Always Remembered (12 page)

“You should wear jeans more often,” I
blurted.

He watched with amusement as my face heated.
“Whatever you like, Meara.”

Why did I blush so easy? I busied myself
picking at the edge of the blanket. He reached over to still my
hand, and with his other, lifted my chin. “I like it when you
blush,” he said. “I find it adorable.”

He brushed his lips over mine, and then he
returned his attention to the picnic basket. Watching him set out
the food, I realized how hungry I was. Ula and I went straight to
Uncle Angus’ room after I spoke with Dad, and I didn’t have time to
eat after.

“Are you zoning out on me again?” Kieran
teased.

“What? Oh, sorry.” I twisted off a small
cluster of red grapes and popped one in my mouth. It was ripe and
sweet. “Mmm… these are good. Try one.”

I fed him a grape. His eyes heated when my
fingers brushed his lips. “That is good.” His voice was low and
husky. Was he talking about the grape? Before I could move my hand,
he grabbed my wrist and kissed my fingertips. Butterflies awoke in
my belly, and I shivered involuntarily. “A picnic was a good idea,
yes?”

“A wonderful idea,” I agreed. It came out a
little less enthusiastic than I intended, and of course, Kieran
noticed.

“What’s going on, Meara? What are you worried
about?” I started to say I was fine, but he interrupted. “Don’t
tell me you’re fine. I’ll know you’re lying, and I’ll read your
mind to find out the truth.”

“I can block you.” My response was
automatic.

“Can you?” he murmured, eyes smoldering.
“I’ll take that challenge.”

He pulled me into his lap, and I yelped in
surprise. That was all the invitation he needed to devour my mouth.
My hand slid into his hair. He gripped my hip with one hand, while
the other slid up the back of my shirt. His kiss was demanding, but
I met his passion with my own.

It ended as abruptly as it started, both of
us struggling for breath. Kieran’s face was scrunched up, and he
pouted. “Your dad contacted you, and you didn’t tell me?”

Damn
. That was twice today that I lost
a battle of wills. I ran my fingers through my hair. “I wanted to,
but you planned this romantic date. I didn’t want to spoil the
mood.”

“Too late,” he muttered under his breath, but
I heard him.

“You’re the one who invaded my thoughts,” I
said. “It wasn’t nice to kiss me to get information.” I picked up
some cubes of cheese and crackers. If Kieran planned to be mad at
me, that was fine. I wasn’t letting good food go to waste.

He blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m sorry,”
he said. “I’m hurt that you felt you couldn’t tell me. We can
reschedule a date. I know you’re worried about your dad and Brigid.
I wish you would’ve told me right away. This is big news.”

“It is,” I agreed, relieved he wasn’t upset.
Ruining our first date hadn’t been on my agenda today. “I can’t do
anything though. Uncle Angus made me promise to wait.”

“You didn’t promise you’d stay away
completely, only that you wouldn’t accompany Drust and Judoc on the
mission.”

I winced. “You saw that?”

His face broke into a full-toothed boast.
“Honey, I saw it all. Your shield didn’t even exist while I was
kissing you.”

“I’ll work on that.”

His eyes crinkled with humor. “I’m sure you
will.”

“It won’t happen again.”

He made a noncommittal noise and bit a piece
of cheese. His eyes grew distant, and I knew he was thinking about
rescuing my dad. The amount he cared continued to surprise me.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

Ignoring my question, he handed me a
sandwich. “Eat up. We need to get going.”

“Where?”

“To find Drust and Judoc before they leave.
Weren’t you listening to me?”

“I was,” I said, confused. “But why are we
finding them?” If we couldn’t go with them, I didn’t see the point
in tracking them down.

“I agree with you,” he said. “Those guys are
meatheads and doomed to fail without our help.”

“And with our help?” I asked skeptically.

“They have a slightly better chance.” He
shook his head. “I still don’t place high odds on their
success.”

We ate the rest of our food in silence, lost
in our own thoughts. The date had not turned out how I expected,
but for the moment, it was perfect.

“How do
you do it?” Evan asked. He convinced Deanna to spend another hour
at the underground apartment so she could try to teach him how to
access and control Ken’s thoughts.

“Let me ask you a question.” She leaned
forward, her forearms resting on her knees. “When did you know that
you could read Ken’s mind?”

“He was telling me the story of how their
mother was killed. While he didn’t say much out loud, I heard him
say Azuria in my mind. I felt his rage and vengeance too.”

“He spoke in your mind?” she asked.

Evan shook his head. “He didn’t intend to.
I’m sure that he has no idea that I heard what he was thinking. Do
you hear his voice, too?”

“Yes.” Deanna sat back. “My experience is
similar to yours, which is good. This might work.” She took a
breath and blew it out like she was nervous or anxious. “The only
way we can practice this is if I try to get into your head. Are you
okay with that?”

“Yes,” Evan said automatically. “I want to
learn.”

“Let’s start then.” A slight pain in his
temple was followed by an image of a young girl with pale green
hair. She swam alongside a beautiful woman with olive skin and dark
blue, flowing curls. “My mom,” Deanna said. “You see her, don’t
you?”

“Yes.”

“Did you feel when I entered your mind?”
Deanna asked. Evan nodded. “Perfect. That means you’ll feel
something similar when Ken tries to tap into your energy.”

