Aaron Read online

  “If you must,” Aaron replied softly, unwilling to release her just yet.

  “The day grows long, and we’ve much to do,” she reminded him, though her feet did not shift and her fingers were still interlaced with his.

  With a sigh, he replied, “Then I shall release you to your duties, my sweet Aislyn.” He let go of her hands, but they lingered on his chest for a moment before she leaned forward, her head tipped down, her eyes closed, and took a deep breath. Even as she began to step backward, she did not open her eyes, and Aaron watched in wonder at the marvel of the beautiful young lady who unfathomably seemed almost as enraptured with him as he was with her.

  “I shall see you soon,” she said with a small smile as she placed her hands behind her back and turned to go.

  A grin pulled at the corner of his mouth as he watched her walk away, hoping that the sheep either knew their part and went along, or she realized she’d forgotten them before she made it all the way home. The dog continued to rest in the shade, though it did appear to Aaron that he was also smiling.

  It seemed like a thousand years passed before Sunday finally arrived, and while Genty was nearly as excited for Aaron to attend the cross-roads event as he was himself, his mother seemed apprehensive. With Channing off with his new wife and Genty promising she’d only stay at home as long as Aaron was there, Bree seemed in no hurry to see her youngest off and wed.

  He wouldn’t go far, though. His granddad had arranged for him to rent a plot of land a bit closer to the mountain but within easy walking distance to his mother’s home. The land would need cleared, which would take time and effort, but everyone would join in building a new home and removing the rocks and other debris; in Killarney, they each took care of one another the best they could.

  “Look at you!” Genty exclaimed as Aaron made his way outside to meet her. “You’ve pressed your trousers and patched your shirt!”

  Aaron shrugged as if he didn’t feel the culminating moment of significance on the horizon. “I wanted to look nice.”

  “I think everyone will agree you’ve done that,” Genty replied, linking her arm through his. She wore a pale-yellow dress her mother had recently handed down, and though it was a bit worn, it fit her nicely. The summer sun was just beginning to disappear as they began to wind their way down the path.

  “Aaron! Genty!” their mother called, causing them both to turn and take a few steps back as she rushed to meet them. “Do be careful,” their slightly out-of-breath ma warned. “You know they will be out by the time you head home, and they are getting brasher. Don’t assume that because you belong to the Order you will be protected.”

  “We will be careful, Ma, we promise,” Genty assured their mother, though it didn’t seem to do much good as her mother still looked concerned.

  She continued. “Just a few days ago they attacked in broad daylight in the middle of the road. Claimed one as their own and left the other to suffer and die out in the hot sun.”

  “Ma, we’ll be fine,” Aaron assured her, though he wasn’t certain how he would ensure this to be so. If the Dark Ones chose them, what could one even do to protect oneself?

  With a hug of each of them, Bree turned and walked back toward the house, leaving Genty and Aaron both to shake their heads and continue on their way.

  “I think word of the failed potata crop has left her a bit… off,” Genty said quietly, once they were out of hearing distance.

  Aaron had to agree. Though they’d yet to suffer any bad crops in their own field, others had, and he knew it was likely just a matter of time. He’d urged his granddad to diversify, plant a bit of something else, but other seed was hard to come by, and what little other vegetables were planted never did as well as the potato when they had a good crop.

  As they approached others making their way down the road to the dance, Aaron pushed thoughts of his mother, the failing potatoes, and even the Dark Ones away, and trying not to let his nerves get the best of him, he began to think about the possibility of dancing the evening away with the beautiful Aislyn O’Malley.

  The sun was kissing the horizon, changing the sky to shades of orange and pink and turning a rather warm day into a pleasant evening. By the time they reached the cross-roads, several dozen others, mostly young people around Aaron’s age, had congregated and some had even begun to dance to the festive tune the fiddler who sat on a stool off to the side whittled on his instrument. Torches and a bonfire provided enough light to see which smiling face belonged to whom, though spying Aislyn standing off to the side in a long checkered skirt and pink shirtwaist, her hair done up in a crown around her head, Aaron was certain he would have seen her if the only light were the twinkling stars.

