Her arm tightened around me. “I remember most of what happened at the theater...what I said to you.” Her voice hitched and she paused a moment. “It tore me apart to think that we may never speak again with how we parted.”
“I knew you didn’t mean any of it.” I glared at the back of the wretch’s stony head, hatred curling in my gut. “Did she...did she muddle your mind much? Cate is the best healer in the human world and can repair any physical damage left behind.” I bit my tongue rather than admit that some wounds exceeded Cate’s ability.
“Before the play, Deri planted a compulsion for me to go with her to Wexford. I fought against it, but it was too strong.” A heavy sigh broke through, and she straightened her stance, though her arm remained on my waist. Turning toward her, I saw the frustration that rested on her face. Absentmindedly, she brushed a finger over the long scratch marks that still marred her neck from that night. Crusted with scabs, they served as a stark reminder of Deri’s sadistic power.
“She didn’t do anything else to me,” Nora continued. “I know Deri was evil, but there was a part in her that craved love, and could even love in return. From our association in London, I believe she came to see me as an elder sister. When we arrived here and found Carmen dead, she was desperate for me to take her mother’s place.” Another sigh. “In her own way, I think she might have loved me.”
My gaze moved from the scratches to Nora’s eyes, which burned with unshed tears. “I hate her for what she did to you.”
“I should hate her too, and part of me does. But mostly there’s just pity.”
Tom brushed a rough hand along what looked to be Julian’s arm. “You’re lucky to have fallen when you did, Selah, and let these two turn themselves to stone. Otherwise, you’d have joined them.”
I shuddered at the notion when Henry’s gaze found mine, his expression stark from how close we’d come to disaster. Without exchanging a word, I knew such a fate would have doomed us both to the barest form of life.
He picked up his sword and tapped the tip against Julian’s leg. “It pained me to watch you play up to this devil. While he was planning a future with you as his queen, all I could think about was tearing out his heart.”
“I said so many horrible things. You didn’t believe any of it, did you?”
“Not even for a moment. You may have fooled Julian, but I knew where your heart belonged.”
“Thank you for trusting me.”
His mouth quirked at the corners. “All the same, I’ve made a note to never go against you at the gaming table.”
“A wise choice, my lord,” Cate said, joining our growing circle around the brother and sister. “As we’ve discovered that my great-granddaughter can bluff with the best of them.”
I grimaced at the blood that still spotted her face from my attack. “I’m sorry for hurting you.”
She waved off my apology. “You did what you had to do.” Leaning closer, she rested a hand on Deri’s head. “I’ve not seen stone making for a very long time. Tom’s right, you’re fortunate to have survived.”
“Fortunate indeed.” I murmured the words, not yet ready to share the details of my interview with Brigid or of receiving the second gift. I needed time to think about what I had done and to speak privately with Henry rather than springing it on him in a group of people.
Henry came to my other side. “Let’s go. I’ve grown weary of this cavern.”
He would get no argument from me. With one last look at the wretch, Nora released my waist and stepped gingerly over the rock-strewn floor toward the tunnel where Sean and Marin waited, having been healed by Cate. My grandparents followed. Henry sheathed his sword, and retrieved Lugh’s spear, the tip still red from Julian’s blood.
Glancing over our group, I realized at once that someone was missing. “Where’s Ailish?” Turning a half circle, I saw her slight form seated on the throne’s dais with her head buried in her hands. A young man loomed over her, a black patch over one eye. “Paddy...” I breathed.
He looked at me, his face grim.
My hands balled to tight fists. “You leave her alone!” I stormed back toward the throne, Henry at my side.
Paddy’s human eye widened, skimmed from me to Henry, then behind us, I assumed to Cate and Tom. His hand flicked to the patch. “Don’t come any closer,” he warned.
I halted and jabbed a finger at him. “If you so much as touch her, I swear I’ll sever every muscle in your body.”
Some of the color left his face, but he held his ground. “I’m not here to hurt her.”
Lifting her head, Ailish gave me a wan smile. “It’s all right, Selah.”
“You can’t mean that, not after everything his father did to you.”
Paddy bristled with indignation. “I’m not me da, so don’t you be saying so.”
“That’s little consolation, considering what she suffered while in your family’s care.”
He winced and glanced at Ailish. “I hated how he used to beat her, but if’n I got in the way, he beat her the more for it.”