Irish Magic by Caitlin Ricci Page A

him.
    Hannah’s expression tightened. “Were you kidnapped by them, too?”
    Caelum shrugged and lowered his head, appearing to pull further into himself.
    Ippy sat up beside her and she flicked her gaze to him before turning back to the guy on the floor in front of them. Talk to him for me. She nodded, whatever message he wanted to say, she’d do it for him. They did this often enough back home. Don’t have to keep us here. Could come with us. Hannah will get us out.
    Hannah only wished she was as confident in her ability to rescue them as Ippy seemed to be. But she promised him that she’d pass along the message and so she did, with a few minor changes. “Ippy says that you don’t have to stay here and you don’t have to keep us here with you. You could come with us. I need your help though.”
    Caelum shook his head.
    “Why not?” Hannah snapped at him, wondering what could possibly be so great that would keep him here.
    Caelum didn’t look up at as he said, “P promised to find my family. I can’t go until I know about them.”
    Hannah wanted to growl at him, but she was human and knew her growl was pretty pathetic overall. “You’ve been with him a long time right? At least six years, and probably a lot longer?”
    He slowly nodded and brought his gaze up to meet hers. Good, now she had his attention.
    “And he hasn’t found them yet. Maybe our family could do better,” Hannah softly offered him, hoping to convince him.
    “Or maybe not. Maybe P is my best chance of finding them again,” Caelum countered.
    Hannah’s mouth flattened as she got irritated with him. “I found you didn’t I? I got a message on a forum and found you. Can’t be that much harder to find your family. Come with us.”
    “I didn’t put a message.”
    Who did it didn’t really matter to her. “So, one of them did it. Do you really want to stay here?”
    “I have to.”
    Stop. He’s sad.
    She sighed and turned away from Caelum. At least Ippy wasn’t a kidnapping lunatic. “Alright. How are we going to get out of this?” she asked him.
    You don’t know?
    Hannah wished she did, but no, she didn’t have a plan. “Not while I’m tied up.”
    Caelum got up, but she ignored him. He wasn’t a threat to her anymore now that she knew his story. But then he sat down next to Ippy, scaring her best friend into moving behind her again and hiding.
    “Hey, careful. Don’t touch him. Don’t even get close enough to do it,” she snapped at him, moving so that her tied up ankles were no longer under her and being painful.
    “Sorry,” he mumbled, not looking at Ippy.
    Not okay. Don’t touch. I don’t like it.
    Hannah smiled. Ippy was in good spirits, at least, if he was able to sound grumpy inside her mind. “Hey, Caelum, think you could untie me?”
    He shook his head. “Can’t. P would be mad.”
    “Then how about just my feet? I’m in pain. P couldn’t have wanted that. Right?” She tried again.
    After a moment’s hesitation he did, freeing her legs. Too bad she no longer wanted to kick him. “Thanks.” He nodded and she turned back to Ippy. “Hey, you don’t have to of course, but would you mind holding my hand?”
    He went stiff. Why?
    She gave him a weak smile and wiggled her fingers in his direction. “Because it makes me feel better and I’m worried. Please?”
    It took him several long minutes to make a decision, but finally he did, placing the pads of his fingertips against her palm. This okay?
    Hannah nodded and moved her legs under herself, getting comfortable. “Yep. Thanks.” She wished that she could curl her fingers around his, but they were stiff and his were too far down for her to be able to reach them. It sucked, but she’d have to make do for the moment.
    “I asked you what you knew about selkies,” Caelum said again.
    Hannah remembered. “Yep. And I don’t know a whole lot.”
    Caelum lay down on the bed, looking like he was trying to get comfortable, and Hannah had the completely