
When I spied a familiar vendor on the outskirts of the market, I directed Lord Abnus toward them.
“Good day to you, gentlemen,” Dris said with a flourished bow, doffing their cap.
Lord Abnus sided closer to me, our shoulders pressed against each other, and eyed the common light fae in a way that made me frown.
Did he know Dris? The thought sent an acute pain straight to my heart.
It was foolish. Lord Abnus was old; he knew many people.
Besides, I could hardly claim innocence either, and I wasn’t even close to his age.
“Good day, Dris,” I replied with a smile, burying every ounce of jealousy deep within me. “Allow me to introduce Lord Abnus of the Night Court.”
The light fae grinned. “I have heard of his lordship, but I haven’t had the pleasure.”
Lord Abnus inclined his head slightly, but a frosty chill of hostility came off him in waves. “You are not making fae deals, correct?”
Dris’s deep brown eyes widened. “No, my lord. Lord Byrne made it quite clear when I began trading that one bargain and I’d never set foot in Sídhetír again.”
“Lord Byrne and Prince Cethin have entrusted Mr. Byrne and his family’s safety to me while they’re away. I would hate to have to be forced into action.”
They pulled off their hat, wringing the plain brown thing between their calloused hands. “I’m not causing trouble. I’m following precisely what Lord Byrne ordered.”
When Lord Abnus didn’t respond, I squeezed his forearm, frowning. Dris had given no indication of even a hint of threat to warrant this attitude. Yes, they had been odd with Sevrin, but that was nothing, especially not enough for that implied threat.
Lord Abnus relaxed beneath my grip, and he gave me the slightest smile. When we turned back to the light fae, their eyes were wide. Dris lifted their hands. “I swear on the sunlight, I mean Mr. Oren Byrne no harm.”
“Keep it that way, and you shall not force my hand.”
Dris swallowed, their throat bobbing.
I tightened my hold on him. Why was he threatening Dris, who’d done nothing? “Enough, Lord Abnus,” I ordered in a whisper, blushing at my sheer audacity to tell him what to do, but he was pestering someone pointlessly.
He inclined his head, falling silent.
The light fae had practically lost all color, as they stared at me ashen-faced and trembling. Lord Abnus was powerful—he had to be because of his relation to the Night Court Queen—but this was the first time I’d witnessed another person’s fear at his mere presence.
Looking for some way to apologize without having to say the actual words and embarrassing us all, I glanced at Dris’s merchandise. Each piece of jewelry was carefully crafted in intricate strands of gold, silver, and bronze. Gems glittered in the afternoon sun.
I’d already bought two pieces from them, why not another?
“This one,” I said, lifting up a pin. It had a ruby in the center and black thorns all around it. “How much?”
Dris rattled off a price, and while it was expensive, I happily handed over the coin.
It would match the rings I’d already purchased.
Well, if I gathered my courage to gift Lord Abnus his.
Every time I saw my ring and the pin, they would no doubt hurt my tender feelings, but I wanted to remember my time with Lord Abnus, no matter how painful.
A hand clapped my back and made me jerk. Lord Abnus had me behind him so fast I couldn’t track the movement.
Georgie blinked. “Well, I’ll say.”
“You startled me,” Lord Abnus merely said.
“I would say so,” they replied.
I peeked over my shoulder at Dris, but they had ducked under their vendor table, hiding. That was odd, but Lord Abnus had scared them. Letting it go, I moved to Abnus’s side and slipped my arm within his.
We moved to join Nevan and Neil, who were looking at fobs, and once again, Lord Abnus tensed at every person who came near us—though that wasn’t strictly true.
When someone approached on his side, he barely reacted, but when someone came near me, he would draw me away.
Something warm and potent curled in my stomach from the thought.
I was probably wrong, my romantic heart running away from me yet again, but perhaps not. Sweet Lord, I hoped not.
Pulling him to a stop in a less crowded area, I asked, “Lord Abnus, are you trying to protect me from the crowd or are you nervous about the amount of humans surrounding you?”
“Humans do not bother me.”
I smiled, facing him. I went up on my toes to shorten the distance between our faces. “Then, my lord, are you attempting to protect me?”
Lord Abnus stared down at me with his glittering purple eyes. “I will allow nothing to happen to you while I am by your side.”
Unable to help it, I laughed, and he didn’t seem bothered in the slightest at me laughing at his expense. In fact, the slight quirk pulled on the left side of his mouth. He gently brushed my cheek before his hand fell to his side. Heat rushed to my face from the slight contact.
“What’s so humorous?”
“The people of Elmbury would never harm me.”
“Danger exists everywhere, Mr. Byrne, and you are far too important to risk.”
Flushing, I had no response, but I tucked my arm within his and led him through the market once again to find my wayward family.
I’d just spotted Nevan and Neil again, chatting with a man selling pistols, and Georgie, who was lifting one and staring down the sight, when a firm, familiar voice called, “Mr. Byrne.”
“Miss Quirke,” I said, turning around and subsequently pulling my arm from Lord Abnus’s hold.
She stared at me with her light blue eyes, and while her expression was friendly, I could see the annoyance sparking in her glaze.
I hoped that frustration was for my avoiding her, not my close proximity to Lord Abnus.
