Sasha considered his words, her eyes never leaving his.
“Well, that’s just dumb,” she decided.
“I agree. I really do. I love you and I know how much you hate people who lie to you. Trust me. If I could have beheaded Aaron, I would have. But the only thing I am allowed to do is kill any Domnua if they try to get to you. I swear on everything that I love in my life.” Maddox held out his bracelets and sparkly nails dramatically. “I would have told you if I could have. You’re my best friend.”
Sasha kept her eyes on his, her heart pounding, as she lowered the dagger.
“You have to know how this would make me feel.”
“I do. I really, really do. But it was either leave you unprotected or face your wrath when you found out what I was. I’d rather you be mad at me and alive than left vulnerable.”
And there you have it, Sasha thought, sheathing her dagger back at her waist. Maybe there were shades of grey when it came to lying, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.
“I’m hurt. But I will get past it,” Sasha finally said.
Maddox’s eyes lit up. “You’ll forgive me?”
“I... just give me a moment. I’ve only found out more details this morning. It’s all kind of rocketing around my brain right now. I can’t seem to grasp what’s going on here,” Sasha admitted, her hand coming unconsciously to the bump at the nape of her neck.
“Well, let’s get to making sense of things. Because the clock just started,” Maddox said, coming forward to touch her arm and propel her back to her desk. Pausing, he wrapped an arm loosely around her shoulder. “You know I love you.”
Sasha sighed, the angry knot of betrayal loosening inside of her as she leaned briefly into his warmth.
“I know.”
“Tell me everything you know. I’ll fill in the holes,” Maddox said, grabbing his to-go cup of coffee and kicking back into the armchair tucked by her desk. He’d sat in just that spot a thousand times over the years and Sasha couldn’t help but be comforted by the familiarity of their morning routine, talking over coffee and scones, catching each other up on their personal lives. She could hold onto the hurt of being lied to... or decide to venture forward and learn more about this mythological web she was entwined in.
“Well, I called out my protector, for one,” Sasha said, leaning back in her chair.
Maddox choked on his coffee, slamming the cup down on the desk and covering his mouth as he coughed, his eyes watering. Today his platinum blond hair was gelled into a mini fauxhawk of sorts and the point of it bounced back and forth as he gasped for air.
“You all right then?” Sasha asked, leaning forward to take a sip of her own coffee.
“Just let me...” Maddox gasped and wiped his eyes, pounding his chest dramatically as he took one more deep breath. “Please elaborate on what you mean by you ‘called out your protector.’”
“Well, I learned that there’s some sort of faction of protectors who get tasked with taking care of the Seekers. Which is me, apparently. So I just went outside and yelled for him.”
Maddox covered his face with both hands, breathing deeply as he shook his head back and forth, the bracelets on his wrist jingling lightly.
“Are you out of your mind?” Maddox finally asked through his hands.
“Funny, that’s what he asked me too.”
“Your protector is supposed to never reveal himself to you. It was meant that you be kept separate, so no feelings would get involved, and so they can protect you at all costs,” Maddox said evenly.
“Yes, well, looks like I broke my first rule,” Sasha said, shrugging one shoulder delicately. “Oops.”
“Oops is right,” Maddox muttered, turning to dig into the bag of scones. “I need comfort food.”
“You always need comfort food,” Sasha pointed out.
“Perhaps I need to be constantly comforted,” Maddox shot back, waving the scone in his hand. “Preferably in the arms of someone quite handsome.”
“You should meet my protector then.” Sasha winked at Maddox as she dug in the bag for her own scone.
“Ohhh,” Maddox breathed, leaning in. “Tell me more.”
“He’s tall. Like easily a foot taller than me. Strong, but not in like an overly brute way, you know?” Sasha asked and Maddox nodded along, waving his scone at her to continue. “More like... a panther or something. He moved fast, faster than is human, and his face was all angles and mutinous green eyes. Longer hair, pulled back with a tie.”
Maddox fanned his face dramatically.
“They always pick the best ones to be the Protectors.”
