by Laura Howard
Saoirse stood and glided over to Niamh. “My darling,” she said softly. “My plans are not so impulsive as that.”
“What do you have in mind?” Niamh asked.
“Come sit. Let me show you what I’ve seen.”
Niamh followed Saoirse back to the bench and sat. Saoirse raised her arms toward the pool, causing the water to churn. As she closed her eyes, mist rose from the surface. With a sudden motion, her hands dropped back down. The mist disappeared and the water was smooth like glass. A vision came to the surface.
It was of a gently sloping hillside at night with people milling around everywhere. An enormous bonfire was on top of the hill with smaller fires and torches lit all over the landscape. I walked up the hill with Ethan and Liam. We were searching for something, but I couldn’t make out what we were whispering to each other over the sounds of drumming and the crackling fires.
I’d dreamt of this, but my memory of the dream was hazy.
Saoirse murmured something and held out her hands again. “This isn’t what I wanted to show you. I haven’t seen this vision before,” she whispered.
On the water’s surface, we approached a large stone sculpture. It was shaped like a giant popsicle and came up to my chest when I stood in front of it. Liam grabbed my arm before I could touch the stone. Familiar laughter rose above the sounds in the distance. Aoife.
Before we could see what happened next, Deaghlan’s voice rang out from the path. “Saoirse!”
The water bubbled and the vision disappeared.
“I’m going back to make sure Aodhan has things under control,” Deaghlan said, his voice laced with venom.
Saoirse glanced at me, her lip quirking just slightly. “Very well,” she said to Deaghlan.
Niamh jumped up. “I’ll go with you.”
“What, are you going to babysit me now, too? Not necessary,” Deaghlan said, turning on his heel.
Niamh hurried after him.
Saoirse sighed next to me. “Do you know what that was in the vision, Allison?” she said.
“I have no idea. But I have seen it before, in a dream.”
“Interesting,” she said, her eyes narrowing. “That was the Hill of Tara, in Ireland. Does that mean anything to you?”
I shook my head. “Not really. I mean, I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know very much about it.”
Saoirse smiled. “The standing stone we saw was a gift from my great grandfather to the High King of Ireland a great many years ago. It’s known as the Stone of Destiny.”
“What’s it for?”
“Human legends say it cries out when it senses the true king of Ireland. But it’s far more valuable than that. It’s the last piece of raw háillan in existence.”
Fháillan. The metal worn by Aodhan, Liam and Niamh to protect them from iron.
“Did Niamh tell you Samantha overheard Aoife talking about fháillan mines?”
Saoirse’s unusual eyes widened. “She didn’t.”
“All she said was that Aoife was talking to her guards, about binding rituals and mines. Samantha didn’t know anything else, she didn’t even know what fháillan mines were.
Saoirse’s eyes darkened and became unfocused. I didn’t know what to do. “Saoirse?”
She remained perfectly still a moment longer before her eyes regained their light.
“I apologize,” she said, taking a breath. “I just wanted to see if I could make sense of what you told me in addition to what we saw in the water.”
“And could you?” I asked.
Saoirse looked at me as if she wasn’t sure how much she should say. “Niamh told me about Aoife performing a binding ritual. I’m afraid that’s true. Aoife knows the only way to perform such strong magic is with a large amount of fháillan. There are no fháillan mines in Tír na n’Óg, so she will perform it at the next best place, the Hill of Tara, at the Stone of Destiny.”
Even though I’d known this was a possibility from what Samantha had told us, hearing Saoirse say it with so much certainty caused my heart to stutter.
“When? Can you tell when she’s going to do it?”
She glanced down at the tips of her slippers. When she looked back up, her expression was neutral. “There are four great fire festivals on Tara. One for each of the seasons. The next one will take place on Samhain, also known as Halloween.”
“Halloween? That’s over a month away, so we’re not too late?”
