Текст книги "See Me"
Автор книги: Wendy Higgins
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Текущая страница: 13 (всего у книги 17 страниц)
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“DADDY!” HE WAS IMPOSSIBLE to miss, holding hands with my mother in the line formation and towering over the other dancing folk. He turned his head toward the sound of my voice, smiling. I was still a ways off, running toward them, and when he took in the sight of me, he broke from the group with Mom right behind him. Cassidy jumped up from a nearby table. I was probably giving them heart attacks—me, the most modest person in our family, running in front of all these people in my bathing suit, looking a fright. The three of them met me at the entrance of the clearing. I collapsed into Dad’s arms, trembling.
“What happened?” he asked. “Where’s McKale?”
I sucked in some air and forced myself to articulate. “She’s going to take him!”
Without question, Dad jumped into action, signaling Brogan to us. The song had stopped and everyone was watching. Over a hundred worried faces stared. Leilah stood with both hands on her mouth.
“We need to speak privately,” my father told Brogan, who nodded.
Brogan waved to the musicians and forced a smile at his people. They whispered in speculation, but did as they were told, continuing the music.
I looked out into the darkened field of grass, searching for any sign of McKale or the FFG.
Brogan began to lead us away, but I held out a hand. “Wait! What if she tries to take him tonight?” The very idea had me afraid I might hyperventilate.
“Who? McKale?” Brogan studied my face, aghast, as I nodded. “Is he with the Shoe Mistress now?”
“Yes. We were by the falls…”
Part of the crowd had shifted closer to our group, and Brogan held up a hand to quiet me so they wouldn’t hear.
“Keefe!” he called over his shoulder. Keefe jogged over and Brogan spoke to him in hushed tones. “Watch this clearing for McKale. We’ll be speaking in the guest quarters, and I want ye to alert me immediately if ye see him or the Shoe Mistress. Watch the portal closely.”
“Aye. Of course, Brogan, sir.”
Brogan turned and led us to the bungalows.
“Yer rooms are closer, so I hope ye don’t mind speaking there.”
“Not at all,” Dad said.
When we got to my parents’ room I inhaled a huge breath before telling them everything about the encounter with the FFG. Cassidy held my hand the whole time. It was therapeutic to let it all out, but it also made the nightmare more real. By the time I was done, every face in the room appeared ready to retch just as I had. For once, even Cassidy was speechless. Mom gathered her close, wrapping protective arms around her, but Cass kept her fingers linked with mine and wouldn’t let go.
“What’s our plan?” Mom asked.
“Please,” I begged. “Can someone find McKale and get him away from her?”
“Aye. I’ll send a handful of lads to flush him out. I’ll return shortly.”
“Wait!” I said. “Rock was there! He was watching from behind a tree. He’ll know what happened after I left.”
Cassidy gave a little squeak of worry and Brogan nodded.
He rushed from the room and my family stepped into a close huddle, shoulder-to-shoulder.
“What can we do?” Cassidy asked. Her voice was one notch away from frantic. “I don’t want to go to Faerie, but I don’t want McKale to go either!”
“We won’t let that happen,” Dad said. “We’ll need a power play on our part, something that will take her by surprise. What are her weaknesses? Is there anything she fears?”Cassidy laughed dryly. “If I were her I’d be afraid of her daddy!”
She said it as a joke, but the other three of us exchanged thoughtful stares.
“She has been sneaking out of the portal against her father’s wishes,” Mom stated.
I shrugged. “But we don’t know for sure if he cares what she does. He doesn’t want Fae coming out whenever they please, but maybe he makes an exception for his little princess.”
I ran the earlier conversation through my mind again, specifically the things FFG had said about her people.
“She wants it to look like McKale is choosing to come on his own.” I was thinking out loud. Dad had his arms crossed, rocking back on his heels as I rambled. “Because she’s afraid of what the other Fae will think if they know she’s developed feelings for a human. She said it has to look like he’s just a consort.”
