Elise, she’s hungry—”
“Kevighn, has anyone ever told you that you can’t bring children into a pub?” Ciarán teased from behind him.
“You can’t?” He frowned. “Where else was I supposed to bring her?”
Elise’s lower lip jutted out and she turned to face him. “I’m not a child.”
“ No, you’re a little lady, aren’t you.” Ciarán’s hood stayed up and she leaned toward Kevighn, eyeing the dark king warily.
“Elise, this is Kyran,” Kevighn said, using the dark king’s alias. “He’s my friend.”
Elise curtseyed the best she could while sitting on a stool. “How do you do?”
Ciarán smiled. “Really, Kevighn, this isn’t the place for a lady. Why don’t you both come with me? Deidre, have Luce send supper up.”
They followed him up the stairs behind the bar, past Ciarán’s office, down a hall, and through a door hidden by a bookcase. They entered Ciarán’s private living quarters and walked into a simple but clean and cheerful sitting area. It had been a long time since he’d been up here.
A boy, roughly Elise’s age, ran up to Ciarán. He stopped in his tracks and eyed them. His hair was such a pale blond it was near white. Yellow eyes gleamed with curiosity.
No . It couldn’t be. All the air escaped Kevighn’s body. He’d been told the child had perished with his sister.
“Breathe, old friend.” Ciarán’s large hand clapped his shoulder. “Look who I brought to see you, Aodhan. I finally got your Uncle Kevighn to stand still for a moment and
visit us.”
“It’s Uncle Kevighn? Truly?” The boy bounced on the soles of his bare feet. “And he’ll teach me to shoot a bow and tell me about all his adventures?”
Uncle Kevighn? He had no words, literally. Anything he could, should, or would say leaked out his ears, pooling around his feet on the wooden floor of Ciarán’s sitting room.
“Yes, he will. But right now, I need you to stay with Elise and keep her company while she has the nice supper Grandma Luce is bringing up for her.” Ciarán smiled at the boy. “Perhaps if you ask nicely, she’ll bring dessert for the both of you.”
“Elise?” Aodhan’s eyes went wide as he took in Elise, bedraggled dress and all. “H … hi.”
Elise gave him a winsome smile and a little curtsey. “Why, hello.”
For a moment the two children just stood there, making
doe-eyes at each other. It was a bit odd, considering Elise looked like a miniature, non-yelling version of the queen and Aodhan looked like Kevighn’s sister, except for the fact that he had hair the same color as Quinn’s.
“We’ll return soon.” Ciarán jerked his head toward the doorway.
Elise looked to Kevighn for permission.
“It’s all right, Elise.” He should say something to the boy. His nephew. Who was still alive.
But there were no words.
Ciarán put an arm around his shoulders. “They’ll be safe here. I think you need a drink.”
“I … I think you’re right.” Shaking internally, Kevighn followed Ciarán back downstairs to the tavern, where the dark king pulled him onto a stool and shoved a mug of something in his hands.
“You found her quickly. I’m pleased.” Ciarán sat down on the stool next to him.
“Is … why … what … ” All the words jumbled in his head. Kevighn drained his glass without actually tasting the contents.
For a long moment Ciarán stayed silent, filling Kevighn’s glass from a bottle on the counter. “I told you, over and over, that there was someone here I wanted you to meet. Quinn showed up with the child right about the time you were naught but a raging lunatic, hunting girls for the queen and bedding and drinking everything in sight. Every time I saw you, I wanted to tell you about him. But you were so angry, and … ” He closed his amber eyes and opened them again. “I had no words. I’d rather show you.”
The words slowly penetrated Kevighn’s brain, making the ideas stop spinning and settle down into something he
“Kevighn, has anyone ever told you that you can’t bring children into a pub?” Ciarán teased from behind him.
“You can’t?” He frowned. “Where else was I supposed to bring her?”
Elise’s lower lip jutted out and she turned to face him. “I’m not a child.”
“ No, you’re a little lady, aren’t you.” Ciarán’s hood stayed up and she leaned toward Kevighn, eyeing the dark king warily.
“Elise, this is Kyran,” Kevighn said, using the dark king’s alias. “He’s my friend.”
Elise curtseyed the best she could while sitting on a stool. “How do you do?”
Ciarán smiled. “Really, Kevighn, this isn’t the place for a lady. Why don’t you both come with me? Deidre, have Luce send supper up.”
They followed him up the stairs behind the bar, past Ciarán’s office, down a hall, and through a door hidden by a bookcase. They entered Ciarán’s private living quarters and walked into a simple but clean and cheerful sitting area. It had been a long time since he’d been up here.
A boy, roughly Elise’s age, ran up to Ciarán. He stopped in his tracks and eyed them. His hair was such a pale blond it was near white. Yellow eyes gleamed with curiosity.
No . It couldn’t be. All the air escaped Kevighn’s body. He’d been told the child had perished with his sister.
“Breathe, old friend.” Ciarán’s large hand clapped his shoulder. “Look who I brought to see you, Aodhan. I finally got your Uncle Kevighn to stand still for a moment and
visit us.”
“It’s Uncle Kevighn? Truly?” The boy bounced on the soles of his bare feet. “And he’ll teach me to shoot a bow and tell me about all his adventures?”
Uncle Kevighn? He had no words, literally. Anything he could, should, or would say leaked out his ears, pooling around his feet on the wooden floor of Ciarán’s sitting room.
“Yes, he will. But right now, I need you to stay with Elise and keep her company while she has the nice supper Grandma Luce is bringing up for her.” Ciarán smiled at the boy. “Perhaps if you ask nicely, she’ll bring dessert for the both of you.”
“Elise?” Aodhan’s eyes went wide as he took in Elise, bedraggled dress and all. “H … hi.”
Elise gave him a winsome smile and a little curtsey. “Why, hello.”
For a moment the two children just stood there, making
doe-eyes at each other. It was a bit odd, considering Elise looked like a miniature, non-yelling version of the queen and Aodhan looked like Kevighn’s sister, except for the fact that he had hair the same color as Quinn’s.
“We’ll return soon.” Ciarán jerked his head toward the doorway.
Elise looked to Kevighn for permission.
“It’s all right, Elise.” He should say something to the boy. His nephew. Who was still alive.
But there were no words.
Ciarán put an arm around his shoulders. “They’ll be safe here. I think you need a drink.”
“I … I think you’re right.” Shaking internally, Kevighn followed Ciarán back downstairs to the tavern, where the dark king pulled him onto a stool and shoved a mug of something in his hands.
“You found her quickly. I’m pleased.” Ciarán sat down on the stool next to him.
“Is … why … what … ” All the words jumbled in his head. Kevighn drained his glass without actually tasting the contents.
For a long moment Ciarán stayed silent, filling Kevighn’s glass from a bottle on the counter. “I told you, over and over, that there was someone here I wanted you to meet. Quinn showed up with the child right about the time you were naught but a raging lunatic, hunting girls for the queen and bedding and drinking everything in sight. Every time I saw you, I wanted to tell you about him. But you were so angry, and … ” He closed his amber eyes and opened them again. “I had no words. I’d rather show you.”
The words slowly penetrated Kevighn’s brain, making the ideas stop spinning and settle down into something he
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