Chapter Two
“YOU SHOULD STOP, lass.” Liam stilled her hand. A heavy frown had settled on his face. “You should keep him as far from your mind as you can and burn this now.”
Startled, she realized she had turned the page and started sketching another face. Though not as handsome as Declán, this new face was striking in a rugged, masculine sort of way. His gaze was piercing. Intense in how he looked back at her. As though he saw into her in a way she couldn’t even see inside herself.
“That’s him, isn’t it?” she said hoarsely, asking a question she already knew the answer to. “King Raghnall?”
“’Tis.” Liam went to rip the page away but squeezed his fist and shook his head. “I cannot be the one to dispose of it. You must do that, Riona. And soon, for he draws closer via this sketch. Lures you in as he has so many before you.”
“I will.” She nodded and started to rip the page away but found herself unable to do it. It almost felt like ripping away his image might very well tear away a part of herself. “Soon. I promise.”
Although Liam clenched his jaw and seemed tempted to do it for her again, he flipped the pages until Declán was staring back at her instead. “Then you look athim.” He shook his head. “Notthe other.”
Where Raghnall’s face compelled her, Declán’s features made everything melt inside. Heat, then sizzle. Flooded her veins with a need she had never felt before. Desire and something else. Something stronger yet hard to lock down because, again, she’d never felt anything quite like it.
She traced her fingers over his chiseled cheekbones. The kissable contours of his lips. His strong jaw. Wished she could touch his thick brown hair streaked with light brown. Longed to stare into his pale blue eyes in person rather than in a picture.
“Everything okay, sis?” Shannon asked, appearing so quietly she hadn't realized she was there. Her sister leaned against the doorjamb with her arms crossed over her chest and frowned in Liam’s direction. “I had a feeling they might not be.”
“Of course you did.” Glossing over the fact she was right, Liam winked at her. “You usually do when Riona’s alone with me.” He waved her off. “All’s well. You can go back to researching medieval Irish Brehon laws on marriage.”
Riona bit back a smile. Shannon had been deep in research for the past day or so, brushing up on medieval Ireland. Specifically, anything to keep her from ending up with Liam in a lawful sense. Especially when Cian and Madison ended up together, hinting that perhaps the prophecy saying otherwise wasn't as cut in stone as it had seemed.
“Nothing’s well at all.” Shannon gestured at Luna when she broke from the tree line and raced in Riona’s direction. “So says her potential familiar.”
“Ta, so says.” Liam tossed Shannon an innocent shrug when Luna raced over and cozied up between him and Riona. “Yet, unlike your wolf, Luna sees me as no threat.”
Riona had no idea Shannon had taken a wolf under her wing when it was brought into her veterinarian clinic. Had no clue she’d found a way to keep nurturing it. Now, like Madison’s raven, it had tracked her here to New Hampshire. Since then, it,he, had watched Liam warily.
“Threat or no, something just happened.” Shannon joined them and eyed Riona’s sketchbook. “What’s going on? Why did I feel such....”
“Such what?” Riona asked when she trailed off.
“Good and bad.” Shannon crouched and considered Declán’s picture as though trying to figure something out before she narrowed her eyes at Riona. “And both came from you.”
“Well, my emotions are up and down and—”
“No, I meanfromyou.”
Riona shook her head, confused. “I don’t understand.”
“She means there is dark and light coming from within you,” Liam said. “Darkness that I didn’t sense before.” He shook his head once. “That should not be there...doesn’t belong there.”
