A Fine Cauldron Of Fish (8 page)

Whatever. Andrew just wanted Bob gone
at this point. “You shall prosper in all ways. Your prayers are
answered.”

“
Thank you, Thank you.” Bob
backed out of the restaurant, bowing all the way.

Andrew took Margaid’s hand. “Come on,
let’s go find that druid. I can’t take much more of
this.”

He stopped by the front desk, placed
the credit card in an envelope, and had the bellhop take it up to
his mother. Andrew and Margaid strolled out of the hotel onto the
wide Victorian promenade.

Her long red hair streamed in the wind
as they ran ahead of a horse drawn tram and crossed the street to
the sidewalk by the bay. He breathed in the strong, invigorating
scents of salt and fish.

Today could be his last day on earth,
if this god judged against him. “Is Mannan a good god?” He glanced
at the Victorian hotels and well restored buildings they passed
by.

“
Well, he takes care of the
sea and all its creatures.” Margaid gazed at the sparkling blue
water of Douglas Bay as she walked at Andrew’s side, still
clutching his hand.

“
So, are you part of the
sea?” Andrew turned his head to look at the bay. The water was so
still, it almost looked like jade, stretching out forever with the
sun glistening upon it.

“
I’m a fey creature of the
sea, like the water horses and the selkies.”

“
But they are sea
creatures, you’re not.” They passed an Indian restaurant and he
walked on, almost reluctantly knowing they would soon reach the
store and everything would change for better or worse.

“
No, but I serve Mannan beg
mac y Leir. He’s more than a sea god, he’s also the god of
transformation, and he’s quite a joker as well.”

“
Margaid, my life will soon
be in the hands of the sea god.” Trying to take his mind off all
this madness, he took in the details of the grand buildings;
straight white columns, the overhanging bay windows, sloping roofs,
triangular gables and small turret towers.

“
It’s all my fault. If I
wasn’t such a bad
lhiannan
shee
, none of this would have happened.”
She brushed tears off her face with the flat of her
palms.

“
Margaid, no, it’s not your
fault, if you weren’t so bad at being a
lhiannan shee
, I’d be dead.” Heat shot
through him as her soft, delicate hand squeezed his. “No matter
what, I’m glad everything worked out the way it did or I never
would have met you. Margaid, I have to talk to Mannan, it’s the
only chance you have for a normal life.”

Tears streamed down her face. “Andrew,
I love you.”

“
Oh Margaid.” Wrapping his
arms around her soft shoulders, which felt like warm satin, he
pulled her close. Her admission of love heated his blood. He felt
so much more than lust for this woman. Andrew wanted to protect and
care for her. “This is it. We’re at the shop.” His breathing was so
heavy, his heart throbbed. “I have to get this settled, fix this
whole
lhiannan shee
, Mannan thing. He pulled her tighter to him. “Let’s go and
see this god.”

Having crossed the wide promenade,
they entered the Celtic Cauldron. The spicy and tangy scents of
herbs and incense made his nose tingle. It was worse than the
department stores where ladies squirted perfume on Christmas
shoppers.

A man in a long robe stepped out from
the counter. He had long silvery hair, which curled on the ends and
was tied back in a pony tail. Andrew gazed at the blue tattoos
covering his arm, a crane drawn with Celtic tracery, a triskelion,
swirls that looked like ocean waves, and one of an eye shaped like
a fish with a fish’s tail on the end. That’s the same kind of
tattoo the ‘B is for Big’ guy had. But it wasn’t the same man. The
shop owner’s hair was gray instead of brown and he was older and
taller. He appeared friendlier, his smile was broad and contagious,
and his large eyes sparkled. Though elderly, his back was straight
and he stood with his hands on his hips, looking notably
self-assured.

"
Moghrey Mie
." The shop owner gazed
straight at Margaid.

Andrew recognized the Manx greeting.
“Good morning to you as well, moghrey mie. You’re smiling at
Margaid, can you see her?”