Saoirse stood, and the unreadable expression on her face twisted my insides. Did she know something she wasn’t telling me? I followed her back up the hill to the Bruidhean, tears of frustration burning behind my eyes.
We found Liam and Ethan still sitting in the same place we’d left them. Samantha paced at the end of the dining room like a caged animal. Her hair stuck out in every direction from her constant abuse.
Liam’s hopeful expression caused something to unravel inside me. Anger, frustration and fear flooded through me. I pictured my mother’s face as she looked at Liam with pure love in her eyes. I wasn’t sure what, but I knew I simply had to figure out a way to set things right. And the only way to do that was to deal with Aoife myself.
Liam stayed quiet while Saoirse told him what we’d learned. Something churned in his eyes. Anger laced with regret that mirrored my own. Tension coiled in his forearms as he closed and opened his fists on the table.
“It’s simple, then,” he said. “I’ll go to Tara and stop her.”
“Of course, Liam,” Saoirse said, her smile vague.
“Wait,” I said. “It’s not enough to just stop her. We have to get the amulet and destroy it.”
Liam stared at me a moment, then nodded. “Whatever it takes.”
“How much time has passed in our world?” I asked.
“Just under a week,” Liam said.
“It’s still September. Halloween isn’t for six more weeks,” I said, thinking. “What if we could find Aoife in the meantime?”
“You can try,” Saoirse said. “Although, if she doesn’t want to be found, you may not be very successful.”
“What about Dublin? If she has a portal that leads there, wouldn’t that be the first place we should look?”
“If it were me, and I was hiding, I know I wouldn’t go to the most obvious place,” Ethan said, shrugging.
“That’s a good point,” Liam said.
“What else do we have to go on?” I asked.
“Maybe she’s still in Thunder Bay,” Samantha said.
“Hmm, I didn’t even think of that,” I said. “There’s no one there to get in her way, either. Her guards and Niamh’s are all here.”
“I think you’d be wasting your time,” Saoirse said. “Stay here for another day or two and make plans. Then leave for Dublin and it will be the end of October.”
I looked at Saoirse, puzzled. “One day would be equal to a month?” I asked.
“Yes, one more day. The sun must rise and set three times in this world to equal one moon cycle in yours.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. A month there would be three days here. As much as I hated to admit it, it would make sense to wait the extra day. I didn’t think I could make it six more weeks out there, knowing what the future held. After all, Saoirse said that the visions in Danu’s Basin were absolute. So even if we went running all over the globe, we’d still end up in Tara on Halloween.
“Okay. We’ll come up with a plan here. I wasn’t taking the time difference into account.”
Liam’s jaw hardened, but he nodded. “Very well.”
“She’s planning on channeling power from the Stone of Destiny, right?” I asked Saoirse.
Saoirse inclined her head.
“I couldn’t see her in the vision, but I could hear her. I’m guessing that means she was glamoured.”
“We’ll be able to see through that. It won’t be a problem,” Liam said quietly.
“Do you think she’ll be expecting us?” I asked.
“Even I don’t know the ans
wer to that,” Saoirse said.
“Is it possible for us to sneak up on her?” Samantha said.
“No,” Liam said. “She’ll be able to sense me and probably you girls, too.”
“But not me?” Ethan asked.
Liam shook his head, his brows furrowing. “No, she won’t be able to sense anything from you.”
“So, it might be possible for Ethan to sneak up behind her and subdue her?”
Saoirse got that far off look in her eyes again. Everyone at the table stared at her while she was lost in her vision.
When her eyes refocused, she shook her head. “I’m having a hard time seeing Aoife’s future. It could be the iron in her system, I just don’t know.”
“Iron blocks your visions?” Samantha said, cocking her head to the side.
Saoirse looked at Samantha. “It’s possible.”
I never knew iron was so dangerous, Samantha projected into my mind.
I gave her a sympathetic smile. How could you have known?
I thought of Liam, weakened by the steel dagger while we were in Thunder Bay. Aodhan had brought Aengus, the one who stabbed Liam, to his knees with steel chains.
