Storm Warrior

to fill just thinking about it. “I’d love to borrow your van, thanks. You’re a lifesaver, Starr.”

Grateful for the chance to escape before Mr. Celtic Warrior showed up, she hurried into the elevator with the keys in her hand, trying to remember the location of the van in the neighboring parking garage. Third floor, west wall, seventh or eighth stall. Third floor, west wall, seventh…

The door slid open to reveal the hospital lobby. Morgan’s getaway was going really well—until she all but crashed into the solid wall that was Rhys. He grabbed her shoulders to steady her but ended up hugging her to him. Part of her wanted to stay in that embrace, take comfort in his strength—but most of her just wanted to punch him. Her anger won and she pushed at him.

He released her reluctantly. “How is Leo?” he asked, as Jay came jogging up behind him.

“Stable so far, no thanks to you,” she said. “I don’t know where the hell you took off to, but I could have used some help with him. I needed you; he needed you.”

“I was helping him.”

“By running in the other direction? What the hell were you afraid of?” Morgan knew she’d hit a nerve then. Rhys’s face darkened, and his golden eyes fairly sparked with temper. In her peripheral vision, Jay was giving her some sort of sign language, but her attention was firmly fastened on the big man in front of her. She’d tried to avoid him, tried to just go home and relax for a while before tackling the issue, but maybe a head-to-head confrontation now was just what was needed—

“I fear nothing, except that I cannot persuade you to listen.”

“Listen to what? All I’ve heard so far is this warrior crap and how you’re older than a hundred human lifetimes.”

With uncanny speed, he snared her hand and held it against his chest. “You hear nothing else? My heart reaches for yours as do my arms. You hear not how I feel? What I would gladly do for you, give to you?” His gaze was fierce. “My desires are to you, my every thought flies to you. I see in your eyes that you feel the same. And yet you are determined to hold yourself apart from me.”

“Well, excuse me. I can’t just say, ‘Oh, well, he’s crazy but he loves me so that makes everything all right.’ What planet are you from?—” Morgan put her free hand to her head. “Don’t answer that, please. I can only handle one wild story at a time.”

“You’re the most kindhearted woman I’ve ever seen draw breath. And yet your heart is closed and locked.”

She yanked her hand out of his grip. “Like hell it is! I wouldn’t be suffering like this if it was, because you wouldn’t have gotten into it.” That was a lot more than she planned to say, but maybe he damn well ought to know that she was in a world of pain.

Rhys was silent for a long moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was gentler. “Aye, well, you’ve let me into your heart then, but not the truth that comes with me.”

“So it’s a package deal, you and your insanity?”

“Nothing can be built without truth.”

“And so far, you and I can’t agree on what that is,” she said, folding her arms tightly over her chest. “You don’t understand what this is like for me. It’s as if I’m under some kind of stupid curse that nothing I love will stay in my life. I loved my parents and they vanished. I was close to Nainie and she died. I thought I’d made a dear friend with Gwen in Wales, but I’ve never heard from her since. I loved my big, beautiful dog and then he disappeared. Then I developed feelings for you, but you keep leaving as well.”

“I’m here, right before you.”

“No. No, you’re not. Oh, sure, you’re here physically, but every time we get close, you leave reality. What am I supposed to do with that?”

“Have faith in me. Have faith in us.”

She had no answer to that, no comeback, no question. Something about the way he’d said it had resonated in her. And for no reason, Nainie’s words about the necklace echoed in her head. It’ll help you to have faith…

What exactly did it mean to have faith in someone? Surely it didn’t mean to believe the unbelievable? Damn it, she wasn’t falling for this crap. “You say you’ll do anything for me? Fine. See a doctor. Get help. Better yet, get some medication and some therapy. Because until you do, I want you to stay as far away from me as possible. We have nothing to say to each other.”

Rhys shook his head. “Nay, we have much to say to each other yet, anwylyd. But we’ve no time right now. Leo needs me.” He entered the elevator and Jay followed. The last thing she saw as the doors slid shut was the expression on Jay’s face.

If she didn’t know better, she’d say he felt sorry for her. Well, that’s what I get for arguing in front of friends. Still, it stung a bit to see her friend apparently on Rhys’s side.

“Men,” she muttered as she marched out to the parking lot. The sun had set, but there were still streamers of orange and purple in the sky. She didn’t relish the thought of going home to an empty house. What she really wanted was someone to talk to—and she knew where to find the perfect listener.

Even if he was male.

As Ranyon sat on the bed next to his pillow, Leo’s eyes fluttered open. “Hey, buddy,” he whispered and held up a shaky hand, which the ellyll immediately wrapped his twiggy fingers around.

“Sorry I am to wake you, but these fellows brought you something that might put some spring back in your step,” Ranyon said.

“You brought me a naked woman?”

Rhys grinned, hiding his concern at the weakness of Leo’s voice and the pallor of his skin. “We’ll bring one for you next time. Right now you need your strength, and I’m hoping this will help.” He pulled a wadded sock from his pocket and dumped out a palm-size stone on the bed.

The old man glanced down. “I’m not swallowing that,” he rasped. “Not even for two naked gals.”

Just then, Jay slipped inside the door. “Starr’s in the hall. Is it okay to let her in, or shall I go wait with her?”

Rhys exchanged glances with Ranyon, who nodded. “We may need all of our allies. Aye, bring her in.”

“No screaming,” said Ranyon quickly. “I can’t abide a woman’s screams. Like cat’s claws on slate, it is.”

To her credit, Starr didn’t make a sound when Jay first ushered her in. She simply stared at the tiny man sitting by Leo’s pillow, her eyes wide and wondering. Jay squeezed her shoulder and she seemed to pull herself together. As her husband had done, she extended her hand to the ellyll. “I’m very pleased to meet you, Mr. Ranyon. My name is Starr.”

“And surely yer a light in the darkness,” said the ellyll, inclining his head, and she laughed.

“No one warned me you were charming.”

“No one suspected,” muttered Leo.

Jay leaned over the smooth, dark stone gleaming against the stark white sheets. “What is this? It almost looks like a pearl.” Despite his fascination, he didn’t make any move to touch it. “Kinda looks like a crystal too— never seen anything quite like it.”

“There’s nothing in my collection that resembles it,” said Starr. She seemed about to say something else but fell silent.

“It’s from the skull of a bwgan I killed. It grows in its forehead.” Rhys touched a spot on his own to indicate the spot.

Jay pulled back. “What the hell is a boogun?”

“It’s a monstrous fae creature that’s fond of human flesh.”

Leo snorted. “And you put that nasty thing on my bed?” he rasped.

“Is it magic?” asked Starr.

“Well, not to the creature that grows it during its life—a bwgan has too little of brain and too big of teeth to need magic for anything,” explained Rhys. “But legend says when the creature dies, all its fae essence goes into its stone. That’s why druids and magi prized these.”