Chapter Five
Kingdom of Connacht
Ireland
1060
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MADISON KNEW THE MOMENTCian pulled her close and wrapped his strong arms around her that staving off love would be impossible. He felt too familiar. Too perfect. From the feel of his hard body against hers to his intoxicating scent. She had never wanted to cozy into a man and cuddle yet simultaneously rip off his clothes and lose herself in him.
Until a feminine voice cut into her lusting a bit too sharply.
“M’lord, are you well? Was the transition too hard this time?”
“Clearly not,”came a dry male voice.“And well you know it.”
Madison pulled back and looked around, only to freeze. The colonial was gone. The old oak. Hersister.Instead, she was surrounded by thick woodland. Blustery cool wind. The scent of sea salt.
“Oh, wow,” she whispered. “We’re here, aren’t we?” She looked at Cian. “In medieval Ireland?”
“We are.” He hadn't pulled away yet. “Youare.”
“Yes, you are,” that same feminine voice agreed. “As is your bird.”
“Raven,”the masculine voice corrected.“I’m a raven and a familiar just like you.”
“A familiar?” The female laughed. “I am no such thing, fool.”
“Fool?”he shot back.“Me? I think not when you are the one who drove me away from my watch over Madison this morning. When you made me think something was coming for her at the Stonehenge.”
“It was best to clear away the riffraff until I knew m’Lord had arrived safely,” she countered. “Until I knew they connected as they should.”
“Riffraff?”the male exclaimed.
“What on Earth?” Madison looked around, confused. “Who am I hearing?”
“Apologies.” Cian gazed up into a nearby tree. “That’s my Fae friend, Aisling.” He gestured at Oran, who sat on a branch above, looking especially contrite. “And your raven, I believe?”
Seriously? She frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“Nor should you,” Aisling said compassionately, with a tinge of frustration clearly directed at Oran. “For your familiar has been negligent not explaining that—”
“We both know Oran couldn’t communicate with her until she embraced her inner druidess,” Cian said, cutting her off. “So Oran is not to be blamed.”
“Why does Oran sound so weird?” Madison stared up at her raven, who cocked his head back down at her. “And how is he talking when he’s a bird?”
“Raven,”Oran corrected.“And I sound strange because I’m communicating telepathically, sweet girl.”
