Page 12 of Shamrocked
Setting our frosty mugs before us, he arched a brow, his smirk deepening, but he didn't deny or confirm my suspicions.
Vivi took a hesitant sip of the beer and made a pleased hum. "You're right, Ri. This tastes better than anything I've ever had before."
That soft sound coming out of her luscious lips had been known to bring men to their knees. So color me shocked when Warwick focused on me instead. "Right, how may I assist you, treasurekeeper?"
"First of all, what does that mean? Treasurekeeper?"
"You're the conduit, the one who can bring the treasures together. What has Doran told you?"
"He said there's three men I have to find: Keane, Aidan, and Ivarr."
Warwick nodded. "The cauldron, spear, and sword. Doran is the stone. The four treasures of Ireland. Do you know the history of the treasures and how they first came to be?"
I shook my head and he sighed. "They teach nothing of the old ways any longer. According to legend, the Tuatha De Danann brought four treasures with them when they came to Ireland. The Stone of Destiny, which declared the true king; the Spear of Lug, sometimes called the Slaughterer; the Sword of Light, from which no one can escape its light; and the Cauldron of the Dagda, from which none ever left unsatisfied."
"I've heard parts of that, yes, but you make it sound like objects. Doran made it sound like his friends were the treasures."
"They are. Over the centuries, the stories changed. Parts were lost, and some were forgotten on purpose to protect the treasures. They were given to protect Ireland in times of great need, and are reborn cycle after cycle, heroes of old come again. But... something happened several cycles ago. For the first time, Balor of the Evil Eye managed to defeat the treasures. He cursed Doran with his own strength, imprisoning him in his gargoyle shape forever. For several cycles, now, the heroes come into this world but cannot be complete. Either they can't locate the conduit, or they can't free Doran, or both. Meanwhile, Balor and his minions have only gained in strength while the treasures fade away. It's been over a hundred years since the treasures were last gifted to your world. Someday..."
His words trailed off and the corners of his mouth tugged down.
"They won't be born at all?"
He tipped his head to the side. "They're not really born, like humans, but aye. They won't come into your world at all. The cycle will end, and your world will be lost to the demon horde forever."
Wow, talk about pressure. I took a long pull from the mug, letting the beer slide down my throat. Damn, that was good shit. I could almost camp out here day and night just to drink my cares away. "But why me? I'm not even Irish."
"You must have some Irish blood, even if it’s generations old. The Ireland we knew thousands of years ago doesn't exist the same way any longer. The old world faded away, just as the Tuatha De Danann have faded. Humans have no need for Faerie any longer, so they say."
"So what's Riann supposed to actually do?" Vivi asked. "We can't fight demons."
My heart swelled in my chest. She'd saidwe. She wasn't going to leave me to figure this out on my own, even if it involved some evil demon horde.
"Of course not. That's what the treasures do. The most important thing is to find the three treasures who are free. They're close. In fact, you've seen one of them already."
My eyes widened. "Other than Doran? Who?"
"Aidan was here the same night you were." Warwick tipped his head to the end of the bar. I remembered a man sitting there, his face in shadows. His disposition had been sour, to say the least.
"I have a feeling they're not going to be too keen on me showing up and telling them we've got to go find Doran."
Warwick swiped a cloth across the bar, not meeting my gaze.
"Yeah, that's what I thought."
"You have to understand how devastating their defeat was. How terrible their loss. They lost the conduit to the greatest evil we know."
The conduit—like me.
I shivered, wrapping both palms around my mug. "Are the conduits always women?"
"Always." Warwick chuckled a moment, but his amusement faded to a hint of concern, his brow furrowed. "The treasures are used to sacrifice and war, violence and death. Their conduit was the only hope and pleasure they had in this weary world, and they lost her, cycles ago. That loss has changed them. They're... harder, now, and it’s been so long since the last cycle that they’ve forgotten what they once were. Their hearts are as stony as Doran's statue. They won't want to risk exposing their hearts and souls to a conduit again. It... hurt them. Terribly. And once hurt..."
Yeah. That I completely understood. "So what happens if I can't get them to come with me to find Doran?"
Warwick leaned forward, holding my gaze. "You must find them. You must free him. Or you'll die."
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