CHAPTER 2
Aine faced the five people who sat at the long table in the library. Derek was at one end of the table, and Nick was to his left. Beside Nick was a blond woman, young and pretty, who eyed Aine with distrust. Across from them were two other women: one with café-au-lait skin and curly dark hair, and the other blond and older. All of them but Nick watched her every move, but the young male was toying with the yellow file folder in front of him. Derek had handed out copies of the file she had provided him with.
In a way she couldn't fault their wariness. That emotion had probably saved countless lives faced with the things they'd braved and battled. She'd be suspicious of herself also was she one of them. But she was not one of them, and that fact was never made plainer that at this very moment as they all drilled her with identical frowns. All but the handsome Nick who glanced up every now and then, but preferred to keep his gaze on the file.
"Mr. Rayne, I never had any dealings with the Legacy. I was fifteen when my mother was hunted down and killed. Quite frankly I felt no reason to even consider joining an elite group who had decided my mother was evil and to destroy her. I came here only because of that letter I found under my father's desk when I found him dead."
"How could the killer miss seeing it?" Kristin Adams demanded, her lips twisting in a disbelieving smirk.
Aine levelly met her gaze. "When I saw my father I collapsed to my knees and cried. I saw paper between his feet, and reached out to take it. When I saw what it was I kept it from the authorities. I had no reason to harm the only parent I had left, the person who had loved and protected me my whole life."
"Where were you before you found him?" Alex Moreau asked, not quite able to pull off the casual inquisitiveness she was attempting.
"My father and I were at a local celebration when he left early. I have several witnesses that I did not leave until very late," she announced. "Would you like a list of names?"
"Sounds good," Kristin gave a small and cool smile. "But that doesn't necessarily mean you didn't do it. Maybe Tarot and Runes reading aren't the only skills your mother taught you."
Aine stiffened, her eyes darkening in anger, and her lips a thin and tight line. "My mother was not in league with the dark side. She was a good woman who followed the faiths of her ancestors and who helped the locals when they were ill or hurt. She helped my father countless times to battle the evil you accuse her of being. She passed on her skills to me because the oldest females in each family have the calling. It is our heritage, and for your information many of my ancestors protected their families and communities from the evils the Legacy hunt. When it suits them they even turn to us for help, but otherwise I guess we are branded evil because we are different. The witch-hunts never stopped, did it? They were only discreetly carried out and justified by people like you."
Rachel Corrigan, psychologist and oft-times referee, held up a hand. Her voice was soothing and professional. "We're not accusing you, Aine."
"Are you not?" Aine waved hand towards the blond Kristin. "Maybe you should tell her that. It sounded like a clear accusation to me. Maybe my father was right, and the Legacy could not be trusted. I should have remained in Ireland and done this on my own." She rose with a heavy sigh. "My mistake for thinking the one person he believed he could trust I could also."
Nick's head snapped up, and he shook his head. "Whoa, wait a minute. I never accused you of anything. If you ask around I don't often agree with the rest of my colleagues. We've clashed a few times, truth be known." He ignored the annoyed glare Kristin shot him. He had never liked her much anyway. She'd shown up here months ago with a large chip on her shoulder, and an attitude to match. He could tolerate her, but he doubted he would ever trust her to watch his back. That kind of trust was built over time, and he had it with Alex, Rachel, and Derek. Hell, he'd even trust Philip, if that one were still a member. But Kristin hadn't won that kind of trust from him yet.
His gaze was level, sincere, and she nodded. "I did not kill my father. I do not know who did, but I'll find out."
Nick nodded. "I'll cancel my plans for the next few days."
"Good." Derek gave an abrupt nod, and rose. "I want to keep the rest of the Legacy Houses out of the loop about Aine's whereabouts. For the moment," he amended when he saw Kristin and Alex ready to argue. "Nick, I don't want to take Shaun's fears lightly. For that reason I want you to watch over her."
Aine saw Nick nod, and she kept silent on the decision. Something about Nick Boyle made her feel she could trust him. "I'll begin that list for you," she told Derek. Ignoring Kristin she faced Rachel. "Did you want to take a sample of blood for DNA?"
Rachel blinked, startled, but shrugged. "Actually, that wouldn't be such a bad idea."
