For the Love of a Goblin Warrior (Shadowlands) (23 page)

He smiled to himself. While Dai and Roan hadn’t told him everything that had happened over two thousand years—that would take a very long time—he’d got the short version with just the highlights and lowlights, including the death of the druid that had cursed them and how Dai had met his partner Amanda.

“How is the house?” Roan asked.

“Good.” It was; he liked it very much. It was also reassuring to know that Dai lived somewhere else—Roan didn’t expect them to all live together. Meryn glanced at Dai. There was one thing that still puzzled him about the house. It had been filled with everything he might need and more clothing than he could wear in a month if he wore something new every day. “Why were there no shoes?”

“I didn’t know your size. I thought about putting some in there but in the end I figured one of us would take you shoe shopping. Probably not Roan, as he thinks all clothing can be bought at the army surplus store.”

“I like boots that are comfortable and that don’t fall apart. Besides, Meryn has shoes.” Roan pointed at the black-and-white checked shoes.

Dai sat up and peered at Meryn’s feet. “You do.”

“I took myself shopping.” Both of his cousins looked a little shocked. Meryn bit back the smile. “I’m managing fine.”

“I can see that.” Roan propped himself up and finished the last of his beer. “Another round?”

Meryn was tempted to say yes, simply because he was actually enjoying himself. But he didn’t want a hangover tomorrow when he was accompanying Nadine to her friend’s wedding. He pushed himself up. He was cold from lying still, but it was still warmer than the Shadowlands. “Not for me.”

“Somewhere to be?” Roan asked, dusting grass off himself.

“Someone to see,” Dai corrected.

Was he that transparent? Did it matter if they knew? “I have met someone. We see each other when she runs at the park.”

“Ah, and you don’t want to sleep late and miss her.” Roan smiled.

“No, tomorrow her friend weds and she asked me to go with her.”

Roan raised his eyebrows and even Dai looked surprised. Had they really expected him to be more dependent?

Dai looked at Meryn’s feet again. “Well, there are suits in the closet, but you can’t wear those shoes to a wedding.”

“What shoes am I supposed to wear?” Would he have time to buy a new pair in the morning?

“Shoes that match a suit. Black, uncomfortable, with no grip on the sole,” Roan said.

“Then why do people wear them if they are so impractical?” He’d seen men in the pointed toes shoes, and women in the spiked heels. Would Nadine be wearing shoes like that? He tried to imagine her dressed in something other than her running clothes and failed. He liked the close fit of her running clothes, the way they gave a suggestion of what was beneath without revealing anything.

“Because they look good. I think you’re about my size.” Roan looked at Dai. “Grab the ones I wore to get married in.”

Dai closed his eyes. “Got them.” A moment later they were sitting on the grass in front of his cousin. Dai shook his head as if trying to clear it. “No more beer, or no more magic tonight. The two still don’t go well together.”

“I can drive Meryn home.” Roan stood and offered Meryn his hand. This time Meryn took it without hesitation.

He’d only been in a car when the police had arrested him, and he’d been too confused to enjoy it. He opened his mouth to speak but Dai mouthed
no
.

“It’s okay. I have to get home too. I’ll just have a couple of painkillers, a bit more to eat, and I’ll be fine.” Dai gathered up the beer bottles by hand.

Meryn picked up the food tray and they walked into the house. There was a light on, but the rest of the house was silent. No doubt Eliza had given up waiting for Roan and gone to bed. In the kitchen they packed away. For a moment there was a silence. Not uncomfortable, but a pause as if no one really wanted the night to end even though it must.

Roan clasped Meryn’s free hand. “You are always welcome here.”

“Thank you, for everything. I’m glad I came. I’d forgotten how good it could be to do nothing but talk.” For a change, they hadn’t discussed ways to kill the General and get the Romans off their land.

“Missing the old days?” Roan raised an eyebrow.

The people but not the life. He’d known it was precarious while living it, yet looking back he saw that they’d been clinging on with fingernails that were breaking from the strain. “No.” And he meant it. “Another time.”

