Stone of Destiny(33)

“That’s why I didn’t want you to know I was there,” she said, looking at me and stealing glances at Liam.

“Unbelievable,” I said under my breath.

Liam cleared his throat. “Do you believe I didn’t know, Samantha?” His voice was tight and his eyes were full of the same pain he held when he’d found out I was his daughter.

“Yeah,” she said. “I do now.”

“Why did Aoife even bother saying anything if she was just going to lie?” I asked.

“I’m wondering the same thing,” Niamh said.

“We should discuss your plans from here on,” Diarmuid said to Niamh.

“The first thing we need to know is if Samantha and Ciarán are coming with us,” Niamh said, raising her eyebrows at them.

Samantha folded and unfolded her hands and I could hear the click of her lip-piercing hitting her teeth. She shrugged one shoulder. “I think I should go,” she said, glancing at Ciarán from the corner of her eyes. “If you guys want me to, that is.”

“You don’t think she ought to go?” Diarmuid asked Ciarán, his thick eyebrows drawn in.

Ciarán shifted, placing both hands on the table. “No,” he said, swallowing. “I’m not sure what Aoife has planned, but I don’t want Sam to have any part of it.”

“Not,” she said, glaring at him “that it’s your decision to make.”

Ciarán pushed away from the table and jumped up, moving to the window in the blink of an eye. His back to the room, he said, “No, of course not.”

“I think the real issue is whether you’ll be able to stand up to Aoife when the time comes,” I said, looking at Samantha.

She tore her eyes away from Ciarán’s back. “You think I’d throw you to the wolves?”

I held up my hands. “That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just being realistic.”

“Well, you’re wrong.”

“You shouldn’t be in that position in the first place,” Ciarán said, turning toward Samantha.

They continued to stare at each other, and as the seconds passed, I grew irritated.

Niamh stood and broke the silence. “While you two work that out, we will go on ahead.”

Ciarán visibly relaxed and Samantha looked deflated. But Niamh’s tone allowed no argument.

Liam watched Niamh, his lips forming a thin line. When his eyes narrowed, I figured they were discussing her decision internally.

I pushed myself up, ready to leave this place. “All right, let’s get this show on the road.”

Ethan followed me toward the door. I turned and looked at Samantha. She hung her head and scowled at the chipped polish on her fingernails.

“I’ll see you soon, Samantha,” I said, hoping to catch her eye before I left.

When her gaze slid over to me, her cheeks were flushed with anger. She nodded and quickly averted her eyes.

I hurried out the front door, Ethan in my wake. I spun around and widened my eyes. “Those two are going to strangle each other,” I said quietly.

“No kidding,” he said. “I was waiting for Ciarán to burst into flames from the looks she kept giving him.”

“You’re sure you want to do this?” I said. “It’s not too late to change your mind.”

Ethan leaned toward me as we walked around back. “I haven’t changed my mind. Stop hoping I will.”

“Just checking,” I said.

The front door slammed shut. Niamh and Liam appeared next to us.

Liam didn’t say anything, but his hands were clenched at his sides. I was betting seeing Samantha and Ciarán argue bothered him. It was hard for me not to tell them to cut it out, too.

“Diarmuid is going to have an earful for me next time I see him,” Niamh said with a laugh.

Ethan and I just looked at each other and I shrugged.

“I left him with Samantha and Ciarán. He’ll never let me forget it.”

I laughed out loud at that. “They do antagonize each other.”

Liam gave me a bland look, so I dropped it.

Niamh stopped at the battered wooden door built into the hillside leading down to the root cellar. She waved her hand over the rusty lock and I heard a click. I’d heard the Danaan could use their minds to manipulate objects, but this was the first time I’d seen it in action.

Niamh glanced over her shoulder at me and smirked. Waving her fingers again, the door creaked open.

Show off.

I could hear her chuckle as she went down the steps. Jealous.

Ethan gestured for me to follow Liam through the doorway. I stepped over the threshold onto the stairs. Several were cracked and loose and I made my way down carefully.