by Laura Howard
Ciarán came into view first. He held his hands out in front of him. “I’m unarmed,” he said in a level voice.
Niamh nodded, waiting for him to approach. He glanced over his shoulder and nodded.
Samantha stepped into the moonlight, her arms wrapped around herself, her hair so black it almost shone blue. Her steps were tremulous, I could almost feel the range of emotions coming from her. Excitement, nervousness and anxiety swirled around her. Ciarán eyed each of us through the thick fringe of his shaggy hair.
“Welcome, Samantha, Ciarán,” Niamh said, her voice lacking any real emotion.
“Hey,” Samantha said in a husky voice, one hand shooting up in a jerky wave before she wrapped it back around her middle. Ciarán didn’t speak, just nodded
“Samantha,” Liam said, the name sounding stiff and unnatural.
Samantha drew in her lips, toying with the little ball of her labret piercing.
I stepped forward, offering my hand. “I’m Allison, and this is my friend Ethan. It’s really great to meet you.”
Ethan shook her hand and offered to shake Ciarán’s hand, but he just looked at Ethan’s outstretched palm.
Samantha nudged Ciarán. “You’re supposed to take his hand and shake it,” she whispered, rolling her eyes.
“No big deal,” Ethan said, pulling back his hand and smiling.
“W-would you like to come inside?” Liam asked, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck.
Samantha exchanged a look with Ciarán and he nodded.
“Okay,” she said, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
Liam held the door as everyone walked into his living room.
Samantha sat in one of the armchairs, her black suede boots tapping a machine-gun staccato on the wooden floor. Ciarán leaned on the armrest gazing off into the distance, arms crossed.
Ethan and I sat across from them on the couch. Liam stood behind me, his hands braced on the back of the couch. I bit my lip as the room reached an extreme level of awkwardness. Nothing could have prepared me for this moment and now that it was here, I couldn’t think of how to say the things I wanted.
As I thought that, Samantha’s eyes darted to mine.
Can you hear me? I thought.
Her blue eyes narrowed and I held my breath. She seemed to weigh her answer before she nodded.
Niamh moved from behind the couch to stand where we could all see her. She held her hands behind her back, facing Samantha and Ciarán.
“We’re very glad you agreed to meet with us,” she said. “I’d like to get right to the point and ask what brings you here, what your intentions are?”
Samantha fidgeted in her seat and licked her lips. “Well, the whole having a father and sister thing was kind of intriguing, you know?”
Unable to help it, I laughed. “I know exactly what you mean.”
“Right?” she said, laughing too.
“Of course,” Niamh said giving me a cool, measured look. “But what I’d really like to know is whether Aoife asked you to come here.”
Samantha flinched, probably because of Niamh’s directness. It wasn’t in her nature to be subtle.
“No,” Samantha said, eyebrows drawn down low. “I don’t even know what she wanted from me. It was like, maybe, I disappointed her or something. Once she met me, she couldn’t get away from me fast enough.”
Ciarán glanced down at her, his jaw clenching. “It wasn’t like that, Sam,” he said quietly, but Samantha didn’t look convinced.
Liam cleared his throat behind me. “If there’s one thing I know about Aoife, it’s that she is an entirely selfish creature. Whatever her reason for wanting to meet you, chances are they were purely for her own benefit.”
“I have my own ideas about why she would want to meet you,” I said. I was met with varying expressions of interest.
“I met Aoife mostly by accident,” I said, meeting Samantha’s eyes. “The only reason I knew you existed was because she thought I was you. She even called me Samantha.”
“This is news to me,” Liam said.
“I know, but just hear me out. She was stressed because she thought Liam would find out she’d kept his child a secret. She wanted to send ‘Samantha’ back home before Liam discovered what she’d done. When she realized I wasn’t you, and that Liam had another daughter, I think she decided you might make a useful weapon she could use to bring Liam back.”
Liam scoffed. “How would that work?”
