An eerie laugh came from the man. “And there would be little you could do to stop me.”
Ailish widened her stance as a small fire flickered to life in my core. “Are you wanting to find out what I can do? Come closer, brother, and I’ll send you back to Cailleach, I will.”
The man growled deep in his throat. “You would attack your own blood for that creature?”
“I’ll attack anyone who tries to hurt me friend.”
Tension crackled between them. “Then you’ve nothing to fear from me, as our mistress has altered my mission. You are to proceed to Wexford with the girl, and stay there until you receive further notice.”
Without warning Brigid’s fire flared to life inside me. Heat infused my skin, and I wiggled fingers and toes to ensure all had returned to normal.
Ailish leaned to one hip. “Why would I do that?”
“Because Cailleach demands it.”
“She’s not one to bother herself with humans anymore.”
“On rare occasion the goddess takes an interest in the mortal world.”
Slowly, I pushed up to my arms and peeked around Ailish’s skirts. The breath froze in my throat at the sight of an albino. Cailleach’s hound.
“Why this time?” Ailish asked.
The goddess kept an entire pack in the Otherworld to guard the gates of death, and only the oldest and strongest could take human form as this one had done. He dropped his gaze to me, and his pale mouth curled to a cold smile.
I’ve killed them before... I can do it again.
Otherwise it would kill me, and I had no intention of dying just yet. Brigid’s fire leapt to my hands, thawing my blood as it burned the fear to ash. Meeting the albino’s smile, I lifted to my knees when he unexpectedly stiffened. His gaze jerked upward, over Ailish’s shoulder.
“Are you to answer or no?” Ailish persisted. “What’s caught Cailleach’s fancy?”
The Albino’s expression turned grave. “A situation of the utmost importance. I must leave you now, sister. Godspeed until we meet again in Wexford.” He bowed with unnatural grace and walked to the first oak tree, where he suddenly vanished into thin air.
“Stupid bollix,” Ailish muttered.
I pushed to my feet and brushed leaves and dirt from my skirts. “Satan’s spawn, more like it.”
“I’ve always known them simply as Cailleach’s hounds,” a woman said from out of nowhere.
Ailish and I both whirled around to find Fianna MacCabe standing at the end of the trail that led from the field. Our eyes met for a split second before her gaze moved past us, and she stepped into the clearing, circling around the large stone at its center. We turned with her, too shocked for words.
Fianna ran a hand along what I guessed to be Calhoun’s arm. “I’ve heard o’ stone making afore, but I’ve never actually seen it. ’tis rare indeed for the power it takes.” She glanced at Ailish and me. “Your gifts must be equally matched, or one o’ you would be dead.”
Ailish squeaked her surprise. My mouth fell open, though no sound escaped the tightness in my throat.
Moving her hand upward, Fianna flicked a finger against a small bulge about the size and shape of an eye patch. “I’m guessing this be the charlatan Calhoun.”
I nodded, my mouth still hanging partway open.
“The ferry master had a bad feeling about telling the man where you went, so he sent one o’ his sons to warn us this morning. Him and Seamus be chasing after the son right now.” Pulling her hand back several inches, she slapped Calhoun across his stony face. “Damn fraud,” she said to him. “You nearly killed me eldest girl with your poisons. The world be well rid o’ you.”
Ailish squeaked again. Fianna turned to us, and only the heightened color in her cheeks remained of the sudden anger. “Cailleach and Brigid,” she said softly. “These be strange days indeed.”
“Are you...” I gestured between Ailish and myself. “Are you like us?”
Fianna shook her head. “None o’ the Tuatha Dé in me blood, but me granda was considered a druid by those who stayed to the old ways. He taught me everything, and for months now I’ve been seeing signs o’ evil to come. Last night I had a queer feeling in me guts when you arrived with Seamus. Then this morning I saw another sign in the hoarfrost and knew you two be important somehow.”
Instinctively, I took a small step back. “You must be mistaken.”
“The signs don’t lie,” Fianna said. “Folks can read them wrong, but that be our fault, not theirs.”
“Perhaps that’s what happened this time.” I gestured again between Ailish and myself. “You might have interpreted the signs incorrectly, and we’re really not so important.”
“Oh, I have it right, me lass. No more than if someone sang it on me doorstep. Evil be coming, and you’ve work to do to stop it.”