by Mary Swift
As soon as the door closed he asked the question. “Are you controlling her?”
Maeve looked at him over a cup of steaming hot tea. She moved so that her robe slipped off of her shoulder, exposing her breast. “What makes you say that?”
“There was a spell in Firesea to make mortals do what you want. Are you using it?”
“What do you care?”
“I don’t.”
“Good.” She took another sip of tea.
“Did you use the spell on Nora?”
“Nora is immune to spells cast by Firesea enchanters.”
“How is that possible?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care. She’s on a train to Chilton and with any luck I’ll never see her again. I want to talk about Killian.” She sauntered across the room and sat on the bed.
“He’s still alive I take it.”
She traced her finger across his chest. “Yes. Did you know my marriage to Devin would have guaranteed me a place on the council? And the largest house in the circle? And more wealth than I could have ever imagined? Then your mother had to get pregnant with Killian and my life was ruined.”
“Mine too.”
“I had to marry a second class enchanter. When you sent Killian away I rejoiced. But that isn’t enough anymore, I want him to suffer as I have, and he will.” She began breathing heavily. She pulled the blanket away.
“Do you see Killian often?”
“You saw him yourself last night.” She started kissing his neck.
“What?” He pushed her away.
“You need to learn how to do two things at once.” she said. “He was here last night. The redhead.”
“Lucy’s father? No, that can’t be him. Killian has brown hair. I know I haven’t seen him in thirty years but I can’t imagine that his hair would have turned that color.”
“You have been among the mortals much too long. The red hair is a spell. I assure you it’s him.” She climbed on top of him.
“But-” Finnegan could not believe that was Killian. They had been just a few feet away from each other. And Lucy, she was his niece. He had admired her spirit.
Maeve pinned his arms against the headboard. “I’ve waited a long time for someone like you to come along. Together we can make him pay for what he’s done to us.”
Chapter 34
You shouldn’t have let Mrs. Gavrashelli go.” Lucy said as she put her coat on.
“I had no right to ask her to stay.” Killian put a hat over the butchered haircut Maeve had given him.
“We could have protected her.”
“Why are you so interested in her?”
“Daddy, I wasn’t thinking of myself, I was thinking of you.” She put a hand on his shoulder and looked up at him with her deep brown eyes. “I just want you to be happy.”
Raising a daughter had always had its challenges, but this was the first time Lucy had taken notice of his interest in a woman. “You’re not a little girl anymore are you?”
“No. Are you sorry?”
“Of course not. But why don’t you focus on your own heart and not mine.”
She made a face. “What’s the point? All of the boys in this town, enchanters and mortals, are dreadful.”
“You don’t know how much that warms a father’s heart to hear. Ready to go?”
“Yes. I’m excited about this.”
He was going to visit a mortal barber shop for the first time and he was dreadfully nervous. They left the house and locked the door behind them. Across the street he heard the cafe door open. Finnegan Murphy stepped outside. He looked at Killian and Lucy and jogged across the road. “Good morning. Lucy wasn’t it? I’m afraid I didn’t find out your last name.”
Lucy started to speak but Killian interrupted her. “It’s Miss Lucy Cramer. I’m her father Killian.”
“Finnegan Murphy.” They shook hands and Killian knew at once that Nora’s suspicions were right, he was an enchanter. He was struck by the color of Finnegan’s eyes which he hadn’t noticed the night he was freed from Maeve’s coal cellar. Nora was right again, they were the same shade of green as his.
“We are sorry Mrs. Gavrashelli left town so suddenly.” Lucy said.
“Yes, well I’m afraid Nora is a bit flighty. She never could make up her mind.” Finnegan said with a smirk.
“Perhaps she was frightened away.” Killian said coldly. “I would be careful of staying there.” He looked at the cafe.
“I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Finnegan said.
“Are you staying in town for long?” Lucy asked.
“I am. I grew up not too far from here.” He gave Killian a strange look. “Your hair is really red.”
Killian felt himself getting angry. This guy was annoying him and now he had the nerve to mention his hair. It was strange that he didn’t feel shy around him, just irritated.
“We should get going.” Lucy said. “It was nice to see you Mr. Murphy.”
“Perhaps you could show me around town sometime.” he said to Lucy.
Killian couldn’t believe his ears. What was he implying? “My daughter and I would be happy to show you the points of interest anytime.”
Finnegan gave them a nervous laugh. “Mr. Cramer, how can you find the time to take a tourist about town? You must be very busy. What do you do?”
“I don’t do anything, I’m an enchanter.”
“Oh.” He looked up at Killian’s house. “You live outside of the circle?”
“I’m sure Maeve has told you all about me.”
“She may have mentioned something.” Finnegan mumbled.
“We have to go.” Killian said. He was becoming tired of this pointless conversation.
“By all means don’t let me keep you.” Finnegan said.
