The Morrigan: Damaged Deities (28 page)

Morrie nearly gasped with exasperation.  Her eyes were wide and she sat back as though struck. 

“What are you talking about?”

Nan studied her with an intense inspection, her lips pursed tightly. 

After a moment of thought, she said, “You don’t know, do you?”

“Know what?” Morrie asked, hating how confused and lost she felt. “Have you gone mad? I’ve heard it’s a common affliction with your kind.”

But rather than answer her, Nan just smiled a slow grin and sunk into the deep cushioned back of her armchair.  Before Morrie could question her further, footsteps fell on the hardwood floor behind her.

She turned around to see Kade following Robina in.  The Enchantress carried a tray full of cups and a tea pot.  The two of them smiled as though they had just finished a friendly conversation.

Morrie returned her attention to the Seer.  Nan was once again an old hag, dug low in her blankets.

“It might be best to wait awhile,” Nan took up her knitting needles, but did not yet put them to work.  Morrie glared, looking between her and Kade. “See if this horse doesn’t come tae ye.  I have a feeling he will be drawn tae ye, whether it be his will or no’.” 

But Morrie barely heard her.  Inside her head raged with questions as she studied Kade.  What was there that Nan saw and Morrie couldn’t?

“I wonder how ye haven’t found him already?”

“Found who?” Morrie asked as Nan’s question brought her back out of her mind.

“The horse.”

“I’ve no doubt Morrie can do it,” Kade interjected, but the two women ignored him.

Nan continued as though he hadn’t spoken. “Some things are so close, we can’t look past our own face tae see them.”

“And sometimes we shouldn’t try to look where there’s nothing to see at all,” Morrie replied through clenched teeth.

“There’s no need for a crystal ball when one can simply look tae the past tae know what lies in the future.  It is so hard for a tiger tae change her stripes.”

So the Seer knew about Morrie and Chulainn. 

Did she think she would hurt Kade the way she had hurt Chulainn?  Doubtless the hag knew the whole story.  Probably subscribed to the same folk tales and lies everyone else did. 

But the truth was now clear to Morrie.  This Mama Bear front of the Seer’s had all been to protect her precious human charge. 

Morrie jumped to her feet. “Thank you for your time, you’ve all been very helpful.”  She spun around, just catching Kade’s look of surprise before she hurried out the front door.

“Morrie!” Kade called to her back, but she was already across the lawn, shoving through the little gate.

“Morrie!”

She reached the truck and stopped, crossing her arms and pacing to control her anger.

“Wait a minute now, lass, what’s wrong?”  He reached out his hands to take hold of her arms.

“Nothing’s wrong,” she spat, slipping away before he could touch her. “They were no help so there was no point in wasting any more time.” 

It was a good lie she told herself, but it was still a lie. 

The Seer’s words shouldn’t have affected her so and really, Morrie couldn’t give a damn what the hag thought or knew about her past with Chulainn. 

It was the insinuation! 

That Morrie would do the same to Kade as she had done to Chulainn that utterly rattled her.  That had upset her.

Also realizing she might have…
shudder
…lost her powers was also disconcerting.

Kade wouldn’t let her pull away from him. 

“What are ye talking about?” He grabbed her by the elbows and held her in place. 

Morrie couldn’t get free so she let him hold her and leaned back against the truck’s passenger side door, unable to look at him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” She scowled up at him, but he saw through her lie.  His eyes warmed, his cheek dimpling with his grin, and he stepped up closer.

“They’re just a couple of ol’ biddies, nothing tae be jealous of,” he laughed.

Morrie gasped, her eyes wide. “I am Not. Jealous.”

“Are ye sure? I’ve never seen ye behave like that.”

“Never?  In the
week
you’ve known me?” she tried to push him away, but he didn’t budge. 

Instead, he only drew closer until their bodies were nearly touching.

“It’s alright, love.  I thought ye were rather adorable in green.” He chucked her under the chin with his finger.

“Asshole!” She punched him in the shoulder but it had no effect.  He only laughed more and leaned in closer.

“I like that ye’re jealous,” he murmured, dipping his head to hers. 

“I’m not jealous,” she pouted.  He rested his hands on the truck on either side of her, caging her in those muscled arms of his. “What are you doing?”

“Waitin’ for ye tae admit it.”

His face was barely inches away from hers now.  His lips so close she felt his warm breath on her mouth. 

He bent his arms and brought his chest near hers, a hair’s width away.  His body overshadowed and overpowered her.

“You said you wouldn’t touch me first,” she said, her chest rising with each deep inhale to meet his.  His lips captivated her; she watched and waited for their touch even if she wasn’t sure if she’d bite him if they did.

“I’m not touching ye,” he replied softly, nearly brushing her lips with his. “Not unless ye want me tae.”

Morrie was nearly faint now.  Her hands pressed into the metal side of the truck behind her, she thought she would surely dent it. 