“So we blow her cover, then?” Mom asked.
We all nodded. But how would we prove to her people that she wanted McKale?
A quick knock sounded on the door, and Brogan came in, huffing from the exertion.
“Still no sign of ‘im, but the boys are on it.”
“Brogan,” Dad said. “Do you have means to contact the Fae? To get them to open the portal?”
Brogan opened his mouth and paused, unsure, until my father swore that the information would never leave this room. Brogan pulled a thin rope from around his neck. Hanging from it was a golden tube the size of my thumb. It was a whistle. We all leaned forward to look at it. There was indecipherable writing and a symbol.
“Hey, is that…?” Cass pointed at the image, crinkling her brow, and we leaned in further.
“You gotta be kidding me,” Dad said.
“It’s a picture of a pot of gold!” I grinned.
“Aye,” Brogan tucked it back into his shirt. “I’ve never been certain of its meaning, except that the Fae believe their realm to be the ultimate treasure. Not another soul has seen this caller, ‘cept the Keepers who passed it to me.”
“How does it work?” Dad asked him.
“It makes no noise to the human ear, but the Fae who guards the gate will hear it and open the portal to attain the message. ‘Tis rarely used.”
“I’ll bet.” Dad rubbed his large, squared chin and looked at me. “Robyn. You brought all of your video stuff? The camera and laptop?”
“Yeah…” Where was this going? He cleared his throat and began delegating responsibilities.
“Brogan, I’m going to need you to pass a message to the Summer King through the portal guard. Tell him that the long-awaited binding will take place two evenings from now and you’d be honored to have the King and his court present for the event.”
Brogan nodded.
“What if they don’t come?” Cassidy asked.
“Let’s just try and stay hopeful, love,” Mom told her.
“Cass.” Dad looked at her pointedly. “You and I are going to leave the village tonight—”
“But—”
“We’ll be back in time for the binding. We have to be quick. There are some electronics I need to get and I’m going to need help. Plus, I’d rather have you with me, away from here, considering.”
She looked at me. “I don’t want to leave Robyn.”
“It’ll be okay.” I squeezed her hand.
“All right, listen up.” Dad’s voice sounded like a military commander and our postures straightened. “We don’t have much time, so here’s the plan.”
* * *
I lay in bed next to Mom unable to sleep. By the time Dad and Cassidy left, McKale and Rock still hadn’t been found. Keefe did witness the FFG return to her own realm, thank goodness. But it killed me to know McKale was out there somewhere feeling… however he was feeling. Did he think I’d let him go so easily, as the FFG said? Had she been able to influence him once I was no longer in their presence? And worst of all, did he kiss her? Or worse?
I couldn’t stand the thought. I rolled over and pressed my face hard into my pillow until I could feel tiny feathers poking through the cloth, jabbing my face. I didn’t care how they stung. Nothing could hurt worse than the thought of McKale losing himself in her touch.
I wondered if Rock stayed silent the whole time, or if something might have happened to cause him to interfere. He was reckless, but I didn’t want him to be hurt.
At the sound of a knock, Mom and I bolted upright.
“Coming,” she called. We helped each other stand and went to the door. Brogan and Keefe stood there together.
“We found McKale,” Brogan said. “He and Rock both made their way to Clourichaun land. They’re fine and safe fer now.”
I let out a loud breath.
“Aye, fine if you count the bloody pixie tailing ‘im,” Keefe clarified.
That gave me goose bumps.
“It would seem the Shoe Mistress is keeping an eye on ‘im by leaving her pet behind,” Brogan explained. He sounded tired. Mom must have noticed, too.
“Thank you, Brogan. And Keefe. Please thank all the boys for us. I’m glad McKale’s okay. Let’s all get some rest so we can do everything that needs to be done tomorrow.”
Brogan stroked his beard and nodded. “I’ve sent a message for McKale to stay over there until after dark tomorrow so the blasted pixie won’t be able to see any of the goings on over here.”