“I wouldn’t know. Care to fill me in?”
“Being a Protector is a great honor. So long as our kin has inhabited Ireland, we’ve known of this curse. There are hundreds of years of Protectors and Seekers, but it was all with the intent of gathering info. But in this year? This last year before the curse either ends or comes to fruition? Well, that’s the time for Seekers to actually find. It all comes down to this. The final countdown.” Maddox began to whistle the tune.
“So, no pressure then?” Sasha asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
“None at all, my love, none at all.” Maddox shot her a cheeky a grin.
Despite herself, Sasha found herself grinning back. She loved a challenge. “Game on then.”
“That’s my girl.” Maddox shot her an air kiss.
Chapter Nine
“Now just who are these two again?” Maddox sniffed as they entered a sleek hotel just ten minutes from Cloak and Dagger.
“All I know is that the guy is one of your brethren. And the blonde has a mouth on her,” Sasha said. Maddox looked intrigued, but held his tongue as Sasha greeted the man behind the front desk.
They’d decided – given the circumstances – that it would be best to close the gallery for the day, if not for a while. Sasha didn’t want to think about what a hit her business would take if she left the gallery closed for a few weeks. Luckily, she lived a fairly frugal life and had a sizeable nest egg in savings, but it still didn’t rest easy with Sasha. She liked working – it was the one thing that truly filled her soul with happiness. Closing up shop was akin to not feeding her child.
“Saving the world here, Sash,” Sasha muttered to herself as they made their way to the elevators. The modern décor of neon green and subtle grey didn’t work for Sasha, and all the bright color made her want to squint. What ever happened to good old black and white? she wondered as they stepped into the elevator.
“Trying too hard,” Maddox decided.
Sasha turned to him with a smile. “The décor?”
“Obviously,” Maddox sniffed, and examined a nail. “These new places try to be so sleek and edgy. Could you imagine working around that neon green all day? I’d go blind.”
“And that is why we work so well together,” Sasha agreed as the doors slid seamlessly open. They stepped out into another grey and neon green hallway.
“I see the theme continues,” Maddox murmured as they found the door.
They both paused as it swung open, Bianca on the other side with her hands on her hips. The blonde coolly assessed Maddox and he stepped back, doing the same to her.
“You’re perfect,” Bianca decided, smiling up at Maddox.
“What’s perfect is your hair color, honey. Tell me where you get it done,” Maddox said, like recognizing like.
“I don’t. It’s natural.”
“No,” Maddox breathed as they stepped into the hotel suite.
“I swear,” Bianca said, shooting a smile over her shoulder at Sasha. Sasha tried not to feel annoyed that Maddox and Bianca had clicked so instantly.
“You’ve been blessed, then, that’s for sure,” Maddox said and Bianca all but bounced as she led them further into the suite. Seamus lounged on a long narrow grey couch that appeared to be chosen more for its aesthetic than its comfort.
“Brother,” Maddox said immediately, bowing his head slightly to Seamus
. Seamus stood up, holding out both of his hands for a complicated handshake that moved so quickly that Sasha could barely follow it.
“Secret Boy’s Club handshake?” Sasha asked, raising an eyebrow at the two.
Bianca swept an accusing look at Sasha as the men smiled. “You didn’t tell me you had a Danula already.”
“I didn’t know I did have one ...” Sasha’s voice trailed off and she tugged at the end of her braid, a sure sign of annoyance which Maddox immediately picked up on.
“Why don’t I pour us a cup of tea and we’ll just settle in for a quick chat,” Maddox said, moving to the side table where a nice spread of biscuits and fruits was arranged with style.
Sasha perched herself warily on the edge of a grey chair with neon green flecks scattered throughout the cushion fabric. Had the decorator really not considered any other colors? She waved away a cup of tea and leveled a stare at Bianca.
“Well? You have me here.”
Bianca raised an eyebrow at Maddox, who just shrugged at her.
