Deaglan's Deception

by Belinda M Gordon

  "It's only a short delay. We'll check in with them as soon as the wedding's over," I said.

  TRESSA

  The group began to disperse. Alexander went upstairs to change his clothes, intent on taking a jog to relieve some stress. Shamus left to check the status of dinner, Sophia right behind him. I stopped Rosheen before she sat at her sewing machine again.

  "Roe, I need you to take a break and come with me." The women remaining in the room looked at me quizzically. "I have a pretty good idea where Deaglan Mór got the cauldron, and this time I want the truth."

  Sloan and Keelin came with us, not wanting to be left out. The rain had stopped, but puddles spotted the walkway. Max came loping around from the front of the house, traipsing through the puddles and soiling his freshly washed fur with a new batch of mud. The dog's eyes were bright and alert as he greeted each of us with a sniff and a wag.

  "Where are we going?" Rosheen asked. I paused and took a deep breath, wondering if he would still be in the store at this hour, when I noticed the distinct smell of stinkweed in the air.

  "I think the person we're looking for is waiting for us down by the lake."

  We had already started walking in that direction when Max caught the scent on the air and dashed off in front of us, barking insanely.

  Gobban sat on the glider, feet dangling, hands atop the shillelagh in front of him and a stinkweed pipe in his mouth. Mud covered his shoes and the bottom of his trousers. Max danced in front of him as if Gobban were a long-lost friend. The old Leprechaun watched us approaching as though he'd been expecting us.

  "To what do we owe the pleasure?" I asked.

  "I still haven't finished the talisman, if that's what you're thinking, so don't ask me for it." He took a long drawl on the pipe before hopping down from his seat and offering it to the women. "I was traipsing through the woods, trying to figure out what's going on in there. It seemed necessary, after hearing all the stories of Leprechauns, Treefolk and who knows what else."

  "Did you find anything?"

  "Nay."

  "Truth," Rosheen said as she settled herself on the glider. Keelin and Sloan smooshed in beside her. Gobban looked from her to me. No need to explain Rosheen's talent; her one-word response to his answer explained it all.

  "So, you bring the truth teller to me. And the young Unseelie is back. You keep such strange company."

  "We've just had word from the Otherworld that Deaglan Mór has the Dagda's Cauldron," I said, closely watching his expression for any telltale change.

  "Aye, and now you want to know if I gave it to him," he said, his expression remaining neutral.

  "Well, you did arrive in Findale without a cauldron after years with a reputation as the wealthiest Leprechaun in the Otherworld. It seems like too much of a coincidence."

  He smiled charmingly at all of us.

  "Is it impossible to believe that my reputation was earned, and that my wealth was amassed through my talent in bargaining?"

  I sighed, impatient with his obfuscating questions. Keelin jumped up and looked across the lake at the forests, her eyes darting back and forth as though trying to find something in a panic. She took a couple of steps toward the water and froze, staring off into the distance. Rosheen rushed to her and put an arm around her to support her.

  "What is it? What's happening?" Sloan asked.

  "The trees," Keelin said. "Several are crying in fear. Their roots have lost their footing."

  "Aye. I saw several downed trees in the woods," Gobban said. "The ground is getting soft with all this rain." Keelin turned to him and nodded.

  "They're such strong, proud beings. And they fall so hard. I feel their pain. Others are whispering warnings of worse to come." She glanced back at the woods. "I can't decipher what they say is coming."

  "If the rain keeps up, we're likely to see some flooding. Perhaps that's what they fear," Gobban mused.

  "Come back and sit down, Keelin," Rosheen said, urging her twin back to the glider and helping her down before sitting next to her again. As they resettled, Gobban began to walk away.

  "You haven't answered my question yet," I called after him.

  "You haven't asked me anything," he said over his shoulder as he continued to walk. He was right; I hadn't actually asked the question.

  "Did you give Deaglan Mór the Dagda's Cauldron? He tortured you; he burned half your body. You once said that you did what you had to do to escape him. Did you give him the Dagda's Cauldron?" I asked again.

