Page 31 of Beauty

Max looks to be the surlier of the two. “Well, that’s theUnseelie for you, Rye.”

I let my head fall back, dragging air into my lungs.

I’m finally here.

Chapter Eight

Lachlan

I stare out the back porch and try to will the sun togo down. It’s been hours and hours of waiting. Hours of listening to the Harpertwins argue and crack wise. I’m suddenly appreciative of my own brother.

A huge black dog lumbers into the yard, a gnarly stick inhis mouth. The dog is roughly the size of a small pony, though it appears theHarper twins like to grow large animals. Their entire stock of horses areoversized and run the range of colors from a brilliant red to blacks so dark theyshimmer blue in the sunlight.

The rest of the group is huddled around the large tableinside the brugh, enjoying a meal the twin’s wife, Rachel, cooked.It’s a full table. The twins have five children, all but one larger than Duffy.

But I can’t eat. I want to move. I need to get started.

“You should eat, Your Highness. I mean, Lachlan.” Roan walksout, followed by his vampire partner. They won’t enjoy the cabbage and sausagesRachel cooked. He stops, staring for a moment. “Unless you take after yourvampire half. Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen you or your brothereat.”

I manage a smile. “I assure you, we’re fine. We’ve had lotsof meat, though the hunger for blood grows by the day. Cousin Julian made surewe had meal pills.”

Roan shakes his head, his jaw tense. “Meal pills are nothingonce you’ve had real blood.”

“I’ll wait for my wife, thank you.”

Roan shakes it off. “Sorry. Being near Rachel always gets myblood high. She’s quite the consort.”

I understand what he’s saying. Rachel glows, a faint outlinearound her body that lets vampires know their blood will strengthen them,elongate their lives. A sidhe in need of a bondmate has to getintimate to know if a woman can bond, but I have my vampire heritage to fallback on. Rachel Harper has a gorgeous glow about her.

“Don’t tell Max,” Roan says, his eyes searching the horizon.“Rye would laugh it off, but Max takes things far too seriously.”

“How did you find them?” I’m curious. Roan has a wholesetup. He’s made a business out of stealing into Tír na nÓg.

Roan smiles. “I found the crack, and when I managed to getthrough it, Rye was staring down at me. He found out what I was doing, and Idiscovered that he and his brother and wife were rebels looking for a way tofuck with the pretender. Rachel had a sister who disappeared with Torin’sguards. This whole village the Harpers live in is a wee bit radical. They’reprotected by the mountains, and they have an intensely smart mayor. They’vemanaged to survive relatively unscathed, but they intend to give Torin thefight of his life. We have weapons stashed all over Aoibhneas.”

Aoibhneas. I know the word well. Bliss. “Have you told themabout the rebellion?”

Roan turns, and I see Rye Harper walking up, his arm aroundhis wife’s waist. Max Harper follows behind them leading a ridiculously largehorse with yellow eyes. He seems to be muttering to the horse under his breath.Rye Harper has his eyes on me. The previously friendly cowboy has a seriouslook on his face.

“We’re ready,” Rye says. “We’ve been ready for thirteenyears.”

Rachel leans into her husband. “Are they really alive?”

It’s hard to believe how isolated Tír na nÓg has become.“Beck and Cian Finn are alive and well, and they have formed their true triad.Beck has mastered storms and Cian is a Green Man. Your kings will be backsoon.”

Rachel hugs her husband and cries into his shoulder,clutching him. Rye Harper gestures toward Lach. “We’ll be ready. Tell mesomething, are you really the Unseelie prince?”

Lach nods. “I am.”

“He is the Unseelie prince, but only half of him. You twoshould be happy you only share a face and not a soul.”

I stop and sigh because it was the damn horse that spoke.The yellow eyes should be a dead giveaway. A phooka. A potentially dangerouscreature, but very powerful. They can often be chaotic, but the phooka is knownto band together with other creatures during times of hardship.

Rye laughs. “You have no idea how much I praise the day weweren’t born symbiotic. I can’t imagine having to be in his head all the time.”

“You wish you had my brain, brother,” Max shoots back. Helooks at the horse, narrowing his eyes. “Aren’t you supposed to be undercover?Doesn’t that mean not doing the whole talking thing? It tends to give you away,dummy.”

The phooka gives a regal whinny. “I wouldn’t walk aroundtalking about someone else’s intelligence, Harper. And the other horses hateyou.”