Inferno, page 18
“I am,” he stated.
Rhi lowered her hand. It hurt too much to touch him, and being in his arms was a sweet torture that would haunt her for weeks to come. But it couldn’t happen again. Her words to Con were also a warning to herself.
“Doona pull away from me.”
The pleading in his eyes was something she’d never seen before. It tugged at her heart in a way that caused cracks to form, weakening the wall she’d put around herself in an effort to keep him from getting too close.
“I was a fool before. Doona let my past mistakes color your thoughts of the present. Please.”
Rhi couldn’t handle it anymore. She rolled out of his arms and rose from the bed. She kept her back to him for a few moments to compose herself before she faced him.
“I don’t regret sharing our bodies. We’re good at that, and it was nice to feel that kind of pleasure again,” she began.
Con sat up, his muscles shifting and moving as he did. “But?”
“This isn’t the time or place for the conversation you want.”
“Why? Because you doona want to hear something that could change your mind about us?”
She’d hurt him. Yesterday, that might have made her feel good, but now, she didn’t like that it had happened. “I’m being realistic. I can’t let anything in that will distract me from defeating Usaeil once and for all. We both know what she could do to this realm.”
“She willna defeat the Kings. I can guarantee that.”
“What about Moreann? The Others did some pretty damaging things to the Kings already. You can’t forget about that.”
Con rose from the bed like a god come to take revenge on those who dared to tread upon his realm. “You actually think I could?”
“I’m just reminding you.”
Black eyes went cold with fury as he glared at her. His typically low, deadly tone was replaced by one of barely controlled violence. “You doona need to do such a thing. I’m the one who has ruled for millions and millions of years. I’m the one who remained awake while the rest of the Kings took to their mountains to sleep after we sent our dragons away. I walked Dreagan, alone for eons, and had to deal with my grief myself. I didna have anyone to turn to, anyone to talk to. I had to be strong, to be the one who didna put his feelings ahead of what was best for everyone else. I had to be the voice of caution and reason for the others. I had to set aside my love for you, my mate, for them. So, doona dare think that after taking the throne for a few days, you have any idea what it’s like to sacrifice for others, or that I doona have the Kings prepared for any eventuality.”
Con then turned on his heel and strode from the room.
Rhi could only stare after him, shocked by the depth of his anger after seeing him so controlled for so long. First, he’d lowered his guard last night, but passion had always caused him to reveal his true self to her.
But the fury? That was different. She quite liked seeing him lose control.
Rhi snorted. Con hadn’t lost control. He’d allowed her to see his outrage on purpose. Was it because she had hurt him earlier, or was it something else?
“It doesn’t matter. We need to be concerned about Usaeil and Moreann, nothing else,” she told herself.
But she leaned to the side to look out her door. She hadn’t heard him go into his room. Had he left? Her stomach clenched in dread. He’d promised to stay.
She fisted her hands and quieted her mind. So what if Con left? She didn’t need him.
A tear fell onto her cheek.
“But I do,” she whispered.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
MacLeod Castle
Phelan looked around the great hall, browsing the faces around him. All the Warriors and Druids had gathered. Though no one had told Phelan exactly why they’d been called, he knew it must be about the Ancients talking to Isla.
Aisley reached over and slid her palm against his so their fingers locked together. “It’ll be fine.”
“You say that as if I doona know,” he whispered back.
“You often remind me of that. I just thought I’d do the same.”
He looked at her and smiled. She was a Phoenix, the last of her kind, and his wife. Even after all this time, he could still recall how he felt when he believed that she’d died. But after burning her body, Aisley had returned to him.
“What?” she asked with a grin.
“I love you.”
Her smile softened. “And I love you.”
“Whatever this is, we’ll get through it.”
She nodded her head of wavy, black hair, her fawn-colored eyes serious. “Yes, we will. We survived Declan and Jason. And this time, we have the Dragon Kings.”
“I think we’re here because of the Kings,” he said in a low voice.
