Page 24

We got coffeeandpastries. It was deliciously decadent... and sorely needed. I’d only managed to eat a few bites of food in the hotel restaurant before being interrupted.

A pretty barista flirted with Conn at the counter before shooing us to find a table. We looked so much alike that no one ever thought we were a married couple. I always believed that was the reason Conn created his “brother” form when I suggested there would be times when he could not be at my side as an animal. His brotherly form was pleasing to strangers, especially the barista who giggled whenever he spoke.

“What form did ya have to use with Ma?” I asked once we’d taken our seats.

Conn sipped his coffee as he studied me. “I appeared like this at first and then had her choose a dog breed she liked. My only request was that she pick a smart breed.”

“I remember you stipulated no tiny poodles or toy-sized terriers,” I said, quoting what he once told me.

“That’s right. We went with a good-sized Irish Setter.”

“Nice. That’s a friendly breed and very sharp.”

Conn nodded. “Suffering hugs from strangers was the worst of it, but being her beloved pet was a pleasant way to spend those years. She fed me people food, and it was fine. For the plane ride back here, I insisted on being something small enough to fit under the seat in front of her, in case the plane crashed. Since she worries so much, I stayed close at her side unless she was asleep or in church or visiting her booty guy.”

My coffee went down wrong and I coughed until the shock faded. “Booty guy? Who’s that?

“Your father—rest his soul—has been gone for ages. Between worrying about Fiona and worrying about your incarceration, Bridget was a mess. I nudged Roy Finnegan after I caught him admiring her backside. Neither of them has marriage in mind, but they enjoy their bi-weekly distractions.”

I leaned on the table and covered my eyes with my hands. “There’s nothing wrong with it... truly. I just feel like I missed so much, that’s all.”

“Well, seven years is a long time to be isolated.”

I uncovered my eyes and nodded. “It was, and it shouldn’t have been over five. Fiona was a realist by the time she was fifteen. Staying in the cottage beyond her eighteenth birthday wasn’t necessary, but every time I got ready to leave, some voice inside said to stay. I was worried that I’d gone mad until Rasmus showed up with his deal. Through it, I found the high road to wipe away what happened and not leave a taint on my child.”

“Rasmus is the ponytail guy.”

Nodding, I accepted a refill from the barista who was giving Conn her sweetest smile.

Goddess forbid I ever go back to being that silly around a man. Once the rush of desire wore off, a woman had to deal with things she hadn’t noticed about the man sharing her bed. For example, the young barista did not know that she was flirting with an immortal creature from the Underdark. Luckily for her, Conn was always on his best behavior whenever he was with me. I adored him, but my familiar was a randy male, and currently still unattached..

He’d had a wife when Cermait, son of The Dagda, was his keeper. Despite him being bound into service, Conn’s wife lived alongside him because Celts appreciated a good love story more than they feared immortal beings.

He rarely talked about being immortal, but I think Conn secretly liked that I was interested in the stories of his past. I heard that his wife’s eventual death had been a blow to the entire family. Being of two separate species, they’d had no children, so Conn moved on through time alone after that. I became his guardian many, many, many generations later.

“Stop worrying about me and the barista, Aran. I’m not in need of a female today. You’re just projecting your own sexual desperation onto me. Do you regret leaving the ponytail guy behind? He seemed your type.”

Talking about Rasmus depressed me, but not for the reason Conn teased me about. I couldn’t believe he turned out to be such an arse, and it bothered me because I’d tried so hard to win him over. I could have manipulated him and made sure he favored me, but no, I’d been gut-wrenchingly honest. Even now, I still had no idea why Rasmus sided with Jack instead of me.

And I also hadn’t heard Conn’s stories about Jack yet. Sighing, I leaned back in my chair and pretended to have an interest I didn’t feel. If I never heard Jack’s name mentioned again, I would die a happier woman. My body ached with regret about ever choosing him. I would not make the same mistake with a man again.

I waved a hand at Conn. “Ya said ya followed Jack to see what he was doing. Tell me about that.”

“He spent a lot of time talking to the woman heading up the demon hunter council—Hilda something, I think. Her name seemed Germanic.”

That got my attention. Her almost pleased reaction to me severing my connection to Jack still puzzled me. It was more than a woman felt about a man she was merely sleeping with, which had me wondering how long they’d been sneaking behind my back.

“Were they fighting about me? She seemed happy when I divorced him. That was suspicious enough.”

“Jack was holding the woman’s hand and speaking softly to her. From what I saw, it looked like he was trying to reassure her about something, but that’s just a guess. I couldn’t get close enough to hear their actual conversation. The room was warded too heavily. I saw her patting her throat and chest as she talked.”

“She’s the one who had my necklace. Jack kept his promise to give it back to me, but I could tell she wasn’t happy at that turn of events.”

Conn’s eyebrow lifted. “What did she plan to do with it besides wear it with her witch costume? She’s not from a Celtic tribe.”

I shrugged because I didn’t know, either. “The necklace was the sticking issue for me. I can’t forgive Jack for stealing it.”

“Should I put it into storage?” Conn asked.