Darach Read Free Page A

Darach , mating with red … Jeez, was he supposed to bond with me? " Was that what Kian was trying to tell him? God no . T here was no way he was going to bond with another . Kian was his as much as he was Kian ' s. There would be no one else, could be no one else . Regan was confused , and Kian reached up and gripped the back of Regan ' s head with strong hands.
    "No, Hunter." Soft laughter came with the word. "You were always all mine."
    "Good," Regan offered, supporting his weight on his elbows, pressing against Kian's fingers. His own Fire answered Kian's green, fitting and starting in him, sparking behind his eyes. They meshed together so perfectly. He wanted to kiss more, but Kian kept talking.
    "When I left, I had to leave Darach, and it broke my heart to see him standing there, watching me go. He tried to stop me, wanted me to wait for him. But I couldn't."
    "So, why do you think you have the dreams? And what did the seer mean about a fall from grace? The way you say it… I mean, is Darach some kind of angel?" Regan thought it was a fair question, but all Kian did was snort along with his laughter and then shake his head.
    "No, he is no angel. But, if I believe my waking dreams, he is attempting to do something damned stupid. He is searching for the Cariad. If or when he finds them, his fall from grace will be complete. He will be hunted like a thief and a murderer." Kian's tone changed from soft to hard and the sparks from his fingers stung, causing Regan to wince and pull away.
    "What the hell is a Carry-ad?" he asked, shaking his head to dispel the spark that had sizzled painfully against his skin.
    " Sorry, " Kian apologized, with a rueful expression on his face . A fter offering a kiss , he continued . " N ot a Cariad, the Cariad . They are a tribe of people who have a connection to old magik . " Kian stopped and closed his eyes , appearing to recall the rest of his dreams and visions without opening them once. " I see other things — i t ' s a jumble of random nothings that scare me. I can ' t help Darach, or warn him to be careful , to contact the Cariad, but to be discreet, and it terrifies me. And I feel guilty, because I left him behind to cross to this world " He opened his eyes again . C onfusion flickered in their depth s briefly.
    "And he couldn't come with you because he didn't have his Fire yet, I get that."
    "Yes, he wanted to, but the Fire protects you as you pass the veil, a normal person would die instantly, even with infant Fire in them."
    "These Cariad then, if he finds them, will they hurt him?"
    Kian shook his head. "No, it was the Cariad, well, one of them in particular—Ceithin Morgan—who assisted me in crossing to here. He was a good person, they are good people, just misunderstood. They practice old magik, and it goes against everything the twelve Primary Edicts of the Council. They have no home as such, and are a wandering tribe. What's the word you use?"
    "Gypsies? Travelers? Nomads?"
    "The same. When I was a child, my mom would tell me stories of the Cariad and what she called 'their wicked ways'. It was always whispered as bedtime stories, you never mentioned the Cariad outside of the home. When I grew, I learned there was a lot I didn't understand about the old magik. Stories are just that, and I don't believe them to be all true. But the Cariad are traditionally outcasts from what is perceived to be normal society, and for Darach to be involved with them is bad. He's a reckless idiot and he isn't as strong as I am, and it scares me."
    "Why would it scare you? If you went to them for help, why can't Darach?"
    "It isn't that he is in danger if he goes there. I spent time with them and the Cariad are a peaceful tribe. Others don't know that. They just accept what they are told and blame the Cariad for everything that goes wrong in my world. What people think, what the Council thinks about his actions… That is what worries me. If anyone knows he is associated with the outcasts, he