Across the Veil (2 page)
Authors: Lisa Kessler
“Keth?” She jumped, sending a wave of bath water out onto the floor.
He drank in the sight of her bare shoulders, the gentle slope of her neck, her full lips and flushed cheeks, and finally her crystal blue eyes.
“Were you expecting someone else?” The thought alone made his shoulders tense.
She settled back into the bath, but not before he caught her gaze sliding up his body. “I was expecting a polite knock at the door.”
He held up his fist, showing the ornate vine tattoo that wrapped around his wrist. “
You
summoned
me
, remember?”
She held up her arm, exposing her matching vine. “Yes, I remember.”
“We made this pact as children. The vine would call us back together if we were ever in trouble.” He scanned the small expanse of her trailer and finally met her eyes again. “You don’t appear to be in any danger.”
Her hand splashed back into the tub. “Can I get dressed before we have this talk?”
He shrugged. “Go ahead.”
“Alone. You wait outside.” Her brow furrowed, and if he’d been in a better mood he would have found the crease in her forehead comical. Talia could never pull off a cross expression in his presence. He could always make her laugh.
Those days were long behind them now.
Talia emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a white robe. Knowing she was naked underneath distracted him. Being this close to her brought back too many memories.
“I didn’t know you crossed the veil.” She sat on her small sofa, tucking her legs underneath herself.
He shrugged. “Faldo had a price on my head. In the beginning it was easier to hide in this world.”
“He wants to kill you?” She shot off the sofa. “Why?”
“Because he knows I...” He stopped himself short of admitting his feelings. Clearing his throat, he added, “He saw us at the lake, Talia.”
“He knew?” Her hand went to her throat, and her gaze moved over to her tiny coffee table. “He could have declared
braitheann sí
. I would have been cast out, or killed for my betrayal.”
“No.” He stepped closer. “I gave him my word that you would marry him, and in turn he would not accuse you before the High Council.”
“You did what?”
He never saw the slap coming. She stared up into his eyes and lowered her voice. “How could you wish such a horrible fate on me? I loved you.”
“If I had not given him my word. He would have told the council. Once he claimed
braitheann sí
, your fate would have been out of my hands.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Instead you broke my heart and gave your word that I would marry a hateful man I didn’t love?”
“You would still be alive.”
“But what kind of life would it have been?”
He reached out to touch her cheek, his gaze following the trail of his fingers, before meeting her eyes again. “I couldn’t bear the thought of anyone hurting you, Talia.”
“So you did it yourself,” she whispered.
Her words cut into him, but he deserved every stab. She turned away and picked up something off of her coffee table. When she faced him again, she was holding up a tiny stone.
“I summoned you because Faldo paid me a visit last night. He threatened to send the sentinel to bring me back to Summerland unless I found you and placed this enchanted stone in your pocket. He said he would be able to track you in any world.”
Keth made no move to touch the stone. His gaze remained steady on her face.
“My jacket is in the car.”
Her eyes widened. “You don’t expect me to put this anywhere near you, do you?”
“If it means he will leave you alone to live your life in this world, then yes. Let him find me.”
“No.” Her hand closed around the stone. And she poked her finger against his chest. “You don’t get to make decisions for me anymore.”
Keth grabbed her hand with every intention of taking the stone from her, but once he touched her, and watched her lips part as she stared up at him, he found himself pulling her closer. When his lips claimed hers, she stiffened, but she didn’t pull away. His arms slid around her, pulling her closer to his chest as his tongue brushed against her lips. He growled into the kiss when her lips parted and he finally tasted her again. His entire body reacted, his pulse racing while her hands slid up his chest and into his long dark hair.
How many years had he longed for this moment, for another chance to love this woman? Too many. Breathless, he whispered as he kissed her over and over again, “
Sainmhíniú.
Curse me from the Light, I cannot stop loving you.”