  He stopped, turning around slowly and meeting my eyes.

  "Aye, I gave him my cauldron, and I gave him the Dagda's. But not both."

  "Truth."

  ALEXANDER

  The bartender at JR's poured a pint of Guinness and put it in front of me as I settled onto a barstool. He nodded when I thanked him and headed to the other side of the bar, where a couple had flagged him down. I took two large swigs of cold, refreshing beer before putting the glass down again.

  Matt had invited me to join him for a drink after work; he had gotten the info I wanted on the arrow. After the kind of week we'd had, spending a little down time away from wedding plans and fae drama seemed like a great idea. The restaurant side of JR's, now quiet, would soon be busy when the happy hour patrons migrated over for their evening meal. The bar buzzed as the crowds of businesspeople wound down, transitioning from work to personal life.

  Across the room, I noticed a familiar face. Allison was chatting with a group of women and holding a glass of white wine. She laughed at something the woman next to her said. Her smile transformed her face, taking her from a merely pretty woman to an absolute knock-out.

  She felt my eyes on her, turning to scan the bar until she saw me. I nodded in greeting. I didn't know Allison well, but I was happy to see her. Her cheerfulness faded as she took a sip of her wine. She said something to her friends that made the other women glance over. Then she walked around the bar, wineglass in hand, and sat on the open stool beside me.

  "Hello, Xander, how nice to bump into you like this. I haven't seen you in here before at this hour." Her tone suggested an undercurrent of annoyance. She scanned the bar area and then glanced at the front door. "Are you meeting Matt?"

  "No, I'm here on my own. Things are hectic at home, with all the wedding planning. I thought I'd sneak away for an hour," I lied, sensing she would be angry if I admitted the truth. She scrutinized my face and smiled, although her skepticism showed through her cheerful expression.

  "There's something I don't understand," she said. "How is it that you work for Marywood University, but somehow Matt works for you?"

  "I'm a guest lecturer at the University. This will be my last semester. Normally Matt and I travel around mining for gemstones. Finding them is my expertise; cutting and polishing them is his. He must have mentioned that at some point?"

  "Yeah," she agreed, her voice hesitant. "But what I don't get is what he's doing now. He says he does the security for Pine Ridge, but why does it need so much security?"

  I took another swig of beer, stalling while I decided what to say. Now I was annoyed with Matt. I didn't want to contradict anything he had told her. We should have collaborated on a story so we'd be on the same page in a situation like this.

  Matt arrived just in time to save me from giving any explanation. He kissed Allison when he got to us and draped his arm around her shoulders.

  "Allison. What a pleasant surprise." He waved to get the bartender's attention and didn't notice Allison shrugging off his arm.

  "So you planned to meet Xander here. I knew it." She glared at both of us. Her anger startled Matt; he gave up on the bartender and stared down at her.

  "I asked him to stop and have a drink with me. What's wrong with that?" His confusion fueled her anger, and her face turned a deep, chestnut red.

  "We haven't been out in over a week. When will you have time for me?"

  Matt, embarrassed by her outburst, grabbed her hand and pulled her out of earshot. The bartender
came by with two beers, one for Matt and a fresh one for me. I downed the last of my first drink, trying my best to ignore the arguing couple.

  Just then, Holly appeared at the corner of the bar to pick up a takeout order. I sucked my teeth, regretting her arrival at just that moment for my friend's sake. Her timing couldn't be worse for Matt. She spotted me after they told her the food wasn't ready and made her way over. I knew the instant Allison saw her; her voice raised at least a decimal.

  "What's up with them?" Holly asked, glancing at the arguing couple.

  "Sounds like he isn't giving her enough attention," I said.

  "He has a lot to learn about women." The hostess called Holly's name. "My foods done. Kendra and I are doing a girl's night in; I'll tell her to give her baby brother some tips."

