Page 86 of Shadow Spell

“I’ve heard you and Connor O’Dwyer are seeing each other.”

“I’ve been seeing Connor O’Dwyer all my life.”

“Meara.”

No avoiding it, Meara thought, and brought the tea to the little table. “We’re seeing each other.”

“I’m as fond of him as I can be. He’s a fine man, and so handsome as well. A good heart and a kind nature. He comes to see me now and then, just to see how I’m faring, and to ask if there’s any little thing he can do around the place.”

“I didn’t know, but it’s like him.”

“He has a way about him, and though I know the way of the world, I can’t approve of... that is, the sex before marriage.”

Holy Mary, Meara prayed, have mercy and spare me from the sex talk.

“Understood.”

“I feel the same with Donal and Sharon, but... A man’s a man, after all, and they’ll want such things with or without Holy Matrimony.”

“As do women, Ma, and I hate to break the news to you, but I’m a woman grown.”

“Be that as it may,” Colleen said primly, “you’re still my daughter. And despite what the Church says on such matters, I’ll hope you’ll have a care.”

“You can rest easy there.”

“I’ll rest easy when you’re happy and married and starting a family in a home of your own. I’m as fond of Connor as I can be, as I said, but it’s a fact he’s an eye for the ladies. So have a care, Meara.”

When she heard the front door open, Meara offered desperate thanks. “And here’s Donal set to take you to Galway,” she said brightly. “I’ll get another cup for his tea.”

***

SHE THOUGHT TO GO HOME, STARE AT THE WALLS UNTIL SHEfelt less frazzled and guilty and generally out of sorts. And ended up driving straight to Branna’s.

The minute she’d dashed into the workshop, she saw she’d made a mistake.

Branna and Fin stood together at the big work counter, their hands poised over a silver bowl. Whatever brew it contained glowed, a hard orange light that swirled up a thin column of smoke.

Branna held up a finger of her free hand, a signal to wait.

“Yours and yours and me and mine, life and death together twine. Blood and tears cast and shed mixed together thick and red. Fire and smoke will bubble true and seal your fate with this brew.”

It bubbled up, frothed over, a virulent orange.

“Damn it!” Branna stepped back, fisted her hands on her hips. “It’s still not right. It should go red, bloodred. Murderous red, and thick. We’re still missing something.”

“It’s damn well not my blood,” Fin said. “I’ve given you a liter already.”

“A few drops is all, don’t be such a baby.” Obviously frustrated, Branna shoved at the hair she’d bundled on top of her head. “I’ve taken mine and Connor’s and Iona’s as well, haven’t I?”

“And there’s three of you to my one.”

“Plus what we’ve used from the vial we have of his from the solstice, and what we’re using from the sword.”

“You can have mine if you need it,” Meara offered. “Otherwise it seems I’m just in the way.”

“You’re not. It might be we can use another eye, another brain on this. But we’re having a break so I can think on this,” Branna decided. “We’ll have some tea.”

“You’re upset,” Fin said to Meara as Branna mopped up the counter. “You saw your mother off to Galway today.”

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