Chapter 18
Chapter
Eighteen
Aiden’s hand stretched out to open the front door to his home. He paused, and his fingertips rested against the cold, polished surface. The anticipation of seeing Riona almost overwhelmed him. The feelings he had for her were growing deeper than he’d thought was possible. It frightened him still, but she made him so happy it was worth the fear of uncertainty. And the longer they were together, the less uncertain he felt about their future. Riona wouldn’t hurt him. She wasn’t the kind to be cruel. She wouldn’t turn on him.
Riona had a goodness inside of her that Aiden admired and was fast growing to love. He was starting to love everything about her. She would probably be cuddled in one of the main room’s chairs with Ava reading a book or possibly pacing through the house strumming on her lute. She sang all the time now. Aiden loved the sound of her voice and encouraged her to sing.
Aiden listened to see if he could catch the strains of Riona’s voice through the door, but there was only silence. If he was lucky, she was asleep. He would enjoy waking her up. The thought of planting little kisses on her neck while husky moans sounded from her lips made him smile. Her sleepy green eyes would open and brighten at the sight of him. She would open her arms to him, and then the evening would be spent in bed.
The thought had him pushing the door open and hurrying inside—only to pause at the threshold of the door at the sight that greeted him. Riona wasn’t alone. Sitting in two chairs was a blonde human woman and a boy with a very powerful glamour. He recognized Meg immediately.
Riona’s eyes glittered dangerously as her gaze pinned him. Those green eyes were filled with accusation and anger. He glanced back at the two sitting together. Meg placed her hand on the boy’s thin shoulder.
“We have company,” Aiden said after the silence stretched out in the room for an uncomfortable period.
“We do,” Riona bit out. Her hands were clasped together so tightly that her knuckles were white. “Don’t you recognize Meg and her son Connal? They are under your protection. They live in Loch-Gaar.”
Aiden blanched at the way Riona’s voice dripped with accusation. She’d figured out what he’d chosen to do about Loch-Gaar. Something like regret started to trickle in. No regrets. He’d made his decision for a reason. Her.
“Ah, yes. Loch-Gaar. The village filled with humans who abused you and treated you like an abomination because you happened to be a half-Fae. The same village that didn’t care a whit what I did to you when I took you away. That village?” His tone was not kind, but he didn’t care.
Aiden sat down in a chair across from Riona. He met her cold stare defiantly. She could be angry at him. They didn’t deserve his kindness after what they had done to her. The years of suffering and abuse by the villagers to the point that she believed she was deeply flawed and undeserving of minimal kindness. He didn’t care how mad she was. He would be damned if he was going to remove the blight after what they’d done to her. They called the Unseelie monsters, but they were the monsters. They may not have left physical scars on Riona, but the mental scars would take much longer to heal than anything physical.
“Yes, the village and the people I call my home. The village I sacrificed everything to save.”
Aiden snorted and took in Riona’s sleek appearance. “You don’t seem to have suffered too badly from your choices.”
Riona slapped her hand on the arm of the chair, and everyone in the room flinched at the loud noise. “That’s not the point, Aiden! I didn’t know what I was getting into, but I still willingly agreed to your bargain for them with the understanding that my decision would save them. You didn’t keep your promise. That is my home. You’ve hurt my people. Look at Meg and Connal. Look at them!” Riona stood up and started pacing the room. She ran a hand through her hair and scowled at Aiden. “They didn’t deserve this!”
Both mother and child’s cheeks were painfully sunken hollows. Their clothes were dirty, and Aiden couldn’t look at the boy for too long, his arms were distressingly bony.
“I’ll help them,” Aiden said softly, cursing himself for not making arrangements for Meg and her child. If Grimkel found out...
“You’ll help all the people of Loch-Gaar. You promised.” Riona stabbed her finger into his chest for emphasis.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.”
“I only agreed to consider saving them. You never struck a bargain with me. You only promised me unlimited songs.”
“You implied that you would remove the blight.”
“An implication is not a promise.” He hated how his words washed her anger away and hurt and betrayal entered her expression.
Riona whirled on her heel and walked away from him. There was a hunch to her shoulders—as if a huge weight had been placed on them. Aiden cursed internally. He caused this. He wanted to fall to his knees and say whatever it took to make her smile at him the way she had before he’d left this morning. But he stopped himself. His eyes traveled to her balled fists. She was shaking with emotion.
Aiden’s eyes settled on the pair, silently watching their interaction with wide eyes. The boy’s glamour bothered him. He’d ignored it during their last meeting, but this time he moved closer to the two and bent down. The child met his gaze without fear. He was willing to bet if he removed the glamour, the boy would have red eyes just like his father.
“Why are you cloaked in glamour?” Aiden asked, using his magic to tug slightly on the glamor spell. He already knew the answers to the questions, but he asked anyway.
The boy didn’t answer. He stared defiantly at Aiden. His mother tried to pull him towards her, but he stepped in front of her protectively. He reached out and touched the glamour surrounding the child, and it began to glow at his touch.
“No!” Riona cried out. She rushed at him and grabbed his arm. He let go of the glamour, and Riona let go of him like his touch offended her.
