A/N: Hello to everyone. Ok, for this chapter I had to do some research on Irish mythology in order to find something suitable. You can find the article on Fomorians at Wikipedia. Ok, enjoy the new chap. Oh, and I also found out that Cináed means "born of fire" in the Gaelic languages. Perfect ;)
Chapter 11: Explanation
Merde! Merde! Merde! Georgiana paced the room angrily. How could this happen! How could she be so stupid! And him of all people! She had slept in his bed, in his shirt! He had watched her in her sleep! Where is my dress...no! It has been removed! Did he...No he cannot…he surely would not…would he? Oh no!
She buried her face in her hands, shaking her head helplessly. What should she do? She had to leave his chamber, but what if he was still in his drawing room? If he saw her? She dreaded the idea of meeting him again in such a state. She didn't have a choice – she had to wait here.
Luckily Clarice came soon and held a clean gown in her arms. The elder woman didn't ask any questions and the younger one was grateful not to have to answer any. It was bad enough to have the housekeeper see her in a man's shirt in her master's chamber. What she must think of her!
When she was presentable once again they left the room. The master was nowhere to be seen, and Georgiana thanked God for that. They walked to the kitchen.
"Hey Georgiana, where were you? We didn't find you in your rooms." Isabeau and Stefanie greeted her and both girls kissed her on the cheek. Georgiana tried to return their smiles equally cheerful, but failed eventually. Did they new she hadn't spend the night in her bed?
"Yes…I woke up early."
"Oh, good. We thought a wolf or so had eaten you." If Isabeau knew how close this came to reality. Georgiana's eyes meet Clarice's and she looked at the woman suspiciously. Clarice seemed to understand what she thought. "He's in his drawing room. Try to be more careful this time." As soon as she had finished the sentence Georgiana was on her feet again and hurried up the staircase to the master's apartment. She remembered what she had seen last night. Him and Clarice arguing, a black wolf where he had stood moments ago – she wanted some explanation.
She climbed up the last couple of steps and gathered all her courage. His door was closed. Without even knocking she pushed it open and entered.
He was standing in front of his book collection,, holding a heavy looking volume in his hands. He did not turn to face her, but a devilish grin appeared on his lips.
"Ah, in my rooms once again. Am I nowhere safe from you?"
"We need to talk!" Georgiana took a step closer.
"I don't think so." He put the book back to its place and took another one out, still not facing her.
"I want answers!"
"And yet you don't ask any questions. Doesn't make a lot of sense, don't you think?"
"You know what questions I have!" She grew annoyed again. Did he have to play with her? She didn't have time for this.
"But what if I don't want to give you your damn answers?" He finally turned and she suddenly doubted this was such a good idea. She began to fear for her life.
He looked at her angrily.
"Have you never learned that it's extremely rude to interfere in somebody's affairs? I thought what you saw yesterday was more than enough."
She froze. "You…you knew I saw you last night? But how?"
"Haven't you realized that my senses aren't human? I thought it was obvious. Animals usually have better senses than humans, especially predators."
"Then…then it really was you. And you were the wolf Edmond and Marcèl were attacked by. You monster! How could you do this!"
"Your friends were as annoying as you. Your lover knew things that would have better remained undiscovered. It didn't have to get so complicated, but then you had to interfere. Saving the love of your life? Seriously!" He laughed.
"You have no idea! What do you know of true love?"
"Well obviously more than you. What you do is not admirable, it's stupid! Has your Edmond told you why I've held him captive? Do you know why you're throwing away your freedom?"
She was mad…but he was right. She had no idea what Edmond had done. She could've slapped herself.
"I knew it. So why don't you return to your rooms like a good girl and leave me alone!"
Who did he think he was! "I want to know why I'm living in the house of a man who can turn himself into a wolf! What kind of game is this! Do you find it funny to behave like you're better than others? Do you really believe you're so important and grand? This is ridiculous!"
He looked at her furiously and Georgiana meet his glace with equal anger. They stared into one another's eyes like this, before he finally sighted and looked to the ground. With a snarl he asked. "What do you want to know?"
"Who or what are you?"
He turned away and walked to the windows. She couldn't see his face, but when he talked next she could hear the exhaustion in his voice.
"My name is Cináed Ó Mathúna. Happy?"
"No."
He mumbled something, but Georgiana couldn't understand. It sounded like a foreign language.
"Look I really have other things…"
"Please." Her eyes softened. She could tell he was uncomfortable, but she was so close to getting the answers she so badly needed. "Please." She said again.
He looked into her eyes. Dark mercury – unreadable and dangerous, but also beautiful and…scared? His whole countenance emitted pride and arrogance, but his eyes revealed something different. He sighted.
