Emerald Isle (A Stacy Justice Mystery)

by Annino, Barbra

Five thousand years, and she tells me to duck?

  I heard the slap of an ass and decided I should begin practicing their suggested defense strategy. I grabbed Mini Thor’s mane and lowered my head, sword clenched at my side, as we headed for the boundary line between this world and the other.

  Chapter 28

  Chance had phoned Birdie six times in the last few hours, until finally she felt she had no choice but to lie to the lad.

  Yes, she had told him, Anastasia was fine. She had had an allergic reaction to something she had eaten, and she was now resting comfortably. Birdie wasn’t sure if he believed her or not, but at least he stopped calling.

  So now where was the girl?

  From the description Chance had provided—the manner in which Anastasia had clutched her throat, stumbling, gasping—Birdie feared that what her granddaughter had told her earlier about an odious spirit was true. There was only one way to dispel such an energy, and it required a handful of dirt from an ancient graveyard. Luckily, there was no lack of those on the island, and Birdie had sent Lolly off to fetch some.

  When her oldest sister returned, however, Anastasia still hadn’t, and the Mage challenges had already begun. Birdie had completed two rounds and was tied with Tallulah. Soon, the Seeker contest would start, and without both Seekers, Aedon would have no choice but to call the games. Anastasia would be forced to forfeit.

  Fiona was standing on the sidelines, monitoring the girl’s familiar. The dog was thoroughly spent. Birdie presumed he was worn out from tirelessly searching the area for his witch.

  The loudspeaker roared to life. Elizabeth’s voice blasted through the air. “The next challenge is worth twenty-five points and will decide the match.”

  Tallulah cast Birdie a sinister smile. Her grandson was suiting up behind her, his horse saddled and ready for the Seeker’s jousting match. Birdie and her sisters had every intention of preparing Anastasia for her contest, but the girl had simply vanished. Even if she were to return in time, she likely wouldn’t have an inkling of how to defeat Tallulah’s smarmy grandson.

  The young man she was looking at didn’t seem like the same one who’d slouched in the Court of O’Conor earlier. Ethan was stretching, examining his jousting stick, checking the horse’s hooves.

  He seemed determined. And that frightened Birdie.

  Elizabeth unfolded a piece of paper and boomed, “Mages, here is your next challenge.”

  Birdie looked up toward the tower where Elizabeth stood.

  Elizabeth said, “Without bringing harm to the intended, you must coerce another to do your bidding. Explain the challenge before you proceed. Scores will be based on ingenuity, degree of difficulty, and lasting impact.”

  Birdie swallowed hard and flicked a nervous glance to Fiona. She had no spell for bending another to her will. Her mother had taught her that such witchcraft was forbidden.

  “Tallulah O’Conor will be the first challenger,” Elizabeth said.

  Tallulah stepped into the arena, waved to the council watching from the confines of the castle, and grabbed the microphone perched on the stand near her sideline.

  “My intended is Oscar Sheridan,” Tallulah said.

  Birdie’s stomach lurched.

  So that was her plan.

  “Oscar met me only this morning.” Oscar waved enthusiastically from Tallulah’s side of the field. “But I will prove that the power at my fingertips can turn a man’s heart in an instant.”

  Tallulah waved back to Oscar. “Come, Oscar. Declare your undying love for me.”

  Birdie had never seen the man move so fast, not even in his prime. He scurried forward like a squirrel with a nut and joined Tabby.

  She said, “Now, how will you prove your devotion to me, my darling?”

  Birdie was not the least bit surprised when the twit she used to be married to bent down on one knee, produced a rock the size of Gibraltar, and proposed.

  Incensed, but not surprised.

  Tallulah shot a triumphant look at Birdie, then shifted her gaze to the top level of the castle, where the council was situated.

  Her smile faltered, and Birdie turned to see that the remaining members of the council were not as impressed with Tallulah’s display as she had expected.

  Tabby recovered instantly. That made Birdie nervous.

  She watched as her nemesis said, “You have me nearly convinced, Oscar. However, I may need further incentive to trust your devotion.”