“Good idea,” Mom said.
Sadness weighed heavy inside me. I wouldn’t get to see him at all tomorrow? Mom rubbed a hand over my back and said good night to the men as they left.
We climbed back into her and Dad’s bed and prepared for a long, fitful night of sleep.
* * *
I took extra time doing my morning chores. The animals had a calming effect. The chickens pecked at their feed and the goats nudged my hands without any idea that today was different from any other day.
Afterward I went down to the clearing and pretended to eat breakfast. I noticed Mom only took a few bites as well. Word traveled fast through the clan. They may not have known the details, but they knew there was a threat at hand. Gone was yesterday’s playfulness. People gave me respectful nods to let me know they were there for us and I returned the gesture.
Mom and I spent the early part of the day pacing, accompanied by whispers and murmurs from the clan. I kept eyeing the sun, watching for it to get high in the sky. Dad and Cassidy were supposed to return mid-afternoon.
Leilah approached me in the middle of the clearing with a hot cup of honeyed tea. I took it and thanked her.
“Is it true then?” she asked. “About the Shoe Mistress claiming yer McKale for herself?”
Her words hurt my stomach, but I nodded. “It’s true.”
“Och! The brazen cow. Ye’ll tell me if ye need anything from me, love?”
“Yes, Leilah. Thank you.” I bent and we shared a hug before she left me standing in the middle of the clearing with my hands around the ceramic mug. I kept watching the tree line, half-expecting McKale to come walking through.
I was nearly finished with my tea when I heard the rumble of an engine over the hills. Everyone in the clearing stilled to listen. I set my mug on the table. Mom came running down from the huts. We grabbed hands and took off toward the side of the village with everyone following. Excitement rippled through the clan as a small van came barreling down the hill.
“Keep it down!” Brogan reminded everyone as the voices began to reach a crescendo. Everyone quieted.
Yes, we needed to stay low-key today and not gain the attention of the pixie on the other side of the forest.
Dad and Cassidy jumped out, coming first to give hugs to Mom and me. The four of us went around back of the van where Dad opened it to reveal a hodgepodge of techy equipment—everything from a generator and projector to a giant, white pull-down screen. Clan members jostled to get a view of the foreign objects.
“What is all that?” one of them asked.
Daddy smiled and answered loud enough for everyone to hear. “This is what I like to call human magic. Technology.”
A line of helpers assembled, lifting and carrying the heavy items as a group. Everything was brought down to the bottom of the clearing where Dad calculated the best angle for the movie screen, based on where the late afternoon sun would be at the time of the binding. They set up and tested the equipment before the sun set. When Dad gave a sample run of the technology, eliciting gasps and delighted chatter, Brogan had to remind everyone to quiet down again.
It was all starting to come together. We had the technology. Now we needed four more main components to make this a success: McKale, the FFG, the Summer King, and other Fae witnesses. Please let them come. Brogan gave the official invitation last night. We could only hope they’d accept. And if they didn’t, Dad alluded to the idea of going into Faerie to speak to the Summer King himself. I did not like that idea. None of us did.
Human workers only entered Faerie when they were summoned for purposes of giving their reports. They did not seek out the Fae. Humans who entered Faerie of their own accord were not guaranteed safe passage back to the earthly realm.
McKale would return this evening and be briefed on his part. When I asked how we’d talk to McKale with the pixie there, Brogan assured me that the Leprechauns had done their share of battling pixies in the past. He said they knew how to deal with the little bugger.
Kitchen workers brought out trays of cheese sandwiches with pickles and jugs of mild ale. It was starting to get dark as everyone sat down to eat. Cassidy held my hand through most of the meal, and we sat with our hips touching. I glanced down at the equipment, which had been covered with waterproof tarps in case it rained overnight. My eyes darted to the tree line. Nothing there but trees. I took a large gulp of ale to wash down the bite of bread that had lodged in my dry throat. Half a sandwich was all I could manage.
