A Family Oath

by Auburn Tempest

  “That’s what I’m doing.”

  The peanut gallery arrives, and a round of gasping inhales and muttered curses light off as my father and brothers catch a glimpse of the macabre peep show.

  Dillan scrunches up his face and winces. “Dayam, that’s gnarly, Fi. What’s happening?”

  “I’m trying to figure that out.”

  Sloan pulls my pajama bottoms down and frees my legs. Then he scoops me off my feet and lays me on my bed. “Calum, fetch me the black kit tucked at the end of my bag. Someone text Dora and ask if she’s at her apartment and if I can come to get her.”

  The urgent aggression in Sloan’s movements is putting me on edge. “Dude, your bedside manner isn’t comforting. Aren’t you supposed to fake it and make me feel better?”

  “What is it, son?” Da asks. “Is it that damnable book?”

  “Aye, it most certainly is.” He reaches back and takes the toiletries kit from Calum and lays it on the bed beside me. “Where’s Beauty?”

  “She’s here.” Dillan grabs my spellbook off the cushion on my window seat and hands it over.

  Sloan flips through it.

  I admire how he knows right where to find what he wants. Most of the time, I’m still exploring the pages, trying to figure out what spells I could use for things.

  Emmet hangs up his phone and leans against the footboard of my bed. “Dora says she’s at the soup kitchen next door. You can take me with you, and I’ll fill in on the serving line while you need her here.”

  Sloan nods and holds his finger up at me. “Don’t move. I mean it. I’ll be right back.”

  Da moves in and sits on the bed. He grabs my hand, and the worry in his gaze makes my eyes sting. “She’ll not move an inch. We’ll make sure of it. Safe home, son, and be quick about it.”

  Sloan grabs Emmet’s wrist, and the two of them poof out.

  The rest of us sit in silence and wait. It feels like the room is holding its breath until he gets back. He’s only gone maybe two minutes, but it feels like an eternity.

  Dora’s fashionable in pink camo pants and an angora sweater. A perfectly sensible soup kitchen server outfit. She looks at my leg and pushes out her glossy lips. “Oh, girlie, I’m so sorry.”

  Dora’s sympathy brings on the sting of tears, and I have to blink fast to keep from crying. “Not your fault. Eyes forward. How do we fix it?”

  Sloan is doing his healer thing, and Dora climbs onto my covers and starts doing her cleansing routine. “Have you got any whiskey handy or something to numb the pain?”

  I bark a laugh. “Whiskey is something we always have in stock in this house.”

  Two seconds later, Dillan pours me a tumbler, then he takes a swig and passes it around. I tip mine back and swallow fast, letting the burn of the liquid sedation take hold. “Wow, that’s powerful stuff for breakfast.”

  “It’s good you haven’t eaten anything, girlfriend, because this won’t be pleasant. Remember the first time we did this?”

  I swallow as a wave of dizzy hits at the memory. “As if it was only last week.”

  “Funny girl.” Sloan offers what I know is supposed to be a reassuring smile. It’s not—but it’s supposed to be. “The tissue is dying from the surface inward. The tattoo might be gone, but the taint of it is still very much present.”

  “I was afraid of that. All right, it’s not like I didn’t know it was a possibility. Hotness, if you can portal yourself into my apartment. Do you remember the cupboard where I keep my cards? There are three more vials of that red cleansing solution in there. Bring them here.”

  Sloan is gone and back in a flash.

  I stare at the vials and groan. “That stuff tastes like festering assholes.”

  “It should. That’s what I used to make it.” I stop with my hand at my mouth, and she chuckles. “I’m kidding. Drink it.”

  I show everyone what a good little patient I can be and do as instructed. My mind fills with a dozen colorful and creative curses, but I have my fingers pressed over my lips to keep from barfing.

  “I know that look.” Sloan passes his hand over my thigh as intense heat bubbles to the surface of my skin. “I’m sorry, Fi. This is going to hurt like a bastard.”

  He no sooner says the words than I arch back on my bed and cry out.

