“You came to him?” Rio’s glow thickened into a gray mist and hummed. That wasn’t a good sign. She zeroed in on Daire’s arm around me.
“Yeah. I needed somebody to talk to.” I shrugged his arm off and walked up to her. My head still swam, but not enough to throw off my balance.
“I’ll leave you two to talk.” Daire supported himself against the tree trunk as he got up. His breathing hitched. Was sitting there not enough rest from going through the mirror portal? He couldn’t take on Rio in that condition.
“You’re not going anywhere unless I like your explanation.” Rio went to step around me. Her chain bracelet extended into the same kind of whip she used sometimes in combat practice.
Daire backed into the tree, watching that swinging chain as he white-knuckled the bark.
“What’re you doing?” I moved in her way.
Rio bumped into me. “Teaching that welp a lesson.”
“What lesson? He didn’t do anything.”
“He’s with them.” Rio’s jaw went stiff and her pupils narrowed to snake-like slits. “His vows don’t stop him exploiting your trust.”
“I can handle him myself.” I held my ground and pointed to the chain bracelet she’d given me. “Besides, that’s what this is for isn’t it? It’s supposed to protect me when you’re not around.”
“Then why was he hanging onto you if not trying to take advantage?” Rio glared past me to her little brother. “I have known him far longer than you. He’s not as witless as he appears.”
“So should I believe him about you? He’s known you way longer than I have.” I grabbed her chain whip and stopped its predatory swinging. “According to him, you’re a jealous bully. I thought you were better than the shit you’ve been through. Am I wrong?”
“You know me better than he ever could.”
“So if I’m right, then he doesn’t know you as well as he thinks. Maybe you don’t know him as well as you think either.”
“You’re defending that brat?”
“Yeah, I am.” I planted my hands on my hips. “He’s my friend and I won’t let you hurt him.”
“He’s loyal to them. Does that mean he’s swayed your allegiance?”
“I can be friends with him and still be on your side.”
“Only until Samhain.” Rio tightened her shaking fingers around the chain. “Then where will your heart lie?”
“Come on, I’ve trusted you this far.” I covered her fist and squeezed. “Can’t you trust me too?”
She went still, and her dark field paused its discordant droning. I couldn’t imagine how many conflicting urges and feelings she had to sort through. But if petty hate was the only reason she wanted to hurt Daire, she could look past it. I wanted to believe that. I had to.
Rio opened her mouth like she wanted to say something. A shout made her look away, further down the path.
“Away from my son, Fomor-touched!” Daire’s dad charged at us.
Rio yanked me out of Midir’s rampage.
Midir skidded to a stop between us and Daire. The air around him crackled with a funny electricity and the ground rumbled.
Etain ran up behind Midir and patted Daire down. “Are you hurt?”
Daire shook his head as he rested against her.
“You choose now to become protective, Midir?” Rio shoved me behind her and kept that chain out. Her field expanded to include me, and its whining made my ears ring. “Where were you all those years when I marked your precious boy? Where will you be when I defeat you and he becomes mine?”
“I have endured you for centuries because my sister saw some kernel of potential in you, my wretched spawn.” Midir glowed brighter and the ground shook so hard, I had to grab Rio to stay up. “You have yet to realize it, and I refuse to wait any longer. Come Samhain, my vows to you will expire, and my first act as High King will be ridding my family of your threat. Your days of haunting us will end by my hands. This I promise!”
“You act as if you did me such a service by letting me exist all these years, my vile sire. I am a threat of your own making.” Rio’s voice dropped to a low hiss, her energy amplifying it. “You and your brothers’ reckoning will come.”
Those declarations rocketed any remote chance either Rio or Midir would win the election without anybody dying far out to space. If only Midir had shown up after Rio and I left. Rio was calming down. We could have gone back to the burrow and talked out the rest. I looked across the way at Daire as my stomach dropped. If his dad did win, what would happen to Rio and me?
Daire gaped helplessly back. He didn’t offer any answer as he clung to his mom.
* * *
Midir banished Rio and I from the property. We left through the nearest pool. My mood dipped again the moment Rio and I emerged into the burrow.
Rio was screwed no matter who got elected. The only way she’d live through it was beating Midir. But if she won, she wouldn’t have the Key and the whole country might turn on her. Her best chance was coming with Daire, Etain, and me to the human world. It meant forfeiting and leaving her home forever. Winning was so important to her, though. Would it matter so much if she found another way out?
