She caught the kitten as it hit her chest. The feline bumped its head against her chin, purring as it kneaded its paws in her hair.
“You are very welcome. I know something frightened you to make you get that high in the tree.” She scratched the little cat behind the ears and carried it inside. As soon as itn spotted the bed, it leapt from her arms and dove into the pile of bedclothes, scampering across the mountains of pillows and blankets as though in search of prey.
“Now, come here, you little scamp.” She circled the bed as the feline wormed its way deeper under the blankets piled against the headboard. “What are you looking for? Are you just cold or something? If you’ll come here, I’ll take you to the kitchen and get you something to eat.”
The kitten peeped out from under the bedclothes, flipped its tail,and edged just out of her reach. It bounced its pink nose against the pillows, alternately sniffing and glancing up as it switched its tail.
“I know. I love the scent, too. But come here and we’ll go find you something to eat.” She clambered up on the side of the bed and reached for the little cat.
A knock on the door echoed through the chamber, causing the kitten to explode into a hissing fur ball. It shot off the bed, darted across the room, and disappeared out the balcony doors.
“It’s okay. Don’t be afraid!” Ignoring the louder rapping on her chamber doors, Hannah hurried back out to the balcony. “You’re just going to be stranded on that tree again! Come back here.”
The balcony was empty. The limbs of the tree were bare. The morning breeze whispered through the cat-free private garden. She leaned over the railing, searching the cobblestone yard. How could it just disappear?
A loud crash followed by a roared curse brought her attention back to her bedchamber. Taggart stood in the splintered doorway with his sword drawn, chest heaving, and eyes flashing with a murderous light. A tall, wispy man with thin, silver hair trailing down to his belted waist stood quietly by his side.
She crossed her arms in front of her skimpy nightgown and scooted for her robe draped across the end of the bed. After a glance at the strange man with the breakfast cart, she glared at Taggart, “Would you mind telling me what you think you’re doing? All you had to do was give me a few minutes, and I would’ve eventually answered the door.”
Taggart sheathed his sword with an irritated thump and scowled around the room. “Why in thehelldid ye not answer the door when Thaetus knocked and asked ye to allow him entry?”
As she yanked the belt of her robe tight, she envisioned wrapping it around the infuriating man’s neck. How dare he talk to her as if she were a child! “He only knocked twice, and I was busy. All he had to do was wait a minute. Since when do you break down a door when they don’t open it after a couple of knocks?”
“Actually, I knocked thrice.” Thaetus cleared his throat and foldedhis pale, narrow hands atop the brass handles of the cart. “And I called out to ye twice and asked if ye were unwell. When ye didna answer, I could only assume something had gone awry, and ye needed immediate help.”
“Thaetus, I didn’t hear you call out. If I had, I would’ve answered.” She crossed the room, struggling to keep her voice to a reasonable tone. Obviously, Thaetus was only trying to do his job, but the man needed to learn not to panic. “In the future, please give me more time to respond. After all, I am safe here in Taroc Na Mor. What could make its way in here?” She gave an impatient flick of her wrist in Taggart’s direction. “Especially with all of you lurking around every corner just itching to hack something with your swords.”
Thaetus lifted his nose higher. His bespectacled eyes narrowed as he gave a delicate sniff. “One can never be too careful, Lady Guardian. We must never let down our guard.”
She eyed the stone-faced servant. His stubbornness obviously mirrored Taggart’s hardheaded ways. She might as well save her breath. “Thaetus, I refuse to argue with you. But I really think you are overreacting.” They guarded her as if she was a national treasure. No attacks had happened since they left Jasper Mills. She felt safe at Taroc Na Mor.
“What kept ye, Hannah? Why did ye not answer Thaetus?” Taggart frowned at the twisted hinges dangling from the doorframe.
“I just told you I didn’t hear him. Besides, that is none of your business.” With a huff, she poured herself some coffee and curled up on the settee to return his fuming stare. She had to admit she rather enjoyed the results when he got irritated. And this was the second time he had made her more than a little breathless by rushing to defend her. When he brandished his sword, those wondrous muscles pulsed, and she knew he would slay anything foolish enough to get in his path. She cradled her cup in her hands and remembered the warmth of his essence when she had helped him heal Septamus. She shifted on the settee, drawing in a rapid breath. These chambers suddenly seemed very warm.
Thaetus’s eyes widened with a horrified look, and he nervouslypatted Taggart’s arm. “Ye need to leave this room and allow the Lady Guardian to compose herself. Ye have upset her, and ye know that isforbidden.”
A dark brow arched, Taggart studied her, then sidled a glance back at Thaetus’s bug-eyed expression. A roguish grin crept across his face as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Truly? Are ye absolutely certain, Thaetus?”
“Aye, Taggart. Ye know the rules. The Lady Guardian must beleft alone.” The servant plucked at Taggart’s arm with long, narrow fingers and jerked his head toward the door.
“Thaetus, I know we might’ve gotten off on the wrong foot, and please don’t take this the wrong way. But you are acting a little strange. Are you all right?” She slid her china cup onto the marble-slab table in front of the damask settee.
Taggart’s warm, rumbling chuckle bubbled up from the depths of his massive body and echoed off the walls of the high-ceilinged room. “I have to tell her, Thaetus. ’Twould not be fair to keep the lass in the dark. Ye have already given yourself away.”
Thaetus shook his head and backed against the wall, pulling the breakfast cart in front of him as though it were a shield. “She will not be pleased. Consider yerself warned, Taggart. And ye might want to step back here with me.”
Taggart rubbed his nose with the back of his hand as he gave a wink and a nod toward Thaetus. “The man is an Empath. Ye might say he’s verra sensitive to yer . . . um . . .needs.”
She looked from Taggart to Thaetus and then back to Taggart’s knowing grin. That rat. Thaetus had picked up on her starved arousal and alerted Taggart in code. The heat of this embarrassing revelation stormed its way through her. Her cheeks burned hotter than they had in high school when the zipper had split on her jeans during her speech in the middle of assembly.
“Get out.” She pointed at the door hanging off the hinges while refusing to look at them.
“It is all right. I understand how ye might be excited.”
“I said, get out! Now!”
Thaetus took the lead and hurried toward the door, dodging the coffee cup she lobbed at their heads. He only paused long enough to hiss at Taggart. “I advised ye she would not be pleased.”
