Page 55 of Pints & Potions

It was time for Cian and his family to suffer another stroke of bad luck.

Piper Thorne needed to disappear. And soon.

Then he could report back to Ronan with news of his success.

21

“What are ya doing out here?” came a low, hoarse voice from behind her.

Piper wasn’t too surprised by the fact someone had discovered her outside under the moonlight, her entire family was on high alert. But she was disconcerted by the age of her visitor. He turned out to be a small blond-haired boy who looked far too thin for any child. Even though he was fair in color, he had the look of an O’Malley. Maybe it was the stubborn chin and suspicious forest-green eyes.

“Recharging my batteries,” she replied in a voice as quiet as his had been. “What about you?”

“Rechargin’ me bat’ries.” He barely managed to get the words out, but she understood him.

She smiled at him and patted the wet grass beside her. She didn’t mind having a damp seat for a bit, not when she could snap her fingers and dry her clothes. The occasional indulgence in magic wasn’t wrong. It was like having a cheat meal on a diet. And since coming to Ireland, she felt more comfortable with her abilities.

“Do you recharge under the full moon often?” she asked curiously as he sat down.

He shook his head.

She wasn’t an empath like her cousin Alastair, but she didn’t need to be to read how wounded this young boy was. It hurt her heart to think he was struggling. No kid should have to deal with trauma so young in life. And he had. It was the only reason the child wasn’t in his bed dreaming of toys and treats instead of out here, wearing a haggard look of someone ten times his age.

Turning her face up to the light of the moon, she inhaled the cool night air.

He mimicked her action, and Piper fought a smile.

“It’s healing, isn’t it?”

“What?” he asked. His little voice sounded rusty to her ears.

“Mother Earth. Mr. Moon.”

“Yeah.”

But he hadn’t sounded certain, and her heart ached for him. Because he didn’t know her, she didn’t have the right to question why he was truly out here and awake this time of night. She simply allowed him his own space.

“Why do ya need t’ heal?”

She looked down at him to find him watching her with wide, haunted eyes. Her heart melted on the spot and she instantly tumbled headlong for another O’Malley male.Thisone she wanted to bundle up and keep forever so she could protect him from all the world’s evils.

“I’m in love with the wrong man.” She shrugged a shoulder matter-of-factly.

“Who?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Does if he beats ya. Does he beat ya?” He sounded angry on her behalf, and again, Piper fought a smile.

“No. As far as I know, he’s a great guy.”

“No’ so grand if he don’t love ya back. He’s a bloody eejit.”

Ah, out of the mouths of babes.

“Hmm. You may be right. He must be an eejit.”

The boy gave one decisive nod, then reached out his tiny hand to nestle into hers.

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