Four

The attraction Rohrke felt for the beautiful stranger was entirely compelling. And completely unwelcome. He needed all his wits when he faced Maitias Mac Murchada and his daughter, Sláine, for he needed to negotiate the best possible terms for their alliance.

And the marriage.

Rohrke did not wish to see Sláine now. If circumstances were different, he would never consider marrying the lass, not when he’d felt such a sudden and intense desire for Ana Mac Lochlainn. He’d never reacted so strongly to a woman before, his body sensing her presence without even seeing her, touching her.

He’d left her as quickly as possible, before his body could betray him and cause irreparable damage to his alliance with Mac Murchada. He needed a few moments alone to prepare himself to meet the old King and settle the marriage pact.

A prickle of awareness crept up his spine, a feeling that nearly stopped him from his purpose. ’Twas Ana right behind him — he could feel her without even seeing or hearing her.

Rohrke stopped at the door to his great hall, then turned to face her.

She stood a few paces away, her bearing as regal as a queen’s. Her skin seemed to shimmer in the firelight, and Rohrke took a step towards her. He could not keep himself from touching her.

Ana held her ground, but he saw her throat move as she swallowed tightly. She was no more anxious to be swept up in this untimely attraction than he was, but it was a force they seemed unable to control. «My lord, I must speak to you.»

«Aye,» he said, but in truth, he was in no mood for talk. He reached for her, touching her arm. When she placed her hand on his, he felt her tremble. «Come with me.»

Rohrke led her to an isolated passageway inside, and settled her back against a cold stone wall. He touched her cheek then cupped her jaw with his hand. «You have not said who you are.»

«But I have,» she whispered, and he saw his own longing mirrored in her eyes. «I am Ana»—

He dipped his head and brushed her lips with his mouth. She clasped both his arms tightly and he felt her entire body shudder. By the goddess, he wanted her.

«Aye. Ana Mac Lochlainn.» He withdrew slightly. «Why have you come now, lass, when disaster looms about us in every direction?»

She pushed away from him and clasped her hands together. «I know something of your difficulties. I. I believe I can help.»

«How?» he asked. She might be small and feminine, but he sensed a deep strength within her. Perhaps she could help him avert war.

«I can say naught of my abilities, my lord. You will have to trust me.»

«Trust you?» Oddly enough, he did.

«Aye.»

«What do you need from me?»

«I need to look round Ballygur. And it would help if your people spoke freely to me, put their trust in me.»

Rohrke scrubbed a hand across his face. «There has been a great deal of mistrust and antagonism among my people in recent days. ’Tis as though we’ve all been sleeping in beds of stinging nettles.»

«’Tis because there are forces that»—

«Now you sound like Sedric. I’ve only one enemy, and his name is Teague Ó Fionn.»

Five

The tingling frustration Ana had felt a moment before increased a hundredfold. Her body felt strange — hot and far more aware than ever before. And it wasn’t entirely due to the presence of ollphéists near Ballygur. Rohrke unnerved her. «No. You cannot possibly understand all that threatens you.»

She needed to get out and about among the people, and see if she could sense the demons were surely roaming among them. And she needed to put some distance between herself and King Rohrke. It would not do to fall under a sensual enchantment with him.

Ana reminded herself that she had the ability to resist him. To resist any man. She might be young, but she had become a powerful sorceress, tested by one of the most dangerous sorcerers the Druzai had ever encountered. And she was prepared to become her clan’s Oracle, interpreting signs and divining events that would come to pass.

«Are you Druid?» Rohrke asked.

Ana inclined her head slightly. «Of a sort.»

«You are a seer.»

She nodded, unable to lie. «Aye.»

«Where do we need to go? I’ll come with you,» he said.

«No!» Ana gasped, in spite of her desire to remain composed. She was having difficulty keeping her gaze from those chiselled lips that had barely touched hers. She hadn’t known how soft and warm a man’s mouth could be. Or the amazing sensations a mere kiss could cause.

Rohrke came very close, but did not touch her. «I will be coming with you, Lady Ana. These are my people, and I’ll have no strange Druid walking among them.»

«Suit yourself, my lord.»

«As I am wont to do.»

It was warm, so Ana removed her cloak and handed it to Rohrke. He tossed it over a railing and came alongside her. «Where will you go first?»

She was unsure. «I came because I saw. I’m not sure where to start. There is an evil presence that I hope I’ll be able to sense as I walk through Ballygur. If I can determine how they’re coming in.»

She hoped the ollphéists’ entry point would be obvious once she stood close to it. The portal would likely be on the perimeter of the village, or in the very heart of it.

«We’ll start here,» she said, leading Rohrke from the great hall out to the standing stones that circled the central point of the village. Torches burned at the top of each stone, and a circular, cobbled pavement rounded the very centre in an elaborate pattern that reminded her of the beautiful stone mosaics at home.

It looked like the perfect place for a portal, but when Ana reached it, closing her eyes and touching the stones, there was no sense of any malignant beings. In fact, her sensations in the circle felt surprisingly familiar. She opened her eyes to see Rohrke gazing at her intently.

Ana swallowed and stepped away. His presence was distracting. And now the villagers had taken notice of her, and were starting to follow her movements. They did not look happy or content, and she could feel the ollphéists’ influence among them.