I moved to stand in front of her, my shoulders bowing inward, and doffed my hat. Lord Abnus followed in my steps, his hand brushing my back. I swallowed at the glancing touch and was unable to suppress the subsequent shiver.
“It is so pleasant to see you. It is a wonder to run into here.” She gave me a smile that had me cringing. Yes, she was upset. “I do hope I’m not bothering you.”
“Not at all.”
“I’m so very glad. We are practically engaged.” She chuckled, like it was a great joke between us, which it was—she no more loved me than I did her, or at least I assumed so. Sweet Lord, I hoped she didn’t want to marry me.
I coughed, and Lord Abnus moved even closer to me until he practically pressed against my side in a way that made awareness bolt south to my cock, making it twitch. I prayed with a vigor that I’d never possessed before. I could not—would not get aroused in the middle of the market.
“Lord Abnus of the Night Court, allow me to introduce you to Miss Kiera Quirke.”
He didn’t say anything, but I swear the air grew colder and sent a tremor through my body.
Her smile faltered at the harsh expression on his face. She glanced between us, then said, “Charmed, I’m sure.”
“While it was lovely to see you, Miss Quirke, I should depart.” I needed to make a quick escape. I truly didn’t want to hurt her, but I also didn’t want to get stuck marrying her. “My brothers and sibling-in-law are waiting for me.”
She laid a hand on my arm, her hold much stronger than her slight hand should be able to exert, and I felt Lord Abnus grip the back of my jacket as the temperature dropped even further.
He was jealous. Good God, he was jealous.
I wanted to dance or preferably plant my lips on his and see where the moment took us, hopefully somewhere private—like a hunting shed.
“I need to speak with you.” Miss Quirke peeked at Lord Abnus and blanched. “Alone.”
Nevan appeared out of nowhere and threw an arm around Lord Abnus’s shoulders. “We’ll keep your friend company.” Neil and Georgie were right behind him with identical smirks. Those fuckers. They all had apparently figured out what was going on.
“Thank you,” I said stiffly before offering my arm to Miss Quirke. She placed her fingers on my elbow, keeping tight hold of me so I couldn’t flee, and I led her further into Elmbury, away from my family but not so far they couldn’t see us.
“I have not met many fae, but he is quite… something,” she said, voice wavering.
“Yes,” I replied, but while her voice held reticence, mine held nothing but warmth. Lord Abnus was something, something amazing.
She tightened her hold on me, and I swore the temperature continued to drop until she pulled her hand away to rub them together for warmth.
I peeked over my shoulder, and Lord Abnus stared at me while Nevan chattered.
I swallowed, a shiver traveling down my spine from his intense look.
I wanted to cross the distance between us and never separate again.
Lord Abnus took a single step forward, but Georgie said something, stalling him.
“Should we discuss your blatant avoidance of me?” she asked.
“Kiera,” I started, then trailed off. I had avoided her; there was no other thing to call it.
“Oren,” she said, and my nose wrinkled. I far preferred when Lord Abnus called me by my given name. “We do need to talk about it.” She tucked a loose curl behind her ear, bending closer to me until very little space separated us. “And I’m not going to allow you to escape this time.”
“Kiera, you know I care about you, but you and I…” I was unable to say the words, flushing.
I wanted her to understand that we would never be more than friends, but how could I say that when she probably already knew it?
I would look a fool, though in good consciousness, I couldn’t allow her to hope when there was none.
But what if she did hope for us to get married? What if she was planning on it? Was she another person I was letting down? I bit my lip, shaking. I didn’t know what to say to her.
A giggle escaped her lips as she covered her mouth leaning even closer to me.
She was my exact height, letting me look into her clear blue eyes.
“I know you don’t wish to marry me. I was teasing earlier, though if our mothers have their way we shall end up walking down the aisle together.
I dearly hope not, though. Not that you aren’t pleasant to look at or a good friend, Oren, but I wish for more than friendship and an attractive partner. ”
“As do I,” I said. Keira had always been and would always be one of my closest friends. “I’m sorry I avoided you. I was scared.”
She hummed. “I guessed that.”
I smiled. “You know me too well.”
A returning smile bloomed on her face. “That you do.”
“Friends again?”
“We were always friends. That hasn’t changed.”
“Thank you,” I told her sincerely. I truly needed a stable thing in my life at this exact moment.
“But I wasn’t seeking you out for your blatant abandonment.”
I would’ve taken exception to her words, but her slight smile informed me that she was teasing. I asked, “What did you wish to speak to me about?”
“I’m friends with Mrs. Hillridge.”
My heart faltered in my chest. Mrs. Hillridge, her husband, daughter, and farmhands had been abducted by trolls in the autumn when the mantle was changing from Father to Aidan.
The trolls had cooked and eaten everyone in front of Mrs. Hillridge and her young daughter, Nancy.
Aidan had helped rescue them with Cethin, but my brother had been shaken by whatever he witnessed, refusing to speak of it.
To that day, I didn’t know what had happened in the cabin outside of the forest.
Kiera continued, “I’ve been encouraging her to move on as best she can this soon, let the land go to another who will work it, as she never wants to go back, and Lord Byrne is far too kind to take it from her yet. In order to put the matter behind her, she went back to the ruins and…”
“Yes?”
“She saw him.”
“Who?”
“John Hillridge, her dead husband.”