  As if he had rehearsed, although Birdie knew that he had not, Oscar reached into his inner pocket, rose up, and stepped toward the microphone.

  He said, “I, Oscar Sheridan, vow to offer all my worldly possessions to the council in exchange for the hand of this incredible woman.”

  Betrayer! Birdie thought. She nearly fell over where she stood.

  Lolly did.

  Birdie knew that the council needed money to operate. The work they did—protecting the ancient secrets of the island—was costly, and with Oscar’s real estate holdings in their possession, they might have the option to reach across the pond, set up a satellite headquarters in America.

  Were they above bribery? She hoped so.

  Birdie saw Fiona rise from her seat, and put a desperate hand to Thor’s collar, trying to lock on to Birdie’s gaze.

  Birdie felt the heat on her face. She concentrated on Fiona’s stare.

  What? The question floated through her mind.

  Fiona flicked her eyes to Thor, back to Birdie, then again to Thor.

  The dog had a leg flung over his shoulder and was treating his private parts like they were a pair of lollipops.

  Then Birdie saw the faint impression of the locket sewn into his vest.

  The spell—the one she had performed back at the family home to pull Anastasia out of the web—penetrated her brain.

  Could it be? Was that where her granddaughter had gotten off to?

  Tabby stepped out of the arena to the thunderous applause of the council. An idea formed in Birdie’s mind.

  Birdie watched as her old enemy walked off, a smug look on her face. Behind her, Ethan was already leading his horse into the pasture. She saw an attendant speak with him briefly at the gate.

  Birdie knew this was her one shot. If she failed, she might lose her daughter—and her granddaughter—forever.

  She took a deep breath, walked up to the microphone. She glanced one last time at her middle sister. Fiona nodded, not with certainty, but rather with hope.

  Aedon’s words ran through her mind as she stood there, gathering her strength. Use everything you did last time.

  Well, that included honesty, didn’t it?

  “I have a confession to make,” Birdie said in a steady voice. “My granddaughter Stacy Justice is a reluctant witch.”

  She paused as the council mumbled in shock and awe. Aedon gave a slight, encouraging nod.

  When the murmurs subsided, Birdie continued. “She always had faith in her family, but not much else.” Birdie looked right at Tallulah. “Especially not in being Seeker.”

  Tabby smirked, shook her head.

  Birdie scanned the grounds, the arena. Where are you, child? If you’re out there, hear my call.

  She took a deep breath. “My intended is Stacy Justice. As you can see, though she is scheduled for a challenge, she is absent from these proceedings.”

  The council strained their necks to search the area. Birdie saw several members nod.

  “It is my will that she will become not only a true believer, but a confirmed Seeker, within twenty-four hours.”

  At this, Aedon stood, Tallulah balked, and Lolly clapped.

  Birdie motioned for Thor. Fiona whispered something into the dog’s ear. He stood and swaggered over to Birdie like John Wayne about to mount a horse.

  The dog sat near Birdie, ears pointed skyward, locket just below his shoulder. Birdie put her hand on the pendant, opened her third eye, and prayed to Danu to deliver her granddaughter to her side.

  Then she waite
d.

  If I hadn’t ducked, my head would have clotheslined a low-hanging branch, and I’d be the headless horsewoman right now. So, turns out “duck” isn’t bad advice.

  Instead, I was plowing through a field on the back of my first familiar, heading straight for that asshat Ethan. My sword was still tucked tightly under my arm as we charged through the impossibly green landscape.

  Ethan was suited up like Lancelot, gaping at me in disbelief.

  That was about two seconds before my sword rammed into his armor. He flew off his steed with a look of pure shock on his face.

  Mini Thor—or, rather, Lightning—reared up with a ferocious battle cry, and I was sure I was about to wind up on my ass too.

  I hung on until he trotted to a stop and pivoted his huge frame.

  There was some commotion then, cries of protests and cheers as the horse I was seated on bowed to the ground. I dismounted Lightning, kissed his white streak, and watched as he galloped off into the woods.

  I scanned my surroundings, dazed for several moments. The sun was at its apex, higher in the sky than it had been just a short while ago when I was near the water’s edge at the back of the castle.

