by Ann Gimpel
“I’m sorry if you think I’m being disrespectful.” Aislinn bit her lip and turned her attention back to Gwydion. “I shouldn’t let my anger sidetrack me. There are two things I want to get out on the table. The first is I was, um, conscripted by the Lemurians when it was to their benefit to make humans believe they were on our side.”
“Why would they bother?” Andraste asked. Her tone made it clear humans were of so little value, they were scarcely worth taking seriously.
“I’ve thought about that. What I came up with was they wanted to shape and mold our magic—and make certain we wouldn’t band together and use it against them.” Aislinn glanced about, but no one seemed in a hurry to shush her. “I worked closely with Metae, a highly placed Lemurian, for the better part of three years. I have some understanding of how the Old Ones think.”
“Yes.” Rune trotted to her side. His amber gaze moved from one Celt to another. “My bond mate was able to outthink the reptile scum. Her wits allowed us to escape from Taltos when they would have held us. We killed three of them.”
“I got lucky,” Aislinn muttered. “It could just as easily have gone the other way. Besides, Rune killed two of the three.”
Andraste cocked her head to one side. “How is it they did not simply link with your mind and snuff out your life?”
“Because I can shield myself against them. Besides, they have a sort of group intelligence. It’s nearly impossible for them to make decisions on their own without conferring with two or three others.”
Fionn moved to her side. “’Tis one of the things they use the dark gods for: marshaling resources and moving forward. Otherwise, they mire themselves in endless discussions. Have any of you seen or felt one of the five remaining dark ones here in Inishowen?”
“I thought there were six,” someone said.
“Aye.” Gwydion pointed his staff at Aislinn. “The lass incapacitated Slototh. He is no longer an immediate problem.”
A collective breath whooshed around the room; all eyes turned toward her. She stood straight.
“Got lucky twice, eh, lass?” A look of grudging admiration shone from Andraste’s green eyes. The goddess shoved heavy blonde hair over her shoulders. “It seems I’ve misjudged you.”
“Thank you.” Aislinn inclined her head and hurried on. Things were going so well, she wanted to make her next pitch while she had everyone’s attention. “The second thing I wanted to point out is you are overlooking a valuable ally in humans. They will be more than willing to fight alongside us and will greatly swell our ranks.”
“They doona trust us, lass,” someone said.
“No, but they’ll trust me. I rallied thousands back in the States.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Fionn kept a protective arm around Aislinn. They sat against a curved wall in the brood chamber in Dewi’s cave with dragons curled in their laps—three in his, two in hers. He didn’t know where the other three were, but assumed they were with Dewi. The council was still haggling in the far chamber, but Aislinn had been close to asleep on her feet after hours of discussion. When she’d stumbled against him for the umpteenth time, he’d excused them and led her to the relative quiet in the back of the cave system. She’d fallen asleep nearly as soon as her head slumped against his shoulder.
He stroked one of the red dragons. She pushed into his hand. The dragons had closed in once they were settled, no doubt drawn by something warmer than the sandy cave floor to lie on. The council had the seeds of a plan in place, unless something had changed since he left. Basically, everyone was going to return home, but quietly, placing invisibility wards about themselves and their manors and lands. Fionn was in full agreement with that part. If they played their cards carefully, they just might be able to run out the clock and let the younglings grow enough so they could fight, rather than needing constant protection.
The next part of the plan carved worry furrows in his brow—and fear into his soul—but Aislinn had been insistent about rallying the humans. She’d have to be sly about it so as not to alert the Lemurians or, goddess forbid, the dark gods. He had several ideas, but each had its own precarious set of pitfalls. Fionn shook his head. He was grateful she was asleep; it gave him time to think.
Rune and Bella moved toward him. He placed a finger over his lips in the universal sign for quiet. “Are they still going at it?” he asked Bella.
“Yes. They can’t figure out how to split up the baby dragons. Dewi and Nidhogg do not wish to be separated from any of them until they are old enough to defend themselves.”
