Gryffynhall (the Danu Cycle: Fiann Trilogy Book 1)

Chapter Thirty

Travelling with Prince Donagh and the smug-faced Eamon was a combination of an awkward experience and a wonderful experience for Niamh. During the day, they had a lot of options available to them for activities. Sometimes they sat around and read or talked, other times they cleared the furniture away and trained.

Unlike Prince Donagh, Eamon was the head of his own fiann. He trained with them, like he was one of them. He had an unnerving habit of staring at Niamh while she trained, and she felt like he paid her too much attention at every other opportunity. But, much to her frustration, she found it hard not to smile back at him sometimes.

Killian had been selected as fiann leader potential and spent a lot of the days with Pearse and Conor, at the other end of the carriage. Often he would be busy long before she got up and not finished until well after dinner, the rest of them eating at a smaller table in the front section. Niamh didn't know how the stags continued to pull their carriages along, but they rarely stopped.

They'd been travelling now for about two weeks and Niamh was beginning to feel cooped up.

One afternoon, feeling ecstatic that there were stopping at an inn for the night, she came down stairs to find only Eamon in the front of the carriage; the back was sealed off, meaning Killian was training with Pearse and Conor. Eamon sat, reading a book.

The sun glinted off his light brown hair, the tinge of metallic ash flickering. It was longer than Killian's, covering the tips of his pointed ears so that you could almost mistake him for human. Almost; no human could ever be that perfect. He had a smirk on his face, as though he knew perfectly well she was there but wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of speaking to her. It was shame really, that such a beautiful face only ever looked sarcastic and suggestive.  And it annoyed her that she thought of him that way.

Even though she knew he knew she was standing there, she couldn't help but just take a moment longer to look at him and determine what exactly it was that women seemed to go mad over. She hadn't seen it first hand, but Myrna had told her enough and she'd watched him enough that she knew every word was true.

He was traditionally handsome, everything you expected from an elven prince; tall, slim but muscular, square shoulders, defined cheekbones, clean shaven, flawless skin, hair that seemed to shine on its own, dark violet eyes that sparkled with mischief. She supposed that most women didn't care that beneath the mischievous glint, his eyes were inscrutable, that as soon as he'd secure their hand for a dance, he was already scouring the crowd for the next one, that he had a knack for making you feel like the only girl in the room when he was actually looking at the girl over your shoulder. Again, she hadn't seen it, but she'd seen enough movies to know his kind.

She was glad she'd seen right through him the moment they met. Though, since she'd punched him, he seemed to consider it a game now. He'd flirt with her, while making sure she knew he wasn't actually trying to seduce her. It was almost like he relished the fact she turned him down and she expected that, if she were to change her tune, he'd be disappointed in her.

As she watched him, his smile widened, becoming somewhat more sincere though no less arrogant. She knew, even if no one else found out, she'd watched him long enough. At his smile, she dampened the slight murmur of fluttering in her stomach, disgusted with herself.

"You will get a better view if you sit by me," he said, not taking his eyes from the page, but patting the seat next to his leg. His implication was all too clear.

She huffed. "I'll respectfully decline."

"No one need know." He looked up long enough to wink at her slowly then returned to his book.

With no one else around to temper her and feeling disgusted at the rising fluttering in her stomach, she lost it. "You must be pleased we're stopping tonight. You might find someone to fall for your charms!"