  Almost as if I had been gone longer than it seemed.

  The clock on the far-left tower confirmed this. It was noon.

  Is that what happened in the web? When Danu had pulled me in the first time, I hadn’t even missed dinner. Now, I had lost an entire morning. Which meant night was arriving soon, and if I didn’t return the locket, the ghost was going to come after me. Again.

  I had to get the hell out of here. Had to find the cauldron. Had to end this.

  I spotted Birdie a few yards away, beaming at me. Fiona was standing off to the side, and Lolly was whooping, hollering, and waving a cowboy hat like she was at a prison rodeo.

  A loudspeaker screeched above my head, and I turned to see Elizabeth standing on top of a tower.

  “Everyone remain patient as I consult with the judges,” she said.

  I had no idea what she was talking about, but Ethan was still lolling about on the ground, having a hell of a time trying to right himself, so I went over to give him a hand.

  That’s when Tallulah charged at me, far more swiftly than a woman her age ought to have been capable of moving.

  As if in slow motion, Ethan’s grandmother rammed both her hands into my chest and sent me reeling through the air. I skidded on my back about five feet, the wind knocked out of me.

  Things pretty much went downhill after that.

  Tallulah was on me in seconds, screaming about cheating and hurting her precious grandson. She pummeled my face, and I tried to grab her wrists, but the woman was freakishly fast. Birdie reached us a heartbeat later and, with one banshee wail, ripped her old schoolmate off of me and tossed her a car’s length away. I couldn’t help but wonder what the hell was in the air out here that lent old ladies the strength and stamina of the Incredible Hulk.

  Soon Gramps arrived, screaming at Birdie about being jealous of his new love.

  There was no time to process that disturbing notion before Lolly and Fiona joined the fracas, each giving Gramps a fair flogging for good measure.

  Then Thor rocketed forward, intercepting Gretchen, whose teeth were dripping venom, just as she was about to sink them into my thigh.

  I belly-flopped onto my stomach to see poor Ethan still struggling on his back like a kid in a snowsuit. I crawled over to him as everyone was still bitching at each other.

  I coughed a few times before sputtering out, “Are you okay?”

  “Ehh. Ow. Oy.”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t even know what happened.”

  He gave me a cockeyed stare. Either because he didn’t believe me or because the suit was pinching something important.

  “My grandmother happened,” he spit out. “She always happens.”

  I clambered to my feet, offered my hand. “I know what you mean. I’ve got one of those.”

  He scowled, but accepted the assistance, and I heaved him to an upright position.

  We stood there, dumbfounded, staring at the mess, but not really sure how to untangle it.

  Everyone was still screaming at each other, even the dogs were nipping and barking, when the loudspeaker pierced the air with a sound like metal scraping metal for an excruciatingly long time. The crowd clamped their hands over their ears. The dogs dove for cover, each securing purchase beneath a bench.

  After a minute, Aedon, in a forceful, edgy tone, said, “Everyone report to the Great Hall at once!”

  Chapter 29

  There was simply no dignified excuse for acting like a three-year-old. Heck, Birdie hadn’t even acted like a three-year-old when she was that age. No, she wasn’t going to bother with justifying her behavior. Even if she tried, she knew Aedon wouldn’t hear of it. Such a display was not welcomed at the castle.

  It was just that when she saw the threat to her granddaughter, her animal instinct to protect the girl kicked into overdrive.

  She stole a glance at Tallulah, who herself looked shame stricken.

  If she were to be completely honest, Birdie had to admit that Tabby had probably reacted the way she had for the same reasons as Birdie, despite the fact that Ethan’s fall had been an accident. Suddenly, she didn’t feel so different from the woman anymore. Not that she would ever tell her that.

  Birdie decided it best that she stew in her embarrassment, take her scolding, and get on with the mission.

  They were all seated at a round table in a massive room with twenty-foot ceilings and life-sized paintings of gods and goddesses along the wall. Dagda was there with his cauldron, Lugh clutching his spear, Badb, black wings stretched out wide behind her, and Nuada carrying his sword of light.