  It wasn’t Aislyn who initially welcomed him, however. Kian skipped over, a drink in one hand, the other entwined with that of the lovely Shannon Dunne. “Aaron! Genty! You’re here. You finally made him come,” he said, looking at the older sister as he jabbed his friend playfully in the side, letting go of Shannon, not the mead. “It’s past time for you to show your face.”

  Aaron couldn’t help but smile. “I am here,” he confirmed, his arms open wide. “I hope that you will still remember when you see me tomorrow, though as large as that mug is, I’m not certain you will.”

  “He never does,” Shannon offered with a laugh, her freckled face contorting a bit with the heartiness of her glee. She was tall and thin, even taller than Kian, with long strawberry blonde hair, and though Aaron never found her particularly pretty, she was a good match for his friend. He was certain Kian would be announcing an engagement soon, and Aaron looked forward to having him as a neighbor on the new plots the landlord had just agreed to lease nearer the lake once he had Aislyn’s hand as well.

  “I’m going to join my friends,” Genty said with a smile and pat atop her brother’s head as she bounded away to join some of the older revelers. Some might say she was too old to still be attending such dances, certainly too old now to ever find a husband, but Aaron watched the faces of several gentlemen light up as Genty skipped over and knew that she could still marry if she chose to. Clearly, she had been intending to keep a promise not to abandon him.

  Glancing across the crowd, he saw that Aislyn was looking at him, and everyone else faded away. Without a response to Kian’s question if he wanted a drink or Shannon’s comment on how lovely the sky was, he worked his way over to where she stood with a few other young lasses from the village, dodging a couple of dancers as he did so.

  The other girls grew quiet as he approached, though he hardly even noticed their smiles and snickers as he focused in on the lovely face he’d come to see. Her lips parted in a grin when he came to a stop before her, and he felt warmth radiate throughout his body, certain his face was beaming.

  “Good evening, Miss O’Malley,” he said, dipping his head before her. “How are you this fine night?”

  “I’m well, thank you,” she said, her green eyes twinkling in the starlight. “I see you’ve forgotten our conversation earlier in the week.”

  Her voice had a teasing lilt to it, and as he took a step closer so that he could both hear and see her better, he asked, “What’s that?”

  “I told you to call me Aislyn,” she reminded him. “I guess you’ve forgotten that we even met.” She sighed, but her eyes gave away the play.

  Forgetting that the other girls were even present, he replied, “Oh, believe me, I shall not forget our conversation should I live to be a hundred and one, Miss Aislyn.” Even in the dim light, he could see that his comment brought a blush to her skin, and he couldn’t help but smile as she twisted her hands together nervously. “Besides, had I forgotten our conversation, I wouldn’t be here.”

  “Perhaps you’ve come at the invitation of another lass,” she offered, peering up at him through her lashes.

  Aaron looked around for a moment before saying, “Are there other lasses here? I hadn’t noticed?”

  Despite the remark completely disregarding them, her
friends awed even louder than Aislyn did herself, and as the music began to shift, Aaron stretched out his hand and asked, “Will you dance with me?”

  Aislyn’s ruby red lips pulled to the side in a crooked smile. “I will,” she said, placing her hand in his, and with no more thoughts of who may comment on his dancing skills, Aaron led her to the makeshift dance floor.

  The fiddler had been joined by a drummer and harpist, and the first song was a joyful jig. As they began to do the steps together in sync, the rest of the dancers melted away, and Aaron found himself entranced by those green eyes and jubilant smile. The touch of her hand, the feel of her in his arms, the way she twisted and turned, had him completely enthralled, and as the night wore on, he wondered why he had never attended the cross-roads before. Aislyn was an angel, floating around him on gossamer wings, and he felt as if he were the luckiest lad in all of Ireland, perhaps the world, to have the honor to be her partner for the evening.

