in the area of intelligence.”
He ran his tongue around his teeth. “Did it?”
“Well…” A shrug, dismissing. “Well, so it seemed.” Bending, she plucked a wildflower that had forced its way through a split in the rock. Twirled it gaily under her nose. “Is it worrying you that I know of them?”
He hooked his thumbs in his pockets. “Not particularly.”
“That’s fine, then. Now, if I were the vindictive sort, I might turn you into an ass. Just for a short time.”
“An ass?”
“Just for a short time.”
“Can you do that sort of thing?” He realized when he asked it that he was ready to believe anything.
She laughed, the sound carrying rich music over wind and sea. “If I were the vindictive sort.” She walked to him, handed him the flower, then smiled when he tucked it into her hair. “But I think you’d look darling with long ears and a tail.”
“I’d just as soon keep my anatomy as it is. What else did you…peek at?”
“Oh, this and that, here and there.” She linked her fingers with his and walked again. “I watched you work in your darkroom—the little one in the house where you grew up. Your parents were so proud of you. Startled by your talent, but very proud. I saw your first exhibition, at that odd wee gallery where everyone wore black—like at a wake.”
“SoHo,” he murmured. “Christ, that was nearly ten years ago.”
“You’ve done brilliant things since. I could look through your eyes when I looked at your pictures. And felt close to you.”
The thought came abruptly, stunning him. He turned her quickly to face him, stared hard into her eyes. “You didn’t have anything to do with…you haven’t made what I can do?”
“Oh, Calin, no.” She lifted her hands to cover the ones on her shoulders. “No, I promise you. It’s yours. From you. You mustn’t doubt it,” she said, sensing that he did. “I can tell you nothing that isn’t true. I’m bound by that. On my oath, everything you’ve accomplished is yours alone.”
“All right.” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms absently. “You’re shivering. Are you cold?”
“I was for a moment.” Bone-deep, harrowing. Alasdair. She cast it out, gripped his hand tightly and led him over the gentle slope of the hill. “Even as a child I would come here and stand and look out.” Content again, she leaned her head against his shoulder, scanning hill and valley, the bright flash of river, the dark shadows cast by twisted trees. “To Ireland spread out before me, green and gold. A dreaming place.”
“Ireland, or this spot?”
“Both. We’re proud of our dreamers here. I would show you Ireland, Calin. The bank where the columbine grows, the pub where a story is always waiting to be told, the narrow lane flanked close with hedges that bloom with red fuchsia. The simple Ireland.”
Tossing her hair back, she turned to him. “And more. I would show you more. The circle of stones where power sleeps, the quiet hillock where the faeries dance of an evening, the high cliff where a wizard once ruled. I would give it to you, if you’d take it.”
“And what would you take in return, Bryna?”
“That’s for you to say.” She felt the chill again. The warning. “Now I have something else to show you, Calin.” She glanced uneasily over her shoulder, toward the ruins. Shivered. “He’s close,” she whispered. “And watching. Come into the house.”
He held her back. He was beginning to see that he had run from a good many things in his life. Too many things. “Isn’t it better to face him now, be done with it?”
“You can’t choose the time. It’s already set.” She gripped his hand, pulled. “Please. Into the house.”
Reluctantly, Cal went with her. “Look, Bryna, it seems to me that a bully’s a bully whatever else he might be. The longer you duck a bully, the worse he gets. Believe me, I’ve dealt with my share.”
“Oh, aye, and had a fine bloody nose, as I remember,
He ran his tongue around his teeth. “Did it?”
“Well…” A shrug, dismissing. “Well, so it seemed.” Bending, she plucked a wildflower that had forced its way through a split in the rock. Twirled it gaily under her nose. “Is it worrying you that I know of them?”
He hooked his thumbs in his pockets. “Not particularly.”
“That’s fine, then. Now, if I were the vindictive sort, I might turn you into an ass. Just for a short time.”
“An ass?”
“Just for a short time.”
“Can you do that sort of thing?” He realized when he asked it that he was ready to believe anything.
She laughed, the sound carrying rich music over wind and sea. “If I were the vindictive sort.” She walked to him, handed him the flower, then smiled when he tucked it into her hair. “But I think you’d look darling with long ears and a tail.”
“I’d just as soon keep my anatomy as it is. What else did you…peek at?”
“Oh, this and that, here and there.” She linked her fingers with his and walked again. “I watched you work in your darkroom—the little one in the house where you grew up. Your parents were so proud of you. Startled by your talent, but very proud. I saw your first exhibition, at that odd wee gallery where everyone wore black—like at a wake.”
“SoHo,” he murmured. “Christ, that was nearly ten years ago.”
“You’ve done brilliant things since. I could look through your eyes when I looked at your pictures. And felt close to you.”
The thought came abruptly, stunning him. He turned her quickly to face him, stared hard into her eyes. “You didn’t have anything to do with…you haven’t made what I can do?”
“Oh, Calin, no.” She lifted her hands to cover the ones on her shoulders. “No, I promise you. It’s yours. From you. You mustn’t doubt it,” she said, sensing that he did. “I can tell you nothing that isn’t true. I’m bound by that. On my oath, everything you’ve accomplished is yours alone.”
“All right.” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms absently. “You’re shivering. Are you cold?”
“I was for a moment.” Bone-deep, harrowing. Alasdair. She cast it out, gripped his hand tightly and led him over the gentle slope of the hill. “Even as a child I would come here and stand and look out.” Content again, she leaned her head against his shoulder, scanning hill and valley, the bright flash of river, the dark shadows cast by twisted trees. “To Ireland spread out before me, green and gold. A dreaming place.”
“Ireland, or this spot?”
“Both. We’re proud of our dreamers here. I would show you Ireland, Calin. The bank where the columbine grows, the pub where a story is always waiting to be told, the narrow lane flanked close with hedges that bloom with red fuchsia. The simple Ireland.”
Tossing her hair back, she turned to him. “And more. I would show you more. The circle of stones where power sleeps, the quiet hillock where the faeries dance of an evening, the high cliff where a wizard once ruled. I would give it to you, if you’d take it.”
“And what would you take in return, Bryna?”
“That’s for you to say.” She felt the chill again. The warning. “Now I have something else to show you, Calin.” She glanced uneasily over her shoulder, toward the ruins. Shivered. “He’s close,” she whispered. “And watching. Come into the house.”
He held her back. He was beginning to see that he had run from a good many things in his life. Too many things. “Isn’t it better to face him now, be done with it?”
“You can’t choose the time. It’s already set.” She gripped his hand, pulled. “Please. Into the house.”
Reluctantly, Cal went with her. “Look, Bryna, it seems to me that a bully’s a bully whatever else he might be. The longer you duck a bully, the worse he gets. Believe me, I’ve dealt with my share.”
“Oh, aye, and had a fine bloody nose, as I remember,
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