“That’s amazing,” I said, tucking my hair back. “But, what would someone else see?”
“Glamour has a wide range. It’s not like altering the memory of a single person. I send out a broad compulsion that affects everyone within about a half-mile radius, give or take.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “Do you think I could do that?”
Niamh shook her head. “I don’t. We can test your strength, but I would bet the most you could do is compel someone enough to distract them or get their attention.”
“Okay,” I said. And that was totally fine with me. Even that ability freaked me out. Knowing I wasn’t able to perform some kind of Jedi mind tricks was actually comforting.
“Focus on staying alert and watching for glamour. Always look beyond what you see. Once you form the habit, it will come naturally.”
“How?” I asked.
Niamh rubbed her hands together. “Here’s what we’ll do. I want you to close your eyes and count to five. When you open them I’ll be invisible to you. Find me.”
“Are you serious?”
She quirked an eyebrow up. “Very serious. This will be the most difficult for you, so it’s the best place to start.”
I closed my eyes and began counting. I reopened them and roamed around Liam’s yard trying to catch a glimpse of Niamh’s outline. There was no grass. It was still just a rectangle of packed dirt right up to the tree line.
You’ll never see me if you’re looking straight ahead.
I groaned at her voice in my head, but scanned my peripheral vision. After a few more minutes I almost gave up. I walked back to the boulder we’d been sitting on and a crow’s loud caw had me nearly jumping out of my skin. That’s when I saw the faint outline of Niamh sitting on the boulder, exactly as I’d first found her.
“Very clever,” I said as her image came back into focus.
A wry grin lit up Niamh’s face. She stood gracefully and like an old-fashioned film, her steps toward me were stilted as her form shifted from her own to my grandmother’s to my mother’s and everyone she’d apparently ever seen me interact with.
The sound of footsteps on soft dirt turned my body to stone. Niamh dropped her glamour and for a fraction of a second I thought I saw a flicker of alarm pass over her face. She watched whoever was approaching make their way over to us.
“Allison?” It was Ethan’s voice, full of confusion and possibly fear.
My breath stopped. What had he seen?
Don’t worry Allison. I’ll take care of this.
I spun around. Ethan stood with his booted feet planted firmly in the dirt. He wore his hunter green work shirt and faded blue jeans. He was staring over my shoulder at Niamh, eyes wide, like he was looking at a circus freak. And he probably thought he was.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Ethan. I’m Allison’s friend Niamh. I’ve heard so much about you.”
It was my turn to stare at Niamh wide-eyed.
I can easily convince him he never saw us.
I started to nod, hating that Ethan’s mind had to be tampered with again but not knowing what else could be done.
“I don’t mean to be rude, but what are you two doing back here?” Concern clouded his tone.
Niamh smiled sweetly, an odd look for her, and moved closer to him. She stared directly into his eyes and they instantly began to glaze over.
Niamh turned to me after a couple of minutes, her eyebrows scrunched together.
Something isn’t right. His mind is a tangled mess.
My heart sank as I answered her with my thoughts. What do you mean?
My father has really outdone himself this time. I can see where he wiped out the memories of Ethan’s time in Tír na n’Óg easily enough, but he’s also altered Ethan’s perception of you.
I looked at Ethan and swallowed thickly. His lips were slightly parted and his eyes were even more glazed-over.
Ethan’s love for you is very strong, but he’s been compelled to treat you as though he despises you. The two emotions are at complete odds. This isn’t good.
“What are you saying? I thought you compelled people all the time. What’s the big deal?”
Niamh hesitated, pursing her lips as she thought about how to answer me.
My father placed a compulsion working against Ethan’s love for you. Love and loathing are battling for dominance. But no matter how much Ethan cares for you, the compulsion to be cruel to you always overrides his true feelings. If this isn’t fixed, his mind could be permanently damaged.
I realized with horror what she was saying. Deaghlan had done this. He’d messed with Ethan’s head on purpose. Anger seeped into my chest as I pictured the smug smile on Deaghlan’s face whenever Ethan’s name came up.