 
# Sworn by Blood

## J.R. Pearse Nelson
Copyright © 2019 by J.R. Pearse Nelson

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

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### Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Excerpt from The Risen Goddess

About the Author

# Prologue

Early morning sunshine streamed through the open kitchen windows. A cool breeze carried the scent of earth and recent rain, mingling with the smell of the spicy sweet tea that Brigit, goddess of home and hearth, had just set to steep. It was the type of morning that even to this day could fill Brigit with a childlike euphoria that should have gone by the wayside millennia ago. It was a morning full of promise.

But her good mood had more at its root on this particular day. Merah would be here soon – a long-anticipated visit from her old friend. Brigit had kept her door wide open for visitors from her homeland since moving beyond the veil to the human world twenty-plus years ago. Only, they never seemed to take her up on her offer of hospitality. Time moved quickly on this side of the veil. With their long lives, it probably felt like she'd barely been gone. However, from this perspective it had been a long while since Brigit had seen her friends.

Brigit waved a hand toward the stove, and it opened, a tray of peanut butter cookies rising from the interior at her silent command. She glanced toward the second tray on the counter, and it rose into the air, taking its place inside the oven before the door shut.

Why was she making snacks? Merah wouldn't indulge in human food in her short visit, and Brigit knew it. But she needed something to do so the minutes would tick past that much faster.

Hazel came in, still working her long red hair into a loose braid. She scooped up two cookies, whistling at how hot they were as she juggled them to avoid burning herself. She grinned at her aunt unapologetically and grabbed a third cookie before she retreated. A few moments later, Brigit heard the front door click closed behind her niece as she left the house.

Good. She wanted to be able to speak frankly with Merah. She wasn't interested in telling Hazel she'd had a Sidhe visitor at all.

A brief pause ensued, which felt like the world holding its breath, and Merah appeared. "There. I thought the girl would never leave."

Brigit hugged her old friend, taking in her sparkling eyes and fae beauty with a gaze too eager for the sight of their own world. "It is so good to see you, Merah."

"And you, Brigit. It has been too long. How are you?"

The two settled in over the sweet tea Brigit had prepared, though Merah held her mug without drinking. She had much news to share of Tir Nan Og, their homeland, and Brigit leaned in, soaking it all up eagerly.

"You are well here in the human world, Brigit? It was quite a choice to make. You made quite the scandal back home."

"Psh. I don't care about the wagging tongues of fools."

"Well, I do hope Aengus has thanked you. The girl is lucky to be raised with the blood."

Brigit took a breath before speaking, taking care to moderate her tone. Merah meant no harm with her words; they were kind enough. Many others of their kind would have spoken more harshly of Brigit's choice to raise her brother's half-human child in the human world.

"I would not trade this time for anything I've been offered in my long years, Merah. And that is the truth."

Merah nodded. "Then it has been a blessing to both of you." She looked around the kitchen and wrinkled her nose. "I do find it odd. You make use of these contraptions?"

Brigit remembered the second batch of cookies and waved a hand at the stove, which opened, and the cookies flew out to land softly on a towel waiting on the counter. "To a degree."

Actually, she spent more time in her kitchen than anywhere else. Day to day, she missed the pageantry of life in Tir Nan Og very little. She missed council meetings and Fae politics even less. This kitchen was a retreat to a time long gone, when she'd advised women on exactly such matters, the care and health of their family and home. Here, raising Hazel, she'd become more truly herself than at any time in the past three thousand years.

And she knew as well as any of them that this self-imposed exile was swiftly coming to a close. Hazel had grown into a fine young woman, determined to find her own way in this human world.

"Have you any contact with Midir?" Merah asked, wrapping her hands more tightly around the mug and raising it to sniff the sweet tea. The casual tone was false, and Brigit saw right through it.

"I see Aengus regularly. He passes along some news as he chooses. I have no other contact with Tir Nan Og, and I believe you know that." She watched her friend carefully. "Why do you ask?"

"Rumors and agendas run thick in our homeland, and Midir's are more obvious than most. I tell you this only so that you understand the girl's options. Tir Nan Og is dangerous for one of her bloodline right now."

"Her bloodline is the Dagda's bloodline. She is but two generations removed from that foundation of our people. My brother Midir knows only too well that others' fates do not lie within his control."

"Still, he controls the Sidhe Authority, for the time being at least. Many of those who call him Governor agree with his mindset in this case."

"That's a travesty. In the old days and ways we mixed with humans and other sorts more often than can be counted. It is only in these last millennia that the Sidhe have grown so closed off and small-minded."

"What does Aengus say?"

"You know well that he loved the woman. If his human wife had survived Hazel's birth...maybe I would not have been needed here at all."

Merah fell silent, her eyes thoughtful.

"Hazel will make her own choices. Right now, she wants nothing to do with the Sidhe."

"Ah. She would ostracize those who have done the same to her."

"It is nothing so calculated as that. The girl wants to be seen for who she is...not _what_ she is."

Merah raised her cup in a salute of solidarity. "May it be so."

"Still, I believe she will recognize in time that she can never truly belong here in the world of humans. She must hide who she is to live here, and that contradicts her nature. In time, she will choose Tir Nan Og."

"And a Sidhe mate." Merah's eyes sparkled again. "I am certain you have thoughts on that matter."

"You know that I do." Brigit leaned in and filled her friend in on exactly what she thought Hazel should do. Yes, she'd put a lot of thought into this. And Hazel's firm demands that she not be brought in contact with their Sidhe kin had put up too many barriers to her plans.

Matchmaking was another endeavor that never seemed to get old.

# Chapter One

At times, Hazel wondered about her lifestyle choices. A long day of errands wore the glimmer straight off this supposedly human existence. Why was it that she resisted having people do mundane tasks for her? Oh, that's right. She wanted to appear as human as possible, as often as possible. Like that worked for anyone.

Thank the gods this was her last stop. Getting her oil changed wasn't exactly Hazel's idea of a fun chore for Friday afternoon, but the sixteen-year-old drooling over her made it nearly unbearable this time. Literally, drooling.

She shot him a short-tempered look as she put on her sunglasses, the Portland sun requiring it for once, though a deep gray line of clouds already clustered along the western horizon. "Can you just finish with the car already?"

He gulped. "Hey, when I'm done, do you want to go to dinner or something?"

Hazel sighed and cast him a sweet smile. "You don't want anything to do with the likes of me, kid."

He just smiled at her and nodded, his brain obviously addled.

"So that's a no. No dinner. Just finish my car. Thanks."

Confused and deflated, he shook his shaggy hair into his face so she couldn't see his profile as he worked. He called out to his pit crew, his tone wistful and sad.

Gods. Wouldn't it be great to be normal?

Crushing men wasn't Hazel's idea of a good time. It was just that many of them had no control over themselves when she was around. The drooling was not attractive. But they didn't know that. They didn't even realize how silly they looked. It was part of her draw; men tended to be totally focused on her, unable to string together more than a sentence, much less keep her entertained for a date. They were compelled to look, to touch if she'd let them, hovering over her the entire time.

She'd heard she was lucky. Some Sidhe drew humans to madness, despair – even violence. They just wanted to love her.

Still, it was annoying.

A buzzing from her purse was a blessed distraction. She looked up and caught the boy staring again, and frowned at him as she reached into her purse.

Checking the number that had just flashed on her cell phone, Hazel sighed. The age-old question: to answer, or not to answer? Swallowing, she hit send.

"Hello?"

"Hazel. Glad I caught you. Got a little problem I could use your help with."

"Thankfully, your problems don't have anything to do with me anymore."

"They do when they're not mine specifically, but more, you know, ours."

"Great," Hazel said. If he meant what she thought he did, her hope of getting out of whatever this was had just faded fast.

"There's a human over here who needs to get in touch with the Fomorii. Has to pay a tribute of some kind, but hasn't been able to get through. Think you could take him?"

"Can I take him?" Like she didn't have enough to do. "Drake, this is your job. You know I was never into this stuff."

"You're missing the point. He needs to go. I can't take him, so I thought of you."

"Why can't you take him?" Drake was the obvious choice. After all, he worked for the Sidhe Authority, taking care of the Otherworld government's business in the human world. Hazel had as little to do with Otherworld affairs as possible.

"Let's call it a little interpersonal issue between me and the Fomorii contact. I'm waiting another decade at least before I meet up with that guy again, for everyone's sake. I'm supposed to be smoothing relations, remember?"

"See, that's what I'm talking about. When we were together, I dealt with your interpersonal issues. Now that we're not, I don't see what this has to do with me."

"You're Sidhe, so you're in. Our problems are your problems, and this falls into that category. Just think, what would Aunt Brigit say?"

"Damn," she growled. He had to bring her aunt into it. Of course she knew what Brigit would say. You are of the blood. You get the benefits; a certain amount of service comes with it. Help your people. "Tell me what I'm supposed to do again?"

Eddie Drake's office, if you wanted to dignify it with that name, was a run-down loft in a run-down neighborhood. From one threadbare couch, Ian MacIlroy stared out on a lifeless street. Drake was on the phone, and Ian could hear every word being said through the flimsy partition that separated the waiting area from Drake's inner sanctum, which housed more threadbare chairs and an ancient, scratched up desk. It wasn't the picture Ian's mind conjured up when he thought of the Sidhe. They were usually pretty attached to beauty and grandeur. Apparently, Drake didn't care about any of that.

Ian counted himself lucky that Drake was willing to help him. He wasn't sure what he would have tried next. He'd been looking for almost a year now, trying to figure out this tribute, how to get it paid and get back to his own life.

A year. Hard to believe that was the price he'd already paid for this mad errand. A year of his life wasted on attempts, and still nothing to give the Fomorii.

The door to the office swung open, and Drake stepped out. "She's on her way. Be here in a flash. Want a beer while we wait?"

Drake popped the caps on two bottles and handed one to Ian.

Ian gestured toward the street. "Seems pretty quiet. Mind if I ask why you're located here?"

"An assignment. There are lots of portals in Oregon. I only asked for beyond the veil." He sat on the other threadbare couch and stretched his long legs in front of him.

"I've never really understood why Sidhe would choose to live beyond the veil with humans."

"Plenty of perks. Sidhe living among humans tend to get what they want, most of the time anyway." Drake took a long swig, as he looked Ian over. "I'm hoping Hazel will be able to help with your problem, at least get you in to talk to the Fomorii. We'll figure it out."

Ian put his head in his hands. "I'm just out of ideas. I don't know how to satisfy them, but I know I must before I can get back to my life."

A tall woman burst into the loft, red hair alight in the afternoon sun and arms full with a box that rattled as she pushed the door shut with her hip and set it on a table just inside.

"What's in the box?" Drake asked.

"More of your stuff," she told him as she came across the room. She stretched out a hand to Ian. "Hazel Fintan. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Ian MacIlroy. Glad to meet you." He stood to shake her hand. Her height surprised him; she was only about an inch shy of his even six feet. She was also a knockout. Big surprise.

"Good, you've taken care of the introductions for me. Now give Hazel the same story you told me, from the beginning." Drake winked at her and nodded at another chair opposite Ian.

Rolling her eyes at Drake, Hazel took the chair and gave Ian a long once over that made him grin. She was definitely Sidhe.

Sobering, he turned to his story. "Unfortunately, there really isn't much story to tell. I guess it is something that happens in my family. Every generation pays their dues. A very specific tribute handed over to the Fomorii. It's been that way for fifty generations or so."

"What do you get out of the bargain?" Hazel asked.

He paused, not sure how to put it. "Um...a fertility blessing."

"Is that all?" She laughed, her smile lighting her eyes engagingly.

"Anyway, the tribute is one hundred eggs of a certain pond turtle in Europe. Of course, that turtle has gone extinct since my father collected his tribute. No turtles. No eggs. No tribute," he summed up with a shrug of the shoulders.

"So, Ian here needs to speak with the Fomorii, for obvious reasons. Some other tribute will have to be decided, and it should probably be soon. These transactions tend to come with a certain window of opportunity. We wouldn't want Ian to miss it."

Ian went pale. "No, I can't miss it. I have to do this right. My family is at stake."

"What happens if you don't make tribute?"

"Several things. Most importantly, our family ends with my generation. If we don't make tribute, no one in my family will have another child. Everything's at stake."

"Alright then," Hazel said. She turned to Drake, all business. "Who do I talk to?"

# Chapter Two

They stood on a rainy corner a few hours later. Hazel had no trouble reaching the Fomorii, and now it was down to the waiting game. She looked over at eye-candy, passing the time. For a human, Ian was hot – broad and muscular with dark blue eyes and brown, wavy hair. A little too wholesome to be her type, sure, but he was nice enough to look at.

Right on time, a black limousine pulled up, and the rear door swung open to receive them.

"Come," a voice, nearly a hiss, issued from the back seat.

Hazel sat across from the Fomorii contact, with Ian beside her. She'd never met one of the Fomorii before. He wore a glamour. This pleasing human face could not be his true face. Right now, it smiled pleasantly, as he took his time looking her over.

"Hazel, daughter of Aengus," she spoke, reaching out a hand.

"So your message said." He eyed her hand, extended in such a human gesture. When he did not reach for it, she took it back, settling into the opposite seat.

"I am Ellis, son of my father. His name is none of your concern."

Hazel laughed.

Ellis turned to Ian. "The reason we're here?" he asked shortly.

"I'm Ian MacIlroy. My family owes you a tribute we are unable to pay. Hazel brought me for your advice."

"Yes, you owe the medib. Did you say you are unable to pay?" His dark eyes had become slits.

"The turtle is extinct. There are no eggs."

"Hazel, did this one just tell me that the key ingredient of the Fomorii festival drink, ajma, no longer exists?"

"Ellis, you heard correctly. That's exactly what he told you. How will he pay his tribute now?"

"Do you know of ajma?"

"I can't say I've heard of it."

"Ajma is the bringer of bliss, the entrance to ecstasy. You're the daughter of a love deity, aren't you?"

Hazel drew in a breath. She hadn't realized he would know of her father. "I see. It's an aphrodisiac, then?"

Ian groaned.

"The most powerful known, and it must have the medib."

"It's about to get pricier then, isn't it? Not much to be done about extinct eggs."

"No. Unsuitable. You must make tribute." He pointed at Ian.

"I will. I swear it. But what can I bring you since I can't bring the eggs?"

"Who knows of a replacement for the egg in ajma? Does a love god know?" His gaze swung to Hazel. "Ask Aengus."

It was Hazel's turn to groan.

"If he knows of something suitable, bring it to me. Bring it by the full moon. If not, the tribute goes unpaid." Ellis glared at Ian. "You understand what that would mean."

Ian stared back, eyes narrowed in anger. A shadow passed over his face, and for a moment...Hazel brushed off the strange feeling. _Thanks a lot, Drake. I'm starting to see the Sidhe's touch in everything_ , she fumed.

When Hazel dropped him off at his hotel, a generic square building with affordable rooms, she saw only what she wanted to see. Inside his hotel room, Ian dropped the glamour with a long sigh and rubbed his aching head. He did not look forward to the message he had to send back to Tir Nan Og.

Cavan was already there, waiting to carry his words back to his parents. "By the look of you, I'll be carrying some message back home." He stood and clapped a hand to Ian's shoulder in greeting.

Ian nodded unhappily. "That did not go well. The Fomorii contact proved less reasonable than I would have thought."

"Considering who you are," Cavan said, dropping into a mocking courtly bow.

"Yes, exactly." He would have expected more deference for the future leader of the Sidhe, though he was not the sort to demand it. The Fomorii grew bold. His father had every reason to be concerned.

"But the girl, Aengus's daughter...she helped you?"

"There's more I must ask of her, and she bristles at Sidhe influence." He recalled Hazel's sharp words to Drake and her horrified expression when Ellis demanded she call her father.

"I would bristle, too, with the welcome her sort can expect in Tir Nan Og. Why should they serve the Sidhe when those of the blood either ignore or ridicule them?"

"She seemed more than half Sidhe, that's for certain." Gods, did she. Her draw was powerful; she snared his attention that first instant, the sun glowing in her red hair and the challenge in those green eyes.

"What message would you have me carry?"

Ian hesitated. "The Fomorii still say that I must make tribute. I must work with Aengus on a suitable replacement, and it has to happen fast." Ian turned to pace. "Look, tell them I am not worried. Hazel will help with Aengus. If there's any way to make tribute, it will be done."

Cavan shook his head in disbelief. "Too many 'ifs' and not enough time. Ian...what happens if your short time runs out?"

Truth be told, Ian didn't want to consider it. And if he chose action instead of worry, maybe he would never have to.

After the black limo dropped them off, Hazel gave Ian a ride to a nondescript, cheap hotel. The guy still hadn't hit on her, a testament to his desperation over this thing with the Fomorii. But still impressive. Most human men would have at least tried to test out her interest, especially when confined to a car with her Sidhe draw. Ian was the perfect gentleman. He didn't say much, but after all, she didn't need to know anything else about him. He was just a guy she had to help before Drake would give her a little peace.

Two weeks wasn't a lot of time. Once she was alone, she called the last person who dialed her.

"Hello?" Drake answered.

"Was there another reason for pulling me in that you would like to divulge?"

She thought she heard a gulp on the other end before he answered. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, a little something about this errand requires that I call my father. Did you know about that when you called me?"

"Come on, Hazel, calm down. Yeah, I figured. I'd heard the Fomorii were getting bent out of shape over an aphrodisiac, so when Ian told his tale, I put two and two together. I just didn't think that was the best way to approach you with it."

"Instead, present the hot guy in need of help and let my natural kindness set in? I should have told you to go–"

"You think he's hot?"

"Jealous?"

Drake laughed. "Hon, I'm over you."

"Yeah, yeah. I just dropped him off. Don't blame you for not wanting to meet up with that contact, by the way. Creepy."

"Fomorii." After a pause, he asked, "Have you called Aengus?"

"I'm about to. You owe me big."

# Chapter Three

"We're going out, babe. I need your help with some emergency shopping, and I'll treat you to dinner after," Hazel told her best friend, Alise, when she answered the phone. They'd forsaken hellos long ago.

"Pick me up in an hour."

Hazel filled Alise in on their way to the mall.

"So they want your father to make a new aphrodisiac for their 'festival'?" Alise said incredulously. "I don't want to think too much about that. But tell me more about the contact. If you saw him on the street, would you have pegged him for a Fomorii?"

Of course the dark-haired beauty beside her was more interested in the chance to meet an old race of beings than the cute guy she'd met. That was Alise, though. She'd always been more into this Otherworld stuff than Hazel, regardless of the fact she was purely human.

Growing up next to Hazel had been luck of the draw, but Alise hadn't let any of it slide by her. She knew more of the history, more of the legend and myth, than Hazel had ever been interested in learning. She had also grown into a powerful witch in her own right. Having a goddess next door helped, and Alise's interest kept Brigit from going overboard drilling Hazel.

The truth was Hazel was more interested in the human world than what Brigit could teach her. She never planned to return to Otherworld. Oh, maybe for a vacation or two, but not to stay, much to her aunt's chagrin. Hazel often wondered if Brigit regretted the choice to raise her among humans.

Luck or not, Alise was a godsend. Hazel always felt out of place, but with Alise by her side that was okay. Or mostly okay.

High school was definitely a challenge. And not because of the schoolwork. No matter what she'd done, how she'd tried to fit in, Hazel was largely a social pariah in high school. All of the boys liked her – to an inappropriate degree. _All of them_. This resulted in rumors and almost all of the females hating her. Add to that the fact that Hazel had no idea what she was doing with the males or the females and bumbled about making everything worse.

She gave Alise a sidelong glance. "Do you remember that time sophomore year?"

Alise huffed a long-suffering sigh. "You mean with Sam Larson? How long is it going to take you to get over that?" She shook a finger at Hazel. "Reliving first dates gone terribly wrong can't be good for you. Because you have so many of those."

Hazel glared at her and then looked around for something she could throw at her best friend without causing an accident as they entered the mall parking lot. "But really. What if it happens again?"

"Did Ian seem like the type to chase you down the street naked?" Alise snickered at the memory, which would likely be vivid for both of them for a good long time.

Sam had kissed Hazel on their first date, at a senior's crowded party. Hazel had been trying to calm him down without too much fuss when Alise had arrived and helped her to push the overzealous teen away. Sam had been totally gone with her draw – the poor shy guy was not his normal self that night. He'd stripped as he followed them from the house. A whole bunch of party-goers had in turn followed the streaking teen as he chased them all the way home, where Brigit relieved him from Hazel's spell with a strong tonic his parents wouldn't have approved. Sam never lived it down, and neither did she.

So yeah, high school had brought up every reason it was probably a bad idea to raise the half-human daughter of a love god among humans.

The mall parking lot was so full that it was nearly impossible to find a parking space. After circling for what seemed like hours, Alise took matters into her own hands. With a flick of the wrist, she repainted the lines at the end of one row of cars, leaving a spot at the end just for them.

"I won't get a ticket?" Hazel still hadn't paid the last one. Mental note.

"Nope, the illusion will hold for the afternoon. Let's go." Alise grinned, positively gleeful. She did love pulling one over on people.

Hazel shut the car door with one hip, wrestling her shopping bags into order as she struggled toward her house.

"I'd say that was a success," Alise said as she juggled her purchases in a similar fashion.

"Yep, everything I need to spend a few days in the company of a complete hottie. Let the seduction begin."

"Weird you met him through Drake, though."

"I'm trying not to think of it that way. Opportunities come as they will – who am I to refuse them, even when they come through the evil ex?" At least Ian was human. After Drake and seeing how her father treated his endless string of lovers, Hazel didn't want to be with another Sidhe ever again.

"Good point. It has been awhile. I don't blame you for taking whatever comes your way." Alise smiled sweetly at Hazel's scowl.

"Hazel?" Brigit spoke from the kitchen.

"I'm home," she called in response. She and Alise managed to wrangle their burdens into the kitchen, where they set their bags on the table and watched sweaters and bras promptly spill out.

"Looks like quite a shopping trip," Brigit said from the other side of the pile. Her blond hair and blue eyes could still be seen, but the rest of her was hidden behind a pastel castle of clothing. "What's the occasion?"

"Since when do I need an occasion to spend?" Hazel asked. Sidhe were drawn to beauty, and for those who lived beyond the veil, that tended to mean shopping addiction. Brigit was old enough to have avoided such a fate; she'd already hoarded baubles aplenty long before shopping malls existed.

"Hazel met a guy," Alise informed Brigit, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"A new beau? Tell me about him," Brigit ordered. She swept over to the stove and put on a kettle for tea, the lid replacing itself after she'd filled it with water. She glanced at the cupboard, and it opened. A plate flew out and landed softly on the counter as a train of cookies followed and arranged themselves neatly.

"So smooth," Alise whispered, appreciating Brigit's precise control of her magic. Her eyes narrowed as she gleaned what she could from the goddess's adept motions. Hazel rolled her eyes.

"I don't know much about him yet. He's gorgeous, and his name's Ian. He's human."

Brigit clicked her tongue in surprise at that.

"And stuck with some tie to the Fomorii." Hazel nodded, her commentary complete.

"So, I gather it's the gorgeous part that got you?" Brigit laughed.

"Sure. Why not?" Hazel reached for an apple from a bowl on the counter and settled back, taking a huge bite. Alise helped herself to two cookies and made a soft sound of appreciation as she bit into one. Aunt Brigit knew her way around the kitchen.

Brigit smirked. "Ian, hmm? Well, I think it's wonderful."

Hazel was busy going through her purchases. A coral sweater caught her eye. That's the one she'd wear tomorrow. With some tight dark jeans and boots, she mused.

Ian didn't stand a chance.

# Chapter Four

"Be prepared. My father's going to assume we're sleeping together," Hazel told Ian bluntly the next day when she picked him up.

Ian couldn't help laughing. "Why would he think that? We could always tell him we're not."

"But we won't," she said, turning a sweet smile his direction. A smile he suddenly worried he couldn't refuse. "Did you hear what Ellis said yesterday? Aengus is, in fact, a love deity. How shall I put this? Okay, out with it. He doesn't think I 'get enough' for someone of my lineage. Just think of it as a little favor for me, with all of the favors I'm doing for you."