“Well, she knows your sense of responsibility. You said it yourself -- she’s selfish. Is she selfish enough to use her own child as bait to lure you back to her?”
“Oh, I see. You might be right, Allison,” Liam said.
Niamh didn’t say anything, she just stood still. I wondered what she made of this.
Without meeting my eyes she said, “I think you’re right. That sounds just like what Aoife would do.”
“So, what did she say to you while you were together?” I asked Samantha.
“Well, at first she asked a lot of questions about my… abilities,” Samantha said, toying with one of the rings on her finger. She looked up and met my eyes. “She wanted to know about the voices I hear.”
Before she could continue, Ciarán stood up. “There’s something you should know,” he said in a low voice. “I don’t think Aoife came looking for Sam.”
Samantha looked up at Ciarán, pursing her lips.
“Why don’t you think so?” I said.
“Aoife showed up at the house, troubled about something. She wouldn’t tell us what happened, but she had this hunted look, like someone was after her. The next day, Sam showed up and Aoife knew instantly who she was.”
“How is it possible that of all the people in the world, you end up with Aoife’s daughter?” I asked Ciarán, skeptical that it was merely a coincidence.
“Nobody is more surprised by that than I am,” Ciarán said.
“Ciarán and I met almost a year ago,” Samantha said, cutting him off. “I used to go and watch him and the guys play. I didn’t know anything about the Tuatha de Danaan or magic. I just loved their music.”
“We had a band, Finn, Seamus, me and Aengus,” Ciarán said. “I didn’t even know she was Aoife’s daughter until a few weeks ago. I knew she had Danaan blood, though. It was what drew me to her.”
Samantha rolled her eyes.
“But you’re Aoife’s guard. Why should we trust you?”
It’s the truth, Allison. Niamh told me in my thoughts. She raised her hand to Ciarán, signaling him to wait.
“Okay, so then what?” I said.
“She was making preparations for something. She refused to tell us what she was up to, though,” Ciarán said, looking away.
“That’s why I wanted to come here,” Samantha said, a pinched look on her face. “I think she’s going to do something to you, Liam.”
Liam laughed grimly. “Not that I’m surprised, but what makes you say that?”
“I overheard her talking on the phone about going to Ireland and a binding. I didn’t understand all she was saying, but I’m pretty sure I heard your name. ”
“Binding?” I said, making a face, but nobody responded.
Niamh started to pace the length of the living room. Her eyes were unfocused and I wasn’t sure if she was reading someone’s thoughts or just trying to sort out everything they’d told us.
Moonlight coming in through the windows illuminated Liam’s pale face. He stared at the floor, his fingers twisted into his hair.
“Are we talking about binding as in tying someone up?” I had a feeling it was much more than that, but I had to ask.
Niamh stopped pacing and gave me a bland look. “No. Binding in this case would be a form of old magic. It can be used for good, for protection and so on. But I have a feeling that’s not what Aoife is up to.”
“And what are the ‘not so good’ things it can be used for?” I asked, my voice small.
“Well,” Niamh said, glancing
at Liam. “It can also be used to seal someone’s fate.”
I swallowed, understanding setting in. “But Liam would have to be with her for that to happen, right?”
Liam and Niamh were both quiet for a second. Liam cleared his throat and met my eyes. “Not necessarily. She has my blood, that’s enough to perform a binding.”
I looked around the room and jumped up. “No. That can’t happen. My mother needs you.”
Ethan stood beside me, placing a hand on my arm. The warmth of his skin grounded me and I took a breath, trying to calm down.
Liam tilted his head to the side and blinked. “I’m not giving up, if that’s what you think.”
I shook my head. “I’m… sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I know you’re not.”
Samantha and Ciarán hadn’t said anything as Niamh gave me a lesson in magical binding. I looked at Ciarán and before I could stop myself I asked, “Do you think that’s what she’s planning?”