1
Talia felt her heart pounding inside of her chest. She’d been an actress in Hollywood for over five years now and had shared impassioned kisses with many of Hollywood’s hottest actors. But they were boys compared to the man who held her tight in his arms. He kissed her lips like she was water in a dry desert, like she was the sun to his moon, like she was the only woman in this world or any other who mattered.
His fingers slid inside of her robe, sending electricity racing through her veins. Her skin was on fire, sensitive and hungry for his attention. But as his palm moved up, around her rib cage, teasing the side of her breast, her brain kicked in.
She couldn’t survive loving this man. He’d pierced her heart so deeply that she’d left the only world she ever knew. If she allowed him to hurt her again, there would be no where left to run. No relief from the pain. No escape.
Talia broke the kiss and stepped back, tugging her robe tight again. “I can’t do this, Keth. Not again.”
He stood before her, his eyes on fire with passion, and shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
“You don’t?” She caught herself staring at his perfect lips and shook her head. “You hurt me, Keth. My heart and soul were yours. I offered myself to you freely. I trusted you and you turned your back on me.”
A tear spilled down her cheek. “The only thing holding me together was my new life here, and my anger at you. Now you walk into my life and turn it upside down and I’m supposed to be thrilled and bed you right here in my living...” She glanced around her tiny trailer, realizing it didn’t even earn the designation of a room. “Area? I don’t think so.”
He raked his fingers back through his long black hair, every chiseled muscle of his biceps tempting her. She gnawed at her lower lip, fighting to protect what was left of her heart, but her body was doing everything in its power to betray her.
“I already explained. My brother found out about us, Talia. He told me he was going to name you a betrayer. He would declare
braitheann sí
with the High Council. I didn’t
want
you to marry him. Just the thought of him touching you makes my stomach retch.” He took a step closer, reaching up to wipe her tear away. His thumb lingered, sliding along her jaw. “But I would rather spend a lifetime in jealous torment, than face a day in a world without you in it.”
“So you lied to my face. You looked me in the eyes and told me you didn’t love me. You told me to marry Faldo.”
His eyes narrowed, and his teeth ground together. “I was protecting you, Talia.”
“No.” She shook her head, tilting her chin up a notch. “You were breaking my heart.”
“You don’t think it killed me to see you cry and know it was my fault? You don’t think it has tortured me for the past five years seeing you on television in the arms of other men?”
“You watched me on television?” He nodded and seemed to relax a little, but he frowned when he realized she wasn’t smiling. Talia crossed her arms. “So you’ve been here all these years, and you never even attempted to talk to me?”
His brow furrowed. “When you left me that night, you told me you never wanted to see me again.”
“Of course I did. You had just broken my heart.”
“I was respecting your wishes.”
“No, you were being a self-centered jerk. You should have found me and apologized so I could have forgiven you.”
He rubbed his forehead. “So by protecting you, I broke your heart; and by honoring your wishes, I was a bastard?”
“Self-centered jerk,” she corrected.
Keth growled and stormed across the room, all two steps of it, and scooped her up into his arms. He stared down into her eyes as the corner of his mouth pulled up, hinting at a smile. “Woman, you make no sense.”
She laughed in spite of herself. “I’ve missed you too.”
Her smiled faded as she stared up into his green eyes. Right now they were dark, like a forest after a storm, and full of emotion. He bent to kiss her, softer this time, slowly nibbling at her lower lip as he whispered, “I am so sorry for hurting you, Talia.” Breaking the kiss he growled, “
An aimsir láithreach
.”
“I love you too,” she whispered as their lips fused together again. His tongue found hers, tangling together while her limbs ached to do the same. Keth carried her to the couch and lowered her without breaking the kiss. As he rested above her, his fingers tangling in her red hair, she could feel his arousal against her thigh. Talia shivered with desire and moved her leg, brushing against him.
He groaned into the kiss, his fist tightening in her hair as his other hand slid down her side until he found the opening in her robe. With his fingers splayed, he slid his hand up her abdomen to cup her breast.
