Gryffynhall (the Danu Cycle: Fiann Trilogy Book 1)

Chapter Thirty-Four

She had kissed him. Shekissed him. He would admit that the way he touched her hip and the involuntary breath of her name had possibly had something to do with it, but she kissed him. It seemed almost poetic then, that he had seen Elfhaven rise up behind her like some shining backdrop, marking her as a figure from legend.

As he watched her face, he found delight in sharing the moment with her. Gryffynhall may have been his home now, but seeing Elfhaven this way would always be a homecoming of sorts. The city was beautiful. She was beautiful.

She stumbled slightly as she walked to the front of the carriage, he put a hand around her waist to steady her. He did not remove it as they watched the city and she did not seem to think he should. He tried to ignore the feeling of her closeness; it was like he knew where she was even without touching her. It sent a humming through him which he tried to ignore. He also tried to ignore the niggling feeling in the pit of his stomach, pushing away even any suspicions he had as to what might be causing it.

As the sun began to set, Eamon pulled himself from his musings and stepped away from her.

"We should probably head downstairs. O'Neill may come looking for you."

He saw a flash of something cross her face. She turned to him, her eyes narrowed as though she was looking for something. He slammed his mask into place, indifferent – because, that is all I feel, he told himself.

"I should change before dinner anyway," she finally said.

"What will you wear tonight?" he asked, smirking.

She sighed and he almost regretted acting in a way he knew would stop her smiling. "You'll see it in about half an hour, I'm sure you can wait and make some inappropriate comment then."

"You take all the fun out of life, O'Callaghan." He knew if he said her name aloud again, she would hear something in his voice no matter how far away he pushed it.

"Well, I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience," she snapped.

He chuckled. "You are never an inconvenience."

She muttered something he did not quite hear and he smiled.

He was changed and sitting at the dinner table when she walked in. At the sight of her, he had a lot of very uncomfortable and not dinner-appropriate feelings rush through him. She wore a pale copper, skin tight, satin gown that was done up around her neck and fell to the floor. She stared at him as she entered and he knew she was daring him to say something. He would have, if Conor had not thrown him a blaring beacon of a warning look.

He saw the love and affection on Dunne's face as he watched her enter; Eamon had given that look to Mavelle a thousand times, it screamed brotherly protectiveness. There was something almost feral in O'Neill's eyes, though, and Eamon was, for once, more startled than he was amused by the boy. As Niamh turned to look at O'Neill, though, the look was gone, and Eamon almost wondered if he had imagined it.

Eamon was concerned about that niggling feeling in his stomach, so he did his best to bury it and spent the rest of the journey to Elfhaven doing his best to avoid touching Niamh. He was still flirtatious and jovial – he could not have any one worry there was something wrong with him – but, they stuck to sword fights and archery where he tried very hard not to even touch her elbow.

Conor, though, started to look at him strangely and there was a gleam to Nessa's eyes that he did not like. No one said anything to him. However, he would be mighty glad when they were back at court and he could find himself a willing bed mate.

I wonder which ladies will be at court this time? he wondered. He resisted the urge to turn Niamh's hip slightly in training, deciding that for one day her stance did not have to be perfect.

He was more relieved than he cared admit when they finally arrived and he could enjoy as much fighting, fornication and festivities as he wanted.