Ciarán pressed his lips into a thin line. “Yes. She placed the geis on Liam, thinking he’d forget the human if he couldn’t be with her. She now realizes it wasn’t enough.”
Samantha sniffed and looked at Liam and then me. “I know we don’t know each other, but I’d want someone to tell me.”
My hands shook a little as I sat back down. Ethan sat by my side, his thigh pressed against mine. “Could she do this binding at any time?”
Niamh shook her head. “Binding magic isn’t a simple process. There are a lot of pieces to set in motion. It could take months to prepare.”
Relief flooded through me. I was imagining a switch flipping and Liam turning into another version of my mother, desperately longing for Aoife.
“This is good, right? I mean, at least we have something to go on. I was going crazy waiting for her to make her next move.” I looked at Liam who was staring out into the night sky, his expression shuttered.
Anger flashed in Liam’s eyes when he glanced over at me, but he tamped it down quickly.
He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again, shaking his head.
“Allison has a point,” Niamh said, moving to stand by Liam’s side. “We knew she wouldn’t let it go.”
“I want… I want to kill her for this,” Liam whispered, swallowing thickly as he turned back to the window.
Part of me was shocked at this side of Liam. But I could understand how he felt. A small, dark part of me wished I’d killed her in Tír na n’Óg.
“If she were to die, what would happen with the geis?” I asked.
Niamh stared at me for several long minutes. “If she died, the geis would be wiped away.”
But, Allison? She is still my sister and I’d like to solve this without ending her life.
I nodded briefly, knowing she’d feel that way. “I wish we could talk to Saoirse and find out what she knows.”
“I leave tonight for Tír na n’Óg,” Niamh said. “With the time difference, I can be back in as soon as a few days.”
“But when we were there for what seemed like a few days, it turned out to be more than a month,” I said.
“That’s right, but I meant I could be back in a few of your days, which would be just a few hours there.”
“And if you’re gone longer?” I asked.
Niamh smiled. “That will just mean there’s no rush after all.”
Ethan and I walked to my house in silence. He stopped at the bottom of the porch steps. I looked down at him. “You want to come in?”
He beamed at me like I’d offered him a slice of chocolate cake. “I would, unless you need some time alone?”
I shook my head. “Actually, I don’t want to be alone right now.”
I went inside, making sure not to make too much noise so I didn’t wake anyone up. Ethan followed me down the hall to the kitchen. I grabbed two sodas from the fridge and sat at the table beside him.
“You okay?” he asked.
I shrugged and wiped at the condensation on the soda can. “Yeah, I think so.”
He reached over and cupped my hand, pulling it away from the soda. “Come on, talk to me.”
“I’m trying,” I said and took a deep breath. “But it isn’t something that comes easy for me.” My voice trailed off, barely a whisper.
I watched as he lightly brushed his fingers over my hand. His gaze flicked up to mine. “I know. I’m not trying to push you.”
I nodded. “Trusting is... hard for me, too. I didn’t want to trust Liam or any of them. But I ended up with no choice. Now with Samantha and Ciarán, I don’t know what to think.”
“You mean you think they’re up to something?” he asked.
I sighed. “No. I don’t know, not really. But if I hadn’t known my mother my whole life and she showed up, I know I’d want her to like me. I’d want to impress her. I wouldn’t blame Samantha if she was trying to help Aoife. But it would really suck.”
“I was thinking the same thing, but you said Niamh can read minds. Wouldn’t she be able to tell if Samantha was lying?”
“That’s true, you’re probably right.” I kept my eyes on his hand, still tracing circles on mine.
“Hey,” he said. The fingers of his other hand brushed along my cheek. “We’ll figure this out. Whatever it takes.”
I tried to smile. “My head is all over the place.”
“You know,” he said, walking his fingers up my arm to rest on my shoulder. “I’m not trying to brag or anything, but I’ve been told I give a pretty decent hug.”
I laughed. “Yeah? By who, your mom?”
