Dance of the Gods (30 page)

He looked up at the sky, watched the stars wink to life. “Good clear night for it. It's not what you'd call battle strategy, but—”

“Damn straight it is. Demoralizing the enemy is always good strategy.” Blair turned the swords she held. “So I'm set?” she asked Glenna.

“You're set.”

“Okay, handsome. Make like a dragon.”

“In a moment. First, I have something for you, and I want to give it to you here, in front of our circle. One of the symbols of Geall is the dragon. One of our symbols as well, you and I. So I want you to wear this, for our betrothal.”

He drew out a ring of bright gold shaped like a dragon.

“Glenna drew a picture of it when I told her what I'd like. And the goldsmith used it to make the ring.”

“It's perfect,” she murmured when he slipped it on her finger.

“And to seal it.” He framed her face, kissed her warmly. And shot her a grin when he eased back. “Now let's go thumb our noses at this bitch.”

He flashed into the dragon. Leaping onto his back, Blair lifted both swords high.

 

“T
hey rose into the sky,” the old man said. “Across
the moon and stars and the dark behind them. And over the world of Geall, those swords flashed flame for all to see. With them, the demon hunter carved these words into that sky.

“Bright blessings on Geall and all humankind. We,” she wrote in fire, “are the future.”

The old man lifted the wine that sat beside him. “It was said that the queen of the vampires stood below, cursing, shaking her fists as those words shone bright as the sun.”

He sipped the wine, held up a hand when the children spread around him protested that couldn't be the end of the tale.

“Oh, there's more to tell. More indeed. But not tonight. Go on now, for I was told there'd be gingercakes in the kitchen for a treat before bedtime. I've a fondness for gingercake.”

When he was alone, and the room quiet again, he sipped his wine. He nodded off with the fire warming his bones, and his mind drifting to the last of the story.

To the time of knowing.

a chroi
(ah-REE), Gaelic term of endearment meaning “my heart,” “my heart's beloved,” “my darling”

a ghrá
(ah-GHRA), Gaelic term of endearment meaning “my love,” “dear”

a stór
(ah-STOR), Gaelic term of endearment meaning “my darling”

Aideen
(Ae-DEEN), Moira's young cousin

Alice McKenna
, descendant of Cian and Hoyt Mac Cionaoith

An Clar
(Ahn-CLAR), modern-day County Clare

Ballycloon
(ba-LU-klun)

Beal
(Bale), name Blair uses when acting as bait

bi istigh
(vee-ISHtee), Gaelic term meaning “come in”

Blair Nola Bridgitt Murphy
, one of the circle of six, the “warrior” a demon hunter, a descendant of Nola Mac Cionaoith (Cian and Hoyt's younger sister)

braes
(BRO-sh), underdrawers or trousers, worn by the people of Geall

Breda
(BREE-da), mother of family with overturned wagon

Bridget's Well
, cemetery in County Clare, named after St. Bridget

Burren, the
, a karst limestone region in County Clare, which features caves and underground streams

cailleach dearg
(CAH-lic JAR-eg), witch with red hair, epithet for Glenna

cara
(karu), Gaelic for “friend, relative”

Ceara
, one of the village women

Cian
(KEY-an)
Mac Cionaoith/McKenna
, Hoyt's twin brother, a vampire, Lord of Oiche, one of the circle of six, “the one who is lost”

Cillard
, place in County Clare

Cirio
, Lilith's human lover

ciunas
(CYOON-as), Gaelic for “silence” the battle takes place in the Valley of Ciunas—the Valley of Silence

claddaugh
, the Celtic symbol of love, friendship, loyalty

Cliffs of Mohr
(also Moher), the name given to the ruin of forts in the South of Ireland, on a cliff near Hag's Head, “Moher O'Ruan”

Conn
, Larkin's childhood puppy

Dance of the Gods, the Dance
, the place in which the circle of six passes through from the real world to the fantasy world of Geall

Dara
(DARE-a), in modern day County Kildare

Davey
, Lilith, the Vampire Queen's “son,” a child vampire

Deirdre
(DAIR-dhra)
Riddock
, Larkin's mother

Dervil
(DAR-vel), one of the village women

Dunglas
, place in Geall

Eire
(AIR-reh), Gaelic for “Ireland”