Lucy took Killian’s arm and they began walking towards the barber shop. “Mrs. Gavrashelli was right, he has eyes just like yours. Maybe you’re from the same place. You should ask him about it.”
Killian looked over his shoulder as Finnegan watched them walk away. He was positive that they had met once before. He wished he could remember where and when that was. A few minutes later Killian was in the dreaded barber’s chair while a wizened old man fixed the mess Maeve had made.
“I haven’t cut red hair in a long time. I’ve been hoping you would come in here someday.” the man said chewing on his gums.
Killian didn’t say anything. He endured further unwelcome comments about his hair’s bright color while the old man chopped away at it.
The barber put his scissors down. “What do you think?”
Killian looked in the mirror, he had never seen his hair so short. “It’s fine thank you.” He paid the barber with some mortal money he had created that morning.
“Thanks.” the old man said as he stuffed the money in his pocket. “I guess I’ll be seeing you again. Unless you’re going to let it grow long again like a girl.”
“I don’t know yet.” Killian answered.
As they left the shop Lucy was giggling. “You were squirming in there.”
“You know how I feel about my hair.” he said stiffly.
“I know.” As they walked down the sidewalk the mortals stared at him. “You look really handsome Daddy.”
“No I don’t.”
“I’ve seen several ladies taking in your new look. You should talk to them more.”
“You know I am not good at talking to people.”
“You didn’t seem to have any problems with Mrs. Gavrashelli. I’ve never seen you kiss a woman before.”
His face turned bright red.
Chapter 35
“What did you think of your little brother?” Maeve and Finnegan were eating dinner in her room. She leaned back in her chair and watched him. Fate had brought him to her, for once she was getting a break.
“I don’t know. I only talked with him for a couple of minutes.” Finnegan took a sip of wine. “I can’t get over his hair. I almost felt bad for him.”
&
nbsp; “I told you that was the spell of his foolish ex-wife.”
“I know.”
“Now that he and the girl are free from the circle they are vulnerable, especially her.” Maeve poked at her dinner with her fork. “That pen can only do so much.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“I want you to get to know her. Befriend her.”
“Her father won’t like that, he got upset when I suggested that she show me around town.”
“Forget about him.” Maeve said. “A young girl is easy to manipulate.”
Finnegan put his fork down. “Do you mean to turn her against Killian?”
“No Finnegan, I mean for you to take Lucy away from Killian. He took everything from me, now I’m going to do the same to him.”
“What am I supposed to do with her?”
“Do I really have to tell you? She’s of no use to either of us, dispose of her.”
Finnegan stared at her in disbelief. “You don’t want me to kill her do you?”
“Of course I want you to kill her, what other option do we have?”
“But she’s my niece.”
“If it offends your sensibility you can bring her to me and I’ll do it. I have no sentimentality. I can’t rest until I see Killian suffer as I have. I thought you felt the same way.”
“I do.” he stammered.
“Then you have to be willing to get your hands dirty. And if you don’t cooperate I’ll be forced to tell Killian who you really are and what you did to him. He’ll know he was sent away because of a jealous little mama’s boy.”
“That’s blackmail.”
“Oh you are a lawyer aren’t you? It’s your choice Finnegan.”
He put his head in his hands. “Just tell me what to do.”
Chapter 36
Dante’s things had been in the attic since he died. Now the boxes were lined up in the parlor of Nora’s house. These crates were holding her back. They were keeping Dante alive in her mind. She was never going to move forward if she didn’t face what was inside.
She had admitted things to Killian that she had only kept to herself, her frustrations with Dante and her doubts about the longevity of her marriage. She couldn’t believe she had shared her innermost feelings with a stranger. But Killian didn’t seem like a stranger to her, being with him felt natural.
“Thinking about Killian isn’t getting this done Nora.” she said to herself.
She lifted the lid on the crate closest to her. It was full of Dante’s favorite books. She picked one up and opened the cover. Written inside in his small italic hand was the usual inscription, Property of Dante Gavrashelli.
She looked through a few of the other books and then put them on the shelves. As the crate emptied she felt a sense of relief. It was just one box, but it was done. She set the crate aside and opened another. On the top was one of Dante’s notebooks that he used to write poetry in. She started to pick it up when she heard a knock on the front door.
She went into the hallway and opened the door, Tom was on the other side. “I heard someone was back in town.” he said grinning.
“Oh God Tom, I’m so happy to see you.” She hugged him. “Come in.”
He followed her into the parlor and frowned. “What is all of this?”
“Dante’s things. I’m going through them.”
Tom took out a cigarette and lit it. “I thought you were getting a fresh start in Wildbush. Your letter sounded like you were enjoying yourself. What are you doing back here so soon? What’s changed?”
“Everything’s changed. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s complicated.”
“Something must have happened in that dinky little town. What was it?”
“You won’t believe me.”
“Are you planning on making something up?”