Aisley looked around the hall at those gathered, everyone speaking softly except for three couples—Isla and Hayden, Evie and Malcolm, and Fallon and Larena.
Fallon finally took a step forward, causing everyone’s attention to turn to him. “As most of you know, Isla heard from the Ancients a few days ago. They urged her to go to the Isle of Skye. Hayden and Malcolm accompanied Isla and Evie, and what they found there caused them to contact me. After which, Larena and I immediately traveled to the isle and discovered that Corann and another Druid had been taken.”
“Why are you just now telling us?” Lucan, Fallon’s youngest brother, demanded.
Quinn, the middle brother, nodded, and his pale green eyes narrowed in anger. “I second that.”
“There are reasons,” Fallon told the group. “We were no’ the only ones who went to Skye after learning of the missing Druids. Con arrived with a couple of Kings. That’s when we learned it was Usaeil who had taken Corann and one other Druid.”
Phelan’s brows snapped together. “That means the Fae are involved.”
“Aye,” Fallon said with a nod as his dark green eyes locked with Phelan’s. “Rhi also made an appearance.”
“Is she all right? Last I heard, no one had seen her,” Phelan stated, his anger and concern churning together as he glanced at the two other couples who had been to Skye. “Why did no one tell me?”
Larena’s calm voice broke the silence. “She’s taken the Light throne.”
Phelan’s heart hammered in his chest, but he realized what was going on. “She did it to draw out Usaeil.”
“Aye,” Fallon said with a nod. “However, the Kings knew that wouldna be enough to get Usaeil to attack.”
Phelan waited for them to finish. When they didn’t, he searched his mind. Unfortunately, his emotions were in such chaos after learning that Rhi wasn’t just all right but now Queen of the Light, that he couldn’t form a thought.
Then it hit him.
“Constantine,” he murmured. “Usaeil wants him, so if she believes he and Rhi are together, it will certainly call her out.”
“Aye,” Fallon said as he observed Phelan carefully.
Phelan shrugged, not understanding why it would matter if Rhi and Con pretended to be together. Now, if Con had been her King then …
His thoughts trailed off as he put two and two together.
Aisley gripped his hand with both of hers. “Breathe, baby.”
“It was Con,” Phelan said in a soft voice, hardly able to believe it. He wanted to reject the idea, but given the way everyone stared at him, he couldn’t. “Con,” he said louder, fuming. He surged to his feet. “Con, who has repeatedly asked for her help, who began an affair with Usaeil, who hurt Rhi again and again. And again.”
Isla was the one who said, “And Rhi went back to Dreagan, again and again. It was Rhi who offered to help the Kings first. She who chose not to tell you, or any of us, who her King was. You need to remember that.”
Phelan took a step forward when Aisley was suddenly before him. She cupped his face with her hands and held his gaze. “Baby, I know you’re angry. If Rhi had wanted you to know it was Con, she would’ve told you. You can’t blame all of this on Con.”
“I bloody well can.”
Aisley shook her head. “You can’t. You also have to think that Rhi agreed to let everyone know that she and Con were back together to use it against Usaeil. If Rhi can do it, then you can accept the past and her decisions.”
Phelan peeled back his lips, not at all happy. It seemed that everyone was okay with what was going on, but he wasn’t. Not by a long shot. “Fine.”
Aisley raised a black brow and leveled him with a flat stare. “Then why haven’t you tamped down your god?”
That caused Phelan to pause. He lifted his hands and saw the gold skin and claws of his god, Zelfor. He ran his tongue over his teeth and felt the fangs, as well. He’d been so incensed that he hadn’t even realized he’d released his god. That kind of lapse could easily allow his god to take over, something every Warrior there had gained command of years ago.
He immediately got himself under control, his gold skin fading, and the fangs and claws disappearing. Then he released a breath.
“Con wanted to be the one to tell you,” Fallon said. “However, I decided to tell everyone at once.”
Aisley moved to Phelan’s side and looked at Fallon. “Obviously, there’s going to be a war. What do you need from us?”
