Page 83 of Shadow Spell

“Of great beauty and spirit,” Fin pointed out. “The name was hers—I never considered another. It was who she was the moment I saw her. Sure it’s interesting, the connections, the overlaps.”

“It’s that I felt nothing while we talked, there outside the cottage. Nor did he,” Connor considered. “We asked after family. I told him of the shadow spell. And it was when he asked if we’d come inside that it happened. One minute I felt nothing, then I felt him there. Just there an instant before the wolf leaped out of the air. And he felt it as well.”

“You spun around together, like one person,” Meara added. “It was all so fast. Connor pushed me back behind him, but it wasn’t me, it was the boy, he wanted.”

“And so she pushed Eamon aside, exposed herself, and swung the sword. Not even a second, no time to throw out a block of any kind. He rammed her full, clawed her. Her blood and his in the air. The hound charged. Eamon and I joined, and the girls rushed out. It was they who threw a block, stopping me from rushing forward, throwing what they had at him, so it was me who joined with them as there was nothing else to do in those few seconds. What we had was enough to give him pain, with Kathel, Roibeard, and Alastar going at him along with us. He screamed like a girl.”

“Hey!”

He managed a grin at Iona. “No offense meant. Between us and Kathel, Alastar’s hooves and Roibeard’s talons, he went as he’d come. Gone, vanished, leaving only the stench of hell behind him. And Meara bleeding on the ground. And not two minutes, when I look back calm, not two minutes between.”

“They’ve all been short, haven’t they? Something to consider,” Branna said. “It may be he only has enough power for those short bursts with this spell.”

“For now,” Fin added.

“For now is what we have. He hitched onto Connor’s dream, slithered into it to try to get the boy—or one of the sisters if they’d greeted you, Connor. He can’t get into the house, but into a dream, once you’ve moved out of its protection... I can see this. He can’t get to them in that time, in that place, but could link to the dream to go there.”

“Where the boy would’ve been vulnerable,” Fin added, “in the half world of active dreaming. Then Cabhan waits on the edges of it, waits to attack—until you turn your back.”

“Bloody coward,” Boyle muttered.

“You said Meara spilled his blood. Where’s your sword?” Branna demanded.

“At home. I never brought it here. ’Twas just in my hand in the dream.”

“I’ll go get it,” Fin said. “Where do you have it?”

“It’s on the shelf in the closet in my bedroom. I’ll get you the key to the flat.” When he only smiled, she sat back again. “Which you don’t need at all, do you? Which is a thought that never occurred to me. Any of the four of you could walk right in as you please.”

“I’ll bring it. It won’t take but a few moments.”

“I appreciate the respect, as you know I don’t approve of taking the easy way when a bit of effort and time does the job. But.” Branna sighed. “We’re beyond that, and it’s foolish for you to drive into the village and back.”

Fin merely nodded. He lifted his hand, and in a flash held Meara’s sword.

Meara jolted, then laughed a little. “Well, that’s brilliant, and it’s so rare to see any of you do that sort of thing, I sometimes forget you can.”

“Fin’s a bit freer with it than Branna,” Boyle pointed out.

“We all don’t have the same boundaries.” Fin turned the sword. “There’s blood on it, and fresh enough.”

“I won’t have blood or swords at my table.” Branna rose, took it from him. “It’s enough to work with. I still have some from the solstice. But as you said, this is fresh—and it’s from him when he was wounded during a shadow spell.”

“I’ll come back, work with you as soon as I can get away,” Connor told her.

“So will I,” Iona added. “We’re really busy this morning, but I think my bosses might give me some flex time this afternoon.”

Boyle ran a hand over Iona’s cap of hair. “They might be persuaded. I’ll bring Meara back as well if you can use us. We can bring food if nothing else.”

“It’s quite a bit else.” Branna continued to study the sword. “As there isn’t enough of the fancy French stew to go full around a second time.”

“We’ll see to that then, Meara and myself, and come back around as soon as we can close things up at the stables. I’ll send Iona off soon as I can.”

“I’ll come get her,” Connor said. “I think we’re back to no one wandering around on their own, at least for a bit. I can juggle the scheduling and be off by three if that suits.”

“Well enough.”

“I’ll stay now.” There was a beat of silence as Fin spoke. “Ifthatsuits.”

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