“I thought it best.” Hopefully, no one else noticed Daire went missing. Did he return to the party? Is he still here?
I want to ask, but that would be too obvious, and I have no idea what to say to him if he is still here.
“Did we keep you up?”
“No.” They weren’t that rowdy, and I have left them to their wakes before. This one was more awkward because of my history with Shay.
Someone bangs on the locked front door.
“We’re still closed.” I only did breakfast on the weekend and I still had muffins to make and today was pecan pie day. The regulars knew the day of the week by the pie or cake I made, some only came in on that day. Tomorrow would be carrot cake.
“I’m a rider.” Comes the muffled reply.
My heart lifts and I hope it’s Oran and Danni arriving early.
Liam pushed away from the counter and unlocks the door. Cillian stands on the step, face grim and a woman at his side. Has he come to say goodbye before returning to faery?
I ignore the sharp pang of jealousy that they get to be happy in faery.
“You missed the wake.” Liam embraces Cillian.
“Not much I could do. I was taken prisoner.” He nods at me. “Can I get two cups?”
“Coming up.” But I listen as Cillian tells his tale.
Other riders came in from the yard and fill the café. He repeated parts when asked, and the woman with him adds to the story of being captured in the desert and left as bait by whoever stole his necklace.
“How long ago?”
“Four days.” He gratefully accepts the coffee and passes the first cup to his woman, Flick, first.
I bite back on a smile, that’s so like a rider. If they aren’t hunting monsters, they are treating their woman like a queen. It’s then I notice Daire hasn’t left and that he’s watching me.
I give him a small smile, hoping that I can have a quiet moment with him. Whatever is between us needs time to grow, for me to believe that it will work because I have been burned before. He looks away, face shuttered, an expression I’m too familiar with.
“I need a necklace to get home and hunt the bastard down before he causes any trouble.” Cillian pauses. “I know what I’m asking.”
Taking someone’s necklace was taking their way home. It was putting them at risk, because there was always a chance they could escape to faery when fighting. From what I’ve seen, most would rather die that go back a failure and single.
“Where’s Shay’s necklace?” I ask as I put a pile of hot sliced banana bread on the counter along with butter and honey. I have never seen anyone go through honey like a rider.
“I couldn’t find it.” Oisin says.
“Probably in the beast’s belly.” Lunn adds.
Some laugh. The truth is, if Shay had been alone no one would know he’d died. After a while it would be assumed if he couldn’t be found. But Oisin was there, and he has the wounds to prove it. His thigh is heavily bandaged, and the skin held together with my suturing skills—which have improved greatly over the last twenty years—but he’ll still have major scarring even though the fae heal far faster than a human.
“Take mine.” Daire steps through and hands his necklace to Cillian. He doesn’t look at me, just turns and walks toward the door.
My heart beats high in my throat. I want to go after him, but my feet won’t move. My mouth won’t open. He can’t give up his way home. What if something happens to him?
“Thank you,” Cillian calls after him.
The door swings closed and for the moment there is perfect silence. My heart shatters into a thousand pieces and no one hears.
“Give him a week then check on him, Cillian says.”
“I will,” Conall agrees.
