A Shift in the Air
Page 24
Cade, Mara, Liam, and Caitlin spent two weeks with Farren. Caitlin had to file paperwork with the local Garda office to prove Caitlin Brannigan hadn’t died eleven years ago, and a new passport arrived by courier, expedited by a friend of Farren’s late mother.
Farren and her two remaining wolves put on a good front, but Colin and Abagail hadn’t been found. They’d either perished, or they fled so far away that Caitlin’s charms couldn’t locate them. The loss weighed on Farren, and she offered to release Tierney and Ewan to a pack outside of Dublin if they chose. Ewan went to visit, but Tierney took offense that Farren would even think he’d want to leave and sulked for three days before apologizing.
Liam’s injuries faded to memories, though he would probably limp for the rest of his life. His wolf’s gait loped a bit now as well, but he insisted he felt fine.
The only lasting fears Caitlin had surrounded Mara. The water elemental had lost her vibrant energy, even after days of rest and freshly cleansed and recharged quartz surrounding her bed. Caitlin spent hours with Farren’s laptop and the book, but only one decent reference for ancient Gaelic existed online, and so far, she’d managed to translate only half a dozen pages. None of which made any sense. Still, she’d vowed not to give up.
“Caitlin?” Mara knocked and poked her head around the door.
“Come on in.” Caitlin sat on the bed with a notebook in front of her, sketching out new runes she hoped would quell Mara’s fire on her bad days. “You look better.”
Mara nodded. “I feel stronger today. But…I wanted to talk to you about what happened up on the cliffs. Between your mating and me…not feeling well, we haven’t had the chance.”
“You mean when you sent fire and water after Fergus.” Though Liam knew Caitlin’s fears, they hadn’t shared them with anyone else, and until Caitlin could translate more of the book, they didn’t think they should.
“I wanted to apologize. You could have been killed. I don’t have a lot of control over my elements right now.”
“We needed your power—and it worked.” Caitlin offered her a warm smile. “I’m trying to—“
Mara stopped her with a hand on her arm. “This lack of control isn’t all due to Katerina’s element. At least, I don’t think so.” She looked down at her stomach and a hint of a smile tugged at her lips. “I’m pregnant.”
“Oh. Oh! That’s wonderful!”
Fear, pride, and love warred across Mara’s features. “I think…she—or he—is helping me. I’m probably six weeks along, which means I was pregnant when we fought Fergus. But I don’t know what that means for the baby or me. Carrying two elements inside me…how will that affect my child? I’m terrified.” Her voice cracked under the strain and she reached for Caitlin’s hand. “The fire isn’t painful. Not right now. More…like an itch I can’t scratch. Katerina’s element is pushing against my water. I hear a song when I use my element. Do you?”
Caitlin nodded.
“My song is off-key. The quartz helps. You can’t imagine how much better I feel when I hold the crystal you inscribed for me. Even the morning sickness fades.” She chuckled and rubbed her still-flat stomach. “But I’m scared what will happen if I have to use my fire again. When I tried to hurt Fergus on the cliffs, I didn’t want to stop. Burning him…gave me a thrill. And a small part of me wants that feeling again.”
Caitlin pulled Mara into a hug. “I won’t let what happened to Fergus happen to you. I promise.”
“What if you don’t have a choice?”
“Mara?” Caitlin pulled away to search Mara’s gaze. Her bright green eyes sparkled in the sunlight spilling into the room. Tears lined her lower lashes. “What?”
“The page you translated yesterday. The one you shared at dinner. I…think I know what it means.”
Caitlin flipped through her notebook and read the words aloud. “Fire carves a path of destruction. Water erodes strength. Air steals resolve, and earth crushes hope. Together, they spell the end of everything.” She frowned. “We know we can’t allow all four elements to coexist. That’s not a danger.”
“Isn’t it? Caitlin, you give me your air when I feel the worst. And it helps me. What if one day, I take too much? Or…if I find an earth elemental and—”
“Stop that right now. I know how to protect myself from losing my element again. You’re not a danger to me, Mara. I’d bet my life on that.” She surged forward and enveloped Mara in a hug, rubbing her back and fighting not to send more of her air to soothe the fire.
The two women stayed locked together until Mara stopped shaking. “I hope you’re right. Because I’m depending on you, Caitlin. So is Cade. And our baby.”
As Mara slipped out of the room, Caitlin stroked the amber winking at her from the leather cuff, drawing strength from the ancient resin’s warmth. She’d find a way to save Mara.
She had to.
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