Page 22 of The Seer

Under Creed’s instruction, Taryn built the wall between her and Fintan, but her already fractured heart was cracking, and no amount of mortar would seal it back up. When the wall was as high as it could go, and Fintan’s voice was the faintest echo, she pulled away.

“I’m okay.” She straightened and gave them a tight smile. “I think I’ve got control. I just wasn’t expecting his pain…”

“I wish I could say I understand, but my telepathy experiences are limited to the Aether’s group rings.” Creed helped her to stand and handed her off to Narissa. “To clarify for anyone not in the loop, these two were bonded last week and now share one brain,” Creed said with a commiserating look for Taryn. “Sorry about your bad luck, sweetheart.”

She sputtered a laugh as she brushed her hair from her face. “Yeah, so far, it hasn’t been a picnic. Not with Fintan and not with his fuckwit ancestors who apparently love to torture him.” To Narissa, she said, “I’m fine now. Thank you.”

“You should prop up your feet and let me conjure you a mojito. I’ve got a feeling you need one after all that.”

Narissa tried to guide her to a chair, but Taryn drew back.

“No, thanks. I appreciate your kindness, but I can’t leave him like that,” she said with a grateful smile and a worried glance at Fintan. “It was awful, and his screams…” She shuddered. “I don’t hear them as loud anymore, but I don’t think I’ll forget the agonizing sound anytime soon. If this is normal, I can’t understand how he hasn’t tried to sever their hold.”

“I don’t believe it is.” Narissa cast a worried look at Creed, then clasped Taryn’s hand. “Show me this necklace, please.”

“It’s in the sunroom. I’m afraid if I try to lead you there, I might get lost,” she confessed.

“No problem, sugar. Brenna and I know this monstrosity of a house well enough.” Narissa and Brenna shared a smile. “Maybe not as well as our caretaker there”—she gestured to Fintan—“but well enough to get you where you need to go.”

“I don’t understand.”

Brenna flicked Fintan’s foot as if he were a pesky little brother. “He keeps any hidden passageways secret, and it’s highly annoying.”

“Why am I not surprised there are hidden passageways?” Creed muttered. For a lingering moment, he and Narissa locked gazes and smiled, but then he glared and presented his back to her.

Taryn sent her a questioning look, to which the other woman grimaced and said nothing. Clearly, these two had history, and she’d love to know what it was. But the timing was terrible. She needed to learn more about Bloodstone and why his enchanted necklace could electrocute people.

* * *

“It was right there!”Taryn cried.

The others looked at her like she’d lost her freaking mind, and she didn’t blame them one bit. After the fuss she’d raised, it would be natural for anyone to believe she was deranged.

“No one else can enter the house, sugar. Not without alerting us and shaking our teeth loose. I’ve only experienced it once, quite a few years back now, when an enemy of Mama’s entered the place.” Her sultry eyes flared wide, and she grinned. “The ground shook, and the place lit up brighter than a Macy’s Fourth of July celebration in New York.”

“But what about Creed? He came out of nowhere,” Taryn pointed out.

His dark brows shot skyward. “You think I took the damned thing?”

“No! Oh my god, no. I… Look, all I’m saying is that you entered the house, and no one knew you were here. That must mean the early warning system is off, right? How did you lower the wards?”

“Well, I can’t be considered an enemy of anyone residing here.” His eyes were troubled as he watched her, and he sent an inquiring glance at Narissa. “But she has a point. Fintan always greeted me at the door. Today is the first time I entered and roamed about alone.”

“Oh, dear.” Brenna wrung her hands until Eoin curled an arm around her waist. “Fintan gets irritated when strangers wander about. Not that anyone can find this place without an invitation, or that strangers arrive on our doorstep. Who would want to? I mean?—”

Eoin kissed her, effectively stopping her nervous babble. He drew away with a grin. “Better?”

“Much,” Brenna sighed, beaming at him like he hung the stars. “Thanks.”

“It was entirely my pleasure.” After gracing her with a sizzling look hot enough to cook steak, he faced the others. “We need to figure out who can enter the house without setting off the wards, yeah?”

Brenna hustled to a nearby table and returned with a pencil and one of Eoin’s sketchpads. His brows shot up, and she laughed. “To make a list,” she said.

Taryn bit the inside of her cheek to stem her laughter. Her friend’s secretarial instincts were strong. She had spent years in servitude to her horrid Aunt Odessa as an administrative assistant and general flunky.

“It’s ingrained at this point,” Brenna said with a shrug as if she guessed why Taryn found her list-making behavior amusing.

“Aye, but did ya need to use my sketchbook?” Eoin retrieved a notepad and traded her for his precious drawings.

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