Page 32 of A Beautifully Crafted Lie

Only the stone walls of our stables remain standing, the grey carved stone now black as night. Gone are the thatched roofs. The leather saddlery in the centre of the building, destroyed. The wooden doors and thick beams, rendered to a heap of ash and coal. Declan did this… for me. Every muscle in my body aches to run and never look back but remains locked in place at the same time. He burned down the stables to avoid running away with me. This is a mistake.

I pause, standing alone in the middle of the frosted path. The sound of blood roaring in my ears fills the quiet night. Declan is leaving, and he’s leaving with Prince Eamon. I need to warn him.

Footsteps grate on the stone path behind me. My heart thunders in my chest. His pace is calm, confident, making no attempt to hide his approach. A few more steps and he’ll round the corner and find me beside the burned down stables. Only a few more steps.

Remembering the book, I search for reason. Pages turn over in my mind as if caught in the wind, but I can’t focus. I should have studied it like the concoctions in my mother’s herbal handbook! My palms press to my temples. I can’t remember everything. Only that The Others are as cruel as they are beautiful. That they delight in anguish and torment about as much as a sweet drink. I remember they’re immortal and that… iron! The pages in my mind stop turning, left open on a single topic. They hate iron. They despise it so much that they’ll pass an entrance decorated with it.

I can almost swear I smelled burning flesh when Odhran grabbed the hanger from me, but my focus was on his mouth and the sneer that parted his lips. His sharp, pointed cuspids. His eyes were as black as night. Shadows dripped from his fingers and slithered across the floor like snakes. Odhran isn’t just any monster; he’s one of them. Faerie.

Gathering my heavy skirts in both hands, I run down the path leading along the side of the stables. The gravel hurts my feet, the cold making it worse. My chest aches from running, every breath like fire in my lungs. There’s nowhere to hide, but I have to find something made of iron, and my best bet is in the shed next to Declan’s house.

The moon is almost full, casting its traitorous light on me. Odhran stands in the path behind me, his silver hair tied back into an untidy bun. Broad shoulders and rolled-up black sleeves. It’s too late. He sees me, but instead of chasing after me, he proceeds at a leisurely pace.

Three more stables, then another turn toward Declan’s home.

Two.

One.

My hand catches the edge of the blackened wall. I leap off the step, taking the corner. Air leaves my lungs with an ungraceful oef. My face, my entire body, collides with something hard and unmoving. Cinnamon and peppermint overwhelm my senses, and my heart stutters. Fuck!

Large hands grab hold of my hips, steading me, capturing me. “You know what, on second thought, we leave now.” His voice is deep, commanding, yet as calm as the gentle flutter of leaves in the trees overhead. I didn’t heed his warning from earlier, but instead of fear, a roiling heat builds within me. I hate him. I hate him more than I’ve hated anyone in my entire life.

My head still spins from crashing into him, forming white spots in my vision. “Get your hands off of me!” I protest, kicking his shin with such force my toes crunch. I need to get away from him. I need to find Declan. I need to save my sister.

Annoyance takes residence in his tone. “If I let you go, will you stand without injuring yourself?”

“Fuck you!” Shoving my palms against his chest, I free myself from his grip and step away. Pride swirls briefly within me.

Odhran pushes up his rolled sleeves, pairing the action with a pained groan. “Have I ever told you that you’re the most annoying mortal I’ve ever come to know?” Mortal. If looks could kill, I wish mine would strike him from this world. To him, I’m merely a mortal. A squashable bug.

“I thought you were meant to be honey-tongued.”

Odhran narrows his eyes into a steady glare.

“If I’m so annoying, why don’t you leave me be?” My voice sounds smaller than I intended it, and I despise the sound.

“Hold on to your anger, young one. Make it your strength.” The creature’s voice is soft and slightly drowsy, as though waking from a dream, rising from being drugged.

“That’s not an option.” He pauses, his shoulders slackening as he rakes his fingers through his hair. The arrogance of this man is sickening. “After your little dance with my brother’s royal informant and your recent heroic display, do you really think it wise to stray from my side?” He leans against the blackened wall.

“My bet is on, yes.” I narrow my eyes at him while my mouth contorts into a sneer.

“Typical.” He sighs, and the way the corners of his mouth twitch downward conveys his displeasure in my answer. “Humans are so fucking boring. One always predicts their actions.”

I’d spit at him if I could.

“You are… what do you lot call it?” Odhran puts a finger to his chin. “Oh, that’s right… a threat.” The corners of his lips quirk into a cruel smile when he laughs, taunting me. “As threatening as a newly weaned kitten.”

A witch, that’s why I’m a threat. “How do you—” My words are but a breath in the night.

“When someone is born of magic, it isn’t hard to ascertain its presence in another. One touch is all it takes.” He leans against the wall, facing away from me, his fingers drumming against his folded arms. The pace confirms his agitation. “I know it, and now, thanks to my brother’s informant, he’ll know it too. So, you’re leaving this shithole, with or without me. If you’d practiced this skill I’m certain you’d be able to tell too. ”

“The royal informant?” My heart stumbles in my chest. The man with the greying hair. He wasn’t a lord in attendance; he was… How can I save Laoise when I know so little?

“Yes. And after touching you for the duration of a whole fucking song, he knows what you are.” He pushes off the wall. The ligaments along his jaw work while he reties his hair back again. Bile rises in my throat. I have no choice but to leave.

“Fine.” I continue narrowing my eyes at him.