“
No, but I see an aura
hanging in the air as if it surrounds a spirit and I feel energy,
feminine energy.”

“
That’s Margaid all right,
feminine energy.”

Margaid grinned at Andrew. “This man’s
the druid the nurse spoke of.”

“
Is she a spirit?” the
druid asked.

“
She’s a
lhiannan shee
.” Andrew’s
gaze met Margaid’s and he winked at her. It won’t be long now. If
this works out she’ll soon be free, but still with me.
Hopefully.

The druid’s brows arched in a puzzled
expression. “Enslaved to you...you resisted her charms.”

“
Well, you see, I lost my
contacts, so I couldn’t see her that well, also I took her by
surprise and seduced her before she could seduce me. You might
say."

The elder man’s luminous eyes widened
as he gazed at Andrew. “That’s quite a story.”

“
It’s been quite an
experience.” Andrew stepped closer to him. “Can you help
us?”

“
Help?” The druid stared at
Margaid and smiled. “What kind of help do you want?”

Andrew wondered if somehow the man
really could see her. He had the oddest feeling about this. “I want
Margaid free from slavery to me, so others can see her and she can
decide for herself who she wants to be with, me or someone else.
It’s only right. She’s a great person, she deserves freedom. Who
doesn’t? But Margaid is like a butterfly, a bird, she has to be
free.”

“
What can I do?” The man’s
eyes gleamed.

“
I am told you are a druid
and you can invoke the god Mannan beg mac y Leir. Only he can
release Margaid from her vow of slavery to me.”

“
But you are a
non-believer.” The druid gazed at him with those piercing blue
eyes, challenging him.

“
I believe in Margaid. I
can see and hear her. And I believe that Mannan can make her human
so we can be together, if that’s what she wishes. It’s our only
chance at happiness. I want no other woman, only Margaid. She is my
future.”

“
Mannan can be like a storm
rising off the ocean, such is his temper, and he may not take well
to your request,” the druid warned.

Andrew nodded. “I have been told of
the risk.”

“
I can perform a ritual.
But once I start, there is no turning back. Are you sure you want
to do this?” the druid asked.

“
Yes.” Andrew gazed into
Margaid’s large eyes as he took her hand in his and squeezed it. “I
have to do this. You are not meant to be a slave.”

“
I want to be with you in
whatever way I can.”

“
Margaid, if you love me,
let me do this. I need to.”

“
I do love you and I can’t
talk you out of this. So I’ll stand by your side as you speak with
Mannan beg mac y Leir.”

“
Very well,” the shop owner
let out a long sigh, “come into the back of the store, I have a
small temple there.”

Andrew clutched Margaid’s warm, soft
hand, squeezing it as they walked together, following the druid
into a back room.

The druid gestured. “Margaid, you sit
here, and Andrew, you sit there, facing each other.” The druid sat
a fat candle on the center of the table and lit it. “Reach across
the table and grasp each other’s hands.” The druid raised his arms
in the air.

Andrew reached out to stop him.
“First, shouldn’t we introduce ourselves? My name is Andrew, and
you know of Margaid.” Again Andrew noticed the druid smiling at
Margaid and he swore he could see her. “And what’s your
name?”

“
My name is...well they
call me Orbsen mac Alloid.”

“
Orbsen, I’m glad to meet
you.” He reached out and shook the druid’s hand. Andrew almost
yelled ouch. The old man had a surprisingly strong grip for his
age.

Margaid grabbed Andrew’s shoulder and
he tilted his head toward her, but she didn’t say anything. Her
face was red, tense, and lined. The nails of her hand pressed
against his skin. She stood up and pointed at the druid, then swung
her head back to Andrew. Trying to tell him something important,
her lips moved, but she didn't utter a sound.

“
What’s wrong?” Something’s
not right. “We have to go.” He shot up out of his seat, but Margaid
shook her head no. “I mean we’ll stay.” Andrew looked at Margaid,
who now bobbed her head up and down. She wanted to stay but still,
something was wrong. “Okay, we’ll stay.”

