by Jodi McIsaac
“He’s gone off on his own,” she growled. “He shut the door right in my face. Stupid, heroic, I-can-do-everything-myself-I-don’t-need-any-help… god!”
“Give him a break,” Felix said. “He’s just trying to keep you safe.”
“Yeah, but who’s going to keep him safe while he’s traipsing around Tír na nÓg with the whole Council after him?”
“Well, they’re not exactly after him, since they don’t know that he’s here,” Felix pointed out. Cedar felt like punching him. He grinned at her, which was infuriating. “You know that stubborn pigheadedness is exactly what he admires in you, right?”
“Ha ha ha,” Cedar said, narrowing her eyes at him. “It just so happens that I have a better idea for finding Nevan than running pell-mell around Tír na nÓg with no idea where to look.”
“Oh?”
“Eden!” she called, and Eden started wobbling her way back along the branch. “We don’t have to go through the sidhe to see what’s on the other side,” she explained to Felix. “We can look in all kinds of places without sticking our necks out, so to speak.”
“But only places that Eden has seen before,” Felix said.
“Yes, there is that,” Cedar admitted. “I wish I had taken her on a bit of a tour before we left.…”
“Nevan showed me around while you and Daddy were at the meeting,” Eden said, hopping up and down in place. “I know lots of places. I bet I even know where she’s hiding.”
“Really?” Cedar asked.
“Uh huh. She showed me some of her favorite places,” Eden said.
Cedar was moved. She was so used to being the only person to care for Eden besides Maeve, who was now dead. To know that Eden was loved by so many people was a strange and wonderful thing.
“Where did she take you?” she asked her daughter.
“Lots of places,” Eden said. “Um… there was one that used to be an orchard, with tons of trees, but there was no fruit on them anymore. And then we went to this big rocky place, but the rocks were all red and purple. It was really pretty. But I think my favorite place was the cave.”
“The cave?” Felix asked sharply.
Eden nodded. “It was amazing! It was this underwater cave, but there’s no water in it now. She carried me so that I wouldn’t get my shoes all muddy. It’s hard to see the entrance, but once you’re inside it’s totally cool. All different colors and sparkly. And there are these little tunnels you can follow.”
Cedar looked at Felix. “Do you know what she’s talking about?”
“Yes,” he said. “I’ve been there, but only once, back when we were still fighting Lorcan. He had just imprisoned Nevan’s family and was looking for her. We hid there for three days. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s where she is now.”
“Okay,” Cedar said. “Let’s find out. Eden, try and open the sidh inside the cave, away from the opening.”
“I know, Mum,” Eden said, rolling her eyes. She placed her hand on the tree truck. Through the shimmering cloud of the sidh there was darkness, but Cedar could make out the glittering pink and yellow and orange of the cave’s walls.
“Stay here with Felix,” Cedar told Eden. “But if I make this symbol”—she made her hands into fists and crossed them in the air—“close the sidh immediately, do you understand?” Eden nodded.
“Wait just a minute, weren’t you just complaining about Finn leaving you behind as he rushed into danger?” Felix protested, grabbing her arm.
“Yes, but someone needs to stay here to protect Eden, and we both know that you’re better equipped to do that than I am. And Finn doesn’t have a sidh he can escape through,” Cedar said, yanking her arm away. “So the situations are totally different. I’ll be right back, hopefully with Nevan.”
She stepped through the doorway and felt the cool, damp air of the cave hit her skin. She stood still for a moment, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. The cave was larger than she’d expected. She could stand comfortably, and the glittering walls lent the place a peaceful, magical feeling. She could make out dark shapes toward the back of the cave, which must be the entrances to the tunnels Eden had mentioned. She looked behind her and could just barely make out the dim light of the entrance. Eden had placed the sidh well.
Suddenly she heard a voice in her head. Cedar? Is that you?
“Are you here? It’s just me, you can come out,” Cedar said softly. She didn’t hear any footsteps, but Nevan’s figure became more and more distinct as she slowly approached Cedar from the back of the cave.
“Come on, let’s get you out of here,” Cedar said, reaching for Nevan’s hand.
