Aimnéise Place of Pendants 2

Chapter Forty Two

Talk To The Wolf

Conall and I had stopped in the mud room listening to Bridey ranting on with Ula. We weren’t exactly eavesdropping just waiting to see what aunt would do with the girl.

When aunt let lose Conall sniggered, I elbowed him to quell his chuckles. Wrapping his arm around my waist, his other hand rested just above my elbow. My hair moving slightly by his warm breath before kissing the back of my neck. His own hair brushing across my shoulder and collar bone. Sinking back into his solid shoulder, closing my eyes to take in his earthy and heather scent I wavered, my knees weakening. His arm tightened around my waist, no hope of slumping to the floor into a puddle.

“Behave.” I moan whispered forcing myself to listen to aunt’s censure at the girl.

I gasped when the girl said she meant to give both Conall and I the tea. A fire snapped alight in my stomach. I so wanted to go in there and smack some sense into the girl.

“I can feel yer ire rising.” Conall whispered into my ear before taking a nip. “Ye need to stay calm, I ken a way for ye to do so.” I bet he did which if I’m not wrong would mean retreating to our bed.

“Hmmmm.” Was the only sound I managed to utter before Conall turned my head attacking my mouth and turning me in his arms. The conversation inside temporarily forgotten. That was until aunts’ words echoed through the room.

“You two can come in now before you turn my mud room into a lovefest, and before Sloane eats your breakfast.”

Conall halted and pulled away from me with hooded eyes but the idea that Sloane would eat his breakfast was too much to resist. I chuckled. Grasping my wrist he hauled me into the kitchen lest there be no breakfast left for him.

Dear lord, men and their stomachs. He pulled the chair out for me and pushed it in with urgency wanting to sit himself down and load his plate. Sloane laughed at him.

“Morning aunt did you sleep well?”

“Yes love and you?”

I nodded and gawked at Conall as he loaded my plate with bacon and toast. “Are you right there? Don’t you think I can manage myself?” My tone sarcastic.

Conall grunted. “Just making sure my bràthair does no eat yer breakfast.”

“Now you’re being ridiculous.”

All of a sudden Dougall appeared with Silver. “Ha breakfast, good I’m starving.” Dougall grinned grabbing a chair and filling a plate before he even managed to sit down.

Silver ran around the table and jumped up at me his paws on top of my shoulders. He licked my face with gusto.

“Am I glad to see you, but I don’t need a bath thank you.” I laughed so happy to see my wolf.

“Ye said that to me too.” Conall mumbled with a mouth pull of food still managing a cheeky smile to his face.

Dougall stopped what he was doing and turned wide eyes at Conall. “Why would ye say that? Ye are no a dog.”

Sloane coughed into his hand. Ula rolled her eyes. I hung my head my cheeks running hot. I knew what he was referring to. I kicked Conall under the table.

“He’s no a dog he’s a wolf.” Conall said chewing trying to hide the smirk on his face.

“Honestly you lot are like bloody children.” Ula scoffed. It was then we noticed that Bridey was sitting in her chair stiff as a statue, terror riding her face, staring at Silver.

“You don’t have to worry about him.” I said pushing the wolf’s big paws off my shoulders. “Gees boy, I think you have grown since I’ve been away. What do you think Conall, he’s bigger isn’t he?”

Conall turned his head to look at Silver then back to his plate to shovel more food into his mouth. “Aye.” Who was I kidding when it came to these men and food? Ula and I shared a resigned sigh.

I nabbed a piece of bacon from Conall’s plate and fed it to Silver.

“Hey don be giving him my breakfast he can go oot and find his own.” Conall protested. I’m sure if I hadn’t got the piece to Silvers mouth quick enough Conall would have snatched it back.

Silver took a step towards Bridey his yellow eyes focused on her face; his tail though held still. Not a greeting to a new person, he was definitely wary of her.

“He wants to eat me.” The girl muttered her terror notching up.

“He’s dubious of you and your intention.” I said.

“Intention?”

“Yes, he knows what you came here to do, so he’s not very happy with you, but don’t worry I won’t let him eat you.” I said to her still looking like she was confronted by a demon. “At least not at the moment.”

“Ye would give him indigestion.” Dougall added.

The wolf took another step towards her sending her scuttling up the chair. Sloane moved faster and was behind her pushing her back to the seat by her shoulders. “He just wants a whiff of ye.” The girl eyed him with eyes as big as plates.

“Whiff me? Why?” She stammered slamming her eyes back to Silver.

