by Laura Howard
By choosing to do as she wished, I might protect the people I loved. By doing what was “right,” I might stop Aoife, but what if I lost both of my parents as collateral damage?
How could I live with myself?
Uncle David and Aunt Jessie came over at four o’clock to discuss the funeral arrangements with Gram. I stayed in the living room with my mother while they talked. The wake would be the next night, and the funeral the following morning at St Edmund’s. While they’d been out earlier, they ordered flowers, so everything was in place. I wished I could help them more, but I’d never lost anyone before so I was clueless about what had to be done.
I looked at the TV screen, wrinkling my nose at the reality show my mother was watching. It was about some group looking for paranormal creatures. Maybe I should give them a call, see how they’d like to meet up with some real walking nightmares. They might decide to change their careers if they knew what was actually out there. If they weren’t left drained of blood or possibly worse, addicted to a Danaan.
“I’m going to need to go shopping in the morning,” Aunt Jessie said. “What about you Al? Do you have anything to wear?”
“Oh. Yeah, I have plenty of clothes,” I said, forcing a smile.
“Maybe you should go shopping, pick out something nice. That might cheer you up,” Gram said. “My treat.”
“No, really. I should be all set. But thanks.”
That was yet another reason why I shouldn’t go to Tír na n’Óg. I couldn’t miss Pop’s wake and funeral. What kind of granddaughter was I for even considering it? Once again, I imagined what Pop would say if I asked him for his opinion. He’d most likely laugh in his good-natured way, and tell me he wouldn’t be in that coffin, so why should I feel bad about missing it?
I had to make a decision. I glanced at my mother, who was only coughing mildly now. I could go to Tír na n’Óg and be back so quick she wouldn’t suffer for all that long.
As my decision began clicking into place, my phone beeped.
Ready when you are.
Niamh had a decoy ready to take my place, and one for Ethan. Now was the time to end this. My mothers face as I’d once seen her in Tír na n’Óg, flashed before my eyes, strengthening my resolve.
I texted Ethan, letting him know to meet me next door.
“You know what,” I said. “Maybe you’re right, Gram. Maybe I’ll go get something new. I need to get out for a while.”
Grams eyes softened. “Good girl. Let me just get my purse.”
I waved her off. “I’m all set.”
She tightened her lips, but nodded. “Okay, have a nice time. We’ll be fine here, so don’t hurry back.”
I walked next door as fast as I could. Even though I’d made my decision, I knew the sound of my mother coughing would be my undoing. I was grateful Liam’s house didn’t have any mirrors, because if Aoife appeared now I didn’t know how I’d hang on to my intentions.
I didn’t bother knocking, I just walked right in the front door, my footsteps echoing on the tile floor of the foyer.
Niamh and Aodhan sat at the table in what appeared to be a very intense conversation. They both straightened when I came into the room.
“Hello, Allison,” Niamh said, glancing sidelong at Aodhan.
I held out my hands. “I’m ready, and Ethan should be here soon.”
“Good. Why don’t you give Eithne and Diarmuid a quick rundown of the past few days while we wait?”
“They’re our decoys this time?” I said. Usually she had Danaan I didn’t know stay in my place while I went to Tír na n’Óg. But I’d met Eithne and Diarmuid a few times now. Diarmuid was Niamh’s advisor and Eithne was his mate. She was a quiet, timid girl, but she was kind. And she had many reasons to want to keep Aoife from becoming queen.
“Your mother has been sick, I noticed,” Niamh said. “I thought Eithne would be a good choice since she is our finest healer.”
“That’s great, actually. Thank you.”
“Of course. They’re in the living room waiting for us.”
Aodhan hadn’t spoken to me. He looked out the window into the front yard, his shoulders tense. He took a deep breath, blowing out through his nose.
I moved to his side and laid my hand on his shoulder. “You okay?”
It was getting dark outside, and the trees in the yard cast shadows across his face. He looked up at me, pressing his lips together, and nodded. “Fine, why?”