I held my head as I made my way down the hall. My growing to-do list blurred together. Talk to Rio about her options without implicating Daire. Ask Daire if Rio could come along. Steal a freakin’ giant cauldron. First I had to sleep off the last of the buzz from the wine and slap a bandaid on my tangled feelings.
A hand on my shoulder stopped me.
“We must settle what happened, now,” Rio said, her tone final and not leaving room for backing off.
“I needed somebody to talk to and Daire’s the only other person I’ve got in this place.” My eyes stung. She’d probably noticed signs that I’d cried. “I didn’t say anything that’ll hurt you running for High King. He didn’t make any moves on me. I wouldn’t let him if he tried. I’m not apologizing for sticking up for him ‘cause it was the right thing to do. That about cover it?”
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
“You’re right. I let my temper get the better of me. You held your connection with Daire and ensured you could continue gleaning information from him. I wasn’t referring to that.” Rio guided me around toward her.
I could’ve resisted, but I didn’t bother. My attention settled on her stomach instead of her face.
She touched my forehead with her cool palm, stunning all my swirling thoughts like she’d splashed icy water on them. “Is your mind working properly now?”
I nodded as I sniffed phlegm back into my sinuses. It was a gentle let down coming. Others had given me similar speeches before. I only got crushes on certain people after we’d made a crazy close connection. It snuck up on me the same way it had with Rio.
She took my chin and tilted it up.
I took a deep breath as I met her eyes. They were the same dim slate as when something bothered her. Small silver flecks fought to light up the shadowy parts.
“I appreciated the outing. It was a refreshing reprieve from the pressures I’ve been under.” Rio gave me a thankful smile as she cupped my cheek. Her thumb brushed the corner of my mouth as it wiped at damp tear splotches. “And your affectionate gesture was awkward, but flattering to say the least.”
“It’s…not something I do a lot.” My face exploded with heat and my heart kicked up a few notches with silly hope I might be wrong about that let down. “Is there a ‘but’ coming?”
“Sadly, yes.” Rio’s smile fell and the silver flecks winked out. “That encounter between Midir and I was accidental, but it served as a timely reminder. Were it only my pride riding on my victory, I could risk exploring what’s between us. Now my survival depends on winning the High King’s seat. This commitment requires my utmost focus. You are very dear to me. That means I cannot afford the distraction you pose, no matter how much I would like to.”
“You’re saying you like me back but we can’t do anything about it until after you get elected.” I gulped as my heart rate stayed up. This wasn’t as bad as I expected. It gave me time to work out a way with Daire to bring her in on the plan. It was the most dangerous thing she could’ve said. “And what about then?”
“It would be better to have that discussion once we know for sure.”
“Why?”
“You have reservations about how I deal with my blood kin.” Rio’s irises darkened so they blotted out her pupils. “You have a far softer heart than I. While I admire that, I do not intend to let any of my family escape punishment. They will pay for their crimes against me, and I will not hesitate to use the High King’s seat for my retribution.”
“I get that.” My stomach twisted from those reservations she mentioned. I couldn’t help thinking that Daire and Etain would get caught in her wrath. I couldn’t accept that. “But what if—and I mean a giant hypothetical if—there was a way you could leave everything and make a clean start somewhere else?”
“Have you learned something?”
“It’s an idea worth looking into. But only if you’re willing to do it.”
“I would have to give the matter some thought.” Rio frowned as she made a rough hanky out of thin air and wiped the rest of my face with it. “It has appeal. I think it’s better that I spend my time working toward this campaign rather than fantasizing about potential alternatives. Had this come up before I announced my candidacy, it might have been more viable. We might have more time.”
“So if there was a chance of it earlier, you would’ve tried it?”
“Yes.” Rio sighed and brushed my bangs out of my face. “Nothing like that exists with things as they are now, not until Tir Na Nog changes. And that’s what I intend to do.”
I resisted the urge to smile. If I played my cards like I was on a hot Rummy streak against Mom, I could make this plan work. I’d keep going with Daire until we were almost done, then I’d spring it on Rio and everything could fall into place. She’d proved she trusted me, and she just implied she’d be willing to make a new life somewhere else if things changed. That was all the confirmation I needed.