“I wasn’t going to hurt him.”
Aiden’s eyes raked over the pair. Behind the child, Meg stood tall and straight. She was not afraid of him. A blade slid out of her sleeve and slipped into her hand. Her feet were braced as if any minute she would spring to attack him if necessary. She’d changed over time, but she was still recognizable. He remembered her well and had no desire to tangle with her.
“Meg, it has been a long time, hasn’t it?”
“Aiden,” Meg replied by way of greeting. She deepened her stance, and a challenging glint came into her eyes.
“I’m not going to hurt you. You know that,” Aiden said. “I’m going to get you out of my home and take you to wherever you want to go as quickly as possible and forget you were ever here. You should know that I have just as much to lose if I tell Grimkel where you are as you do since I was the one who helped you escape in the first place.”
Meg’s shoulders slumped, and she exhaled.
“What is going on?” Riona asked. Her eyes were filled with confusion and hurt.
“Well, are you going to tell her, or shall I?” Aiden shot Meg a look.
Meg stepped out from behind Connal and placed her hands on Riona’s shoulders. “A very long time ago, I ran away from the Unseelie Court for reasons I won’t get into, and I went into hiding among the humans for my safety and Connal’s.”
“Is this Grimkel the reason you went into hiding? If he finds you, will he hurt you?” Riona’s eyes were wide with concern.
“No. I don’t think Grimkel would hurt me.” Meg’s voice sounded unsure, and Aiden didn’t blame her. Who knew what Grim would do if he found Meg? The Red Cap had become a completely different person after his lover disappeared. Meg continued, “I lived among the Unseelie for a long time, and Grim is the father of my child.”
Riona sat back down in the chair she’d previously vacated and blinked. Meg followed her and perched on the chair arm. She patted her friend’s shoulder.
“I know it’s a lot to take in, but that’s my story. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I just didn’t want to burden you.”
Riona reached up and squeezed Meg’s hand. “It’s okay. I understand, but I want to help you in any way I can. Both of you.” Connal tucked himself on Riona’s other side and hugged her. She smiled at his affection. Her eyes traveled over to Aiden, and the softness disappeared, replaced with anger again. Aiden wanted to howl in sadness.
“We need to find a safe place to go. One where we have a chance at survival and Grim cannot find us.” Meg said. Her eyes met Aiden’s over Riona’s head.
Aiden thought for a moment and then spoke. “Bloody Bones is currently the patron of Ciar. With your battle training, you would fit right in. They would welcome you without questions. They need people on the front line.”
“Battle training?” Riona asked.
“Mother used to be a warrior!” Connal said proudly.
“I was a part of Siobhan’s honor guard,” Meg said with a shrug as if it wasn’t anything of importance. Aiden wanted to laugh at how the woman downplayed her almost legendary skills, but he kept his mouth shut. Riona nodded but didn’t say anything. Aiden thought that she needed a moment to process the surprising information she’d been given, so he started to discuss the travel details with Meg about Ciar.
“I’ll go with you,” Riona said, suddenly interrupting them.
“No, you will not,” Aiden shot back. He wasn’t about to let her leave him. Especially not moving to a city that served as the last defense against the north. It was a dangerous place. Meg and Connal would be fine. They would both thrive. Meg loved a good fight. She always had. Just like Grim. Their son was probably already feeling the pull for battle if he had inherited any of his father’s Red Cap traits. But his sweet Riona wouldn’t last a day. She couldn’t sway the draugr with song. They would cut her to pieces.
Riona opened her mouth to argue. Aiden prepared himself for the argument, but Meg placed a hand on her shoulder to catch her attention. “I would feel better if you stayed here. Ciar is not safe for someone like you.”
“But...”
“War is second nature to me. Ciar will be like home to me, but you? It would break you, Riona. Stay here for me. I want you to live a life where you never have to look over your shoulder. I know you’re mad at him, but what you and Aiden have is something I could only dream of,” Meg said softly.
A tear trickled down Riona’s cheek, and Aiden had to look away. He wanted to comfort her so badly. He wasn’t a fool, though. She was angry at him and had a right to be.
“I’ll send a message to Bones about you and your son. He’ll probably respond by morning,” Aiden said, needing a distraction from Riona’s tears. “Let’s discuss our preparations further.” He jerked his chin in the direction of the library. Meg’s eyes lit with understanding. The last thing he wanted to do was leave things unfinished between him and Riona, but he had to get Meg to Ciar as soon as possible.
If Grimkel found out Aiden was harboring Meg in secrecy, he would tear Aiden apart very slowly and painfully. He didn’t care if Grim hurt him, but he didn’t want Riona to get caught up in this mess. The sooner Meg was gone, the better.
“Riona, would you entertain Connal while Aiden and I make plans? I saw your lute in the kitchen. Maybe you can sing to him?”
Riona nodded without a word of argument and took Connal by the hand. They disappeared into the kitchen. Aiden watched them go. The look of distrust Riona sent him as she left hit him like a blow.
“You’re going to have a battle on your hands,” Meg said once they started down the hallway out of earshot.
“I just hope I win the war.”