Silver took the last step to stand in front of her and raising his muzzle sniffed, to her yelp. He turned his head to look at me and barked. Nicnevan’s daughter. My mouth dropped open did Silver just talk to me? He barked but I heard words from him.

“What is it?” Conall asked seeing my shock. Shock I was in. Either Silver spoke to me, I understood his bark, or I am going crazy.

“He.” I gulped not believing this. “Silver just spoke to me.”

Everyone’s faces changed to total confusion.

Conall turned me by the shoulders to face him. He is going to say I’m crazy and must still be tired.

“What do ye mean he talked to ye?”

“I didn’t hear anything except a bark.” Dougall muttered.

“Me to.” Uncle added.

Aunt always the logical one said. “What did he say love?”

I turned to look at her wondering if she was going to think I am crazy too. “He said she…” I pointed at Bridey. “Is Nicnevan’s daughter.”

The girls face went a deathly white, her lashes blinking furiously indicating she was indeed Nicnevan’s daughter. Holy hell.

“You couldnae ken that.” Bridey whispered not sure to look at the wolf or at me.

“God’s blood.” Conall gasped running his hand through his hair. “Ye can speak any language, now ye can suddenly talk to the damned wolf.”

Silver padded back to stand by my side.

Do you want me to eat him?

“No!” I snapped. at the words in my head that I knew came from the wolf.

Feumaidh gach beó a bheathachadh.

“Oh, so now you speak Gaidhlig as well?” I huffed.

“What did he say?” Conall asked narrowing his eyes at the wolf who in turn eyed Conall with his own yellow orbs.

I sighed this was so overwhelming it was beyond funny. “He wants to know if I want him to eat you, and that all living creatures must be fed. Except that last bit was in the Gaidhlig.”

Conall leaned across the table, or I should say across me. “Try it wolf an it will be wolf stew fer tha next week.” Silver made a sound that was something akin to a snort, causing everyone to chuckle except of course Conall.

“That’s quite a talent ye have picked up niece.” Sloane sniggered. “I’m wondering if’n ye can speak to all animals or is it just the wolf. There’s a mole digging up the yard, ye could be of assistance and tell him to go dig somewhere else.”

Dougall couldn’t help himself as usual. “No, the female kind, he means one of them furry blind creatures, they’re no so pretty.”

“Dougall.” Conall warned.

Sloane went to slap Dougall upside the head, but he jumped back knocking into Conall. Both of them landing flat on the floor and immediately began punching and wrestling one another until Sloane grabbed them by their shirts and pulled them apart.

Ula jumped out of her chair. “Settle down. There is enough testosterone in this room as it is. Last thing we need is a measure of the size of your dicks.” She eyed each of the males including Silver. Turning back to Bridey her face turning into a stern scowl. “So, you are Nicnevan’s daughter. You seem to have left that tad bit of information out.”

Bridey flinched at aunt’s words. “I…yes I am but it’s no her fault.”

Aunt’s eyebrow arched. “I thought you said you were afraid of her?”

The girl gulped. “No, it’s Aoife I’m afraid of not mother.”

“Right then, start talking and you had better make it good.”

“My mother’s powers ha’ bin failing her fer some time an well Aoife…she stole my sister.”

“What?” Aunt gasped.

“My mother dosnae have tha power to get my sister back an Aoife said she needed Morgan an tha pendants. When she has em’, we get Marigold back.”

“Marigold, that’s your sister?” I asked.

“Yes, younger than me. Don ye see I have tae do this, or she will kill my sister, ye have tae come wi me.”

I couldn’t believe the girl actually expected me to hand myself over. By the raised brows and open mouths of everyone at the table they were just as alarmed at Bridey’s demands.

“What the fuck!” Conall shouted. “My wife is no going with ye.” He stood beside me grasping both my shoulders in his usual protective stance. I put my hand on his hand to calm him.

Silver growled sitting beside me. Can I eat her instead? I gave him a look that said, ‘be quiet’.

“I still think I should drop her off in an obscure century.” Sloane firmed his jaw blowing out a frustrated breath, trying hard to control his anger.

“Bridey do you know where Aoife is holding your sister?” Ula asked.

“Camster Cairns.”

Conall’s sudden loud voice made me jump. I hadn’t expected him to ask. “Round or long?” Bridey shrugged she obviously had no idea which one.

“Is it guarded?” Sloane asked with the same booming voice as Conall.

“Yes.”

