“Can ye blame me?” Domhnall asked, his voice gravelly. “I dinnae even need Magnus here tae read yer mind tae tell me that.” Domhnall waved his hand impatiently. “Dinnae talk like that.” Kai turned sharply to face his brother. If Magnus had been there, he would have probably read the thoughts that Kai was doing his best to mas. His gift was to read one’s mind. “This is a good plan. Besides, Ava is determined. What am I supposed tae dae? Just let her try tae seduce a man and make a fool of herself without offering up any help?”
“Ye could just nae get involved,” Domhnall said simply.
“I cannae dae that.” Kai returned to his pacing. “She came tae me fer help that night. What kind of friend would I be if I turned me back on her now?”
“Friend?” Domhnall spoke the word very slowly indeed.
“Aye,friend.”Kai emphasized, refusing to look at his brother.
“All right, I’ve had enough of this.” Domhnall stood up abruptly. It was such a shock that Kai actually had to jump back. “Ye think ye can ignore what ye have felt fer her fer so long? Enough tae make her charm another man intae her bed and make yer peace with it?”
“Domhnall!”
“Dinnae bother trying tae deny it.” He shook his head. “Ye ken what I can see.”
Kai wished to argue with him, yet as he could read the waves of irritation wafting off of Domhnall even without touching him, he knew that Domhnall could see much more than he was letting on.
“Helping the woman ye love –”
“I didnae say that’s what I felt,” Kai snapped.
“Ye dinnae need tae,” Domhnall reminded him simply. “Helping her tae marry another man will only cause ye pain. Ye’ll come out of this hurting.”
“And?” Kai shrugged. “I’ve accepted that. Yet ye cannae expect me tae ignore Ava now, when she has asked fer me help. I will help her and I will suffer the consequences of it, aye.”
Domhnall curled his nose in distaste.
“Aye, nothing I can say will change yer mind now, will it?”
“Nay. Naething.” Kai agreed with a firm nod.
“Then let me give ye this bit of advice alone.” Domhnall stepped toward him, lowering his voice. “Keep yer distance when ye give her these lessons. Dinnae seduce her intae yer bed before shehas tae go tae his. Ye may nae want tae let her go when the time comes.”
“That will never happen.” Kai wished to shout that he knew he wasn’t ever good enough for Ava, that he had accepted that long ago.
“Aye, then as long as ye have accepted it, that’s the end of this discussion,” Domhnall said and walked away, heading for the door. Then he hesitated in the doorway, looking back at Kai. He stared so long that Kai feared Domhnall could read something of his thoughts, the way that Magnus could.
He can see how unworthy I feel.
“Dinnae put yerself down–” Domhnall hissed in a whisper.
“We’re done with this discussion,” Kai commanded, waving Domhnall out of the room.
CHAPTER TEN
“Kai? Kai!” Thora was hissing to get his attention. Kai turned, seeing Thora running toward him with her dark hair wild behind her.
“Careful, are ye trying tae break all the glass in this castle with yer shouting?”
“In here, now.”
“Thora!”
She had grabbed his arm before he could stop her and dragged him into his chamber.
“Well, I’m going tae guess ye really wanted tae talk tae me about something,” he mused as she shut the door behind them. “What’s wrong?”
“How can ye ask me what’s wrong?” Thora cried wildly. She walked across his room, then glimpsed the bath he’d asked to be prepared for him, then walked back toward him. “I willnae interrupt ye fer long.”