“No.” She sat in a chair by the empty fireplace. Tom sat nearby. He took a puff on his cigarette and waited for her to speak.
“I don’t know how to begin.” She shifted her weight and felt an ache in her side where Maeve had stabbed her.
“I’ve got nothing better to do. Tell me everything.”
She thought back to the day she arrived at the Wildbush train station. “Things really began when I saw a redheaded enchanter.”
Chapter 37
It seemed that everywhere Killian went Finnegan was suddenly standing next to him or in front of him or behind him. It was irritating. Everyone knew Finnegan was sleeping with Maeve. Wildbush was a small town, gossip was a spectator sport practiced by the mortals and the enchanters alike.
“Cramer.”
Killian looked over the shelves in Wildbush’s only bookstore. Finnegan was standing a few feet away grinning. “I’d prefer it if you called me Mr. Cramer or Killian.”
“Sure Killian, it’s kind of an unusual name.”
Killian pretended to be reading the spines on the books, maybe Finnegan would just go away.
“What are you doing?”
“Looking at books.” Killian said letting a trace of annoyance slip into his voice.
“How’s your daughter?” Finnegan asked. He obviously didn’t get the hint.
“Fine.”
“What is she doing for the summer?”
“Exactly what is your interest in my daughter?”
“She was the first person I met when I came to town. Nora spoke very highly of her. I just thought-“
“Thought what?”
Finnegan bit his lip. A woman in the other aisle was watching the two of them with interest. “No need to cause a scene.” Finnegan whispered. “I’m just trying to make friends.”
“I thought you practiced law in Chilton. Aren’t they missing you?”
“Something tells me Killian that you don’t like me.”
“I’m a very private person Mr. Murphy.”
“It’s Finnegan.” He smirked and Killian found himself getting irritated again. “As I’ve told you I’m interested in making friends. Perhaps we can meet at the cafe sometime and you can tell me a little bit about Wildbush.”
“I thought you said you grew up in this area. I would imagine that you already know.”
“I should have made it clear; my hometown is north of here.”
“Oh.” Killian took a deep breath, he had to ask. “Why are your eyes so green? They are like mine.”
Finnegan laughed nervously. “What are you suggesting?”
“I’m not suggesting anything. I’m merely asking. My eye color is very unusual here. Are we from the same place?”
Finnegan laughed again. “How should I know?”
“You’re left handed as well.”
“So?”
“That’s also unusual here.”
“Then Wildbush is an unusual town. Those things are quite common in the mortal world.”
Killian didn’t say anything. That could be true.
“Do you have any other questions for me?” Finnegan asked. He spoke with a mocking tone. Killian felt the urge to punch him.
“Why are you sleeping with Maeve?”
The woman in the next aisle leaned forward. She was obviously anxious to hear the answer.
“I don’t think that’s any of your business Killian.”
“I’d sleep with the lights on if I were you.” Killian told him. “She’ll do anything to hurt me.”
“You have quite an imagination.”
Killian had one more question for Finnegan. “Do you know who my father is?”
Finnegan’s expression changed. “What?”
“Maeve told me that I was just like my father. Do you know who that is?”
“I don’t know anything about you.”
Killian knew he was lying but he didn’t know what else to ask and the mortals in the bookstore were staring at him. They had probably never heard him say so many words in public.
“So I guess I’ll get going.” Finnegan said.
“Are you afraid you might accidently answer my question?”
>
“I told you I don’t know anything about you.”
“If you say so Finn.”
Finnegan’s face became pale. “It’s Finnegan, no one calls me Finn.” He turned and left the store.
Killian started to leave when he spotted a mortal history book for Lucy. It would be helpful for her to read it before she entered high school. He took it to the counter where Rodney Perks was staring at him.
“Uh, I’d like to purchase this.” Killian said.
Rodney picked up the book and frowned. “I didn’t know you could talk so much.”
Killian took some money from his pocket and handed it to him. He went outside, Finnegan was nowhere to be seen.
Chapter 38
Tom began to laugh. “Have you considered a writing career Nora?”
“It’s not funny Tom.”
“Do you realize what you’re saying? You’re enchanted? Come on.”
“I know how it sounds but that’s what happened.”
“You’ve never met an enchanter before you went to Wildbush. And even if you had, why would they enchant you of all people? It doesn’t make sense.”
“I don’t know.” Nora put her head in her hands. “I wish I hadn’t told you.”
“Nora I’m not making fun of you but think about it, if I had told you this story you would have had a hard time believing it.”
Nora didn’t answer him. He was right, she wouldn’t have believed him.
“Did you call the police? This woman should be in prison for what she’s done.” Tom said.
“No. Killian said enchanters never call the mortal police.”
“You’re not an enchanter Nora.”
“I know, it’s just that-“ She sighed. “I don’t know anything anymore Tom.”
“Whatever happened up there, it’s behind you now.” Tom said gently. “I’m sure this red haired guy was mistaken.”