"Odd family dynamic. But then again, you're not human are you?"

"I'm half-human. Love gods get around."

"No doubt." He found himself wondering which parent she took after. To attract a love god, her mother must have been stunning. But it was the Sidhe side that gave her the height, as well as the subtle glow she emitted at times. The thought of even pretending to be her lover made him shift in his seat.

"Aengus keeps a place on the Sandy River, about an hour from here. He's expecting us," Hazel said. She smiled when she noticed him watching her as she drove.

"Do you think he'll be able to help me?"

"Turns out Drake called the right person. He'll help us," Hazel told him.

"You mean he'll help you?"

"Let's just say he's thrilled I've been pulled deeper into his world. Now for the hook."

"I can tell you're not happy about it." He looked out the window. "Thanks, Hazel. You're doing a lot for me."

She looked surprised. "Nope. Just taking a break from the boring life. A little adventure never hurt anyone."

"So, what do you do when you're not running around solving the problems of strange men?" His eyes had found her again. He watched the sunlight dazzle her red locks, and examined her delicate ear, her strong jawline, the curve of her lovely neck before he forced himself to stop staring.

"I handle the family investments. Stocks, properties, you know. And you're not that strange." She shot him a dazzling smile, and the look made his heart thump into a surprising pattern.

"That does sound like the boring life," he told her honestly.

"Thanks." Her tone dripped sarcasm. "How about you?"

"Well, for the last year, I've been trying to figure out how to pay tribute to a legendary race that seems to be half man, half sea creature."

"A _year_?"

"A long year." It would be over soon, one way or another.

The house on the Sandy River wasn't home to Aengus. He'd bought it to be close, when Brigit decided to raise his daughter in Oregon.

When Aengus was around, Hazel had spent time here with him. Though he couldn't be counted on for day-to-day parenting of a small child, he showed his love for Hazel in many ways. They had walked the forest together, Aengus sharing tall tales of ages past while Hazel checked the undergrowth for interesting insects. He'd sung her songs in languages she couldn't comprehend, except to know this haunting history was somehow hers to claim. He'd shown her magic, glamour, illusion – he'd taken a childlike joy in these pursuits and those were some of Hazel's favorite memories from when she was small. She was his first child in centuries, and he'd loved her mother. Hazel couldn't help but wonder sometimes if Aengus would have stayed and raised her had her mother lived through the birth. She had no regrets, though. Aunt Brigit had always been the parent she needed.

In high school, he'd been far less helpful. He advised that she seduce the boys _and_ the girls if she was having trouble getting along at school. Put simply, he had no idea what she faced living among the humans.

Hazel didn't really fit in anywhere. Her twenties had brought a certainty that nothing she could do was ever going to change that, so she might as well be herself.

Aengus's house had a garage and shop on the first level, and two floors of living space above. Fir trees and cedar towered all around, seeming to watch over the structure, their limbs alive with birds and bugs, and a fair number of bats that would show themselves only after the sunset. The river churned and thrummed along behind the house, the sound of rushing water mingling with the wind. It was never silent here.

Hazel's key rattled in the lock as she let them in. Hopefully, that would be enough to alert Aengus that she was here. She paused as she opened the door, and Ian glanced into the entryway of the house. Hazel watched him step back and look up again at the outside structure before following her inside. She nodded, acknowledging what he'd noticed; inside, there was far more space than the house suggested. Stone walls stretched to encompass a grand entry, and candles filled sconces leading down an immense hallway.

Hazel guided Ian to a large room where expansive windows brought the forest view right into the living space, almost as if they were in a tree house. Despite the exquisite scenery, she could feel his eyes on the sway of her hips. Yesterday, she was pleased that he didn't seem to care about her beauty, that he didn't drool over her like every other man she met. It would be something to meet a guy who could keep his head in her presence. Yet she had to admit, his stares today satisfied the ego. Maybe he'd prove as strong as he seemed and for once she could have it both ways. Should she dare to hope?

A frustrated sigh escaped her when she saw her father. She considered what Ian would see. A tall red-haired man sprawled on a chaise lounge with a small blond woman in his lap.

"Aengus," Hazel said.

The blond pulled her robe closed modestly and rose to retreat. She exited through a tall oak door that closed silently behind her.

And there sat the god.

Aengus was less than Ian had expected, and more. He wore no glamour. And he was no ordinary specimen of his kind. Sidhe beauty held a wildness, a feral slant to the features – the high cheekbones, the large, widely spaced eyes. Aengus had all that. He also emitted the same glow he'd seen in Hazel, but constantly, as though an internal fire lit up his skin. A sense of unleashed power filled this room. It surrounded him. Ian felt like he'd stepped into legend when he stepped into this house.

Aengus's green eyes, an echo of his daughter's, shone in the dimness of the room, as he looked Ian over. Then he rose and closed his robe about himself. Some of the light seemed to bleed from the room.

"Daughter." His voice was like bells, smooth and silken as they chimed.

"Father. You knew we were coming. Did we need to catch the show?"

"Always the prude, dear one. Live a little." Aengus turned a charming smile on Ian.

The room changed around them, and suddenly they stood in an apothecary, mid-day sun streaming through the same windows.

"I hear you're having a spot of trouble with the old Fomorii."

"An impossible tribute," Hazel told her father. "Unfortunately, I let slip who I was, and when Ellis realized he couldn't squeeze turtle eggs out of Ian here, he said to get a replacement from you."

"I don't answer to the Fomorii."

"Neither do I," Hazel said hotly. "Problem with that philosophy is, Ian's in trouble. His family is in big trouble if he doesn't give something over into Fomorii hands. I'm human, or humanish anyway, and I care whether people suffer."

Ian could feel Aengus watching him closely. Finally, he turned back to his daughter. "Did they tell you that it was I who first used the turtle eggs as medib – the passion-inducing ingredient in a love potion?"

"How did the Fomorii get it?" Ian asked.

Aengus smiled. "I gave it to them."

"Why?"

"I loved one once, a Fomorii man. He asked and I gave."

"The gods do get around," Ian muttered.

"I don't see it that way. My body, my passion, they were made to share." Again that charming smile, his warming glow, and Ian felt a stirring he'd never expected.

"Father. You know I don't share," Hazel said. Her skin began to glow enchantingly.

"Jealousy?" Aengus asked, laughing.

Ian couldn't tear his eyes from Hazel. Her long red hair flowed down her back, her green eyes shining with a promise he couldn't refuse. In his mind's eye, Ian saw himself brushing it back from her face, touching her, loving her. A need filled him that was so primal, so possessive, that it shocked him.

"No need to be jealous. Look at him," she said.

This desire would haunt his soul when this was all over if he wasn't careful.

Aengus chuckled. "So, you've not had each other, after all."

Ian pulled himself from the grip of his fantasy at Hazel's smile. It was as though she could see the picture of them still in his mind. Or maybe she was enjoying her own version behind that smile.

He forced his attention back to Aengus.

"So, your gift to your lover became quite something among the Fomorii. Now they need it, and the turtle is extinct. What can I give as tribute instead?"

"That will take some thought. I have a couple of ideas we can try, but they will take time to test."

"Test?" Hazel asked uneasily.

"Haven't you tried them before?" Ian asked.

"Never needed to," the god said firmly.

"I know you don't put much stock in humanity's concept of time – you know, working by a calendar. But this has to happen fast. We were given a two-week deadline yesterday," Hazel told Aengus.

"Then I'll need all the subjects I can get my hands on," her father mused. He stood at the window, stroking his chin with one strong hand as he gazed unseeing at the quick-flowing river.

Hazel shook her head and strode silently from the room. Taking stock of his present company, Ian quickly followed.

"I hope you're not taking this personally," Hazel said as they walked toward the entry.

Opening the door for her, Ian laughed. "I don't think I'd regret things getting personal."

She scowled at him. "Men are all the same."

"What are you doing?" he asked as she opened the trunk of her car.

"Getting my bag. Aengus will help, but I'd better be here to prod him along. Glad I had him get that Internet connection last time, because eventually, I need to get some work done."

Ian was at a loss.

"I can take you back to town if you like," she told him.

"No. I didn't bring a bag, that's all. I'm not going back to town so you can stay here and do all the hard parts for me."

"That's not what I meant. I don't mind helping. Aengus just drives me nuts. But without me, I don't think there's any way you'd convince him to help you." She paused. With a mischievous expression, she said, "Well, maybe there's one way."

"No. I'm definitely glad you're here." He couldn't help running one hand through his hair. He shot her an embarrassed smile.

"Aengus has that effect on people. The draw, I mean. Your human sensibilities about the bedroom don't apply around him. Around me, either." Her gaze didn't waver. She was weighing his response.

He grinned. "Let me know when you want to put my _sensibilities_ to the test."

She laughed him off. And that was just fine. For now.

# Chapter Five

Aengus had locked himself in the apothecary after their exchange. Hazel went in, undeterred by the lock, which clicked back as she ran a hand over it, and let him know they were staying a couple of days.

He barely looked up before he waved them out of his workspace with a noncommittal grunt.

"He'll probably be in there all night. There's a pizza place a few miles from here. Should we go grab a bite?"

"Let's," Ian said. Getting out of this house was a great idea. The tension that had grown between them outside hadn't faded. Neutral territory and an audience might help settle his reaction to the love god's compelling daughter.

It would soon be dark; the afternoon light was fading into deep purple dusk. As they got into the car, a misting rain started to fall.

The pizza was good. Ian had spent enough time beyond the veil to appreciate it. He treated Hazel to a couple of local microbrews as well. Just one more thing about the human world that he'd miss, assuming he ever settled this tribute and got back home. Hazel wasn't much of a drinker, and by the time the pizza arrived, her cheeks were flushed.

Their server was female, but apparently, she picked up on Hazel's draw. Ian wasn't sure if it was more powerful when Hazel was intoxicated, or if the server was always attracted to girls, but when she brought the pizza, she reached out a hand as if she'd touch Hazel. Hazel smiled in response and grabbed her hand. She gave the girl's fingers a squeeze, then dropped her hand and turned to the food. The girl left their table, her smile wistful. She held her hand against herself as though she held something precious.

Hazel caught him watching the exchange and gave him a huge grin. "Nice girl, but I don't usually swing that direction."

He nearly spit his beer. "Usually? Let me make a mental note."

As they walked out, she grabbed his arm, threading hers through, and he took the opportunity to grab her keys. Her fingers were insistent on his arm, and when he turned to her, she leaned in, planting a kiss on each of his cheeks before walking around to the passenger side.

"I'm not ready to go back to the house. Are you up for adventure?"

"Anytime. What do you have in mind?"

She pointed out directions as he drove them to a pullout near the river, a couple of miles from Aengus's property. She led the way down the dark path through the trees. Moonlight sparkled over the drifting currents of the river, its wide ribbon dotted with water-worn stones. A few large boulders sat at the river's edge. Hazel leaned against one of them, her eyes on the river.

The roar of the water filled his ears, and when she said something, he didn't hear her the first time. He moved closer. "What did you say?"

"Oh, sorry. I said this was a favorite spot when I was a kid. Still is, I guess. Sometimes the sound of flowing water helps me think."

They were standing close enough that he could feel the heat of her body. The air had cooled considerably as night fell.

Had she noticed their proximity, too? She'd fallen silent, watching him. He took a chance and slipped an arm around her. Something in her eyes asked him to, and it was a question he had to answer. He rested one hand on the small of her back. His other hand slid over her shoulder, his fingers running smoothly over her soft skin. The heat between them intensified, and the night didn't feel cool anymore.

He should tell her...but no. Not now.

He kissed her, lightly at first. She leaned into him as that glow lit her up from the inside. She couldn't hide her desire for him. Her lips were sweet and tender on his, and her scent enveloped him like a soft meadow, urging him to...whoa.

Ian pulled back and watched Hazel's eyes flicker open. She'd surrendered to him, he thought with a rumbling laugh. She'd seemed the untouchable, seductive Sidhe, but it turned out she was very touchable indeed.

Hazel was pretty sure her racing pulse could be heard a half mile away. Ian surprised her, and that was a feeling she wasn't accustomed to.

She hadn't expected him to be like this. Many human men surrendered their control to her instantly in such an intimate embrace; they simply couldn't help it. Not him. He hadn't surrendered a thing. In fact, he'd elicited a bit of surrender from her. She knew he was affected by her draw, but it didn't overwhelm him like it did most.

He watched her, his eyes warm with humor.

She kissed him this time, eager to feel that surrender again. A tiny, nagging doubt said that should worry her, but she resolutely ignored it. She wanted to see where this went. She wanted to see Ian lose a bit of that charming, tightly held control.

His hands...gods he was strong. She wished he would move lower and pull her against him. She wanted him to do it roughly. She'd only just thought it when he did, gripping her hips and pulling her against him. She gasped.

He broke their kiss to move to her neck, and then her ear, nibbling and caressing with lips and teeth.

Did he find it as difficult to stop as she did?

He groaned softly in her ear, and pulled back to look at her. With one last kiss, he let her go, backing up against the boulder, his eyes sparkling in the moonlight. Her glow brightened the woods around them. This was not the place to give free rein to her desires. And she should take it slow with him. He was human after all. She shouldn't take advantage of what her draw did to him. She silently cursed the complicating factor of her Sidhe heritage. Why was it suddenly important to her that Ian want _her_ , and not just because of her draw?

She took two steps toward the trail and raised her eyebrows. "Are we going, slow-poke?"

"I guess we are. Back to the torture chamber."

"Ooh, torture. Sorry it's so hard for you." She giggled at her unintended double entendre.

"You have no idea." He grinned at her.

Returning to the house, they swung the door open to find people milling about, in all stages of undress.

"Uh-oh," Hazel said softly, stopped in the doorway. "He meant it."

Ian peered past her. "Meant what?"

"Meant that he needed people to test it on."

"Test it? You mean they're..." He paused. "Seriously?"

"Not very romantic, is it?"

"Nope. Not romantic. How romantic is any of this?"

"Good point."

Aengus had seen them from across the open room he'd formed from his living space. "Ah, the guests of honor. Bring them a drink. The second, I think."

"Not sure I need one of those, sir," Ian told him.

Aengus laughed from his reclining position on the same chaise he'd been using when they first arrived in the afternoon. "Not sure I care. You asked for help. I'm giving it. The least you could do is test the product."

Ian took the glass. Hazel did the same, but watched him carefully. "You don't have to do this, you know," she told him. "I don't want you bullied into something you don't want."

He laughed softly. "I'm more worried about what you want. You know I want you, but I'm not sure this would make for a particularly good first time."

"You don't know Aengus."

Raising their glasses to each other in a silent toast, they each gulped down the shot of whatever they'd been given.

Ian couldn't help looking around at the various activities taking place in that one large room. There must have been twenty people in the house. They'd formed groups of two and three, and four of them reclined in various positions around the god. Most were still talking and laughing, but a few had already succumbed to the urge awakened by the drink. Strokes and glances were getting more heated even as he watched.

The drink engulfed his belly in flame, and worked outward like wildfire in his veins. His skin was hot, and he ached for the thrill of another's skin against his own. What he saw around the room was exciting, but the thought of Hazel had him going out of his mind. The invitation in her eyes earlier. The way she'd pressed against him, as if nothing satisfied her more than that meeting of bodies. He knew how to satisfy her completely, and he would.

And maybe, just maybe, it would be tonight.

Hazel gave him a heated look, once again seeming to see the picture developing in his mind. She seemed to come to some decision, extending her hand. Her glow came upon her as she stood there, just a step from him. As it did, a new murmur swept the room. She was far from the only Sidhe there, but only her skin echoed the glow that marked her father's line.

He looked from her to Aengus, standing across the room from each other, and saw what had induced the whispers. They were very much alike, in appearance anyway. Tall, graceful, and radiating power. He could only say they stood out, in sharp relief against the background haze of aphrodisiac intoxication.

Yet Hazel was utterly herself. Her face came close to human, her mother's legacy, and her power only grew more evident as the aphrodisiac took hold.

Already a few of the visitors were headed her direction. As the first approached, Ian started as Hazel grabbed his arm and held him firmly at her side. Their hands entwined, she nodded, and said something quietly to the other man. He looked at Ian and laughed softly. Shaking his head, he moved on.

"What did you tell him?" Ian asked.

"That we're only interested in each other tonight," she said.

"Speak for yourself," Ian joked. It got him a punch on the arm.

She still had his hand, and he wasn't going to object. If she wanted to stick with him, he wouldn't complain.

Aengus was busy with his party, and it appeared he'd be at it all night. Another round of drinks came their way. Ian helped himself, watching Hazel do the same.

They smiled, gave their silent toast, and gulped the fiery liquid.

Hazel's glow had not abated. She grew more excited all the time. The room hummed with sensuality, and if she was going to contain this need for long, she'd better get out of here.

"Want to take a walk?"

"A walk?" he asked. Obviously, it was the farthest thing from his mind. "Well, sure."

Hazel led the way down the path to the river. She sat on a bench down close to the bank, and leaned back to look at the stars. It felt good to be out of the house. She'd nearly lost her control in there. The drink still worked its way through her blood, and the cool night air felt good against the flush of her skin.

Ian sighed as they sat in the darkness. He took Hazel's hand, caressing her fingers, moving his hand sensuously up her arm. Her eyes closed, the innocent touch making her body thrum with pleasure.

How did this aphrodisiac compare with the Fomorii ajma? How much of what she was feeling was due to the drink, and how much to a more mundane but no less intoxicating physical attraction?

Ian leaned in and kissed her, his stubble rough against her skin. Her pulse thumped wildly as he buried his face in her neck and drew a deep breath, savoring the smell of her. Daring to go a little further, he kissed her collar bone and began to run his tongue in little circles over her skin, moving to the tops of her breasts, visible above the tight-fitting sweater she wore.

Hazel moaned and gripped the back of Ian's head, pulling him closer. "More."

With deft fingers, Ian undid two buttons and moved lower. His fingers brushed the lace of her bra, and then he cupped her with the palm of his hand. He kissed her softly, teasing her. Hazel pressed him on, her hands more insistent. Two more buttons and the sweater fell open, revealing more of her glow.

Ian pulled back, and picked her up easily. He straddled the bench and set her in his lap.

Hazel moved one leg around him, and he laid her back against the bench, the wood hard and cold beneath her. Every touch had turned to torture, and all her senses stretched toward him, willing him to continue. Did he have good reason to be so confident? She only hoped he was as good as he thought he was.

She didn't want to resist what was happening between them. Couldn't deny herself when she wanted—

A shriek rent the night air. Hazel cast Ian a hot glance – noting the clenched jaw and his ragged breathing – as she jumped up, pulling her sweater around herself and buttoning it as she jogged toward the house.

Damn. She could have lived without the interruption.

# Chapter Six

"Have we learned our lesson?" Hazel surveyed her father with a smile.

"Don't test a powerful aphrodisiac on a crowded room?"

"That would be the one."

"I'll probably need a reminder in a couple of centuries, dear."

"I only hope I'll be there to give it," Hazel said, landing a light kiss on the deity's cheek.

Ian didn't think it had turned out all that badly. When they got back inside, the whole room was in an uproar. A jealous lover had pulled a knife, stabbing a Sidhe man in the arm. Others had quickly pulled him off the wounded man, and the wound turned out not to be deep.

Aengus used magic to lull his violent guest to sleep for the time being, and left him to sleep it off in a sealed room.

And that had been the end of the party.

"I'm thinking that's not the aphrodisiac we need, Aengus," Hazel said.

"Agreed. If it made a human violent, I don't care to think how it would interact with the Fomorii nature. I'll have to think some more. I don't need help. You two can feel free to get some sleep." His gaze darted between them, and he smiled.

Hazel eyed Ian after her father's back was turned, a question in her eyes.

"So, where's your room?" he asked.

She looked shocked. "Still interested, huh?"

"Why not?"

"All the violence."

"A stabbing? That's not all that rare at a human party." He nodded toward the room where the stabbing had occurred. "Tonight, the aphrodisiac heightened their jealousy along with their lust. But I don't have anything to be jealous about. I didn't even have to fight anyone for you."

"You say that with a lot of confidence."

"Yes." He flexed for her, preening comically.

She laughed.

"Where's your room?" He reached behind her and gripped her rear firmly with one hand, pulling her toward him, while the other teased between the buttons of her sweater. His skin was still on fire, and even here she felt so good against him. There was a certain conversation they should probably have before they went to bed, but somehow that kept drifting in and out of his thoughts. He pushed it aside. Later.

Turning, Hazel guided him to her room and inside. A plush king-sized bed stood at one end of the large room, which was more a suite, because as he looked toward the other end, he saw a sitting area and then a hot tub farther down.

She followed his gaze. "Fancy a dip?"

"I didn't bring a suit." He couldn't help but disrobe her with his eyes as he spoke. She was so gorgeous.

As he watched, her glow started again, subtle at first. She lifted one hand to the front of her sweater to unbutton it. She shrugged it from her shoulders and let it fall in a pile at her feet. She did the same with her jeans, stepping out of them to stand before him like something stepping out of a dream, a hundred times more beautiful than he'd expected. All heavenly curves and glowing soft skin.

"No need for one." She crooked a finger at him from just a few steps away, and he went to her. She reached out a hand and deftly undid his belt. She freed him, her touch delicious, and he dropped his jeans on top of her clothes, along with the rest of what he wore.

Hazel stepped closer and Ian drew her into his arms. Every point of contact blazed through his consciousness. Her scent and her glow were all he knew. He couldn't get enough of the feel of her. He wanted to be closer. So much closer.

His hands traveled until he stopped at the feel of lace. He released the clasp of her bra, casting it aside as his hands moved over her soft skin. She made a soft sound in the back of her throat that made him ache in a way that was so right he would never forget it.

She broke the embrace and turned to pull the cover from the hot tub. His hands instantly found the white lace she still wore. Stretching his palms against her, he gripped her hips. His fingers found their way beneath the lace to blessedly soft skin, and he pulled the fabric away from her, down over her hips, and added them silently to the pile.

She grinned and ascended the two stairs to the tub, gasping as she dipped in a toe. He wanted to hear her make that sound as he—

Ian shook the thought out of his head and took a deep, steadying breath. There was no need to rush.

She was already slipping into the tub, and when he joined her the heat felt so good to his over-sensitized skin that he couldn't help sighing as he stretched against the side of the tub.

"Long day?" she asked.

"It's not over yet." He gave her a coaxing smile.

She straddled him, running her hands over his shoulders and up into his hair. He gripped her hips, and she leaned against him, kissing his neck, her breath teasing over his skin. Her heart was racing.

Ian could feel the heat of the aphrodisiac, not to mention Hazel, feeding his impatience, rapidly overtaking the languor induced by the hot water. Every motion brought their bodies into startling, triumphant contact.

He kissed her hard, more than ready to forget everything but Hazel and the glow of her Sidhe skin.

Hazel wasn't holding back, on her strength, her passion, or her draw, but somehow Ian was meeting her halfway, taking her farther than she'd thought possible so soon. She'd never known a human man who could make her feel this way.

The expression on his face accentuated an already irrepressible desire. He wanted her badly, and the war between passion and control was being waged across his features. Control had won – so far. As his intense gaze drove into hers, she knew it wouldn't be long before passion had its moment.

Ian groaned and stilled Hazel's hips with a firm grip. He stood, still holding her, and her breath caught in her throat as the water cascaded from their bodies. He set her on the side of the hot tub, and she swung her legs over. He didn't bother toweling off as he jumped from the tub himself and lifted her again, carrying her across the room to the bed.

Hazel ran her hands over the rippling muscles of his back as he set her down. He felt so good under her palms, his skin wet and firm and hot. He kissed her, hard, and she moaned into his mouth.

Ian began to kiss a winding trail down her body, licking the moisture from her skin with the very tip of his tongue. His mouth lit a path of fire as he kissed her breasts and belly. He held her firmly against him, still completely in control.