  Though others had tried to come betwixt them, the only time they left each other’s side was when the set called for it, and even then, Aaron kept his eyes interlocked with hers, only losing sight of her in a turn now and again. There were other young men who clearly had their eyes on the lithe beauty, but he was certain now that Aislyn was his. If other girls had set their sights on him, he hadn’t even noticed.

  By the time the caller shouted, “Last song,” long into a star-filled night, Aaron couldn’t imagine letting go of the small hand he held so delicately as they went through the steps of what would be their final dance of the evening. It was a spirited set, and by the end of it, most of the dancers, including Aaron and Aislyn, found themselves out of breath.

  With the final notes, she wrapped her arms around him and leaned into his chest in a long embrace as the others also hugged, clasped hands, or waved goodbye. Several groups began to head off in various directions, many of them laughing, some arm in arm.

  “I suppose I should be heading home now,” Aislyn said, stepping back enough to look up at him but not releasing him.

  Aaron spied Genty still standing off in the distance with one of her girlfriends and a couple of the older boys closer to her age. She was laughing and leaning over to talk to Loughlin Modha. The warning his mother had given both of them rang in his ear as the night began to quiet. “Perhaps I should walk you home,” he offered.

  “Oh, there’s no need. My cousin, Manus, is just over there. He can walk me.”

  Aaron felt his shoulders slump. He was hopeful he would be able to prolong their evening together by making the journey back to the village hand in hand. “All right then,” he said, keeping his smile, though it was difficult.

  “Unless… you insist,” she said, looking up at him with a demure expression.

  Her arms were still wound around his waist, and the feel of her hips beneath his hands began to consume his thoughts. The smell of the sweet perfume she’d been wearing mixed with the faint scent of her perspiration became intoxicating as he gazed into those two green orbs before him. “I insist,” he replied, his voice a breathy whisper.

  “Aislyn!” Manus shouted from several yards away. “Are you coming then?”

  “Just a minute!” she shouted back. Returning her attention to Aaron, she said, “Let me go speak to him, and I’ll return straight away.”

  Aaron could only manage a nod. She gave him a slight squeeze before she pulled herself away and took off to explain to her cousin he needn’t accompany her back to her house.

  After a long moment following her form across the road, Aaron turned his attention to Genty who was still standing in the same group she’d been with before. Keeping an eye on Aislyn, he approached his sister who saw him coming and excused herself, meeting him about halfway.

  “Did you have a good time?” she asked, the excitement from the dance and the effects of the mead evident in her voice.

  “I did,” Aaron assured her, unable to control the smile that insisted on spreading across his face. “I was wondering if you’d mind if I walk Aislyn home. Only if Loughlin or someone else can accompany you though. I shouldn’t allow you to walk by yourself.”

  “Shouldn’t allow me?” she giggled. “Aaron, I’m practically a mother to you.” She straightened his collar, though it hardly needed fixing. “Yes, Loughlin will walk me home, but you needn’t worry about me.”

  “I shall worry about you,” he replied, placing his hand on her shoulder, “until you are safely home, and I am lying next to you, dreaming of this night.”

  She laughed again and embraced him. “Very well, then, little brother. I shall see you at home soon. Be safe, and take care of that beautiful girl.”

  Aaron turned to see Aislyn had snuck up on him and was standing at his elbow. “Shall we?” she asked with a smile.

  Offering her his arm, Aaron nodded to his sister who went back to join her friends and turned his complete attention to the lovely young lady he was lucky enough to escort home.

  The fires had gone out, and the moon hung low in the sky, not offering much light. There were others still milling about, making their way back toward their various homes, but as they journeyed on, the silhouettes became fewer and farther between, and eventually the only noise they heard around them was a symphony of insects celebrating the summer night.

  “Did you enjoy yourself?” Aislyn asked. She no longer had her hand on his arm. Rather, she had slid her slim fingers down his wrist and interlaced her fingers with his.

  “I did. Very much so,” Aaron assured her, giving her hand a squeeze. “And you?”

  “It was certainly an evening I’ll never forget.”

