Emerald Isle (21 page)

“I have an idea what it is. But I don’t know what it does, or how your father received it,” she said.

“So what is it?”

“It’s the Seeker’s locket. Passed from one Seeker to the successor every hundred years or so.”

Anastasia looked down, fingered the piece. “Who was the last Seeker?”

Birdie shrugged. “Only the council knows. And only the Seeker knows its powers. When you are confirmed, its powers will be released. Its will bound to you.”

“So what do we do? Someone’s obviously after it. Someone’s willing to kill for it.”

Everyone thought for a moment.

After a while, Lolly said, “I have an idea.”

She was looking at Thor.

The Tempest

On this journey, you begin to see how the sides of your heart that seemed awkward, contradictory, and uneven are the places where the treasure lies hidden. You begin to become true to yourself.

—John O’Donohue

As we made our way downstairs to the meeting, the spicy aroma of oatmeal-raisin cookies wafted through the hallway. They were my favorite treat growing up, and my mother often made a batch on chilly weekends.

I flicked my eyes to Birdie. Could she smell the cinnamon? If she did, she didn’t seem to notice. She was preoccupied with the meeting, I guessed. We hadn’t had a lot of time to prepare, since my near-death experiences had become the focus of our powwow, but I had been given a very strict warning.

“Let me do the talking,” Birdie had said.

Thor strutted alongside me, proudly displaying the decadent vest Lolly had fashioned for him from one of her ball gowns. The locket was sewn into the lining. I wasn’t certain about this strategy, but Birdie had convinced me that it was too dangerous to keep it on my person, that I shouldn’t even be in possession of it, and if anyone found out—friend or foe—we would all be on trial come Samhain. I was hesitant to agree. Thor could certainly hold his own
when up against most other animals and humans. It was the ghost with the bug up his ass that concerned me.

We were ten minutes early, so I found a door to let Thor out to do his business quickly before the meeting was scheduled to begin. There was a breakfast spread just outside the room, so the aunts and Birdie helped themselves to coffee and muffins, while I loaded up a heaping plate of bacon, eggs, and potatoes for Thor. I grabbed a yogurt and an apple for myself. We all ate in silence, and someone came to clear our plates just as a clock chimed in the common area.

Gary appeared at the doorway. He ushered us all to our seats and offered to take my sword.

“No, thanks.”

He shuffled nervously. “You’ll get it back as soon as the session is over. It’s protocol.”

I looked at him. “I appreciate your position, but no one touches my sword.”

It was still infused with Badb’s force, and I really didn’t want anyone else’s imprint on it.

Someone kicked me. “Ouch!” I grabbed my shin as Birdie glared at me.

I shook my head vigorously.

The guy mumbled, “Oh, for the love of Pete.” He whipped his sports coat off and laid it on the bench next to me. “Keep it covered.” He walked off, shaking his head, and resumed his post by the door, clasping his hands in front of him.

The O’Conor courtroom, or whatever the heck it was called, was large enough to play a full-court basketball game in. It was dripping with richly paneled walls and
indulgent trim. The floor was laid in a crisscross pattern of smooth hardwood, the ceiling elaborately painted with ancient battle scenes, gods, and goddesses. Wooden benches filled much of the space, all of which faced a long, rectangular platform, elevated a foot off the ground. Above that were photographs of council members past and present. I noticed that many of them were O’Conors.

I covered my sword with the guy’s coat and sat down next to Birdie. “What should I expect?”

“I would imagine they’ll ask for the plan on locating the cauldron.”

“Will you tell them everything? I mean about the Web of Wyrd.”

She shot me a horrified look. “Of course not. They’d crucify us. Remember what happened to Jesus? Would
you
believe everything you’ve told me about meeting the goddesses?”

“Hey, I was there, and I still don’t believe it.”

Birdie spoke softly out of the corner of her mouth. “We’ll just tell them we found the instructions in the Blessed Book. That the ancestors left clues for us to find the cauldron based on what happened the last time it was stolen, and the steps taken to recover it.”

“Good. What if they ask me a direct question?”

“Don’t say a word. I’ll answer all their questions.”

John stepped through the door then, wearing a turtleneck and jeans, a satchel slung over his hip. He nodded at me as the driver-turned-bailiff escorted him into the room. I nodded back.

John was directed to a row behind us. I could smell the mint gum he liked to chew as he swaggered past.

Ethan came in next, Gretchen at his hip. He winked at me and I looked beyond him, shaking my head. He was led to the row opposite us. Thor drooled as his new love interest batted her impossibly long lashes at him. He sat erect, sticking his chest out to show off his new duds.

I nudged him with my foot. “Stop that. You’re embarrassing yourself.”

He grouched at me and aimed his perfectly regal profile at the Irish wolfhound.

A moment later, a door opened behind a huge platform and one by one, people filed into the room, each taking a seat at the table perched on the platform.

To my utter shock, that flappy-faced Tallulah was one of them.

I pinched Birdie’s arm and whispered, “You didn’t tell me she was on the council.”

She wrestled her arm away. “I thought she told you when you spoke that day in my bedroom.”

I shook my head. Birdie snapped her eyes forward as Aedon called the meeting to order.

A sickening feeling fell over me. If that catty woman was on the council, there was no telling what kind of power she held.

Or what she could do with it.

As I sat in that room, surrounded by friend and foe, the words of the rhyming spirit filtered through my mind.

