Stone of Destiny(48)

“Yes. She and Diarmuid are guarding the portal,” he said.

“No matter. I have others who are nearly as gifted.”

“Would you like us to go back and pass the news to Eithne?” Ciarán asked. Samantha whipped around to look at him.

“I thought you were coming with me?” she asked. “We’ll never make it back in time if we go through the portal.”

Liam cleared his throat. “Samantha, bringing Eithne back here is important. I’m sure you can go with Ciarán and still make it to the Stone of Destiny in time for Samhain, excuse me, Halloween.”

Samantha didn’t seem convinced. She pushed her hands into her hair and shook her head. “Whatever you need,” she muttered.

“Sam… ” Ciarán began, but when Samantha looked at him, her lips were so tightly compressed with exasperation that he didn’t finish.

The air in the room was thick with tension, and at exactly the same time, Liam and I pushed up from the table. I chuckled, easing the strained silence.

“If there’s nothing else, we should be going,” Liam said.

“What are your plans, Liam?” Bláithín asked, pushing her short, black hair back from her forehead.

Swallowing, Liam said, “We’re headed to see how things are with Aodhan, actually.”

“Oh, you’re in for a treat,” Niall said, leaning back in his chair. He laughed and twisted his lips into a wry smile.

Bláithín put a hand up to her mouth, trying to stifle her snicker.

Liam approached Saoirse at the head of the table. “Thank you for your insight, as always,” he said.

“As far as I can see, there is no reason your plan won’t work,” she said. “Please remember what I’ve asked of you.”

Liam inclined his head, but didn’t say anything. I gave Saoirse a smile and an awkward wave before saying goodbye to everyone at the table.

“We’ll be along soon,” Niall said, clapping Liam on the shoulder.

Liam nodded and we followed him out of the dining room. As we left, I turned to give Samantha a final wave, but she wouldn’t meet my gaze. I’ll see you in Ireland, I said in my mind and walked toward the door.



Liam was a wonderful storyteller. As we crossed through glens and over hills, he told us tales he heard as a child. Girls turned to geese and men with magical fish. We were soon captivated.

We didn’t speak of Aoife or the geis. Nobody said a word about the task ahead. I was glad, too. Knowing we must go up against Aoife was one thing, but dwelling on it was something else entirely.

Before long we came to the twisting bramble wall that had ensnared me and Aodhan the last time we followed this path. There were men and women cutting it down with axes and long knives that looked like some sort of swords.

In the center, a path wide enough for six people was cut through. The sickening smell of the dried up vines made me light-headed, but I kept my sleeve over my nose and was able to keep walking. I warned Ethan and Liam that the last time I’d walked through here, the odor seeping out of the vines made me dizzy and barely able to walk. Liam greeted the workers as we passed, but most just smiled sadly and looked away.

“The taint has reached more than the land,” Liam said once we’d made it to the other side of the thorny forest. “Aoife’s people have lost their spirit.”

I looked over my shoulder at them hacking and sawing. Their faces were lifeless and dull.

Beyond the briars, the land was as colorless as the people. Dry, brittle grass crunched under our feet as we walked. There were no flowers or leaves to speak of, only dead and fallen trees across the flat, parched land. More groups were cutting down the trees and removing the trunks.

As we got closer to the cliff that held the entrance to Aoife’s household, the ground grew sandier. The face of the cliff sat high above a rolling sea. To get to the entrance of the cave, we followed a steep, narrow path.

Liam went ahead without hesitation and I remembered this had once been his home. I hugged the cliff as we walked, not wanting to see the rocky shore below.

Inside the cave, fey lights dotted the path leading to the front doors. I could hear voices and movement below even though I couldn’t see anyone yet.

The round double doors were open and a group of women carrying trays of tiny plants walked through. They hurried past, keeping their heads down.

“Those were some of our healers,” Liam said, watching them hasten up the path.

“They’re replacing the trees that have been lost,” I said. “Do you remember what it was like here before it became polluted?”

“Oh, yes,” Liam said, running his fingers through his hair. “The whole seaside was covered with billowing grass and wildflowers. Clusters of trees dotted the landscape, it was breath taking.”