Well, fine. He could be in control. She wanted to lose it.

His lips teased. The contact wasn't enough. She needed more of him. She threaded her hands into his hair and held his head prisoner against her.

His breath tickled her skin as he laughed. He traced his way down her belly. She shivered under him, and he met her eyes as he moved lower. His fingers tugged at the skin of her thighs, opening her further to his touch.

"Ian..." Her hands were in his hair. Gods, he was doing it again, focusing only on her. And she liked it.

She opened her eyes, clouded with burning passion, and fixed him in her sight.

An outline of horns rose above his head. The illusion of antlers made him look like some strange old god of the forest. She giggled at the tricks her mind was playing on her. She closed her eyes and then opened them to look again, but they hadn't gone.

Ian watched her with a smile, but she was getting concerned. She reached up to satisfy herself it was an illusion, a hallucination...and came in contact with his smooth, velvety horn.

He sighed contentedly.

She gasped in horror and shoved against him, her heart racing.

Ian moved off of Hazel and sat back against the headboard, his hands casually behind his head. His position left his gorgeous body on display for her. Any other time the sight would be downright distracting...

But the horns.

Hazel shook her head and scrambled to her feet. She threw on a robe and grabbed her slippers just before slamming the door behind her.

Horns.

He was gorgeous, fun, and sexy as hell – and now it came out he had horns?

She found herself in the doorway to her father's apothecary. Hesitantly, she shuffled inside. This one was going to earn her an earful.

"Figured it out, did you?" Aengus asked. His back was still turned to her as he sifted and measured herbs at a workbench.

Hazel squealed with shock. "How did you know?"

"Know what?"

"Horns. The man has horns. What the hell is he?"

"He's the same man you went in there with an hour ago, Hazel." Aengus gestured toward the back of the house, where Ian still waited.

"But you still haven't answered me. How did you know?"

"His glamour didn't work for me. I can often see through the work of the young ones." He wrinkled his nose in distaste.

Hazel shrugged off his patronizing tone as she hit on a light-bulb thought. "Brigit."

Aengus had turned back to his workbench and merely said. "Hmm, dear?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it."

# Chapter Seven

Hazel didn't go back to her bedroom. Instead, she went to the fire-warmed kitchen. Closing her eyes, she intoned, "Brigit, goddess bright and fair. Come to me if you freaking dare."

Not the nicest address, but Hazel wasn't feeling nice at the moment.

The fire crackled and spit behind her, and Hazel whipped around to face it, her eyes flying open to find her aunt sitting in front of the fire examining her nails.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Hazel ranted.

"Well, that's quite a tone to take. Do you think I have nothing better to do than respond to your call – just to find you in a rotten temper and as ungrateful as ever?"

"He has horns, Aunt Brigit. Horns."

"I know dear. Isn't it wonderful? Lord of the Forest. The first in three generations – some were getting worried. He's quite a catch!" She giggled.

"How dare you?"

"Hazel, don't be cross. I'm tired of seeing you lonely. He's a good boy. I know his parents quite well, and they were thrilled to hear I had a niece. Ian did the rest all on his own."

"But he didn't exactly use an honest approach, did he? And you – you let me think he was human, even though you knew otherwise."

"Oh, but I thought that was fun. I figured you'd find him out before long, have a good laugh, and the two of you would be closer for it. Why are you so angry?" Her warm blue eyes had gone wide with surprise.

"Because I thought he was different! I thought he saw me, regardless of the draw. Now I know he was lying the entire time. He had a draw of his own, and he used it on me. I didn't know what he was."

"Darling, this was bound to happen eventually. Don't be too angry with Ian. Not over this." Aengus stood in the doorway, and Hazel had no idea how long he'd been there.

"Why do you defend him? You don't know him."

"No, I only met him earlier today. But they're all curious about you. That's my fault." Aengus searched her eyes, then turned and leaned against the doorframe. "There are few enough of us now that Sidhe will always be after you. They will always want to mate with you, in the hope that you will bear Sidhe children. We have so few now."

Yeah, she'd heard that often enough. Hazel shook her head and stalked from the room. Had he ever considered how it felt to be treated like a Sidhe breed cow? Wasn't she entitled to a man who loved her just for herself, not because she bore the blood of the Dagda, but two generations removed? And hadn't Aengus always told her that even as there were those who would seek her, there were those who would detest her as well?

Honestly, screw them. That's why she wanted nothing to do with them. If they couldn't accept her for all that she was, if she always felt she had to change herself to belong with the Sidhe, then they weren't her people at all. She couldn't change what she was, and she didn't want to.

Her choices were her own, and if she'd known, she would have made a different choice earlier.

Wouldn't she?

Ian still sprawled naked on her bed when Hazel returned, propped up on pillows against the headboard, his horns a regal crown. It looked as though he'd fallen asleep, and she took a long moment to enjoy the view from where she stood.

"You're back," he said.

Hazel jumped guiltily, and pressed the door firmly shut behind her, leaning back on it for support. "Yes."

"Do you plan to sleep where you are?"

"Do you plan on sleeping?"

"No nefarious plots biding their time over here, I swear it." He nodded to confirm his vow, his blue eyes shining as he looked at her.

Regardless of the robe, she felt bare before his gaze. She wanted to be bare before him.

And she shouldn't.

He couldn't be trusted. If he'd lied to get into her life, what wouldn't he lie about?

She pulled a chair near the door and sat down, closing her robe around her knees modestly.

He chuckled. "Who are you kidding?"

"What do you mean?"

"You want me." He closed his eyes and breathed deep, smiling. "You want me now, I can feel it."

"And why should I give in to such misled desire when I know nothing about you?"

"Did you know that much more about human Ian an hour ago?"

"That's not the point. I knew he hadn't betrayed my trust, and I believed he had no part in this Sidhe madness that is my father's legacy."

"Ease up a little," Ian warned. He softened as she pulled further into her chair. "You should be proud of your heritage, Hazel. I don't know where this mistrust of everything Sidhe comes from, but can't you see why I'd approach you pretending to be a human? You'd never have given me the time of day if I'd been honest."

Hazel paused. He was right. She wouldn't have given him the time of day; she wouldn't have stuck around to hear him finish asking for it. After Drake, she'd been through with Sidhe males.

"Drake." Hazel had spoken softly, but emphatically. "Oh, that's low. And your little argument had me about to give you a get-out-of-jail-free card. Tell you what, you can have this room for the night. I'll go sleep in a guest room."

"Hazel, come on." Ian appeared behind her as she touched the doorknob. His arms went around her waist. He took a deep breath, smelling her hair. "I didn't mean to go so far before I told you. That was wrong. It just felt too good to resist. I got carried away. You don't want to leave. We can take it slow. Just stay, sit with me for a while."

He felt good. Too good. He was so large behind her. His warmth enveloped her. Despite her resolve, her body started to respond.

Hazel pressed back against him. He shifted and pulled her closer, bending to nibble her ear.

Reaching up, Hazel touched a horn. She wrenched away from him and grabbed the doorknob again.

He still held her wrist, and he pulled her back to him, shaking his head. He dropped a kiss on her cheek, lingering there before dropping her hand.

Not knowing what else to do, and fighting to retain some semblance of control, Hazel fled.

# Chapter Eight

In the morning, Hazel was relieved to see that Ian looked about as good as she felt – and that wasn't good at all. She'd slept fitfully, at best, and hadn't even gotten to sleep until well into the early morning hours.

"Good morning. Where are you going?" he asked as she reached for the door. He stretched and yawned widely before giving her a smile. She noted he'd hidden his horns with a glamour again this morning.

"I want to get back to town before long, but for now, I'm just running out for some breakfast."

"Not worried about staying and prodding Aengus on the aphrodisiac, then?"

"What's the point? I know you lied to get into my life."

His eyes went wide. "I still need that aphrodisiac for the Fomorii. But if you don't want to help me anymore, I'll understand."

"I think Aengus will help you regardless. You're Sidhe. You don't need me for this."

"But I would like it if you'd stay." Again, the sweet smile she'd found so attractive when she believed he was human. His steady gaze stole her breath, and it startled her to realize she still wanted him.

"What's the real story? I figured since you'd lied to me, you had lied about all of it. Do you truly owe a tribute to the Fomorii?"

"Yes. It's a longstanding tradition in my family. One of my ancestors was half-Fomorii, and he always required tribute to honor his Fomorii relations. Of course, if I ignore it, I tempt the creatures' wrath. Since the tribute is also tied to the peace between Fomorii and Sidhe—"

"That's really all I need to know." Hazel said grimly, holding up a hand as if to ward him off. "The fertility thing. That was a lie?"

"No." He watched her closely. "I wasn't lying when I said that if we weren't successful, there would be no more children in my family. There's the Fomorii thing, plus I'm an only child. I need a mate if we are to have more children."

"You sure do. Better get out there and find the lucky lady."

"I found her, Hazel. I want you."

"Sure, the daughter of Aengus makes a lovely prize. You don't even know me. What's there to want besides my draw?"

"Your draw is powerful. You seduce me without even needing to try. It's an ongoing, underlying tension in every exchange. But that isn't all I see in you. You were willing to help me when you saw an ignorant, needy human."

"Seemed entertaining enough."

"And that's just it. It's like you were waiting for me to bring some adventure into your life."

"Yeah, I mostly just sat around, waiting for some arrogant guy to come lie to me so we could have some fun."

"You did have fun with me the last couple of days. And by last night, you were dying for what I could give you." His voice went husky, and he leaned toward her as he spoke.

Hazel fought against her body's betrayal. She could move closer, and he could wrap those powerful arms around her...

But it was a lie.

She turned away, gripping the doorknob. "I'll be back in a while."

The cool, crisp morning air cleared the fog of sleep from her mind. She shivered and wished for her coat, but there was no way she was stepping back inside with Ian waiting to pounce on her with more sweet lies. Buttoning the last buttons on her sweater, she jogged to her car and got inside.

She would go back to town this afternoon. She just needed to make sure Aengus wouldn't leave Ian hanging.

At the convenience store a couple of miles away, she bought doughnuts and coffee, ignoring the interested glances of the greasy guy behind the counter. Her hair swirled around her in the parking lot as the wind picked up.

As she drove back to the house, she sipped her coffee and pictured Ian naked. A strong, steamy hunk of man – that's what she'd been given. And she had to turn him down? Too cruel.

But it was for the best. Hazel had more to say to her aunt on the subject. No fixing the niece up. Ever. And her father could take it and shove it. It certainly wasn't her fault she was born half-Sidhe at a time when the Sidhe could barely breed. Should that determine who she took to bed? She'd have to talk to Drake, too. Was he confused when she said no more Sidhe men? Arrogant, insufferable Sidhe; she was surrounded.

Pulling into the drive, she saw a car that definitely didn't belong at her father's house. Drake was here.

"Damn it. What can it be now?" She groaned, feeling grumpier than ever.

Maybe she should just drive away and let the three of them figure this out on their own. They were big, powerful Sidhe men, weren't they? With another whispered curse, Hazel decided there was no way she could avoid it and went inside to see what the hell Drake was doing at Aengus's house.

Ian regarded Drake with disbelief. Not only was the Sidhe agent in Aengus's house – where Ian had just last night come _this close_ to making love to his ex – but the news he brought wasn't anticipated or welcome. Ian was already on edge after last night. He was worried about Hazel and how much damage he'd done to any possibility between them. He hadn't ruined things. He would recover her trust and show her what she did to him.

He hadn't slept much. He couldn't stop thinking about her. Her laugh, her smile, those stunning green eyes. Her jokes and the way her hips swayed when she moved. Her easy grace and willfully carefree attitude. He'd never met anyone like her.

So when he heard what Drake had to say, it was from a perspective of having far more to lose than he'd had yesterday.

"No one I've spoken to can find our contact." Drake told Ian, carefully avoiding Aengus's eyes.

Hazel's father watched the Sidhe agent without a word, but his expression had grown dark. Ian was suddenly glad he wasn't the only one responsible for getting Hazel involved in this. Her aunt and Drake had both participated, too, and they could share the old man's fury.

"They've gone crazy over the turtle eggs," Drake said. "I think a war is breaking out. Ellis may already be dead."

The door opened in the foyer, and all three of them paused. Hazel was back.

"Drake?" Hazel appeared in the doorway, keeping her white-knuckled grip on the doughnuts. "I saw your car out front."

He shook his head, and Hazel's hand trembled as she set the box of doughnuts on a table.

"They want us?" she asked.

"I haven't heard that directly, but you must be careful who you contact. Some of them would certainly kill you at this point."

Ian spoke firmly. "They won't." When he caught Hazel's eye, he tried to stay calm. Part of him was prepared to do battle, but giving that part voice wouldn't make Hazel feel safe.

She shivered, and it was all he could do not to reach for her. She hadn't asked for comfort, and after last night, he wasn't in a position to offer.

Drake stared at Ian's horns. "She knows? You move fast."

"You didn't think that was worth mentioning?" Hazel nearly shrieked. Obviously, one topic could make her forget being a target in an absurd civil war among an old Otherworld race over a powerful aphrodisiac.

"Hazel." Drake held up a hand in obvious reprimand. "You are too proud. He honors you."

Ian shook his head. "I wouldn't put it that w—"

Hazel spoke over him. "He can _honor_ someone else."

Drake just looked at her, a question in his eyes.

"Hell yes, I'm mad at you," Hazel told him. "What were you thinking? You lied for him so he didn't even have to. I thought after everything, we were still friends. Why'd you let him in?"

"Hazel, I thought you'd like him. Ian and I know each other from the Authority. He told me he wanted to meet you." Drake shrugged. "I told him it wouldn't work for him to approach you as a Sidhe. It's no secret between us that you think Sidhe men are horrible. But he's not me."

No quick retort flew from her mouth. She seemed to be thinking that through.

Ian watched her. His fury had begun to settle, but he still felt fiercely protective. He didn't want her to leave his side. In fact, she was not close enough. She should be within reach. He resisted the urge to reach for her.

Even as he thought it, she moved toward him. Relieved, he pulled her against him, his arm around her shoulders, and kissed her hair.

"Will you come with me to Otherworld?" he asked her softly.

She jerked back with surprise. "No."

"I can protect you easily there, until Aengus finishes his new concoction. Then we'll figure out how to get it to the Fomorii."

Hazel looked to Drake.

"Go. I'll work out a contact here. In the meantime, I'll feel better knowing you'll be safe," he told her.

Aengus nodded. He'd been silent until now, his worry apparent. "You will be safe from this threat in Tir Nan Og." The worry didn't fade from his eyes, and Hazel suspected he had other thoughts on the matter that he didn't want to share.

Ian held his breath. Pressing his case was a surefire way to get her to disagree.

Hazel frowned and shuffled her feet. "I need to make a stop in Portland first, to get some things."

Ian nodded, satisfied. He pulled her into his arms and held her tight for a moment. And she let him. "Good. We'll be home by tonight."

"Home?"

"I hope you will come to know it that way," Ian whispered into her hair.

Hazel stiffened against him. He would win her over in Otherworld. She belonged with him. He just had to convince her. First, he had to keep her safe until he had the chance.

# Chapter Nine

Otherworld. Hazel hadn't been in years, and she'd never stayed longer than a few days. The time difference alone was a killer. A handful of days there and she came back beyond the veil close to a month after she left. For someone who called the human world home, that was simply too much trouble. Not to mention the creepy crawlies. Of course, not all of the creatures of Tir Nan Og were disgusting, but they certainly had their share. From sentient animals, including snakes and spiders, to infuriating pixies sprinkling their dust to enchant you and make you sneeze. Then there were the odd tiny pechs taunting from the brush, and the wraiths that not only made the skin crawl, but stole your warmth and your breath if they got close enough. She'd never been thrilled by the wildlife.

The drive back to Portland was devoid of the banter that had marked the trip out. Still tired from the night before, Hazel had little energy for anything besides thought. Ian's brow was creased as well, and he'd occasionally shake his head and mumble to himself. They were both just trying to cope with the idea they had to escape a war they'd helped to start just a couple of days ago.

Hazel pulled up in front of the two-story bungalow she and Brigit called home. She paused, gathering her thoughts. "What do I need?"

"Bring as little or as much as you like. Anything personal you want in the next few days. You can bring your own clothes if you like, or we'll dress you there." He shrugged.

Hazel had to get rid of him. Serious girl talk was in order, and she couldn't do that with him here. "I should probably get some work done before we go, too. Do you want to borrow the car and go get your things while I do?"

Ian stared at her intently. He smiled. "No, I think I'll stick with you, thanks."

Her attempt foiled, Hazel grumpily unsnapped her seatbelt and grabbed her stuff.

Alise opened the door before they could reach it and gave Hazel a hug as she came through. She stared at Ian, looking him up and down greedily before settling on his smile and extending her hand.

"I'm Alise, Hazel's friend."

"Ian." He stretched out a hand, his eyes sticking to Alise's face in that determined way men have when they're trying not to give the appraising once over.

Hazel rolled her eyes. Of course he noticed how attractive she was. Who wouldn't? Alise was small, like a fragile bird, with black hair that hung to her waist and eyes dark and rich as midnight.

Alise turned to her, concerned. "Brigit called me. Said you might need to talk. You okay?"

Hazel sighed and walked toward the kitchen. "Let me say hello to Aunt Brigit, and then you can help me pack."

She was glad they didn't follow her into the kitchen.

"Pack?" Alise asked Ian, who remained just inside the front door.

Brigit stood next to the bay windows, watching the hummingbirds flicker past to the feeder she'd placed there for them. The tiny creatures, with all their many colors and their abundant energy, brought her much delight.

"Hi, Aunt Brigit," Hazel said wearily as she sat down on the window seat next to her aunt. "Thanks for calling Alise. I was worried I wouldn't get a chance. Must be off to Otherworld, you know."

"You don't have to go. Don't be such a martyr. He's an attractive man, wealthy and with power beyond belief, and I can tell you like him already. Do I need to count your blessings for you?" Brigit asked, well past patience.

"Can't I just have a little time to think?"

"You can't think in Otherworld?"

"So you think I should go with him then? Even knowing he lied to me?"

"Hazel, you don't have to sleep with the man. He'll give you a room of your own. This isn't marriage – it's a bit of an escape, isn't it?"

Hazel nodded.

"I think you'll be safer. The Fomorii have no inroads to Otherworld. They cannot harm you there. I didn't count on them to be such fools. Starting a war over an aphrodisiac? Now I know I've seen it all."

"If I go, I won't be back for a month or so. I don't have that much vacation time." Hazel quipped. With Aunt Brigit as her employer, she knew it wouldn't matter a bit.

"Well, you have work you can take with you, don't you? I'm always seeing you with that small computer. That's what they call it, right?"

Hazel rolled her eyes for the second time in the past five minutes. "It's a laptop. And as they don't use electricity in Otherworld, it's a moot point."

"Where's Ian?" Brigit asked.

"Talking to Alise. But if you'd visit with him a while, I could talk to her."

"Send him in." She waved at the cupboard, and her kettle and two cups sailed out to meet her as she reached the sink. She put the water on to boil. Another wave brought forth a plate of fresh-baked oatmeal cookies from the cupboard.

"Hey!" Hazel exclaimed, snatching one from the plate before her aunt could set it on the table.

"Now, now. Shoo." Brigit waved her out of the room, and stuck her head out into the hall behind her. "Ian! Come visit a while, hon!"

He smiled awkwardly and went down the hall to her, where she promptly hugged him and set about fussing over him. "No need to hide in my home, Ian."

He nodded, and let the illusion drop, his horns appearing regally. He waved at Hazel, his look telling her to hurry back, and let himself be pulled into the kitchen.

Alise's jaw dropped.

Hazel hustled upstairs to her bedroom and flung herself onto her queen-sized red and gold bed. Alise came behind her and sat at the foot of the bed, pulling a big fluffy pillow onto her lap.

"Okay. What was that?"

"The horns, you mean? Yeah, he's Sidhe and lied about it. The horns are a real special touch. Not the best surprise I've ever had in the bedroom, if you get my meaning."

Alise whistled through her teeth. "Uncool."

"You're telling me."

"How is he still here?"

"Oh, the two of us managed to start a war by passing along too much information to the Fomorii. You know the Fomorii?"

"We've been over this. Old, old race. Dwell in seabed caverns. Long ago fought the Tuatha De and lost."

Hazel waved a hand. "Okay, history buff. Those are the legends. Well, remember the extinct turtles, and those eggs Ian couldn't get? A freaking civil war is breaking out over the last of them. There's your old race. And since this is the story he used to get into my life, I'm now in danger and have to travel to Otherworld with him and hide."

"You're kidding. So...he lied, and now he gets it all his way regardless? What an ass!"

This was exactly the sort of best friend support Hazel had been after. "So what do I do? I can't get out of going. Quite frankly, I know it's cheesy to say out loud, but I am way too young and gorgeous to die." She grew serious, pulling herself up to sit against the headboard. "I don't know if I can resist him while I'm there."

"And what's the problem?"

"You hit on it. It's not okay that he gets it his way after lying to me."

"And you'll miss a really hot piece of ass to prove your point?"

"That, right there, is the question."

"I guess you'll decide when the time comes what's more important to you, your pride or having his amazing body all over you. Regardless, you don't have to make it easy on him."

Alise had always been great at putting things in perspective.

# Chapter Ten

Old growth fir trees towered above the pair of them as they walked to the portal in Forest Park. With their rough bark stretching to the heavens and powder-green needles obscuring the view, the trees were home to a bevy of chirping, calling creatures. Rain filtered slowly through the layers of needles to seep finally onto the forest trail.

Ian was going home to Tir Nan Og. Home! He hadn't been back for a single day since he left to find the tribute for the Fomorii. He'd expected to be gone a few weeks, maybe two months tops. Delay after delay had forced him to remain beyond the veil.

He'd never felt at home in the human world. He'd grown used to the technology, but the noise, the constant sound of machines moving, the horizon crowded with buildings stretching skyward like fingers by the hundreds...that felt as foreign and disturbing today as when he'd first crossed the veil.

The forest was another story. He guided Hazel down the trail, moving branches out of her path and warning her of rough spots. She must be as worried as he was about the situation with the Fomorii. Her eyes said she was far away. When he caught her gaze, he gave her a quick, reassuring smile.

She scowled and made a show of ignoring him.

Ian grinned and walked on ahead. He could feel her eyes all over him. She was mad, but he knew he would sway her in time. They'd felt this heat for each other since the first day they met. How could she deny it now that she knew who he was? They would be amazing together. Ian had given into it with their first kiss. Deep inside, she had to feel the pull of all they could be to each other. She must feel the impossibility of parting with him.

Finally they reached a group of trees spaced into a wide ring. The portal. As Lord of the Forest, Ian had the power to open a portal anywhere, but he didn't exactly want to draw Hazel's attention to his Sidhe powers at the moment. It wasn't a power he used often, either. The established portals were usually convenient enough.

Ian reached for Hazel's hand, and she gave it to him reluctantly.

"Ready?" he asked softly.

She shivered at the cool, late-afternoon breeze and nodded.

He stepped inside the ring, pulling her inside with him. Suddenly, the world fell away, and swirling colors filled his sight. He knew what she felt, the stomach-lurching sensation, though it barely affected him since he'd traversed the portals so often. She had only just squeezed her eyes tightly shut when she crumpled to her knees as they crashed to a stop.

The grove appeared much like the one they'd departed. Yet the quality of light was different here. It shimmered with a dust that bathed everything in a subtle, sheer cloak.

Home. He was finally back.

Next to him, Hazel sneezed loudly. "Nice. Real, live pixie dust. Must be the season."

Still holding Hazel's hand, Ian stepped out of the ring of trees and onto a path through the dusk-darkened woods. Here he did nothing to hide the horns that crowned him. He carried them proudly, and held himself to a casual walk. Everything in him celebrated his return. He wanted to run, to jump, to _live_. He felt rejuvenated, euphoric even. If he could avoid it, he never wanted to be away from home for so long again.

He turned to face Hazel. "Welcome to Tir Nan Og, your 'Otherworld.'"