“I can’t. I can’t leave,” Nevan said out loud as she got closer. Cedar frowned. Nevan’s eyes were red, and her usually bright smile had been replaced by a grim line.
“Why not?” Cedar asked. “Are you okay?”
“Because once the others have been released, they’ll come looking for me. I’ve sent them messages to meet here when they can. If I’m gone, they’ll think I’ve been taken.”
“Can’t you just send them another message telling them you’ve gone somewhere safe?”
“This is safe—” Nevan said, though her eyes were filled with fear.
Her words were cut short by a rustling sound near the front of the cave. Cedar looked back at the sidh in alarm, ready to push Nevan through at the first sign of trouble. Felix and Eden were on the other side, looking at her. She shook her head slightly. Not yet. Cedar grabbed Nevan’s hand and held still. Another rustle… like the sound of wings. Then two tiny birds swooped in over their heads. Nevan screamed and gripped Cedar’s hand tighter. A second later, Finn and Riona were standing beside them.
“How did you get here?” Finn demanded, staring at Cedar. She glared at him and then indicated the sidh, as though the answer should be obvious. He looked momentarily stunned. “Ahh…,” he said. “I hadn’t thought about that.”
Riona pulled Nevan in for a tight hug. “Are you all right, dear? We’ve been getting your messages, and you sounded so afraid.”
“I am afraid,” Nevan said. She was shaking. “I don’t know what’s going on, but it all seems like… like last time.”
“Oh, my dear, it’s very different,” Riona said soothingly. “At least, for now. No one is being harmed; they just wanted to ask us some questions about our time on Ériu. You’ll have to talk to them too, or else they’ll assume the worst.”
“What kind of questions?” Cedar asked. “And why?” She told Riona and Nevan about what Nuala had said in the dream about rounding them up.
Riona pursed her lips in disapproval. “Well, I don’t know how much Nuala has to do with it. I think she was just trying to scare you. We’re all right, as you can see. It’s ridiculous, if you ask me. But Rohan thinks we should play along, and I suppose he’s right. If the Council doesn’t trust us, they won’t trust you either. So we’ve done our best to cooperate. They have it in their heads that we were ‘consorting’ with humans. We told them how strict we were about that while we were on Ériu. But Nuala has already told them about all the humans she had to, er, deal with, which is sadly somewhat true. But she’s also fed them complete lies about secret meetings with government officials, and now they’re worried that we were the ones who planned on waging war with Tír na nÓg once we had found the sidh-opener.
“Well, I won’t deny that the thought crossed our minds, but only as a way to get rid of Lorcan. Anyone with sense could see that we had nothing but the best intentions for our land and our people.”
“So Sam is… he’s okay?” Nevan asked in a trembling voice.
“Yes, my dear, he’s fine. I had no idea you were so upset. He’s more worried about you than anything. I mean, we’re all a bit shaken up.” She turned to Cedar. “Finn told me all about what happened. I’m so sorry, Cedar. I wish there was some way we could come with you. But if any of us leaves now it would prove to them that we have something to hide, some hidden agenda.”
&
nbsp; “I understand,” Cedar said, but she felt a wave of disappointment crash over her. Yet another setback. She had been so excited about a starting a new life in Tír na nÓg with Finn and Eden, but nothing had gone right, and now Eden was in more danger than ever. Maybe I should have taken Liam’s advice the first time I met him, she thought. Maybe we should have stayed. But then Nuala would have had her way, and they would have faced the same horrible fate as everyone else on Earth. Besides, it was too late now—the wheels had been set in motion, and there was no safe place left for them. Only by finding the Lia Fáil could she stop this madness. She looked sadly at Nevan.
“We had hoped that you’d be able to come with us and teach Eden how to close her mind to Nuala,” Cedar explained. “Somehow she’s able to find her way into Eden’s dreams. We think it might have something to do with the druids working with her, but we’re not sure. I understand if you need to stay, though. I don’t want to put any of you in danger.”
