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“True. None interested her, or her father. Until a great warrior came along. Fionn had proven himself in many a battle, and led a troop of skilled warriors. And so the two were engaged to be married.”
“So far, this love story isn’t very impressive,” I muttered.
But he didn’t respond to my snide comment. “They held an engagement feast for the fortunate couple. And it was at this celebration that Grainne met Diarmuid, one of Fionn’s elite warriors. Grainne fell instantly and desperately in love. To get him alone, she drugged the entire assembly, causing them to pass out.”
“Wait.” I released a small laugh. “She spiked the punch?”
His eyes remained steadily on the stars above. “Some will go to any lengths to be with the one they love.”
“I guess so.” I dropped my gaze to his hand, resting on his leg, his fingers long and elegant, and found myself wondering if he touched me the way Mark did, if it would feel the same or different. God, I wanted to find out.
His eyes flicked toward me and he shifted, lifting his hand from his leg and shoving it into the pocket of his jacket. “Everyone fell unconscious except Grainne and Diarmuid. It was then that Grainne confessed her love to Diarmuid, and the two fled the gathering together. When Fionn awakened and discovered them gone, he flew into a rage. Fionn pursued the lovers across the kingdom. Many said he was seeking vengeance against Diarmuid—that Fionn believed the two had been lovers behind his back, and he sought to kill Diarmuid for his treachery. But that is not why Fionn sought the pair. Fionn believed Diarmuid had stolen Grainne against her will, and he sought to free her from Diarmuid’s grasp. For years, Diarmuid and Grainne hid from Fionn. They took refuge in a cave. But while there, a giant boar attacked them. Diarmuid defeated the beast, but became badly gored, and that was when Fionn found them.
“Grainne pled with Fionn to save Diarmuid’s life. Fionn, you see, had a special ability. Any who drank from his hands would instantly be healed. When Fionn saw how much Grainne loved Diarmuid, he agreed, but by the time he returned with the water, Diarmuid had died.”
I frowned, hugging my knees tighter. “That’s it?”
“That was the end for Diarmuid and Grainne,” he said softly.
My fingers dug into my legs. “All those years, Fionn never figured it out? If he had stopped chasing them, Diarmuid wouldn’t have died.”
His brow drew down into a scowl. “Fionn is not to blame for Diarmuid's demise.”
“Who else? If he hadn’t been chasing them, they wouldn’t have been at that cave. And then he basically let Diarmuid die right in front of Grainne. Poor girl.”
A tenseness hardened his body. “Perhaps if Grainne had been upfront with Fionn instead of running off without a word, the whole misunderstanding might have been avoided.”
I studied him, a warning sounding in the back of my mind. “She must have feared what Fionn might do. She probably realized he wouldn’t let her leave.”
“Did Grainne know that for certain? If she had spoken her heart, perhaps Fionn might have understood. Either way, at least Diarmuid would still be alive.”
I sat a little straighter, dropping my legs to the ground. “No. Men like Fionn can’t get over their pride that a woman doesn’t want them.”
He looked at me then. The blackness of his gaze lit ablaze, searing straight through me. I grasped the old splintered wood of the bench and inched back until the metal armrest dug against my spine.
“Pride,” he growled. The black flames in his eyes grew all consuming. “Though difficult, can be cast aside with time. It is pain, your majesty, that is near impossible to overcome and drive men to extreme acts.”
The seat’s ragged edges jabbed into my clammy palms, and I fought to keep my breathing steady. My whole body trembled. I should never have sat down. “Who are you?”
He leaned toward me. “You know who I am.”
The faceless image of the one person I’d do anything never to encounter suddenly filled with black hair, a firm jaw and eyes as vast as the sky. I shrunk back. His lips twisted into a dark smile.
“I am Dagda, king of the faeries. Your husband.”
Chapter 3
Thenightairwasa thousand needles pricking my skin. I jumped to my feet and backed away. “N-no, you’re not. Dagda is old. You’re young. Y-you’re normal.”
He gave a low chuckle, never moving from the bench. “You do know that faeries cannot lie, yes? I figured things might go… more easily, if I presented a younger visage.”
Oh god, oh god. He’s here. He’s come for me.I looked out over the deserted playground as if someone might be nearby to rescue me. But there was no one.
“So, what?” I fought to keep the tremor out of my words. “Because I turned nineteen, you show up expecting me to go to faerieland with you?”
He rose off the bench, and I tripped back another step, my bare feet sliding across the grass.
“Come now, Morrigan, I could have brought you home whenever I desired.” His voice rumbled from the shadows, both harsh and condescending. “It is time you stop playing these games and return with me to the Otherworld.”