“We’ll know soon enough. The Kings are on their way,” Fallon replied.
Phelan sincerely hoped it was Con. He wanted to punch him. Phelan might not be able to best a Dragon King, but he could certainly cause a little pain.
As one, everyone felt the intrusion at the barrier around the castle. Galen went to the window and looked out.
“It’s Ulrik, Rhys, Kiril, and Banan,” he said over his shoulder.
Fallon gave a nod and walked to the door to open it. Within seconds, the four Dragon Kings entered the castle.
Ulrik’s gold eyes immediately landed on Phelan before jerking to Fallon. “You told him.”
“I did,” Fallon replied.
Ulrik’s lips flattened. “Perhaps that was for the best.” The King of Silvers then returned his attention to Phelan. “How are you taking it?”
“I just found out a few minutes ago. How do you think I’m taking it?”
“That well, huh?” Rhys stated sarcastically. “Wonderful.”
Banan’s gray eyes scanned the room. “I know each of you have feelings regarding Con and what he did to Rhi, but you should know that he did it for us.”
“That he did,” Kiril said, nodding his head of wheat-colored hair. “He didna think it was right that he be happy while the rest of us suffered. He never expected the spell to fail, the one that kept us from feeling anything for the humans. And with our dragons gone, our only chance at finding mates was with the Fae—which we were no’ exactly friendly with at the time.”
Ulrik crossed his arms over his chest. “Con did what he thought was best for the Dragon Kings. He sacrificed his and Rhi’s happiness for his brethren. Whether you agree with that or no’, I can promise you that no one has hurt as much as Con has all these thousands of years.”
“Ulrik’s right,” Fallon said. “Con is a stronger man than I. I could never have let Larena go.”
“You should also know, that if a dragon loses his mate, it can kill us,” Rhys added.
Phelan swallowed hard and looked at Aisley. “I know what it is to believe you’ve lost a mate. When I thought I lost Aisley, it nearly killed me. Con willingly let his mate go.” His eyes swung to Ulrik. “How did he do it?”
“By burying his pain and putting all of his energy into protecting the Dragon Kings and this realm. But it’s taken a toll, more than any of us realized until recently. Rhi returning to Dreagan has been especially difficult for Con. If he can no’ win her back, then I doona think he’ll survive. A King isna truly whole until we have our mates.”
“Con has sacrificed more than anyone,” Aisley said. “I can’t imagine the pain he’s dealt with all these years.”
Charon asked, “And Usaeil? Why did he go to her?”
“She caught him at a weak moment,” Banan explained. “Con had no’ had any lovers since Rhi. Usaeil bided her time and found Con at an especially difficult moment. Then, she lured him. He tried to make the most of the situation by getting information from her, but he realized almost instantly that that wasna an option. That’s when he called it off.”
“Shite,” Logan said.
Ulrik dropped his arms. “I’m no’ here to justify Con’s actions. We’re here because we doona know if Usaeil and Moreann are working together now or no’. With Con at the Light Castle with Rhi, we’re here to ensure that everyone is on guard. Usaeil has taken the Dark throne. Her goal is to unite the Fae and rule both.”
“That willna happen,” Phelan stated.
Kiril shrugged his shoulders. “It might. Usaeil has significant power, especially now that she’s taking the magic of Druids.”
“I’m sorry. What did you say?” Marcail, Quinn’s wife, asked.
Kiril’s shamrock green eyes met her gaze. “To make her magic stronger, Usaeil has been killing Druids and taking their power. It doesna last long, so she’s been taking more and more Druids.”
“But Corann is extremely powerful,” Gwynn said. She and Logan exchanged a look. “He shouldn’t have been able to be taken.”
“That’s how powerful Usaeil is,” Fallon said. “And that’s why we need to be careful. She knows of us, and it’s only a matter of time before she comes here.”
