An unsettling but somehow welcome silence fell between them as they continued staring at one another. Took each other in, for lack of a better word. She felt so incredibly familiar yet a perfect stranger all at once. How could she not, considering he had never actually met her?
“Hey there.” Clearly determined to ease what some might think an awkward moment, a woman with black hair stuck her head out the door and joined the conversation. “Whoa, look atyou.” Her jaw dropped, and her rounded gaze swept over him. “Holy mother ofGod.”
A wee beastie joined her and beamed up at him with equal wonder if such a thing were possible.
“Whoareyou?” the woman went on to ask when he and Madison kept staring at each other. “Why are you here?” Seemingly not daunted by his sudden appearance, she cocked her head, obviously testing a theory. “Because it’s clear you’ve come from another era in Ireland, I’m guessing?”
Although he had fought several wars and remained sharp through so much, he realized he had lost his wits here. So said him forgetting to manifest into modern-day clothing.
Which meant honesty was his only choice.
Not that he had intended to be dishonest. Just not so obvious. Yet it seemed like the women weren’t as shocked as one would imagine by someone like him showing up at their door. Especially considering they already seemed to know he came from another time.
“I’m Cian.” Should he go with his full title? No. Too much, too fast. “And yes, I am from another era in Ireland.”
“Cian?” Madison asked. “From the book?”
“What book?”
“Adlin's book.” Her eyes never left his face. “You’re its author, right?”
“Adlin?” He narrowed his eyes. “When was my brother here? And what book did he give you?”
Her jaw dropped, then snapped shut.
“Didn’t you say our real estate agent was an old man, Madison?” The dark-haired one cocked a brow at him. “If you and Adlin are brothers, then your parents certainly had you far apart.”
“Not if time travel is possible,” Madison said softly. “In that case, who knows?”
Who knows, indeed? His gaze never left her face. “Might I see this book?”
“That depends.” The dark-haired one considered him. “Why are you here?”
“To remind Madison of something.”
“What?” Madison asked, almost as though she had expected him to say that.
“I’m not sure.” He had figured he would know by now. That he would recall what he needed to tell her. Sometimes he thought he knew, then it slipped away. “But I will. Soon.”
“Why not now?”
“I know naught.”
“I get the sense that bothers you.”
“It does.”
Silence fell again as they continued staring at one another. Crossed a divide he wondered if she sensed.
“Well, this is Madison, and I’m her sister, Riona,” the dark-haired one finally said, cutting into his and Madison’s odd reverie. “Nice to meet you, Cian.” She cleared her throat and gestured at his weapons. “You’re welcome to come in, but you’ll have to check the arsenal at the door.”
He blinked, doubly surprised at how out of sorts he had been. Still was. As it were, he had not only greeted Madison in eleventh-century clothing but with numerous blades still strapped to him. Weapons he could only be grateful were no longer stained with his enemies’ blood.
“Of course.” He set his blades aside. “My apologies, lassies.”
Riona glanced between them when he and Madison resumed eyeing each other. It seemed unavoidable somehow. Almost as if they hadn't seen each other in a long time and could not look elsewhere.
“So now’s the part when you step through the door,” Riona coaxed, a smile in her voice. “Obviously, you two know each other on a level we’ve yet to understand.”