Hazel nodded. Her worried eyes darted around, and Ian thought he heard her whisper something about pixies, though maybe it was pechs. Both small creatures were often pests.

They didn't have as far to walk on this side. Soon they approached an immense oak, whose roots formed a gateway.

Hazel stopped, craning her neck back to take in the scope of the tree. From here, they couldn't even see to its top. This ancient tree was a world unto itself, its branches home to innumerable creatures that thrived in its physical embrace. In that way it was like other trees, both in Tir Nan Og and beyond the veil. But this organism had another function. It linked the worlds of Tir Nan Og.

Stirring from her thoughts, Hazel asked, "Where does it go?"

"You're kidding. You've never been?" Ian asked with shock.

Hazel shivered, her brows drawn together in a frown. "Where?"

"Underworld." If he wasn't mistaken, she was actually shaking now. Why hadn't Aengus, or Brigit for that matter, taken her to Underworld long before now? Her ignorance of their world wasn't going to do her any favors. But he'd do everything he could to help, assuming she would let him.

"Underworld," Hazel repeated in a hushed tone. She stared at the world tree as sweat beaded on her brow. They'd conveniently left this part out when they encouraged her to go to Otherworld.

She suddenly put two and two together. Brigit was a fertility goddess, and while she usually inhabited Middleworld – where many Sidhe lived, and humans had their earth beyond the veil – birth was only one part of that great circle of which the goddess was a part. Of course she would live sometimes in Underworld. And while there, she must have met Ian's parents and set this entire fiasco in motion.

"Why am I always the last to know?" But Hazel went along when Ian tugged her hand again. They were deep in the shadow of the immense tree, and Hazel felt small as an ant standing at its feet. Nearby, the brush parted, and a white stag stepped into the clearing that surrounded the world tree. Its rack of antlers was huge. It must be very, very old. It looked directly at Ian and dipped its antler-adorned head toward him. Ian nodded slightly, and the stag straightened and returned unhurriedly to the depths of the Otherworld forest.

"What was that about?" Hazel asked softly. She hated to disturb the peaceful scene.

"A welcome home."

"Oh." That really didn't clear it up. "Why didn't you tell me that you're from Underworld?" Hazel locked eyes with him. What did she know about Ian anyway? She had moved far too quickly with him. Made too many assumptions and _almost_ made a huge mistake.

He belonged here. He stood tall before the world tree. A god damned stag had just bowed to him. She, on the other hand, did not fit here. This place made her feel all too human, inexperienced and unwise.

"Didn't these have you guessing?" Ian asked, waving at the appendages adorning his skull.

"They had me surprised," she told him. "Were they supposed to tell me something about where you're from?"

"You really don't know much about your heritage, do you?"

"Sure I do. I'm Sidhe-American. I celebrate the Fourth of July with all the rest."

He didn't laugh. His face was alight with pride. "You joke, but it only shows your ignorance. I am Lord of the Forest, guide to the dark places – to Underworld."

He pointed to the world tree. A door appeared at its base, carved of a light-gold colored wood and wrought with twining bronze vines that formed its handles.

Ian raised a hand and the vines shot back, the doors swinging wide to accept them.

When he turned back to her, his eyes still filled with fierce pride, she refused to be cowed by his anger. Though she shied back from the open doors, her voice didn't waver. "Yes, I suppose I should have spent more of my time among humans pining away for that other half of me. Woefully ignorant am I."

Ignoring his still-outstretched hand, she strode across the threshold. Welcome to Underworld.

# Chapter Eleven

She waited just inside for him, and gratefully took his hand when he offered it again. Coward though she claimed to be, that independent streak might get her into trouble someday.

The stone cavern should have been cold, but it wasn't. Far above, where stone should have formed a roof, enclosing them, stars shone on and on like she'd never seen. They stood at the edge of an underground garden, where even in the dimness of a starlit night you could pick out the variation in color from bloom to vibrant bloom. Tiny white flowers reflected the starlight that her head still said shouldn't have existed. They lit up a path through the garden. Otherworld butterflies the size of her palm drifted lazily from flower to flower on gossamer wings.

Hazel gasped at the sight. It was too marvelous to believe. She turned to Ian and found him watching her with an indulgent smile.

"I'm glad you find it beautiful." He kissed her hand and then followed the white path to another tall door set into vine-covered stone. This one also opened to his casual wave, and he strode purposefully inside.

Glancing back, he waved her toward him, and she entered his palatial home, what they called a sifra in Tir Nan Og. He looked at her bag, and then it was gone, and he smiled at her like a kid in a candy store.

Refusing to appear impressed, she tried to look at ease. She looked down at her clothes, still sodden with Portland rain. "Any chance I could get cleaned up before you show me around? I feel...underprepared." That was an understatement if she'd ever spoken one.

"Not a problem. Follow me," he told her, moving to a staircase on the right.

Hazel followed, feeling more than ever that she didn't know a thing about him. She'd gotten in over her head, and now she had to worry about wars, potions, and rushed trips to Otherworld.

He'd better not think she'd forgotten who got her into this mess. And now she was in his world, where she knew he'd try to follow up on what had already happened between them. _Good luck with that one_ , she told his rock-hard, completely grip-worthy backside silently as she watched him walk ahead of her.

They wound down several flights before he stopped, another heavy door opening at his silent command to admit them to a steam-filled bath. Smiling, he pointed to the steaming water, obviously fed by an underground hot spring. When she didn't move, he shrugged and unbuttoned his own shirt and jeans, working down to his gorgeous bare skin.

Hazel frowned. He had no modesty. And he didn't need to take his time so she could appreciate the view. He could have magicked those clothes off, and she knew it. He dunked himself in the pool and shook the water from his eyes as he came up. He smiled playfully in an unwanted reminder of their hot tub interlude, and she could almost feel his slick body against her.

To one side was a privacy screen. Spotting it, Hazel grumpily pulled it over, blocking one end of the kidney-shaped pool from his view. Stretching her toes against the confines of her sneakers, she sighed longingly and pulled her hair loose from the braid she'd absently worked it into earlier. She refused to glance in Ian's direction, sinking into the tub instead and trying desperately to ignore his presence.

Before long, she was back to picturing them together, every embrace. All she had to do was call, and she knew she could have him again. But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"So, what should I expect?" she finally asked him, desperate to break her current chain of thought.

"Expect?"

"Never having been to Underworld, what will I see?"

"Mm. For starters, just as in Middleworld, all of Tir Nan Og is home to a staggering variety of nature spirits, as you know. I think I heard you refer to them as wildlife. They're beautiful, but you can't control them. They wreak havoc more than anything else. The difference between the fae who make Middleworld home versus Underworld mostly has to do with appetite for sunlight. Underworld is home to underground creatures, your goblins, pechs, wraiths, and those of us Sidhe who prefer it or have always lived here. Middleworld has the nymphs, sprites, pixies, giants, and more Sidhe."

"Giants?" Hazel gulped. "I've never seen a giant in Middleworld."

"All of these creatures don't live in the same place." His tone bordered on patronizing, as if that was obvious. "There are many different portals to travel around Tir Nan Og, and since some of us get along better than others, we've just determined how far apart we need to stay most of the time. Council is another story; that's where we get together – all the fae – to discuss whatever needs discussing."

She drifted off into her own thoughts. Unfortunately, even as the hot, bubbling spring made her limbs buoyant with tingling relief, she kept picturing how close he was. And how naked.

A clean but frustrated Hazel emerged from the pool a short ten minutes later. She found a large fluffy towel and a smooth satiny robe awaiting her. Robed and feeling better, Hazel came out from behind the screen to find that Ian wasn't even in the chamber with her. As soon as she thought it, he reappeared, smiling. "Your chamber is ready. Shall I take you there?"

"Please," Hazel agreed immediately.

He took her hand. She felt her stomach drop, and then they were in another room entirely. She stepped back from him and stumbled, dizzy. "Oh."

"Everybody has that reaction the first few times. You'll get used to it in no time. It's much faster than stairs."

Hazel looked around with wide eyes as she realized that sheer opulence surrounded her. A huge bed stood on one side of the room. This was no king size. It looked like it was made for one of those giants Ian had just been talking about. Across from it, a fire crackled merrily in the wide hearth, its heat flowing luxuriously over her skin, which was still a bit damp from her bath. The walls were lined with silk hangings in shades of orange, red and pink. On the other side of the room, she was thrilled to see a claw foot tub, so she could enjoy the comfort of a warm bath in the privacy of her own room. Like home. That made her wonder about the convenience of such a perfect space just for her... but she shoved that thought aside; he couldn't have gone to that sort of trouble.

"It's perfect. Thanks, Ian."

"And I'm right through here." He pointed to a door on the far wall, and strode over to open it wide. Sure enough, there was his own bed, not twenty feet from hers and just as expansive.

"Ah. I see," Hazel seethed with frustration. He would hover over her the entire trip. How did she know she could even trust him on the other side of that door?

"You can lock the door if you like, Hazel. No matter what you think, I don't take what's not freely given." His eyes were suddenly hard. "I have a meeting to attend. Maybe I'll just see you in the morning."

"Wait," she managed to get out as he turned. "When will you be back? Weren't you going to show me around a little?"

"I thought you wanted me to go."

"I don't know what I want, or what I'm doing, Ian. Can we just keep each other company for a while, without all the pressure?"

"Merely seeing my bed pressured you? It's called self-control, and even you and I can do it if we practice." He laughed.

Hazel socked him on the arm. "Don't make fun. You still come as a surprise to me. I don't expect to react to men like I react to you. It's usually the other way around."

"Let's just say this time it goes both ways," he told her softly. He was so close, his nearness so tantalizing, she struggled not to reach for him. "Isn't that a good thing?"

Hazel met his gaze, and his obvious longing sent a pleasant tingle down her spine. She leaned into him and kissed him softly, grazing his lips with her own. She felt his indrawn breath and the thudding of his heart. "It is a good thing."

"A good thing we shouldn't enjoy," he agreed, dropping a row of kisses along her jaw.

"What did I say about pressure?"

He laughed and shook his head. "I have a meeting. See you later?"

"I'll be here."

Hazel's distrust ate at Ian and consumed too much of his attention. He should be preparing for his meeting with Midir, which was sure to be tense since they hadn't spoken in all these months. Midir would be angry at Ian's sudden return. He would assume it meant the loss of the power Midir had wielded in Ian's stead while he focused on what he had to do for his family. Unfortunately, he still needed Midir to govern the Sidhe. His business with the Fomorii wasn't over yet.

Even with vital Sidhe politics on his mind, he couldn't stop thinking about Hazel. The wall she threw up between them – first the physical barrier in the baths and then the figurative wall he'd seen go up behind her eyes when she'd seen the door joining their rooms.

He'd made a mistake with her. He wouldn't make the same mistake again. Yet he didn't want her far from him, either. He still hoped she'd rethink her decision.

When he'd thought about seducing Aengus's half-human daughter, it hadn't gone this way in his head. He'd figured they would enjoy each other, mutually, and see where things landed. He hadn't expected her to be both so compelling and so reticent to indulge her desire for him.

He'd arrived outside Midir's door. He stood there glaring at the barrier. He had to get himself under control. Midir was cagey on the best of days, and Ian couldn't afford this distraction.

The door opened before Ian was a hundred percent prepared, but he schooled his expression in time to greet Midir with appropriate sobriety.

Ian took guilty pleasure in how Midir wilted when he saw him.

"Ian. The prodigal son returns to Underworld." Midir swept a hand to the side, admitting Ian to his space. There was a regal detachment in the sparse yet elegant furnishings that reminded Ian just how old Midir was. He was the Dagda's own son. No wonder he bristled at the idea of Ian ruling the Sidhe Authority. It was true Midir was far more qualified, in terms of diplomatic and magical skill. But neither of them made the rules. Cernunnos had chosen Ian, had marked him as Lord of the Forest. He would take his place at the head of the Sidhe council in his time.

"Yes, for the time being. I will leave again in a couple of days."

"Did you come to request a report?" Midir's smile was predatory, daring him to provoke the older Sidhe.

"Not at all. I trust all is well here, or I would have heard differently from my father." That should shut him up. Of course Ian had been speaking with his father through messengers during his absence. And Kester had told him plenty about Midir lording it over the council. However, nothing Midir had done challenged Ian's place directly. There had been no need for Ian to respond, much less return. Midir was a competent Governor, even if he was a real asshole to deal with.

Ian realized he'd been staring the elder Sidhe down and gave a quick smile to end the alpha standoff. He needed this guy. An unraveling among his own people was the last thing he needed with what was happening among the Fomorii.

"I had heard of your return. You had a space prepared for a guest, the room next to yours."

Interesting. Apparently, Midir believed in the power of a good old spy. His smile stiffened despite his intentions to play nice. It was at that inconvenient moment that he recalled the relationship between the woman he'd just left in the room attached to his and Midir himself. Midir would realize his niece had come to Underworld with or without Ian's help.

"Your brother's daughter joined me." Ian kept his voice carefully neutral.

Midir's eyes widened. "You brought the half-human to Underworld? You dare—"

"Silence, Midir. I do not require your advice in this personal matter." And it was a credit to the mark of Cernunnos that Midir took a step back.

"You..." Midir paused and regrouped. "Am I to understand you have a _relationship_ with the girl?"

"Not yet, but not for lack of trying," Ian said.

Midir's eyes narrowed. "She is no Sidhe, and she's no fit partner for one of your stature. You must rethink this—"

Ian glared. "Must I? You overstep, Midir. I did not ask for your advice on my love life."

"My brother's child will never be welcome in Underworld. Have you thought of what it will do to her to realize that?"

"Oh, she's heard from the likes of you her entire life. But not everyone thinks like you. I choose to believe Hazel's people will show her the warm welcome due Aengus's earth-born daughter."

"Your _hope_ is misplaced," Midir said distastefully. He took a deep breath through flared nostrils. "Regardless, you must tell me your plans. Will you be away for another year?"

There was that word again. Must. As if Midir thought using the word gave him such power over the Lord of the Forest. It rankled him, but the air was thick with tension already, and he chose the high road.

"I shouldn't be gone long this time. However, I don't know how my undertaking will end. Thus, I have to ask you to continue in your leadership of our people for the time being."

Midir's eyes shone with satisfaction. "Of course. I will do right by our people, as you know."

Ian couldn't wait to depart. To save face, he let Midir speak for a few minutes, filling him in on some recent Sidhe news of rather inconsequential matters. At his first opportunity, he quit the room and moved quickly through the sifra to a part of the palace he knew like the lines on his palm.

His father answered the door swiftly, still mid-sentence. The words faded to silence and he stared at Ian. "Son! You're home. And you're looking gray. Come in."

Mother was inside, too. The place smelled like her, a scent he'd almost forgotten it had been so long since he'd seen them in the flesh.

Merah stepped out of the shadows. "Ian! I didn't think to see you back in Underworld this soon."

Ian filled them in on the brevity of his visit and its purpose.

His mother smiled when he spoke of Hazel. "She joined you? She's really here in Underworld?"

"She didn't want to come, but Aengus and I thought she would be safer here."

"Of course she is! Her own people would never harm Hazel. Please tell me there will be time for me to meet her."

Ian didn't dare to dash his mother's hopes. She and Brigit had both meddled to get him to approach Hazel. After his talk with Midir, Ian worried his mother's view of the situation was too rosy by far. Just how many of the Sidhe would agree with Midir's point? Would Hazel be shunned by her people as she'd already told him she suspected?

"I didn't want you to hear this from Midir. He was blunt with his disapproval of Hazel's presence in Underworld."

Kester's eyes grew hard. "Midir disapproves of everything. Disapproval is his only surviving emotion after all of these years." He shrugged and seemed to shake it off. "It's good to see you, Ian. Even if it's for a short time."

"I will return to Tir Nan Og permanently, no matter what happens with the Fomorii."

"I know it," Kester said. "You have my support, son. Always. I wager Midir had few kind words when he realized his time ruling the Sidhe will soon be at an end."

"He disapproves." Ian grinned. Kester laughed, and Merah smiled, too.

Ian hadn't realized how much he needed to see them, to hear them laugh. Some things never changed. At the moment, the sense of balance he felt being back home was as priceless as extinct turtle eggs.

# Chapter Twelve

When Ian had gone, Hazel couldn't sit still. Finally, she threw on an old pair of blue jeans and a gray sweater, and went to explore. She had a feeling Ian would be able to find her if he returned and found she'd gone out.

Underworld, while bereft of the sun, had plenty of light to see by. In some chambers of the sifra, red and gold veins of molten earth could be seen inside the walls. In others, fountains of fire made it possible to see deep into the shadows. And then there were the hovering glow-lamps. Sidhe used magic as easily and frequently as they breathed.

She walked on and on, ducking into cavernous rooms and small nooks, trying to get a sense of life here. For the size of the palace, she didn't see many people. Occasionally, she would come across someone in the hall. She usually garnered a suspicious glance, but most proved too proud to approach. All were spectacularly dressed, and adorned with jewels finer than any beyond the veil.

Yeah, she stuck out like a frumpy sore thumb. She looked down at her sneakers. At least she was comfortable.

Hazel soon forgot her fear of the place. In the circle of life, death, and rebirth, this place represented but a part. The darkest part, sure, but it was one necessary part of the intertwined, awe-inspiring cycle that touches each of us. In truth, it felt no more foreign than Middleworld had felt on her previous short visits. She wasn't used to any of this Otherworld stuff.

She left the sifra using the same trick she'd picked up in Aengus's house beyond the veil. With just a wave of her hand, the door swung open silently for her. Since she'd never been there, holding this sort of "key" was strange. She shuddered. Was the door attuned to Sidhe skin, or Sidhe blood?

In this part of Underworld, gardens overflowed with beautiful flowers and small strange creatures peeked from behind the foliage, or dashed madly between patches of cover. The occasional wraith made its way by. Wailing and whining or dead silent; they seemed to come in those two varieties. Courtyards were filled with the sprinkling laughter of fountains. Water spirits delighted in the spray there, and in the flow of the broad river coursing near the palace.

Hazel found herself on the bank of the swift-flowing river Xanas, winding through the deep expanse of night. She knew the river from Middleworld, from a childhood trip with her father, but how could that be the case? It was the same river, of that much she was certain. The scent of night-blooming jasmine was in the air, and starlight reflected off the whispering water. Looking closer, she saw a fish jump, and then another, flashing bright silver scales.

A nymph giggled, in an obvious ploy to make herself known, and appeared on a wide rock at the edge of the river. "Are you Aengus's daughter? You remind me of him." The giggle again.

"Yes. You know my father?"

"Oh, yes," the nymph spoke breathily, brought to a sigh by the very thought of her father the love god. Hazel stopped herself from rolling her eyes. "You're very beautiful, daughter of Aengus."

The way she said it made Hazel blush to the roots of her red hair.

She heard footsteps, and turned. A splash behind her told her the nymph had hastily returned to the water.

Midir.

Her uncle smiled from a short distance away. He bore a strong resemblance to her father, though he was all pale and gold. And they shared something else, some inexpressible characteristic that at once drew and repulsed.

Age.

"Uncle." Hazel nodded at her father's older brother. She hadn't seen him since childhood, on one of the few Otherworld trips she'd taken with Aengus.

"Hazel." He said her name like she was something beneath him, like it was a pity to even address his half-human wretch of a niece. "I see you've made yourself welcome to Underworld."

"How did you know I'd come? I've only been here a few hours. I didn't even know you lived in Underworld." Hazel noticed she was shivering, the hair at the nape of her neck standing on end. Her stomach roiled and the world tossed about like she was lost at sea, not standing on solid – if Otherworld – soil.

"That is none of your concern." His look told her he knew her, inside and out, knew what she was up to. Knew everything she had to be ashamed of, first of all her human blood. She didn't fit anywhere and she never would. "Look at you. You shiver even now like a weak thing, like the weak thing you are. I always knew it was true. Human women; they seduce, but really when it comes down to it, they can't produce. Go back beyond the veil, child. This world is not for you."

Hazel shook her head, clearing the cobwebs. She felt sick, yes. And it took more effort than she'd ever admit to stand straight in front of him. She did it anyway. She would _not_ cow before him. Yes, she could feel his power, but how dare he use it against her? Regardless of what he thought of her parents, she was his niece, damn him.

She glared back. "Think of me as an invited guest. I don't plan to stay long."

"I met with Ian tonight, and he seems to believe otherwise."

Her eyes narrowed. "His meeting was with you?"

"Your draw proved more powerful than I would have guessed. You've ensnared him already. But I won't have it. He is the future, my chosen heir. He would be wasted on you."

Hazel was about to ask what he was going on about, but she was distracted by Ian's sudden arrival.

"You're going to make me tell you, for the second time tonight, to mind your own business?" Ian strode down the path leading from the palace. He snarled. "Alright. Mind your own business."

"It is your future at stake." Midir's tone was hushed. His eyes flashed, the only expression in a face of grim stone.

"If this is what you want, to control my life and my every decision, you can take it back. I won't fight you. See, I already have a father, and you're not him. Stay away from Hazel. And Midir, get a grip before we talk again." Ian grabbed Hazel's hand, fairly pulling her along with him as he stalked off.

They went around a bend in the river, and Hazel pulled back. She smiled at him as he slowed next to her.

"Thanks," she said.

"Don't thank me for that. I'd been told he always has an agenda, but I didn't realize it extended to shunning his own family. I'm sorry, Hazel. I should have told you about him."

Hazel sighed. "How could you know that Aengus and Midir have been at each other's throats for centuries? In the early years, they were great friends. It's funny you mentioned your father, because Midir was actually Aengus's foster-father when he was a boy. The Dagda never raised a child of his own; he counted on his older offspring for that. Did you know about _that_ little tidbit from history?"

"No. He doesn't exactly talk about himself."

"Well, they had a falling out long, long ago. And when my father fell in love with my mother, Midir took the opportunity to call him out in front of the Authority. You know it isn't exactly kosher for you powerful, ultra-seductive male Sidhe to go after unsuspecting, fragile humans."

"If you're making reference to yourself, you have no right. I'm as seduced as you are. Didn't we go over this earlier?"

He leaned in as if to kiss her, and his eyes widened as her glow answered instantly, bursting forth like one of the fountains of fire inside the sifra. Ian whispered something she didn't catch, and then he did kiss her. The glow faded from the clearing as he put his arms around her.

She shouldn't let him. This man...she didn't feel ready for this. He was _just another man_. Sure, he held his own with her in a way she could only have with a strong Sidhe partner – but she'd sworn she wasn't going down this road again. She'd been hurt by Sidhe men before, a couple of times.

The thing was, Sidhe operated under a system of ethics she didn't understand. They weren't held to the same rules as humans. They had their long lives and their magic. Everyone's family knew everyone else, or were related in weird ways somewhere back over the ages. It was all just too complicated.

And yet...this man.

Damn it. Hazel put a hand on Ian's chest and pressed him back.

He smiled and put one of his larger hands over hers, nudging her hand until it rested over his heart.

Hazel cleared her throat, determined to avoid the emotions he evoked in her. They were too strong and too many to evaluate right here in front of him.

Good time to change the subject. "Back to my story. Usually, affairs with humans are swept under the rug, or under that big round council table, anyway."

"See, you know more than you let on," Ian said as they stepped apart.

Hazel was thankful that he didn't question her diversion. The air felt cool after his touch, and it helped to clear her head. She watched the river. Ian stood next to her, but his eyes were on her face.

"Anyway, it was different with my mother. This time Midir called him out. Aengus gave up his seat as a delegate, and went beyond the veil to be with us. It wasn't the result Midir was after."

Ian nodded. "That's the problem with Midir's plans. He forgets there are other people involved. And those other people can actually think for themselves."

"What was that about your being his chosen heir?"

Ian snorted and pointed to the horns that crowned him. "He speaks as though that were his idea, and I let him save face. I am the Lord of the Forest. I will guide the Authority, in my time."

"And until then, Midir is in charge?"

