“No, really, I’m not thirsty.”
“It’s your penalty,a stór.For missing the target.” He shot her a wicked smile, and her good sense melted like butter in a hot skillet. His hands curved over hers as he lifted the horn to her mouth. The mead tasted sweeter than she’d expected, but the fermented drink was strong.
“I’d better not miss too often,” she said. “Or else I’ll be so drunk you’ll have to carry me to bed.”
His smile deepened, and Mary’s face turned bright red at the unintended innuendo. “It would be my honour,a stór.”
That was when the cheating began. At first, it seemed unintentional. A light brush against her shoulder when she threw the ball. Then Cian sneezed loudly at the moment she aimed at the target.
Mary wasn’t about to let cheaters prosper. No, she stretched her arms up, letting the edge of the man’s tunic she wore bare the skin of her shoulder. She stood beside Cian, whispering an innocent question in his ear when he tried to throw the ball.
In the end, her head was buzzing, and she felt like she was standing outside of herself. She’d never been this uninhibited before. It was like being among a group of brothers, who had no qualms about wrestling in front of her or daring her to drink another swallow of mead.
Later that night, Cian dragged her away, sweeping her into his arms. Both of them were laughing, and she found herself feeling better than she had in years. He brought her inside his roundhouse, and she held tightly to his neck.
Perhaps it was her impending death that made her so bold. Lord knew, she wasn’t the kind of woman who drank more than a glass of wine or two. And she certainly had never kissed a man within an hour of meeting him.
Cian was holding her body as though she weighed nothing. Slowly, he lowered her to stand in front of him, but she didn’t let go of him.
“Why is this place abandoned?” she whispered. “Why are there no women or children?”
The pain returned to his face, the edge of a man who shouldered endless guilt. “They left of their own accord. Because of me.”
“What could you possibly have done?” She traced her hand down his jawline, noting the scar upon his chin. This was a man who must have seen the face of death, over and over.
“It isn’t what I did. It’s what I saw. My curse.” He released her and went to the door. “But you needn’t trouble yourself over it. I’ll send Brían to find your family, and they’ll take you home.”
“I have no home or family. Not any more.” The cold shivers ran through her once again, and she clutched at her elbows. “I don’t even know how I got here.”
“Or what happened to your clothes?” he said grimly.
“No.” It was the only truth she could give him and, right now, she sensed he was going to leave her. “Will you stay with me?” She moved towards him, her knees swaying slightly from all the mead she’d drunk. “I’d rather not be alone tonight.”
His expression grew haggard. “I’m going to get you some stones from the fire outside. They will keep this space warm.”
You could keep me warm,she almost said. But then that was the mead responding, not her brain.
When he’d left, Mary sank down on the rough pallet, staring up at the thatched ceiling. She hadn’t allowed herself to be afraid before. But now, the fear coursed through her veins, filling her up inside. She had never really believed in the supernatural, but now, it seemed her life depended on it. There was no real proof that she would die on the morning of the third day. Then again, she’d watched her body fall lifeless into the fairy circle. She’d been sent back in time nearly a thousand years and had spoken to a man the size of her arm.
You’re either going crazy, or this is real.
Cian returned, using the butt of a spear to roll several heated stones into the space. And she knew that if she didn’t do something, he was going to leave her. He arranged the stones and stood back.
“Sleep now. In the morning, we’ll decide what to do.”
When he tried to leave, she blocked the doorway. “Cian, did I do something wrong?”
He rested his hand upon the wall. “No, there’s nothing.”
There was a look of indecision on his face, as though he wanted a reason to stay, but honour prevented it.
“I had fun tonight,” she whispered, touching her hand to his face. “Even if I can’t play ball to save my life.”
His face furrowed at her phrasing, and she reminded herself to watch the way she spoke.
“It’s been a long time since I had a reason to laugh,” he admitted. Cian covered her hand with his own. For a long moment, he looked upon her, his gaze searching.
I can be more spontaneous, she thought to herself. Maybe it’s time to be impulsive.
