Earth's Requiem(62)

“Where are we?” She looked at terrain a little more arid than what they’d left, but nothing like the innards of Nevada.

“Does it matter?” He gave her a crooked grin. “You take the next jump.”

It felt good to be away from the forest around Fionn’s. Though it was ridiculous, she’d nearly talked herself into D’Chel living nearby. There are lots of reasons I saw him twice that don’t include him living there, she lectured herself. For all I know, he has his own private hell on one of the border worlds.



“Doona be making that mistake.” The Irish lilt was back in force. “The dark gods can go anywhere. Quickly, too. It was coincidence he found us. Once found, though, he saw us as easy pickings and decided to stay.” Fionn winked at her. “Delectable morsel that ye are, lass. What man could resist?”

“Bah!” She tapped into magic as she talked. “And ye’ll be turning this lassie’s puir head with all that balderdash.”

He made a sour face.

“If you don’t like having Irish tossed back at you,” she said, “then don’t use it in the first place. There. Ready when you are.”

Rune came to her side. Bella lit on her shoulder. Fionn put an arm around her. “Lead out.”

She pictured one of the many places she knew in northern Nevada, gratified when her magic worked and they came out within spitting distance of her planned location. Squinting, she looked at the sun. “This may do it for today.” She checked around them for traces of dark magic, blowing out a relieved breath when she didn’t find any. “Let’s figure out a place to camp.”

“I can take us farther. Remember, there are two of us now.” Fionn walked to where Rune and Bella had begun hunting rodents in a sagebrush thicket. He clucked, and the wolf loped to his side. Fionn shut his eyes. “Send me an image of where you lived with Marta. Thanks! Good hunting. I will tell you and Bella when we’re ready to leave.”

He returned to where Aislinn sprawled in the dirt, drinking from her water bottle. She turned her gaze upward. “Fine by me if we can get all the way to Rune and Marta’s today.” She smiled to herself. It was actually much more than fine. It was incredible that they could cover so much distance in such a short time. Made things much easier. She recalled the time it had taken her to get from her home to Mount Shasta. Of course, it was farther, and she’d stopped off in that other world, but still… Maybe pairing up with someone could work to her advantage. Yeah, I’ve spent so much time avoiding entanglements, it never occurred to me that having someone else around could actually be helpful.





“You’re only just now coming to appreciate that?” Fionn was on his knees, facing away from her and bent over his maps.

“Awk. Damn it! What? Do you just live inside my head?” She crawled over to him and studied the map he had laid out.

“No, lass. I merely visit there occasionally. It’s fair interesting, though. Maybe I should spend more time—”

She slugged him in the thigh, but he just laughed. “Ye canna hurt me, lassie.”

“Stop that, too.”

“Why does it bother you?” He looked at her. Curiosity shone from the depths of his eyes.

She swallowed hard. May as well tell him. If I do, maybe he’ll quit. “Because it reminds me so much of Mother, it hurts.”

“Och aye.” He pulled her into his arms. “Irish English is more comfortable for me, but I will try to honor your wishes.”

Wanting to change the subject, she wriggled free and jabbed a finger at the map. “Show me where we are.”

“Here.” He pointed. “According to Rune, we are going there.” Fionn tapped at a spot not far from the Utah-Nevada line.

She gauged the distance. “Shouldn’t take long.”

“No, not long. What do you think we’ll find?”

She turned her palms upward. “Don’t know. Depending on how voluminous Marta’s notes are, though—assuming they’re still there—we might spend a couple of days sifting through them.”

“I thought the same.” He rolled back onto his heels and then proceeded to fold the maps and stuff them into the pocket of an old khaki field jacket. Patched pants made of the same fabric, battered leather boots, and a faded sweatshirt blazoned with Go Bears hung off his tall, well-muscled frame. Fionn extended a hand and helped her to her feet.

“I should have shopped for you while I was at that fishing lodge. This”—she fingered a hole in his jacket—“isn’t long for this world.”



He shouldered a North Face backpack. It looked newer than his clothes. “Get your things,” he suggested and then whistled. Rune came at a run. Bella dive-bombed Fionn, spreading her wings at the last possible moment.