* * *
Ididn’t makeit very far before I was confronted by my fate once again. Lugh loomed large in the library’s front door, the edge of his cloak rippling behind him in the wind. My feet paused on the bottom step, and I wet my lips. After our fight the night before, I wasn’t exactly sure what to say tohim.
“Morning,” I managed, voice soft. Gripping the wooden banister tight, my fingers pulsed with the canter of myheart.
“Morning, Moira.” Lugh cleared his throat, his dark irises flicking back and forth as he searched my eyes. “I came to apologise for what I said to you lastnight.”
My cheeks filled with colour. And, here I was, thinking thatIwas the one who needed to apologise. Because he’d been right, at least partially. “You didn’t do anything wrong,Lugh.”
He strode across the room and stopped before me. Beneath his cloak, I could see his well-muscled chest straining against the thin material of his shirt. My fingers twitched, desperate to reachout.
“I was angry at the prophecy. Not at you.” He took my hand in his and squeezed tight. His touch was hot and electric, and it was all I could do not to jump him right then and there. Clark had been right. Once the mating bond truly kicked in, the magic drawing us closer was next to impossible to ignore. It made my head spin. I no longer even knew what year itwas.
“You weren’t wrong though,” I whispered, blinking up at him. “I have been running away from you, away from this. For so long, I told myself that I could never find love. Now that it’s standing right in front of me, I don’t know what todo.”
He squeezed my hand again, dropping his forehead to mine. His lips were agonisingly close. All I had to do was press up onto my toes, and our mouths would collide. I wanted it so terribly that I could hardly think about anything else. Screw the prophecy. We could tackle it together, he and I. We would make sure it never cametrue.
But then Lugh pulled back, taking the warmth of his touch along with him, and reality crashed around me once again. Pain flickered around my heart. As much as I wanted to give in, how much worse would it be if Idid?
I could not risk his life.Iwouldn’t.
“Did you make any progress in finding your druid?” heasked.
“You mean, Caer?” I blinked and shook my head, confused by the sudden change in conversation. “She is proving to be very wily. It turns out, she doesn’t want to befound.”
“Hmm.” He pursed his lips. “Perhaps another druid will hold theanswers.”
I frowned. “I already asked Saoirse. As a half-druid, she doesn’t have the same access to her power as Caer. She can’t findanything.”
“Yes, I know.” Lugh gave me a sad smile. “I have asked her a few times myself. No, I meant another druid. Another likeCaer.”
My brows lifted. “That would be useful, if we could actually find one. I was under the impression that druids wererare.”
“Rare,” he said. “But they doexist.”
Hope flickered through me, even though I tried to tamp it down. The past weeks of searching had yielded nothing. I didn’t dare hope that Lugh might be right. But the idea had sprung into my mind now, and there was no blocking it out. Therewereother druids out in the world, ones with the ability to gaze at our fate and find a way to stop the prophecy from happening. All I had to do was findone.
“Ah.” A smile stretched across Lugh’s sharply-cut face. “There it is. The spark in your eyes. I’ve missed that stubborn look somuch.”
I smiled right back. “When we’re done stopping these wankers who want to steal your spear, I’m going on a druidhunt.”
“See?” He reached out and tweaked his thumb against my lip, and all my insides flickered into flames. “The prophecy won’t come true. We’ll make certain ofit.”
He leaned down then, and brushed his lips against mine. Desire curled in my gut as my eyelids fluttered shut. We stood there like that for a long moment, barely touching, breathing in the scent of one another. It felt as if time itself stood still, holding its breath right along withus.
“Come,” Lugh growled as he pulled back and held out an elbow. “I’d like you to join me forbreakfast.”
That wasn’t exactly what I’d hoped he would say, but I was relieved it wasn’t something else. Because I knew without a doubt, I wouldn’t have been able to say no if he’d whisked me to hisbed.
* * *
The Great Hallwas pretty empty when we entered through the looming doors. Most of the fae who called this castle home preferred to grab some food quickly from the kitchen for breakfast instead of dining formally in the hall. That was usually reserved for the nighttime service, when dinner turned into a lively, entertaining party more often thannot.
I had to admit, despite my original reservations about Castle Wraith, I did love their extravagantdinners.
A cluster of fae sat at the table nearest to the door. Saoirse, Warin, and Boudica had gathered around. Between them, they were feasting on crisp bacon, sausages, poached eggs, and half-burnt toast. And they had a vat of baked beans steaming from a silverpot.
My stomachgrumbled.
