bring himself to utter, even now. She had changed his perspective on tossing the word hell around without a care. She’d forced him to consider what awaited him when this life came to an end, and she assured it would be sooner rather than later. Now he’d grown wary of sleep, fearful she’d exercise her mark on him and take his soul while he lay defenseless.
Conjecture regarding his experience ran wild. The Arcanum and senior assassins had left him be, but the young men, those in training to become assassins, couldn’t help but wonder aloud. Speculation regarding his visit to the Well of Souls regularly traveled across darkened rooms, whispered like ghost stories on stormy nights. Conjecture as to what he’d seen ran rampant. But the fear they might die in service to the gods, might see whatever terror it was that had changed Gareth? That ran far more rampant, often followed by brazen boasts that only the darkest of the dark among them should bother to worry about such nonsense. He often interrupted these morbid conversations with simple if hard words. “Train harder, fight smarter and never hesitate to take your enemy down. Then you ladies can finally stop having this conversation. Understood?”
Having died on his own turf, on land where he should have been strongest and had the advantage in any fight, he knew better. The phantom queen could find a man anywhere and would take him without hesitation if he was at all reluctant to strike back. Even if he did...
“Sir?” Jacob’s voice said, cutting through Gareth’s wildly wandering mind.
His focus shifted to the young assassin. “Apologies. What did you say?”
“Would you care to join us?” The young man’s uncertainty was apparent in the tight line of his mouth and the flat tone of his voice.
Gareth considered for a split second before grinning and giving a short nod. He would take tonight to live as he once had, would force himself to get out of the keep and stop looking over his shoulder at every suspicious action, every strange sound, every odd occurrence. His own demise was imminent, by his hand or hers, so tonight he would simply remember. “Who am I to tarnish memories of times gone by? You gents go on ahead and secure a booth near the telly. Ireland’s playing Scotland tonight, and I’ll want to toast our every goal. I’ll be no more than fifteen minutes behind you.”
“Fair enough.” Jacob winked. “Gives me just long enough to toy with the bartender a bit.”
Gareth stopped, brows drawing down. “Is he a new bartender? When did he start?”
“She. The bartender is one hundred percent ‘she.’ And to a man, we’re grateful,” one of the group responded, letting out a low, slow whistle and shaping his hands over the invisible hourglass figure of a lush woman while oblivious to Gareth’s hesitation. “You being late will let us have a bit of a flirt with her before ye get there and steal her heart, ye careless bastard.”
“Good to know.” Gareth swallowed hard and waved them on. “Fifteen minutes and we’ll see what her type of man is.”
Several ribald jests were tossed about then as Gareth historically tended to be every woman’s type.
Ignoring the men as a whole, he spun on his heel and jogged across the massive entry hall to the wide staircase, taking the steps two at a time. The sudden urge to remain at the keep, to stay inside the protection of the thick walls and the powerful wards that reinforced them, had him reconsidering his offer to go out with the men. But they needed it. Truly. They needed the support of the Assassin’s Arcanum, that elite group of five warriors, in all things, from the most difficult of their training all the way to burning off a little excess energy. So he would suck it up, stop his whining and let go of this ridiculous obsession of waiting on the queen’s calling card. Gareth was going to the bar. He could check out the new bartender while he was there, perhaps find a way to have a bit of sport as part of his last hurrah. That would also allow him to ensure she wasn’t a threat to the assassins here. Shaking his head at his paranoia, his smile felt brittle. He needed to stop seeing everything, and everyone, unknown as a threat. That she’d happened to show up while he was fighting his own demons didn’t make her one of them.
Besides, in spite of his hardships over the last six months, Gareth’s three life truths still held true. First, nothing got a man’s mind off his troubles like a well-built Guinness.
Second, an equally well-built woman was balm to the soul.
Third? Well, third was his favorite. A mutually pleasurable one-night stand could make a man forget his woes.
And all Gareth wanted to do was forget.
* * *
Ashley Clement hoisted the tray of drinks above her head, turned and began winding her way through the ever-expanding Friday night crowd. Setting down pints and baskets of bar food as she went, she also retrieved empties and took new orders. An hour ago she’d called in an additional waitress. Ashley would only work the floor as a barmaid until the girl arrived, and the sooner, the better. Seeing to the bar satisfied her far more than running to and fro, fending off wandering hands and keeping her volatile temper in check. The latter had cost her all she was willing to pay in every lifetime she’d claimed as her own. And as a phoenix? That number was vast.
There’d be live music tonight from the traveling group, The King’s Footmen. They would play everything from contemporary hits to old favorites and traditional Irish ballads, pulling in a more diverse crowd as the band had a sound both young and old could appreciate. Tonight’s festivities alone ensured she would more than double her average take.
Fergus, the bar’s owner and short-order cook, emerged from the small kitchen. The man was huge, his white apron appearing more like a dainty dishtowel banded round his waist. His gaze roved over the patrons, searching.
Ashley knew he was looking for her, but something made her hesitate to raise a hand and wave. His behavior had been odd of late. Odd enough, actually, that she was considering moving on.
He finally found her watching him, and his face darkened. “Stop yer lollygagging. Orders up!”
She offered a jaunty salute. “Soon as these fine men are served, I’ll retrieve as commanded.” He ducked back into the kitchen and she added softly, “Jackass.”
Laughter wove through the crowd nearest her.
“He’ll have yer head should he hear ye,” said a regular who’d overheard her.
“And a fine trophy it would be to join the others,” his tablemate answered.
Others. It had to be a coincidence. Neither mortal man knew what she was.
Ashley shifted her tray as she turned her attention to the table of attractive men who’d shoved into the largest booth nearest the telly. Distributing their drink order with care, she watched them under lowered lashes. To a body, they were larger than most Irishmen in both height and muscle, and instead of harboring the general spirit of goodwill inherent to the Irish, they seemed to blend with the shadows even as they appeared weighed down by some invisible onus. Their auras ranged from the palest shade of early morning fog to a gray so dark it appeared inky. Then there was the way their gazes continually roamed the room, all but announcing that, even in their cups, these men never found their ease. All in all, it had been a lot for Ashley to pick up on in the fifteen minutes they’d been here, but she could relate. And that she’d taken it all in was proof that living the last four centuries on the run had helped her develop a few survival skills. Nondeadly ones, anyway. The deadly stuff? Well, that part of her couldn’t be turned off any more than the sun could be commanded to rise in the west come morning. So she’d