  Aaron stopped and turned to face her, his smile spreading across his handsome face. The moonbeams caught the sprinkling of hair that had come loose at her crown, and in the twilight, she resembled an angel, halo and all. She smiled up at him shyly, and Aaron slowly brought his free hand up to tip her chin ever so slightly. He waited to see if she would give him permission, and as Aislyn tilted her mouth up to meet his, he gently pressed his lips to hers.

  Her mouth was warm and tasted of honey. He caressed her cheek with his thumb, reveling in the feel of her satiny skin. The touch of her hand sliding up his arm to encircle his neck caused him to temporarily lose his breath, and he felt his abdomen tighten.

  Just as he began to press her to open her sweet lips, a shriek filled the night sky, its ominous vibrations seeming to shake the road beneath them and cause them both to jump back and cover their ears. Aaron pulled Aislyn close to his body and looked around, fearful of what he might see.

  Nothing seemed out of place in the nightscape around them. There were a few trees and bushes, but nothing peered out from behind them, and the clearing on either side of the road seemed unthreatening as well.

  “What was that?” Aislyn asked. Aaron could feel her heart beating so quickly it reverberated in his own chest.

  “I’m not sure,” he managed. “Hopefully, whatever it was, it keeps its distance.”

  “Do you think it was a…”

  He cut her off, “Don’t say it, Aislyn,” he warned her, looking into her green eyes, which were narrowed in fright.

  She nodded in understanding, fully aware that many believed speaking of them aloud would bring them in. “We should go.”

  Aaron agreed, and as wonderful as the evening had been, he would feel much better once Aislyn was in her home where at least she would be indoors and probably safer. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and with another glance behind them, began to hasten their steps toward the little hut where her mother likely waited for her anxiously.

  He realized he should have brought some sort of weapon. Though he had no idea if anything at all might be capable of stopping a Dark One once it had chosen its victim, at least a sword or knife would have made him feel more confident in his ability to protect Aislyn. His mother claimed that he was no longer safe either, that they were now choosing members of the Order as victims, which made Aaron ponder why they should co
ntinue to keep their agreement, but as he led the diminutive damsel to her home, his thoughts were only of protecting her, never of himself.

  Within a few minutes, the shape of Aislyn’s home became apparent in front of them. The sheep were in the pen, bleating nearby, clearly a bit frightened by the sound they must have heard as well. Aislyn called out to calm them as she walked up the path that led to the front door.

  Aaron noticed a horseshoe hung over the entryway, and he realized it must be there for luck and to ward off evil, since as far as he knew the O’Malley’s had never owned a horse. While he couldn’t fault them for trying, he suspected a horseshoe would do little against a Dark One.

  “Thank you for walking me home,” Aislyn said, glancing over each shoulder as she turned to face him, “and for a lovely evening.”

  “Aislyn,” Aaron began, his hands now pressed on her shoulders, “I’m not sure what that sound was, but it was… frightening at best.” He could hear the sense of urgency in his own voice and tried to calm his nerves. If he was going to say what he needed to say (though he certainly hadn’t planned to when he’d left home earlier that evening) he wanted her to understand that he was doing so out of love for her, not fear or anxiety. “I can’t bear the thought of knowing you might be at risk.”

  A small smile spread the corners of her mouth, but he could tell it was forced. She was fearful for her own safety; he could see it in her eyes. “I’m fine, Aaron. I’ll be just fine.”

  “Tonight, I believe so,” he assured her, taking a glimpse over her shoulder as he said so to make sure nothing out of the ordinary lingered there, “but things are beginning to grow out of hand, and I’m honestly not sure of anyone’s safety.”

  “You’re a member of the Order,” she reminded him, her voice a whisper. “Your family will be safe.”

  “Perhaps,” he nodded, “but things seem to be changing. I’m not certain, Aislyn. I’m not certain of much of anything, except that,” he took a deep breath, “ever since the day I first laid eyes on you, more years ago than I can count, I’ve known I love you. You and I are meant to be together; of that I am certain.”