Page 79 of Pints & Potions

“Right, and you’re one to lecture me. Bridg—”

“This isn’t about Bridget. It’s about you and the colossal mistake you intend to make by letting that girl go back to America. And for what? ThathoorMoira? Because she’s returned to twist you in knots?” Disgust was heavy in Ruairí’s voice, and he threw down the towel with a furious glare at Cian. “Bridget’s right. You’re a fecking eejit!” He spun to go but turned back with a stormy frown. “Did Seamus find you?”

“No. Why?” Cian didn’t have the bandwidth to deal with Seamus right then. Piper was certain to be upset, and Cian hadn’t found the words for when he crawled back to beg her forgiveness. He’d never felt more miserable in his life.

Yeah, he’d found the courage to break things off with Moira. He’d faced those heartbreakingly blue eyes and seen her for what she was. Those peepers had always been able to shred him in the past, but not anymore.

“Beautiful Moira,” he whispered. Underneath all that gorgeous was nothing worth loving.

“Beautiful Moira, my arse,” Ruairí retorted, misunderstanding Cian’s meaning. “Where has that betraying bitch been these last years, Cian? Scarlet for your ma for havin’ ya! I can’t believe you’ve been taken in by Moira’s continued lies.” He stalked off to serve another customer.

After Ruairí’s words sunk in, Cian experienced a burning need to get to Piper. His friend was right. Moira was a betrayer, and she’d come back for a reason. Cian had overlooked the real reason she was back. Sure, and it wasn’t to kiss up to him.

“Fuck!”Cian surged to his feet. Or attempted to. He used the bar as a crutch as he swayed and tried to focus on the wall clock. Something was wrong. He shouldn’t be this pissed after a single pint.

“O’Connor…”

Ruairí paused in putting the money in the drawer and glanced over his shoulder. “I’m not refilling your glass, Cian. I’ll not help you drink away your woes.”

“Ruairí.”

His urgency must’ve registered, because Ruairí became a man alert.

“What’s going on?”

“The room shouldn’t be spinnin’ this—” Cian swallowed down the nausea in the back of his throat. “—fast.”

“Not after one pint of plain or you’re the worst sort of Irishman, to be sure.”

“The room is spinnin’,” Cian stated again, more emphatically. Mere seconds later, his legs quit supporting him.

He heard a shout as he crashed to the floor.

“Seamus McCleary,what the devil do you think you’re doing?” Bridget’s strident tones rang out.

His eyes locked onto Piper, promising a reckoning, and she felt the chill down to the marrow of her bones.

“Run, Bridget!” She flung her bag at Seamus’s head.“Run!”

As he batted away Piper’s suitcase, Seamus swore long and loud.

Piper didn’t give him time to act and quickly twisted to deliver a back kick to his stomach. Ill-prepared, he crashed into the wall behind him with a solid thud.

Wasting no time, Piper sprinted toward a stunned Bridget and grabbed her hand. “We’ve got togo!”

They made it to the stairs in record time, but so did Seamus.

Piper practically shoved Bridget down the steps then spun back to face her would-be attacker.

Use your magic.

The phrase whispered through her brain, reminding her she had a powerful arsenal at her disposal. Calling her elemental magic with a mere thought, she blasted Seamus with arctic air. Ice crystals formed on his skin, and his lips turned blue.

“Contineo,” she cried out.

Her shouted command locked him in place.

“Take that, you asshat,” she muttered.

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