"Barely. Things have really swung away from his position since you were small, Hazel. No one is ostracized for relationships that produce children, although the level of tolerance for diluting the blood sure varies. Some say all to the better, more Sidhe are more Sidhe, even if they bear mostly human blood. Midir is on exactly the opposite end of the spectrum. He thinks it should be a punishable offense to dilute Sidhe blood."

"That doesn't surprise me one bit," Hazel said grumpily.

"Doesn't matter much. As a whole, the Authority is swaying toward a policy of contact with the Sidhe children, wherever they're found. Many say without the fresh blood, the Sidhe are doomed. It is only a matter of time."

Hazel shivered in silent foreboding as she digested his words. _Contact_. What did they mean by that?

# Chapter Thirteen

They walked on by the bank of the river, each of them deep in thought. Finally, Ian turned to Hazel. "Are you hungry?"

"Of course." Hazel didn't look up from the spiral shell she'd just found on the bank.

He needed to return to his parents' for dinner. They'd been patient earlier, but he knew his mother needed to have him in the same room tonight. She'd mentioned she was hosting a party, one of her favorite diversions. Ian would rather be alone with Hazel, but maybe there was a way to satisfy everyone for once. "My parents would like to meet you," he said.

She jumped, and her hand closed over the shell. She turned to look at him. "You're kidding, right?"

"I promised I would join them for dinner. I've been gone a long time. Come with me?"

"This is not a date, Ian. I didn't come to Underworld to meet your parents. You're freaking me out!"

"I know you didn't come because you wanted to. Don't worry about it." Ian turned from her and shrugged. He was surprised how much her refusal stung.

A second later, she gripped his arm and turned him back to face her. "If it's that important to you, I'll join you. Let's go."

She followed him without further complaint, asking him about his family so she'd be somewhat prepared. And she held his hand, choosing to touch him instead of avoid him. Could it be that Hazel was accepting the attraction between them instead of continuing to resist it?

For tonight, he was grateful she'd decided to come along. He'd probably added enough pressure to the scenario, and as she'd said, this wasn't a date. They were in Underworld for Hazel's protection, not so that he could seduce her and convince her to stay here with him.

Too bad his mind kept going down that exact chain of thought. Even now, he was hoping that meeting his parents would ease her mind, show her he was a good guy. Not normal in a human sense... In fact, he wasn't normal in a Sidhe sense, either...but he was a good guy.

Ian led her through the night garden to one courtyard, between the living and sleeping quarters of a grand apartment, where a dinner party was well underway.

From the shadows, Hazel pulled him back, desperate. "Look at what I'm wearing."

He swept a hand over her, and her frumpy garb was replaced with a flowing satin gown, the neckline plunging to reveal more than she probably would have chosen. She glared at him, eyebrow raised, but she didn't ask him to change it. He laughed.

"How's my hair?" she asked.

He waved his hand again, and her locks plaited themselves, sleek and perfect. He gave her a critical look and snapped his fingers. He suddenly held a diamond pendant, the huge diamond heavy in his hand.

"Oh," she squealed. "Now that's the way to treat a lady." She turned and he clasped it around her neck.

Ian gripped Hazel's hand and tugged her along. Either she was still uncertain about this venture, or he'd chosen entirely the wrong sort of shoes. His parents stood to greet him. His mother laughed with glee at his arrival to her party after so many months away. She was alight with happiness. His father, of course, gave a more reserved greeting in the form of a handshake and slap on the shoulder.

Ian turned to a fidgeting Hazel and introduced his parents as Kester and Merah.

"And this must be Brigit's niece!" Merah exclaimed. Her words piled over one another in a rush. "So glad to meet you. And you've come with Ian, how perfect!"

Kester grimaced, watching his wife. "Please forgive her excitement. It is good to meet you. We hold your aunt in very high regard."

"And the thought you could marry our son! That's the best news ever!"

Ian caught his mother's eye and shook his head violently.

Hazel just laughed, so Ian could only assume she hadn't taken offense. Part of him expected her to yell "Pressure!" and run off into the night.

"We're just getting to know each other, Mother," Ian told her. "Ran into intrigue on that family errand as well, so we're here while things progress beyond the veil."

Kester frowned. "Join me for a drink. I've been doing a bit of reading in the family histories since you stopped by earlier. I want to show you what I found."

The men took a few steps away to the bar, speaking animatedly. Merah smiled sweetly in Hazel's direction. "Please sit, dear. Tell me about my good friend Brigit. Is she still beyond the veil?"

Hazel took the chair, and picked up a glass that appeared in front of her, sipping the sweet red wine. It was just what she would have chosen, but she'd already seen so much magic today that the feeling of surprise had worn thin. She glanced over at Ian, unable to help trying to eavesdrop on his conversation. Kester did not look pleased. Ian was trying to convince him of something, but it wasn't going over well. She heard something about the Authority, something about duty.

Giving up on trying to decipher the hushed tones of their conversation, she turned back to Merah, and found the beautiful Sidhe woman staring at her with a smile.

"You watch him with much interest. It would warm my heart to see you grow fond of him. Have you?"

"We just met a couple of days ago, and so much has happened. I'm feeling more confusion than anything else. But I do like your son, when he's honest with me at least."

Storm clouds met in her grey eyes. "When was he dishonest?"

"He didn't tell me who he was. He pretended to be human and had my ex-boyfriend introduce us with a story about the Fomorii. I understand parts of that were true, but until yesterday, I thought Ian was human."

"And you wanted him then?" Her intrigued tone left the half-human Hazel slightly miffed, but she couldn't hold that arrogance against a single Sidhe – it was a problem for the whole lot of them.

"Sure I did. But that's just it – now I know it was his draw that made me want him, not the simple attraction I signed up for. He lied and gained my affection, and now I have to depend on him because of the Fomorii situation."

"Let's wait until later to discuss that, dear." Merah glanced to her right, and Hazel noticed the other conversation at the table had slowly dwindled to idle chatter, and many eyes were on her. When Merah spoke next her voice was soft. "Shall I introduce you?"

"Please," Hazel agreed. She would be here a few days, and it wouldn't hurt to meet a few people. Maybe she'd make a friend and be able to get away from Ian for a while. A little room to think would do her so much good.

Merah stood and beckoned, and Hazel joined her, letting the older woman take her arm and guide her around the table. Merah made introductions and chatted for a moment with each group, her eyes sparkling. Most were quite polite, if cold. Hazel could tell Ian was well loved here, and as he came to the table, extending his hand to several of the closer men, she knew he loved them as well.

A couple of the women gave Hazel her only ungracious welcomes. A tall blonde named Tessa snarled a greeting, assuming Ian brought Hazel as his date. Her two compatriots cast icy glances her way, but it was obvious Tessa was the leader here. For her part, Hazel hoped she wouldn't have to look over her shoulder the entire trip, to avoid being jumped by the competition.

Merah tugged at her arm as they moved away, and gave her that same sweet smile. "You handled that very well."

"Thanks. One thing life beyond the veil will teach you, the world has whiny bitches to spare."

Merah sputtered in surprise, before bursting out with a bell-ringing laugh. People turned to look at them, and Merah waved them off, still stifling a giggle.

When Hazel looked across the room at Ian, he was smiling her way, his eyes warm. He crooked a finger at her, and she dropped Merah's arm to go to him.

He extended an arm as she approached, and she took advantage, sliding an arm partway around his waist as his arm settled around her shoulders. "Looks like you two are getting on well."

"And you look satisfied with yourself."

He dropped a kiss in her hair and waved a hand toward a chair at the long table. It scooted out and he waited for her to sit, nudging her chair forward after like a proper gentleman. Hazel stifled a laugh as he took the seat next to her.

Everyone was talking and carrying on, but Hazel could swear there was a moment of silence and more than a few tense stares as Ian settled himself beside her.

A moment later, in the blink of an eye, dinner was served. Her mouth watered. One thing she'd always remember; Otherworld food was beyond amazing.

Ian took her hand, and gestured to the group of men he'd been visiting with. "Hazel, I'd like you to meet some friends of mine. This is Cavan."

The fellow in question was tall, fair, and striking. He was lean, in contrast to Ian's muscular frame. He gave her a heart-melting smile, and his eyes sparkled as he noted her all-too-feminine reaction.

"And this is Gareth." Ian gestured across the table. "Watch out for him."

Gareth's warm smile was disarming, even after Ian's warning. His eyes were dark, though his skin was fair, and her best description was... mischievous. Hazel couldn't help but smile back, though she wrapped her fingers more tightly through Ian's clasped hand. _Not a chance, sucker,_ she thought. He was gorgeous, but what Sidhe wasn't?

She wasn't thinking about her food as she ate. Acutely aware of Ian next to her, she thought of his embrace. His heat surrounding her. His hands, his lips, his tongue...she had to think about something else.

Her cheeks flushed when she glanced at him and caught him watching her. His plate had barely been touched. The others were eating, but the two of them were caught up in their own little world.

Their eyes locked and it was like no one else was there at all. The way he looked at her made her ache to have him closer, as close as they could be—

When her glow began to come on her, she remembered where they were. She drew a quick breath, quelling her desire and with it the glow. But too late. Just like Aengus, she couldn't hide her desire so easily. Nor could she deny it now that they'd all witnessed the telltale signs.

Breaking their locked gaze, Hazel was horrified to catch Cavan and Gareth smirking, and Merah giving Kester a satisfied smile. "I don't think we should keep them late tonight, Kester."

He coughed. "Maybe breakfast would be a better idea. You both look like you could use some rest."

Ian's lip twitched as he held back a smile. Hazel could tell what he was thinking, and rest was not in his plan for tonight.

Desire slipped past her guard and made itself known again as her skin glowed warmly. And this time, Hazel did nothing to stop it.

# Chapter Fourteen

Ian guided Hazel along an indoor route back to his rooms deep inside the maze of winding stone corridors. Glow lamps chased away the penetrating shadows, their hovering shapes casting wide circles of yellowish light.

At dinner, Hazel had realized she couldn't deny what she felt for Ian. She didn't even want to. It might not be love, but there was already tenderness between them she never could have anticipated. She found it alarmingly easy to follow him back to their all-too-close rooms, and she had to admit it was unlikely she'd sleep in her own bed tonight. Maybe what they already had was enough. He'd lied to her, but his intention had never been malicious. He was the Lord of the Forest, and for some reason, he wanted her. Those women today – the snarling hypocrites – they'd unknowingly verified that Ian was exactly what he seemed. Their jealousy confirmed that he wasn't the type to play a wide field. She'd banned Sidhe men from her life after multiple experiences of infidelity that she'd realized she couldn't handle. Somehow, she'd come to believe that wouldn't be an issue with Ian. She felt safe with him.

She wanted him. Badly. But nerves were also eating her insides. She was a little dizzy with how much she'd been changing her mind. Look where she was – Underworld, where she'd sworn she'd never tread. Yet here she was, doing her best to convince herself to break her rule about Sidhe men, too. Could she even trust her instincts at the moment?

They entered by way of her room. The fire had been stoked, and another log added to get her through the night. She didn't think she needed to be particularly worried about staying warm.

He turned to face her, and the look in his eyes made her belly tighten with apprehension. "Hazel...my father found something in the old family ledgers."

"What did he find?"

"It turns out the tribute was assigned our family at the initiation of ajma to the Fomorii tradition. When Aengus provided the ajma, he also provided a failsafe by calling upon our family to bring the ingredient the Fomorii could not gain on their own, so they could continue to make the festival drink."

Hazel swallowed. "So Aengus is the reason you have to deal with the Fomorii?" Of course he was. It could never be simple with the Sidhe – she knew that! "I'm so sorry!" she gasped.

"No – I'm not telling you to get an apology. I just don't want it to come up later and have you get mad because I didn't tell you." He moved closer, trying to tip her chin up so she'd look at him, but she couldn't. "It doesn't matter, Hazel. It doesn't change anything for me."

He might say that, but her father was the reason his family was bound in this tribute to the Fomorii. Her father was the reason his family had to worry over whether there would be another generation. It wasn't fair, and she knew it.

She turned away.

"No, you're not leaving tonight. I _know_ you don't want to leave, Hazel. Stay with me."

Ian stood behind her, and ran his palms up her arms and into her hair, pulling it back from her face with a firm grip that turned her knees to jelly. He held her easily, and nibbled at her ear, his breath firing her insides until she glowed with passion.

Unfair.

She needed to think. This was too much, too fast. But he was right. She didn't want to leave. She just had to keep her damn hormones under control while she pondered her options.

She pulled away, feeling slightly unsteady, and strode to the door that separated their rooms. Swinging it open, she tried not to look at the bed. Instead, she scanned the rest of his space. Of course it was a tactic for distraction, but still, she was curious about him.

The space was much like hers. He hadn't personalized it much. Blues and browns adorned his walls, and a similar hearth warmed the room. The claw foot tub was much larger than hers. They could easily fit in there together.

Brushing that thought aside, Hazel peered through another door into a sitting area where a broad desk stood with a throne-like chair behind it. Glad to leave the bedrooms behind, she went into the sitting room. Here the stone walls held streaks of red and gold magma, flowing inside them and warming the space. Confirmed, this entire dimension functioned by spellwork.

"What are you looking for?" Ian asked.

"Nothing much, just a sense of who you are. I am at your mercy here; you could at least grant me that."

"What do you want to know?"

"How about your intentions?"

"I believe I've made those obvious." He grinned mischievously.

"How about after you've been in my pants, babe? I'm talking beyond that, because even my draw won't keep you interested forever."

"Then leave the forever question out of it. Remember what you said earlier? No pressure. But you know you can't last the night without quenching this thirst." His gaze was intense.

"Right. Another glass of wine would be nice. Do you have anything sparkling?"

Ian groaned, glaring at her. Then he disappeared, and reappeared moments later with two glasses, a bottle of sparkling wine and an indulgent smile.

Glass in hand, Hazel sauntered around the huge desk and took a seat. She kicked off her sandals and rested her heels on the edge of his desk, sipping her drink. She hadn't really needed another. She didn't drink much, and she'd already had that glass of wine at dinner.

"I'd like to talk a little more about those." Hazel gestured to the antlers that crowned him. "What is so important about them? Why does everyone go so gaga? You're like a celebrity."

He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, leaving it ruffled up in the back in a way that shouldn't have been so charming, except this was Ian, and every motion he made threatened to charm her pants right off. "It's some grand omen. I'm supposed to be really powerful, and really, uh, potent. If you get my meaning."

The wine was definitely going to her head. She giggled. "What?"

"Fertile, Hazel. I'm supposed to be really, really fertile. Lord of the Forest, the Hunt? How do you not know this?"

"We return to the topic of my ignorance." Hazel raised her glass to him.

He ignored her. "Cernunnos – you've never heard that name? He was a fertility god. The antlers are his mark."

"If you're marked by a fertility god, why all the need to pay tribute to the Fomorii? Wasn't that about having children?"

"Yeah, that's been a cruel twist. It's not as though I'm some descendant of the god. They say he chose me. Not a great choice, though, because of this thing between my family and the Fomorii, going back long before memory. Of course, there's a chance his blessing would be enough, but we've never wanted to risk that."

"So you need to pay tribute, just to be sure. And then, bam, children galore?"

"Not unless I go Aengus-style and spread the wealth." He grinned wickedly.

She was glad he'd moved closer so she could sock him for that one.

He rubbed his arm, distracted. "I can't believe you didn't know, because I thought that was part of why you were mad."

Hazel went cold. It was beginning to add up in her mind. Two plus two made... "Why should it make me mad?"

"Fertility. It's something we have in common, Hazel. Your aunt, Brigit, a fertility goddess, wants us together. Together, we mark a powerful symbol. We are hope to our people, if we're together."

"The missing piece of this sordid puzzle falls into place." Hazel crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"It is the reason I wanted to meet you. It's the reason I asked Drake about you." He stared straight into her eyes. "It is not the reason I want to be with you."

He'd seen the heart of the matter. And she believed him.

She took a deep breath. "You thought I knew?"

"I thought that's why the horns got to you. I know you've tried to stay out of what you call the 'Sidhe madness' but I wanted you to see differently. After I met you, even after I knew I wanted you, I just couldn't bring myself to drop the illusion. I wanted you to want me."

"I chose a life beyond the veil, Ian. I didn't plan to be with another Sidhe. It just gets too complicated, too fast. See what I mean?" She glared bullets.

"I don't know if complicated adequately describes this mess." His forlorn statement gave Hazel a warm, twisting feeling in her gut.

She went to him. It was an impulsive decision, but she went with it all the same. She didn't care to waste more time denying what she was beginning to feel for him. He was like no one she'd ever known. Why should she deny what she wanted, who she wanted, when she could reach out and take him instead?

Ian waited for her, and when she finally pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss, he crushed her against him. A jolt of pleasure coursed through her.

"Take me to bed," she told him when he released her, excitement lacing her whispered order.

"My pleasure, you gorgeous thing." He lifted her, carrying her quickly to his bed.

His fingers found the ties that held her long satin gown so close against her skin, and undid them with a few deft movements. Sliding it from her, Hazel watched as his eyes feasted on her, the smooth line of her stomach and hip, her thighs, parting for him even now as she watched him.

She ran her hands down his back, pulling at his clothes. He met her eyes and must have worked a silent spell, because all of a sudden, he was naked in her arms, his bare skin hot under her hands. She gasped.

His breath whispered over her skin as he worshipped her body with his mouth. Every touch made her nerves sing as she pulled him closer. He groaned, kissing her neck as he moved his hand between her thighs. She strained to touch more of him, but he sat back on his heels as his hands played over her body.

She was growing used to the horns. They lent him a feral look, especially when their shadow fell across his features. It wasn't a look she expected to like, but the wildness in him had her blood running hot. It lingered there, just beneath the surface, waiting for her to tap into it and see where it could take her. How could she resist?

His hands...good gods, why was it she had held back? She needed to write it in sharpie on the back of her hand if she wanted to remember. His touch moved over her deliciously, making her gasp with delight. Her gaze wandered up to his face, and she realized he was completely focused on her. He was purposefully – gods, nearly professionally – pleasuring her as though it was his only desire. She wondered at that self-control as he brought her closer to the edge, seeking nothing for himself.

Whatever she'd done to deserve this consideration, she wasn't going to question it now. Suffice it to say that his devotion to her pleasure vastly improved Hazel's opinion of being Sidhe.

His eyes were on her face, searching, as she arched against his hand. He was so patient, the intense rhythm driving her closer... She cried out as she came, clutching him to her as her skin radiated a warm glow that softened as the intensity ebbed.

And still he waited, a soft smile curling his lips and his eyes in shadow as he watched her in the afterglow.

Mr. Self-control.

A sudden plan burst fully formed into her mind.

She pushed him back.

"Oh, I don't think so," he said in her ear as she brushed past him. She turned away and pressed back against him, and that distracted him well enough for the moment. He made a small noise deep in his throat as he ran a hand dreamily over her ass.

Hazel grinned. So far, so good. He didn't seem to notice as she reached for one of the silk hangings that lined the wall, tugging until it fell into her grasp. She gave Ian another little shove and he complied, reclining on the bed while she climbed onto him.

She pulled the silk hanging through her hands, making a rope of it.

Ian laughed.

"I wouldn't make assumptions," Hazel said darkly. She looped the silk around his hands and one bedpost, tying the knot tight enough that his hands were raised above his head. He pressed stiffly against her, but she didn't acknowledge that sweet source of friction just yet. She lifted one hand to stroke his antler. "I do owe you a bit of punishment after all."

A challenge lit his eyes. "Do what you must. I want to put all of that behind us."

"You _want_ a lot of things. But I'm in control." The siren call of domination...

He twisted a bit, tugging at the knot, and for the first time he frowned. "I may have underestimated your knot tying skills."

She nodded, her hands splayed across his tight belly, unmoving. "That's what you get for letting my appearance distract you." Speaking of distraction, the play of light on his gorgeously defined chest was enough to make a new light dawn as her glow brightened her skin once again.

A slow smile crept across his features and a new fire played through his eyes. "I won't underestimate you again."

He'd better not.

A long while later, as they lay basking, Ian finally asked, "Can I have my hands back?"

With a brief giggle, Hazel loosened the knot in the silk bindings that had held him at her mercy, and he was free again.

He rubbed his wrists and scowled at her playfully.

"That bad, huh?" Hazel asked, a mischievous light in her eye.

"Not bad at all. Now that the knot is a memory, anyway." He grinned at her.

She sat next to him, her eyes roaming over the length of his body.

Ian watched as she looked him over admiringly. When her gaze bounced to his face and caught his, she blushed and grinned back at him. She leaned into him and kissed him, her lips teasing enticingly against his.

"You look pleased with yourself," she told him.

"I am. I'm pleased with you as well."

"Good of you," she whispered.

"We are good together." Ian said, his head propped on one hand. He considered her. "We are very good together."

"We certainly were tonight." Hazel stretched, pressing her hand against the silk-paneled wall luxuriantly.

Ian watched her. This wasn't the time to press an issue that already had her on the defensive, but he couldn't help himself. "We could be good together always. We could be great together, Hazel."

She shook her head. "I can't make any promises. You don't deserve any. You've already broken my trust, and regardless of how easy it is for you to seduce me, it will take time to earn that back."

"We have time." Ian smiled, pulling her to lie against his chest. Her reaction was more positive than he'd expected, and it was all he needed to hear tonight. She felt warm and soft, and so right in his arms, her mass of long red hair blanketing them both.

Free to do as he would with his hands, he pulled her closer to kiss her deeply, lingering with her breath on his skin. "Kiss of the love deity; you bestow it with grace."

"Ah, but I am not a love deity. That would be my father."

Ian grunted, his long lashes drooping to his cheeks. "Tell it to the stars, with what they've just witnessed."

He cracked his eyes enough to catch her smile before surrendering to sleep.

# Chapter Fifteen

Hazel woke pressed into the curve of Ian's sleeping form. His arm was heavy over her, and he snored softly into her hair. She'd meant to return to her own bed last night, but he was so warm against her. She must have fallen asleep soon after he did, she surmised as she stirred in his bed.

"Your hair smells good," said a sleepy voice from behind her.

"You have me trapped here under your gargantuan arm, you big lug," Hazel returned.

He chuckled. "Glad to see you're not completely love sick after last night."

"Nope. If anyone's love sick, it's certainly not me. 'Your hair smells good.' What is that? I think you used the same soap I did when we got here yesterday." She stretched upward, smelling his locks and nodding vigorously.

"You think way too much in the morning," Ian groaned.

"I can't help it. I wake up, and bam, wide awake, full of the thoughts. Yep, sleeping with me means risking an early morning chat session – mostly one-sided." She smiled sweetly.

"I'll remember to take you early today, and you can sleep in your own bed." Ian's slow smile heated her blood even as it earned her ire.

"We'll see," Hazel said dangerously.

She stretched languorously, and sat up in his bed, his arm still encircling her. "Your parents meant to have us for breakfast, right? What time is it?"

"Nearly time. Shall we catch a bath first?" His eyes sparkled as he nodded toward the large claw foot tub.

She grinned, and moved to start the water, but he gripped her wrist and held her back. The water started anyway.

"You use magic for everything, don't you?" she asked.

"Why not? I know you haven't spent much time in Tir Nan Og, but once you do, you'll get used to it. We use magic like humans use technology. Wasn't it the same growing up with Brigit?"

"I don't know how it would have been if we'd lived in Otherworld, but beyond the veil, we didn't go overboard on household magic. Brigit keeps it to the hearth magic in her kitchen. You've seen my father's place; he's constantly using magic. I grew up around humans, though, so I guess I'm more comfortable with technology than using magic for everything."

As Hazel had suspected, the two of them fit snugly in Ian's tub. She sat between Ian's legs as he moved soapy hands over her back, making shivers course down her spine. He kissed her shoulder, sensuously making his way to her neck. This early, and she could already feel him hard against her back.

Hazel leaned her head against his shoulder and reached back to feel his length where it pressed against her.

Ian laughed. "Lusty wench."

"Can't help what you do to me, babe."

"Good," he told her as she glanced over her shoulder to catch his expression. He looked positively possessive, and Hazel realized she liked making him feel that way.