“Walk with me?” came a voice above me.
I looked up at my father’s handsome face and glanced at Cassidy.
“I’ll be okay,” she told me. Mom leaned over from Cassidy’s other side and smiled at me, patting my sister’s leg. She wouldn’t let Cass out of her sight. I stood and took the crook of Dad’s arm, letting him lead me away from everyone.
When we were well out of hearing range he rubbed my hand.
“So… eighteen tomorrow, eh?”
“Yeah.” I thought about saying something lighthearted, but didn’t have it in me.
We ended up by the animal holdings. I sat down and leaned against a fence post, giggling when one of the young goats stuck his head through and nuzzled my neck.
“Quit it,” I said, pushing him away.
“They like you.” Dad squatted in front of me and admired the gaggle of goats that stood at my back.
“That’s ‘cause I feed them.”
He smiled and watched the animals until the mood between us grew serious again.
“There are things I planned to tell you when you turned eighteen, even before all this happened. You know, whether it feels like it or not, you’ll be doing a duty for the Fae by binding with McKale tomorrow. But after the fertile years you’ll be expected to work for them in other ways.”
“Like what?” My heart gave a bang. “Are you finally going to tell me what you do?”
He grinned at my unabashed tone. “That was the plan. It’s nothing so mysterious as you might think. I’m just a Tracker. Do you know what that is?”
“Ah.” I leaned back against the pole, staring at my father’s thick jawline and seeing him a little bit differently. I tried to remember everything Leilah had mentioned about Trackers.
“You can make people forget when they meet Faeries?”
He took a seat beside me, leaning against the next fencepost.
“When Fae enter into our realm, I follow their magic. They leave traces when they glamour or sift from one place to another. I can feel a path of burn in the air, and I follow it. They can never sift too far. I usually find them. I can’t stop them or approach them, but sometimes they address me and I’ll respond. Otherwise, I just visit the people they’ve come into contact with. And, yes, I make them forget.”
That gave me a chill. “What do you do? Like, get in their heads somehow?”
“No, I can’t invade anyone’s mind. I shroud them in magic and use the Gaelic phrase, Ar oscailt intinn, which roughly translates to open your mind. It’s more like hypnotism. And then I tell them precisely what I want them to forget. It’s important to be exact so you don’t take too much or leave anything behind. When I pull the magic away, the memory is gone. It’s painless.”
“Wow.” I didn’t know what else to say. How weird to think of my dad doing that. “You work in the U.S.?”
He’d always traveled a lot. Sometimes he was gone for months at a time. But it didn’t make much sense for him to live in the U.S. and work in Ireland.
“I work in the U.S., mostly. There’s a portal there.”
“Where? In D.C.?” The idea of it made me feel violated.
“No, no. It’s in Vermont on the border with Canada.”
“Oh. Well, at least it’s not too close. So, what does Mom do?”
“She’s an information gatherer. She informs us when strange reports are made. We check out anything that sounds like it could be Fae related. There are dozens of us in U.S. offices, including Mom and I.”
I twisted blades of grass between my fingers, trying to process it.
“Do you work for the CIA, then?”
“Nope. Army. It’s a paranormal division nobody’s ever heard of. Except, of course, those in the military elite. And us.” He grinned. “Scared yet?”
“A little,” I admitted. “Does your voodoo magic work on Fae? Can we make them forget?”
“No. Faerie magic only works against their kind at the hands of another Fae, not a human. It’s too weak.”
“Darn.” It would be nice to make the FFG forget she ever wanted McKale.
“Robyn.” He touched my chin to make me look at him. “Everything’s going to work out tomorrow, I’m sure of it. But… in the off chance that things don’t go as we intend, Mom and I are willing to pack it all up and get you out of here. We’ll have to live on the run, trying to evade the Fae, and we won’t be able to use our magic anymore because they can track it. But—”
“No, Daddy.” I scooted over and let him envelop me in his big embrace. “Thank you, but I’m staying here no matter what. Not because the Fae are demanding it, but for McKale and his clan.”
