Three Promises by Bishop O'Connell Page B

the guests. “It is my pleasure to introduce for the first time, Dr. Edward Huntington, and Mrs. Caitlin Brady-­Huntington.”

 
    PART 1
    B rendan thought back, trying to remember what had come before. Time had no meaning here, which made the memories—­if they were in fact memories—­hard to place in the right order.
    â€œDo you want to remember, love?” Áine asked, her cheek to his chest. There was sadness in her tone.
    â€œI don’t know,” Brendan said, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her closer. “Not if it means leaving this place and losing you again.” He had lost her before, hadn’t he? He flinched at a flash of memory, of Áine dying in his arms, covered in blood from wounds she suffered at his hands. “No!”
    â€œShh, A rún mo chroí ,” Áine whispered and held him tighter. “It’s okay. It weren’t you.”
    Brendan knew that was true, it’d been the demon inside him, the spirit of rage. But he’d been the one to lose control of it.
    â€œYou did good things as well,” she said. “Do you remember those? If you remember, you must remember it all.”
    He hesitated, unsure if he wanted to. When he looked into Áine’s shining eyes, the memories slowly rose up from the darkness. “I remember you, Áine—­no, not you, what was her name, then?”
    â€œCaitlin, love,” Áine said softly.
    Brendan nodded. “Aye, Caitlin, that’s it.” He shook his head. “She was the very image of you.”
    Ãine smiled. “Aye, I know. She would be, wouldn’t she?”
    â€œHer daughter had been taken by the oíche,” Brendan said. “I remember working with Dante to find where they’d taken her.” The memories slowly unfolded, one leading to another. “She and I, the two of us, we went to the Tír to get Fiona, the girseach , back from Fergus.” Brendan stopped. He could sense something dark and terrible just ahead.
    Ãine moved up and kissed his brow. “It’s okay, my beloved, keep going.”
    Brendan drew her closer, as if the memories might tear Áine from him. “I remember the Dusk Lands, the three challenges, and a promise—­”
    â€œAye, that’s right,” Áine said. “You promised to get Caitlin and Fiona out.” She buried her face in his neck. “And you did just that.”
    It was all blood and fury now, and it was good. Brendan closed his eyes. “Bloody hell, I gave in to the thing, didn’t I? Loosed the monster once and for all?”
    Ãine nodded, reaching up to brush a tear from his eye. “It was the only way. And you gave all to keep your promise.”
    It was like falling for a moment, and Brendan reached out, desperate hands grasping for Áine, but only finding empty air. And then he was back in the heart of the Dusk Lands, where the Dark King was his most powerful. Fergus had told them of his plan to make Fiona—­his own daughter—­his queen. With her shaped by him, and the Dawn Court blood she inherited from her mother, Fergus would cast out Queen Teagan and take the Dawn Court for himself. But Brendan had been wounded and, bound by Fergus, helpless to do anything.
    â€œThere is another option.” Fergus reached out with his free hand and caressed Caitlin’s face. “You needn’t lose our child.”
    She winced at his touch, but didn’t pull away.
    Brendan could smell the magic pouring off Fergus and drifting around Caitlin.
    â€œStay here, with Fiona,” he said, his voice like warm silk.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œThink of it. Fiona will be safe.” He said . “She’ll never get sick, never grow old, and neither will you. She will be a queen, wanting for nothing. Think what a life that will be for her.”
    Brendan felt a rush of panic. Don’t let him trick you! he shouted, but nothing