She was glowing now. "Ian. The bed."

It was all she needed to say.

Ian nestled his face between Hazel's breasts as her glow faded after their lovemaking. "Suddenly I'm not in the mood to see anyone. Maybe we should just stay in bed."

His tone might have been playful, but at the moment Ian wasn't interested in sharing Hazel with the rest of Underworld. If only time moved slower here in Tir Nan Og instead of so much faster. They should have taken more advantage of the time difference beyond the veil. They could have if he hadn't started out with lies. Still, he didn't think Hazel would have given him a chance if he'd told her who he was that first day. How long would it take to earn back her trust? He didn't want to worry about any of that – what he wanted was to escape with her into their own little world and worry only about pleasing each other. That would be a _great_ reason to disappear for another year.

"Seems to me they wanted to talk about our little situation. And we're only here through tomorrow, so let's get cracking." Hazel's tone was very business-like for the paces she'd just put him through. Was he the only one who could already use a nap?

"Motivated, huh? I just got up, and already you've wiped me out."

"Good thing we're going for breakfast, then. A little food is just what you need to get your strength back after I've drained you oh so well." She grinned at him, and jumped off the bed, full of energy.

Luckily her energy was contagious and he followed, albeit somewhat reluctantly, behind her.

She swung open the door to her own room and went for her bag, whispering what he was pretty sure were curses over the sparse selection she found there. Brigit could have offered a magical solution and enlarged the size of her bag's interior. But Hazel probably wouldn't have bothered to ask.

It seemed Hazel's surprise over their frequent use of magic in Tir Nan Og was genuine; she wasn't accustomed to reaching for the first magical solution to her problems. He hadn't really noticed when he met her after a year beyond the veil. He'd already been living among humans and grown accustomed to mundane methods. But now that he'd returned to Tir Nan Og, he could see Hazel was right. He used magic a lot when he was at home. He used it to make life easier, or more interesting, or just...because. He didn't really consider other options.

Across the room, Hazel had slipped into tight dark jeans and a flowing white top. She zipped herself into tall brown boots and stood waiting for him, tapping her toe impatiently.

With a sheepish grin, Ian stretched and suddenly he was dressed, echoing her style with clothes that would fit in beyond the veil.

Hazel circled him and whistled. "I couldn't have chosen a better look, babe."

"That's magic for you."

She winked at him. "And I could get used to it."

Could she? He'd have to put that statement to the test.

"Let's go." Ian held out a hand to her, and Hazel took it, smiling.

# Chapter Sixteen

They wound through gardens on fountain-lined paths to the same courtyard they'd visited the previous evening. Hazel gazed in wonder at the gorgeous blooms of Merah's garden in the hazy, partial light that counted as morning in Underworld. The tables had been cleared away from the stone walkways. You'd never know they'd hosted some thirty Sidhe only hours before. Of course, they'd probably just cast a spell that cleared everything up, so she wasn't too impressed.

Ian knocked, and Kester opened the door to welcome them. His faltering smile worried Hazel as she passed.

Merah waited in the moongarden, a room where the walls and ceiling had been enchanted into translucence. The soft Underworld light streamed in unfettered and tinted the room a violet shade. Through the transparent walls Hazel could see the trailing vines and flowers outside, and the curve of the nearest fountain, which she could hear gurgling.

Merah laughed as they entered the room, gesturing as she finished her story. And with a jolt, Hazel saw who sat opposite her.

"Drake." She shook her head. "You have to stop appearing like this."

"How did you think I'd get a hold of you when I had news? Cell phones don't work this side of the veil."

"Thanks for the tip. What are you doing here?"

"As I said, news."

"Go on," Hazel said impatiently. Merah shifted in her seat, and she heard Kester cough behind her. Looking around at him, she smiled. Now that she understood the look he'd given her as she walked in, she appreciated it.

"I'll forgive the greeting," Drake said with a glare. "I have a contact for you. Aengus is finishing the potion. By the time you wake up tomorrow morning, he will have dropped it off here for you."

"Why here? Ian has his own place."

"Whatever you two are up to over there, I'm sure he has about as little wish to see it with his own eyes as I do," Drake said.

Ian just grinned.

"Why, Drake...you're the one who set us up, remember?" Hazel said, batting her lashes at him comically.

"And I'll forever regret it. Back to tomorrow. I won't lie to you; this situation has gotten hairy."

"Harrier? Like bigfoot or what?"

"Cute." The glare returned. "Our friends the Fomorii have a party crossing to earth tomorrow. Even after centuries without an episode, I can't guarantee their behavior. They are naturally a vile, detestable bunch. Over the years, they've gotten enough from us to keep them satisfied, to keep them contained and orderly. But part of that was the aphrodisiac. And there's more." Drake paused, his eyes locked on Hazel.

"What? You're freaking me out with that stare. Out with it."

"Your father thinks they mean to take you tomorrow. Says they'll do it to teach him a lesson, or something ridiculous like that. Of course they won't get you." Drake's light brown eyes darkened with fury.

Hazel clapped a hand to his shoulder, surprised at his reaction. "Wow. I'm under the protection of the big bad Drake, huh?" she teased, but her smile was real enough.

Ian cleared his throat. "If they mean to take her, Hazel won't go."

"Now that's an idea," Hazel said.

"They won't meet without her; that's why Aengus believes they mean her harm. Then of course there's the fact she's a love deity when they've just been denied their favorite lusty beverage."

"I'm not the deity. That's Aengus."

Every eye in the room was on her. "And what did you think that made you?" Merah asked.

"I'm not a god."

"To the humans we're all gods." Merah waved her off. "Maybe that's an uncomfortable realization when you were raised among them, but you must realize it, Hazel. Every interaction with a human will be a risk until you realize it. You have power they couldn't even comprehend."

"My mother was human."

"Exquisitely human, I am sure. It's given you quite a lot of charm, but you're no less powerful."

"Point taken. But what would the Fomorii do with me?"

"Bleed you, own you, make you pay. Or all of the above." Drake shook his head. "Who knows? They might not be after you at all. Their whole society is falling apart, and they're all trying to wield whatever power they can. But I trust Aengus. We should plan like they mean to take you."

Hazel looked at Ian, who met her gaze intently before turning to face Drake. "Where is the meeting?"

"A cave near Newport."

"You've given them the advantage of staying close to the sea?" Ian appeared ready to erupt in violence.

Kester cleared his throat. "You know they don't do well with sunlight, son. An earth day requires a lot of preparation for the Fomorii. We're lucky you have this chance to give tribute. May it bring you many children."

"I'm supposed to give tribute to the brutes in the hope of children, yet risk the woman I'd have mother them?"

Their words hung heavy in the room. Hazel could feel Merah watching her.

Racing toward a safer topic, Hazel spoke to Drake. "Have you been to this cave? Do you think people could hide there to back us up?"

"That's actually a pretty good idea." The surprise in Drake's voice made Hazel want to punch him. Regretfully, she refrained.

"I have people in mind already," Ian told them.

"They are only expecting you two, so any others had better be well hidden. The Fomorii are not easily surprised. They can feel our glamours – so no attempts to look like rocks; they'll see through them."

"Lots of advice. You're not joining us?" Hazel asked.

"Can't. I'm persona non grata with that bunch. They're coming under pressure, which I introduced. I've had too much contact; they'd feel me coming a mile away. And they wouldn't take it kindly."

Hazel wasn't above a gut punch at the moment. "Coward."

"You can say that." Drake shrugged.

"Don't worry, Hazel." Ian took her hand, and kissed her fingers lightly. "If he'd give us away, he's making the right choice. I do want something from you, Drake."

Drake snorted. "What else?"

"We can't go to the cave tonight. I won't risk Hazel. Will you scout for us, and take my men beyond the veil with you?"

"Done." Drake nodded. "Call them."

And so the plan was set. All too quickly, everything was going to change. Again.

# Chapter Seventeen

Distracted, Ian paced his quarters while Hazel reclined on his bed, watching him. It had been a long day. Everything he could think to do had already been done, but he still wasn't satisfied.

"It isn't right," he grumbled. "You shouldn't be in danger because of something I'm choosing to do. I don't need any blessing from those creatures. Maybe I should just forget it. I already have my share of blessings. Why be greedy?" He wasn't talking about the horns, Cernunnos' blessing.

"Kester and Merah seem to think differently. If you don't need this, why all the preparation? Why spend a year tracking down turtle eggs and gorgeous women to help you?"

Ian laughed roughly. Turning to face her, he nodded. "Because I must. Avoiding the Fomorii now leaves too much to chance."

A question hovered in Hazel's eyes for a moment before she asked it. "You were gone all afternoon. Did you see Midir?"

"Why? Did he come looking for you again?" Anger blazed under his skin, begging for violent release. He was a wreck. Somehow, he had to put his worry for Hazel to the side and focus on what had to be done. The distraction he felt now could get both of them killed tomorrow.

"No. I haven't seen him. I just have a bad feeling that he's not done with us. Did you see him today?"

"Yes. With the others at risk, I had to tell Midir what I'd gotten us into."

"What did he say?"

"Come back quickly. And alive."

"Sounds pleasant."

Ian shook his head. "It wasn't."

"Ian." Hazel sat up on the bed and beckoned to him. He sat between her legs, and she rubbed his shoulders and neck. "I heard what your father said. I understand why this is important; it is a blessing you expect to guarantee you'll have children. I can see how important that is to them, and to you. How could I ask you to pass that up?"

"But if anything happens to you—"

"There are no guarantees between us, Ian. I don't know why you're so sure you want me to stick around, but I haven't made any promises. I won't let you change your life, your plans, to fit me in. We do this."

"You're amazing. You don't even seem scared." He turned to wrap both arms around her, pulling her close.

She kissed him, and he felt his body respond instantly despite the fact that his mind was elsewhere.

"You're trying to distract me," he said, breaking the kiss. He claimed a breast with one hand. "It won't work."

"Let's see." Her hand trailed over his chest, and down his stomach, to where he already stirred. She moaned into his mouth. "Think it's working."

"Never." Ian grasped the hem of Hazel's shirt and tugged upward, releasing her from it. Her smile sent a quiver of longing through him.

There was something different about this time. He expected the danger to awaken a hunger, a need to know life and love before possibly meeting an untimely end. Instead, they worshipped each other. Hands and lips were prayers moving over skin. There was something scary here. Something sad.

It felt like saying goodbye.

# Chapter Eighteen

"Let's try to do this quietly, see if we can retain any advantage we might have." Ian seemed calm. Now that it was game time, he was also deadly serious. He'd slipped the aphrodisiac Aengus had delivered that morning into an inside pocket of his jacket. Every once in a while he patted it, as if reminding himself where it was, or checking to be sure it was safe.

Hazel knew there wouldn't be time beyond the veil to say much, even if he hadn't warned her into silence. She wouldn't know what to say, regardless. Funny, she would have expected to be pining away for her uneventful existence right now. But she wasn't.

Choosing action over words, Hazel grabbed the collar of his jacket and gave him a rough kiss. He looked surprised, and that made her smile. "Time runs swift beyond the veil. Ready?"

"Ready." He pulled her by the hand, through the oaken passage to Middleworld. Once there, he took a right instead of a left, moving toward another portal, one that would drop them on the Oregon coast, near a certain cave.

Hazel had been right. Once they were moving, there was little time to think, much less speak. Luckily, they'd gone over the plan several times last night. Not that it was much of a plan. They didn't know how many Fomorii to expect, or what kind of mood they'd be in. That definitely hampered planning.

Still, they knew from Drake's message, which Aengus also delivered via Kester and Merah that morning, that Ian's friends were in the back of the cave, hunkered down and waiting. He said the Fomorii would be unable to bring too many of their kind beyond the veil. And they wouldn't be able to stay long. The threat of the sun would make them rush. While it was mid-morning in Tir Nan Og, there were hours yet between them and sunrise beyond the veil. The meeting would take place at three, in the silent hour of deepest night.

They found the portal, and Ian took Hazel's hand once again. He raised it to his lips and kissed her fingers. He smiled. Hazel was determined to ignore the shadow behind his eyes and focus only on that smile. "Alright, my gorgeous Sidhe wench. Let's show these dark beasts what they can expect when they confront our kind."

Hazel giggled nervously and gave a little curtsy. In her fear, she had no words. She tried to mirror his confidence.

Sure, they'd be fine. The Fomorii really just wanted that fancy elixir Aengus had whipped up. And they would all be on their peaceful, merry way.

Whirring in a heady rush through the portal, they arrived in a grassy meadow, on a cliff top above the sea.

Hazel gulped. Lucky she wasn't afraid of heights. At least she'd never been worried by them before. Of course, she'd never faced strange unearthly creatures with the waves crashing violently against rocks hundreds of feet below her. Another gulp.

Ian kissed her fingers again and dropped her hand. He crouched low, eyeing the tree line beyond them for the cave. Seeing it, he stalked toward it, his whole body taut with readiness.

Hazel followed behind him, trying to mimic his careful grace. She was utterly unsuccessful. She may as well have worn a blaring bullhorn around her neck, and shouted for the Fomorii to come and get her. With all these twigs underfoot between them and the cave, how was it that Ian wasn't stepping on any?

Finally, they reached the mouth of the cave. A few more steps and they were inside, out of view of the meadow and surrounding forest.

The cave opened right into a large cavern, the right wall stretching out straight from where they entered, and the left ducking away. It was unexpected. Hazel hadn't known there were caves like this on the Oregon coast. Of course, it was possible it was a mystical place, and they were only able to see it because of their Sidhe blood. If it was a Fomorii place, they were under a spell, or they'd never have seen it. And that meant they should never have stepped inside.

Thinking it, Hazel hesitated. When she turned, she gasped. It was already too late.

Behind them, a group of Fomorii already stalked through the entrance. Had they been watching, biding their time while they waited to put the Sidhe at a disadvantage?

They wore no glamours, showed no illusions. A seeming mixture of sea creature and primordial man, they made for a hideous and adequately frightening sight. Hazel was suddenly glad she'd had no appetite for breakfast, since she would have been revisiting the experience right about now. Gross.

Each of them looked different. That was striking. Some had strange fishy faces, but some looked nearly human. They were many different sizes and, uh, shapes. Some had only one eye, Cyclops style. A few made no attempt to walk upright, but slunk around the floor of the cavern on hands and feet, their bodies bending in all the wrong places. She counted twelve in total. A nice round dozen. Just perfect.

Ian braced for action as the Fomorii party crept and slouched toward them. A full war party of Fomorii, and it looked like they'd come for blood. Every eye was hostile. He knew before they said a word that they'd been wrong to agree to this meeting. The Fomorii didn't plan to act with honor.

Finally close enough for their taste and far too close for his, the one at the head of the horde raised a hand and spoke. "We have come, honoring our word, to see whether you honor yours."

Every particle in him decried the falsehood. Ian could see them clearly, these Fomorii. But for Hazel's sake, he chose his words carefully. "I have kept my part of the bargain, as well as I may. In peace and friendship, I bring you a replacement for the medib, which can no longer be found on this great earth."

A wail went up among them. The ones in back stirred, and a small wizened creature stepped to the front.

It was unfair; they had known he could not possibly present more of the medib. He held out the aphrodisiac Aengus had provided. "I offer a replacement for ajma, in a spirit of giving. This was crafted by the same hands that made the first ajma ages ago."

The one who'd spoken first started up again. "We see your offering. Too bad it is not enough. We'll have what we came for."

And then everything changed. Ian watched it happen. Watched powerlessly as temporal reality fractured before his eyes. Ian kept his focus on the strange little being in front. He'd raised his arms, fluttered his odd long-fingered hands, and everything changed.

Time slowed, or sped up, depending on how you moved. The world spun, and it was impossible to focus. A strange whirring filled Ian's ears. He stumbled, even as he saw Hazel do the same. His four friends had crept out behind the Fomorii. But apparently, they weren't a surprise. As he watched, a few of the Fomorii turned to them, and the wizened old wizard – at least that's how Ian was beginning to think of him – fluttered his hands again, bringing them to their knees.

So that was it. The Sidhe were knocked completely off kilter, unable to make sense of the moments that turned into seconds and then to minutes. _Foolish_ , Ian thought. _Who will protect Hazel now?_

Even as he thought it, the Fomorii sprang into action, unaffected. Two of them swept toward him, and pulled him up between them. The others were already spilling out the entrance. He stumbled as he tried to see where Hazel was, and made out her form sprawled on the cave floor as they hustled him out.

# Chapter Nineteen

When Hazel woke, she gripped her head and tried to put together a coherent thought through the pain. Where was she? Had they taken her? The last thing she remembered was falling to her knees, being unable to make sense of anything, and seeing them take Ian–

She groaned as she tried to stand. Stumbling, she fell back to her knees and retched. Oh, gods.

A sound behind her brought her around with a snarl. The others were stirring, but Ian was nowhere to be seen. What was going on?

Hazel regained her feet and stumbled toward the entrance. Any moment she would fall again, but she had to make it outside. She could hear the others following, silent in her wake. Good.

Now she found she could creep silently. Oh yeah, she could creep with the best of them. They wouldn't pull one over on her again. This place was freaking cursed, and she was getting out with her skin intact and backup behind her. The Fomorii would pay.

As she'd suspected, she couldn't see Ian anywhere. They'd already gone, which meant their portal must be close. She must be nearly on top of it. Had she been out of it for that long?

Right outside the cave, Hazel stumbled under the open sky, where the full moon hung heavy and bright. Her fear won out for a moment. She gasped, as though something had stepped viciously on her chest.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and whirled, her own hand raised. Startled, she cried, "Alise! What?"

"Drake knew enough to ask for help. A miracle, isn't it?" Her best friend reached out and helped Hazel up from the ground. "What's happening? Where's Ian?"

Hazel saw Drake as he moved from behind her, his brow furrowed with concern.

"It wasn't me," Hazel spilled. "They took Ian. They were after more than a love potion. Somebody has to warn Underworld. He's the guide, don't you see? They took him." Hazel went silent. She could kick herself. How had she been so blind? Why waste their time with her when they could take Ian and have Underworld?

She'd done a little reading yesterday and learned more about their foe. The last time her people had an all out war with the Fomorii, it took their very best to defeat them. Actually, it took a warrior who was part Fomorii wielding both magic and a dead-on sling. Lugh killed his own grandfather, the leader of the Fomorii, with a slingshot through his one eye. Only then were the Fomorii driven back into the sea.

She'd never tried, but Hazel had a feeling she wouldn't be good with a slingshot.

"How did we not see that coming?" Drake fumed.

"Are you reading my mind?" Hazel asked him wearily.

"Hazel, don't sweat it. We'll get him back. And at least they didn't take you, because Ian can take care of himself. Seriously."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. Now back to the issue at hand. We've got to split up. You're going to Underworld to bring the cavalry up to speed. Use all of your contacts, Drake. All of them. We're going after Ian."

"Of course." Apparently Drake knew better than to argue about taking orders from her right now. "Aengus is in Underworld. He will help with the cavalry."

"So what are you waiting for?"

Drake narrowed his eyes and silently left for the portal.

"The rest of us follow the Fomorii. As soon as we figure out where their portal is." She looked around for objections and, lucky for them, didn't see any.

"Leave it to me. I didn't come juiced up for nothing." Alise nodded at the full moon, and her savage grin worried Hazel. Drake had brought the witch out at her most powerful, under a ripe moon. Alise had never sought a quiet life like she had. Her friend was always up for any adventure. That sparkle in her eye meant trouble, and not of the pure and simple variety.

# Chapter Twenty

Hazel struggled to stay calm as Alise worked. The witch wasn't shaking, as she was, but seemed perfectly at ease, calling out her devotions before she began her spell. That was the benefit of being able to do something.

The knot in Hazel's stomach grew tighter as she looked around at the four men Ian had asked to help them. His friends. Gareth winked at her, in an obvious attempt to lighten her mood. In Cavan's eyes, an angry storm raged, but outwardly he was the picture of calm. She hadn't even met the other two, but knew their loyalties lay with Ian. They would help her bring him back.

They'd found the remnants of a portal, or so Alise said, near the mouth of the cave. Now they had to open it again so they could follow the foe into the depths of some sun-forsaken, hostile frontier.

Alise spoke, her voice carried off by the wind as she called the quarters.

With each salute, Alise cast something to the elements, calling them to guard her and assist in her sacred circle. In the east, her breath marked air. In the south, she lit a candle without touching it. In the west, she threw out water, purified in the light of the moon still watching them from the sky. And finally, to the north, she tossed a sprinkle of earth taken from her own garden at home.

While they couldn't hear her specific words thanks to the gale-force winds, they all felt her power build, knitting the energy of forest and stone and cloud above. The men shifted uneasily, and Hazel understood how they felt, though she couldn't find it in herself to fear Alise or her craft.

Alise crouched finally within the circle she'd cast. The wind dropped off, almost like a great hand had clapped over them so they couldn't hear the howling answer of the elements. They could hear Alise clearly now as she hummed to the moon. It was a deep sound, resonant; she called to the great goddess, invoking her aid.

Brigit took form next to Alise. She, too, looked to the moon, and grasped Alise's hand. As their fingers touched, a light glowed between them, growing to encompass them.

Alise smiled and soaked that energy in. Once again, she crouched. Brigit did the same at her side. Acting as a conduit, they placed their hands on the earth.

The meadow exploded with power, the air shimmering and seeming to expand, then suddenly contract, charged with electricity. Hazel stood her ground. She'd felt the surge of her aunt's power before. It held her like a familiar cloak. Beside it, Alise's power felt like a strong spring breeze.

Before them stood the portal, a wide-open maw ready to suck them into the depths of another dimension. Ready to take them where Ian had been taken.

Hazel spared one glance for the others, and ran toward it. Without hesitation, she leapt inside, the others following.

Ian threw his captors off seconds after stepping out of the portal, knocking down two of them even as three others grabbed him again and tried to hold him back. His horns sliced the air viciously, impaling one of the Fomorii who held him and forcing the others back to the walls of the large round room. Ian could hear water running somewhere close by. The walls were rough, unworked stone. He threw the wounded Fomorii off him and ran for the portal. It was still open, but a half-dozen of them were arrayed around it, coming in behind him.

Ian didn't need to ask what was happening. They'd never meant to take Hazel. He'd been blind – his only concern had been making sure she was safe. And now Underworld was in peril.

The Fomorii had never succeeded in penetrating Underworld. They'd attempted it many times over centuries after their original defeat and their retreat to this deep, dark dimension. Underworld was a rich prize, especially compared with this place.

They'd never entered Underworld, but they'd never before had a guide. Even if he had brought the original offering of medib, would he have been safe, or caught unaware?

Regardless, he was here now. He growled a curse as they closed a circle around him. No matter what they thought, he would never betray Tir Nan Og by letting them through. He turned in a tight circle, every muscle taut. Still they closed on him, and he lashed out with the only weapons he had, his horns deadly splinters of shadow in the low light as he warned them off.

Finally ending the standoff, one with putrescent green skin and an ugly odor grabbed him with stubby fingers and held him. Two others grabbed hold and with the rest still surrounding them, hustled him from the room.

They hurried down a long stone corridor. Would they try to get him to open a new portal now, so soon after their arrival? Instead, they led him into another dank room, the light flickering from ten or so torches at the back of the room. In front of the torches was a raised dais, where a figure sat, apparently waiting.

Ellis.

He no longer wore the glamour, but Ian knew him. His presence felt the same, like warm oil in the air between them. He was old, much older than Ian realized when they met beyond the veil. He looked soft with flab and hard with ambition at the same time.

Ian laughed roughly. "We wondered if you were dead. All part of the plan?"

"I knew you'd come. People like you always fulfill their obligations."

"And how does abduction fit into my obligations?"

"We had to get you here somehow. I did not believe you'd come willingly." His calculating smile said he was still sure of that.

"That's an understatement." Ian's voice was low, neutral. His mind was running through thousands of combinations, the many plans they may have made. "This can't end well for your people. I'll never cooperate with you. Don't you think I know what this is about?"