Fionn didn’t blame them. After the miraculous resurrection of half the eggs, he could see why neither adult dragon wanted their young scattered hither, thither, and yon. One of the Celts—Fionn couldn’t remember whom at the moment—had asked why the other eggs couldn’t be salvaged, but Nidhogg hadn’t had an answer.
Aislinn stirred against his shoulder. “Can we go home yet?”
“Let me see if there is aught we need to know. Rune is here. Ye can lean against him.” Fionn moved the small dragons gently from his lap to Aislinn’s. The wolf nudged one that was in danger of falling off. It dug its tiny talons into his fur.
“Take care of things here,” Fionn cautioned Rune and Bella and then got to his feet. “I’ll be back soon.”
He half-jogged down the rocky path to get some circulation back into his legs and feet. It hadn’t been very comfortable sitting against the wall of the cave. That Aislinn had been able to sleep told him how exhausted she was. The sound of raised voices drew his attention.
“There you are.” Dewi pointed a foreleg at him. “I was just about to hunt you down. Are my children with you?”
“Five of them. I assumed ye had the remaining three.”
“We do,” Nidhogg’s deep voice rumbled.
“We have come to agreement”—Gwydion moved to Fionn’s side and placed a hand on his arm—“but it requires your assent.”
Fionn steeled himself for an impossible demand. He made an effort to keep his voice neutral. “Aye, and what is it ye need from me?”
Dewi nailed him with her whirling eyes. “The two choices it comes down to are Nidhogg and I remaining here with Celts guarding us round the clock, or all of us coming to stay with you.”
Fionn exhaled in a whoosh. What they were asking wasn’t nearly as impossible as he’d feared. “I doona see a problem with that.”
“There’s one more bit she dinna tell you,” Arawn said.
“Mmph. Are ye going to tell me, or keep me in suspense?”
“We picked your manor because it has the largest amount of ground surrounded by a defensible perimeter,” Gwydion said. “That being said, ye’ll need help watching for incursions from the dark and keeping a much more extensive set of wards in place than ye likely have now. Bran, Arawn, and I will come to stay with you. Ye have the space. There are rooms in that rambling manse ye’ve probably not laid eyes on for centuries.”
“I need to check with Aislinn about all of this, but I’m sure she’ll—”
“It’s fine with me.” Her sleepy voice rang from the back of the cave. She paced forward, her arms full of dragons. “I don’t see how it’s possible, but they’ve doubled in size just since I went to sleep. Ooph. Pretty soon, all I’ll be able to carry is one.”
Smoke plumed from Nidhogg’s nostrils. He lumbered toward her, bent forward, and held out his forelegs. “No. Soon, you’ll not be able to carry any of them.” He gathered the four dragons from her, nestled them next to his black-scaled chest, and then scanned the cave with his whirling green gaze. “Where is—?”
Aislinn pointed at Rune. The little black dragon was curled on his back right between the wolf’s shoulder blades. “They seem to have taken a shine to one another.”
Bella flew to Fionn and landed on his shoulder cawing. “Aye.” He murmured and reached to ruffle her feathers. “Looks like we can go home now.” He held his arms out to Aislinn. She walked into them and leaned against him.
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“What do you want to do about him?” She gestured toward the dragon asleep atop Rune.
“I’ll take him. Nidhogg’s hands are full.” Dewi plucked the little dragon from the wolf’s back. It squirmed and squealed until she bathed it with steam.
Fionn listened to the small dragon’s mental protests and laughed. “Eight of them, eh? My quiet country manor is about to turn into a three-ring circus.”
Fionn walked arm and arm with Aislinn down the third-floor hallway. They’d stopped by the kitchens and carried an assortment of edibles with them. Bella flew ahead. She pecked at the door to Fionn’s rooms. Rune had been unusually silent since leaving the dragon’s cave. Fionn knew the wolf well enough by now to understand something was bothering him.
He unlatched the door and gestured everybody through. Bella flew to her perch. Fionn set dried fruit and nuts on one of the bedside tables. He knelt and took the wolf’s head between his hands. “Are ye willing to tell us what’s troubling you?”