The council awaits your arrival, in the castle you shall stay; but beware of the wrath of a rival, and the one who will betray.

I had a pretty good idea who the rival was. But who would betray?

Birdie Geraghty was not an envious woman, but as she stared at the nine council members, she couldn’t help but feel cheated as Tallulah took her seat.

That should be my chair. And if it were, none of this would be happening.
She knew in her heart of hearts that her daughter had been well within her rights to defend her family. It had been a preemptive strike, pure and simple, despite the fact that the man hadn’t actually come in contact with Anastasia. He had obviously found the girl’s mother, and she had thwarted whatever attack he had planned. If Birdie had been on the council, she would have appealed to their reason. She would have pointed out that saving a would-be Seeker was an act of heroism, not a crime worthy of punishment.

Not knowing was the worst. Not knowing what the man had been after or why. Birdie hoped that when this entire nightmare concluded, she would have her answers.

Aedon shuffled some paperwork and read through the preliminary meeting notes. He explained about the missing cauldron and the duties of the watchers sworn to protect it. He then explained that the Warrior, Ivy, would be joining the session virtually. Birdie watched as Tallulah’s son Pearce punched in some buttons on a remote control.

The screen behind the platform sizzled to life, and the bubbly teenager with cherry-red hair appeared.

Aedon asked if Ivy could hear him, and she said she could. When he turned his back, she waved to Anastasia. To her credit, Birdie’s granddaughter smiled back at the girl without drawing attention to herself.

Finally, Aedon addressed the court. “John, as the only watcher of the treasures who has been officially confirmed, would you like to explain your strategy?”

Birdie tensed, but quickly relaxed as John launched into the plan about the four corners heading to Fourknocks Mound, or, as the goddess referred to it, the Hill of Summoning.

Tallulah looked frightened at the prospect of being sent on a mission.

As well you should be,
Birdie thought.

Aedon sat back in his chair, the wheels squeaking across the stage. “Interesting.” His beard twitched as he thought for a moment. “I don’t recall a Mage ever being appointed as a watcher, let alone participating in a quest. Where are you drawing your information from?”

Birdie held her breath.

John said, in a fluid voice like a saxophone, “From the Blessed Book of my clanspeople.”

Aedon asked if he could view the passage, but John explained he had felt it too risky to bring the book. That it was locked away in a vault, but he had taken notes.

Aedon turned to Ivy. “Young lady? Are you prepared to assist in the mission?”

Ivy said, “I am. But we have exams today, and the headmistress refuses to grant me passage until tomorrow.”

Next to Birdie, Anastasia tensed, wild-eyed.

“Very well,” Aedon said. “The mission begins tomorrow at the break of dawn.”

Anastasia squeezed Birdie’s hand so tight, she felt knuckles crack. Then, after Aedon turned back to face the audience, Ivy flashed a cell phone and held up a thumb.

Anastasia sighed in relief.

Aedon pointed his head toward Anastasia. “I presume you are prepared, Miss Justice?”

The girl nodded.

Aedon looked at Ethan. “And you, son?”

“Aye,” Ethan said, slouched on the bench.

Birdie couldn’t help but notice the young man looked bored.

“Good. Directly after the session, you will meet your first challenge.”

Ethan didn’t look too thrilled about that. Stacy squeezed Birdie’s hand again.

“Challenge?” Birdie questioned.

Aedon looked up from his notes. “With two Seekers vying for the role, we need to assign a leader and a qualifier.”

Anastasia was so tense, she was practically vibrating. The girl was ready to burst, and Birdie feared what would happen if she did.

“I’ll be the qualifier,” Ethan said.

Tallulah shot him a death stare. “Always the joker, Ethan.” She turned to Aedon. “Splendid idea. The usual challenges? Archery? Falconry? Jousting?”

“Jousting?” Anastasia quietly hissed. “Birdie, do something, for gods’ sake.”

“Absolutely,” Aedon answered Tallulah. He jotted down a few notes.

Birdie whispered, “It’ll be fine.”

Anastasia whispered back, “There’s no time for this crap. I’m not staying another night in this house of horrors. Remember,
return the locket or die tonight
?”

Aedon looked up. Smiled. “Miss Justice, would you like to address the council?”

Birdie stood up. “No, she wouldn’t.”

Anastasia stood too. “You bet your ass I would.”

Aedon chuckled. “I admire your verve. Proceed.”

Birdie tugged on Anastasia’s arm, but the girl shrugged her off.

“Well, Your, er…Highness…it has recently been brought to my attention that there is another Mage in our midst. As a potential Seeker with multiple nominations under her belt”—Ethan scoffed at this—“I feel it is my duty to present her to the court.”

Aedon looked at Tallulah, whose face had darkened into a scowl.

He turned back to Stacy. “Another Mage? Who is it?”

Birdie yanked Anastasia’s shirt so hard, the girl coughed, but it didn’t do any good. “Brighid Geraghty, my grandmother.”

Birdie couldn’t decide if she should gag the girl or kick her feet out from under her.

Tallulah shot up, fuming. “This is outrageous. Brighid was expelled from the Academy years ago. My father signed the papers himself. And only graduates are qualified to become Mage.”

Aedon said, “That is true.” He cocked his head, tapped his pen. “But your father’s passed over now. Despite the fact that you were confirmed as Mage, Birdie has the right to contest her expulsion and, ultimately, the withdrawal of her Mage nomination. The rules have changed since he was in power.”

Anastasia grinned.