Bound (A Faery Story 1)

Her lovely face fell. There was a wealth of disgusted

disappointment in her voice, and Cian remembered she didn’t like

him, either. They had a mutual disapproval society going. “Cian,

where’s Beckett? I heard from the trolls that he was back from his

hunting trip. They saw him riding in from the forest.”

She had placed her hands on her hips, all attempts at ladylike

perfection gone. She wouldn’t waste the effort on him. Cian laughed

at that thought. He sobered slightly. She’d said trolls with great

distaste. She was a sidhe who thought all other Fae creatures were

beneath her.

Bound

115

“I don’t know.” Cian was able to answer with complete

truthfulness. For once, his blank mind was a blessing. It did give him

a good reason to be down here, though. Beck had been gone and then

returned. Big brother had likely taken one look at him and ordered

him to bathe. It explained everything.

“Well, ain’t that surprising?” Liadan mocked. Her perfect features

made for a perfect sneer. “You are completely good for nothing. I

don’t know how your brother puts up with you.”

“And I don’t see how he can stand to touch you long enough to

get off,” Cian shot back as he walked toward the edge of the pond, his

feet dragging in the mud. The soap seemed to have floated away.

Why was he here?

“I take care of him just fine.” Liadan stood looking at him with

one hand on her hip. She seemed supremely sure of her own

attractions. “He loves me, you know.”

“No, he doesn’t.” Even with all his trouble, Cian knew he would

remember if Beck was in love. If Beck was in love, then it followed

that he would be in love, too. Liadan had never understood the link