She moaned; her back arching into his touch. Keth broke the kiss, nibbling his way down her neck to her shoulder.
Suddenly, the door burst open. A huge man with gray eyes, draped in a blue cloak and carrying an iron staff entered her tiny trailer followed by Faldo. Keth’s brother pointed an accusatory finger at them and bellowed, “
Braitheann sí
.” Meeting her eyes, he growled, “Betrayer.” Faldo tipped his head toward the Sentinel. “Take her back to Summerland. The High Council can decide her fate.”
The Sentinel pulled his hood back, revealing his blood-red hair. Sentinels were the muscle of Fae royalty. They couldn’t wield Fae magic. Troll blood existed in their lineage. So what they lacked in magic, they more than made up for in brute strength. The iron staff would weaken most Fae spells anyway.
As the Sentinel stepped forward, Keth leapt to his feet. “You’ll have to kill me first.”
“With pleasure.” Faldo’s mouth twisted into a sick smile. “I have waited all my life for this.”
Keth raised a brow. “No vampires to fight your battle for you this time, Brother?”
“Vampires?” Talia got up to stand beside him. “Vampires aren’t real.”
“This coming from a Princess of the Fae.” Keth shook his head. “Just because you haven’t seen one, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. I can assure you they’re very real. My dear brother has been sending them to attack me regularly since I crossed the veil.”
Faldo shoved the Sentinel. “Enough talk. Seize her.”
The hulking troll lumbered forward, but Keth dodged his big hand. He lounged forward and hit the creature’s knees. The sentinel waved his arms before toppling over. The entire trailer rocked and the supports squealed with the force of his fall. Putrid breath expelled from the Sentinel’s lips as Keth sprang back to his feet.
“Let’s finish this, Brother,” Keth growled. “Just you and me.”
Faldo’s smirk spread as his eyes flicked toward Talia. Before Keth could react, his brother had her by the throat. “Stay back or I will kill her now.”
Talia’s blue eyes met his, but there was no fear in her stare. Instead he saw determination. She had a plan.
Keth stalled for time. “Why do you want to crush such a precious flower? Talia has always been yours, Faldo, and you have never deserved her.”
Faldo’s face flushed red. He grabbed her forearm and jerked it up, exposing the vine that matched Keth’s wrist. “She has never been mine. You saw to that when you claimed her for yourself…”
His words ended abruptly when Talia jammed her knee into his groin. His face paled as he bent over in pain. She slammed the heel of her palm into his nose and followed it by bringing her elbow down between his shoulder blades. Faldo crumpled onto her carpet, blood trickling from his nose.
“I don’t
belong
to anyone,” she huffed. “I’m not a sack of grain or a pretty piece of jewelry.”
Keth started to smile, but from the corner of his eye, he saw something move. His smile faded when he realized the Sentinel was struggling to stand.
“Get behind me, Talia.”
She did as he asked, and he steadied himself into a fighting stance, ready to counter the creature’s next move. While they circled each other, Talia suddenly ran past him and looped a large metal ringed belt around the Sentinel.
“
Diúltach
,” she commanded, but the Sentinel kept swiping at her with his large hands. She dodged and glanced at Keth. “Sorry, my magic doesn’t ever work right on this side of the veil.”
“
Diúltach
,” Keth growled at the Sentinel. “I am your master now.”
The Sentinel quieted, his arms lowering to his sides. “You have to combine our magic with human commands. It’s still not as strong, but I can usually count on it to work.” He looked over at his unconscious older brother, and then smiled at Talia. “When did you learn to fight?”
She pulled her robe tighter and lifted her chin. “I’m not a little princess anymore. I’ve taken self-defense classes. I can take care of myself.”
He raised a brow and nodded. “I can see that.”
“So what should we do with him now?” She pointed at Faldo. “We can’t just leave him here for the humans to find.”
Keth clenched his jaw as he stared down at his older brother. “We can’t let him live. He’ll never stop hunting us.”
