I could have stayed up all night worrying about what all these changes meant. Worrying about how much to tell Mom or Sensei. Worrying about what Donn’s death meant for Tir na nOg. But I didn’t. Instead I collapsed on my bed, completely dressed.
I slept in late the next day. I earned it.
I awoke sore and groggy. Charice surprised us with brunch to-go from Denny’s and brought it over to my new studio apartment in Sensei’s backyard.
“You’re such a sweetheart.” I kissed Charice on the lips, not caring that Gavin, Rob, and Tain were there.
“Let’s eat,” shouted Rob.
“Thanks Charice,” said Gavin.
After that we didn’t talk much. Gavin and I wolfed down pancakes, hash browns, scrambled eggs, and copious amounts of bacon.
Tain whined, seated at the side of the table until Gavin threw him some food. Then my brother addressed the elephant in the room. “So...what are we going to do about Dad?”
I pushed scraps around my paper plate with my plastic fork. “What can we do? But wait until the reappearance of Hybrasail?”
“Or see if Dian Cécht can brew up something?” said Rob. “Or there’s always Brigid.”
“Do you all forget the fight with Manann? Brigid and Dian Cécht are just as likely to kill us as help us. There’s no good option. That’s the truth of the matter,” I shook my head. “I can’t believe after all that, I failed my dad.”
Tain came and put his head on my lap as if to say, It’s okay. But it wasn’t okay. I knew firsthand from Dad’s mouth, even if some part of him was physically here, locked inside Tain, his awareness of who he was and what was going on around him was hazy at best. As far as I was concerned, Tain was no substitute for my dad, no matter how much I loved the family dog. And it wasn’t right, leaving him stuck like that.
Charice brushed my hair back. “You didn’t fail your dad. You did exactly what he asked you to do. You protected your family, stopped Donn, and you healed Nehemiah.”
“But look at all of us. We’re all still...broken.”
“Not me,” said Rob with a mouthful of mayonnaise-topped pancake. “I’m perfectly fine.”
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“You’re insane,” said Gavin.
We had a good laugh. But after it died down, my problems were still there.
“You’ll find a way, Sean. You always do,” said Charice. She kissed me on the cheek. My chest warmed. All the magic oak trees in all of the realms could not empower me like her affection.
“You’re right. We’ll figure it out. Even if we have to wait another seven years.”
---
My Fastback tires squealed in defiance of the asphalt they slid across as I followed the sensation burning in my Keening. I drifted into the grocery store plaza. It was late. The parking lot was almost entirely empty of cars. Except for one beat up RV, surrounded by straggling monsters from Samhain.
The Fastback pummeled into a group of Fear Gortcha. They flipped over the hood, landing somewhere behind my car. I whipped the car around, slamming the breaks. Emaciated walking corpses crawled over the RV trying to break in and consume the family trapped within.
I ejected from the ‘Stang, Jade in hand, already glowing and laced with Celtic knots. Rob, Tain, and Charice followed in my wake. In a matter of moments we drew the Irish zombies away from the RV and backed them up against the laundromat, the same one where I met Nehemiah and the Banshee.
Tain herded the Fear Gortcha on the ends, making sure none escaped. Charice blasted the group as a whole, keeping them off balance. Rob fired my rifle into the fray with childish giggles. I charged down the center, amplifying my speed and accuracy with Good Luck.
The Fear Gortcha seemed to freeze as I wove through the horde. Jade passed through them like gelatin. I had to skid to a halt like a hockey player on the other side of the manic mob. Only after I stopped moving and flicked the fluid off my blade did the monsters sink lifeless to the ground.
I was feeling pretty good until a strong hand clasped my ankle in a vice grip. Before I could even react, the shot from a .357 Magnum cut through the air. The monster fingers gripping me went limp.
Smoke rose from the revolver in the wizard’s hand.
We stood staring eye to eye. I gripped my katana. He his revolver.
Then he holstered the weapon and I sheathed mine.
“Thanks Chaos wizard,” I said.
“Anytime. But I’m not messing with Bad Luck or Chaos anymore.”
“Oh?”
“After drinking that potion stuff, it not only healed me, but…”
He held out his hand. At first nothing happened. Then a faint emerald light began to glow.
“You know what that means?” he asked me.
I shook my head.
“You’ll have to train me. Show me the ropes of wielding Good Luck.”
I was about to object, when he cut me off.
“Thanks… for everything.”
Things could have gotten awkward if not for a gliding oversized crow that perched on the roof of the laundromat.
“Wanna bet this is the one time the Morrigan doesn’t have a new quest for me?” I asked Rob.
Rob’s muppet-like grin proved he didn’t believe that for a second. “Good luck with that.”
END