Page 17 of A Vampire in a Pear Tree
“Imprison me until I returned the boon she placed on me and my brothers.I wonder who she has as a third.She had the original third Morrigan killed last year.”Owain glanced back at me when Jerry marched out of view, frowning when he noticed I had my phone out.“Are you calling someone?”
“No, Googling what Morrigans and Morrignas are.Ah.”I looked up to the now obviously impatient dark-haired woman still at the far end of the alley, gesticulating wildly at what I assumed was Jerry.“It’s three sisters who have something to do with war and kings.Your mom is part of that?”
“Yes.That’s Badb,” he said, indicating the dark-haired woman.
“Five?”I asked.
“No, the name is pronounced ‘bive,’ although Jerry says she has also adopted a more modern name.Ah.It is Macha my mother has roped into being a third member.”He rolled his shoulders.“I will do what I can to keep you safe, but if they overpower me, get away.Find an Internet café, and don’t leave it until you are sure they are not outside waiting for you.”
“An Internet café?Why there?”I asked, and, for the second time that day, clutched my pepper spray prepared for a fight.
“Their father was a druid.As such, they have a natural aversion to anything that flies in the face of nature, including modern technology.”
The ravens suddenly poured upward before spinning around behind us, effectively trapping us between them and the three women who were swiftly approaching.
“The Morrigna!The Morrigna!”the birds chanted again.
“Shut up!”I snarled at them, glaring over my shoulder.“We heard you the first time.Now, bugger off or we’ll see how you like pepper spray up your schnozz ...er ...beak holes.”
To my surprise, the ravens reeled back just as if they’d practiced the movement, their eyes spitting outrage at us.They didn’t leave, but at least they stopped yakking, which I figured was a point in our favor.
The three women approaching appeared to be arguing.
“Right,” I said, anger, guilt, and irritation sloshing around inside me at being the cause of trouble for what I firmly believed was a nice man, until, with no other option for resolution, I channeled it into action.“This is bullshit.I’m not going to stand here while your mom and her sisters and those freaking ravens who never shut up do something heinous to you.”
“We stopped,” one of the ravens protested behind me.“Not that you asked nicely.Would it have hurt you to ask instead of threatening us?We have feelings, you know.”
The other ravens murmured agreement.
I slid a glance toward Owain.His martyred expression was back and firmly in place.
“I got you into this and I’m going to get you out,” I told him.“Stay here.”
I took five steps toward Jerry and her sisters before he realized what I was doing.
“Hey,” I said as the women approached.“Your son is fine, but he’s not going to be your prisoner again.”
Owain was at my side by the time I was halfway through the sentence, his expression furious ...at me.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”he asked me.
“Fixing the problem I made for you.Now, shush,” I said, taking another step forward so I was in front of him.
“You did not just hush me!”he said, outrage dripping from each word as he pulled me back to his side.
“What words of opposition do you dare speak to me?”Jerry seemed to snap her teeth together over the words, leaving me with the impression that she wanted to bite something, and I had a feeling it might be me.“I didn’t ask you what he wants; he won’t be free of me until he gives back what he holds, and if he’s lucky, I won’t smite him on the spot.Now, get out of my way lest I turn you into a bug.”
“I shushed you,” I told Owain, giving him a reassuring pat on the arm.“That’s a gentler, kinder hush.Hang on, I got this.”
“No, you do not,” Owain growled, and tried again to stuff me behind him.
“Jerry, I need to tell you that I am armed, and if you make any hostile action toward Owain or me, I will defend us.The ravens are another matter.You can have at them all you want.Not that I condone any sort of animal abuse, but they have it coming.”
“Hey!”the mouthy raven protested.
I ignored it, as well as their mutters that a group poop on me might be called for.
“You dare threaten me?”Jerry seemed to swell with rage.“You, a mere knocker, think to challenge me?I am the Morrigan!”