Nevan looked back and forth between Cedar and Riona, frowning. “It must be the druids, not Nuala. Her ability shouldn’t allow her into Eden’s mind. I’m sorry, Cedar. I wish there was something I could do, but it would take me months to teach Eden how to close her mind. It’s really hard to learn, especially for kids. Even then it might not work. It might just be something she won’t be able to do until she’s older.”
Cedar nodded grimly. “Okay,” she said. “Thanks. In that case, we should get back and figure out what we’re going to do next.”
“I wish we could come with you,” Riona said. Then she turned to Nevan. “We’re meeting at Gorman and Seisyll’s. I saw Sam with one of the Council members—he should be free soon, then he’ll meet us back there. Let’s go. Good luck, Cedar.”
Cedar hugged them and wished them luck in return, then walked back through the sidh without looking at Finn.
CHAPTER 11
Where’s Nevan? I saw her, isn’t she coming?” Eden asked as soon as Cedar stepped through the sidh into her daughter’s tree house bedroom. Finn followed her and closed it behind him.
“She couldn’t come,” Cedar answered tersely. “Let’s go back to Logheryman’s house.” With wide eyes, Eden opened the sidh, and a moment later they were back in the leprechaun’s living room. Jane was sitting up on the sofa and sipping a mug of tea, wrapped in one of Logheryman’s old robes. Liam was pacing the floor behind her.
“Hey!” Jane exclaimed, standing up when she saw them. “You made it back, thank God! I’m so glad.”
“You’re glad? I’m so happy that you’re alive!” Cedar exclaimed, pulling her friend in for a gentle hug. “How are you feeling?”
“Besides totally bald and badass? Fine,” Jane laughed. She looked at Felix, her cheeks reddening slightly. He was standing stock-still behind Cedar, his eyes fixed on Jane. “Thank you, Felix,” Jane said. “You saved my life.”
Cedar hadn’t thought it was possible, but she was certain that Felix was blushing. He looked down at the floor. “It’s nothing,” he said. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Liam’s brought me up to speed. He told me all about the dream. Holy shit, Ceeds. But is everyone okay? And why didn’t Nevan come?”
Cedar quickly explained what Nevan and Riona had told them. “I think they’re okay—for now. But if Nuala becomes queen, I have a feeling she’s going to settle a lot of old scores.” Before they could ask her any more questions, she said, “Could you excuse us for a moment? Finn and I need to have a chat.” Grabbing Finn by the arm, she pulled him into Logheryman’s bedroom.
“What the hell was that?” she asked, rounding on him as soon as she had shoved the door closed behind them. Finn’s lips were pressed together, and his fists were clenched. He was looking at the wall behind her, avoiding her gaze. Cedar glared at him, her eyebrows raised, clearly expecting an answer. He continued to look around the room—anywhere but at her. She could hear the others talking in the hallway and hoped Eden wasn’t listening at the door.
“Cedar, I—” Finn finally began, but by then Cedar had decided she didn’t actually want to hear his excuses. She cut him off.
“You treated me like a child back there!” she burst out. “I may not have any of your superpowers, but I am not helpless. We are both adults, Finn. We’re partners. You can’t just slam a door in my face and expect me to deal with it.”
Finn was staring at the ground now, his arms crossed, and she thought she heard him mutter something like “reckless.” She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down, to try to consider things from his perspective.
“Listen,” she said. “I know that you care about me. I know that you’re worried about losing me. At least, that’s what I’m hoping this was all about, and that you don’t just think I’m incompetent. But you don’t get to make decisions like that for me, and you can’t keep me safe by keeping me locked up. I won’t live that way, and it’s certainly not going to help us find the Lia Fáil.”
Rather than waiting for a response, she marched back into the living room. Felix was sitting on the sofa beside Jane, who was hugging Logheryman’s robe tightly around her.
Jane’s tense face relaxed as soon as she saw Cedar. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, except for the obvious—no stone yet,” Cedar said. “Aren’t you cold, Jane?” She gestured toward the flimsy robe. “Can I get you a blanket?”
