Highland Dragon (The Treasure of Paragon #6) - Genevieve Jack Page 0,56
the seal and the siren gone. Ned’s gaze darted from the boy to the loch to Xavier and finally settled on Avery. He rubbed his chest as if the feeling of waterlogged lungs was fresh on his mind. There was plenty of anger apparent on his face, but Avery could also see how grateful the man was that Xavier had saved him from the siren’s song.
“Keep the sword,” Ned rasped after a long moment. He hobbled off toward the boy.
Chapter Nineteen
Everything about the sword was magical. Avery inspected the hilt as Xavier removed the leather scabbard from around his neck and held out his hand, beckoning it from her. She’d never seen such fine craftsmanship. A Celtic design decorated the grip, and ancient symbols paraded up and down the blade. She wasn’t sure a modern factory could even produce such a fine design. She was blown away by the incredible idea that a blacksmith had made it by hand hundreds of years ago.
“I can carry that for you, lass.” Xavier made a gimme gesture with his fingers. “We should put it away before ye get hurt.”
“I’m fine. I’m looking at it. Give me the scabbard.” She sighed, holding out her hand.
“But it must be heavy,” he drawled. “Allow me ta carry it for ye. It will be too hard for ye on Tàirn.”
“It’s not heavy. Remarkably light actually. Do you think that’s a clue to its authenticity? It’s hard to believe a human made this.” She snatched the scabbard from his hands and slipped the blade inside its sheath, then slung it over her shoulder so it hung down her back. “See? Not heavy at all.”
Xavier raised a finger but seemed at a loss for words. She strode toward Tàirn, mounting the horse before Xavier could protest. He frowned up at her, frustration brewing. “I won’t be able to hold ye in the saddle with it between us. Just give it to me, lass.”
She rearranged the blade so that it crossed her chest in front of her instead. “There. Out of the way.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched, but he climbed on behind her and kicked the horse on. After ensuring a distance between them and the cottage, Xavier shed his illusion and changed back into himself. Avery noticed because the hand around her waist grew larger and his widening chest pressed more firmly against her back.
“Odd, ye ken, that ye were immune to the siren’s call.” His lips were very near her ear, and his breath warmed her blood.
She shrugged. “Maybe it only works on men.”
“Nay. I’ve been alive a long time, Avery. Have never seen a human man or woman resist the call of a grown siren. Ye’ve got some kind of magic about ye. Are ye sure ye’re no witch?”
“You know I’m not. I couldn’t have come through the wards if I were,” she said defensively.
“Hmm.”
“Men.”
“Whit about men?”
“You would rather believe I was supernatural than admit I simply have a strong human mind.”
He scoffed. “It takes more than a strong will to resist a siren.”
She shrugged. What did it matter? So she wasn’t susceptible to sirens. She was sure many people here weren’t. “Do you think the selkie was responsible for the siren’s song?”
“Aye. Ned was about to run me through. The man is an exceptional swordsman. I believe she did us a favor by distracting him.”
“Maybe that’s why I wasn’t affected. The siren didn’t want me to be.”
“Maybe.”
“By the way, you can thank me now for finding the sword. If I’d left you to your devices, you’d have fisted Ned’s face before the selkie told us anything.”
His chest rumbled with his laugh behind her. “How do ye know a few punches were not what he needed to turn the blade over?”
She laughed. “You think if you pounded his face, he would have handed over the sword without resistance?”
“At that point I woulda taken it.”
“You had no idea where it was or what it looked like. You would have been SOL, my friend.”
“SOL?”
“Shit out of luck. I guess you don’t use that expression here.”
He laughed. “Nay. But I like it. I suppose it was a tense situation for a lass.”
She scoffed. “No. I have tons of experience with tense situations.”
“Whit now?”
“I’ve spent the past five years bartending and serving in New Orleans. We get all sorts of people in my family’s pub. Doing what I do, you get good at resolving conflict really quickly. There’s always some guy itching for a fight or trying his best to