“That’s it,” I said and everyone looked at me. “If Liam and Samantha distract Aoife, Ethan and I can trap her with steel chains.”
Saoirse pressed her lips together and Liam looked like he was considering my idea.
“Yeah,” Ethan said. “I’ll do whatever you need.”
“Once she’s immobilized, we take the amulet and destroy it,” I said.
Liam nodded. “It could work,” he said.
“I recognize she’s done wrong. But I must ask you not to harm Aoife,” Saoirse said.
“Niamh asked the same, and I understand,” I said, glancing at Liam. He looked like he wanted to disagree. I could understand that, too.
For the next few hours, we worked out the logistics of our plan. Aoife’s portal would bring us to a castle in the outskirts of Dublin. If we left tomorrow evening, we would be in Ireland with plenty of time for Halloween. After we picked up the supplies we needed, we would head north to the Hill of Tara.
Throughout the day, serving men and women brought food and drinks to the table. I marveled at how much the Danaan’s lives revolved around eating and drinking. I also knew there was another piece, but I had a feeling it had been tamped down while the humans were visiting. Danaans were an amorous people. Where humans liked to show their affection for those they cared about, at least some of the time, Danaans were all about pleasure. Giving pleasure, receiving pleasure either by food or drink or sex, it didn’t matter.
Once we’d gone over the plans with painstaking detail, Saoirse rose from her chair. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a bath before our evening meal.”
“That sounds like a good idea. I’ll do the same,” Liam said as he stood, too.
Before Saoirse left the table, she raised a hand and several of the men and women who served us throughout our meeting appeared.
“Our guests would like to bathe before dinner. Would you show them to the bathing pools?” Saoirse said as she turned to leave.
We followed the servants up to the guest quarters. Fresh clothes and blanket-soft towels were laid out on the bed in the room Ethan and I had slept in.
Ethan picked up the button-down shirt and drawstring pants and smirked. It definitely wasn’t something he’d usually wear, but I couldn’t imagine anything looking bad on him.
“So, do we all go to a community bath or something?” he asked.
I laughed. “Not exactly. Streams run through the mountain. The bathing pools are pretty secluded.”
He grinned. “Good thing, I wouldn’t want to indulge your fantasies.”
I threw one of the towels at him, but I smiled at his teasing tone. “Whatever. My fantasies are much more creative than you in the tub.”
His eyebrow quirked up. “Is that so?” he asked, a devilish gleam in his eye.
Trying to keep from laughing, I nodded.
He came over to where I stood in front of the door. “Liar,” he said, effectively boxing me in.
I shrugged, because honestly, I could hardly breathe with him standing so close, especially with that look on his face.
“I’d like to hear more about these fantasies,” he said, stepping forward so my back was pressed against the door.
“Oh, please —” I started to say, but Ethan pressed one finger to my lips. Outside the door, Samantha called out my name.
“We’ll talk about your fantasies later,” he said. “I think you better go take a bath first, though.”
I shook my head. “Sure we will.” I ducked under his arm, grabbed my clothes and towel and hurried out the door.
Samantha and I walked into the stone chamber lined with hand-carved basins. Down the stone stairs on the far wall, a small river ran with private alcoves built in for bathing. Liam and Ethan had given us the bathing pools first, for some human privacy. The Danaan in residence weren’t anywhere around, likely for the same reason.
As we washed, I heard Samantha’s heavy sigh in the space next to me. “I thought Ciarán would have come by now,” she said.
I didn’t say anything right away. “Maybe he doesn’t want to start a fight.”
Samantha snorted. “That would be a first.”
“I’m definitely not an expert when it comes to guys. Not even close.”
“Yeah, right,” she said. “Ethan follows you around like he’s a puppy and you’re a T-bone.”
I took a breath, unable to smother the laugh that bubbled up. “You are so wrong,” I said.