“Well, aren’t you just a ball of sunshine and roses?” Bianca said, sniffing a bit as she leaned back into the couch, where Seamus automatically put his arm around her shoulders. Sasha studied them both carefully, memorizing the way Bianca’s eyes slanted just a bit at the corners, and how Seamus’s hair was just the perfect Irish red. It was an old habit of hers – sizing others up quickly and remembering nuances most would forget. It helped to study faces when fencing – or frankly, in any hand-to-hand combat, Sasha thought as she idly tapped her finger on her leg. People will communicate their next move quite clearly with the smallest of tells.
“Sunshine and roses don’t win battles,” Sasha pointed out, and scrunched her nose when Maddox glared at her. “What? I’m just saying.”
“Well, now that the niceties are done with, let’s get to it, shall we?” Bianca said, the slightest bit of bitchiness entering her tone as she smoothed her hands over her pants. “It’s your turn to find one of the four treasures, which we all know as the Sword of Light – or Sword of Truth, however you want to look at it – from various myths and legends. I prefer the Sword of Truth myself, but that’s just a personal opinion.”
“Why?” Sasha asked, relaxing a little as Bianca’s face became animated with her lecture.
“The most basic retelling of the Four Treasures Celtic creation myth holds that the Sword was a sword of light and could destroy anything the wielder wished. However, I’ve read different iterations through many texts that also suggest it was a sword of truth or justice. It was said that when the rightful owner held it, not only could it cleave any man’s or fae’s head straight from their body, but also it would not leave the holder’s side. It was a useful tool for the great rulers to use in battle as nobody could win against it.”
“So it’s steel? This sword?” Sasha asked.
Bianca paused and considered her words. “I did say it was steel, or didn’t I? Are swords made from other materials?”
“Depends on the clan, the era, and the craft. In theory, a sword can be made from many materials. Are there any identifying marks I should be aware of?” Sasha asked.
“It’s fae, though. It’s magickal. Does that mean it would still be steel?” Bianca asked, and Sasha paused.
“I can’t quite say as I know the answer to that. I haven’t really believed in magick in my life, up until fae started showing up and trying to kill me.”
“How long has that been going on?” Seamus interjected.
“A few months, if not longer,” Maddox said, easing onto the couch with a perfectly balanced cup of tea in his right hand. “I’ve taken care of the stray few, and I’m sure her protector has as well. But she’s handled more than she should have had to on her own.”
Had anyone looked in on them, the group would have seemed to be having an easy chat over scones and tea – perhaps planning for an afternoon tour of a museum, or a pub crawl of the Temple Bar district. Instead, they spoke of magick and beheadings, good fae and bad fae, as easily as if they were discussing what the weather held for the next day.
“The sword? What does it look like? When was it last seen? What do you know about it?” Sasha fired off the questions in rapid order, dismissing the discussion of her having to kill fae. There was nothing to discuss – a problem had arisen and she’d taken care of it. Period. That’s how she lived her life.
“We know it has a quaternary knot at the base,” Seamus said, pulling Bianca’s hand into his lap to shush her. Sasha caught the annoyed look that ran across Bianca’s face, but was impressed with the blonde’s ability to keep her mouth shut when necessary. “And that the knot is made of four metals – copper, silver, gold, and platinum. They all intertwine to make a beautiful mark – one that is said to glow when the rightful owner holds it.”
“A Celtic knot design like the one on my neck?” Sasha asked.
Seamus nodded. “Yes, four corners to the knot. Four treasures. Four Seekers. Four protectors.”
“And four months,” Bianca added, her chin lifting a bit, “Four months to find the sword.”
“And you said the stone has been found? How long did that take?”
Bianca brightened at that, her round body all but vibrating with excitement as she launched into the tale of a woman named Clare climbing Mt. Brandon and banishing the Domnua to the depths before returning with the stone. It was quite the tale, and Bianca related it with a flair that told Sasha she was used to story-telling.
“So we’re winning right now? And the baton’s been passed to me?” Sasha asked.
Bianca beamed at her. “Precisely. So I think we should make an action plan,” Bianca began and Sasha held up her hand, bringing Bianca’s flow of words to a halt.
