Chapter 14
WHAT WAS IT LIKE? PARIS,” IONA ADDED. “WE HAVEN’T had a chance to talk about it without the guys around since you went.”
“It was lovely. A bit breathtaking really. The lights, the voices, the food and wine, of course. For a few hours, another world altogether.”
“Romantic?” Iona tied pretty raffia bows around softly colored soaps, and boldly colored ones.
“It was.”
“I wonder why that part of it worries you.”
“I’m not after romance. It’s the sort of thing that weakens resolve and clouds sense.” Branna measured out ground herbs. “It’s not something I can risk now.”
“You love each other.”
“Love isn’t always the answer.” While Iona helped with store stock, Branna focused on more magickal supplies. Another battle would come, other attacks were likely. She wanted a full store of medicinals on hand, for any contingency.
“It is for you, and I’m glad of it.” She added precisely six drops of extract of nasturtium to the small cauldron. “It adds to what you are, strengthens your purpose.”
“You think it weakens yours.”
“I think it can, and now more than ever that can’t be allowed. Both Fin and I know we can live without each other. We have done so, and well enough. We know what we have now may only be for now. Whatever the rest, with or without, waits until Cabhan is finished.”
“You’re happier with him,” Iona pointed out.
“And what woman isn’t happier when she can count on a good shag with some regularity?
” After Iona’s snort, she held up a finger for silence, then holding her hands over the cauldron, brought the brew to a fast boil.
Murmuring now, drawing light down with one hand, a thin shower of blue rain with the other.
For an instant a rainbow formed, then it, too, slid into the pot.
Branna took the brew down to the slowest of simmers.
Satisfied, she turned, found Iona studying her.
“Watching you work,” Iona explained. “It’s all so pretty, so graceful, with power just flowing all around.”
“We’ll want this restorative on hand, as well as the balms and salves I’ve been stocking up.” Branna tapped the door to a cupboard she thought of as her war chest.
“Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.”
“A good policy.”
“It’s what you’re doing with Fin?”
“Being with him—and not just for the sex—lets me remember all the reasons I fell in love with him. He has such kindness—and I wanted to forget that of him. His humor, his focus, his loyalty. I want to remember all that now, for the comfort of it, and for the unity. Remembering who he is means I can give him all my trust in this. All of it. And I’m not sure, no matter how I tried, I did before.
Because I can and do, there’ll always be some best to hold on to. ”
“Is he coming today?”
“I told him no need. We’re still shy some of the ingredients so we can’t begin to make the poison as yet. He has his work as I have mine. And I appreciate you giving me so much of your off day.”
“I like playing with your store stock—and the more I can do, the more time you have for demon poisons. I want to take Alastar out later, and was hoping you’d want to go for a ride with us.”
“A ride?”
“I’ve seen you ride, and Meara mentioned you don’t take much time for it, the way you once did.”
She hadn’t, Branna thought, as it reminded her of Fin. But now . . . He’d brought Aine for her, and she hadn’t given herself the pleasure of testing the bond with the horse.
“If what needs doing is done, I would. And if the pair of us rode out for pleasure, it’s a nose-thumbing in Cabhan’s direction.”
“We’re seeing him every day now.” Idly, Iona stacked the pretty soaps into colorful towers. “Skulking around.”
“I know it. I see him as well. He tests my borders often now.”
“I dreamed of Teagan last night. We talked.”
“And you’re just telling me of it?”
“It was like a little visit. Sitting in front of the fire, drinking tea. She’s showing, and she let me feel the baby kick.
She told me about her husband, and I talked about Boyle.
And it struck me—what you’d said about all of us being connected—her husband and Boyle are so alike.
In temperament, his love of horses and the land. ”
“Boyle’s connected to the three through the man Teagan married? Yes, that could be.”
“We didn’t talk of Cabhan, and isn’t that odd? We just drank tea and talked of her husband, the baby to come, Boyle, the wedding plans. At the end of the dream, she gave me a little charm, and said it was for Alastar.”
“Do you have it?”
“I put it on his bridle this morning before I came. I had a charm in my pocket, one I’d made for Alastar, so I gave it to her.”
“We’ve exchanged tokens, each of us with each of them. I think it’s more than courtesy. Something of ours in their time, and something of theirs in ours. We’ll want all three gifts with us when we face Cabhan again.”
“We’re still not sure when.”
“It’s a frustration to me,” Branna admitted. “But it can’t be done until we have all we need to destroy the demon. I have to believe we’ll know when we must.”
