The Forgotten Ones

shock.
    “She’s seen enough ,” Aodhan said from his place under the tree.
    Saoirse raised her hands, and the mist reappeared. When she folded them back in her lap, we were once again looking at the clear pool.
    I shook my head. “What was that?”
    “That was Aoife’s home. It appears that Breanh has provided himself with a new bargaining chip. Since your mother disappeared, he must be holding Ethan in exchange for Aoife.”
    “But, I can’t give him Aoife. I don’t even know where she is.”
    “No, it is for the best if she remains in the fey globe for now,” Saoirse agreed.
    “Who were they? And why were they doing that to him?” I asked. Despite the erotic way they touched him, there was something twisted and wrong in their eyes. Hot anger—and a bit of jealousy—shot through me. If they hurt him…
    Saoirse closed her eyes and sat still and silent. When she reopened them, she looked into my eyes. “You must go to Breanh. You are the one who must save Ethan.”
    I looked up at Aodhan who remained impassive. My heart was forming ice crystals as I tried to understand what all of this meant. “Has what I saw already happened?”
    Saoirse shook her head. “No, there is still time. But if this plays out, Ethan will become enthralled to whoever he is intimate with.”
    I ground my teeth together, trying to keep the anger at bay.
    “Don’t tell me you’re having a party without me?” an unfamiliar voice said from the path.
    I looked over my shoulder to see a man walking toward us. He smiled as he approached Saoirse. Like all of the Danaans, he was stunning. His hair was glossy black, his jawline pale and chiseled. When he smiled, it was smooth and rich, like butter on freshly baked bread.
    “Deaghlan, this is Allison,” Saoirse said, her lips forming an enigmatic smile.
    When I met his curious blue lapis eyes, longing coursed through my veins. Somewhere deep in my mind I knew that looking into someone’s eyes shouldn’t cause me to come undone like this, but my body wasn’t listening to the tiny voice in my mind. When he reached for my hand, I only stared at it for a minute before realizing I was supposed to give it to him. When he grinned at me, it was like he had a secret and he liked it that way.
    “Surely she isn’t just a human,” Deaghlan said.
    Saoirse smiled. “You sense the mark of our people on her, too?”
    Deaghlan waved his hands dismissively, but didn’t take his eyes off me. Something in the way he had scoffed at my being “just a human” caused the fog in my head to clear.
    “As much as I enjoy being the topic of this discussion, I need to go to find Ethan.”
    Then I noticed the way Aodhan stood, so rigid with tension he might snap. “Right. We appreciate your help, Saoirse, and we’ll return this way when our business is through.”
    “Aodhan! I didn’t see you there,” Deaghlan exclaimed. “Don’t leave on my account. I meant no offense to the girl.”
    Aodhan’s calm facade stayed firmly in place. “Of course not. But Allison and I really must be going.”
    Aodhan walked down the little hill and grabbed my elbow, a bit forcefully.
    “Surely you aren’t leaving before the night rains? I insist you join us for food and drink and wait to leave until the first light of day,” Deaghlan said. He smirked as he looked at Aodhan, but his tone was commanding.
    I opened my mouth to argue, but the look on Aodhan’s face made me shut it immediately. His expression said no one argued with the king of Tír na n’Óg.

I couldn’t decide what the texture was like, exactly. It felt smooth, like silk, but it was soft and comfortable like cotton. The way it hugged my skin was something like spandex, but it was flattering in a way that spandex could never be. The dress fit me so perfectly, like it had been made just for me. The color was a glacier blue, precisely the same shade as my eyes.
    I shook my head, trying to get my thoughts to refocus. For the moment, my parents were safe. My mother had not returned from her reunion with Liam. I desperately wanted to know how he was, but no one would tell me anything.
    “He’s like a wolf,” Aodhan muttered from where he sat at my side. His gaze flickered around the gathering room, constantly vigilant.
    “Hmm?” I asked, wondering if he was even speaking to me.
    “At one point, I worshiped Deaghlan. He seemed so strong when I first met him.”
    I followed his gaze to where Deaghlan stood among a group of other