Into the Dreaming

Page 9

"Thank you," she said, rubbing her hands together before the blaze that sputtered in the hearth. "Those are peat bricks, aren't they? I read about them once."
"Aye."
"Interesting," she murmured thoughtfully. "They don't look like I thought they did." Then she shook her head sharply and focused on him again. "What is the name of this castle?"
"Dun Haakon," he replied, then started. Where had that name come from? His king had told him naught about his temporary quarters.
"Where am I?"
More knowledge he had no answers for: "On Eilean A Cheo."
"Where?" she asked blankly.
" 'Tis Gaelic for 'misty isle.' We are on the Isle of Skye." Mayhap it was knowledge his king had taught him long ago, he decided. There, silent until needed. His king had oft told him he'd prepared him for any place, any time.
Jane took a deep breath. "What year is it?"
"Fourteen hundred twenty-eight."
She inhaled sharply. "And how long have you lived here?"
"I doona live here. I am to remain but one passing of the moon. I arrived yestreen."
"Where do you live?"
"You have many questions." He reflected for a moment, and decided there was no harm in answering her questions. He was, after all, Vengeance. Powerful. Perfect. Deadly. "I live with my king in his kingdom."
"And where is that?"
"In Faery."
Jane swallowed. "Fairy?" she said weakly.
"Aye. My king is the Unseelie king. I am his Vengeance. And I am perfect," he added, as if an afterthought.
"That's highly debatable," Jane muttered.
"Nay. "Tis not. I am perfect. My king tells me so. He tells me I will be the most feared warrior ever to live, that the name of Vengeance will endure in legend for eternity."
"I'm quaking," Jane said dryly, with an aggrieved expression.
He looked at her then, hard. Her hair, her face, her breasts, then lower still, his gaze lingering on her smooth bare legs and slender ankles. "You are not at all what I expected of humans," he said finally.
Go with it, she told herself. Since none of this makes any sense, just run with what he's told you and see where it leads. "You aren't what I expected of a fairy," she said lightly. "Aren't you supposed to have sparkly little wings?"
"I doona think I am a fairy," he said carefully.
"Then you're human?" she pressed.
He looked perplexed, then gave a faint shake of his head.
"Well, if you're not a fairy and you're not human, what are you?"
His brows dipped and he shifted uncomfortably but made no reply.
"Well?" she encouraged.
After a long pause he said, "I will be needing my shirt back, lass. You may find clothing in the round tower down the corridor." He pointed behind her. "Go now."
"We're not done with this conversation, Aedan," she said, eyes narrowing.
"Vengeance."
"I'm not going to stop asking questions, Aedan. I have oodles of them."
He shrugged, rose, and wandered over to the window, turning his back to her.
"And I'm hungry, and when I get hungry I get grumpy. You do have food, don't you?"
He remained stoically silent. A few moments later he heard her snort, then stomp off in search of clothing.
If you're not a fairy and you're not human, what are you? Her question hung in the air after she'd left, unanswered. Unanswerable.
Verily, he didn't know.
Five
She was a demanding creature.
Vengeance ended up having to make three trips into Kyleakin to acquire those things the lass deemed "the bare necessities." It was abundantly clear that she had no plans of leaving. Indeed, she intended to loll in the lap of luxury for the duration of her stay. Because he wasn't certain if his liege had arranged her presence as part of some mysterious plan he'd chosen not to impart, and because he'd been told to reside at the castle until summoned, it seemed he must share his temporary quarters. He was greatly uneasy and just wished he knew what was expected of him. How could he act on his king's behalf if he knew not why he was there?
On his first foray into Kyleakin—the only trip made of his own volition while she'd been occupied rummaging through trunks in the round tower—he'd purchased naught but day-old bread so they both might eat that eve. Although he found the heat and colors of the landscape chafing, he was relieved to escape her disconcerting presence and foolishly believed procuring food might silence her ever-wagging tongue.