Keelin realized she was letting her insecurities get in the way of saving a life.
"Okay, what do you need me to bring?" Keelin grabbed a pencil and wrote down all of the supplies that Fiona needed. She looked down at Ronan. She didn't know how long she would be gone. She popped the door open and whistled long and low. Moments later, Flynn's dog popped over the ridge. If she had the man's phone number like modern people she would just call him, she thought sarcastically. Instead, she tied a brief note to Ronan's collar and sent him up to Flynn's dog. They raced together over the ridgeline and she hoped that Ronan would be safe. Gathering her supplies, she slipped on jeans, a simple t-shirt, and the crystal necklace that Fiona had given her. The necklace was warm against her breast and seemed to hum with energy. Good, she thought. I can use any energy that will help me. She had no idea what she was about to walk into.
Keelin hopped into her ragged truck and made her way into the village, following her hastily scrawled directions. She pulled up at a small house as Cait came out of the front door, a haggard look on her face. Seeing Keelin, she glared and stomped off.
"Cait! Wait, I want to talk to you!"
"No time to talk, I have to open the pub."
Seeing as it was fairly early in the morning hours, Keelin highly doubted that Cait needed to open the pub. Word had gotten around quickly about her date with Shane. Keelin would make it a point to go visit Cait later but for now she was needed inside.
Keelin entered the cottage. The musk of sickness hit her as she walked towards the voices in the back room. She entered a small room with a single bed tucked into a corner. The furnishings were minimal, but the linens were clean, and the coverlet had been made with care. Several people huddled over a small figure on the bed. A man turned as she walked into the room and she stopped. Keelin stared into eyes shaped like hers and flinched.
Her brother looked at her and said nothing. A small woman at his side turned and gasped. "Oh, thank you so much for coming. I don't know if Fiona can hold out much longer." She grasped Keelin's hand and pulled her past her brother, who remained silent. Fiona sat on a small chair by the bed. Her face was ashen and she held crystals in her palms as she muttered under her breath. Keelin immediately worried for her.
"Fiona. Grandma, I'm here." Keelin placed her palms on Fiona's shoulders and felt her exhaustion.
Fiona nodded, never taking her eyes off of the small boy who lay in the bed. His face was almost deathly white, a sheen of sweat across his brow, and deep gray hollows ringed his eyes. His brown hair matched his father's and when he opened his eyes, they mirrored Keelin's. This was her nephew.
"Finnegan, this is your Aunt Keelin from America. She's here to help you," Fiona said as she stroked his brow. Keelin didn't know what to say and then realized they were waiting for her to speak.
"Hi, Finnegan. So nice to finally meet you. You're looking a little down; let's get you fixed up so you can get back outside. I have a new puppy for you to meet." Keelin chattered nonsense words as her brother pulled up a chair next to the bed for her. She sat down and pulled the sack of materials onto her lap. Fiona nodded and took the sack. She moved over to the table and dumped everything out and began mixing a new broth.
Keelin turned to her. "Do you need me?" She was scared to touch Finnegan. She wasn't sure what she was dealing with yet.
"Yes. First, hold his hand and read him." Fiona asked for boiling water and poured a mixture of herbs into the bowl. Keelin leaned over Finnegan and reached for his hand. His small hand was cold in hers, and she was immediately pulled under by sensations. She could feel a deep pain, and sensed a dark residue of sorts that was attacking his nervous system. She heard Fiona tell her to pay attention to the toxin but not to remove it. Keelin forced herself to feel where the toxin was and to examine the properties of it. She tried to envision what it looked like, down to the molecular structure.
"Keelin, come here." Fiona beckoned with the small bowl.
Keelin walked over to the table and looked at the mixture Fiona had made. Fiona handed it to her.
"Smell it, taste it, and then add what is needed." Keelin almost dropped the bowl.
"I don't know what I am doing," she whispered to Fiona, standing close to her.
Fiona looked up at her. She put her hand on Keelin's necklace. Heat shot through her breast.
"Yes, you do."