"Underworld. Of course."

Ian's heart quaked in his chest at the confirmation. What had he gotten into? Once again, he kicked himself for his stupidity.

Rank upon rank of Fomorii had begun to enter the hall. All held spears and filed into orderly lines to await orders.

"Your birth was fortunate for us, Ian," Ellis spoke. "Who could expect that the next to owe tribute would also be the next Lord of the Forest? Your family obligations will prove the end of Underworld as you know it."

"There has never been and never will be a portal to Underworld from your dimension." Ian looked around distastefully. As he did, he gathered details. A stairway through a passage to the left. A closed door at the far end of the room. As soon as he was alone, he could open a portal beyond the veil and escape, without any risk to Tir Nan Og.

Ellis chuckled. But Ian's heart lurched when he stopped abruptly. He cocked his head to one side, as if listening, though Ian could hear nothing. "You forget the others."

"The others?"

"They're coming, even now. Coming to rescue you. Now isn't that kind?"

Ian couldn't trust his voice for a moment. How Ellis knew they were coming was beyond him. He could only hope Hazel was smart enough not to come for him. She would have gone to Underworld, to warn them. He was sure of it. For the benefit of his gracious hosts, Ian smiled. "Perfect. Let's just wait right here for them."

"We won't have to wait long." Ellis gestured behind him, and Ian turned to look.

A group ran toward them, from the other end of the long stone corridor. There were more of them than Ian expected, including Brigit, Alise, and yes, Hazel. His heart dropped to his stomach, and he struggled to stand tall.

Alise reached out a hand to Brigit, and as they grasped each other, they threw out opposite hands, knocking the Fomorii war party back against the rough stone walls.

All but Ellis.

Hazel strode forward, standing mere feet from the creature. "I guess this is the thanks I get for trying to help you?"

"Ignorant girl. You dare to challenge me in my own hall?" Ellis thundered. He grasped the air in front of him with a claw-like hand, and Hazel lurched forward, hands scrabbling at her throat. He would crush her windpipe without even touching her. Icy dread crept through Ian's veins. She couldn't breathe. Hands pulling savagely at her own skin, Hazel sank to her knees in front of Ellis.

Ian shouted, jumping to catch her before she collapsed on the ground. He lifted her to her feet, to no avail. What she needed was air.

Ellis laughed. "Leave her, boy. She's in my grasp now. All of you – you think you're so powerful. But not here. Here, I rule."

"And here you'll stay," Brigit told him haughtily. "Tir Nan Og is not for you."

"Ah, but I think the boy is coming around to my side."

Ian looked to Brigit. Couldn't she do something? She shook her head slightly at his glance. This was his world. Hazel sank in his panicked embrace. She was nearly unconscious.

Ellis wriggled his fingers and Hazel gasped in Ian's arms, convulsing.

Ian roared at the creature before him. If Hazel died, Ellis would too. But what would that solve? She would still be dead.

"I can't. I can't open a portal. You will not see Underworld. You will not tread there."

Ellis laughed. "And you'll let her die, along with the rest of you? One by one, I'll crush you all. And what will I have lost?"

Hazel no longer made any sound. She had stopped moving.

"No." Ian groaned. The futility of the situation finally hit him. Either way, he betrayed a trust. "Stop. Stop. I'll do it. Let her be."

Brigit sounded her protest behind him. He knew her thoughts without being told. Even to save Hazel, this was a travesty. There must be another way.

He could think of no other way.

"Do it, and I'll let her go. She still lives, but not for long. The portal, _now_."

And Ian opened it. With one motion, he betrayed the trust of his people and opened a portal to Tir Nan Og.

# Chapter Twenty-One

They stepped through the portal, part of the Fomorii war party in the lead, with Ellis a step behind. His captives, still surrounded by four Fomorii with spears pointed in at them, stepped through, followed by still more of the dark creatures. The forest of Middleworld surrounded them. The Fomorii hunched and hissed, overtaken by the bright light of the sun on their sensitive skin, their eyes.

Ian carried Hazel, all but oblivious to Ellis's shriek of betrayal at arriving in Middleworld instead of Underworld. He could feel her breath and knew she lived, but he didn't know how long she'd take to regain consciousness. His head and his heart ached with the knowledge of what he'd just done. He'd allowed the worst to pass, choosing her over all of his people, over his very home.

Alise had fallen to her knees just a few steps through the portal. Brigit hovered over her, her ageless countenance lined with worry and with grief. She tried to reach out to her, but Alise shied back.

"What?" she breathed. "What is this? I can hear it."

Brigit pulled her to her feet, supporting her as she stumbled. "Listen, child. You hear the music? It will haunt you as long as you stay – such is the way with humans in our world. Witches feel it more strongly; you're so open to the magic here. You must be strong."

Ellis called to Ian. "You must break through to Underworld."

Ian's smile held no humor, but a savage taste for revenge. He looked to the portal they'd just used, and it closed before them, trapping the Fomorii who had already come through in Tir Nan Og and the rest of their ranks in their dimension. "In your world I did your bidding. Here you shall suffer on your own."

Grasping Hazel firmly against him, he leapt off the trail, surging into the forest. Behind him, snakes spilled out along his path, hissing at the Fomorii who attempted to follow. They struck this way and that, and the Fomorii began to fall. The others would do their best. Brigit was with them. He would not let the Fomorii use Hazel against him again. He had to see to her safety.

Deep in the forest, far from any path the Fomorii would dare to tread, Ian sat and held Hazel, waiting for her to wake. He shook the dark thoughts that haunted him from his mind as Hazel stirred in his arms. She came to rapidly, gasping for breath and sitting upright, nearly knocking Ian's teeth out as she did. He sat back hastily and regarded her. The creatures of the forest surrounded them on all sides, watching.

"Middleworld?" she demanded. "What happened?"

"Exactly what they wanted. I punctured the veil and let them through. I betrayed the blood."

"What? Oh, what have I done?" She struggled to her feet, frowning as she held on to him for support. "Let's go."

"No. You're waiting here. I won't have them use you against me again."

Hazel tilted her head. Ian could also hear the sounds outside the guarded glen even as she regarded him. "From the sound of it, this is far out of our control already."

Aengus entered the glen, emerging from between two sentinel oaks, the Middleworld folk arrayed around him. Pixies darted around between the trunks of trees, nymphs giggled and reached to touch the love god's robes. Ian drew a surprised breath at the sight of giants, who would never answer to a Sidhe's summons. Apparently they'd taken the threat seriously.

So Hazel had sent word after all.

"Backup has arrived. Perfect timing, dear old Dad," his saucy wench announced. "What are we waiting for?"

Ian started to protest, but she stilled him with a hand on his arm.

"After we caused this mess, the least we can do is get back in there and help."

Ian's mouth worked, but no words came forth. At this moment, all he wanted was to know she was safe.

Hazel pulled him to her. She kissed him deeply, hands on either side of his face. "Don't worry so much, Ian. We'll face this together."

He kissed her back, and then rested his forehead against hers for the briefest of moments. _Too brief_ , he mourned.

And then he let her go.

"Yes, let's go, shall we?" Aengus fell into step with the welcoming party that had come to greet the Fomorii intruders with a battle they'd not forget. The animals surrounding them drew back into the trees, leading the way to the battle beyond.

Hazel took in the scene with as much confidence as she could muster. With Ian at her side she'd practically run to get there before Aengus – she had to see this. The Fomorii clustered in the center of the clearing. Brigit and Alise were on her side of the clearing. Brigit was trying to pull Alise into the trees.

Alise huddled, her face blank. Brigit finally gave in and crouched next to her, leaning in close to say something. Hazel wasn't sure what was wrong with Alise. Some effect of Otherworld since she was human? Thank the gods Brigit had stayed by her side.

A rending crash reverberated through the forest as Aengus entered the fray accompanied by the giants. It was the giants that drew the intruders' attention. A crushing blow knocked one of the Fomorii from his feet and sent him careening into the others, scattering them to all sides before the giants' huge clubs rained down on them again.

The small Fomorii wizard who'd made the world spin beyond the veil now stood at the front of a spear-bristling group of Fomorii. He lifted his hands, and his people hastened to gather around him, Ellis at their head. He waved those long-fingered hands, and Hazel felt a shot of icy fear bolt through her veins. What was he up to?

Just then a giant tried another blow with his club, but it rebounded in thin air without touching a single one of the enemy, and the giant stumbled a few steps. Good thing he caught himself. Getting crushed under a giant's ass as he stumbled like a clumsy oaf would be some way to die after all this.

His shield successful, the Fomorii wizard paused and examined the forest around them, squinting beleaguered eyes against the Middleworld sun. The Fomorii were now grouped together beneath a protective shield. The group of Sidhe they'd brought through the portal as captives were behind them, and Aengus and the other Fae ranged up ahead of them. What was left of the Fomorii war party bristled with spears as they waited for the attack to come.

It seemed to Hazel that the Fomorii were recovering within their shield. It even seemed to help them with the sunlight, otherwise harsh on their features so used to the dark.

Pixies harassed them ineffectually, tossing stones and acorns against the shield, only to see them bounce back to the trail around it.

Nymphs were speaking to them, mind to mind, trying to coax them out. Their efforts were to no avail, as most of the Fomorii simply ignored them, though a few watched them wistfully while refusing to take the bait.

Aengus glared across the clearing at Brigit, who glared back. Each seemed to say to the other – this is the best you can do?

Hazel felt much better now. She felt a _wake_. Purpose flowed through her in a way she'd never felt. Tir Nan Og had never been home to her, but now protecting this place came naturally.

Ellis acknowledged their return by snarling at Ian. "Shall I show you my power again? Open the portal to Underworld."

Ian shook his head, his antlers rustling against the lowest leaves of the trees they were stepping out from under. "You will only find more of the same. There is no peace for you here. How can so small a group overwhelm all of Tir Nan Og? Did you not consider that?"

"You forget that Fomorii now far outnumber your own kind."

"I've closed the portal to your dimension. No more of your kind will bring aid. If we Sidhe number so few, why would I risk those numbers on you?"

Hazel exchanged glances with her aunt and her father, each standing about fifteen feet to either side of her, as the two men shot their words back and forth.

"Alright, young one. It appears you've made your choice. Watch your woman die before I take your world as well." And Ellis raised a hand, making a fist as he glared at Hazel.

Hazel felt his power begin to take hold, but she did not fear it here. Instead, she reached out imploringly to her father and to her aunt. She'd seen Alise take power from Brigit in this way. She knew she could do the same. She could do more, if only she had the will. She had it now.

Ellis's phantom fingers grasped ineffectually at Hazel's windpipe and she laughed. She could see him, could see the window he made in their shield as he tried to harm her. The power her family sent her was a rush, flowing all through her body, and before she dizzied with the high, she thrust both hands forward. She envisioned her desire, to puncture a wider hole in that shield. Focusing on the shield, she sent all of the power she'd just received in that direction.

Their wizened old wizard grunted and fell to his knees, unable to hold the shield against the might of the power she cast.

Spears bristling, the Fomorii looked out again on Middleworld, unprotected.

# Chapter Twenty-Two

Hazel drew a deep breath, settling herself from the rush of so much power.

Ian spoke. "Ellis, hear me. You do not rule the Fomorii, and yet all will remember your name. Ellis who ended the peace between our people; Ellis who ended the tribute your folk once enjoyed."

His gaze pierced everyone there. When he spoke again, it was not to the Fomorii. "I say again, hear me: None in my line will know the Fomorii. The tribute that once tied us is at an end, as is our peace. Fomorii lives are forfeit where they touch our own. Is it heard?"

The gathered folk of Middleworld shouted at his proclamation, stomping and clapping their agreement.

In the worst possible moment, Midir stepped forth from Underworld. Giving away the last of their secrets, the doorway, he smiled as he came. "What have we here? How do the Fomorii arrive in our world, except through the traitorous act of one of our own delegates? Ian?"

Ian had no time to reply. Seeing that open door, the Fomorii surged around Midir. One of their spears took him in the side, and he veered toward Ellis as though begging his aid. Ellis thrust the Sidhe away from him, threatening him with his own spear.

"Not as easy as you would have had us believe, Midir. How did they know to prepare for us?" And he thrust his own spear through Midir's belly.

Hazel gasped when the spear came through the other side of him. They all gasped, the betrayal acknowledged.

"This was your idea, Midir? You would risk Underworld to make Ian look bad?" Hazel questioned him, despite his grievous wounds. "To protect your position?"

Midir almost smirked through his pain, his hateful gaze stabbing into her. "When humans are welcomed in Tir Nan Og, what is left to protect?"

The Sidhe and the giants shook their heads in disbelief. The pixies took up their stones and acorns again, pelting Midir this time, even as he lay in agony. No one tried to protect him as the nymphs came for him, surrounding him and lulling him with their siren song. He screamed as they pulled him to his feet, where he stumbled between them as they shoved him into the forest before them.

Still the door to Underworld, the passage through the oak, stood open. The Fomorii rushed through, the Sidhe behind them. Alise stayed where she was, crouched on the ground and staring blankly. The giants guarded the entrance through the oak, but they could only strike so many of the Fomorii horde. The disappointed pixies fluttered around shrieking insults into the open portal. They couldn't venture into Underworld.

Hazel dodged the pixies as she ran through the portal to Underworld, jostling for position as the Fomorii continued to rush through. Something slimy brushed her hand, and she winced. She shouldn't have done this – what if one of them grabbed her? But she hadn't thought that far ahead and there was no room to think now. Then with a stumble and a curse, she was out, staring at a familiar scene gone horribly wrong.

Beyond the oak, the Fomorii flooded into the night-blooming garden, cajoling one another. A few ran for the sifra, giddy in their newfound comfort and drawn to the plunder sure to be found in the palace. The darkness here would suit them well. Of the beauty, they took no notice.

Those who'd run ahead were suddenly pushed back, as the Fae attacked them from all sides. Stones and darts pelted them from the underbrush, even as a line of goblins hailed them from atop the stone walls. Drake stood ominously still by the door to the sifra.

"Underworld holds nothing for you, intruders," an aged goblin spoke from atop the wall. "You've two options, return to your own world now, or face the might of all Tir Nan Og." The goblin had stepped out from among his fellows, teetering on the edge of the wall. His gnarled features held a reverent anger, and his white beard stretched past his wide belly to his knees.

Hazel thought him quite eloquent for a goblin.

Ellis smiled at the old goblin, showing his rotting teeth. "Brothers in darkness, we come only to take what has long been denied us: Our place among you. Together, we can live in peace, and cast the conniving Sidhe from the dark places."

The old goblin, Ian had whispered his name was Carvant, stopped for a moment, his bushy eyebrows raised. The goblins surrounding him snickered.

"You speak of the Sidhe as conniving, but who has plotted to invade our homeland?" Carvant shook his head, to the continued snickers of his fellows. "If you cast out the Sidhe, you seek only to replace them – and you think that would put you above us? We are not so stupid, Ellis of the brutal Fomorii race. Already we live in peace. The Sidhe do not rule us, they inhabit Underworld by our sides. Should we have wanted, needed, war with them, we would have had it on our own terms."

"Still, we have come, brother. And here we shall stay." Ellis spoke with a finality that belied his party's situation. They were outnumbered by far, and even the wizard could not protect them from all of Tir Nan Og should it gather against them. He must have known this was only the welcoming party.

Carvant finally laughed, his gut shaking with mirth. Battle lust bloomed across his features. "Brothers we are not, Fomorii. But I see you have made your choice."

He lifted one arm and dropped it swiftly back to his side. Before Hazel could guess what he'd just commanded, the other goblins had hurled balls of greasy, popping fire into the invaders' midst. Screams rent the air as the old wizard and several of the others fell to the ground, their clothing, even their bodies alight and sizzling.

Hazel took a step back in shock, until she'd backed against Ian, who wrapped his arms around her as they watched. He did not move to help. None of the Sidhe did. And Hazel understood, the other inhabitants of Underworld had the situation well in hand.

From the depths of the garden and the surrounding woods, wraiths swirled to the fore. It seemed the air held their whispers, their mocking laughs, and certainly the chill of their presence, as they swept among the Fomorii, drawing them to their knees.

The underbrush stirred, and the tiny pechs joined in the fray. It wasn't much of a battle, for several of the Fomorii had already succumbed to flame and the others were stunned silent by the touch of the wraiths. Still, the pechs looked gleeful, scampering up to the enemy and stabbing them with their short knives even as they lay prone.

Ellis watched Ian and Hazel as they stood silent. He growled and surged in their direction, even as a wraith caught sight of him. Ian stood his ground, and Hazel with him, as the Fomorii ran toward them. He tripped at the last second, pulled to the ground by a pech who stood no taller than his calf. Small as they were, pechs were surprisingly strong. The wraith swirled around Ellis, who had no time to scream, even as the puny pech climbed up and stood atop him like he'd reached the peak of a coveted mountain. The other pechs cheered and laughed. And then they all rushed him with their short knives, the last living invader.

And that, Hazel thought to herself, was that.

She realized she was sinking to the ground only as Ian caught her arm. She closed her eyes on the bloody mess the short battle had made of the night-blooming garden. Visions of monstrous Fomorii bloomed behind her eyelids. They were the last things she wanted to see, so she opened her eyes and looked on her love. The man who'd sacrificed everything to keep her safe.

What were they going to do now?

Ian put his arms around Hazel. It was all over so fast. Too fast. He wasn't ready to lose her. The look in her eyes...she was already preparing herself to go. To return beyond the veil to the life she'd chosen. She'd been honest with him. She never planned to make a life in Underworld. He couldn't make a life anywhere else. Where could that possibly leave them?

Hazel had showed up for this – she'd given it everything she had, and they all had reason to be grateful for her presence today. He could see what it had cost her. After all this, how could he ask her to choose him?

They stood off to the side as the clearing bustled with activity. The goblins built a pyre and began stacking Fomorii bodies atop it. Some of the bodies still burned, and the Sidhe helped to pile the others atop them. The goblins surrounded them with more of the oily mixture and set the whole pile alight. After this night, no sign would remain that the Fomorii had attempted to invade Underworld. No sign that they had succeeded at long last, where none of their forebears ever could.

After, the goblins brought forth barrels of their favorite brew, and passed goblets around for the tasting. Such a battle had not been seen in Tir Nan Og for ages, and they were in a mood to celebrate. Even the pechs brought tiny glasses to match their stature, and dipped them into the heady brew. The wraiths didn't stay. Solitary creatures, such a celebration was not in their nature.

Hazel and Ian sank to the spongy ground side by side. A goblin brought them each a cup, his eyes resting a moment on Ian's horns before he bowed his head and retreated. It was hard to believe they'd left mere hours ago to face this enemy. With all the action since, their minds had a lot of catching up to do with how far they'd come.

Hazel took a sip, sighed gratefully, and took another. She turned to Ian. "It's over then? The threat is past? Does that mean we won?"

He looked away. "It's over. You have no reason to stay with me in Underworld now."

Hazel had no chance to reply. Drake had just appeared next to them. A couple of Sidhe were drawing up benches out of thin air. The doors to the sifra opened, and other Sidhe spilled forth to enjoy the spontaneous festival.

"Hazel, where's Alise?" Drake asked. "Did she stay beyond the veil?"

Hazel jumped to her feet. Ian rose next to her and took her hand. She was shaking. "No, she joined us. Middleworld had a strange effect on her. I think we left her there when we followed the Fomorii."

Drake shoved her back to Ian's waiting arms. "You've had enough. I'll find her and make sure she's okay." And he quickly strode the few steps to the oak, disappearing into its depths as Hazel made a small noise of protest.

Just then, Aengus and Kester appeared at the open door of the sifra. Aengus called to them. "The council waits. We have some explaining to do."

# Chapter Twenty-Three

The Sidhe Authority delegates fell silent when Ian and Hazel entered the council chamber behind Kester and Aengus. Ian steeled himself for the conflict sure to await them in council. The full weight of exhaustion had only just hit him as he walked here with Hazel at his side. Fury had carried him this far, but now that the danger had passed, it was fading. He touched Hazel's hand reassuringly before taking his seat at the table.

Aengus waved a hand toward Hazel. "Sit. There is much for you to discuss. I believe you all know of my daughter, Hazel?" He did a quick round of introductions as Ian's gaze scanned the gathered council. Finally Aengus said, "I trust everyone's heard of Midir's treachery?"

"You call it treachery. Where is your proof?" Bertran – one of the youngest delegates, who'd always sucked up to Midir – raged, obviously furious over being pulled from his bed at such an hour and called into sudden council.

"Many witnessed the events in question. Sit now, please."

"I don't answer to you! I'll sit when I'm good and ready. Now what is going on?"

"Knowing you esteemed delegates would desire a briefing, I've brought the most relevant parties to you." His gaze flew furiously through the room as the others sat, and Ian could understand his feelings – few of these delegates had joined in the battle earlier. They hadn't done anything to protect Tir Nan Og, and now they lorded over the council chamber as though it were their right to rule? "Hear me: though I am Dagda's son and Midir's brother, and could rightfully claim the Governor's seat for my own, I have no desire to put up with the likes of you. Therefore, Kester will promptly take Midir's place as acting Governor, until such time as his son Ian, chosen of Cernunnos and Lord of the Forest, is ready for the job. One year should suffice. Am I heard?"

None would dare to question. He was the most powerful among them, save for his sister, Brigit, who sat in silence across the room. Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she gave Ian an appraising look. He grinned back.

"This is council business. You can't just dictate that Kester take control."

"Can we all accept Aengus's argument that he would be the obvious choice to succeed Midir?" Ian spoke evenly, looking at the others around the table. Not a single delegate objected. Good.

"Then we'll take Aengus's statement as a motion." Again, no one argued.

Bertran grimaced, knowing what came next.

Ian spoke firmly, reminding himself to be calm. Sidhe were known for their pride and arrogance, and their leaders were worse than most. They had to be handled, that much he had learned from both his father and the unfortunate Midir. "I second the motion. Kester will be acting Governor for one year, and then I will take over as Governor as planned. A vote."

"All in favor, say 'aye,'" Aengus said from the head of the table.

It wasn't unanimous, but near enough. The dissenters scowled, grumbled, and looked around the table to find who else was in a similar boat. Ian took stock of every one of them.

He would have to work hard to regain trust here, after the damage Midir had done his reputation. He had to accept partial responsibility. If they were Midir's cronies, he could guess they had similar feelings on the subject of half-humans in Tir Nan Og. That included Hazel, and they all knew who had brought her through the oak.

Aengus turned to Kester. "It's settled, then. You can have them."

"Then let us turn to the business at hand." Kester capably brought them all to attention and shifted the focus to recent events.

When the full story was out, the argument commenced. Funny, the same dissenters stood against Kester, their dislike palpable. Ian couldn't comprehend how they could continue to argue Midir's case in light of what had occurred.

Bertran spoke for them. "You don't understand. The Fomorii increase their numbers – they have done so for an age now. Midir recognized this. He recognized that it is fast becoming necessary to deal with these old enemies. We must. Or they _will_ crush us."

"Are you saying you knew of Midir's treachery?" Kester confronted Bertran.

"I am saying it surprises me little because I knew of his concerns about the Fomorii."

Kester let Bertran's possible involvement slide and addressed the source of his concern. "Our strength is not so paltry. There are those among us who crushed mountains, who raised armies at a whim. You underestimate our strength."

"It is a simple matter of numbers. I'd like to be on the winning side. I'd like to survive."

"Who's taking sides? Has a war broken out?"

"No, but it will. We eliminated the front guard, but you still aren't hearing me. There are many, many more where those came from."

Kester paused, but Ian knew what his father was thinking. He paused before he committed the Sidhe to a course that would change them, inevitably, for better or for worse. A course sure to throw this council into an uproar.

Kester declared, "Then we increase our numbers. We pull our children to the fold. We seek all who bear the blood."

"Bring half-human abominations to secure Tir Nan Og?" Bertran sneered. Ian knew some around this table would rather see half-humans like Hazel dead than see them in Tir Nan Og.