  Da grabs my hand and squeezes. “Focus on me, mo chroi. Look at me and think only happy thoughts.”

  Dillan and Calum stand behind Da, then Aiden rushes into view.

  Okay, now I’m crying. “You didn’t need to come over here for this.”

  “Shut up, stupid. Where else would I be, baby girl?”

  While Dora and Sloan do their thing, my family keeps me distracted the best they can. Da never lets go of my hand and Dillan, Calum, and Aiden entertain me with tall tales of the tortures they suffered at my hands over the years.

  Lies. All lies.

  I laugh when I can manage, and Da wipes my tears like a champion when I can’t. I don’t know how long it all takes, but in the end, the pain subsides.

  Sloan takes Dora home and exchanges her for Emmet.

  He crawls onto the bed, and I roll over and snuggle against his side. The two of us are the closest in age and grew up doing the same things with the same people. He’s not only my brother, but he’s also one of my best friends.

  “How you doin’, Fi?”

  “I feel like a steaming pile of shit.”

  He smiles. “That’s good because you look like it. No mixed messages there.”

  “Glad we’re clear on that.”

  My phone rings and I chuckle as the Lion King theme song plays. “Pass me that. It’s Garnet.”

  Da picks up the phone, answers it, and walks out to the hall to take my call.

  “Rude. My phone. My room.”

  “Tough. My daughter. My house,” Da calls back.

  I snort. “The oul man has a point.”

  The excitement dies down, and we all sit around looking at one another. “Okay, you’re dismissed. I’m fine. The excitement is over. S’all good.”

  Sloan scowls at me, then gets up and heads out into the hall. The thing about living in an old house is that I can follow Da’s and Sloan’s movements as they head downstairs to talk. That doesn’t fill me with confidence.

  I give Emmet one final hug and sit up. “Okay. I’m getting dressed. Aiden, since you’re here, will you make me one of your groovy grilled cheese sandwiches?”

  “I’d be happy to.” He kisses the top of my head and strides off toward the door. “Ready in ten.”

  “Can’t wait.” I look at the others and wave toward the door. “Okay, freak-show peepshow’s over. I’m getting dressed. Then we’ll all pretend everything is fine.”

  “That’s the Cumhaill spirit.” Emmet rolls off the bed. “Fake it ’til you make it.”

  Emmet, Dillan, and Calum reach out to steady me when I stand, then smile and head for the door. “We’re downstairs. Holler if you need us.”

  “I’m good. Honest. See you down there.” When I’m alone in my room, I sit on my bed and try not to think about it. “Bruin, would you mind riding inside for a while? I feel stronger when you’re with me.”

  “My thinking, exactly.” Bruin dematerializes and breezes into his place in my chest.

  With him where he belongs, I grab a clean outfit and head to the bathroom. I’d like to see my leg, but Sloan has it poulticed and wrapped, so there’s no peeking.

  For today, at least.

  By the time I get downstairs, the kitchen smells like grilled cheese heaven, and Aiden has heated tomato soup too. “You’re my hero.”

  Aiden shakes his head. “No, Fi. You’re our hero. Now sit and eat.”

  I take my spot, and the four of us eat. It feels like when we were kids—only without Brendan. “Where did Sloan and Da run off to?”

  They all shrug and continue to spoon in the soup.

  I squeeze a puddle of ketchup onto my plate and dip my grilled cheese. “Not buying the silen
ce, boys. What’s up?”

  Dillan frowns. “Sloan and Da are having a passionate difference of opinion.”

  Calum grabs another stack of Ritz Crackers and crumbles them into his soup. “Sloan wants to poof you back to Ireland to have Wallace work on your leg. Da is opposed. He doesn’t want you so far away if there’s something wrong.”

  I see both their points.

  “Does he think Wallace will know what to do?”

  Aiden is finished putting away the bread and remaining cheese and bacon, and slides over to the sink to start dishes. “I don’t know if he thinks his da can fix it specifically or if he feels Wallace is your best shot at fixing it, but he’s pretty worked up.”

  I pop the last bite of my sandwich into my mouth and chew. “He gets that way when he’s worried. He’s a little tightly wound.”