Remembering Fiona's lessons on trusting her intuition and that mixing potions and healing treatments would come from within, Keelin took a deep breath and brought the image of the toxin into her head. She looked at it from all angles, felt it, and took a small sip of the healing broth her grandmother had made. Instinctively she moved towards the moss they had harvested from Grace's Cove. She added a generous portion and found herself reaching for the seaweed. She shredded fine pieces and added some finely ground silver to the mix. Thinking about taste, she asked for honey and lemon to complete the broth. Fiona nodded at her weakly.
"Go ahead, give it to him. And then use your hands. Remember what I said about directing the pain. You mustn't take it within," Fiona cautioned.
Keelin nodded. She remembered but didn't know if she knew how to do it. She just had to trust herself. She sat by Finnegan's bed and made herself comfortable, careful not to spill any of the broth from the bowl. Her hands shook as she lifted the bowl towards his small face.
"Finnegan, I have some medicine for you. If you drink this, I promise I'll bring my puppy to see you. Would you like that?" Keelin spoke softly to the sick boy.
Finnegan nodded weakly, his brown eyes huge in his face.
"Am I going to die?" he croaked out between dry lips.
"Nonsense. Just a wee bit of a fever, and this broth will help in a jiffy." Keelin prayed it was so. She could feel the amulet burning against her neck and she began to feed Finnegan the broth. As she did, ancient words rose to her lips and she recited a prayer in Gaelic. Keelin didn't know the words she spoke, yet she allowed them to come. It felt right. Slowly, Finnegan finished the broth and collapsed back on the bed, trembling.
Keelin's brother grabbed her shoulder.
"What have you done to him?" Colin pulled her off of the seat.
"Colin! No. Let her. We have nothing else. Please." His wife dragged him away. Keelin met his eyes and turned back towards Finnegan. There would be time to deal with Colin later. She sat beside Finn once again and placed her hands on his chest, near his heart. Closing her eyes, she let the sickness flood her. It was a twisted black mass. A toxin of sorts that was ravaging his small body. She visualized the broth seeping into his system, a silver stream of light and purity, and forced it to surround the black mass. Winding, dipping, and intertwining, the silver liquid slowly worked itself around the black mass and she envisioned it rolling into a ball. She focused on pulling the ball up, up, and out, and launched it out the window and into the sky, directing it towards a dying tree she saw in the yard. She heard a snap and saw a flash as a huge branch on the tree fell.
Finnegan began to cough and Keelin motioned for a bucket. The rest he could vomit out. Finnegan retched into the bucket over and over. Keelin's brother stood back, unsure of what to do. Keelin wiped Finnegan's brow as he shuddered over the bucket. Slowly, he raised his head and smiled at her. Keelin trembled as gratitude rushed through her. It was over. She ran her hands over his body but could feel no lingering sickness. Finnegan's tired eyes met hers and a flush filled his cheeks.
"Can I see the puppy now?" Keelin laughed and kissed his brow. Finnegan's mother rushed to his side, weeping as she rocked him. Keelin straightened and turned to face her brother.
"I'm sorry. I'm, I just. He's all I have." Colin brushed past Keelin and hugged Finnegan.
A wave of exhaustion hit her and she steadied herself on the table. She looked to see Fiona dozing in her chair. There was no way that Fiona would be able to drive home. Keelin wasn't certain she would be able to either.
"We need to go. Can you drive us home?" Keelin asked Colin. He broke aw
ay from Finnegan.
"Of course. I'm indebted to you," Colin said stiffly. They gathered their herbs and gently led Fiona to the car. She promptly fell asleep in the back seat and Keelin looked at her with worry.
"I, um, think she'll be okay. I've heard this happens after a serious healing," Colin said.
Keelin was surprised that he knew about Fiona but then figured she shouldn't be. It seemed to be common knowledge in the village, yet was something that wasn't openly discussed.
"Thanks for the ride; we can come get our cars in the morning," Keelin said as she rested her head against the window.
"If you give me the keys, I can have them driven out for you," Colin said stiffly.
Keelin nodded, too tired to speak.
"Thank you. I don't know what it is you do, but thank you for saving my son. Your nephew. God, your nephew. I'm sorry that I haven't come to see you. I should have. I should have reached out to you. I knew you didn't know about me. I just, I've always hated you," Colin said. He kept his eyes carefully on the road.