I’d thought about this a lot the previous sleepless night. Even if McKale were forced to live in Faerie, I would be there for him. The thought of looking into his dead eyes and listening to him call me by her name was sickening, but I couldn’t leave him—not if there was even the slightest chance that I could break that trance. I guess when it came down to it I was as much of a hopeless romantic as my sister. I tightened my grip around Dad’s waist, wanting to make all frightening thoughts disappear.
Dad held me and kissed my head. “We’ll see how it goes. All I’m saying is if you want out, we’ll make it happen.”
“Thank you,” I whispered against his shoulder.
In return he murmured, “You have no idea how proud you make me, Robyn.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
AFTER MY WALK WITH Dad, McKale still hadn’t returned to the village for the night. Cassidy and I retired to our room early. I scouted it for nasty little Fae spies, but the room was clean and we felt safe enough to get in bed. We’d hardly gotten any rest the past few days, and after a couple hours of lying there talking, sleepiness took its toll, pulling us both under.
With the feathery down surrounding my head, the first notes of distant music were almost indistinguishable. I lifted my heavy head from the pillow, listening. There it was again: a faint, woeful tune ringing like a soft wail from the strings of a violin.
I bolted out of the bed and ran from the room. The music beckoned me, its song of sorrow matching the song of my own heart this night. It was an audible version of all my emotions. As I chased the source of the invisible grieving, my feet took me straight toward McKale’s bungalow where I halted.
The pixie was sitting on McKale’s doorstep, hands behind his little head. Its wicked smile revealed tiny razor teeth when it caught sight of me. I stepped back, right into Cassidy who was breathing hard. She grasped my upper arms and held me close to her. We stood there together saying nothing as the evil creature eyed us and the slow cry of low musical notes filled the air.
McKale’s song had captured my heart, urging me to him, and yet, because of this creature I couldn’t see him.
I looked up at a motion in my peripheral vision. It was Leilah, standing next to her boyfriend with a hand on her heart. A trickle of others began to join her, drawn to the power of the song. Mom was there, holding her robe closed with Dad at her side. As clan members drifted into the spaces between bungalows, I felt the power of their support. Our numbers were great in comparison to one small pixie. Revived, I lost all fear for the creature on McKale’s doorstep. I stared at it and took a step forward.
“Be careful,” Cassidy whispered, sensing my intentions, but she dropped her hands from my arms.
I went forward and stopped a few feet from its beady-eyed stare as it raised itself up to face me like a giant, fat, green bumblebee. “Let me pass.”
I was prepared for his attack this time, so when he darted up I swatted, my hand connecting to its squishy belly. But only for a second before he disappeared with a poof and reappeared on my other side, yanking my ear with his claws. The clan was on him before I had a chance to feel pain from his scratches. It was too much for the unsuspecting pixie. He tried to sift away, only to be grasped, punched, kicked, and smacked by another person wherever he reappeared. Leprechauns cried out in urgent voices about the “gloves and cage,” while little women screamed and skittered out of the way.
A bearded man ran out with crazy-looking gloves that appeared to be woven with thin metal. It took a moment before I realized it was Brogan without his hat. He was fearsome in his focused state, and he moved quicker than I thought possible. Behind him ran two of the Chaun holding a small, iron cage. One of the guys thunked the pixie hard from behind with his fist, dazing it. The pixie let out a hideous snarl when Brogan snatched it mid-air and the gloves wrapped around it. Brogan tossed the creature into the cage and someone slammed the door shut, locking it securely. We all cheered. Cassidy and I high-fived each other, laughing. Mom and Dad hugged us.
Brogan walked over, slightly out of breath. He pulled off the gloves and held them up for our inspection.
“Iron,” he said. “Makes ‘em ill—depletes the magic in their skin.”
