but it didn’t break or explode into dust. Frustrated, Helene backed the lift into its original position and turned the engine off. She leaped down from the cab to find Miach standing over the lintel waiting for her.
“Remind me not to make you angry,” he said.
“Why didn’t it break?” Helene asked.
“They are more than stones. They’re magical constructs. They can’t be destroyed, only scattered.”
And it would be the work of an hour, maybe less, to put it back together again.
“Beth shouldn’t come back, should she?” said Helene. She wanted her best friend here with her, to help navigate this strange world and its terrors, but not at the price of her safety.
“No. She shouldn’t. Not until we find out who planned this little surprise for her. And remove you from his power. But Beth is already on her way. Our only choice is to find out who is doing this before she gets here.”
“You want to search my body for the geis ,” she guessed. And it was no longer just her own safety at issue. Her attacker was after Beth, too.
“Yes. I’m afraid I do. If he has used that kind of magic on you, a geis , I should be able to discover his identity. Gaesa are like handwriting. They are distinctive. Even if I don’t know who this Fae is, Finn or Deirdre might.”
“Who are Finn and Deirdre?” she asked. Knowing Conn, Miach, and Elada was enough. She wasn’t certain she wanted any other Fae in her life.
“Finn controls Charlestown. We are in a state of uneasy truce at the moment.”
“And Deirdre?”
Miach hesitated. And completely irrationally, she felt a pang, then a slow burn of jealousy. Finally Miach said, “Deirdre is a friend.”
“You mean she is your lover.”
Miach shrugged. “The Fae are long lived. Humans are like mayflies. Yes, Deirdre has been my lover, at times. You will understand why should you ever meet her. She will be my lover again in the future. The Tuatha Dé Danann are not made for monogamy.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For reminding me of all the reasons I don’t want you.” She turned her back on him and walked away, up the wide aisle they had traveled earlier.
“Helene,” he called out.
She stopped and turned.
“We’re not done here. I can feel other items on the shelves, things that could be used by this Fae. I need to find and remove them.”
“Do it,” she said. “I’ll be in my office.”
“You shouldn’t be alone.”
“I’ll put a chair under the doorknob.”
“And if this Fae summons you?” he asked. “If he’s worked the kind of spell I fear, you’ll remove the chair yourself. Like a good little drone. You’ll probably speak and act normally, so that no one will notice what you are doing. But you won’t let anyone or anything stop you from obeying his summons.”
“Then mark me,” she said. Helene didn’t want to spend another minute in his presence. Didn’t want to be reminded of her own stupidity and weakness. She had almost been taken in by him. His charisma, his magnetism, was difficult to resist, and the intensity of his interest had drawn her close, made her feel special. But it was the interest of a child in a new toy: selfish, and transient.
If wearing one of his scribbles would allow her to enjoy some privacy in relative safety, she could put up with some magical graffiti for a few hours.
“Are you certain?” he asked. He took a step back even as his features took on a feral, hungry cast.
“Mark me like you did at Beth’s apartment. So you can find me again. That way I can spend some time in my office. Alone .”
He nodded. “That would be acceptable.”
She took him to her office. She doubted after seeing his home in South Boston that he would like the spare, modern space she had designed for herself in the museum’s newest wing, an extension of gleaming steel and glass finished in shades of white and pale blue.
Her office itself was visually simple, decorated in textures that were meant to engage
“Remind me not to make you angry,” he said.
“Why didn’t it break?” Helene asked.
“They are more than stones. They’re magical constructs. They can’t be destroyed, only scattered.”
And it would be the work of an hour, maybe less, to put it back together again.
“Beth shouldn’t come back, should she?” said Helene. She wanted her best friend here with her, to help navigate this strange world and its terrors, but not at the price of her safety.
“No. She shouldn’t. Not until we find out who planned this little surprise for her. And remove you from his power. But Beth is already on her way. Our only choice is to find out who is doing this before she gets here.”
“You want to search my body for the geis ,” she guessed. And it was no longer just her own safety at issue. Her attacker was after Beth, too.
“Yes. I’m afraid I do. If he has used that kind of magic on you, a geis , I should be able to discover his identity. Gaesa are like handwriting. They are distinctive. Even if I don’t know who this Fae is, Finn or Deirdre might.”
“Who are Finn and Deirdre?” she asked. Knowing Conn, Miach, and Elada was enough. She wasn’t certain she wanted any other Fae in her life.
“Finn controls Charlestown. We are in a state of uneasy truce at the moment.”
“And Deirdre?”
Miach hesitated. And completely irrationally, she felt a pang, then a slow burn of jealousy. Finally Miach said, “Deirdre is a friend.”
“You mean she is your lover.”
Miach shrugged. “The Fae are long lived. Humans are like mayflies. Yes, Deirdre has been my lover, at times. You will understand why should you ever meet her. She will be my lover again in the future. The Tuatha Dé Danann are not made for monogamy.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For reminding me of all the reasons I don’t want you.” She turned her back on him and walked away, up the wide aisle they had traveled earlier.
“Helene,” he called out.
She stopped and turned.
“We’re not done here. I can feel other items on the shelves, things that could be used by this Fae. I need to find and remove them.”
“Do it,” she said. “I’ll be in my office.”
“You shouldn’t be alone.”
“I’ll put a chair under the doorknob.”
“And if this Fae summons you?” he asked. “If he’s worked the kind of spell I fear, you’ll remove the chair yourself. Like a good little drone. You’ll probably speak and act normally, so that no one will notice what you are doing. But you won’t let anyone or anything stop you from obeying his summons.”
“Then mark me,” she said. Helene didn’t want to spend another minute in his presence. Didn’t want to be reminded of her own stupidity and weakness. She had almost been taken in by him. His charisma, his magnetism, was difficult to resist, and the intensity of his interest had drawn her close, made her feel special. But it was the interest of a child in a new toy: selfish, and transient.
If wearing one of his scribbles would allow her to enjoy some privacy in relative safety, she could put up with some magical graffiti for a few hours.
“Are you certain?” he asked. He took a step back even as his features took on a feral, hungry cast.
“Mark me like you did at Beth’s apartment. So you can find me again. That way I can spend some time in my office. Alone .”
He nodded. “That would be acceptable.”
She took him to her office. She doubted after seeing his home in South Boston that he would like the spare, modern space she had designed for herself in the museum’s newest wing, an extension of gleaming steel and glass finished in shades of white and pale blue.
Her office itself was visually simple, decorated in textures that were meant to engage
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