Nick stood and gathered the file he'd been toying with earlier as the others left the room. Almost all the others, he realized, as he felt glared at. He faced Kristin. "Problem?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "Aren't you the one who's always preaching about being careful and not to trust too quickly? Or is it your libido making the decisions for you this time?"
A small smirk tugged one corner of his lips up, but his eyes were cool. "My libido is none of your business. I like to think I'm a pretty good judge of character."
"You didn't trust me when we met," she stated.
"Like I said, I'm a pretty good judge of character." He moved by her, glad he'd gotten the last word on that one. He often followed his gut, and it was rarely wrong. The other team members had learned to also trust his judgment. Something about Aine made him believe her, and he didn't think sexual awareness was influencing him. He was a trained soldier, a trained killer, and he was pretty positive that he could make educated decisions without letting a rise in his interest take precedence.
.
"The handwriting matches," Alex announced after a previous sample of Shaun O'Shea's writing was compared to the letter Aine had given them. "I also found something interesting."
"Really?" Derek arched one brow in interest.
"Some kind of residue on the letter. I'm not sure yet what it is, but I took a scraping of it, and we should get some results in a while."
She didn't leave yet so Derek knew she had something on her mind she wanted to discuss. "Anything else?" he asked, giving her an opening.
"I'm concerned about Nick. He's not thinking clearly. It's as if he's letting a pretty face blind him. I don't know, Derek. Maybe the Legacy has a reason to mistrust Aine." There was earnestness to her face, an edge to her voice. "The last time Nick fell for a girl he nearly got turned into an incubus."
There was that, silently admitted Derek. "The difference this time being that they are here where we can all keep an eye on them."
Her lips thinned a moment. "So you're not worried at all? You believe her?"
Startled he stared at her. "So far I have no reason to disbelieve her."
"Maybe she has all the males in this house under a spell," Alex griped.
Derek scowled. "I would have thought you'd be a little more tolerant, Alex. Wild accusations nearly got Nick and I killed." She looked down, chastised a little. "Are you telling me that Rachel and Kristin have already set the sentence on our guest?"
"No," she replied. Feeling like a child who'd been chastised by a father she turned and left his office. He was right. Nothing yet proved that Aine was a danger to them, but it didn't mean she wouldn't keep an eye on her.
Aine faced the five people who sat at the long table in the library. Derek was at one end of the table, and Nick was to his left. Beside Nick was a blond woman, young and pretty, who eyed Aine with distrust. Across from them were two other women: one with café-au-lait skin and curly dark hair, and the other blond and older. All of them but Nick watched her every move, but the young male was toying with the yellow file folder in front of him. Derek had handed out copies of the file she had provided him with.
In a way she couldn't fault their wariness. That emotion had probably saved countless lives faced with the things they'd braved and battled. She'd be suspicious of herself also was she one of them. But she was not one of them, and that fact was never made plainer that at this very moment as they all drilled her with identical frowns. All but the handsome Nick who glanced up every now and then, but preferred to keep his gaze on the file.
"Mr. Rayne, I never had any dealings with the Legacy. I was fifteen when my mother was hunted down and killed. Quite frankly I felt no reason to even consider joining an elite group who had decided my mother was evil and to destroy her. I came here only because of that letter I found under my father's desk when I found him dead."
"How could the killer miss seeing it?" Kristin Adams demanded, her lips twisting in a disbelieving smirk.
Aine levelly met her gaze. "When I saw my father I collapsed to my knees and cried. I saw paper between his feet, and reached out to take it. When I saw what it was I kept it from the authorities. I had no reason to harm the only parent I had left, the person who had loved and protected me my whole life."
"Where were you before you found him?" Alex Moreau asked, not quite able to pull off the casual inquisitiveness she was attempting.
"My father and I were at a local celebration when he left early. I have several witnesses that I did not leave until very late," she announced. "Would you like a list of names?"
"Sounds good," Kristin gave a small and cool smile. "But that doesn't necessarily mean you didn't do it. Maybe Tarot and Runes reading aren't the only skills your mother taught you."
Aine stiffened, her eyes darkening in anger, and her lips a thin and tight line. "My mother was not in league with the dark side. She was a good woman who followed the faiths of her ancestors and who helped the locals when they were ill or hurt. She helped my father countless times to battle the evil you accuse her of being. She passed on her skills to me because the oldest females in each family have the calling. It is our heritage, and for your information many of my ancestors protected their families and communities from the evils the Legacy hunt. When it suits them they even turn to us for help, but otherwise I guess we are branded evil because we are different. The witch-hunts never stopped, did it? They were only discreetly carried out and justified by people like you."
