Liam nodded, but kept his hand over his eyes. “Is he another murderous fiend now, draining humans?”
“I don’t know. I can’t get past his mind shields. But he doesn’t look haggard like Aengus does in your memories.”
The image of the guard who attacked Liam and me in Thunder Bay, like a walking cadaver, popped into my head. When Liam and Niamh imprisoned Aoife, her guards had become addicted to the small bits of magic in human blood.
“Good to know the girl isn’t traveling with the likes of him,” Liam said.
Niamh shifted in her seat next to me. “We’re going to try to get my father draw Ciarán out. After that, I’ll be going home to speak with my mother.”
“Good, good.” Liam said. He started walking toward his back door. “I’m just going to get a drink of water.” His hair stuck out like a porcupine and his skin was a ghastly white. He was spooked, discovering he had two daughters in two months.
I slapped my hands down on my thighs. “That went well.”
Niamh glanced from me to the back door. “About as well as expected.”
My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a text from Ethan. My insides tightened.
Just finished dinner, wish you came. You busy?
I laughed to myself. Was I busy? I was sitting in my father’s backyard waiting for him to lose it after learning he had not just one, but two grown daughters.
Despite that, I felt a little warm and fuzzy inside. He wished I came to dinner?
I replied, Just talking to Liam and Niamh. What’s up?
Nothing much. Just checking in. Text me when you’re free.
You got it.
Ethan wanted me to text him. No matter what happened, he never gave up on me.
I felt a strange feeling of inevitability, like maybe I’d always known one day we’d end up together and I’d just been a fool. I looked at Liam’s back door, thinking maybe that’s what love was. Liam hadn’t given up on my mother even after everything Aoife put him through. Maybe love meant believing in someone so much, no obstacle in this world or the next could change your mind.
“I hope you’re right,” Niamh said. She stood up and motioned for me to do the same. “Let’s give Liam a moment. We can check on him later.”
“Okay,” I said, following her out of the yard toward the front of the house. “I have tons of homework I need to finish for school tomorrow anyway.
She nodded. “I’m going up to Wheelwright to see if I can catch my father. If you need me, just call me and I can be back here immediately.”
Just as it started getting dark out, I finished my homework and laid my head down on my desk, rolling my neck to stretch the muscles. My cell phone next to my desk lamp caught my eye, so I picked it up and reread the text from Ethan.
I tried to think of something witty to say, but nothing came to me. I’d learned in psychology that people respond best to questions about themselves, so I figured that was a good place to start.
How was dinner?
Dinner was good. Would have been better if you came.
Sorry. Lots of homework.
Homework? Guess that’s better than ‘washing your hair’.
Haha very funny.
How are things?
Everything’s good, you?
Instead of texting me back, the phone rang. When I pressed talk, Ethan didn’t even give me a chance to say hello.
“I realized where I went wrong with you, you know.”
“Well, hello to you too,” I said.
“No, listen for a sec. When we were…” he trailed off. “Before, I tried to get your attention by doing what always worked with other girls. Flirting, teasing, that sort of thing. So now I know that’s where I went wrong.”
I shook my head. “Okaaaay.”
“It makes sense, doesn’t it? I’ve been thinking about it. You’re not like other girls, so why would you react like them? You wouldn’t.”
“Ethan—”
“Come on, Al. I know I’m right. I’ve decided I’m going to change my approach. We’ll be friends, if that’s what you want. But you’re going to have to trust me. Do you trust me?”
“Of course…”
“Uh uh, tell me you trust me.”
“I trust you.”
“Good. Now, when I ask you ‘How are things?’ don’t give me some lame answer like “oh fine,” or try to change the subject. You trust me, so tell me how things really are. Tell me about… what you did today. Or what’s new with your mom and dad. Talk to me.”
I took a deep breath. “Well, my mom is okay. She’s been writing music. Writing songs like she did before, you know?”
“Really? That’s awesome.” he said. “What about Liam?”