Kade nodded. “The first thing Haddi did when we arrived, was to motion for us to sit down in front of a small fire that was beginning to die in a pit in the center of the room. Do you remember, Con?”
“Aye,” Connall said. “I remember the flames were bright blue.”
“Haddi seemed to be purposefully letting the fire die down. It was as if he had been preparing the fire for some time before we arrived.”
He continued with an expression of distance. Like he was reliving the moment. “We sat in silence while the last of the dying embers turned to ash and I was fascinated by how still Haddi was… I’d never seen anyone sit so still. Once the fire was reduced to ashes, he told a story of our ancestors and those that had the öðlast sjón before him. He spread the ashes on the floor and began sifting through them at an almost frantic pace, pausing momentarily every once and a while, then diligently going back to his work. After a few moments of this, he stopped and looked directly at me. He took both of my hands in his, covering them in ashes. As he darkened my hands, time itself seemed to freeze, and I was bathed in a warm, golden glow. It was a feeling of peace that I’d never experienced before or since. It was as if I knew that my life had a purpose. The last time I felt that way was when I bound Samantha… until I met Andi.”
“When did you meet Haddi?” I asked, but I suddenly wanted to drag the question back into my mouth.
“I believe it was around 1420.”
“Please tell me that’s military time.”
“Fifteenth century,” Isla whispered.
“This ancient history stuff is messing with my brain. Not to mention the thought of living for god knows how long.”
“You will live for potentially hundreds, maybe even thousands of years,” Kade said, matter of factly.
“What the hell is a Kalt Einn?” I demanded. “Or a Cauld Ane, for that matter. Are we like vampires or zombies or something?”
“The Kalt Einn are an ancient race of people who have existed alongside mankind since the beginning of time. We walk among humans but are not ourselves human. The original Kalt Einn stayed in Iceland, believing it to be the only safe place for their people. But in 1420, some of the Kalt Einn immigrated to Scotland, where they would come to be known by the local people as the Cauld Ane.”
“Iceland?” I asked, my mind flooding with images.
“Aye,” she said.
“I lived moments of that night when I touched that sword,” I said, pointing to the display.
“Aye,” Kade confirmed.
“What about this whole mating thing?” I asked. “Don’t I have some sort of say in all this?”
“Perhaps we should let these two speak privately on that subject,” Kade said.
“Aye,” Connall said. “And I’ll find a bottle of good whisky.”
“Good idea,” Isla’s mother said. “We’ll raise a toast to the occasion.”
“Find your own bottle, woman. I’m going to get drunk. My daughter is to be bound to a tattooed American who’s as blank as a bloody check.”
* * *
Isla
I closed the door, shutting my family out of the room, and turned to Arric.
“Is there alcohol in here?” Arric asked, his voice almost begging.
I shook my head. “I can ring for some, if you need me to.”
“No, I think I’ll survive.” He crossed his arms and studied me.
“When do you turn twenty-five?” I blurted, needing to fill the silence.
“How do you know how old I am?”
“I don’t. Only that you’re not twenty-five yet.”