“I have,” Evan said. “That’s why I was able
to limit how much energy he took.”

“Good. To trick him, you need to create a
false feeling, make him think he’s taking your power when he’s
not.”

“Won’t he feel something when I enter his
mind? Like the pain I felt when you entered mine?”

She tapped her lip with her fingertip and
considered his question. Finally, she said, “I don’t think so. When
I placed those fake memories in his head, he didn’t even react. I
don’t think he feels it. And I slip under his radar now, for the
most part, so I know it worked.”

“Slip under his radar? How?”

“He remembers me as one of the weakest of my
people. Sure, I have to endure his abuse, but he does not recall my
true identity.”

“Wait.” Shocked, Evan wanted to make sure he
understood. “You mean, he doesn’t remember that your mom was the
leader of the Sirens?”

“That’s what I mean exactly.” She gave him a
confident smile. “He thinks I am an orphan, an outcast among my
people.”

Evan was impressed. It probably took a lot of
magic and skill to fool Ken. “Who does know your true
identity?”

“The other Sirens, but they keep my secret.
It’s in their best interest to do so.” Her features darkened as she
scowled. “We all want to regain control of our lives.”

“Can they do what you do? Can they read
minds?” He was intrigued. It was strange that he had been down here
for several days, but the only people he interacted with so far
were Ken and Deanna. He wondered what the others were like.

“Not that I know of,” she said. “However, I’m
not sure they’ve ever tried. They’re scared. For the most part,
they follow orders and try to stay out of Ken’s way.” She settled
into her chair and gave Evan an encouraging smile. “Enough small
talk. It’s your turn now.”

“To do what?”

“Practice. You don’t think you’re going to
crack Ken’s head first try, do you? You need to practice. I’m the
perfect option.” She grinned. “I’m here, after all. And
willing.”

“What do I do?”

“First, see if you can get into my head. It
would be ideal if you can do it without me noticing.”

He frowned. She was so beautiful that it was
distracting. “Can you close your eyes or turn away or
something?”

Her smile was indulgent. “Sure.”

She closed her eyes, and her face took on a
peaceful expression. After a moment, one slim eyebrow rose. “Are
you trying?”

“No.” He cleared his throat.

“What are you waiting for?” Her tone was a
mix of humor and impatience. While she spoke, he focused on the
sound of her voice, the lift of her chest as she breathed in, the
curve of her cheek, and the slender line of her neck.

He’s so adorable. Does he realize how much
he affects me?

Evan heard her voice, cool and smooth, in his
head. He saw himself, only more handsome and stronger. His muscles
were sculpted, his eyes glowed a sapphire blue. Then he realized
that he was seeing himself as she saw him. Too perfect. He
remembered when he was ten years old and showing off on his bike,
trying to jump a ramp to impress Becky Martin, the freckled-faced
girl with the braids who was staying at the inn that week with her
parents. He missed the landing and chipped his tooth on the
handlebar. Deanna’s giggle distracted him, and he was once again in
his own head.

“Oh my! I hope that first kiss was worth the
pain,” she teased.

“It was.” He grinned. “Did I do okay placing
that image?”

“Okay? You were better than I was. I didn’t
even realize you were in my head until I saw that sweet little boy
tumbling head-first over his bike, and what could only be Becky
falling down laughing, tears in her eyes.”

“She teased me about it,” he said. “But she
still kissed me.”

Shaking her head in amazement, Deanna stood
and offered him her hand. “You’re going to do fine. I don’t think
Ken realizes that by creating you, he created his match.”

“You think I stand a chance?”

“I really do.” She nodded as a smile slowly
spread across her face. “I think you might just save us, Evan.”

He let her pull him up to standing, their
bodies almost touching. “A hero,” she whispered, stepping forward
and closing the distance. “You’re certainly mine.”

Her lips brushed over his, light and teasing.
Winding her hands into his hair, she pulled him closer. The sweet,
warm scent that was her surrounded him, causing a deep ache in his
chest. She slid her tongue along his mouth, encouraging him to open
it. He did, and she deepened the kiss, showing him with her
thoughts what she wanted to do. His breath caught, and his own
thoughts disappeared. Her throaty laugh filled his head.
Are you
willing?
He made a noise in agreement, unwilling to break
contact with her.

She slid her hands down and took his hands in
hers, walking backwards and leading him to the leather sofa.
Lowering herself onto it, she pulled him down with her.
You’re
an excellent student,
her voice whispered through his head,
and a fast learner.

Kieran
seemed to know where he was going. I followed closely behind him. I
had no clue where Dad’s guard trained. I didn’t even know how many
men he had in it. He took four with him and Brigid on their
mission, and I assumed they were all captured and imprisoned. Dad
didn’t say when I spoke to him, and I never asked. Two others were
already dead. They washed ashore at the beginning of summer. We
never determined the cause of death. Now, it was safe to assume the
Blue Men killed them. How many more would die before this was
over?

“They’re in the room up ahead,” Kieran said.
As we drew closer, he straightened his shoulders and lifted his
chin. Was he even aware of the shift in his stance? He went into
warrior mode so naturally.

“Drust. Judoc.” Kieran addressed them upon
entering the room. He was their equal, if not their superior. “I
take it that Angus filled you in on the details?”

“He did.” Judoc, the taller of the two men,
spoke first. “Are you coming with us, Kieran?”