Brogan nodded toward the cage where the pixie now huddled, shivering and growling in the center. “We’ll return the little sod to ‘is people on the morrow.” And with that, someone whisked it away.
Cassidy nudged me and nodded to the side with big eyes.
I followed her stare to find McKale standing in his doorway watching me, uncertain.
“Kale!” I ran, bumping people and knocking McKale back as I flung my arms around his neck. He was a rumpled mess from his time with the Clourichaun.
“Robyn,” he whispered into my hair. His arms tightened around me.
“I didn’t mean I was choosing for you to go,” I said.
“I know it. I knew it then, but I couldn’t let her think there was any way we’d let her have yer sister.”
I pulled back enough to look at him. “Thank you. You bought us time.”
He cupped my face in both his hands and examined my face with tender urgency. His eyes told me he hadn’t given Khalistah the kind of kiss she desired. If he had, he would still be dazed and unable to focus on me in this way.
Someone cleared their throat, causing McKale and I to remember we had a full audience of worried people. We broke away and opted for holding hands as Brogan stepped forward.
“We found McKale coming back to the village,” he explained to me. “He’d rid himself of the pixie fer a time while it ran after some grub, so we told ‘im the plan.”
McKale’s thumb stroked the top of my hand. “I was coming yer way to see ya when the blasted pixie came back, so I went to me own room to be safe.”
We were all quiet.
“Keefe,” Brogan said, running a hand down his beard.
The young man stepped up and removed the beret from his head.
“I want someone watching the portal all night. Ye lads can take shifts. Tell ‘em to keep the horn handy and sound it if the gate opens.”
“Aye, Brogan.” Keefe gave a small bow and ran to do his duty.
“Brogan, sir, if I may…” Leilah stepped forward and gave a timid curtsey.
“Aye, lassie?”
“’Tis no’ the tradition, I know, but…” Even in the dark of night I sensed the flush of embarrassment on her features. She stared at the ground and Brogan urged her to continue.
Leilah lifted her head and asked, “Might McKale and Robyn bind this very evening? The official ceremony on the morrow could still take place fer show.”
Murmurs rose around us.
McKale and I looked at each other. Brogan ran a hand down his beard, unsure.
Mom stepped forward. “It’s a good idea. If they want to, I say let them bind. Let them have this night.”
She didn’t have to say “just in case” because we were all thinking it. The thought of what might happen tomorrow if our plan failed made my stomach seize. This could be our last night together: our only night. Brogan looked at my father, who nodded his agreement. I smiled at McKale as a fluttery nervousness settle inside.
“Aye?” he whispered to me.
“Yes,” I whispered back.
He gave me a half-grin and nodded before turning to Brogan.
“We wish to bind this night, Father.”
“Aye. Well, then.” Brogan nodded to Leilah. “Fetch the bindings. McKale, straighten yer room, son. ‘Tis no’ fit fer a female in that state of disaster.”
My cheeks flamed. Everyone cheered as Leilah ran off and a group of older women descended upon McKale’s room, bustling past him and clucking about the mess. He gave them a sheepish shrug and grin as the oldest woman swatted his backside then shut the door on us.
A sudden thought hit me and I thought aloud, “What about my dress?” My current outfit was a t-shirt and cotton shorts. I wasn’t even wearing a bra! I crossed my arms.
“You’ll wear the dress tomorrow for the fake binding,” Cassidy said. “You don’t need it tonight.” She dug an elbow into my ribs and I met her glinting eye.
Oh my goodness… I’m gonna pass out. I couldn’t even look at my parents, even though I knew they hadn’t heard Cass’s remark.
Cass giggled and wrapped an arm around my waist. “It’ll be fine,” she whispered.
Leilah returned with a woven basket full of colorful silken scraps. I pressed my free hand to my nervous stomach as the women began to untangle the mass of material.
Mom sidled close to my side. “Are you okay with this?”
