Aodhan marched over to where I was seated on the coffee table. “Deaghlan, Allison has given you no reason to doubt her. If she says Ethan will remain silent, he will.”
The look Deaghlan gave Aodhan could only be described as indulgent. I wanted to beat my fists against Deaghlan’s chest and scream at him for what he’d done to Ethan. But Aodhan had warned me that despite Deaghlan’s flippant appearance, he was quick to turn the switch.
“Oh, Aodhan. You have such faith in your human brethren. You weren’t around when the humans rebelled against us last time. They called us monsters and came after us with their iron weapons while we slept. No, I will not trust this human, Aodhan. And you’d be wise to do the same.”
Aodhan’s calm facade cracked. LIghtning quick, he held Deaghlan by the throat just inches from his face.
“Don’t play the fool, Deaghlan,” Aodhan said, rage boiling from his gaze. “If you cared so much about your precious people, you’d be stopping Aoife from the havoc she’s been wreaking. Draining humans and siphoning off their blood. Don’t you know she’s bringing the blood to Tír na n’Óg? Human blood with iron in it? Have you been to her place lately? Have you seen the grass won’t grow, and the trees are all dying? The only things that survive in her land are black creeping vines covered in thorns.”
Deaghlan’s eyes narrowed and the lines of his jaw hardened as he tried to speak, but a soft voice beat him to it.
“Father,” Niamh said from the entryway where she stood with Liam holding her arm. “Let go of your pride. Aodhan is trying to help.”“
Aodhan sighed, releasing Deaghlan and backing away. But his eyes remained focused on the king.
“What are a dozen humans in the grand scheme of things?” Deaghlan asked with a sneer. “I just don’t see what the big issue is, Aodhan.”
Aodhan was quiet for a moment, seeming to weigh his answer carefully. “When your people attract media attention, doesn’t that bother you? You’re worried about Allison’s friend knowing too much, but what if they start digging deeper in Thunder Bay?”
Deaghlan scoffed and turned his attention to me. “Nobody there would object to the guards wiping anyone’s memories. If Aoife’s guards cause trouble, Niamh has her people do damage control.”
Heat rushed up my spine. Point taken, but that didn’t mean I was going to sit back while he turned Ethan’s mind into oatmeal. It was one thing to erase his memories, but Deaghlan had gone way beyond that.
“Now what’s this about Aoife’s land? I haven’t heard anything about this.”
Aodhan looked at Niamh, jaw clenching. I could see some silent communication going on there, which I would think more about later.
“Niamh?” Deaghlan said, giving her a look of impatience.
Niamh took a deep breath. “Breanh was teaching Aoife how to use Old Magic, as you know. Aoife hasn’t been careful about keeping her guards from coming and going as they please and the effects of the iron are spreading. Plant life and animal life are dying. It’s like Aodhan said, only brambles are thriving.”
“What I’d like to know is why Saoirse never mentioned this to me,” Deaghlan said and I wanted to punch him. It wasn’t a secret that despite his feelings of grandeur when it came to humans, he enjoyed plenty of human pastimes. When he wasn’t in Tír na n’Óg, he was enjoying the pleasures of this world, especially the women.
Niamh’s expression shifted from plaintive to almost indignant. “Father, everyone has tried to tell you about this. You just don’t want to hear it.”
Deaghlan cast his eyes to the floor, looking thoughtful. When he looked up his expression returned to his usual blithe indifference.
“Very well, I’ll play the bad guy,” he said, winking at me. “It suits me.”
He was playing it off, but I knew I’d seen the effect this conversation was having on him. He might act like everything was a big joke, but underneath, I was willing to bet he would finally do something about the trouble Aoife had started.
Ethan touched my arm. “If everything’s cool here,” he said in a hushed voice. “I really need to get back to work.”
Ethan’s job was waiting for him, my school work needed to get done. The real world kept spinning no matter what supernatural crises popped up, didn’t it?
“Um,” I said, looking around the room. “Is Ethan good to go?”
Niamh nodded, but her eyes were locked on Aodhan. Deaghlan made a gesture toward the side door, his eyes meeting mine. “By all means, but if the boy causes any problems, he’ll be dealt with. No second chances.”