“I’m glad you asked, since I was just about to.” Aislinn set mead and the cook pot from earlier down on a table. She hunkered beside the wolf and stroked his fur.
“It’s nothing.” The wolf shook himself from head to tail tip, dislodging their hands. “The younglings are so vulnerable. I don’t want anything to happen to them.”
“Aye.” Fionn cocked his head to one side. “I was thinking ’twas something like that. Dragon magic is strong. The small one who spent all that time with you has already set you to do his bidding.”
“But my bond is with Aislinn,” Rune protested.
“That is but one type of bond. Dragons bind you with loyalty. They may be verra young, but the little dragons are canny. They understand they canna fend for themselves yet, so they inspire others to ensure they survive.”
“I’m not sure I like the sound of that,” Aislinn said. She stood, snatched a handful of dried apricots from the bedside table, and munched on them.
Rune whuffled softly. “I will take care not to listen to everything the little ones say. That small male is a charmer.”
“They all are. Dewi manipulated me three sides from Tuesday before I figured her out,” Aislinn said.
“Aye, and then she got far more real with you. Grab a seat. We need to talk a bit afore we rest. By the time we waken tomorrow, the others will be here.”
Aislinn pulled a chair over next to the food. Fionn was glad to see her eating. Already thin, she looked as if she’d been losing weight.
“Talk.” She gestured with one hand. “I’m so tired, my eyes are crossing.”
He straightened from his spot next to Rune, dragged a chair next to Aislinn, and sat in it. “Unless I miss my guess, we will be under attack verra soon. Are ye still determined to round up what humans ye can?”
She nodded. “They can help us. It doesn’t feel right to not give them fair warning of the firestorm that’s about to descend.”
“Bella and I saw a few humans right after we arrived,” Rune said. “So there are some close by here to start with.”
“Great!” Aislinn exclaimed and then glanced at Fionn. “Is it a safe bet they’ll have at least one of the five gifts?” He nodded. “Excellent. That will save me the time of checking each one I meet.”
“’Tis possible many work for the Old Ones, just as they did where ye came from.”
“I’d thought of that. They did a hell of a good job hornswoggling us back in the States. No reason they wouldn’t have done the same thing here.”
Rune padded over to Aislinn and said, “I should be able to figure that out.”
She fed him an apricot. “What? You can smell Lemurians on them?” The wolf grunted.
Aislinn placed a hand on Fionn’s arm. “Can we use my Seer gift like we did last time to pinpoint where to find them?”
Fionn flinched from her direct golden gaze. “Aye, we could. ’Tis far more dangerous here, though.”
“Why?”
“The Lemurians know we’re onto them. When you and I marshaled those thousands of humans, we still had the element of surprise on our side.”
“Hmph. Hadn’t thought about that angle. Do you have any better suggestions?”
“There isna much time—”
“We have a month. That’s a whole lot longer than we had in Nevada when we rounded up everyone to go after Slototh.” She let go of his arm and narrowed her eyes. “You don’t want me to do this.”
No point in lying. “Ye’re correct. I doona wish you to be at risk.”
Her golden eyes darkened to amber, so he knew she was angry. “I don’t want any of us to be at risk, but that’s not realistic. You can’t put me in a box. After a while, you wouldn’t respect me anymore. Worse, I wouldn’t respect myself for caving in to your irrational need to protect me.”
Fionn recognized truth in her words. Ashamed, he dropped his gaze. “It’s just I doona wish to lose you, lass. I have been alone forever.” He draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him, but her body was stiff and resistant.
“No.” She ducked from under his arm and turned to face him. “We can get lost in lust for each other, or we can talk. This time, we need to talk.”
“All right.” He folded his hands in his lap.
“What?” She snorted. “Back to American English. Did I upset you that much?”
