Enchant (Rae Wilder #3)

Chapter Five

The first thing my drifting gaze fixed on was Lochlann. Bulkier about the torso than Breandan, and rugged in appearance, his ears had the point of fairy, and his skin the faintest of green tinges. He had no tail or wings, but what he did have was a powerful and commanding presence that intimidated me, and made me say foolish things. His hair brushed his shoulders in a blonde mane, and the clean cuts of his jaw were attractive, a more severe forming of Breandan’s sensual jaw line. The most striking thing about this fairy lord was that he had one green eye and one blue, both as wintry and aloof as his aura.

So much of my Breandan was reflected in Lochlann, and through his piercing stare – it made me hot and uncomfortable.

Tradition dictated that Lochlann should have been the one to mate me, not his younger brother. Would things be different now if Breandan had never helped me when I saw Maeve captured by the Clerics? If I had met Lochlann first would I have accepted his claim on me? Maybe, but I suspected things would have gone downhill the moment Breandan and I saw each other. One touch, and we would have bonded, and betrayed everything the Tribe believed in. Just like my mother had when she betrayed High Lord Nyal and took a human lover. She even gave birth to a child according to some. I may have more family, and the thought often teased the edges of my concentration. It was one that made my heart soar, and made we wish to somehow find them, as Conall had done me. I would love them no matter what and care for them. As pleasant as the thought of finding more people to love was, I had other things to be concerning myself with, and Breandan had told me to follow up on such ties would bring me pain. I guess I could see his point. The discovery of a human fairy half-breed wouldn’t have gone down well. Who could predict how such a merging would turn out? What had happened to that splinter branch of my family tree? Did that baby live as a human and die in the Rupture? It was a horrible thought and one I didn’t wish to dwell on. In truth, nothing my birth parents did was worthy of too much reflection. I was ashamed of them – ashamed of what they had done. Ana’s claim that my mother had shifted the balance all those years ago, and set the world on a course of destruction put mountains of pressure on my head, and on poor Conall’s.

Where was Conall? I hadn’t seen him in what felt like forever. Now I had a brother I couldn’t get enough of his affection and attention.

“Rae?” The soft gasp pulled me from stray thoughts, and I waved my hand weakly in hello.

Lochlann visibly shook himself when the shock of seeing me wore off.

The leaders of demonkind were probably expecting someone taller, more beautiful, and waiflike. Instead, they got me. Twitchy, covered in scars, ready to bolt at the first rippling of fear … me. Gods, those damn scars drew every eye. I still wore the sloppy black tunic given to me by Papa Obe and the thin leather trousers worn at the knee and seat.

I looked like a peasant, not a High Priestess.

Self-conscious, I pushed the hair from my eyes. The heel of my palm glanced off my circlet, always an effective reminder of who I was when I felt like crap. I rubbed the scar on my collarbone, fingers knocking the leather cord my amulets hung on. My fidgeting increased, and for the life of me, I couldn’t stop it.

Breandan sensed my hesitation, and smoothed a hand over the small of my back. The touch calmed me. The others couldn’t see it, so I was allowed to feed on his confidence without anyone being the wiser.

Relaxing my arms at my sides, I straightened my shoulders, and stood tall so they could look their fill. To make myself more imposing, I flexed my wings, and let them shine brilliant gold as my tail brushed the ground.

“What happened?” Lochlann asked flatly, his eyes raking over me and seeing more than I was entirely comfortable with. He briefly took in the change to Breandan’s form, but did not react to the silver wings resting on his back and his tail. Only Lochlann could act like his younger brother maturing into the ancient fairy form was nothing. “The others returned without you yet could not say where you went.” His eyes settled on the marks covering me, and unexpectedly his expression softened. “What happened to you, Rae?”