Wild Irish Roots (The Mystic Cove Series) by Tricia O'Malley

looking down at her. And then seeing the same light as her, hurriedly sat back on his knees.
    "What the...?" Sean said and turned to look at the water.
    A brilliant blue light shot from the depths of the water, illuminating the cliff walls that hugged the cove and stretching out into the night sky. Margaret's mouth fell open as she stared at the water. She'd never seen or heard of this before.
    "What the hell, Margaret?" Sean said furiously, looking back at her. Margaret realized that he thought she knew what was happening.
    "I...I don't know. I don't know. Oh, God, what's happening?" Margaret shouted and leapt up, looking for her clothes in the sand. Leaving her underwear, she pulled her dress over her head and watched as Sean tugged his pants on. Grabbing his shoes, he left the hamper behind and Margaret had to race to keep up with him. Terrified of the water, of the light, of what was happening, Margaret ran for her life.
    They panted up the path, not saying a word. As they neared the top, Margaret began to grow cold inside. She could feel Sean's anger, his confusion, and his hurt. She could tell that he thought that she knew about what was happening in the cove. Hanging her head in shame, she walked the last few steps to the top where he stood, looking down at the glowing water. The further they had gotten from it, the more the light had dimmed.
    "You think this is funny?" Sean hissed, his chest heaving with his struggle to breathe.
    Margaret shook her head and reached out to him but he stepped back, evading her hand. "That little circle thing you did at the bottom. That's what witches do, right? This is all part of that, isn't it? I thought it was crazy rumors. But it's not. It's all true. You lied to me."
    "No, Sean, please. I didn't lie. I told you that I’d heard weird stuff about the cove. I'm just as scared as you. I have no idea what this is," Margaret pleaded for Sean to understand. He stood back and ran his hands through his dark hair, his face looking murderous in the pale light of the moon.
    "I can't. I just can't deal with this. It's too messed up. I'm sorry...I have to go," Sean said and turned and ran from her.
    Margaret stared after him in shock, her heart cracking open and shattering inside of her. The man who had just professed to love her and wanted to start a new life with her had just run... run from her. Margaret collapsed to her knees as a keening sound reached her ears. Realizing that it came from her, she covered her mouth as sobs racked her body. Turning to look at the cove in accusation, Margaret wanted to scream.
    The light was gone.

Chapter Eleven
    ––––––––
    M oments, minutes, hours later...Margaret pulled herself up and trudged towards her house. She'd grabbed her purse when she'd run for the trail but cared little about the rest of her clothing that lay on the beach. The gravel stung her feet with each step and knowing the way home by heart, Margaret crossed into the softer grass and cut across the hill where her house shone its light warmly into the night.
    Margaret tried to contain her sobs but there was little she could do. Her heart was left behind in the cove.
    Weakly, she pushed the door to the cottage open, not bothering to clean herself up or to put on a happy face for her mother. There was no way that Fiona wouldn't know what had just happened.
    "Margaret!" Fiona exclaimed and jumped up from her rocking chair in the alcove where she was writing in her book.
    That damn book, Margaret thought. She raised a hand to stop Fiona in her tracks.
    "Don't," Margaret said.
    "But...are you okay? Oh, honey, let me help you," Fiona whispered.
    Margaret vehemently shook her head though a part of her wanted to run to Fiona and curl up with her head in Fiona's lap.
    "This is your fault. Yours. Grace's. And every other freak like me," Margaret shouted, her wrath pouring over Fiona. Fiona recoiled as if Margaret had slapped her and Margaret stormed past her, slamming the door to her