“Anyone with eyes can see the way he watches you. I wish Ciarán looked at me like that. Most of the time, I don’t think he even likes me.”
Ignoring the flutter in my chest, I asked, “Why would he be with you if he didn’t like you?”
She didn’t say anything for so long, I didn’t think she would answer. “I don’t know,”she said finally.
We didn’t speak after that. When we went back to the guest quarters, Samantha mumbled a goodbye. I went into my room feeling a little bit down, wishing I’d known what to say to make her feel better.
I sat on the bed and smoothed my hands down the gown I’d been given. I rarely wore dresses, but I didn’t mind this one. The smooth, amethyst material was as comfortable as a nightgown, but fit me perfectly.
“Look at you,” Ethan said from the doorway.
A flush crept over my cheeks. I looked up and he was leaning against the doorframe wearing the linen shirt and khaki drawstring pants. He looked like a model on a romance novel.
“Right back at you,” I said as I stood.
“I like the purple,” he said, circling around me.
“Thanks.”
“So,” he said. “They’re going to stuff us with some more food, we sleep, then we’re going to check in with Niamh and Aodhan. Are you nervous?”
“A little.” I shrugged. “Okay, more than a little. I just want to do something. It’s the waiting that kills me.”
He smoothed my hair back from my face. “Our plan is awesome, you know. Aoife will never expect me to be there. She’ll never know what hit her.”
“Yeah,” I said, nodding. I hoped I sounded more confident than I felt. I couldn’t imagine how it would be waiting six weeks to finally make a move.
There was a light knock and Liam stuck his head in the doorway. “Ready to head down?” he asked. I could see Samantha just over his shoulder.
Ethan glanced at me and gestured for me to go first with his chin. “Yep, this is the longest I’ve gone without eating since we got here,” he said.
“Just a warning, when we go home, food is going to taste like sawdust compared to the food here,” I said.
Liam led all of us to the large gathering hall. The walls were covered in blue fabric, embroidered with flowering trees and twisting vines. Fey lights were suspended high above, giving the room a comfortable glow.
&nb
sp; Men and women stood around in groups, talking and laughing. In their hands were chalices filled with sparkling gold wine.
An unusually long table filled one side of the room. Ten high back chairs were lined up on either side, and Saoirse sat at the head of the table.
When she saw us, her smile was breathtaking. I realized how long I’d spent in Saoirse’s presence today without becoming baffled just from looking at her. Had I grown immune to her charm? Or maybe she had toned it down for a while. Either way, I was glad. The memory of being enraptured was not one I liked to think about.
We ate roasted meat and vegetables followed by fruit and scones with cream. Every bite was so delicious I was tempted to lick my fingers clean. Conversation took place all around us, but mostly Samantha, Liam, Ethan and I just listened as men told stories and women laughed. As we ate our dessert, a trio in the corner began playing music. One played a flute like Aodhan carried with him, one a drum and one played fiddle.
Couples left the table to dance. They moved with a fluid grace that no human could ever accomplish.
“Would you care to dance?” Saoirse asked us.
My eyes widened and I shook my head. I could dance a little, but no way was I going out there. Even a highly trained ballerina would look clumsy among the Danaan.
Saoirse rose and bid us goodnight before gracefully joining the dancers.
We went back up to the guest quarters in silence. Anxious energy had been building inside me all day and I wished I could go for a run to work some of it off.
I fell back onto one of the couches and covered my face with my arms. I felt Ethan sit beside me and nudge me with his elbow. I opened one eye and he gave me a curious look.
“Are you getting tired?” he asked.
I groaned. “No, not at all. That’s the problem,” I said. “I’m a nervous wreck.”
Liam and Samantha took seats on the other couches. Liam leaned back and ran his hands through his hair.
Samantha jumped up suddenly. “He’s here,” she said, her voice just above a whisper. She turned her head and looked at me, eyes wide. “Ciarán’s here.”
I started to say something, but she took off down the hallway. Liam chuckled and sat up.
