Current Impressions (34 page)

I knew Kieran was listening. I felt him on the
peripheral. His presence was familiar to me now.

“Perhaps I should engage Meara in combat,” Kieran
said. “To show you what I’ve taught her. After all, you
commissioned me.”

My dad looked thoughtful as he took back his sword.
“Very well. I would like to see what she’s learned.”

You ready?
Kieran’s smile was indulgent.

Are you?
I challenged in reply. My duel with
my dad was surprisingly easy. He misjudged me. The next time we
fought, he would be more prepared.

Kieran knew my moves, and the further I got in my
training with him, the less he held back. He was a formidable
partner. Still, I was confident that I knew his moves, too.
Blocking him from my mind was the bigger obstacle. I was used to
him being there.

With a deep breath, I focused and brought up my
shield. When he frowned slightly, I knew he felt it. My lips
twitched as I held back a smile. He wasn’t used to the silence
either.

We faced each other, waiting. When we dueled, it was
never predictable who would go first. Typically, the one who lost
patience went first. Neither of us was very patient. He moved
slightly, an almost unnoticeable shift to the left. I took the
opening and attacked, catching him in the side with my foot, hard
enough to make impact, but not to hurt. He reached for my foot and
missed. I was already out of his reach.

With a grunt of frustration, Kieran struck at my
shoulder. I flipped back and spun into a kick. This time, I caught
him in the small of his back. I didn’t pull back quick enough. He
caught my foot and pushed to knock me off balance. As I fell, I
reached forward and locked my hands on his wrists. I flipped him
over my head and onto his back. We both rolled onto our stomachs
and jumped up. Breathing hard, we circled again.

Kieran attacked. I blocked both fists, spun past
him, and got him between the shoulder blades. He turned and caught
my hand, preparing to flip me over his shoulder. Before he could, I
stomped on his instep, making him wince in pain. While he
hesitated, I punched him in the stomach. Not hard, but effective
enough. He let me go.

My dad stood and clapped. “Excellent, excellent.
Meara, you’ve made amazing progress.”

I was happy and disappointed at the same time. “Does
that mean you can’t teach me anything?”

“I didn’t say that. You are never too young or too
old to learn new things.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I’m not
sure combat is what I need to teach you, though.”

“Then what?” I asked.

“You need to learn about our enemies. Their
weaknesses. In battle, your cunningness will serve you well. You
must be prepared.” My dad glanced at Kieran. “You’re welcome to
participate in the training, too.”

“Thank you, sir.” Kieran appeared to bow in
response, which seemed over the top. Then I noticed he was just
wiping the sweat off his face with the bottom of his shirt,
exposing a strip of tanned, muscled flesh in the process. He lifted
his head and caught me staring. A slow smile crept over his
face.

I turned away. “Are we done for now?”

Another shower would be nice. While the fight with
my dad barely warmed me up, the one with Kieran left me dripping
with sweat.

“Go ahead and clean up,” my dad said. “Then we’ll
have lunch in my suite.”

We transported our own ways. I stood in the shower
and let the hot water loosen my muscles. I did well. My dad was
proud of me. I stood my ground against Kieran, who not only taught
me, but also was quite a bit older than I was in Selkie years.
Human years, too. He was older than my grandparents were. He was
old. I didn’t like to think about it.

I turned off the water and stepped out of the
shower, wrapping a thick, white towel around me. The finger trick
to dry my hair was fabulous. Before the mirror was completely
unfogged, my hair was dried and styled. Smiling in satisfaction, I
stepped into my bedroom and froze.

“Kieran, you’ve got to stop coming into my
room.”

My heart raced at the site of him in a pair of
basketball shorts, casually lying on my bed. His hair was damp from
the shower, his chest and feet bare.

I tilted my head and asked, “Is that how you’re
dressing for lunch with my dad? Kind of casual, isn’t it?”

He eyed me greedily, and I remembered I was standing
in a towel. With a sigh, I visualized shorts and a tank top. It was
comical how his face fell in disappointment. He recovered quickly,
pulling me next to him on the bed. “You were amazing today.”

I gave him a suspicious look. “Were you holding
back?”

“You know I didn’t.” He ran his finger down my arm
from shoulder to wrist, leaving a trail of gooseflesh in its wake.
“I don’t have to. You’re strong.” His finger made its slow passage
back up my arm, where he ran it teasingly under the strap of my
tank top. “So powerful.”

“Kieran—”

I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to say.
Maybe, “We should get going,” or “We shouldn’t do this.” Whatever
thought I had, it was lost when his lips crushed mine, demanding to
be kissed. His hand slid down my arm, moving to caress my hip.
Unable to resist, my hands slid across his muscled torso, up his
chest, until they wrapped behind his neck to pull him closer. I
breathed in his clean scent. Where his skin touched mine, I was on
fire. It scared me, this passion. At the same time, I wanted
more.

He rolled until I was lying on top of him. His hands
roamed freely, leaving a trail of heat where they touched. A knock
at the door made me scramble to the other side of the bed and tug
my top straight.

“Meara, are you almost ready?” My dad spoke from
behind the closed door. “Padraic just brought lunch.”

“I’ll be right there.”

“I’ll go let Kieran know,” he said. “See you
soon.”

