Page 50 of Pints & Potions

Aeden.

He was the only blond babe born to their family in the last two centuries. “I believe I do, but I’ve no idea whothe Oneis.”

“Another of your siblings?” Piper had lost her look of abject horror and seemed to be warming to the mystery of it all.

“Perhaps.” Cian was aware he sounded cagey, but he suddenly felt his family should be present for this discussion. Talking to virtual strangers about an O’Malley prophecy was wrong.

Perceptive as ever, Piper lowered her voice to ask, “Do you want to stop until you’ve consulted with Bridget?”

Did he? The book opened for them for a reason where it hadn’t before. Maybe these witches and warlocks were the real key to unlocking the O’Malley curse. Despite his inner conflict, he gave her a slight shake of his head and continued. “The final line:When the Enemy at the Gate is welcomed by the Keeper of the Sword, all that is lost shall be restored.”

No one had a response. They were all at a loss as to who their current enemy might be.

19

“Still want to picnic?” Piper asked.

He glanced up from the closed grimoire. All life was gone from it, and the cover locked him out once more. With a grimace and a shrug, he said, “I don’t know how much of an appetite I have, but yes. The distraction would be welcome.”

“I’ll conjure the food if you can produce a basket.”

Her expression was watchful, almost reserved, but Cian didn’t care to break down her barriers at the moment. He wasn’t quite certain how he felt about being consideredthe Frozenin the minds of those around him.

“That’ll be grand,” he said with a warm smile he didn’t feel. “I’m off to put this fecking book away and grab what we need for our afternoon in the sunshine.” Maybe the heat of the sun’s rays would thaw the part of him that had turned cold and shriveled up when he saw the riddle.

“Cian, the more I think about it, the more I don’t believe that—” Piper pointed to the grimoire. “—is meant to hurt you.”

“But the truth is we don’t know what it means, do we?” His tone was harsh, and she blinked her surprise. Mortified by his surliness, heat crept up his neck. “I’m sorry, darlin’. I suppose this is scrambling my brains a wee bit. It’s like mushy eggs up there.” He tapped his temple. “And it’s got me in a mood.”

“Don’t stress it.”

She touched his arm, and he fought hard not to pull away, but even harder not to tug her close. His conflict was great. “Be right back.”

When he returned, he saw Piper had conjured enough food to feed their entire village. “You must think I’ve a bottomless stomach, love.”

“It does look like a lot,” she replied with a laugh and a doubtful look at all the dishes. “Okay, I absolutely went overboard. Maybe Bridget would like the leftovers to feed my family.”

He grinned and wordlessly packed their meal.

After putting the picnic basket down on the agreed-upon grassy spot, Cian and Piper spread the flannel blanket and sat. They’d barely begun their meal when he asked her the question that had been plaguing him.

“Why has some smart man not put a ring on your finger?”

She paused in taking a bite of her sandwich and sighed. Had Cian not been watching her closely, he’d have missed her quicksilver frown and fleeting sadness.

“I make poor choices,” she said simply.

It was his turn to frown. “How so?”

“I either pick emotionally unavailable men or cheating scumbags.” She shrugged matter-of-factly and avoided his searching gaze. “I don’t know what that says about me.”

“It says the male population as a whole is dumber than a box of rocks.” Himself included because he fell into the ‘emotionally unavailable’ category. But he doubted he could change. He’d seen the worst of the worst in his line of work, and he didn’t have it in him to trust again. Inevitably, he’d be let down, and being disillusioned or abandoned by Piper would crush him.

“I disagree. There are good men in the world. I’m just not lucky enough to find one who wants me,” she said softly as she swirled the wine in her glass and gave it her complete concentration.

Cian had no response. He knew all about bad luck, but hers wasn’t a matter of that, or so he believed. Had he never met Moira, had he never been a spy, had Piper been the first woman he’d encountered in his life worth loving, he’d have been the first in line to court her. But he was too jaded for her. Too emotionally scarred. But he couldn’t speak for the men in her past.

“I want a baby.” Piper finally looked up and met his startled gaze. “By you.”

---