“There’s no ‘we.’ I. I will come up with an action plan. Is there anything else you can tell me that I need to know about this? Any clues? The last known spot for a sighting of this sword?” Sasha asked briskly, not caring that Bianca now scowled at her.
“Ah, I believe it was at a castle outside Killarney. Well, what was a castle. It’s now naught but ruins, I’m certain,” Seamus said quickly, squeezing Bianca’s hand tightly in his own.
“Name?” Sasha asked. Maddox sighed, shaking his head at her. She didn’t dignify him with a response.
“I only know it by its fae name,” Seamus said. “But I can’t be certain the locals would even refer to it as that now.”
“Anything else I should know before I go?” Sasha said as she stood. Bianca’s mouth dropped open, then she snapped it shut and stood as well, putting her hands on her hips.
“We’re here to be helping you then, not your servants who just spit out whatever answers you need.” Bianca huffed as she worked up a good head of mad. “There’s a lot you should know. Like how to kill fae and what your magickal power is, and where to look for clues and how to identify the bad guys—”
“I’ve killed fae. I prefer a sword straight through the heart. But iron suffices as well. And now I know the good ones are purple and the bad ones are silver. As for clues, you haven’t given me anything besides the maybe-name of a location. As for my magickal power, I’m quite certain it’s not putting up with anyone’s bullshit. Anything else?” Sasha said smoothly, dismissing the hurt that sliced across Bianca’s face.
As far as she was concerned, the fewer people on her journey, the fewer she was responsible for keeping alive. Hurt feelings were nothing compared to death, and Sasha didn’t want anyone’s blood on her hands.
Except for the fae who kept trying to kill her.
“No?” Sasha asked into the silence, then turned to Maddox. “I’m leaving. It’s probably best if you stay as well. I know you’re supposed to be my trusty steed and all, I doubt there is much that you can do at this point. Let’s just leave the protecting to the infamous protector, shall we?”
Sasha wanted to close her eyes so as not to witness the expression on Maddox’s face, and the little clutch in her gut told her that her hurtful wor
ds had struck home. Surveying the shocked expressions on the faces in the room and weighing the icy silence that met her, she considered her work done.
Turning, she walked quickly from the room, her back straight and her stomach in knots.
“You’ll be needing us! You shouldn’t turn your back on your friends,” Bianca called after her.
“Friends? I don’t even know you.”
Chapter Ten
“What a...” Bianca trailed off as Seamus tightened his hand on hers, his barely perceptible nod in Maddox’s direction reminding Bianca that now wasn’t the time for her opinions of Sasha.
“I apologize for Sasha’s behavior,” Maddox said stiffly, his face almost as white as his shirt.
“Ah, man, think nothing of it. You’ve done a wonderful job of being an added layer of protection for her. Seems to be a bit of a prickly type, I’m seeing,” Seamus said, his tone cheerful as he sipped his tea. “Can’t imagine it’s been easy, being her friend.”
“She’s not all that bad,” Maddox said, his face relaxing a bit as he leaned back, “In fact, she’s one of my favorite people.”
“Why do I find that hard to believe?” Bianca said.
Maddox laughed. “Sasha’s a fierce one, but she’s had to be. She’s had a rough time of it. Everything she’s ever done in her life she’s had to fight for – from making her way in a male-dominated field, to earning the credibility and the money to open her gallery, to kicking her cheating ex to the curb. Things got a little dicey after that, you know, and her walls went way up.”
“Well, that’s just shite,” Bianca said, her expression softening. “I hate liars.”
“I’d never lie to you, my beauty,” Seamus said immediately, and leaned over to kiss Bianca’s cheek. Bianca dimpled up at him and then turned her attention back to Maddox.
“Sasha lives her life by a strict code of honor, most likely from the countless hours of martial arts training she’s had. To deal with a liar, and something as intimate as that... well, it’s the first time I’ve really seen her crack.”
Sword Song: The Isle of Destiny Series Page 3