"That's ridiculous," Kester answered. "Your only purpose is to inflame the tempers of this council. Regardless of their human ancestry we are speaking of the blood. They are Sidhe."

"Sidhe we've ignored and refused to acknowledge, in many cases. They may treat us in like manner," Brigit spoke.

"And we would deserve it," Aengus said. "Still, we must try. Some will prove recalcitrant, but we must try. It is better than sacrificing our homeland. Better than dividing Tir Nan Og with the Fomorii."

Kester nodded. The room filled with gasps and whispers as he made his decree. "Let it be heard: Any among us who have children of the blood living beyond the veil are called upon to name them and to find them. Convince them they belong with us. We must open our minds, and our hearts, to these lost Sidhe. We dwindle; look upon them as our saviors."

Ian looked at Hazel. He wasn't the only one. She was pale, her eyes serious. And she was dead silent.

Was it really so simple as a declaration? Somehow Ian thought it was going to take a whole lot more to gain the loyalty of the blood they'd abandoned beyond the veil. So many ages, so many lives touched by his people. No, a simple declaration was not going to get this job done.

Maybe with her help, he'd find an answer that could work for their people. Ian swallowed. Except that she wanted as little as possible to do with _their people_. Shame slid into his gut like a blade as he realized how this must look from her perspective. She had helped them, and then she had to sit here and listen to how unworthy she was according to nearly half of the council. She had to suffer the argument of what percentage really did make one Sidhe. And what he saw only made her more beautiful. She didn't rage, didn't argue. She knew herself. She was tired, but she wasn't beaten. Not by the Fomorii and not by the ignorance of those who shared the blood. She was true as any Sidhe, and it lit him up with pride. Her gaze drifted over to him and she watched him for a moment.

Maybe she saw his feelings written all over his face. That pride, the residual anger of arguments that couldn't be solved in a day and maybe not even in a lifetime, and another fierce emotion he couldn't hide. He wouldn't hide from her.

If she could be so true, he could love her, whether she chose his world or not.

Maybe she saw all of that in his expression.

Whatever she surmised, she answered with a smile that lit up her face. A chain of whispers wound around the table as her skin began to glow. They both ignored the whisperers. Ian wasn't willing to lose any more time to their petty concerns.

# Chapter Twenty-Four

"Tell me if I understand this correctly," Hazel said as they moved back outside the sifra, where the festival atmosphere showed no sign of letting up. "Did your father just make his first act as Governor welcoming people like me to Tir Nan Og?"

Ian nodded. He looked lost in thought. Actually, he almost looked...sad. Maybe he'd wanted to take over as Governor straight away, and Aengus had just screwed him out of the chance.

Spotting the oak that held the portal, Hazel let out a little shout and said, "Alise! I have to find her! Where would Drake have taken her?"

Ian thought for a moment. "His aunt's place in Middleworld. That's home to him in Tir Nan Og. He wouldn't want Alise in Underworld. I know that much. Humans rarely tread here of their own will."

If entering Middleworld had left Alise pretty much catatonic, Hazel didn't want to consider what a trip to Underworld would do to her or any other human who came here. Funny that her father's blood was enough to make this place accessible to her. But that meant if she chose a life in Underworld, there was no way Alise could come even to visit—

What was she thinking? Yesterday she'd been unwilling to consider the future. She should hold to those terms while the battle settled in her mind. This was no time for big, weighty thoughts like a lifetime with—

She risked a glance at Ian, her unsettled belly giving another lurch. She had to quit the diet of fear and uncertainty. Could she do that in Underworld?

Midir was gone. If he still lived, he was surely in agony, held somewhere by the creatures of Middleworld, the ones who would enjoy punishing him. Was a new order, one that embraced people like her, so easy to establish here? What would it mean when Ian finally took up the mantle that went with his crown of antlers?

There were some questions she'd never find answers to, and some would unfold only with time.

And there were other things she knew for certain, right here and right now. It was as though once she'd opened the shutters just a smidge, just to check the weather, the sun had burst through and lit up all her shadows until she couldn't hide in them.

Hazel knew what she wanted.

Later, she would talk to Ian. She had some big, weighty thoughts to share.

For now she had to put one foot in front of another and do right by her best friend.

Using the oak portal, they returned to the clearing where Ian had brought everyone through from the Fomorii realm. He grimaced.

She gripped his hand harder. "You did what you had to do. It was smart, dropping us in Middleworld where the sun would harm the enemy."

He shook his head. "It's a terrible betrayal. We'll have to remove all trace of the portal so that none may find it and use it again. A link straight to the Fomorii dimension..." He shuddered in revulsion. "I don't have the spells to finish this myself. We'll need Brigit."

Ian led the way through the Middleworld forest, but Hazel strode quickly by his side, her pace unfaltering as the long walk fell away step by step.

There would be time later to remind Ian of the good he'd done, of what he'd intended. He would be a good leader of the Sidhe Authority in his time. But would he be able to let go and have a good _life_ , too?

What was the Lord of the Forest without the wilds?

She would have to remind him. Repeatedly.

"What's wrong with her?" Hazel gripped Alise's hand and swallowed a sob. What had it cost her to help them? Her best friend's small, still form rested in Drake's room, amid the relics of his split childhood. Here a baseball from beyond the veil, there a stunning crystal that would fetch a fortune among humans, though you could easily collect a dozen in the caverns that opened up along the forest trails of Middleworld.

"The effects of Tir Nan Og on a human, not to mention a powerful witch. I heard stories of her kind in Tir Nan Og when I was a child. As far as I know, we haven't had one like her during my lifetime, so that makes it at least four centuries." Drake's aunt Nectar looked wistful. "Her power is so strong, and her barriers are so weak. She must fight to emerge from the clamor within her – only she can do that."

"Then she will," Hazel said fiercely. She gripped the hand she held harder, wishing her own will was enough to bring her friend back to herself. "She will."

"I tried to take her back beyond the veil, but as soon as I came near the portal, she started shrieking, and when I backed off, she at least seemed at peace." Drake gestured to Alise's sleeping form. He was obviously distraught, to Hazel's surprise. Yes, he'd pulled Alise into this mess, but it wasn't as though they were close.

Hazel looked at Nectar. "Why would she resist going back beyond the veil?"

"That I've never encountered before. I don't know what it means. I would have done as Drake did. I would have brought her back here, where at the very least we can keep her safe. We have no way of knowing how she would respond to being taken beyond the veil. Would she recover her faculties instantly? Who would care for her if she did not?"

"No, I'm glad you brought her here," Hazel told Drake, resting her hand on top of his as he stroked Alise's fingers. "Thank you for caring for her. You know how much she means to me."

"Yes," he agreed, appearing haunted. "She's family."

Hazel nodded and attempted a smile. "And she would have killed me if she woke up at home, without getting to know Tir Nan Og. I have one recent narrow escape from death, I don't need another."

She looked to share a smile with Ian, and to her surprise, caught his bleak, frozen expression. A somber occasion, yes, but it wasn't as though Alise were dying.

Ian cleared his throat. "Do you remember where we parked your car?"

Hazel's eyes darted to his. "Are you sending me back beyond the veil?"

"Not sending you..." His eyes searched her face. "Aren't you returning? Or will you stay here with Alise?"

"I'd planned to return to a rather cozy resting place I know in Underworld, to catch some shuteye – or at least that's what we'll let Drake here think. I don't believe he wants to know what we really get up to."

Drake elbowed her in warning before returning to brush a stray lock of hair from Alise's forehead.

The frozen expression returned, and Hazel got it, like a light bulb going on. Her face heated in a blush.

He actually thought she would return to her normal life like nothing had happened? Well, she'd made it apparent often enough that it was the conflict with the Fomorii that brought her here, not any relationship developing between them.

"Drake, I think Ian and I have some things to say to each other. We'll return...in a while." Grabbing Ian's hand, she pulled him from the room and then from the small cottage.

# Chapter Twenty-Five

Walking into the woods, she could feel him hesitating behind her. Maybe she'd misread him. Maybe he wanted her beyond the veil and out of his life. Losing steam, thinking back on all that had happened in the past day, she brushed her hair behind her ears distractedly and sank to a seat on the mossy earth.

Ian paced. "Don't drag it out. If you brought me out here to say goodbye, it's fine. You've obviously made your choice."

"Apparently, my choice isn't as obvious as you believe." Hazel met his eyes and saw his heart in them. "Am I welcome in Underworld?"

He sighed. "Always. You can return whenever you like. I'm sure Brigit will help you."

She rose to her feet and closed the distance between them, making him pause mid-stride. "I meant, am I welcome with you in Underworld? Or have your feelings changed? Would you rather I returned to my boring human life beyond the veil?"

"Don't tease me, Hazel. You know I want you with me." He wrapped her in a tight embrace, even though she knew it pained him to hold her close when he feared he was losing her. Better to stand apart and pretend this urgency didn't exist. He whispered in her ear, and she knew what it cost him, "I need you with me. I need you. Do you know that?"

"I know it. I feel the same," she told him. His heart pounded against her cheek. "How could you believe I would return and just forget about you? I love you, Ian. I'm not leaving, not unless you're with me."

"I can't leave Underworld. Not now, not after my long absence and what happened with Midir." He moved to pace again, and she stopped him with a hand on his arm. He had to hear her.

"I get it. You have responsibilities here. We'll stay. And we'll talk about a permanent solution later."

"Permanent?"

"Do the horns make your skull extra thick? What's it going to take to get through to you? Yes. _Permanent_. I want to be with you. And that, my love, is that." Thick skulled or not, she did love him. And to show him just how serious she was, she punctuated her statement with a deep kiss, her glow blossoming until neither of them could think to argue.

Hand in hand, they returned to Underworld, and it felt more like home than ever before with Hazel by his side.

_Permanent_.

She chose him. He could barely comprehend his change in fortunes. Yesterday, a seemingly insurmountable obstacle stood in his path to any life at all. Yesterday, he'd been sure he would lose her as the dust settled from their adventure together. He wasn't sure how this new future with Hazel was going to look...but they had plenty of time to figure it out.

Aengus paced the night-blooming garden, wearing a new path in front of the sifra. "Ah, there you are," he said as they appeared. Then he paused and a crafty expression passed across his face. "Can it be? My daughter who claimed to be so human has chosen _Underworld_?"

Hazel gasped. "How did you know that?"

"It's written all over you, my girl."

"Underworld?"

"Nah. Love." Aengus closed the distance between them and shook Ian's hand. "I can finally give up that farce beyond the veil and it's all thanks to you. I will find a way to repay you."

"Um..."

Hazel yanked his hand and his words dropped off mid-protest. She was probably right. A freely given favor from Aengus could be very useful at some point.

"Your father made me glad I'd given him my support at council. It was a daring move."

Ian nodded. "One I fully support."

"Nothing selfish about your reasoning there, either." Hazel smiled sweetly, but he saw her father's crafty humor behind her eyes. She was such a beautiful addition to the Sidhe. He couldn't understand a position like Midir's. You couldn't know Hazel and think of her as anything other than Sidhe. But he knew that their relationship would ruffle feathers. They would continue to encounter that bias, and he'd do his best to protect her from the barbs, whether she needed his protection or not.

Aengus's expression had turned thoughtful. "It is good you're here at such a time of change for our people, my daughter. At some point, you had to discover for yourself what being Sidhe means to you. Maybe Ian hurried it along...either way, I am glad you've chosen to embrace your heritage."

Hazel hugged her father.

"Is this old man accosting you?" Brigit had joined them, emerging from the canopy of the Underworld forest, her eyes shining in the half-light. She nudged him with an elbow. "I expected you to run off with my niece by now. Leave Aengus to me; we have a lot to talk about."

Brigit whispered something in Hazel's ear and hugged her, then took Aengus by the arm and led him inside the sifra.

They were alone.

"Walk with me?" Ian asked softly. He couldn't go inside right now. He had an urge to tread in his forest, and maybe to lie with his love where only the creatures of the deep wood could see them.

She took his hand, and they started down one of his favorite paths. An owl announced itself nearby, and the undergrowth rustled as something followed them. He could feel them all around, the creatures of his wood. The magic of this place enveloped him. Some of these trees were ancient as the oldest of the Tuatha De; their roots held the world together. They weren't the only ancient life forms in this forest. A short way off he heard the slithering of a creature so large, so terrible, that he would not mention the sound to Hazel.

Most inhabitants weren't so scary as all that. Darkness is not always fearsome, after all.

The owl hooted again, and Ian spotted it ahead of them as the path opened into a clearing full of tiny silver flowers. "There," he whispered to Hazel, pointing out the large bird. It watched them with gleaming eyes.

"Oh! Why doesn't he fear us?" she breathed.

"Why should he?"

A branch cracked in the woods nearby, and Hazel gripped his hand tighter. The undergrowth parted, and the white stag stepped through, regarding them solemnly.

He heard Hazel's sharp inhale. She dropped his hand as the stag moved toward her. Ian started to tell her not to fear...but he realized her expression wasn't one of fear at all. That was wonder written all over her beloved features. Enchantment.

Hazel was falling under Tir Nan Og's spell.

When the stag stood in front of her, it knelt, bending its antler-adorned head within her reach. Hazel stretched out a tentative hand and touched the stag's forehead.

The white stag huffed a breath and stood again, its ears twitching. It looked upon Hazel, its eyes dark, mysterious pools. Turning, it darted from the clearing, springing over the first rank of underbrush and disappearing into the wilds. As it entered the forest, a cluster of bright blue birds burst from the woods, swirling through the air in their synchronized dance, the notes of their song rising to drift through the Underworld night.

"What was that all about?" Hazel whispered. "It was the same stag, wasn't it? The one we saw in Middleworld when you first returned."

"Yes. A spirit of the wilds, older than time. His path, like mine, winds through patches of light and darkness. For people like us, there's no separating the two."

"And why... He came straight to me. What did it mean?" Her voice was hushed, like she was trying not to disturb the deep silence that had fallen around them once the birds had finished their song.

"A welcome, sweetheart. Just for you."

Her head dipped, and she brushed a tear from her cheek. He had a sudden, stabbing moment of doubt.

"Hazel? Are you sure you can make a home here? If you can't...you know I will not blame you."

She took a deep breath, and he was scared. Very scared.

But then she spoke. "I think...maybe I've been waiting for Tir Nan Og my whole life. I know I've been waiting for _you_." She slid her arms around his shoulders and kissed him, knocking any lingering doubt deep into the shadows of the forest. "It's good to be home."

# Excerpt from The Risen Goddess

### Of the Blood, Book II

Continue the _Of the Blood_ series with _The Risen Goddess_, available now.

The small, white two-story bungalow stared out at the street with empty eyes framed by black shutters. Twin squares of lawn sparkled with dew. The morning felt fresh, felt more magical than most mornings in this place. Traffic hadn't yet polluted the smell or sounds of this cherished little neighborhood. Brigit, goddess of home and hearth, allowed herself a sigh of regret. There was no one to witness it, anyway. The little house stood empty, though she'd called it home a scarce few weeks ago. She wasn't about to live there on her own. What would she do in such a place, all by herself?

Her niece had moved on. It had happened too suddenly. After twenty-odd years living in the human world to raise Hazel, her half-human niece, she found herself with too little to occupy her hands. As an empty nester, as the humans called her current state, she may have to take up knitting.

But she wasn't here to decide what to do with the house, or with the next phase of her long, long life.

She straightened her spine and walked up to the doorstep of the neighboring house, a similar bungalow painted in light grays and blues, with pansies springing up beside the brick path.

Alise had been gone long enough to miss the pansies.

The door opened before she could knock, and Eleanor Rodgers stood there with a fist pressed to her mouth, her dark eyes boring into Brigit.

"Her condition hasn't changed. No better, but no worse." Brigit reached for her human friend's hand as she shared what she'd come to say as swiftly as possible. The look in Eleanor's eyes tore her up.

"I didn't think it could be bad news. You stood out there a long time. If it had been bad news, you would have gotten on with it—"

She stopped and stared at Brigit, mortified.

Brigit lifted a hand and waved the comment away like an irritating fly. "Please, don't filter for my sake. I've seen bouts of rage that have literally changed the world. You aren't going to make me angry or frighten me away, dear. Have out with it. It's good for you." She patted Eleanor's hand reassuringly. "Now, do you mind if I brew us a spot of tea while you tell me how you've been?"

She spent a half hour listening to Eleanor, consoling her, lifting her hopes.

As she retreated along the brick path, lifting her hood against a light rain, she felt distinctly uncomfortable.

She had lied to her friend. She'd made it seem certain that Alise would re-emerge her usual charming and incorrigible self.

She wasn't certain.

Brigit didn't understand Alise's condition at all. In all her long years, she could not remember this specific ailment befalling a human visitor to Tir Nan Og. She had seen many a human ailing under the effects of Otherworld on the human consciousness, sure...but not like Alise.

Brigit could almost say her condition was unique.

Thus, her current discomfort. It wasn't every day that the goddess of home and hearth felt helpless. It wasn't every day that she met a problem she'd never seen before.

And it wasn't every day that the problem risked a girl who was almost as dear to her as the niece she'd raised next door.

She should take her own advice. Dark thoughts weren't going to help Alise. Somehow, the girl would come through this.

She still felt helpless, and she didn't like the feeling one bit.

The Middleworld forest whipped by as Eddie Drake hit his stride. He could feel tension from the past days flowing out of his burning muscles. Plants blurred along the trail at his feet as he concentrated on making the miles fly by.

Most Sidhe didn't exercise for exercise sake – so maybe it was that small human part of him that enjoyed it. He felt his best after a long run, his mind as clear as his body was fatigued.

His head down, he hit a cloud of pixie dust and heard the offended pixie shout, "Hey! Watch yourself!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sure there's more where that came from," he shouted back without even looking. Pixies were a dime a dozen. You could hardly shake a leg without, well, running straight into a cloud of pixie dust. He sneezed.

Too soon, he saw home ahead. A little escape, that's what he'd needed. For a few minutes, the burning of his muscles had distracted him from the odd turns his life had taken of late.

Eddie Drake was no nursemaid. He'd never been the patient, caring type.

He was a playboy, and it used to be pure and simple. He liked the ladies, and they liked him. Maybe he overindulged. That he could cop to. Maybe he'd been with too many ladies, too many times. That sort of behavior certainly couldn't be seen as a precursor to _this_. No, his current predicament was more likely a punishment for prior bad behavior. Of course, it was a punishment he'd chosen, which made it all the more odd.

To satisfy whatever part of him was so worried, he ducked through the back door and sauntered into the third bedroom, the one that had recently become Alise's room.

Her condition unchanged, Alise rested, still as stone, under a white and cream quilt that had been his mother's.

Drake frowned. He'd stopped counting the days; there had been many. Maybe two weeks had passed as Alise lay unmoving. Okay, she wasn't still all the time. A few nights she'd thrashed and moaned.

He'd been so concerned the first time that happened that he'd stayed with her, holding her on the narrow bed until she calmed and seemed to rest. Relieved, he'd drifted off holding her and been embarrassed to be found in that compromising position when Aunt Nectar came in to check on Alise.

Cuddling.

Cuddling with the unconscious.

Not a good sign.

If only he hadn't gotten her into this mess. That's what had him all tied up in doubt and fear. She wouldn't be in that bed, unaware of her surroundings but drowning in the music and magic of Tir Nan Og, if it weren't for him. He'd made the choice to ask for her help when her best friend had been in trouble. She'd gladly given her help, not realizing what it would cost her.

So he owed her. At the very least, he owed her a trip back beyond the veil to where she came from, where her family and her world waited. He'd tried to give her that, but she thrashed as they approached the portal and wouldn't calm until he retreated. He couldn't figure that out. In her condition, how did she know when he threatened to take her home? Regardless, his attempts hadn't worked, and neither had anything the local healer tried. Alise didn't get worse, but she hadn't come back to herself, either. That's what kept his stomach tied in knots, he told himself as he stood in the doorway, watching the raven-haired beauty sleep.

Footsteps on the path outside brought Drake out of his thoughts. Maybe Aunt Nectar was home early. That would be good, because he had to go to the human world for at least a while tonight. His job waited for him, and some things he couldn't let go for an undetermined period while Alise lay in that bed.

It wasn't Aunt Nectar darkening the path.

Bertran stood, apparently evaluating his next step, outside the cottage, surrounded by the bright sights and sounds of a Middleworld day. The weather was perfect, but that didn't help the storm clouds covering the countenance of this particular thorn in Drake's side.

"May I come in?" his old enemy asked.

"Not in this lifetime."

"Don't be ridiculous, Eddie. I must see how the witch fares."

"You've heard how she fares. I wouldn't put a fox in the same room with sleeping chicks, or a sleeping chick, rather."

"Don't grow fond of her. You know her kind do not belong in Tir Nan Og. Isn't it obvious?" Bertran snickered.

"You presume too far. Your orders carry no weight with me. I'll answer to Kester or to Ian if he asks it of me. Until then, it is no one's business how fond I grow."

"What is it about this witch that's turned practical, selfish Eddie Drake into the pile of mush I see today? I have to know." Bertran's gaze returned to the cottage, as though he was wondering which room she was in and whether he could sneak a quick peek.

Drake just glared and wished he had the magic to cast the smug bastard out of his line of sight. Bertran had always bullied Drake, starting when they were children. He'd been just as untouchable then as he was now as one of the youngest, and strongest, Sidhe Authority delegates. Drake didn't have that sort of power. He was a grunt doing the Authority's bidding beyond the veil, in the human world. Still, he knew in this topic Ian – soon to be leader of the Sidhe – would back him.

Ian awaited Alise's revival just as Drake did. His beloved, Hazel, would not wed until her best friend could stand with her.

"You will tell me when she awakes," Bertran said imperiously.

"What do you care? I know Alise. What is your interest in her?"

Bertran ignored the question. "You've made your choices, Drake. One like you, choosing to live beyond the veil, you'll never belong in Tir Nan Og. You're hardly Sidhe at all." Bertran stalked off. Drake watched him go until he was out of sight, his shoulders tense.

No good would come of Bertran's fascination with keeping the blood pure. By his definition, Drake had to agree; he was hardly Sidhe at all. And he was glad of it. Smug, overbearing bastards like Bertran were why he'd chosen life beyond the veil to begin with. He'd never been accepted in Tir Nan Og. Well, that was fine with him. He hadn't needed Bertran's approval to make a life for himself.

Drake's exiled father had sent him to Tir Nan Og to live with Aunt Nectar after his mother's death when he was seven. He'd known nothing of Otherworld at that age. His half-human mother had never entered Tir Nan Og.

He'd been accepted in Aunt Nectar's home, and loved. But even that foundation hadn't been enough to protect him from the taunts of the other young Sidhe, over his dark coloring and his complete lack of magical gifts.

As a kid, Drake mostly kept to himself. He occasionally got into scrapes, and he learned to hold his own. He didn't have their magic, but he did have brute strength. Every time he got rough with one of them, there were fewer willing to mess with him later. He learned enough about independence and quick thinking to make a great agent for the Authority Guard when he came of age. Now they paid him to live beyond the veil, taking care of their business as needed. An enchanted pendant gave him defensive power, so magic couldn't hinder or harm him in the course of business. Other than that, he used his muscles. He liked using his muscles, something he felt most Sidhe didn't appreciate enough.

Drake wouldn't have chosen to subject himself to Bertran's presence, not to mention an exchange of words. He had about as little control over that as anything in his life at the moment.

With that thought, he returned to Alise's bedside. Maybe she would wake today, and they could both get back beyond the veil, sooner rather than later.

Thank you for reading! Continue the adventure with _The Risen Goddess_.

# About the Author

J.R. Pearse Nelson is a fantasy and romance writer from Oregon, USA. She lives with her husband and two daughters among the plentiful trees and clouds of the beautiful Willamette Valley. J.R. is always searching for the magic in our world. She weaves tales rooted in mythology, bringing legend to life in modern-day and fantasy settings. J.R. is the author of the _Water Rites_ fantasy series, the _Foulweather Twins_ fantasy series, and the _Of the Blood_ fantasy romance series.

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