"I was born in the year 706, the seventh year in the reign of king Fland Dá Chongal of Ireland. My mother was Irish, my father…my father was a Fomor, an ancient Irish demon, before converting to the Devil after Ireland became Christian." He paused and looked at her again, as if to assure himself that she was still in the room. She was. Should she be scared of the things he was telling her? Should she be frightened to death? Or was he lying? What he was telling her seemed like a joke. He couldn't be more than a thousand years old, could he?
But then he turned to look at her again, and when she meet his eyes she realised that this wasn't a joke. No he wasn't lying, she knew that. This was the truth. She saw sincerity in his eyes. Patiently did she wait for him to continue. He turned again, his back facing her, his face hidden from her curious eyes.
"I…grew up as a human child, I guess. My mother was of aristocratic birth and I lived a distinguished live in my familie's estates in Southern Ireland. My childhood was perfectly normal. But I…things changed when I grew older. I began to sense my…demonic heritage, and so could others. The court's druid told everyone that I was dangerous. A monster that ate little children and eventually wanted to become king. Ridiculous!"
"What happened?" She asked softly.
He shrugged his shoulders. "They put me into prison, but because of my maternal lineage they were too much afraid to kill me. Either that or they thought that the Fomorians would come to defend their kin. As if! Either way, they let me go and the druid was probably so vexed at it that he cursed me." He ran with his fingers through his hair, the black flicks of hair glistening in the sunlight, and Georgiana suddenly felt the need to touch it. Like black silk. She crossed her hands behind her back.
"They killed my mother instead. They called her a traitor and the demon's whore." His hands formed fists and there was anger in his eyes. "She died quickly, without pain. But I had to leave the country."
He finished his story with what sounded like a swear word once more. It sounded foreign, like the others.
"Was that Irish?"
"Yes, it was." He actually managed a smile in her direction, but his features darkened once again. "Are you frightened?" His eyes sought the connection with hers.
"Should I be?" She didn't feel scared or uncomfortable. What she did feel was gratitude that he had told her all this. She smiled at him.
He shook his head. "Féinmharfach Cailín (A/N:"suicidal girl" in Irish)!" Then he smiled back, although it did not reach his eyes.
She remembered that there was more.
"How come you can turn yourself into a wolf?" She saw him stiffen again.
"Part of the curse, I believe. I can turn into a wolf whenever I wish to. But my senses and habits are animal even when in human form. That's how I knew you were watching last night."
"Is this why you never eat the cook's food? Not very polite if you ask me. He's extremely talented." She tried to be funny, to break the tension. It worked to some extend. But when he looked at her next his eyes resembled a wolf's more than ever.
"I cannot eat his dishes. I need to go hunting every night."
"Hunting...what do you hunt usually?" Alright, she did feel a little uncomfortable now. He smiled and his perfectly shaped snow white teeth glistened as if to threaten her.
"Deers and wild boars usually, but sometimes wolfs and foxes."
"How about humans?" She asked with feigned disinterest.
He waited a few seconds then answered in a low voice. "Only when I can't control myself. Doesn't happen too often."
Her eyes widened and chills ran down her spine, but she fought against showing her emotions to him. She would be strong.
"Is this the reason why you attacked my friends?"
"No. I attacked them because I didn't want them to attack me. Your Edmond has often come here to gain information about me. I couldn't allow that."
"About you being half-demon?"
"About me being a murderer. Have you heard of the case of Gévaudan?" Of course she had heard of it. Gévaudan wasn't far away and many people had feared that the creature would cross the border to the Provence.
"You are standing before the creature itself." He chuckled. "I have to be careful now that the French government has taken notice of me. I probably have to leave France soon."
"Then you were responsible for the deaths?"
"Yes."
"Oh." Her heart skipped a beat. He noticed that "Finally a normal reaction!" He said to no one in particular.
They remained in awkward silence until she decided to leave. As she turned a thought grazed her mind. She felt the heat crawl into her cheeks.
"This morning…I was wearing your shirt…I…well, have you…"
"Clarice was the one who changed your clothes, if this is what you ask. She didn't want to wake you so we brought you to my bed. She borrowed a shirt of mine so that the dress wouldn't get wrinkled up. I wasn't in the room when she helped you change. " His eyes bore something undefined. Their intense stare provoked the blush on her cheeks to deepen and she felt her knees weaken.
They weren't friends now. Georgiana still hated him for what he had done to Edmond. He still was arrogant, aloof, selfish and proud. But he had trusted her enough to tell her all this.
"Thank you." And with this she left his rooms, closing the door behind her.
