The accusation clanged like a judgment bell in my ears. To keep calm, I clamped the brush handle until the wooden edges bit into my flesh. “Because he wouldn’t let me.”
“Good Lord, Selah, you reattached my hand without asking permission.” He splayed the effected fingers for emphasis. “Couldn’t you cure a simple ailment without his asking you outright? Surely he wouldn’t have wanted to die.”
“Don’t you dare judge me,” I hissed. “I tried every argument to get him to see reason, and when that failed, I tried to heal him against his wishes. But he wouldn’t have it. He refused to stay when he believed it was God’s will that he die.” A sob broke in my throat. “You have no idea what I’ve been through these past months. If not for Henry, I would be dead or destitute right now.”
“You met him in the Colonies?”
“The day after Father died.”
Sean seemed to ponder this for a moment. “It’s passing strange that we would meet in Wexford. Did you receive word that I was in Ireland? Is that why you’re here?”
“Don’t flatter yourself. I came solely for Nora’s sake.”
“Nora Goodwin?” he asked, clearly bemused by my best friend’s name. “She’s here as well?”
“We started together in London, but Nora got mixed up with an insane little wretch who goes by the name of Deri. Are you familiar with Cailleach?”
“More than I ever wanted to be.”
“Well, Deri is Cailleach’s descendant, and she somehow gained control of Nora’s mind and coerced her into sailing to Wexford.”
“So you are here to save Nora.”
“Mostly, though I also intend to kill Deri if possible and look into some legend about a witch.”
Sean released a slow breath. “You’re looking for Carmen, then. That’s the same reason I’m here.”
“You don’t live in Wexford?”
He shook his head. “I live near Kildare in a small community of other goddess born. Several months ago an old druid came to us with talk of strange signs. We didn’t do anything at the time, but then Marin started having violent dreams that bespoke of Ireland’s destruction. This time we sought out the druid, and he sent us here to search out a witch named Carmen.”
My knees wobbled and I leaned against the dressing table for support. “So it is true,” I breathed.
Deri seemed to have formed an odd attachment to Nora, which I had hoped would keep her safe for the time being. But an ancient witch? She would kill without compunction if it served to escape her prison.
“We don’t know for certain. Could be the talk of a crazy old man, but in one form or another, Marin’s dreams almost always come true.” Sean rubbed the back of his neck. “We’ve been searching the area for days, and have found no signs of Carmen. Until we ran into your Englishman, we’d planned to leave for home tomorrow.”
Home... Sean spoke the word with a natural ease that belied any doubts about where his heart lay.
“You will stay now? Henry and I need all the help we can get to find Nora.”
“Yes, we will stay.” He paused for a moment. “But you should know that I won’t allow you to marry him.”
My shoulders stiffened. “You’ve no say in the matter.”
“Under the law you are my ward.”
“Don’t even go there, Sean. I’m not the little girl you left in Pennsylvania. My power has grown a hundredfold, and if you dare try to stop me from marrying Henry, I’ll drop you without a second thought.”
He gave me an incredulous look. “He’s an Englishman, Selah. Do I need to remind you what our ancestors suffered under their hands? They stole our lands and hunted our father like a common criminal. It’s a miracle he even made it out alive.”
“Save the history lesson. You will not hold our family’s past over me, nor will you dictate whom I shall marry.”
Pushing away from the wall, he jabbed a finger at me. “Mark my words, sister, I will not allow it.”
Angry blood rushed to my face. “Get out!”
“Promise me first that you won’t marry him.”
“Never!” I hurled the brush at him. It missed the mark, catching the edge of the door as it swung open.
The maid peeked into the room, and looked nervously between Sean and me. “Shall I come back later, miss?”
“No. He’s leaving.” I looked at my brother. “Aren’t you? Or do I need to call for assistance? I’m sure Henry wouldn’t mind removing your other hand if you give him enough cause.”
Sean’s face turned white with fury. “We will discuss this later.”
“We’ve nothing more to say,” I yelled back, but he’d already stormed from the room.
Retrieving the brush from the floor, the maid eyed the wild curls that fell to my midriff. “Pardon me, miss. His lordship thought you might like some help.”
“Can you dress my hair?”
She nodded and started to close the door when a loud squeak stopped her mid-motion. “Goodness me, I almost caught yeh there. Come in, come in.”