Page 47 of Dead Air
“Bear watching. Your cub is doing well,” Cenn said to Niall, making his tummy flip. How could Niall stay mad at him?
“That’s so great!” Niall said then mouthed a thank you, too moved to say much more.
Cenn winked at him before nodding at Nox. “I’ve also come up with a plan.”
“Uh oh.” Nox pushed up the sleeves of his gray flannel, baring his heavily tattooed hands and forearms. “Stay on your toes, Merlin,” he said out of the side of his mouth and Niall noticed that Cenn’s focus was glued to the tattoos and his head tilted from side to side as if he was trying to read the odd array of words and symbols. Some of the writing looked like it might have been in Latin and Niall heard Cenn whispering to himself.
“What is this plan? We won’t be making any deals.” Merlin warned.
“We’ll see,” Cenn said with a cocky grin at the suspicious old man. “I’m going to switch sides and break my deal with Huge Douchebag.”
Merlin drew back, spluttering incredulously. “That deal cannot be broken! You know as well as I do that there is no charm or curse that can break a demonic deal, it isbeyondset in stone.”
“There’s always a way!” Cenn said, his grin swinging in Nox’s direction. “It’s an old, old charm that’s never been spoken. It’s never been shared because no one would fear the demon’s deal if they knew how easily it could be broken.”
“Issobel Gowdie!” Nox whispered and Cenn bowed his head.
“You’ve taught him well, Oglethorpe.”
“Ha!” Merlin cut his eyes at Nox. “So well it scares me at times like these.”
“There’s something I’ve always wondered about dark magick…” Nox rubbed his chin as he studied Cenn. “Why are so many of those old demon charms in Old Scots? Are you from the Scottish Highlands, then? Up by Nairn?”
Cenn laughed softly. “You’re asking about the genesis ofmymagick, a dark art that’s been passed on from one generation of practitioners and demons to the next…” He nodded and squinted as if he was trying to remember. “But it was somewhere around those parts, I’d say. It was long ago, before there was aScotland, and the names and borders have changed too many times for me to count. I practiced in Pictish and Roman but Old Scots is the first English I comprehended and it’s the first language my spells were recorded in when they tried Issobel Gowdie for witchcraft.”
“I knew she had something to do with it!” Nox appeared to be enthralled with Cenn, hungry to learn anything he could from the demon. “So many of those charms share similarities with lines from her testimony. Why did she do it? No one could ever explain why she testified.”
“To make themwrite the charms. She was illiterate but she wanted to pass them on to future generations of witches. You figured that out and you understand my language almost as well as your ancestors’ tongue. That’s why dark magick works so well for you.”
“Incredible!”
“And your mother’s people were skilled with it, being kin with the Badb.”
A loud gasp spilled from Nox. “How did you know?”
“Because I was there when she joined with the Dagda and I watched each time she aidedHimin battle. I was there when the Dagda was laid to rest and I saw how you and your mighty Uaithne stoppedHisreturn and consumedHislight. I was there beforeHewas born and I will be here long after you and Oglethorpe have gone to rest in glory.”
“Ifyou can wiggle out of this deal with Hugh Dùbhghlas,” Merlin said soberly. “I still think there’s a chance you’re bluffing or that you’ll stab us in the back. What do you want in return for reneging on your deal and changing sides?”
“Nothing that will cost you anything but friendship and loyalty,” Cenn said, his gaze bouncing between Nox and Merlin. “I want your word that you’ll do all you can to protect Niall and make sure his soul goes on to glory.”
“That’s it?” Nox laughed but Merlin held up a hand, silencing him.
“There’s a catch. We would do that anyway. We rushed up here to save Niall’s soul when we saw the demna aeóir. Why make it a condition of this trade?”
“He might not come back,” Nox guessed and Niall shook his head.
“Don’t go! Don’t do this.” He reached for Cenn, scared of all the things they weren’t telling him. “Whatever you’re planning to do, please don’t! You said there’s always a way, so find another one.”
“I don’t see any other way, unfortunately,” Merlin said with a weary sigh but Cenn waved it off.
“Ye of little faith! He may have caught onto a few obscure tricks and laid a clever trap but you said it yourself: I’m the father of the dirty, underhanded deal and I invented the long con.”
“You’re going to bluff your way out, then,” Merlin accused, making Cenn pull a face.
“Of course I’m going to bluff. He’s probably expecting me to but I have an ace up my sleeve.”
“What’s that?” Merlin asked.