Rachel Corrigan, psychologist and oft-times referee, held up a hand. Her voice was soothing and professional. "We're not accusing you, Aine."
"Are you not?" Aine waved hand towards the blond Kristin. "Maybe you should tell her that. It sounded like a clear accusation to me. Maybe my father was right, and the Legacy could not be trusted. I should have remained in Ireland and done this on my own." She rose with a heavy sigh. "My mistake for thinking the one person he believed he could trust I could also."
Nick's head snapped up, and he shook his head. "Whoa, wait a minute. I never accused you of anything. If you ask around I don't often agree with the rest of my colleagues. We've clashed a few times, truth be known." He ignored the annoyed glare Kristin shot him. He had never liked her much anyway. She'd shown up here months ago with a large chip on her shoulder, and an attitude to match. He could tolerate her, but he doubted he would ever trust her to watch his back. That kind of trust was built over time, and he had it with Alex, Rachel, and Derek. Hell, he'd even trust Philip, if that one were still a member. But Kristin hadn't won that kind of trust from him yet.
His gaze was level, sincere, and she nodded. "I did not kill my father. I do not know who did, but I'll find out."
Nick nodded. "I'll cancel my plans for the next few days."
"Good." Derek gave an abrupt nod, and rose. "I want to keep the rest of the Legacy Houses out of the loop about Aine's whereabouts. For the moment," he amended when he saw Kristin and Alex ready to argue. "Nick, I don't want to take Shaun's fears lightly. For that reason I want you to watch over her."
Aine saw Nick nod, and she kept silent on the decision. Something about Nick Boyle made her feel she could trust him. "I'll begin that list for you," she told Derek. Ignoring Kristin she faced Rachel. "Did you want to take a sample of blood for DNA?"
Rachel blinked, startled, but shrugged. "Actually, that wouldn't be such a bad idea."
Nick stood and gathered the file he'd been toying with earlier as the others left the room. Almost all the others, he realized, as he felt glared at. He faced Kristin. "Problem?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "Aren't you the one who's always preaching about being careful and not to trust too quickly? Or is it your libido making the decisions for you this time?"
A small smirk tugged one corner of his lips up, but his eyes were cool. "My libido is none of your business. I like to think I'm a pretty good judge of character."
"You didn't trust me when we met," she stated.
"Like I said, I'm a pretty good judge of character." He moved by her, glad he'd gotten the last word on that one. He often followed his gut, and it was rarely wrong. The other team members had learned to also trust his judgment. Something about Aine made him believe her, and he didn't think sexual awareness was influencing him. He was a trained soldier, a trained killer, and he was pretty positive that he could make educated decisions without letting a rise in his interest take precedence.
.
"The handwriting matches," Alex announced after a previous sample of Shaun O'Shea's writing was compared to the letter Aine had given them. "I also found something interesting."
"Really?" Derek arched one brow in interest.
"Some kind of residue on the letter. I'm not sure yet what it is, but I took a scraping of it, and we should get some results in a while."
She didn't leave yet so Derek knew she had something on her mind she wanted to discuss. "Anything else?" he asked, giving her an opening.
"I'm concerned about Nick. He's not thinking clearly. It's as if he's letting a pretty face blind him. I don't know, Derek. Maybe the Legacy has a reason to mistrust Aine." There was earnestness to her face, an edge to her voice. "The last time Nick fell for a girl he nearly got turned into an incubus."
There was that, silently admitted Derek. "The difference this time being that they are here where we can all keep an eye on them."
Her lips thinned a moment. "So you're not worried at all? You believe her?"
Startled he stared at her. "So far I have no reason to disbelieve her."
"Maybe she has all the males in this house under a spell," Alex griped.
Derek scowled. "I would have thought you'd be a little more tolerant, Alex. Wild accusations nearly got Nick and I killed." She looked down, chastised a little. "Are you telling me that Rachel and Kristin have already set the sentence on our guest?"
"No," she replied. Feeling like a child who'd been chastised by a father she turned and left his office. He was right. Nothing yet proved that Aine was a danger to them, but it didn't mean she wouldn't keep an eye on her.