“You just seem quiet, that’s all.”
He stood and gestured for me to go before him to the living room. The front door opened, shut and Ethan came in.
He said hello to Aodhan as he came to my side, slipping his hand into mine. As soon as his skin touched mine, I relaxed.
Niamh sat in the arm chair talking to Eithne and Diarmuid. They sat close together on the couch, nodding at whatever Niamh said.
When Eithne saw me she stood, followed by Diarmuid. “It’s good to see you Allison,” she said in her soft voice. She was shorter than other Danaan I’d met, about the same size as me and her long ginger waves flowed to her waist.
“You, too. Thank you both for coming.”
Diarmuid’s gaze met mine, and he inclined his head, a lock of dark hair tumbling down his forehead. His expression was pensive, but not unkind.
“Niamh tells me you’ve lost your grandfather. I’m sorry to hear it,” Eithne said, a hint of dampness in her eyes.
Eithne was a healer, and by nature sensitive to the moods and feeling of others. I blinked and thanked her.
“And your mother, she has a bad cough?”
“Yes. It comes and goes, but today it was bad enough that she coughed up blood.”
She nodded, but didn’t say anything more.
We filled them in on anything else they might need to know, including the funeral arrangements. Guilt surged up at the thought of not being with my family when they needed me most. But I’d made my decision, and now it was time to go. I needed to just tuck that guilt away and face what lay ahead with a clear conscience.
We walked around Niamh’s house in Wheelwright without even going in. Her guards, Niall and Bláithín, were out back waiting for us.
I swallowed at the angry look on Niall’s face, even though I didn’t think it was directed at me.
“We found Tagdh,” Niall said. “In a dumpster behind a shopping plaza.”
“In Stoneville?” Aodhan asked.
Niall nodded. Guilt and anger battled inside me. I’d known all along that Tagdh was dead, but Aoife’s compulsion made me powerless, even now.
“Who left him there?” Ethan asked, horrified.
Bláithín held up a leather bag and dumped the contents onto the grass. The blade of an iron dagger glinted in the moonlight.
“Seamus.” Niall spat out the name.
Aodhan gripped Niall’s shoulder and murmured something in a language I didn’t understand.
Without another word, the guards gathered up the dagger and walked into the house.
I followed Niamh down into the root cellar to the portal. I steeled myself against thoughts of Liam and my mother. This could be over soon.
Aodhan went through the portal first, and Niamh waited for me to follow. Shielding my eyes from the glaring light, I stepped forward. Just before I stepped in, static skated across my skin, the tiny hairs standing up. Electricity hummed and I was bounced backward as I tried to walk through.
Ethan knelt down beside me where I’d landed on my back. I squeezed my eyes shut, the shock still vibrating my bones.
“What the hell was that?” he asked.
The light from the portal winked out and Niamh came to my other side. “Are you wearing anything iron or steel?”
Another flare of light came from the wall as Aodhan came back through and crouched in front of me. “What happened?”
Before I could say a word, Niamh’s fingers fluttered along my collarbone. She pulled the thin cord out from under my shirt, and flinched when her hand
touched the pendant.
“Where did you get this?” she asked, brows furrowed.
I blew out a breath, unable to speak.
With a snap, she broke the cord and tossed the pendant to the opposite side of the room.
I should have known she said in my mind.
Known what?
“That thing was a curse, or a hex would be more accurate,” Niamh said.
“What was it for?” I asked, swallowing the lump in my throat.
“To keep me from reading your thoughts, no doubt. The symbol translates, roughly, to a mind block.”
Guilt twisted my insides and I looked down at the dirt floor.
Niamh took my face in her hands, closing her eyes.
“Wait. What are you doing?” Ethan asked. I looked over to see Aodhan grab his arm, keeping him still.
My mind felt like a rolodex as Niamh sifted through my memories. I squeezed my eyes shut to keep from being sick.