  They all laugh.

  “You think?” Calum says. “He almost went apoplectic this morning because my socks don’t match.”

  I giggle. “It’s fun to set him off though.”

  Cue another round of chuckling.

  “Do we know where my phone is?”

  Aiden wipes his hands dry and picks it off the top of the microwave and passes it over.

  I pull up Garnet’s number and hit send. “Hey, sorry. You called?”

  “Lady Druid, are you well? Your father seemed unduly protective of you not being disturbed earlier.”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. There was a situation, but we’re handling it. What did you need?”

  “I’ve called an emergency meeting of the Guild to discuss what almost happened with the wizards last night. I’d like you to meet with the Governors afterward. I think it will go a long way with the other sects to know how integral you and your people were in stopping that clusterfuck.”

  Garnet’s voice must be carrying because four scowly brothers shake their heads.

  “Sure. When and where?”

  “The location of the Guild conclave is protected information for obvious political and safety reasons, but how about the druid stones at noon?”

  “High noon it is. See you there.”

  I end the call and face the ire of my wonderfully overprotective brothers. “It’ll be fine. I feel better already. There’s nothing Aiden’s groovy grilled cheese can’t make right. I’m fine.”

  “No. You’re not,” Aiden disagrees, “but we’ll respect your right to bullshit your way through for now. We’ll also go to that meeting with you.”

  Dillan’s clearing the table, so I hand him my plate. “You don’t need to come. I’m sure Sloan will be there, and I’ll have Bruin.”

  Emmet shrugs. “You’ll have us too. Lucky you.”

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine. I don’t want to derail the day more than I already have.”

  Calum frowns and squeezes my hand where it rests on the table. “We watched you writhe in pain while fighting the aftermath of taking on an evil manifesto on your own. When we can be there for you, it’s what we want to do.”

  “What we need to do,” Aiden amends. “Fionn may have drafted you to represent Clan Cumhaill, but we’re all part of that. We’re a package deal. We have your back.”

  “Always,” Calum agrees.

  “Fo shizzle my nizzle,” Emmet adds.

  I giggle and check my watch. “I’m lucky to have you. Okay, I want to spend an hour in the grove before it’s time to leave. If anyone’s looking for me, feel free to track me down.”

  I get four big brother hugs between the table and the hall and feel the love by the time I slide my feet into my shoes and grab my jacket off the hook. It’s only been a couple of weeks since the grove took root and my fae immigrated to help us make it great, but they did their jobs.

  It is great.

  I feel the energy of fae prana the moment I step under the shade of the trees and breathe deep. The ambient power in the air fills my lungs and feeds my cells.

  Yep. This is what I need.

  “Hey there.” Sloan unfolds his long legs to rise out of his chair. “How do ye feel?”

  “Better. What are you doing out here?”

  “Centering myself. Yer healing took a bit out of me.”

  “Not avoiding Da? I heard the two of you saw things differently about my next steps.”

  He holds up his thumb and forefinger, giving me a measure, and smiles. “I might be a little afraid of yer father when he locks horns.”

  I shrug off my jacket and toss it onto the cushion of my chair. “That proves how smart you are.”

  I give him a long, tight hug and absorb a little of his strength. When I ease back, he looks equally pleased and confused. “I’m sorry. I’ve been a dismal girlfriend so far. I should’ve realized healing me took a lot out of you. I may get swept away when the world’s closing in, but I never miss how dedicated to me and my family you always are. Thank you for everything you do.”

  He eases back and smiles down at me. “Yer not a dismal girlfriend. We haven’t even gotten started down that road yet, and that’s fine. We know where we are, and it’ll come. Fer now, ye have enough balls in the air without tossin’ mine into the mix.”

  I chuckle. “I see what you did there. Good one.”

  “The point is, I’m fine with that. Ye said upfront a relationship wasn’t a priority. Don’t feel bad because yer standin’ yer ground and focused on yer changin’ world.”

  He slips his fingers under my hair and cups the nape of my neck. The pressure to pull me forward is gentle enough that I could resist if I want to, but I don’t.