Sloane rubbed his hand over his chin. “Are there Brollachans there.”

“Yes.”

Lord getting more than one-word answers was like pulling teeth. That was until she had something meaningful to say, if it could be called that.

“Morgan I would rather talk tae ye alone.” Bridey said looking me straight in the eye which would be a first as she had not done so without having to be told to.

Unsure as to what said other information the girl had gave me a feeling of caution. Bridey is only a slip of a girl and had no physical power where I was concerned. Still, suspicion and agitation swirled through me like the onslaught of a king wave.

Conall clamped his hand on my arm. “Nay.”

“Why do you need to talk to Morgan alone, can’t you just tell us all, seeing as we know what is going on now?” Ula asked not trusting the girl as far as she could throw her.

“I have more information I will only impart tae Morgan…” She looked around at everyone sitting at the table, ignoring the wolf snarling at her. “In private.”

I let out a breath if this was the only way to get the information, and Ula had removed any and all obstacles from her possession, then I will do it. I patted Conall on the arm. The concern etched in his face told me that he was not happy about it. Truthfully, neither was I.

It’s ok. Bridey we will go down to the hay house and you can tell me there.”

I led Bridey down the yard not taking my eyes off her. Surprised to see my husband, aunt and uncle not trailing behind us. Following her into the house I motioned for her to take a seat on the sofa. I asked her if she wanted a tea, she nodded.

While I was filling the kettle up Bridey began humming a tune. I tilted my head, so I could see her, she had her back to me looking out the window.

“That’s a lovely tune are there words to it?”

I paced the floor and had been doing so since Morgan took the girl down to the hay house supposedly to give her more information. Why she couldn’t have shared it with all of us was concerning. Ula and Sloane looked as worried as I felt even the wolf was edgy doing his own pacing.

My fear of losing my wife again overwhelmed my senses. It had taken me two months to get her back and I was dead resolved that it would never happen again. The initial fear I had with Morgan being a crack shot with her crossbow and her earth magic did nothing to quell my angst. Yeah I ken that both Ula and my wife called it abilities, but to me it was bloody magic.

Just before we had reached the Callanish stones I had trouble coming to terms with the fact that I had spent my entire life training to be the guardian and protector to the descendant of the Tuatha da Danann. Only to feel as if she didn’t need me to protect her.

I loved Morgan from the first moment my eyes fell on her, but protecting someone that was capable of wiping out an entire army did nothing for my masculine pride. Sloane set me straight opening my eyes to how we could and should work together. If it wasn’t for Sloane giving me a talking to, with a little blackmail shoved in there I would never have understood how we could work together.

Morgan and I were a team, the same as Sloane and Ula. It worked for them, and it would work for us too. I couldn’t though lose her again. Two months away from her had literally ripped my heart out. Now that I had her back I’ll be damned if I will let anyone take her from me again.

“Love did you hide the crystal well?” Sloane asked.

“Yes love I did.”

I stopped pacing to stare open mouthed at Ula. “What fucking crystal?”

“Last night I found a crystal orb of Beryl and a silver ring in Bridey’s cloak. She was going to use it to call her mother. It’s a communication crystal.”

Dougall added his pennies worth. “Aye I’ve heard of that. The healer at Sutherland castle had one she used when…well when she was healing.” Why a healer would need a communication crystal in the practice of healing had me stunned.

I felt a sudden claw of terror rip through me, “Ula can ye please check if’n it is still where ye hid it?” My gut was turning over, I had a damned fucking bad feeling creeping across my skin inside and out. The wolf had stopped his pacing his body ram rod straight. He too was feeling the same.

Ula scrunched her face up. “If it makes you feel better.” Oh, it was going to make me feel better alright. A bloody communication crystal. I raked my fingers through my hair, every nerve in my body screaming at me to get to Morgan, now.

Stretching up to pull the lavender box down she set it on the table with Sloane hurrying to move some dishes out of her way.

Plunging her hand down inside the box through dried stalks, leaves and flowers her face lost all colour. The look was enough, without thought we were all up and racing out the door. Rushing down the yard, Ula nearly tripping over the damned wolf, Sloane swearing as he lumbered.

The End

Author’s Note

While most of the historical details and backgrounds in Aimnéise are based on published historical sources, and are accurate as far as possible, some minor events, people and places have been modified as required by the demands of the story.

While herbal preparations in this book are historical, none should be taken as being effective without professional advice. Many herbs can be toxic and ineffective with imprecise use and should only be administered by an experienced practitioner.