Although the engineer inside protested at what she was about to do, playing her life safe had never gotten her anywhere. She had less than two days left, so why not?
Mary stood on her tiptoes, her face nearing Cian’s. She moved slowly, giving him every chance to pull away. Instead, his mouth came down upon hers, kissing her like a desperate man. She clung to him, unable to catch her breath. His arms slipped around her waist, lifting beneath the tunic to her bare back. He worshipped her skin with his hands, pulling her tightly against his body.
Too fast. She couldn’t stop the rush of feelings, nor rein in her own response. But common sense evaporated in the intensity of his kiss. He threaded his hands through her hair, altering the embrace until he laid her down upon the pallet. She tasted the mead upon his tongue, the intensity of his desire for her. And when at last he broke away, she pleaded, “Stay with me tonight. Don’t go.”
He cursed, dragging his mouth against her lips for another kiss. “I’ll sleep in this hut, to keep you safe. But I swear, I won’t dishonour you.”
“Please stay. That’s all I ask.”
He slept on the opposite side of the hut, atop a folded cloak. In the middle of the night, she heard him awaken. The nightmare caught him and he started speaking Irish, his words tangled up with fear. Mary felt her way towards him and knelt down.
“Cian, wake up. It’s only a dream.”
He reached out and pulled her to him. His body was trembling, and she soothed him, running her hands over his tight muscles. “It’s OK. I’m here.”
His breathing was unsteady, and at last he seemed to realize where he was. “I wasn’t supposed to fall asleep.”
“Isn’t that what most people do at night?”
“Not me.” He sat up, but Mary supported his weight, her arms still around him. “I try not to sleep. Then, when I must, I sleep so hard the dreams don’t come.”
That explained why his eyes were always so tired. “It’s not healthy.”
“Neither are my dreams.”
“What did you dream of?” He remained silent, and she had a sudden suspicion. “Did you dream of me?”
She rose up on her knees, turning to face him. In the darkness, she couldn’t see his face, but she touched his shoulders. “Tell me what you saw.”
“Don’t you understand?” he whispered. “My dreams come true. All of them have happened, just as I saw them.”
“You dreamed of me. You said you’d been waiting twenty years.”
He emitted a harsh laugh. “Aye. Twenty years for the worst nightmare of all my days.”
He took both of her wrists in his hands. “I saw you dying, just now. I saw you in my arms, the moment the last breath of life left you. Just as I saw the deaths of each of my family and friends. It’s why they left. Why they all leave.”
“Everyone dies,” she said softly. “And whether you see it or not, doesn’t make you responsible.”
“I can’t stop their deaths. Not even yours.”
“I know it.” She moved closer to him, cupping his face. “I have a curse of my own, Cian. From the Daoine Sídhe. I’m going to die before the sun rises tomorrow morning, so the man said. The difference is, I’m not going to waste my last day wishing I had more time.”
She pressed a kiss against his mouth. “I’m going to enjoy every last moment of it.” And she had no intention of telling him the rest of the story. There was nothing that would drive a man away faster than for him to feel cornered in a relationship.Fall in love with me, or I’m going to die.If that wasn’t pressuring a man, she didn’t know what was.
Cian didn’t question her certainty, but instead lowered his forehead to hers. “Then I won’t waste the last hours I have with you, either.” He lifted her in his arms and took her back to bed. With his arms around her, she fell asleep once again.
Cian eased off the pallet, letting Mary sleep a little longer. He left her a plate of bread and some venison to break her fast. Though she claimed she knew of her impending death, he wondered if there was a way to prevent it. Tomorrow, before the sun rises, she’d said. He struggled to recall every detail of his vision, but all he could remember was her lying in his arms before she stopped breathing.
She wandered outside, her eyes sleepy. A slight smile tilted her mouth and she held out the plate. “Thank you for the breakfast. Did you want some?”
He was beginning to grow accustomed to her strange speech. Though he suspected there was a great deal about her that he didn’t know, he asked no questions. Right now, he didn’t want the answers.
“I’m fine.”
Mary set the half-eaten plate of food aside. “Well, if you change your mind, it’s there.” She glanced up at the sky, which was full ofclouds. “Doesn’t look like I’ll have good weather for my last day alive.”
He stood up and took her hand. “Don’t talk that way.”