“Nah,” Jane answered. “Unless it has a computer attached. I feel naked without my tech. I mean, I suppose I technically am naked under this robe, but you know what I mean.…” She closed her eyes and trailed off, her cheeks burning. Cedar suppressed a grin. Jane was usually impossible to rattle, but something about being brought back from the brink of death by a devastatingly gorgeous mythical being had messed with her composure. Jane opened her eyes again and said, “Hey, I wonder if Eden could sidh me in and out of a shop?” She looked at Eden, clearly intrigued by this new possibility.
Cedar laughed and said, “Yes, I suppose she could, if we could manage it without you getting caught, which is unlikely. We’ll think of a way to get you some clothes, don’t worry.” She snapped her fingers. “I should have brought some from my closet in Tír na nÓg. You could have worn them to your next medieval festival.”
Jane’s laugh was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. Silence fell upon them at once, and Cedar’s heart jumped into her throat. Then she exhaled loudly. “Logheryman.”
The leprechaun was standing in his doorway, staring in surprise at the group gathered in his living room. He looked as old and ornery as ever, but there was a bright bruise on his left cheek and scrapes down the side of his neck. His sharp eyes took them all in, lingering for a split second on Jane and Liam. Slowly, and without saying a word, he closed the door behind him and then turned back to face his visitors.
“They told me you would come,” he said, “I must say I had my doubts.”
“Who told you? Are you okay?” Cedar asked, staring at the bruise. “What happened to you?”
“Lovely to see you, too, Miss McLeod,” he said. He ignored her questions and walked right past them and into the kitchen, where he poured himself a large glass of whiskey. After taking a rather sizable gulp, he came back into the living room and once again regarded the group. “I should ask the same of you. What brings you back to my humble abode so soon?”
Cedar hesitated, not sure how much to tell him. “Eden and Jane were badly hurt,” she said. “We needed a safe place to stay while Felix healed them.”
Logheryman took another long swallow and then nodded slowly. “Long has my house been a safe haven for the Tuatha Dé Danann,” he said. “It is perfectly understandable why you would come here. But it is not a safe place now. They suspected you would come here. That’s why they took me.”
“Who took you? The druids?” Cedar asked.
“Indeed,” Logheryman said. “Fortunately, keeping me is not as easy as taking me. Escape is my specialty, you might say.”
“What did the
y want with you?” Felix asked, moving closer to look at the bruising on Logheryman’s cheek. The leprechaun brushed him away with a wave of his hand.
“Nothing I can’t look after,” he said. “They wanted information about a roving band of Dananns. They seemed quite… motivated.”
“How much did they offer you?” Felix said, a faint look of disgust on his face.
“Well, that’s between them and me, now, isn’t it?” Logheryman said. “Oh, don’t worry, child, I’m not going to turn you over for a mere thirty pieces of silver. And I doubt I could detain you even if I had a mind to.”
Felix raised his eyebrows. “Detain us? I’d like to see you try,” he said.
“Oh, spare me the testosterone, Toirdhealbhach. I see you’ve regained your usual form. I suppose the ladies prefer it.” Logheryman looked with interest at Jane. “It’s not every day that I find a bald and naked woman wrapped in one of my robes. Who might you be, my dear?”
“This is Jane,” Cedar answered, stepping in front of her friend. “She’s a friend of ours. And this is Liam. He’s also a friend—and a druid.”
Logheryman’s expression darkened instantly. “Have you lost control of your senses?”
Finn, who had been silent up until now, stepped forward. “He’s not with them,” he protested. “He’s been helping us.” Cedar wondered if this defense of Liam was his way of making up for leaving her behind, or if he was actually starting to trust the druid.
“Helping you?” Logheryman sneered. “Why, pray tell, would a druid want to help the Tuatha Dé Danann? Perhaps he is the one who has lost control of his senses.”
Liam bristled visibly. “I can assure you, I have nothing to do with your assailants. Cedar called me because they needed help.”
“And what kind of help do you provide, exactly? Did she need someone kidnapped and threatened? It seems to be your kind’s area of specialty.”
“We don’t have time for this,” Cedar snapped. “He’s with us, and that’s it. We came here for help. Eden and Jane are better, but now we need information.”