That gravitational pull of him was almost impossible to fight, everything about it eliciting warm, molten sensations throughout her body.

“Just say the word, Morrie.” Kade’s breathing had grown as deep as hers.  She knew he shared her torment. 

But then Nan’s warning flashed through her mind and she just barely found the strength to push him away.

“No!” She slipped free from his cage and stepped back. “I just want to go home.”

“Which home?” Kade’s eyes burned bright.

“
My
home.  I need to go back.  Where are the keys?”

Biting down on his frustration, Kade ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

“In the ignition.  But wait a minute so I can go say good-bye.  We’ll discuss this further when I return.  Ye’re not going back tae America.”

Morrie crossed her arms and nodded, a placating response, glaring at the back of his head as he disappeared back inside the cottage.

C
HAPTER
T
WENTY-
F
OUR

“Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more…”

William Shakespeare

As soon as he turned his back on that lethal scowl, Kade should have known better than to leave Morrie with the keys to the truck. 

After questioning Nan about her odd behavior—to no avail—and then saying good-bye to her and Robina, Kade returned outside to find Morrie and the truck gone. 

Once again she left him stranded. 

Kade bit down a curse.

At some point, he was going to make her pay for her childish antics.  Maybe by taking her over his knee…But right now he was so worried about her threat to go home that he could only think of getting back and stopping her.

Kade’s unsated lust and painful erection kept him company on the long walk home. 

Part of it he ran, hoping the stubborn woman wouldn’t get the notion to actually leave tonight. 

If he at least had the evening, he could try to change her mind.  Even if it meant breaking his promise to her.

 By the grace of God, he encountered Shamish McConnell driving his grain in that antiquated horse and wagon he insisted on using.  This time Kade was grateful for it as Shamish picked him up on the side of the road and gave him a ride back to the manor.

By the time he walked inside the house, Kade had devised all manor of ways in which he would punish Morrie—none of them involved her wearing any clothes. 

He was marching down the hall to hunt the little lass down when his brother came out of his room, stopping him.

“Good, you’re home,” Kamden said.

“Aye and I’m busy.”

“It can wait.”

Kade glared at his brother.  He was growing quite tired of being opposed at every turn, the little horse trainer being the top of his list of aggravators.

“Fuck off,” he growled and continued his march to her room.

“Kade!”  His brother’s tone halted him.  Kade turned around.

“What?”

“The foreman at our plant outside Edinburgh has quit and a new one needs to be hired.  I need ye tae handle it for me. “

“Why canna ye no’ go?”

His brother frowned at him. “Ye know bloody well why no’.  Especially after what happened last night.  The meetings are set up for first thing tomorrow morning.  You need tae go tonight.”

He could argue and they’d fight, with Kade hurting Kamden and eventually agreeing out of guilt so he thought he’d just cut to the end. 

Guilt was an ugly thing.

Kade sighed, his shoulders slumping.

“Will ye do it?” Kamden asked.

“Aye,” he answered, his voice low and steady. “I’ll do it.”  Kade turned to call the helicopter in.  “But I need you tae do somethin’ for me.”

“What is it?” Kamden looked concerned.

“Make Morrie stay.  Something…happened at Nan’s this afternoon and she’s all worked up for some reason.  I think she’s frustrated by this whole horse business.”

Kamden’s eyebrows rose. “What do you want me tae do?”

“Don’t let her leave! She has it in her hard, little head that she needs tae go home.”

“How do you suggest I keep her here?”

“Tie her up if you have tae, I don’t give a damn.”

“Kade…”

“Then tell her you saw the horse.” Kade felt his cheeks flame and yet a cold dread wash over him at once.  He gave his brother a pointed look. “It wouldna be a lie, would it?”

“Ye’ve had plenty ladies come and go, what makes this one different?”

Feeling tired and defeated, Kade ran his hands through his hair.

“Because truthfully, I feel a connection tae her.  I don’t know what it is, but I feel it deep within my bones.  I think…” Dare he say it? “…I could have a future with her.  But she’s no’ making it easy.”

“Then ye best fight for her,” Kamden adopted his serious tone. “Because whether I keep her now or not, she leaves in two weeks.”

“I know,” Kade was all too aware of the expiration date on their time together.  How could he make her stay?  Was that what he really wanted?  Already?

“But get yer shit done in Edinburgh first.”

Kamden, always the business man. 

Easy for him to dictate orders from the comfort of his study at home.

“Aye, I’ll get yer foreman hired,” Kade sighed.

“And I’ll keep your precious Morrie safe.”

Kade had interviewed no fewer than forty blokes for the foreman job.  The process had spanned the entire week, finally coming to an end just before the weekend.  That time he had traveled from his office at the plant to his suite at the hotel, drowning in whiskey every night until he passed out with Morrie’s face branded on his mind.