  Allison stalked away from Matt and out the front door, a sense of finality in her stride. Holly left right behind her. Matt gulped his beer, emptying the glass in one swig.

  "Well, that's over. She doesn't want to see me anymore. Evidently I'm too distracted; I don't appreciate her enough."

  "Is she right?" I asked. Matt's gaze had followed Holly, not Allison, when they walked in opposite directions. He shrugged.

  "Tell me what you learned today," I said, changing the subject. "Anything interesting?"

  "Only that we can safely eliminate a human as the shooter. Nobody at the store has ever seen an arrow like this. I even went to the shooting and archery range in Carbondale. They tried loading it onto their bows, but couldn't get it to sit right. I looked all over the Internet too, but I couldn't find anything remotely similar."

  "So it's not made here. That doesn't tell us much; it only confirms what we already suspected," I sighed. "I guess that's something."

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  TRESSA

  The soft sound of Sophia singing to herself woke me the next morning. The sun hadn't yet broken the horizon and the room was still dark. I carefully slid out from under the covers so as not to disturb Alexander, a nearly impossible feat. He muttered and rolled over, but continued to sleep.

  Sophia sat in the hallway, already dressed down to her pink sneakers. She grinned up at me as I came out of the room and closed the door behind me. I tied the belt securing my robe and sat on the floor next to her.

  "A leanbh, why are you up so early?" I asked, hugging her close.

  "Nana and Poppy are coming today. I wanted to be ready! But everyone else is still sleeping."

  "Hmmm, the sun is still asleep as well," I said. She looked up at me, her almond eyes pouting.

  "Are you going to make me go back to bed?" If I did that, she wouldn't sleep. I doubted I could fall asleep either.

  "Why don't we cook breakfast for everyone?"

  "Pancakes?" Her face lit up with excitement and she scrambled to her feet. She tugged my hand. "Can we make blueberry?"

  Sophia pulled the bag of flour from a bottom cupboard as I got the eggs, milk, blueberries, and butter from the refrigerator and put them on the kitchen island. Sophia stood on a footstool next to me and watched as I measured out the dry ingredients and placed them in a mixing bowl. I measured out the milk and let her dump it into the mix.

  She begged me to let her crack the eggs, so I stood behind her and guided her with my hands over her little fingers as she tapped the eggshell on the corner of the counter and broke it open over the bowl. We did the same with a second egg.

  I gave her a whisk to mix the batter as I rinsed the blueberries and heated the grill. We made several small pancakes for Sophia, who loved to see them piled high but didn't have a huge appetite, and two larger ones for me.

  "Aren't we going to make some for Daddy?" she asked as she poured maple syrup in a decorative swirl over the top of her tower.

  "We'll wait until the others wake up and then we'll cook the rest of the batter. That way they'll be hot when they're ready to eat." We took our first bite together and grinned at each other.

  "We make good pancakes," Sophia said, taking another forkful.

  "Aye, we do," I agreed.

  "Nana and Poppy are coming for the wedding, right?" she asked when we had nearly finished eating.

  "Aye, that's right. Family and friends like to share such a happy occasion."

  "You and Daddy are getting married, but what about me? Are you marrying me too?" she asked shyly, looking up at me through her long dark eyelashes. I smiled at her and chewed slowly while I contemplated where this question came from and what would be the best way to answer her.

  "Sure, and you know a man and a woman get married to each other. But aye, it means more than that alone. It also makes us a family forever and ever." She took another bite and considered my words.

  "So, will you be my mommy?"

  Here was the meat of the matter. I hesitated. I thought I knew she was happy about Alexander and me getting married, but now I felt a sudden pang of doubt.

  "Aye. What do you think about that?" I asked. She looked at me with a sincere expression, as though giving the idea a lot of consideration before answering.

  "I think it's the way it's supposed to be."

  "What are you girls doing up so early?" Alexander said, wandering into the kitchen stifling a yawn.

  "We made the world's best pancakes!" Sophia said proudly. She put her fork in the last of her breakfast, wiped up the syrup that had dripped onto the plate, and popped it into her mouth with a grin.

