Mr. Dark looked pensive. “Ah, an American! What a beautiful accent for such a beautiful lady. Forgive me for being so bold, but it doesn’t appear as if you’re currently with someone.”
Okay, so clearly I was going to have to be more assertive. “Yes, I am,” I said through gritted teeth. “My date stepped away for just a moment to take a call.”
He held his hands up. “Ah, pity. Well, at least let me get that drink for you for all the trouble I’ve caused. Then I’ll be on my way. I promise.”
“That’s really not—”
“I insist,” he interrupted as he motioned the bartender over. “What will you have?”
I decided to just accept the damn thing so he would leave me alone. “Rum and Coke.”
The bartender nodded and stepped away to mix my drink. “So, what part of America are you from Miss…?”
“Karli.”
“Karli. What a lovely name. I’m Connor.”
“Are you from around here, Connor?” I decided to deflect his questions with a set of my own. How long did it take to make a damn drink anyway?
He smiled. “I’m originally from a great distance, but I’ve been in Dublin for quite a while.”
“And what do you do for work here in Dublin?”
Before he could answer, a glass was placed in front of me. “Ah, it appears as if that’s my cue to leave.” He placed a bill on the bar to cover the expense and stepped down from his stool. “It’s been lovely, Karli. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
I turned around to reply but he had already disappeared from sight. Hmm, weird.
“Who were you talking to?” Leo growled.
I jumped when I heard his voice. “Jesus, Leo! You scared the shit out of me!” Where did he come from anyway?
“Who were you talking to?” he repeated. “I saw you talking to a man from across the room. He was gone by the time I made my way up here.”
“Just some guy wanting to buy me a drink. I told him I was with someone and he left.” Leo glared at the drink in my hand. “He wouldn’t give up until I accepted, but then he left as soon as I got it. Relax, Leo. I get hit on all the time at work. I know how to handle it.”
Reminding him that I was propositioned on a regular basis probably wasn’t the best idea, based on his expression. He forcefully grabbed the glass out of my hand and set it down on the bar. He then held my coat out for me. “Let’s go. I need to get back to the hotel.” Okay, apparently that’s the end of our evening out.
I couldn’t sleep and wound up tossing and turning for hours. My body was exhausted, but my brain wouldn’t turn off. I couldn’t get that Connor guy out of my head. Something about him was bugging me. I guess it was part of the whole enhanced psychic ability thing. Reading someone’s emotions had become so natural I often did it without trying. With him though, I didn’t get anything. He was a blank slate, which I found unnerving. If I was being entirely honest with myself, guilt was also taking up residence in my head. I hadn’t spoken to Vance since before we left. He’d called several times, but I sent them all to voicemail. I looked at the clock and decided that now was as good a time as any.
He answered on the first ring. “Karli, thank God. Are you alone?”
“Um, yeah. Why?” My question was answered when my phone beeped with his FaceTime invitation.
“Accept the invite. Please. I need to see you.”
I turned on my bedside lamp and hit the accept button. A second later, Vance’s face was taking over my screen. He looked so tired. His hair was a mess, like he had been running his hands through it, and he had several days’ worth of growth on his jaw. I caught myself tracing the stubble with my finger before I pulled away. “Hey, how’s Erica?” I was thrown off by seeing him look so worn and so I tried keeping the conversation light.
“She’s wondering, like I am, why you haven’t called me. She told me you
’re in Ireland…why you’re in Ireland. What have you found?” Well, so much for that idea.
“I haven’t found anything yet. We’ve made progress, though.”
“What kind of progress?”
“Have you heard of a group of witches that call themselves guardians?”
“I’ve heard of them,” he began, “but I think that was just a legend. Why?”