  Birdie, Tabby, Ethan, and Anastasia were each nestled into plush red-velvet chairs with gilded legs. The two dogs were perched next to their respective sorcerers.

  No one spoke. There was only the gentle hum of the radiator, and a faint aroma of licorice tea.

  Aedon stepped into the room, looking disheveled. Tallulah rose to say something.

  “Sit down, Tabby,” Aedon snapped.

  She did.

  The head council member looked around the table. The silence stretched until Birdie thought she could no longer stand it.

  Finally, her old friend said, “Never in all my years as a member of the council have I witnessed such a blatant display of disrespect, not only for this castle, not only for the initiative that we stand for, but for our fellow brothers and sisters.”

  He looked at each person pointedly. Anastasia bowed her head.

  “Now, I understand that emotions run high during a competition, but have you all forgotten what we are doing here?”

  Aedon paused.

  Birdie shook her head. The rest followed suit.

  Aedon spun around and paced back and forth for a moment. He ran a hand through his normally well-kempt hair. “The council is not pleased with your actions. They have decided to cancel the games, and they are tempted to revoke all of your nominations.”

  Anastasia fired a nervous glance at Birdie. The girl said, “What does that mean?”

  Aedon said, “It means, young lady, that none of you is fit to find the cauldron.”

  Anastasia shot up. “No, please, you can’t do that. My mother—”

  “Is still up for her hearing in a month’s time,” Aedon said sharply.

  Birdie said, “But the cauldron. Who will find it?”

  Aedon said, “The Guardian had the plan in his Blessed Book. He, with the aid of the Warrior, will locate the cauldron.” He looked from Tabby to Birdie. “A Mage has never been sent on a quest before, so I see no reason to send one now.”

  Tallulah looked relieved.

  Birdie tensed. John had lied about finding the blueprint to search for the cauldron in his family’s book of theology. Anastasia had received that information straight from Danu herself.

  The girl looked around the roo
m desperately. Birdie could sense her granddaughter was searching for a solution. Anastasia knew she had to be there. There was no other way.

  “Very well,” Aedon said. “You are all dismissed.”

  Then an unexpected voice said, “Wait. I’d like to say something.”

  Ethan stood up, tossed an apologetic look to his grandmother, and said, “I would like to withdraw my nomination as Seeker of Justice.”

  I couldn’t believe it.

  Neither could Tallulah. She jumped to her feet. “Ethan, don’t be a fool. You’ve wanted this your entire life. You cannot quit now.”

  Ethan’s eyes were soft as he smiled at his grandmother. “No, Gran, this is what you wanted. And to be honest, I’m not even sure it was for me.”

  He circled the table with sad eyes and took the old woman’s hands gently into his own. “I’m not cut out for this. I think you’ve always known that.”

  Tallulah stammered. “That’s preposterous. You’re just afraid. Your mother was fearful of your gifts too, of what danger they might bring, but she’s gone now, Ethan. It’s time you grow into your own man.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to do, Gran.”

  Tallulah scoffed. “So this is my grandson? A quitter?”

  “That’s enough, Mother,” Pearce said from the doorway.

  Everyone turned.

  Aedon said, “Pearce, this is a closed meeting.”

  “A thousand apologies, Aedon.” He strode forward, his long legs pointed toward me. “I was just coming to return the sword to Miss Justice.”

  He nodded at me and set it on a side table. I nodded a thank-you back. Hadn’t realized I’d lost it.

  Aedon said, “You are the boy’s father, Pearce. What say you?”

  Pearce passed his mother a look of remorse with his ocean-blue eyes. Then he turned to the lead of the council. “I believe my son knows his calling. Magic may flow through our blood, but some O’Conors have a potent gift, while others struggle to develop theirs. For many, it doesn’t come at all.” He was staring at Tallulah as he said this last part.

  So he knew. He knew that his own mother was not the great Mage she claimed to be. Perhaps it skipped a generation in his family. Perhaps the power, or magic, or whatever the hell it was that drove witches to be witches wasn’t fluid in their clan, as it was in mine, but rather, it zigzagged, touching only certain members of the family.