Startled, Keelin raised her head. "Hated me? Why? What did I do?"
"I guess it wasn't you. It was the thought of you. The whole village knew that your mum was Dad's one true love. He never quite got over her and though he loved my mother, it wasn't the same. I always knew that you came first even though he never spoke of you. Aislinn and I spent our whole lives trying to live up to you. And now, here you are."
Keelin was shocked. This was too much to handle. She started to laugh. Hysterical giggles built up and she couldn't keep them quiet. Soon she was sputtering in her seat.
Colin's mouth quirked. He eyed her from the driver's seat.
"You think that's funny?"
"I, no, I, well, yes. Yes, I do. God. Oh, so stupid." Keelin wiped tears from her face. "My whole life I've always wanted a brother or sister. Anything. Siblings. And here I had them all along and they hated me! Just like normal siblings do."
Colin burst out laughing.
"Yes, I suppose you could call it a sibling rivalry of sorts. And since you saved my son, I'm likely to turn a corner and start anew. Will you come for dinner sometime this week?"
Keelin recognized an olive branch when she saw it. Eager for the connection, and the family, she reached out and touched his arm.
"Of course; I have to bring Ronan to meet Finnegan."
Colin smiled. They had reached the cottage and they woke up a gently snoring Fiona and brought her to her bed.
"It's okay, I can take it from here." Colin nodded and, giving her an awkward hug, said he would call her this week.
Keelin stripped Fiona down and tucked her in. She ran her hands over Fiona's forehead and down to her chest. Closing her eyes, she felt for the sickness. She sensed an exhaustion that mirrored her own but nothing so serious that it would harm Fiona for long. Satisfied, Keelin pulled the sheets over her and left her a pitcher of water and some brown bread by the table.
Keelin was exhausted, and starving. She rustled around in the kitchen and procured a rasher of cold bacon and a blueberry scone. She wrapped it in a towel and went outside to sit by the side of the house. She needed to sit in the sun and reenergize. She leaned her back against the warm stones of the house and faced the cove. Her necklace pulsed. Keelin was too tired to think about what it meant but she looked down and could swear the sun hit the crystal at just the right angle to make it shine with a hint of blue. Blue lights everywhere, she thought, slightly delirious. Keelin polished off her food and leaned back, letting the warmth slide over her skin. She quickly dropped into sleep.
Flynn found her there, propped up against the cottage, a small smile on her face as she slept. He watched her breasts rise gently under the t-shirt she wore and the way the sun shone in the hair that curled over her shoulder. Ronan squirmed in his arms. Flynn had an irresistible urge to pick her up and carry her home with him. He wanted her in his bed. He wanted her in his home. He wanted to protect her and challenge her at the same time. He had never met someone who had so infuriated him yet enticed him at the same time. He put Ronan on the ground and let the puppy run to her, and watched as he climbed in her lap and licked her awake with kisses.
Keelin awoke with a laugh as Ronan covered her face with happy kisses.
"Hi, buddy, I was going to come get you." She shaded her eyes as a shadow fell over her and she looked up at Flynn.
"Hey, thanks for bringing him back."
"No problem. I was somewhat concerned when I saw him racing over the hills with Teagan. Thanks for tying a note to his collar. How is the little boy?"
Flynn stretched out next to her, leaned against the cottage, and bumped shoulders with her. It was comfortable, sitting here in the sun with him. She wondered how comfortable he would be if he knew just what she was. She let out a half laugh. She didn't even know what she was. But, she was learning.
"Rough morning?" Flynn asked.
"Yes, I met my brother." Keelin decided to skip over the healing stuff. She was too raw from seeing the disease zip out of Finnegan and snap a branch off the tree. Her mind couldn't wrap itself around the how and why of it and that made her nervous. She liked things that added up neatly and made sense. A secret part of her thrilled to the knowledge that she held this power. Not that it went to her head, but it was tremendously rewarding to know she could really make a difference.
"How'd that go? Um, I've heard, well. Things." Flynn cleared his throat.
"Let me guess, you've heard that he hates me? Yeah, he told me."
"He did? Wow, he's grown even surlier than he used to be."
