Warrior, Forbidden: Book Three of the Comhairle Chronicles

Chapter Two: Not Work For Warriors

“Now, with regard to Raghnall; he fled because we would’ve held him accountable. He no longer serves our order either. As for Kerr, he has been charged with treason, wilful endangerment of children, and conspiracy to abduct. He will face justice. We hold our people accountable when necessary, because we are just people; fallible. That truth doesn’t change the way most of us would live, breath, and die for the warriors at our side, and for all supernaturals.

“Rather than slandering our name for selfish ends, you should consider this truth; deamhain are lending magic to our enemies – and by enemies, I mean enemies of all supernaturals, not just the Comhairle. They are focussed on infiltrating the Council because the Council is the only thing standing between them and you. Do you really want to lose that buffer between the evil that’s out there and your pretty little head? The next time marionettes burst into your parents’ home, or when deamhain crash your upcoming nuptials,  do you really want to fight them off yourself because you couldn’t see that you had better resources available with us than you would do without us?”

Ealasaid’s expression hardened still further, her lip twitching as she supressed the urge to bare fangs. “Your condescension is not welcome here, ghaisgeach. I am more than a ‘pretty little head’. If I wasn’t, you wouldn’t be asking for my help.”

“That wasn’t condescension.” Corvinus shook his head, silver eyes scanning Ealasaid’s face, his tongue touching his lower lip in a way that had Aodh rolling his eyes. “You’re a beautiful woman, Ealasaid of Dubh, and I would rather step between your pretty little head and the monsters who might harm it than leave you to suffer their wrath. I want to protect you, a bhana-mhaighstir, because that is my duty and I’m very, very good at it. That is where my skills lie; defending people with a blade. Your skills lie in defending people in other ways, with words, with evidence, with a mind that clearly far surpasses my own. You need people like me and we need people like you. That’s not meant as disrespectful, it’s just how it is, and a mutually beneficial relationship would serve us all better than this continued animosity.”

Everything about Corvinus’s drawl meant to seduce. The way he focussed on Ealasaid’s face, the way he licked his lip and leaned forward in his seat as though trying to get closer to her. The pheromones bhampairean used to draw in prey flavoured the air around him as though he hungered, ravenous despite keeping himself well fed. The man was a walking temptation and he knew it, even though he insisted on using his skills on people he should avoid; married women, nobles’ daughters, the sons of business moguls who would happily pay to see him and the Comhairle eviscerated by bhampair media.

His ability to control his allure had always surprised Aodh. What most did through instinct when they needed to blood, Corvinus did on demand, attracting the appreciation of men and women alike. Aodh half suspected the ancient roman had something fey in his genetic make up, something that had maybe attracted him to Princess Drùis (Deòthas’s mother) in the first place. If he did have fey ancestry, it had to be generations back, lost amongst his predominantly bhampair heritage, but maybe it was there, underneath it all, telling him to seduce and seduce again in much the same way as the baobhan sìth and leannan sìth had, back before the sealing of the veil.

More surprising than Corvinus being what and who he was, Ealasaid responded, licking her lower lip too. She leaned forward in her seat, in a way that tugged her silk blouse tight against her ample bosom, revealing a hint of cleavage above the buttons. Aodh couldn’t tell if that was done on instinct or by intention; whether the woman reacted to the lure Corvinus cast her way or if she had decided to cast a hook of her own. Either way, nothing good would come of it.

For fuck’s sake. Can’t he behave for one meeting?

Aodh’s mental rebuke went unanswered, and Corvinus touched his tongue to his lip again as his gaze went to Ealasaid’s throat, bhampairean interest clear in his expression.