I relaxed when I could no longer hear Dad’s
footsteps. Kieran reached for me. I slid off the bed and out of his
reach. Talking to my dad was like a cold shower. I could think
clearly again.

“You heard him,” I said. “We need to get going.”

Stonewall brought a plate of fish and a
bottle of wine. He held up the bottle with a wry grin. “What else
are you going to do in here?” It was the first time Stonewall
showed any real kindness.

“May I use the bathroom?” Evan asked. It had
been hours since Ken spoke to him. There was no place in the cell
to relieve himself.

Stonewall frowned. “I was strictly ordered
not to let you out, but I can bring you something.” He left
quickly, locking the gate behind him.

Fighting the discomfort of a full bladder
meant that Evan couldn’t eat right now, no matter how delicious the
food smelled or how hungry he was. Why didn’t they lock him in a
room with plumbing?

Stonewall returned with a bucket, a jug of
water, and a towel. “It’s the best I can do,” he apologized as he
opened the cell, placed the items inside, and locked it again.

“It’s better than nothing,” Evan said.
“Thank you.”

Stonewall stared at him for a moment. He
looked like he wanted to say something else. Uncertainty flitted
across his features before the polite mask returned. “I’ll leave
you to your business,” he mumbled and departed.

Embarrassed to use a bucket where anyone
could walk in and see him, Evan was quick about his business. He
washed his hands with the water. Feeling better, he ate everything
on the plate and drank half the wine.

With a mildly fuzzy head, he stretched out
on the cot. How was he going to get out of this mess? He was part
Blue Man. What did that mean? The voices in his head had been quiet
since he learned his true nature. Everything was quiet, yet he felt
sick inside. What he read about the Blue Men, he didn’t like. Ken’s
story at least partially explained why they were so angry. They
wanted revenge. Would he grow to be like that, too? Would he hate
Meara? Was that why he felt such a strong repulsion around her
lately?

He fingered the chain on his neck. He could
contact her. She said she would help him. After enduring his mood
swings, she still professed to love him. It was worth a shot.
Closing his eyes, his breath slowed in concentration.

Meara, I need help.
He waited for a
response. Something wasn’t right. The space felt empty, like he was
speaking into a cave. She told him in the dream that she was
holding the necklace, not wearing it. Did she stop wearing it all
together?

Meara, if you can hear me, say
something.

Silence. She wasn’t there. The blackness of
despair settled on his soul. She was his only hope. If he couldn’t
reach her, no one would know he was captive. He chanted in his
thoughts until he fell asleep.

Please hear me.

Please hear me

Please hear me.

No one answered his plea.

The water turned from gold to fiery red as
the sun sunk low on the horizon. The cool, Scottish air dipped a
few degrees cooler. I conjured a blanket and wrapped it around
myself. When it wasn’t enough, I started a campfire and lost myself
in the dancing flames.

Lunch with Kieran and my dad was pleasant,
especially since Kieran kept his distance. He confused me. When he
got too close, I lost all sense of reason. There was no excuse. I
needed to be stronger. Until I figured things out with Evan, I
couldn’t get into another relationship.

After lunch, we spent the afternoon in the
strategy room. I had to feign surprise so Dad wouldn’t know Kieran
brought me there before. It wasn’t hard. Within minutes, I was
horrified when he confirmed what Kieran already told me about the
array of creatures that we must guard against. Kieran may have
prepared me for the discussion, but I wasn’t going to sleep any
better. The nightmares were true. Monsters existed.

“Do you want some company?”

Ula sat next to me and tugged until I gave
her the edge of the blanket. She scooted closer and pulled it
around herself. “Sure is chilly tonight.”

I didn’t say anything. Evan would be leaving
soon, heading back to Nova Scotia. I didn’t know when I’d see him
again, or even if he’d want to see me.

Ula tilted her head and studied me. “You
okay?”

“I’m tired from training.” I shrugged and
gazed back at the fire. It was easier to watch the dancing flames
than the concern on Ula’s face. “I spent the day with my dad and
Kieran.”

“That’s good, right?”

“It was nice to see Dad,” I relented.

“I know what will cheer you up!” She waved
her hand and put out the fire. Irritated, I tried not to show it.
The fire felt wonderful, easing my aches, soothing my heart. The
ashy embers almost seemed sad to me.

Ula squeezed my hand to get my attention.
She was smiling broadly. “I have exciting news.”

“What is it?”

“First, let’s go and get some hot cocoa to
warm up.”

She transported us to the kitchen, and we
almost landed on Uncle Padraic, who was carrying a tray of ginger
snap cookies. He caught me with his free arm when I stumbled toward
the hot oven.

“Whoa, ladies. Perhaps next time, you’d like
to arrive in the entranceway.”

“Thanks, Uncle Padraic.” I hugged him before
stepping back.

“Sorry, brother. My doing.” Ula didn’t sound
sorry at all, and her eyes danced merrily. “Looks like we arrived
just in time. My favorite cookies!” She reached for one and jerked
her fingers back.

“I just took them out, dear sister.” Paddy
chuckled as he piled cookies on a plate. “Take these with you and
be gone. I have work to do here.”

“Why are you baking tonight?” I asked.
Dinner was long over. Didn’t he ever go to his room and just
relax?

“A feast does not cook itself,” he
chastised. “Now, off with you.”

He put a hand on each of our backs and
gently pushed. Giggling, we abided.