He shifted his gaze back to Orbsen and
shrugged to hide his confusion. “Shouldn’t I pay you
first?”

“
No, not me.” The druid
remained calm in his expression and tone as he still sat in the
wooden chair. “The god will ask for a sacrifice. Sometimes he wants
it in a golden bauble or a sword, but other times he will ask for
much more.”

Andrew gulped, knowing he
could easily be dead, drained of all of his blood at the hands of
the god himself or another
lhiannan
shee
. Margaid squeezed his hand tight, but
she no longer dug her nails into him and her face was less lined.
She was more relaxed, yet still unable to speak. He had to fight
through the gamut of confusion, fear, anxiety, excitement,
curiosity, and love for Margaid. As she sat back down, so did
he.

Andrew nodded to the druid to
begin.

Orbsen mac Alloid scooted his chair
back, and with one fluid movement he stood. He lifted his hands
into the air, waving them in a circular motion. Suddenly, the air
sparked and an amber light circled Orbsen. He transformed before
Margaid and Andrew into a luminescent figure wearing a pale blue
tunic, with a silver belt covered in knot work, and a darker blue
cloak adorned with silver swirls. It was pinned with a large,
penannular brooch.

Margaid gulped. “Why did you take my
voice away?” She gazed accusingly at the druid.

“
Because sometimes you
speak too much. Still I will hear what you ask of me and I will
consider your request based on the service you have given
me.”

“
What are you talking
about?” Andrew whipped his neck toward the druid. “Who are
you?”

“
It’s him.” Margaid let go
of Andrew’s hand, clasped her palms together and stepped forward to
Orbsen. “I failed as a
lhiannan
shee
.”

“
You didn’t find a man to
seduce?”

“
No, I found one, but he
seduced me and now I’m his slave.”

Andrew tried to stay calm but he
wanted to grab Margaid’s hand and run as fast as he
could.

“
It is good you have come
to me.” The glowing god with long shivery hair held out his hands
to Margaid. “I will help you. I will slay him so you will be free
to seduce a man who cannot resist you.”

“
No, no, don’t do that.”
She waved her hands in front of the god’s face. “I don’t mind being
his slave. I want to be with him.”

Andrew looked the god straight in the
eye. “We love each other and you can’t change that.”

The sea god ignored him and peered at
Margaid. “What?” His silvery brows arched and his glowing eyes
widened. “He must be quite a man.”

“
Oh, he is.” Margaid stood
up and moved behind Andrew, who stood as well. She wrapped her arms
around his shoulders and chest “Here he is, his name is
Andrew.”

Andrew turned his head and
gently placed a whispery kiss on Margaid's soft cheek. Then he
turned his gaze back to the deity. “You are a trickster god aren’t
you? I am not afraid of you and I won’t let you hurt Margaid. I’ll
have you know, she is not a failure. She is the most
wonderful
lhiannan shee
and the greatest woman I’ve ever met.”

Mannon’s lips turned up into a broad
smile and he nodded at Margaid. “It doesn’t sound like he resisted
your charms. It sounds like he is enchanted by you.”

“
Well, I don’t have his
blood in my red cauldron.”

“
I can see that.” For the
first time Mannon peered at Andrew. “Your blood is still inside
you, right?”

“
Yes, no one drained my
blood and I plan to keep it that way.”

The god chuckled warmly. “Well, I can
understand why you would prefer that.”

“
But I also want Margaid
free. She deserves more than to live her entire life as my slave,
and I won’t let you to turn her into a water horse
either.”

“
Oh, I was looking forward
to turning you into a
cabyll-ushtey
,
Margaid.”

“
I wish you wouldn’t. But
if changing me into a water horse will keep Andrew safe, I would
willingly become one.”

Mannon raised his huge cape up. “If I
flap this cloak between you, the two of you will forget each other
forever.”