“Ta, m’lord,” many agreed, some saying more than he would like at the moment. “’Tis good to see our druidess back from the dead. To know there can be no doubt she belongs to us. Not after the way ye—”
“Thank ye,” he replied before they could go on. If Shannon didn’t remember his stark fear at her potential death, he wasn’t about to remind her. “Now let us through so that we might see to things.”
“Back from the dead?” Shannon asked as they made their way across the great hall. She frowned at him when they stepped out the front doors. “What are they talking about? What are...”
He frowned as well, alarmed when her gaze locked on the land beyond the gates. “What is it, lass?”
“Fear and worry,” she whispered and started down the steps. “So much of it.”
Only when the gates were swung open at their approach did he realize just how right she was. More than that, why Conall and his people were so unsettled.
Chapter Thirteen
SHANNON FELT THEM before she saw them. Felt all the animals who had made their way onto Liam’s land. So many. Too many. Something confirmed when she and Liam joined Riona and Declán at the end of the drawbridge and took in all the animals wandering around.
“Oh, no,” she whispered, feeling their fear more strongly than ever.
“Not just fear,” Riona said, clearly following her thoughts. She rested her hand on Shannon’s shoulder. “But worry about you, sis.”
When Shannon frowned at her, Riona looked at the men. “Mind if we have a few minutes alone?”
While she felt Liam’s hesitation to leave her now he’d decided to grow so possessive, he nodded, and he and Declán made their way back into the courtyard.
“How are you doing?” Riona asked once they were gone. Before she had a chance to respond, her sister teared up and embraced her. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I thought we lost you.”
“And that would be when I retrieved my dagger from the sunken ship?” she asked slowly, drawing a blank as to what happened next. All she remembered was needing heat.Him.Liam, as it turned out. Or perhaps, based on the look on her sister’s face, merely comfort from a daunting situation?
“You don’t remember what happened after that, do you?” Riona realized. “How Liam dove in after you? Saved you?” She shrugged a shoulder. “Well, technically, I saved you, but it would have been impossible without him.”
“No, I don’t remember.” She frowned and shook her head, not about to tell her sister how things had gone as the night wore on. “I’ll be sure to thank him for getting me to you in time.”
“He didn’t,” Riona replied. “You were pretty darn dead.” She met Shannon’s frown. “And he did more than merely get you to me in time. Honestly, I’m relatively certain my magic wouldn’t have worked if he didn’t care so much. If I didn’t feel his terror and heartache over losing you.”
Had he really? She wasn’t sure what to make of that other than it sent a strange warmth coursing through her. He’d said nothing about this when they woke. Hadn’t felt it as far as she had sensed. Then again, her senses had still been pretty much wrapped up in matters of the flesh at the time.
“So what do you think about having been siblings with Liam in your last life?” she asked, changing the subject before Riona homed in on too much of her thoughts. She crouched and smiled when a rabbit hopped right up to her, not frightened in the least. “And what do you make of this?” She shook her head at all the animals and stated the obvious. “This isn’t natural.”
“I think they’re here for both refuge and a sense of direction from you.” Riona crouched beside her and took in her dress and dagger. She smiled at the way the animals gravitated toward Shannon. “Plus a need to protect you.” She looked south. “These aren’t just the animals from yours and Liam’s kingdom but Siobhán’s. They’re terrified of something, and I think we both know what that is.”
“Aodh.” Shannon was grateful Tréan sat beside her peaceably rather than stirring up trouble with the animals. “Even bound, Aodh’s driving all wildlife away.”