The underlying hostility was disturbing, though it wasn’t overpowering. Still, Ana could not let any of them distract her from her task. Ignoring their dark whispers, she walked the perimeter of the village opening her senses and her sight for anything that was out of the ordinary.

Her concentration was fierce, and she nearly stumbled once, but Rohrke caught her before she fell. She suppressed her immediate reaction to his touch and resumed her search for the portal. She examined every crevice and cranny in Ballygur’s walls, as well as the wells and every other uneven lump in the ground. And still, she found naught.

«I need a quiet place to. to think,» she said, noticing for the first time that the entire village had gathered and were following her, whispering quietly among themselves.

Rohrke took her arm and started back towards the keep, but Ana stopped abruptly. «What are they saying? They think I’m»—

«Áine? Yes. They believe you’re the sun goddess.»

Ana clenched her teeth and proceeded to the keep. She would have to disabuse them of such an outrageous misconception. «’Tis not true, you know. I am merely Ana Mac Lochlainn, and I»—

«Merely?» Rohrke said, his voice low. He took her arm again. «I would hardly use such a dismissive word when speaking of you, Lady Ana.»

His words excited her in a strange way. It was a compliment unlike any she’d ever received before. Her cousins called her a brilliant sorceress. Her teachers said she was a gifted seer. Compliments had always been about her talents. Never about her.

Ana looked at him surreptitiously, and a purely feminine thrill went through her at the sight of the strong line of his jaw and his straight, narrow nose. His long, thick lashes caused a river of intense heat to shoot through her bones. Her palms started to sweat.

«I. I should be alone for this.»

«Not a chance,» he said. «But I won’t intrude on your peace.»

Ana sincerely doubted that was possible, but she went along with him to the keep, glancing behind her as the villagers dispersed. Rohrke led her into the stone fortress, up a staircase and onto the second level. They went into a spacious bedchamber with windows overlooking the standing stones in the centre of the village. ’Twas a warm night, so the hearth was cold, but small torches burned in sconces on each wall. Ana felt comfortable, in spite of the large bed that dominated the room, with a pure white linen sheet covering it.

Rohrke gestured towards it. «You are likely tired after your travels and all your searching. Please make use of my bed.»

«Where will you be?» she asked.

He sat down in a large, stuffed chair. «Here. ’Tis quite comfortable, I assure you.»

«I was not particularly concerned with your comfort, my lord, but my own privacy.»

Six

By the goddess, she was beautiful — lush and golden. Rohrke could almost believe she was Áine, come down to see what was amiss in the world.

If only it were true. He would have no qualms about bedding Ana Mac Lochlainn. He did not know where Sláine and her father were, but they would surely not be pleased at the attention he was paying to Ana. Not when they expected him to make Sláine his wife.

He shook off his cheerless thoughts of them and watched Ana remove her shoes and lie down.

Her feet were small and delicate, reaching nowhere near the end of the bed. Rohrke could easily imagine sliding one of his own feet between hers as he pressed her into the soft mattress. He’d barely touched her lips with his, and he wanted more. Wanted to know her taste and the feel of her naked skin sliding against his.

She closed her eyes and expelled a long breath. She seemed completely relaxed, with her hands extended at her sides, her palms up. Her gown was soft and the colour of butter, or perhaps sunshine. And it lay perfectly arranged about her. There was nothing about her dress or her bearing that should arouse him, and yet.

He rubbed a hand across his face and closed his eyes. It was not wise to allow himself to think such suggestive thoughts about Lady Ana, a stranger whose purpose he did not really understand. Perhaps he should give further thought to what she and Sedric had said. That there was evil about.

He did not know what it could be. Or how it could such infuse him — and Teague — with such animosity towards each other. Nor could he understand what its purpose would be.

He stood and looked down at Ana, who lay perfectly still, hardly breathing. There seemed to be no colour in her lips or her cheeks, but her knew naught was wrong with her. Soothsayers had their own ways, ones he was not privy to.

Rohrke went to the window and looked down at the standing stones in the circle. Geileis was there, standing just outside its centre. waiting, it seemed. He scratched his head. Hadn’t he seen her do this before? His memory was cloudy, as was his recollection of the time they’d spent together that afternoon. Or any other time. It was not like him to be so vague.

He derived no satisfaction from Geileis’ company and, in fact, wondered why he did not know where she and her servant had come from. He could not quite remember how she’d arrived, either. on foot or horseback?

Ana was in her seer’s trance. Rohrke was reluctant to leave her, but he was not a man to hover. He left her to her deep contemplations, and departed the room in search of Geileis. He hurried down to the village circle, determined to ask the woman some questions and gain some answers this time.

But when he arrived at the centre of the village, Geileis was not there. Rohrke glanced around and caught sight of some movement near the gate. Staying in the shadows, he hurried in the same direction, certain it must be the dark-haired woman and her servant.

He could not imagine where they were going so late at night, unless their purpose was illicit. They carried no torches, and managed to slip past the guards that had been posted at the gate.

With that troubling sign, Rohrke realized that Sedric and Ana had been correct. Something evil was present at Ballygur, and now he knew what it was — Geileis. She’d used some kind of magic on him, duped him and dulled his senses when he was near her.

He would not allow it to happen again.