Page 60 of Highballs & Hexes

Face flushed, she laughed and crammed a slice of toast in his mouth. “Only if every couple doubles up like us.”

He grinned around the bite, then noticed the silence around them. As he used his drink to wash down his food, he raised his brows. “What?”

“It’s good to see you happy, Da,” Dubheasa said with a soft smile.

Heat crept up his neck, and it suddenly became difficult to meet anyone’s eyes. Being the center of attention wasn’t something he particularly cared for, and last night’s performance for Fi had been born from his need to tell her how much he loved her. But all of it would disappear.

Soon.

The bustle in the kitchen resumed, and when he glanced up from his plate, it was to find Fi watching him.

“What aren’t you telling me?” she asked in a quiet voice.

“Now’s not the time, love. But I promise to tell ya true when it is. Can that be good enough for ya?”

She considered it for a long minute before nodding. “Aye.”

By the timethe rest of the O’Malleys and their significant others arrived, it was determined they should use the private meeting room at the pub to house everyone. Ten people in the kitchen created a claustrophobic atmosphere for Fi, and thankfully, Patrick recognized her stress. Or perhaps he needed more room himself, after his incarceration on the island. Her own confinement had triggered a newfound desire for open floor plans.

“You all right, love?” he asked after they settled onto their seats.

“Aye.”

After a squeeze of her hand, he released her and focused on Ronan. Wariness was in his eyes whenever he looked at the other man, and Fi wondered if it would always be so. She hoped not. It would make for awkward family functions if he didn’t learn to trust the Guardian.

“Does he look so much like him, then?” she leaned forward to ask.

“No. It’s the power he wields that’s the problem.” Patrick’s mouth curled down, and he shook himself. “I’ve no reason to hold his da’s actions against him, but it’s a hard habit to break.”

She could easily understand why he’d feel that way, considering what he’d told her. For over two hundred and fifty years, the O’Malleys and O’Connors were at war. Longer than that, if one considered their feud began before the powerful sword that brought about the suspension of the O’Malleys’ magic was stolen. Only a few of the newer generation wanted the fighting to end, but as a man conditioned to look for betrayal at every turn, Patrick would have a difficult time putting his fear and suspicion aside.

“For what it’s worth, it appears both Ruairí and Ronan love their mates,” she told him. “My understanding is that both men have sacrificed for your daughters more than once.”

“Aye.” Patrick’s expression was strained, pinching the lines around his eyes and mouth. “I’ll come around.”

“I wish I could make it better for you.” Gracing him with a tender smile, she brushed her fingertips along his wrist. “All will be well, Paddy O.”

His lips twitched as his eyes warmed, and it pleased her to see his irises were lighter. Still, there was something holding him back, because they hadn’t reached the emerald color she’d witnessed during his happiest state. She only wished she knew what that something was because she wanted desperately to fix it.

Dubheasa called the meeting to order once Eoin and Brenna arrived. Trailing them was a man named Fintan Sullivan, who Bridget informed her was a cousin to Brenna and a Seer, to boot. Their connection was apparent in the multi-colored hair theyboth sported, along with their strong features. Brenna’s face was softer, more rounded, but her large eyes were shaped the same.

When Fintan’s sea-foam-colored gaze repeatedly strayed to Fi, she shivered. A sneaky feeling wouldn’t leave her, and she was positive he knew things about her that she’d never told another. The second she had more time, she intended to discover what a Seer could actually do.

“Rose swears it wasn’t her who hired the men, and for the first time in my life, I believe her,” Patrick was saying when Fi tuned in to the conversation.

She nodded. “I got the same impression. If she knew who they were, she’s the best feckin’ actress I’ve seen.”

“So not her,” Bridget said as though she were disappointed by the fact. “Did the brute wake up yet, or is he still out?”

She referred to the man Patrick had punched in the temple. The guy had slipped into an unexplained coma and hadn’t woken as of this morning, according to Cian.

“We can wake him with a simple spell,” Piper said. Until now, she’d been listening with interest but refraining from contributing to the conversation. “I’ll call my cousin Alastair and see if he’ll help me while the rest of you spread your resources and look for our mystery woman.”

Brenna turned to her cousin. “Have you received anything from the ancestors, Fin?”

Although he answered in the negative, his frown indicated he had. Once again his gaze locked on Fi, and she understood he was holding back because of her. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve a call to make.”

She rose and pressed a hand to Patrick’s shoulder, then left the room. When she was clear of the others, she dialed her mother.

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