AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I haven’t because I was only gone for a few hours.”
“Hours? Quinn, you think I’m kidding you? It’s been six months.”
“I know, here.”
“Ach, what do you—” She stops, looking at my eyes as her own go wide. “The Fae.”
“Aye.”
“Oh Quinn, what happened?”
“One of the Unseelie. I thought she was my friend. She came to talk, that was all. We took a walk, and I didn’t think we’d gone to the Fae realms but obviously we did.”
“How do we explain that to the clan?” Alesoun asks.
“To Duncan,” I add. “The clan hates me anyway, but Duncan…” My throat clenches tight, choking off any further words.
I swallow hard. This isn’t the time or place no matter how much I’m hurting. I take a deep breath and dry my eyes with my sleeve. Alesoun squeezes my arm and nods her support.
“He’ll understand,” she says. “He’s a dunderheaded man, but if I know anything it’s this. He loves you.”
I smile through my despair even as a shiver rocks me. I sniffle, pushing down the sorrowful feelings. This is my life. I’m a girl out of time, out of place, and completely tied up with forces I don’t comprehend. If Duncan wanted simple, he picked the wrong girl.
“Alesoun.” Duncan’s voice echoes off the stone walls of the cavern.
It’s deep and warm, as the sound folds back on itself, reflecting from stone worn smooth by millions of hands and weather. His baritone is like audible arms wrapping me in their delicate, beautiful notes, lifting my heart even as fear of what he’ll do or say pushes in.
Alesoun and I turn as one towards the entrance to the cavern. My heart is hammering, and my breath is ragged and my knees go weak. I’m not sure I won’t pass out any second. The sun is behind him as he enters. He’s a dark shadow but there’s no mistaking that outline. I know it too well. He stops just inside, frozen in place.
“Quinn.” He breathes my name and I want to run to him, but I’m frozen in place.
He takes a step forward and the scent of him fills my nose. Musk, sweat, heather, and a hint of sandalwood that is new, but something else too. He isn’t standing straight, keeping his weight on his left leg and one hand is clenched to his right.
We stare at each other and the seconds tick past. I can barely make out his face from the backlight. His lips purse and my own tingle with memory of his kiss.
“Duncan,” I say.
He turns his back to me, and all but hopping on his one good leg he leaves the cave.
ChapterTwenty-Four
“Duncan, wait!”I shout and run after him.
He is obviously hurt, walking away, and he has a lead. Outside the cave I have to pause to let my eyes adjust. As I blink I see him hobbling along the cliff wall. An empty ache throbs in my chest where my heart should be, watching him leave me behind.
It doesn’t matter. I’ll talk to him. Once he knows what happened, he’ll understand.
Hiking up my skirts I run with tunnel vision on his retreating back. Distantly I hear a squawk I’m sure is Dugald’s raven, but the last thing I want to deal with now is any of the Fae. Moira screwed me without warning, and I don’t care which one of them I meet first, I’m going to set them all straight.
“Woah,” Rob says, appearing in front of me and putting his hands up to stop me.
“Out of my way, Rob,” I snap.
“Ah’ll not be doing that,” he says, shaking his head. “Quinn, I respect you because of the way you handled yourself rescuing Duncan, but I can’t let you do this to him.”
“You don’t understand,” I yell, and try to push past him, but he’s big and strong.
Magic bubbles in my core, stronger than it’s been since I’ve returned.