Ulrik nodded. “Fallon’s right. If she kills Corann, his magic will last longer than other Druids. Which means, she’ll turn to the strongest Druids on the realm. She’ll look here and at Dreagan. She can no’ be allowed to take any more Druids, no matter how powerful they are.”
“Agreed,” Sonya said. “We’ll do what must be done to keep her out.”
Rhys’s lips twisted ruefully. “Actually, we thought it might be better if all of you came to Dreagan.”
All eyes swung to Fallon. He considered the option before he said, “Let us talk amongst ourselves. We’ve no idea when Usaeil will attack. It could be tomorrow or next year. We have lives here.”
“We’re aware, but it’s better to be safe,” Banan warned.
Ulrik blew out a breath and looked at Broc. “We’re also here for another reason.”
“You want me to find Usaeil,” Broc replied.
Ulrik shrugged. “Usaeil, Moreann, Corann. We doona care, just so we can get to one of them. The Skye Druids need Corann.”
“What are you no’ telling us?” Ian asked.
Ulrik hesitated before he said, “Every mortal on this realm has Moreann’s people’s blood in their veins. That means they have ties to Moreann.”
“In other words, Moreann could convince Corann to join the Others if she promised him that the Skye Druids would be safe from whatever the plans are,” Isla stated.
The great hall grew quiet as each considered what could happen.
Broc then stepped forward. “I better begin looking immediately.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
He’d let his temper get the better of him. Con stood on the edge of the cliffs and watched the deep blue sea churn before him. Something about Rhi had always made him lose control.
It didn’t matter if it was with his emotions or his body, she’d always had that authority over him. At one time, the fact that Rhi had been able to shake up his life in such a way had been like a high. He hadn’t been able to get enough of her or discovering all the ways she could unsettle him.
Because no one else had ever been able to do that. Only her.
“Only Rhiannon,” Con whispered into the wind.
Maybe he’d been a fool to think that he could win her back. He knew for certain that she still felt something for him. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have reacted the way she did in his arms—or screamed so loudly in pleasure.
All this time, he’d held out hope that Rhi might still care for him. Even if it was just a wee bit, it would be enough for him to work with. He could woo her until she fell in love with him again.
She’d told him that she didn’t feel anything for him. He hadn’t believed her, not when she’d said the words, and certainly not when he’d had her in his arms. But now … he was beginning to doubt himself. There was a chance that he was seeing and hearing the things he desperately wanted to see and hear instead of the truth.
Con reached for the gold dragon head cufflink on his left wrist and twisted it. The gift made him think of Erith, and for just a second, he almost called out to her. Thankfully, the moment passed.
He wasn’t used to taking his problems to anyone, much less a goddess who had bigger issues. There had only been two people in the entire realm he’d ever shared his troubles with—Ulrik and Rhi.
Ulrik might be back at Dreagan, but Con had dumped a lot on him. Ulrik wouldn’t turn him away, Con knew that. But he also knew that there were bigger issues for Ulrik and the rest of the Dragon Kings to focus on right now.
“What a view,” Merrill said as he walked up.
Con didn’t respond as he glanced at the King of Oranges.
Merrill didn’t take his eyes from the water. “I can almost believe I’m in Scotland. Then I hear one of them speak, and it ruins everything,” he said with a grin before he finally looked at Con.
“I understand why Ireland holds a certain appeal to some.”
“Aye,” Merrill replied. “If my mate were here, then I’d want to be here, too.”
Con looked down before he lifted his eyes to the horizon. “Do you wish for a mate?”
There was a beat of silence before Merrill answered candidly. “Sometimes. There are nights when I see those mated at Dreagan go off together, and when I’m in my chambers alone, I wonder if I’ll ever find that. Sometimes that feeling is fleeting, and other times it lasts for days.” Merrill shrugged. “In times of war, like now, I’m thankful my attention isna divided between my mate and my duties to you and Dreagan. Do you regret finding your mate?”
“I wish I could say that I doona have regrets in my life, but I can no’. Seems I have more regrets than anything.”
“You didna answer my question.”