  The kiss is welcome and unrushed, and when everything else in my life is about people coming at me with expectations, this isn’t that. It just is.

  “Man. Why aren’t we doing more of that?”

  Sloan chuckles. “Maybe we can work harder to make time. In between you saving your friends and the city and all of history, that is.”

  “You joke, but I’m serious. That was lovely and exactly what I needed to slow my mind.”

  “Slow yer mind? Huh, it had the opposite effect on me.”

  I reach up on my tiptoes and brush my lips across his once more before retreating to my chair and settling in. “Do you mind if we sit with nature for a while and absorb? I feel drained after this morning myself.”

  Sloan picks up Flopsy from the ground beneath my basket swing and sets the fluffy furball with wings onto the blanket over my lap.

  I scrub her velvety ears between my fingers and sit back and close my eyes.

  “When I was little, I used to cry in my sleep. When you were here last time, and you and Calum both said I was doing it, it made me wonder what started it again after almost twenty years.”

  Sloan settles into his swing and folds his legs to cross in front of himself, then sets his wrists on his knees in a meditative lotus pose. “What did you come up with?”

  “It’s not hard to figure out that I miss Brendan and my life from before. I’m trying to navigate my relationship with Liam now when it used to be so easy to be besties. Now I’m a druid, and he wants things to be like they used to.”

  “I think he’s coming around. We talked a fair bit in Ireland. He’s a good guy, and he values yer friendship and yer family more than anything else.”

  I stretch my neck from side to side and chuckle. “I’m not sure what to think about the two of you becoming buddy-buddy and chatting about me when I’m not there to defend myself.”

  His smile is easy and relaxed. “One of the most important lessons ye’ve taught me over the past five months, Fi, is that wherever yer concerned, there’s always enough love fer everyone. There’s no need fer either of us to worry about being left behind. Yer heart is big enough to include everyone.”

  “Aww, that’s sweet.”

  “It’s true. I’m still glad I’m the one who won out on the kissing part, but hey, I’m not totally evolved.”

  I chuckle. “Yes, you won out on the boyfriend side of things, but honestly, Liam and I would never have worked in the long run
. We love each other and always will, but he likes his world to be comfortable and something he can count on. With me around, he’d never get that.”

  “I see the allure of comfortable, but I agree. That shield of yers seems to draw the world of chaos right to yer feet.”

  “Which is why I wanted to come out here and center myself. The Lakeshore Guild is having an emergency meeting right now and called me to appear. We’re heading to the druid stones for noon.”

  Sloan checks his watch and frowns. “All right then, enough chatter. Let’s find our inner calm so we can prepare for the next disaster.”

  “Exactly what I was thinking.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  It’s eleven-forty-two when Clan Cumhaill gathers in the back lane. Everyone’s wearing their druid garb, and I have to admit, even as twenty-first-century urban druids, we look like an ass-kicking, awe-inspiring bunch.

  Kevin was the one who first thought we needed branding, and he coordinated our look. Black stretch combat pants, black Under Armour shirts, and forest green, lightweight combat vests.

  The boys are used to wearing vests, so it’s only Sloan and I getting used to them. The fact that Kev included Sloan in the outfitting is yet another reason I love him so much.

  We’re definitely visibly branded.

  I’m not sure we need to look like a SWAT team, but the boys like it, so I play along. Then, of course, Dillan tops his outfit with his beloved cloak of knowledge, which he’s wearing with the hood up.

  No surprise there.

  “Weapons out or in?” Calum asks.

  Everyone looks at me, but I look at Da.

  “This is an invitation to speak to influential members of the community, mo chroi. Intentions are everythin’.”

  I nod, understanding exactly what he means. “Weapons sheathed. We’re there to talk and build bridges. We’re confident enough in our skills that we can call on our weapons if we need them.”

  “Wait!” Kevin waves from where he’s parking his car on the dirt lane beside our house. He grabs something out of the back seat and runs to catch us. “I’m glad I didn’t miss you. Fi and Emmet, I have something for you.”