“Gonna take a lot of work to fix it up,” he muttered as if I hadn’t spoken. “Not sure yer up to the task.”
Not up to the feckin’ task? I could shift the entire feckin’ castle onto that little plot of land if I wanted to. “I am perfectly capable—”
“It’s settled then.” He dragged a flask from his pocket and tilted the top at me. “I’ll help ye.”
“I didn’t ask for help.”
“Didn’t have to.” He unscrewed the lid and took a swig.
When he offered it to me, I shook my head. I didn’t want his shite liquor, just like I didn’t want this shite sandwich. Still, I was a little hungry, so I took a reluctant bite. “And what do you expect in return?”
“Won’t cost ye no more than supplies and a meal or two.”
“Why?”
“Because if I’d bought a place in shite, I’d hope someone would take pity on me.”
He pitied me, did he? I may not know how to build a feckin’ shack with my bare hands, but I could disembowel him with my dagger in no time at all. Carve out his heart. Kill him a thousand different ways.
“What do ye say?” Marcus asked, tucking away his flask and smiling.
I scowled down at him. “This sandwich is dry.”
19
What didyou do when you had all these . . .feelingsoverflowing like a feckin’ river in a flood and the one person you wanted to pour yourself into was dead? Even if she wasn’t stuck in the underworld forever, she sure as hell didn’t want a thing to do with me. Especially not after all the shite with her precious sister.
Even so, I went to see Aveen as I always did after a long day in Hollowshade. I had been neglecting my duties in Tearmann, but didn’t give a rat’s arse. If the Queen wanted to punish me for it, she could. At least then I’d be back to feeling nothing but rage. I knew what to do with that. All this other shite swimming around inside of me, though? I hadn’t a clue.
The vat of wine I’d drunk with Marcus hadn’t helped either. That human had to be part clurichaun because I was pretty sure he could’ve single-handedly drunk Tadhg, Ruairi, and I under the table. I tried to tiptoe past the castle’s fountain. Mustn’t have worked because Muireann popped her head up at the exact moment my boot hit the first step, like she’d been waiting for me.
“Oh, Rían.”
“Not interested,” I muttered. Only one woman held my attention these days, and she was dead.
I caught the main door’s cold handle and nearly threw my feckin’ shoulder out opening the thing. Had it always been this heavy? Tadhg appeared in the hallway out of nowhere, making me jump and ram into the hall table.
His face went as dark as a storm cloud. “Where the hell have you—”
Nope. Not today, brother.With a flick of my wrist, I shifted the pain in my ass to the oubliette.Should’ve done the same with the irritating merrow. They could’ve had a right good time down in the mud together.
All it took was one look at the stairs to know there was no way in hell I’d make it up. So I evanesced to the top of the tower, to where I’d left enough wards to keep out the Queen herself. A complete and utter waste of magic, but it helped me sleep at night knowing Aveen was as safe as I could make her.
Inside, my human slept with a serene smile on her black lips. Had she been relieved at the coming respite from life, or had Tadhg’s kiss been so good that she’d died with a smile on her face? The thought churned my stomach.
Bastard. I really ought to kill him. That always made me feel better.
Although, killing him would take a lot of effort, and my limbs felt as if they were made of stone. I sank onto the floor and propped myself up against the wall. “I bought you a cottage,” I said to ears that couldn’t hear. “It’s hideous.” A smile lifted the corner of my lips. “You’re going to love it.”
* * *
Last week, Tadhg had come in spouting some shite about a human having a ring that could break his curse. Now he was off gallivanting with her, trying to get said ring instead of coming straight out and asking for the feckin’ thing. Women had given him far more for far less.
He’d had his chance. Now it was my turn.
By my calculations, they should’ve arrived at the portal in Port Fear by midday. I’d been waiting at the portal near the Forest since before eleven. I couldn’t bring myself to get too close to the two-story cottage that had belonged to Leesha’s father all those years ago. I remembered when Leesha suggested painting the doors and windowsills green. I hated the color—it was Tadhg’s, after all—but had done it anyway because she’d asked me to help.
A woman emerged from within, and my throat tightened. She wore her red hair piled atop her head. Her clothes were simple and plain. One of Leesha’s descendants, no doubt.