He shook his head. His feelings were such a muddle, it was hard to make sense of them. He thought for a moment and then selected his words with care. “Yes. American English because I don’t want anything to creep into this conversation that might make for misunderstandings. We are all products of our environments. You have to understand that modern ways, where women are seen as equal partners in all things, are but a small part of the years I’ve lived…”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Did you like it better when we shuttled between the bedroom and kitchen attached to a ball and chain?” She drew her brows together. “What about Joan of Arc?”
“Lass, er Aislinn. Take a few deep breaths. Hear me out before you let your temper get the better of you. Can you do that?” At a tight nod from her, he went on. “Not that Joan of Arc has anything to do with us, but had she been born in current times, she would have ended up in a mental institution. She was a religious zealot. Her actions had nothing to do with her sex, but everything to do with her being burned at the stake. If she’d been a man, they would have burned him, too. You can’t imagine how bloody those times were.”
Aislinn made shooing motions with both hands. “You’re right. I don’t want to talk about her.”
He inhaled deeply. “Wise of you. Moving on, then. I was raised to revere and protect women. I love you more than life itself. It goes against the grain for me not to do everything in my power to shield you from harm.”
“Yes. I get that. What if your shielding gets in the way of me being who I am?”
Compassion nearly choked him. He swallowed around thickening in his throat. “Who would you have been if the dark gods hadn’t killed your father? Who would you have grown into if the Lemurians hadn’t taken your mother away and forced you to fight for them?”
“We’ll never know those things.” Her voice softened.
“No, we won’t.” He reached for her hands. She gave them to him. “I want to offer you a chance to have a carefree life. The life you might have had if—”
She pulled both hands free, raised one, and laid a finger over his mouth. “I can’t live like that, buried in what-ifs.” She got to her feet, stood in front of him, and balled her hands into fists at her sides. “I spent the months between when Daddy was killed and the Lemurians took Mother feeling sorry for myself. I was so mired in self-pity that it was hard to take a crap. I took long drives while there was still gasoline, hoping I’d find some little community that hadn’t been touched by Lemurians or dark gods. I was going to move Mother there so she could find a way back from madness.”
Tears welled and dripped down Aislinn’s cheeks. Fionn
reached for her, but she took a step back. “I’m not done.” She blinked furiously; a muscle twitched in her jaw. “Yeah, it’s too bad I got cheated out of my young adulthood. Nothing I can do will ever change that. I need you to love who I am”—her damp eyes flashed a challenge—“not who I could have been if I hadn’t been forced to be an adult before I was totally ready.
“So, either you help me find the humans here in Ireland—and maybe in the rest of the U.K., while we’re at it—or I’ll do it by myself.”
“You won’t be by yourself. I’ll be with you.” Rune got up, padded over, and stood by her side.
“Thank you.” She unclenched a fist and dropped a hand to rest on his head.
Point taken. Fionn’s heart swelled with love and pride. He’d gotten truly lucky. The MacLochlainn was wise as well as beautiful. “I do love you, Aislinn. I’ll help you any way I can.” He blinked back tears of his own. “If it means I only have you by my side for a short time, I’ll find a way to come to terms with it. Though, I swear I’ll throw my body—and my magic—between you and whatever threatens you. Nothing you say or do will ever drum that out of me.”
“Fionn—”
He shook his head. “Now I’m the one who isn’t quite done yet. It tore me to bitter shards inside, knowing you’d been captured by D’Chel. After listening to you, I recognize it as selfishness, but I wanted to spare myself that kind of agony again.”
“How do you suppose I felt when Dewi whisked me back to Marta’s without you?” she demanded. “And then when Gwydion and Bran showed up without any clear knowledge of where you were, or even if you were still alive? I’m not proud of this, but I wished you’d been the one to return. I wasn’t glad or joyful to see either of them.” She lowered her voice. “I should have been falling all over myself to see anyone from our side. We’ll need every single one of us, and then some, before this is over.”
He got to his feet and opened his arms. She closed the gap between them and twined her arms around him. He stood for long moments, breathing in the smell of her and reveling in the feel of her body against his. His cock swelled, but he ignored it.
