“Twelve-thirty.”
Arthur gulped down the rest of his mead and slammed the earthenware goblet down on the table. “In that case, we’ll give you the tour of your new home. As you would have seen when you came up the drive, the castle is pretty big. We only live in this one wing, around the original Norman keep. Most of the east wing – that’s the late medieval and Tudor wing – is reserved forthe English Heritage tours, and some of the third floor rooms are empty.”
It sounded completely overwhelming. “Lead the way.”
The guys all stood, downing their glasses. I raised mine to my lips and gulped back the rest of the sweet mead. Warmth spread through my stomach as the alcohol entered my system, and another tiny bit of pressure fell away from my chest.
I followed the four guys out of the hall, admiring their asses as they jostled each other to be first through the next door. If nothing else, they were a great distraction – exactly what I needed to feel at least somewhat normal.
A shiver of anticipation shuddered through me. I couldn’t wait to see the rest of the house.
CHAPTER EIGHT
CORBIN
The day we’d waited for had finally come:
Maeve Moore washome.
Briarwood recognized her presence – the entire castle buzzed with energy, a charged atmosphere that was perfect for working magic. Or perhaps it was just all our pent-up tension unleashing itself.
Being in the same room as Maeve lit my body up like a bloody Christmas tree, and I could tell from the way the others moved and talked that they were the same. Even Flynn’s flamboyant personality was subdued today.
Maeve Moore; our queen, our goddess, ourpriestess. After everything the fae had done to try and destroy her, she was finally back where she belonged.
With us.
Of course, she had no idea who she was or what she was capable of, but we’d get to that. For now, simply having her here was enough to enhance Briarwood’s protections.
We exited the Great Hall and crowded into the narrow passage leading down to the old servant’s quarters and kitchens. Flynn grabbed Maeve’s arm and dragged her toward his workshop, which was outside in one of the Tudor barns. I washappy for him to lead the tour for now, mostly because I didn’t want Maeve to see the tent in my jeans.
When I’d seen Maeve at the fairground in Arizona, that had been the first time I’d laid eyes on her since I’d gone to visit my dad on one of his surveillance missions when I was twelve. I had no idea what to expect, but I sure as fuck didn’t count on the knock-out beauty standing her ground against Kalen.
Every time she moved, her curves swayed like some kind of hypnotic dance. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. It took a burning Ferris wheel toppling to the ground to break the spell between us and my protective instincts to kick in.
As soon as I touched her to drag her to safety and felt her power leaping through her skin into my own, I was gone forever.
I was hers.
But even if she chose me – which I felt certain she would – and our combined powers strengthened the coven, Maeve could never be mine. No matter how desperately my body demanded her.
Not after what I’d done.
And now Maeve was here, at Briarwood. We all knew what that meant. Well, everyone except Maeve. But she’d figure it out soon enough, when her own hormones went into overdrive and she discovered the power she possessed.
Flynn and Arthur wanted to hit her with the news today, as soon as she walked in the door. They always did favor the baptism by fire approach.
But I overruled them. Until Maeve’s initiation ceremony, until she chose one of us as hermagister, I was officially our leader. Maeve was still mourning the loss of her parents. We could gift her a few days, maybe weeks, to reclaim herself and discover things on her own.
I hated lying to her, but it was necessary. After all the years of listening to my parents talk about nothing but her, and ofarranging her surveillance and listening to the guys tell me stories about her – Iknewher. Maeve had a scientist’s mind – she wanted logical explanations, well-constructed arguments, everything neatly ordered and organized. What we had to tell her was going to sound like a bunch of New Age bollocks, and if she didn’t already sense her connection to the castle and to us when she found out the truth – if she wasn’t already aware of what was at stake – she’d run as fast as her curvy legs would carry her back to Arizona, and we’d be completely fucked.
Stop thinking about it.I forced myself back to the present.Just enjoy this time with Maeve while you still have it.
We followed Flynn down a short path to the barn that had once served as the stables when the castle had been a stately home. Maeve’s eyes widened as she took in the high pitched roof and the piles of rubbish stacked in every corner. Flynn called it his Viking horde, but it was – as Maeve would say – trash. Coils of rusty wire, old stained-glass windows with smashed panels, bits of marble tile, old pieces of farm equipment, broken bits of car engines. In the center of the room, Flynn’s latest project stood nearly as tall as the beams – a crouching dragon made from scrap metal and stained glass fragments. A single beam of sunlight reached into the room from a tiny, high window, hitting the dragon’s stained-glass scales so that it glittered.
Maeve walked all around the statue, her eyes wide with wonder.
Damn Flynn and his artistic talent. He always knew how to charm the ladies, and maybe Maeve would be no exception. Would the dragon win her from me?