Eogan
(O-en), Ceara's husband

Eoin
(OAN), Hoyt's brother-in-law

Eternity
, the name of Cian's nightclub, located in New York City

Faerie Falls
, imaginary place in Geall

fàilte à Geall
(FALL-che ah GY-al), Gaelic for “Welcome to Geall”

Fearghus
(FARE-gus), Hoyt's brother-in-law

Gaillimh
(GALL-yuv), modern-day Galway, the capital of the west of Ireland

gaiscioch dorcha
(GA-shuk DOR-ka), dark warrior or dark hero, epithet for Blair

Geall
(GY-al), in Gaelic means “promise” the city from which Moira and Larkin come; the city which Moira will someday rule

Glenna Ward
, one of the circle of six, the “witch” lives in modern-day New York City

Hoyt Mac Cionaoith/McKenna
(mac KHEE-nee), one of the circle of six, the “sorcerer”

Isleen
(Is-LEEN), a servant at Castle Geall

Jarl
(Yarl), Lilith's sire, the vampire who turned her into a vampire

Jeremy Hilton
, Blair Murphy's ex-fiance

King
, the name of Cian's best friend, whom Cian befriended when King was a child; the manager of Eternity

Knockarague
(KNOCKA-rig), town in Geall; home of Larlin's mother

Larkin Riddock
, one of the circle of six, the “shifter of shapes,” a cousin of Moira, Queen of Geall

Lilith
, the Vampire Queen, aka Queen of the Demons; leader of the war against humankind; Cian's sire, the vampire who turned Cian from human to vampire

Lora
, a vampire; Lilith's lover

Lucius,
Lora's male vampire lover

Mac Dara,
surname; part of one of Larkin's titles

Malvin,
villager, soldier in Geallian army

Mam,
term for mother

Manhattan
, city in New York; where both Cian McKenna and Glenna Ward live

mathair
(maahir), Gaelic word for “mother”

Michael Thomas McKenna
, descendant of Cian and Hoyt Mac Cionaoith

Mick Murphy
, Blair Murphy's younger brother

Midir
(mee-DEER), vampire wizard to Lilith, Queen of the Vampires

miurnin
(also sp. miurneach [mornukh]), Gaelic for “sweetheart,” term of endearment

Mo chroi
(mo-kree), Gaelic term meaning “my heart,” “my sweetheart,” “my darling” (see
a chroi
)

Moira
(MWA-ra), one of the circle of six, the “scholar” a princess, future queen of Geall

Morrigan
(Mo-ree-ghan), Goddess of the Battle

Niall
(Nile), a warrior in the Geallian army

Nola Mac Cionaoith
, Hoyt and Cian's youngest sister

o Dubhuir
(o DOVE-er), surname Blair uses when acting as bait

ogham
(ä-gem) (also spelled ogam), fifth/sixth century Irish alphabet

oiche
(EE-heh), Gaelic for “night”

Oran
(O-ren), Riddock's youngest son, Larkin's younger brother

Phelan
(FA-len), Larkin's brother-in-law

Prince Riddock
, Larkin's father, acting king of Geall, Moira's maternal uncle

Region of Chiarrai
(kee-U-ree), modern-day Kerry, situated in the extreme southwest of Ireland, sometimes referred to as “the Kingdom”

Samhain
(SAM-en), summer's end (Celtic festival); the battle takes place on the Feast of Samhain, the feast celebrating the end of summer

Sean
(Shawn)
Murphy
, Blair Murphy's father, a vampire hunter

Shop Street
, cultural center of Galway

Sinann
(shih-NAWN), Larkin's sister

sláinte
(slawn-che), Gaelic term for “cheers!”

slán agat
(shlahn u-gut), Gaelic for “good-bye,” which is said to person staying

slán leat
(shlahn ly-aht), Gaelic for “good-bye,” which is said to the person leaving

Tuatha de Danaan
(TOO-aha dai DON-nan), Welsh gods

Tynan
(Ti-nin), guard at Castle Geall

Vlad
, Cian's stallion