"It's okay. I get it. Kind of. We muddled our way through it. I'm going to dinner at his house this week and maybe we can get to know each other a little. I need to go meet my sister. I feel like she’s avoiding me.”
"Ah, Aislinn. She's an artistic soul. Quiet. Her head is in the clouds most days but her art is beautiful. I think you'll find a better reception there."
Keelin nodded. She didn't know what to say. Here she was sitting in the sun with a man that made her want to do things that were probably illegal in this country and she spoke of family that she had never known she had. Not to mention the absurdity of her morning in flexing her healing powers. She needed to go inside and take a nap before she did something stupid. Like curl up in Flynn's lap and nuzzle into his neck.
Opting for safety, Keelin stretched and stood.
"Thank you for bringing Ronan back. I really need to go lie down for a small nap and check on Fiona."
Flynn smiled up at her disarmingly. His dimples flashed and he looked almost boyish.
"Don't forget about Saturday. I'm holding you to it." Flynn stood up and stepped close, invading her space. Keelin took an involuntary step backward. Flynn brushed her cheek with his hand and whistled to Teagan. Together, they strode across the hill, looking like an Irish painting. The way he moved was very "Lord of the Manor."
Keelin watched him go with a small sigh. She'd think about Saturday another time. For now, she needed to rest and then wanted to head into the village and talk to Cait. She hoped Colin would bring her car back soon.
Chapter 15
The sound of pans clattering in the sink woke her and Keelin stretched. The light shone warm through the windows and she checked her phone. It was mid-afternoon, yet the early morning seemed like days ago. Keelin rose and followed the noises into the kitchen.
Fiona stood at the sink, carefully washing the healing dishes that she had used earlier that day. A cup of tea steamed at her side and color had returned to her cheeks. She turned and smiled at Keelin.
"I'm so proud of you. You did good by Finnegan." Fiona walked over to embrace Keelin. Keelin smiled down into the old woman's hair and let her hold her for a moment longer.
"Thank you. I truly had no idea what I was doing." Keelin grabbed a second cup and poured herself some black tea. She blew on the cup as she settled at the table.
"Oh, I think you know more than you realize. You did a wonderful job of
redirecting the illness."
"What was it? All I could see was this black twisty shape. It seemed to be invading his system."
"They think that he got into some of the poison they use to kill the rodents in the stables. It is quick acting and the chemist in town had nothing to reverse it. He had already vomited profusely but I believe that it had moved past that and was attacking his nervous system." Fiona shook her head at how close Finn had been to death.
"How do you know? How do you know what is the right thing to do? I was so scared," Keelin admitted.
"It is scary. Terrifying. You never know if you can do it or not. You have to tell people that too. All you can say is that you will try to help. There is never a guarantee. On anything, really." Fiona lifted her shoulders and let them fall. "I wish that I could give you a more definitive answer."
"What happened when I directed it out of the house? How could it have hit the tree? How could it, um, I don't know, become physical like that? What if I had hit someone outside?"
Fiona sighed. She moved to the table and sat down, looking into Keelin's face.
"I wish that I could truly tell you the science behind it, yet there is nothing that supports this. Trust me, I've looked. The old ways will tell you that as long as you direct it towards an inanimate object and your intentions are to dissolve it – not to harm another – it should be okay. I've had a few humdingers when I've directed it outside of windows, but I've yet to hit another person with it. You can tell it where to go, you know. If you have little to no place to direct it – send it up the chimney and out. Things like that. You can read through one of my books later on and learn a bit more about it."
"You realize that this is like, bat-shit crazy, right? I just can't get over this," Keelin blurted out.
"Keelin O'Brien. Do not use such language." Fiona eyed her. "And yes, it is crazy. Crazy beautiful though. This is the best gift. And the worst. You'll walk a fine line with this your whole life. Not all will be able to accept you. Be careful with whom you share your secrets. There is a difference between "dotty old woman who mixes up some healing tinctures" and "lay your hands upon someone and heal them." Know that. Understand that. This is nothing to mess with and you can easily be persecuted if the wrong group of people decides to judge you."
The Mystic Cove Series Boxed Set (Wild Irish Books 1-4) Page 11