* * *
Later that night I showed Rio the small mirror Daire had made me and explained that he gave it to me so we could talk any time—I packaged it as him being lonely and gabbing too much. I told her that I had to check to see if his dad was going to stop him from seeing me, and make sure he wasn’t too ruffled. She went back to talking up the southern Bean Sidhe when I stepped outside by myself.
I knocked on the mirror and lined my thoughts up to reach Daire. The frame glowed and pulsed like a ringing phone. I kept sending thoughts. Was he asleep already?
My reflection swirled in the silver, and the colors rearranged into Daire’s face. He groaned as his image shifted like he adjusted a smartphone screen.
“Hey, it’s not a bad time is it?” I kept my voice to a whisper.
Daire angled the mirror away from him. It showed his Mom sleeping in an ancient canopy bed and his dad laying in a cot beside him on the floor.
“Does that girl call again?” Midir had his back to the mirror.
“Yes, Father. I’ll step out for but a moment, no longer.”
Midir twisted around. “I’ll come with you.”
“I’m not some child you must chaperone everywhere.”
“On the contrary, in this region you are. Unless you’d like to give into Lady Una’s advances…”
“I…” Daire hesitated. Was it because he was tired or because he was scared of this Una person? “I’ll be just outside the door. I won’t wander any further.”
“Let him stand watch,” Etain said from the bed. “Guard with the gold hair, I must speak with you privately.”
Both Daire and Midir gawked at the bed like little boys caught in a prank.
Midir sighed and waved Daire toward the only door in the background. “Be quick about it.”
Daire rubbed his eyes as he got up. The room around him wobbled and jerked so its details got lost in a brown and gray blur. A door thudded shut behind him, then the picture stabilized. He leaned back against it and looked down. “Is something else amiss? Are you in the gardens again?”
“No, I’m just outside of Rio’s place.” Even though I knew Daire was alone, I kept my voice low. Rio might be able to listen in through the thick boulder covering the burrow. “I wanted to check on you. You looked pretty bad back there, and your dad was pissed.”
“He thought you and Riona were attacking me. He’s acted like Aunt Brigid ever since, fussy and protective.” Daire puckered his mouth and scrunched his nose. His expression settled somewhere between annoyed and confused. “It’s odd. He hardly even scolded me before we went to bed.”
“I’m glad your dad’s acting like a better parent, but he’s still a big problem,” I said. “If he wins, Rio and I are dead. He made that pretty clear.”
“That implication was strong.” He glanced behind him at the door, probably thinking of his parents inside. “However, if my sister wins, she’ll force me to watch as she dismantles my family limb by limb.”
“Yeah. Certain people in your family deserve it. Your mom definitely doesn’t.” I drooped against the rock behind me. “Either way hurts people we care about.”
“The only way to guarantee we escape before either happens is to gather all of the treasures well before Samhain and the election.”
“What about Rio? I can’t leave her behind without knowing she’ll be okay.”
“What are you proposing?” Daire groaned like he already knew. “You can’t possibly expect that we bring her with us.”
“That’s exactly what I’m getting at.” I leaned closer to my mirror. I meant business and he’d see it whether he liked it or not. “We take her out of here before the election, then Midir can’t get his hands on her, and she won’t take her revenge on your family. Everybody wins.”
“And how, pray tell, do you know she’ll go along with this?”
“I asked her about it through what-ifs.” I made my voice even softer. “She’s got no idea about the plan. But she’s willing to leave this place and start over if she has the option.”
Daire sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw. Either his exhaustion or frustration brought on that migraine.
“Well?”
“Gathering what we need is dangerous enough. It makes it worse if we tell her now.”
“That doesn’t mean we can’t do it down the line, right?”
“Correct. The reality is, we need either her or my father campaigning still so you can get the Sword. She cannot campaign as well if her plans change, and she intends to forfeit the election instead.” Daire sighed as he dropped his hand out of sight. “We wait until we have what we need. If Samhain isn’t upon us, we can include her. That’s the best I can offer you.”
“That works.” I didn’t resist a smile, and did my best to send him bear hug vibes. “Now, how are we working this Cauldron heist?”
“I would hardly call it something that grand.” His eyes twinkled anyways.
We spent the rest of the call hashing out the details for stealing the Cauldron. Our final plan seemed solid. We’d get in and out without a hitch, as long as nothing went wrong. I knew better than to expect that. It didn’t matter right then. I’d take what little wins I could get until I flew out of my pretty prison, Tir Na Nog. And I’d sweep my kidnapper right out with me.