Deaghlan shifted in his seat, and the insolent look he gave Saoirse made it obvious how unhappy he was.
Saoirse ignored him. “Yesterday, Aodhan came to see me,” she said before taking a sip from her cup.
As I filled my plate with fruit and some of the little cakes I watched Niamh, but her expression didn’t falter. She and Liam remained silent across the table from us.
“He didn’t come alone. He had two of Aoife’s guards held captive, and two of Niamh’s guards came voluntarily. To say Aodhan was displeased would be putting it mildly,” Saoirse said.
My eyes widened and Samantha sucked in a breath beside me.
“Can we get to the point?” Deaghlan said, drumming his fingers impatiently.
Saoirse ignored him. “Aodhan has offered to help revive Aoife’s land.”
“Which is completely unnecessary,” Deaghlan said.
Without even a glance at Deaghlan, Saoirse continued. “He offered his assistance, but he had conditions. He’d like at least three of the four portals between our worlds sealed.”
“Ridiculous,” Deaghlan said.
I watched Saoirse put her lips to her cup and look at him, unaffected. I didn’t understand their relationship. Niamh’s lips quirked.
She tolerates him far better than anyone else.
“What about Aoife? Do you know where she is?” I asked.
“Aoife was not there,” Saoirse said, turning her gaze back to me. I forced myself to look down at my plate.
“Her guards agreed with what Samantha and Ciarán told us,” Niamh said.
“Where are they now? Finn and Seamus?” Samantha asked softly.
“They’re still with Aodhan. The state of decay in Aoife’s land is partially their doing, so they are going to help set things right,” Saoirse said with an alluring smile.
Deaghlan leaned back and laughed. “Oh, you make it sound like they are such willing volunteers.”
It was all I could do not to tell Deaghlan to keep his comments to himself. I picked up one of the cakes and stuffed it in my mouth.
It was light and fluffy, like a combination of the sticky sweetness of Baklava and the airy goodness of fried dough.
“I will need some time to reflect on what the future has in store,” Saoirse said. When I looked up at her, her lips were glistening from whatever she was drinking. She raised her finger to her mouth and tapped her bottom lip. “Would you join me, Allison?”
My mouth dropped open, and I let out a surprised laugh. “Okay,” I said slowly. Niamh’s eyebrows quirked just enough that I knew she was startled, too.
I’ll come with you.
I gave her a tiny nod.
“Do you want me to come?” Ethan asked, concerned.
I shook my head. “I’ll be okay,” I said. “Stay here and finish eating.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he nodded.
Niamh stood, and I trailed her and Saoirse to the door leading to the back side of the mountain. The sky was the light aqua of a tropical sea, which I’d learned meant it was still early in the day. The last time I’d been down here, Saoirse had shown me a vision of Ethan as Breanh’s prisoner.
We followed Saoirse down the stone path through a garden burgeoning with flowers in all shades of reds, yellows and blues. Fruit trees gave the light breeze a pleasant fragrance.
At the edge of the garden, a stream flowed down the mountain, emptying into a clear pool. This was Danu’s Basin, the magical gift shared by the queens of each generation.
Saoirse sat on the stone bench set at the water’s edge. Niamh and I sat on either side of her.
“Before you begin, I have to ask why Father is being so rude,” Niamh said.
Saoirse, who looked like a paler, more delicate version of Niamh, smoothed her hand along her daughter’s cheek.
“When he came home, your father was quite upset about how things went with Aodhan. Yes, I know all about what happened,” she said, arching her brow.
“We were all upset. Father was being unreasonable.”
“That may well be. But like I said, he was shaken up. He’d just finished relaying all the events from Liam’s house, when Aodhan himself showed up with Seamus and Finn bound and gagged. It took all of my strength plus your own guards to keep him from ending Aodhan’s life right then.”
Niamh sucked in a sharp breath. “He wouldn’t.”
Saoirse cocked one dainty eyebrow, but didn’t reply.
“Is that why Aodhan isn’t here now? Because of what happened between him and Deaghlan?” I asked.
“Yes and no,” Saoirse said. “I’ve asked Aodhan to keep an eye on things for me. Aoife’s guards have been placed in fey globes for the time being.”
A memory of something Deaghlan had said several days ago popped into my mind. Before I could ask Saoirse if he was right and she was the one who freed Aoife from her fey globe, Niamh shook her head.