I nodded. Dad cleared his throat behind us.
“Nothing like an impromptu wedding,” he said under his breath. I turned to see him rubbing his neck.
Mom wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. “Our babies are growing up, Leon.” They both gazed at me, eyes full of sentiment, and Cass squeezed my hand.
Things got a little crazy when McKale and the women emerged from his hut. It didn’t take long to realize this was a “hands-on” kind of ceremony. McKale and I were pushed by excited hands to the middle of the group where a small opening had been made. Mom and Cassidy followed us while Dad hung back with the other men. A fiddler and flautist had retrieved their instruments and began to play soft, sweet music. Love ballads.
There was no big announcement. No gown or flowers. Just McKale and I in our pajamas with messy hair. We were moved into position, facing one another. Led by Leilah, my mom and sister took a long strand of purple cloth and wrapped it around our waists, forcing our abdomens together as they tied a tight knot. I giggled up at McKale’s wistful face when the oldest woman insisted, “Tighter!” I’d always thought the term “binding” was metaphorical.
One by one, women of the clan stepped up to take part. Strip after colored strip was tied around us, from our hips to our chests, pressing us together. Knowing what this symbolized, it was hard not to be embarrassed. But that feeling fled when I looked at my betrothed. My Kale, who’d turned out to be even more than I’d hoped. His eyes glistened with happiness in the moonlight.
When it came time for the father part, Mom waved to Dad, who followed Brogan’s lead. Dad cleared his throat several times, evidently not at ease with the marital mummification of his daughter, but he played along.
Dad and Brogan each had two white strips of cloth. Brogan bent down and moved our feet so that our ankles were side-by-side. There was a bad moment where I thought we might topple over, but each time we tilted the crowd would push us back into place, saying “Whoa!” in unison and laughing with merriment. Dad and Brogan tied our ankles, and then stood up and tied our wrists. I watched McKale’s stoic face the whole time. When they finished I pressed my cheek to McKale’s and tried to breathe evenly. My parents stepped back. Cassidy stood in my sights and winked.
The song ended and the area quieted with anticipation.
Brogan spoke with hearty volume. “We come together this eve to bind the lives and bodies of our Leprechaun, McKale, with Robyn of the Masons!”
“Here, here!” shouted the crowd. The reverence and excitement in the air gave me chills.
“We wish them blessings and fertility,” Brogan said.
“Here, here!”
Brogan then spoke something beautiful in Gaelic and the people responded in kind. It sounded magical and I experienced another set of goose bumps.
“We’re gettin’ the short version,” McKale whispered in my ear.
The Leprechauns and women chanted lines in Gaelic, and it produced the sort of mesmerizing sound that was probably meant to stir my ovaries into action or something. And then an ominous silence fell.
“Brace yerself,” McKale whispered.
“To the lodgings!” Brogan shouted, punching his little round fist in the air.
“To the lodgings!”
I yelped with surprise as we were swept off our feet sideways with a falling sensation and carried by dozens of hands into McKale’s room amid shouts and cheers. We were both laughing as they rolled us onto his bed and bowed low before leaving. We lay there in a literal tangle with me on top of him, listening to their happy chants get quieter and quieter until everyone was gone.
“Um, wow,” I said. “So…” Now what? My pulse danced wildly.
They’d wrapped our torsos and legs, but left our arms free except the wrists. My breath caught as McKale brought the wrists of one set of our hands up to his mouth. The gas lamp in his room was lit on low, and I watched in wonder as he bit the end of the neat bow with his teeth and pulled it until our hands were free. He did the same with the other wrists. Then he captured both of my wrists and kissed them.
I sighed, too overcome and nervous to say anything.
“Thank ye fer coming to me tonight,” he said in a low voice.
“How could I not? That song… They beat up the pixie for me! Did you see that?” Okay, I was feeling a little nervous, and I think McKale could tell because he chuckled and looked at me like he thought it was cute.