  Alexander's parents arrived a few hours later. They had stayed with us at the farmhouse once previously, before returning to Alexander's childhood home in New Jersey about a month ago. We settled them in there again this time; my soon to be father-in-law, John, had dementia. Having him stay in a familiar place seemed like the best idea, although he didn't seem to recognize it.

  As a matter of fact, John didn't recognize any of us. Not even Alexander, whom he usually thought was his brother. The only time he wasn't lost and confused was when he saw his wife, Neve. Not only was she his Anam Cara, but as a Sidhe her appearance hadn't changed much over the years. His face lit up every time she caught his eye.

  Neve and I went into the kitchen, leaving behind John and Sophia's chattering voices. I opened the refrigerator to verify that the Brounies had stocked the farmhouse for our guests.

  "There's plenty of food here," I said, "However I do hope you'll join us for dinners at the Manor House." When she didn't respond, I looked over my shoulder to find her gazing out the window above the sink. I joined her there and followed her gaze. There was nothing to see but the lake and the forest in the distance.

  "There are Sidhe in the woods, aren't there?"

  "Hundreds of them," I answered. She nodded, as if my answer confirmed something for her.

  "Will you take me there?"

  "Of course."

  While Alexander spent time with his father, Neve and I set out to visit the camp. Not in any hurry, we decided to walk, taking advantage of the break from the rain. Neve had recently been reunited with her husband after decades apart; she beamed as she told me how well she and John were doing now that they were back in their own home. The glow of happiness that surrounded her even permeated her aura.

  "He's less confused. He was at his worst when we arrived this morning; it's being out of his usual routine that does it."

  "Sure, and it must be helpful that on human terms, you haven't aged at all from the last time he saw you. It's as if he's living in a world that dates back twenty-five years."

  "Sit with me for a minute," she said as we approached the glider.

  We sat together and let the glider rock us to and fro, gazing out over the lake and taking in the view. I knew she wanted to say something, and I was giving her the space to formulate her words.

  "The water in the lake looks very high," she said. This wasn't what she wanted to speak with me about, however if she wanted to make small talk, I would oblige her.

  "It's been an especially rainy spring."

  "Any more rain and you might have some flooding."
>
  "I don't think it's likely; I've never heard of it flooding in the past."

  We swung in silence again, waiting for her to get to the point of this tête–à–tête.

  "I have something for you."

  I turned to face her, leaning against the arm of the glider as she reached into her pocket. I had guessed that she had brought me some sort of memorabilia from Alexander's youth, but instead she pulled out a small jewelry box. Her expression showed both shyness and affection. She held the box out, but I hesitated before taking it. I understood what she was doing, and I wasn't sure how to feel about it. Eventually I smiled; despite my confusion, she meant to be kind.

  "Of course, the tradition is for a mother to hand her necklace down to her daughter to wear on her wedding day. Your mother and grandmother are gone, and I have no daughter of my own. But as you will soon be my daughter, I thought perhaps you would accept this gift from me, though I'm a poor substitute for your own mother."

  I opened the box. Inside, as I had expected, was a round gold pendant about the size of a quarter with the three swirls of the Sidhe symbol for fertility entirely encrusted with pale yellow lapopsia stones from the Otherworld.

  It was a Sidhe tradition for women to give this necklace as a sign of the history and love that comes to the bride from her parents. It was also a symbol of hope for the continuation of the family through the couple's children. I swallowed as I sorted through my emotions. It was a sweet gesture, a loving gesture. However, that happiness warred with my fear of disappointing her.

  "Neve, I don't have the words to express how much this means to me," I said. I pulled the necklace out of the case and held it up with the pendant dangling off my fingers. "It's beautiful, and I would be proud to wear it."

  "Something's wrong. Please tell me what it is," she said. Though I had tried to cover the negative side of my thoughts, she was too astute and saw through me. I took in a deep breath and sighed when I let it out.