Shadow Spell (The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy 2)

Branna’s fingers tightened on the stem of her wineglass, then relaxed again. “You’re right, and I’m sorry for it. And I see he’s shaken us. That’s a victory for him, and it ends now.”

“We can’t understand what it is not to be what we are. Iona would, I think,” Connor continued, “as what she is, and has, was held back from her for so long. But I think you—and you as well, Fin—don’t understand that for Branna and for me, knowing you’re with us, when for Fin, going back to Paris and his fine restaurant would be an easier choice, for you, Meara, and for you, Boyle, not having power but being with us, is braver by far than going on with this, as Branna and I, and now Iona must do. We must, but you, all three of you choose. We don’t forget that. Don’t think, don’t ever think, we do.”

“We’re not looking for gratitude,” Boyle began.

“Well, you have it, want it or not. And admiration as well, even if there’s been times, and will be again, we don’t show it.”

Rising, Branna got another bottle of wine, poured it all around. “For feck’s sake, do you think I spend hours cooking a meal like this for myself? I do fine with a bacon sandwich. So we’ll all of us stop feeling sorry for ourselves, or sorry to each other, and just be.”

Very deliberately Meara scooped up more stew. “It’s a gorgeous meal, Branna.”

“Bloody right it is, and unless all of you want nothing but that bacon sandwich next time you come, we’ll set all that business aside. Now, why do we think Cabhan jumped on the bonnet of Connor’s lorry?”

“I might be risking that bacon sandwich, though they’re tasty enough,” Fin said, “but answering that, for what I think myself, digs back into the other a bit.”

“Answer.” Branna waved a hand in the air. “I’ll decide whether you eat at all next time.”

“He wanted to see what would happen. He was fully formed.”

“He was,” Meara agreed. “Muscle, bone, and blood.”

“But he was quick about it. A leap without warning—where Connor had no sense of it, nor did I, and we weren’t far off. Then a leap back, wherever he’s biding his time. But in that time, what did he learn?”

“I’m not following you,” Boyle said.

“What did he see Connor do? Get out to face him alone—deliberately alone as he closed you and Meara inside. Protected you. And he saw Branna run out—armed, but again alone—to go to her brother.”

“Then Iona and you,” Meara added.

“He was gone by the time I joined, by the time we made the circle. Watching?” Fin shrugged. “I can’t say for certain, but I had no sense of him.”

“Nor did I,” Connor said when Fin glanced at him.

“So it showed him Connor’s first instinct is to protect. His woman— Oh, don’t be so fragile about it,” Fin said when Meara sputtered a protest. “His woman, his friend. Move the risk away and protect. Branna’s is to go to Connor’s side, as his would be to go to hers. But she protects as well, as she didn’t move to release Meara or Boyle to increase the numbers.”

“It was wrong of me

as well, and I’ve apologized to Meara already. Now I apologize to you, Boyle.”

“We’ve covered it all, and it’s forgotten.”

“He won’t forget.” Iona glanced around, understanding. “And he’ll use what he knows, try to use it, work it in somehow.”

“So we find a way to use what he knows, or thinks he knows, against him.” Pleased with the idea, Meara grinned around the table. “How do we use me to trap him?”

“We won’t be doing that.” Connor put a firm cork in that idea bottle. “We tried it, didn’t we, with Iona, and it didn’t work—nearly lost her to him.”

“If at first you don’t succeed.”

“Fuck it and try something else,” Connor finished.

“I choose. Remember your own fine words. I’ll ask you,” she said to Fin. “Is there a way to use me to lure him?”

“I can’t say—and not because I don’t want to tangle with Connor, or Branna come to that. But because we’d all need time to think it through, and carefully. I’m no more willing than Connor to risk as close a call as we had with Iona on the solstice.”

“I’ve no argument with that.”

“We’ll think on it, and all must agree in the end.” He looked at Connor, got a nod. “And we’ll work on it, use what we know, refine what we had, as it was close to the mark.” He looked at Branna.