“Demons and visits in dreams with cousins from centuries ago. Battles and whirlwinds and weddings. My life is so different from what it was a year ago. I’ve been here nearly a year now, and it feels as if the life I led before was barely there.
Is it silly—and unrealistic—for me to plan and cook a kind of anniversary dinner for Boyle?
Surprise him with it—and I mean something he can actually eat without pretending it doesn’t suck. ”
Both amused and touched, Branna glanced over while Iona rearranged her towers. “Of course it’s not.”
“I can still see him just the way it was when he first rode up on Alastar. The way both of them just shot straight into me. Now they’re mine. I want to mark the day.”
“So you will.”
Something brushed the edge of her thoughts. Branna paused, waited for it to come, and the door jangled open.
One of her neighbors, a cheerful, grandmotherly type, stepped inside.
“Good day to you, Mrs. Baker.”
“And to you, Branna, and here’s Iona as well. I hope I’m not a bother to you.”
“Not at all. Would you have some tea?” Branna offered.
“I wouldn’t mind it, if it’s no trouble. It’s tea I’ve come for—if you’ve the blend you make for head colds. It would save me a trip to the village if you’ve some on hand I can buy from you.”
“I do, of course. Here, take off your coat, and sit by the fire. Have you a cold coming on?”
“Not me, but my husband has one full blown, and is driving me mad with his complaints. I swear a cup of tea by your fire here with women who know better than to think their life’s finished because they’ve got a cold in the head would save my sanity.
Oh, and aren’t these soaps as pretty as candy in a jar. ”
“I can’t decide which is my favorite, but this one’s leading the charge.” Iona held up a bold red cake for Mrs. Baker to sniff.
“That’s lovely. I’m going to treat myself to one of these as a reward for not knocking himself unconscious with a skillet.”
“You deserve it.”
“A bit of the sniffles and men are more work than a brood of babies. You’ll be finding that out for yourself soon enough, with the wedding coming.”
“I’m hoping to get a good skillet as a wedding gift,” Iona said, and made Mrs. Baker laugh until she wheezed.
Accepting the invitation, she took off her coat, her scarf, and settled herself by the fire.
“And here’s your Kathel—it’s a fine thing, a dog, a fire, a cup of tea.
I thought I saw him when I started over, prowling along the edge of the woods, even called out a greeting to him before I saw it wasn’t our Kathel at all.
A big black dog for certain, and for a moment I thought: Well, God in heaven, that’s a wolf.
Then it was gone.” She snapped her fingers. “Old eyes, I imagine, playing tricks.”
After a quick glance at Iona, Branna brought over tea and biscuits. “A stray perhaps. Have you seen it before?”
“I haven’t, no, and hope not to again. It gave me gooseflesh, I admit, when it turned its head toward me after I called out, thinking it was Kathel. I nearly turned round and went back inside—which should prove it gave me the shivers, as inside I’ve Mr. Baker’s whining.
“Oh, Branna, what a treat! I couldn’t be more grateful.”
“You’re very welcome. I’ve a tonic you could add to Mr. Baker’s tea. It’s good for what troubles him, and will help him sleep.”
“Name your price.”
They entertained Mrs. Baker, rang up the sale of tea and tonic, and gave the pretty soap as a gift. And Branna sent Kathel out with her, to be certain she got home safe.
“Did he show himself to her,” Iona said the minute they were alone, “or is his . . . presence—would that be it—just more tangible?”
“I’m wondering if he got careless, as that’s another possibility. Prowling around as she said, hoping to trouble us, and he didn’t shadow himself from others. As he doesn’t want the attention of others, I think it was carelessness.”
“He’s impatient.”
“It may be, but he’ll just have to wait until we’re ready. I’m going to finish this restorative, then we’ll take ourselves off. We’ll have that ride.”
“You’re hoping he’ll take a run at us.”
“I’m not hoping he won’t.” Branna lifted her chin in defiance. “I’d like to give him a taste of what two women of power can do.”
· · ·
brANNA WASN’T DISAPPOINTED FIN HAD BUSINESS ELSEWHERE. If he’d been at home or in the stables, he wouldn’t have cared for the idea of her and Iona going out at all, or would have insisted on going with them.
She wore riding boots she hadn’t put on in years, and had to admit it felt good. And what felt even better was saddling Aine herself.
“We don’t know each other well as yet, so I hope you’ll let Iona know if you’ve any problems with me.” She took a moment to come around the filly’s head, stroke her cheeks, look into her eyes.