Then the male fairy nodded, and suddenly both fairies vanished. There one moment, then gone.
Exhaling gustily. Gabby clenched her hands into little fists and tinned to Adam. "Are all of you so damned arrogant?"
"What do you mean? What are they saying?"
"They're not saying anything. They're gone. They called me an 'it', said something to each other, and vanished."
His eyes narrowed. "If this is some kind of trick.. ."
"It's not," she said impatiently. "I swear, they were here. I was trying to talk to them, and they just vanished."
"What did they look like?" he demanded.
She described them, adding that the male had called the female "Aine."
Rolling his eyes, he groaned. "I know her."
"And?"
"She's a princess from Aoibheal's line, the First House of the D'Anu, and the only thing royal about her is how much of a pain in the ass she is. But she'll help me. She'll be back."
"Are you sure?"
He nodded. "Yes, Aine has always had a bit of a thing for me. Perhaps more than a bit. Actually." he said with a long-suffering sigh, "she's obsessed with me."
Figured, Gabby thought irritably. Even other fairies weren't immune to his seduction. What did that say about a human woman's chances? There should be a vaccine against Adam Black. And all women should be given it at birth.
"Sit," he said, gesturing to the bench beside him. "It won't be long. She'll be back. Aine will refuse me nothing."
Gabby began to sit, then stopped. Another fairy had suddenly appeared over by the fountain, alone. A solitary one. Just what she'd been hoping for all afternoon. Just what Adam had said she'd never find. "Well, you were wrong," she grumbled, feeling inexplicably irked about Aine-who-would-refuse-him-nothing, "because there's a fairy over there, all by himself."
Adam surged to his feet, inhaling sharply, audibly. "What? Where? No. wait— don't point, ka-lyrra. Don't even look at him again. Or at me. Move away, give me your back, then tell me what he looks like." he hissed.
Gabby glanced at him. She couldn't help it— he sounded so alarmed.
"Don't look at me," he hissed again softly. "Do as I said."
Jarred by the urgency in his voice. Gabby obeyed, moving away. Turning, giving him her profile, she rested her hands on a low stone wall that encircled an arrangement of sculptured shrubs and flowers and pretended to be enjoying the view. Dropping her head forward so her hair shielded her face, she said clearly, softly, "He's tall. Copper hair, gold highlights. Black torque and armbands. wearing—"
"White robes and he has a scar on his face," Adam finished for her.
"Yes."
"Gabrielle, walk away from me this instant and don't look back. As fast and far as you can. Do it. Now."
But, damn the woman, he should have known she wouldn't obey a direct order again. The first time must have been a fluke; she obviously didn't have an obedient, malleable bone in her body.
She looked back at him, searching his face, her brows drawn in confusion.
And was that a touch of concern in her lovely green-gold eyes? Concern for him? Though he was pleased to see the first hint of such weakness, at the moment, it could prove her undoing. She'd just described Darroc and, if Darroc got his hands on him in his current condition, well... he wouldn't be having an audience with Aoibheal— ever again. And if Darroc got his hands on Gabrielle... Adam tensed, refusing to complete the thought. Bloody hell, he hadn't anticipated this! "Go." he growled.
But even as he said it, he saw her face change. She was no longer looking at him; her gaze had fixed on a point slightly to the right of and behind him. Her mouth had dropped open, her eyes had gone impossibly wide, and her face was bloodlessly white.
"H-h-h— huuuumh— huuumh-'' she gurgled.
Adam reacted instantly, able to think of only one thing that might put that look on her face and make her tongue trip all over an H.
Hunters.
"G-g-g— " she tried again.
And if there were Hunters in the same place as Darroc, they hadn't come for her. At least not first. There were thousands of years of bad blood between him and the High Council Elder, and he could think of little Darroc would enjoy more than watching the Hunters rip him to pieces while he was in mortal form. Then and only then would he turn his attentions to the Sidhe-seer. And his petite ka-lyrra wouldn't stand a chance. In Darroc's hands, every dark and twisted fairy tale she'd ever been told would come true.
He launched himself at her.
Christ, they were surrounded by danger that he couldn't see!. How was he supposed to protect her? Whose stupid bloody idea had this been, anyway?