Earth's Requiem(80)

“Y-You do not understand. We have never been your enemy,” Metae gasped before enough blood gushed out of her wound to silence her forever.

Aislinn slipped to the ground along with the Lemurian’s inert body. She yanked hard to get her blade back. Metae’s reptilian scales had closed about it like a vise. “Let’s get out of here,” she said to Rune. Christ, she’d killed an Old One. In fact, they’d killed three. What would the rest of them do once they found out?

She answered her own question, suddenly iced to her bones. Hunt me down to the end of my days, that’s what. No longer worried about magic giving her away, she curved an arm around Rune’s neck. She’d had time to rethink her exit strategy. It wouldn’t take much magic to jump them back to the top of the rock fall near the place in the tunnel that led into Marta’s house.

Half expecting a rush of Lemurians to mob them, Aislinn cast a jump spell. The rockslide fell away beneath them. She raced through the upper tunnel with Rune by her side and loosed the spell to open the gateway when they were still fifty feet away. As soon as it opened, she and Rune skittered through.

She was about to pat herself on the back herself for a mission at least partially accomplished, when hands grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard. Grabbing her dirk, she writhed against her assailant and prepared to fight. Rune raced to her side, whining. Why hadn’t he launched himself at whoever held her?

Understanding slammed home. Fionn! The basement was dark, but she could smell him. Anger lent an exotic edge to his normally musky scent.

“Ye were supposed to wait for me. What the fuck, Aislinn? Where have ye been?” He shook her again so hard her teeth rattled. “Never mind that. I know where ye were. What the bluidy fucking hell were ye doing going there without me?”





Chapter Nineteen


She tried to twist away, but his hands were like a vise. “You’re hurting me. Let go.”

Rune’s whines shifted to low, warning growls.

Fionn’s mage light flared. She heard his sharp intake of breath when he saw them. “Ach! Christ! Ye’re covered in Lemurian blood. Talk.” His hands loosened fractionally. At least he didn’t shake her again.

“Not until you let go of me. And maybe not until after I’ve had a bath.” She tried for dignity, but it was hard with his body leaned against hers. What she really wanted to do was turn around, throw herself into his arms, and never let go.

“Och aye.” Breath whistled between his teeth, and she knew he’d been inside her mind. He spun her to face him, closed his arms around her, and crushed his mouth down over hers. His hands moved down her back, gripped her ass, and pulled her violently against him. She felt the length of him press against her stomach, where it throbbed hot and hard. All the moisture in her body fled south, flooding her crotch with need.

She tore her mouth away. “So, do you want to just do it right here in the dirt?”

She drank him in with her eyes. God, but he was beautiful. So perfect that she almost couldn’t breathe. If he said yes, it was fine by her. She couldn’t wait to get him inside her. He didn’t answer, just reached to unbutton her pants. His hands were rough, pushing the fabric down her legs.

“Wait.” She was so hot, she could barely find words. Bending, she unlaced a boot, wriggled out of it, and got one leg free.

Grappling to get her hands on him, she realized his pants were already unzipped. “Convenient,” she gasped as she crawled up his body, twined her legs round his hips and her arms about his shoulders.

He shoved into her, burying himself. She felt a shudder go through him. It made her come, shivering against him. He spoke to her in Gaelic, voice raspy and urgent.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” she managed. “I can barely understand English right now.”

He gripped her ass, as if it was the only thing standing between him and drowning. Rocking against her, he rammed himself to the hilt again and again. Aislinn felt another climax build in her belly. She clawed his back and screamed that she needed him faster, harder, deeper. Release shot through her in multihued ecstasy, and her body arched against his, vibrating with lust. His cock swelled even more. He had to be close. A feral shriek split the air when he came. She heard desperation in that cry and knew he’d been frightened to the depths of his being that he’d lost her.



“Are you going to stop fucking long enough to let us talk with the lass?” Understated humor ran beneath an unfamiliar male voice coming from the vicinity of the kitchen.

Rune barked.

Aislinn’s legs tightened around Fionn. “Who the hell was that?”