“What the hell are you doing?” Ethan asked again, raising his voice.
“Allison has a curse laid on her,” Aodhan told him in a low tone. “Niamh is only trying to figure out why.”
“Aoife did this?” Ethan asked.
“It appears that way,” Aodhan said.
Niamh opened her eyes and swayed a little. Aodhan reached out to steady her.
“I’m so sorry, Niamh,” I said. “I never would have…”
She held up a hand. “I know. No apology is necessary.”
I looked at Ethan. I wasn’t sure if Niamh had been able to lift Aoife’s compulsion, so I tried to tell him what happened.
“When I disappeared a few days ago, I wasn’t going to Thunder Bay. Aoife kidnapped me. She compelled me and I couldn’t tell anyone what happened.” I glanced at Niamh, my eyes full of tears.
“Liam’s still alive,” Niamh said, shaking her head.
“Yes,” I said. “And Samantha and Ciarán. She has them all chained to the floor in that fháillan mine.”
Aodhan’s expression was stormy. “I can guess what she’s doing. She’s using them to get you to perform her will?”
I nodded, miserable.
“What is her will?” Ethan asked, confusion in his voice.
I looked at Niamh, understanding passing through us without words. “To become queen of Tír na n’Óg,” I said.
“That’s absurd,” Aodhan said, his voice so low a chill passed through me.
“I couldn’t tell anyone Aodhan, I swear I would have if I was able to.”
“Don’t worry yourself over that, now. I know you would.”
“Your father is still alive, then?” Ethan said, still working it out in his mind.
I nodded. “Yes, but she’s kept him on the brink of death. He’s filthy and sick, barely able to breath.”
“She must have broken his fall, there is no way he would have survived that,” Ethan said, staring at the wall.
“Yes. Her magic is more powerful than any of us imagined, I think,” Niamh said, frowning.
“Will I be able to go through the portal now?” I asked.
Her gaze shifted to me. “I believe so.” She rose to her feet and placed her hand on the wall again, reopening the blazing portal.
“You go first,” Aodhan said, straightening up and stepping back.
Ethan helped me to my feet. I clutched his hand as we walked toward the brilliant light of the portal.
The seconds between the human realm and Tír na n’Óg stretched and twisted us as if our molecules were broken apart and put back together.
The halo of light around us dissipated once we were all through the portal. I leaned heavily on one of the chairs at Niamh’s table, trying to keep myself upright from the crossing.
“We need to move quickly. Aoife has been watching me somehow. She’ll know what I’m doing and she’ll punish the others for it,” I said, my breathing still ragged.
“I’ll go on ahead,” Niamh said. “I’ll tell my mother everything. We will take care of this, Allison.”
I nodded. With a quick glance at Aodhan, Niamh took off, too fast for my eyes to see.
The walk from Niamh’s house, nestled into a round hillside, to the palace of Saoirse and Deaghlan was only about three or four miles by human standards. It was hard to make an accurate guess, since space wasn’t quite the same in Tír na n’Óg.
I would take a step forward and look back to see I’d moved what appeared to be five steps. The place itself was dazzling, almost too much to take in. The colors were brighter, the air sweeter, than anything the human realm had to offer.
We traveled along a path I’d been on a handful of times, but the landscape appeared to have shifted subtly since we’d been here last. Even as I walked, the leaves trembled and the vines curled like they were glad to see we were back.
I kept my eyes forward, skimming my fingers along the green ferns and bushes as we passed. If it was quiet enough, I could hear them sighing in my wake.
At the top of the second ridge, we looked down on the valley where a river wound through the foothills like a sparkling blue ribbon. We climbed down the hill silently. Even though our situation was just as perilous as always, it was impossible not to be enchanted by the beauty around us.
Aodhan crossed the river a few yards ahead. The rocks and stones fit together to form a bridge wide enough for us to walk over.
By the time we got to the stone staircase leading up the mountain, my thoughts had turned sour again. What was Aoife doing? Would I regret my choice?