“Don’t wait another two thousand years.” Roan released Meryn and nodded to Dai.

Dai took his arm and in a blink they were standing back in Meryn’s house, the lurching sensation of his stomach was the only sign they’d moved. A few more drinks and maybe he could’ve convinced himself he’d imagined the whole thing, except that he was holding a pair of borrowed shoes.

His cousin didn’t release him straight away. “Going to a wedding with a woman you hardly know…are you rushing into things? After what happened…?”

He probably was, but it felt good to be alive and he wanted everything that entailed. “I know enough about her.”

“And what does she know of you?”

“Nothing, except the loss of my family.” Did he tell Dai Nadine already knew about goblins? “You know our story survived as a children’s tale?”

The corner of Dai’s lips turned up at the side. “Yeah, I had something to do that. People were forgetting about goblins, so I wrote a few pieces, both fact and fable.”

“You didn’t want us to be forgotten.”

“I wanted to warn people that the danger was there even if they didn’t remember. Goblins still ride at winter solstice, stealing gold and women. These days, people forget to leave a token piece of something gold and they forget to stay indoors. The damage they blame on storms or vandals.”

“I can barely separate one wild ride from another. They blur.”

Dai shrugged. “I’ve forgotten more than I can remember. The human brain wasn’t made to hold so many memories.”

“Best to make new ones then.” And push out every memory he’d made as a goblin.

“Yeah. Good luck tomorrow.”

“Why would I need luck?” He’d be accompanying Nadine. It wouldn’t be difficult. Yet his stomach still bounced and he couldn’t blame either the alcohol or the magic. He’d be meeting some of her friends, and they’d be looking at him to see if he was worthy of Nadine. Once, that would never have been an issue. He was cousin to the king and had rank of his own. Now? What Nadine saw was what she got.

“Women, weddings.” Dai was smiling as if remembering. “I’d best be getting home. Amanda is staying over and she’ll be waiting.”

“Thank you for coming, for everything.”

“Just call.” Then Dai’s eyes shimmered like sunlight on water and he was gone.

Meryn dropped the shoes on the floor. His house was empty and dark. He wished he wasn’t going to bed alone.

Chapter 15

This was a fancy wedding on a shoestring budget. Neither Gina nor Bryce had wanted to spend thousands for the wedding when they wanted to buy a house. Nadine straightened Gina’s dress and gave her a thumbs-up. Gina smiled but she was starting to look a little nervous. Her eyes were a little too wide and her smile too bright.

“You’ll be fine.” Nadine gave Gina’s hand a squeeze.

Her friend nodded. “I didn’t think I’d get the jitters. I mean we’ve been together for years. Nothing is changing except a piece of paper.”

“But you have to get up in front of all your friends and admit that you love him.” The idea of making such a public declaration made Nadine’s stomach tremble.

“Not helping.” Gina checked her nail polish again. It wasn’t damaged, as Nadine had opened every door and done anything that might chip a nail since putting on the final coat this morning. In a day it would be off, as Gina went back to work. “Is your man here yet?”

Nadine tried to give a casual shrug. “I haven’t had a chance to look.”

“Send my sister to me. You go find your guy…and make sure you introduce me after.”

“You sure?”

“Tell her to bring Dad. No doubt he’s talking Bryce’s ear off and I want to get this done so I can enjoy the rest of the day.” Gina smiled. “Thank you, I couldn’t have got here without you.”

A lump formed in Nadine’s throat. It hadn’t always been easy for Gina while Bryce was away, but Nadine didn’t think she’d done anything special by being there. Gina would’ve done the same for her. “You’d have been fine. You’re meant to be together.”

“You’ll have to fight my sister for the bouquet.”

Nadine laughed. She wasn’t even going to try. “I’ll get her. Be patient.”