He unfolded himself from the chair and placed his hand over his heart, shaking his head. “Ouch. That was a really low blow. Come on.” He motioned for me to stand up and held his arms open for me.
I gripped the edge of the table and stared up at him for a moment. “You’re serious?”
“I never joke about hugs.” His arms were still wide open and he curved his fingers at me.
I drew in a deep breath and stood. Ethan reached out with both hands and smoothed the hair back from my face. Moving his hands down to my shoulders, he gently tugged me forward.
“It’s okay,” he said, wrapping his arms around me. He held me close as I inhaled his clean, warm scent. God, it felt good. I let myself go, burying my face in his shirt. My arms wound their way up around his back.
For several minutes, neither of us said anything. I felt a fissure crack down on the fortress of my emotions. Things I hadn’t let myself really feel for so long -- fear, love, pain, all of it came rushing over me. There was something right about being here in his arms. I’d been so blinded by my sense of, what -- duty? Responsibility for my mother’s condition? Whatever it was, I’d wasted years hardening my heart when I should have been letting someone inside. Someone like Ethan who was strong and patient and refused to give up on me.
I lifted my head and with one hand, reached up and placed my palm against his cheek. “Thank you. For not giving up on me, even when you should have.”
He turned his head and kissed my palm. “I don’t need magic powers to know you’re the one for me.” He shrugged. “I’ve always known.”
It was crazy to feel happy when everything outside of the kitchen was so uncertain. But I reminded myself, I needed to let that go. There were things I could control and there were others I couldn’t. Right then, where I stood, I couldn’t do anything to change things. And just like that, the weight of all that guilt was lifted from my shoulders. I felt... good.
I smiled, really smiled at Ethan and he took a step back. “I better go. I have to work in the morning.”
I stared up into his eyes, an urge to show him how I felt rose up inside me.
“Wait,” I said, my heart rate picking up. He raised a brow. Placing my hands on his chest, I took a deep breath. I didn’t have a lot of experience with this sort of thing, but it was time to be brave. I stood on my toes and kissed him, just a quick peck on the lips, but it was a big deal for me. As I pulled away, he reached for me
. His eyes searched mine before he closed the distance between us. It started out gentle and sweet. He ran his hands up my neck and touched each side of my face. I lost myself in the softness of his mouth as the kiss deepened into something desperate and full of need.
I broke away, breathing hard. I could feel the color spread over my cheeks and when I looked up, Ethan smirked.
“I like it when you blush, I think it’s cute,” he said.
I laughed and shook my head. “You’re incorrigible.”
He grinned. “All part of my charm.”
Smacking his chest, I pushed him toward the door. “Uh-huh.”
Before he stepped out onto the porch, he turned toward me. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow, okay?”
I nodded. “Sure.” I waved as he strolled down the walk to his truck. But what I really wanted was to pull him back and kiss him until he was out of breath.
His taillights disappeared down the road and I went to shut the door when Niamh appeared and put a hand out to stop me. My heart dropped and I stared at her for a minute, unable to speak.
“I just need a minute,” she said, glancing over her shoulder.
“Okay,” I said, stepping aside so she could come in.
I love this house, it feels so welcoming.
I didn’t say anything to that, just shook my head a little in surprise.
“When are you leaving?” I asked.
“That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“All right,” I said, sitting at the table.
Niamh sat across from me. “I think you should come to Tír na n’Óg with me.”
“I can’t go there,” I said. “You know I have school and work. Plus my cousin’s engagement party is next weekend.”
“We have ways to get around that. I’ll send decoys to cover for you. You don’t have to worry,” she waved her hand as though these things were irrelevant.
“Can the decoys teach me what I actually need to know for my career? Niamh, it’s not that simple.”
She sat at the table and leveled her gaze on me. “I know these things are important to you. But we need to find Aoife. We can’t just wait for her to make her next move.”
“You said yourself it could take months for her to prepare a binding spell.”