Aodhan opened the heavy wooden door at the top of the stairs, letting us all pass through before him. Niamh and Saoirse waited for us in the enormous entrance. The ceiling was three stories high, with stairs leading to balconies spanning the entire room.
Saoirse held her arms out in welcome. The tension in my chest disappeared and I moved toward her without any hesitation. She wrapped her arms around me and for a moment I imagined she was my own mother greeting me after a long time apart.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Allison,” she said in her musical voice.
I straightened and smiled at her, feeling like a toddler gazing into his mother’s eyes. Warm relief passed through me. Things would be better now, no one else would suffer on my account.
Aodhan cleared his throat and Saoirse kept her hand on my shoulder as I turned to see a strange look of impatience in his eyes.
“We’ve come with distressing news, Mother,” Niamh said, her words tumbling out.
Saoirse tilted her head. “Oh?”
Niamh’s brow furrowed, and a moment passed where they looked into each other’s eyes, communicating silently.
“I see,” Saoirse said, her voice low with just a hint of irritation.
“This situation has come to a head, Saoirse. We can’t pretend it will work itself out any longer. Aoife must be stopped,” Aodhan said, his voice tight. The lines around his eyes were tense. He was barely keeping himself under control.
“You’re right, Aodhan,” Saoirse said, clasping her hands in front of her body. “I’ve put it off much too long. My hope for peace has blinded me.”
Once Saoirse released me, Ethan came to my side, grasping my hand. His gentle touch reminded me where I was and to be careful who I trusted.
“I’ve been guilty of the same, Mother. Aoife is my sister and I let my loyalty get in the way of what is right.”
Aodhan looked at Niamh and before he smoothed his features, I saw a brief flicker of tenderness in his eyes. Perhaps it wouldn’t have been so easy to keep those two apart.
“My visions have been troubling these past few days,” Saoirse said, turning slowly. We followed her deeper into the gathering room. A small group of Danaans lounged in the sitting area, but cleared the room with a signal from the queen. She sat in the center of the sitting area and waved us in.
“Niamh said you’ve seen Aoife growing ill?” I said.
Saoirse sighed and nodded. “Yes, this is true. I’ve only heard tales of the
effects of Old Magic. But the iron from human blood is toxic to us. A small amount won’t do any damage over time. Unfortunately, what Aoife has been doing requires a substantial amount.”
“How does she get all that blood into Tír na n’Óg if I was zapped for the tiny pendant I was wearing?”
“Most portals are made to repel iron. Aoife appears to have grown strong enough to create her own portals. The pendant she had you wearing was made of fháillan, but it was infused with magic conjured using human blood,” Niamh said.
“Oh, okay,” I said. “Liam told me fháillan is an iron repellant.”
“Yes, but fháillan is also a magical conduit,” Niamh said. “It can be used to attract unlimited amounts of magic from the blood of both humans and Danaan. The magic from human blood carries traces of iron.”
I closed my eyes for a second, focusing my thoughts. “I understand Aoife is your family and you don’t want to see her harmed. What we need is to come up with a way to stop her we can agree on. Niamh had her imprisoned in the fey globe when we met. That seems like a justified punishment.”
“She managed to escape the fey globe, though,” Niamh said, glancing Aodhan.
I wasn’t sure how to continue without accusing Saoirse, and I knew that wouldn’t be my best move. “Tighter security measures would have to be taken. I mean, there has to be a way to keep her trapped, right?”
Saoirse watched me, her expression tranquil. “Of course, Allison. Aoife has performed detestable acts against you and your family. I appreciate your compassion.”
My mouth opened, but I thought better and I closed it. Telling her about my desire to take Aoife’s life with my own hands wouldn’t be a good idea.
I took a deep breath and tried again. “My compassion is not for Aoife.”
Her returning smile melted my anger. There was no question why she was the most powerful member of her race. Just one look from Saoirse and you would hand her your soul.