With that she walked out of the catering tent where Gina was waiting as the staff set up the canapés and nibbles for afterward. About fifty people were gathered, talking in clusters. Her stomach tightened and her heart beat a little faster, but she refused to search for Meryn until she’d completed Gina’s requests. Spotting Gina’s sister and cousin was easy—like Nadine, they were both in pink, mid-calf dresses. She sent them to Gina, then set about separating Gina’s dad from Bryce.

Bryce looked uncomfortable in his suit, even though he was smiling and talking like nothing was wrong. Why did people put themselves through this?

Only after she sent Gina’s father to her did she allow herself to scan the crowd for Meryn. Her heart was like a butterfly beating its wings to escape. Maybe she should’ve looked for him first. But she doubted seeing him would have calmed her nerves—and she couldn’t blame all of them on the wedding.

She was going to have to introduce him to her friends. How would they judge him? And they would. They’d try to work out what he saw in her, what she saw in him. They’d want to know what he did and what he’d done. What was she going to say? What was he going to say?

This was a bad idea. She shouldn’t have invited him. It was too soon.

Then she saw him walking across the lawn in a charcoal suit and white shirt open at the neck. She was pretty sure her heart stopped. He was flat out the most handsome man there. Where Bryce and his army mates looked like they wanted to get out of their suits as fast as possible, Meryn looked comfortable, almost relaxed. While he hadn’t shaved, his beard was little more than stubble. His hair was combed back but curled against the collar of the suit jacket.

No one would think he worked in an office; he didn’t have that look about him. Nadine took a few steps toward him and noticed other people were watching. They didn’t know him, but they had realized she did and that was enough to spark some interest. She smiled and ignored them all. Let them wonder for a few more minutes.

Meryn’s gaze flicked across the gathering before landing on her. He grinned, the dimple forming. Then he covered the last few steps took her hands and kissed her cheek before she had time to react. It seemed so normal; he was doing everything a boyfriend should. She breathed a little easier. What had she been worried about?

He kept hold of her hands, his fingers around hers. “You look very beautiful.”

She blushed and tried to brush away the compliment. “It’s the first time you’ve seen me in a dress.”

He glanced down her body, obviously and admiringly. “It is.” He looked back at her face. “But that doesn’t change your eyes or your lips or the way you smiled when you saw me.”

His gaze darted over her shoulder and she turned; Bryce was walking toward them. Oh, bugger. She was hoping there’d be no grilling until after the wedding. Keeping hold of Meryn’s hand, she turned to face Bryce. Meryn’s fingers laced with hers.

“Meryn, this is Bryce, the groom. Bryce, this is…” She glanced at Meryn. Was he her boyfriend? Maybe. If she said it, would he run? Probably not. “My boyfriend Meryn.”

Her boyfriend. Meryn knew enough about the world to know what that meant and he liked the idea of being her partner…something less formal than marriage, but more weighted than friend. It also meant Nadine wasn’t seeing another man.

Bryce put out his hand. “Please to meet you. Nadine has told us very little.”

Meryn shook Bryce’s hand. “Not much to tell.” Meryn smiled; there wasn’t much he could say.

“You’re ex-British Special Forces, so I guess we won’t be talking about where you may or may not have been, or what you haven’t done.” Bryce smiled but there was something in his eyes, and Meryn realized he was being assessed for suitability.

Nadine had mentioned the lie about his life. What else had she said? He glanced at her, but she was giving Bryce a look that would have wilted any other man. At least he had an excuse for not talking about the battles he’d fought. “I saw my share of action. You?”

Bryce nodded. “Why did you get out?”

It was a loaded question. One Meryn couldn’t lie about. Nadine’s thumb brushed against his skin as if to reassure him. “My wife and children were killed.” He took a breath; he didn’t like admitting it, but at the same time he had to, so he could move on. “I couldn’t keep it together.”

“Sorry, mate. I didn’t mean to pry.” Bryce shot Nadine a look that needed no words. It was a-thanks-for-letting-me-walk-into-that-trap glare.

Nadine smiled sweetly, obviously used to Bryce. Meryn was glad she had friends who cared. At the same time, he was glad Bryce didn’t know what Meryn had been or what he’d done.