Bedeviled by Maureen Child Read Free Book Online Page B

Sheba come out from under the table and—”
    “Go to bed, honey.” Maggie sounded tired now, and Culhane felt a moment’s sympathy for her. He had been waiting an eternity for this night. She was waking up to a world she’d never suspected existed. He must give her enough time to become used to the idea. To come to see that she was indeed destined to lead.
    It would require patience. Diligence. Tolerance.
    “Who’s Mab?” Maggie’s gaze was on his as if she were attempting to stare directly into his brain and pluck out the answer for herself.
    “I know!” Eileen called out from the stairway. “I was trying to tell you before that I looked up Fae on the Internet, and on Wikipedia it has all kinds of great information, and I was reading up on the warriors and all of that stuff—”
    Culhane sighed. He’d never been fond of children, and this one in particular, though brave, seemed to constantly be interrupting. Did no one teach children to be quiet anymore?
    Maggie grunted, shoved the heavy dog to one side and turned to glare over the top of the couch. “Hey, information girl, you know you’re not supposed to go on the Internet unless I’m around.”
    “Please. Mom is soooo overdoing the whole look-out-for-child-molesters-on-the-Internet thing. I’m not an idiot, you know.”
    Culhane rolled his eyes and waited—as he had all day. Already it seemed as if this day had lasted an aeon. If this was the hope of the Otherworld, then his people were in for a disappointment. The woman’s mind couldn’t stay focused on any one thing for longer than a heartbeat.
    “Not an idiot, but still a kid.”
    “Teenager—”
    “Not yet.” Maggie had a tight grip on the couch, but even so, her legs lifted off the cushion a bit. “Besides, you know the rules.”
    Eileen gave a dramatic sigh and pouted for good measure. “Yes, but this was an emergency, and we needed information—and you should be grateful, because I found out about Mab and about him .“ She stabbed her index finger at Culhane.
    He didn’t want the girl telling Maggie anything until she’d heard it from him. Besides, who knew what this Wikipedia was saying about him and his people?
    “Want me to tell your mom?” Maggie smiled.
    Eileen huffed out a breath. “That’s just mean,” she said as she started up the zigzag stairs again, clearly realizing she’d been beaten. Her head was down, shoulders slumped, and as her bare feet clomped up the ridiculous flight of steps, she muttered under her breath.
    “If you’re finished . . .” Culhane shifted his gaze from the now empty hallway to the woman glowering at him.
    “Oh, excuse me,” she snapped, not actually asking pardon at all. “Have you been put out? Are you having a bad day? Feeling crabby now, are you? I’m so sorry to hear it.”
    “We have—”
    “Not your turn yet,” she said, and groaned when the dog threw herself across her lap again. “You will never, ever do that to my niece again; you understand me?”
    His insides rippled with anger, and power tingled through his system. To be dressed down by a woman who was younger than him by centuries was more annoying than he could say. Culhane lifted his head, squared his shoulders and looked down at her with all the fierceness of his bloodlines. “I will do—”
    “Nothing to her,” she interrupted. “Ever.” The dog whimpered, and Maggie grunted and groaned as she shoved the hairy beast onto the couch cushions. Standing up, she folded her arms beneath her breasts, tossed her hair back and warned him, “You do anything to her again and I’ll . . .” She paused, tipped her head to one side while she thought about it, then sighed. “Fine. Can’t come up with a good threat, so never mind. My point is, Eileen’s not a part of this . . . whatever the hell it is, and you’re going to leave her alone, got it?”
    His anger at the insult of her tone was immediate and instinctive, but not permanent. It couldn’t be. He needed