Emerald Isle (30 page)

Tabby’s eyes darted all around as they made their way down the stairs with haste.

“Who?” Birdie asked.

“My father,” said her old classmate.

Tallulah explained that her mother had been the previous Seeker. That she, and only she, knew the power of the locket, and it had driven Tabby’s father insane.

“Mother never broke the Seeker’s code of silence regarding the locket, not once. When the time came for her to pass the locket along, he became obsessed with finding it. With keeping it in the family. He thought she would pass it to me, despite the fact that a Seeker is born every hundred years or so, but”—she looked crestfallen—“I could never meet his demands.”

“We are who we are, despite what our families expect of us.”

Tabby gave a weak smile. “I never knew she gave it to Stacy. Never knew my father sent anyone to harm her, but it makes sense now. What your daughter saw in her vision must have been true.”

Birdie said, “If we don’t bind him, he won’t stop.”

When they reached the lobby, Lolly and Fiona were performing a spell. Birdie handed them the hairbrush.
Ivy was there, removing the locket from Thor’s vest. John appeared to be standing guard.

Ethan entered the castle, Anastasia draped in his arms. Tallulah gasped.

“Tabby, get my daughter. Hurry!” Birdie added when Tallulah hadn’t moved.

Tallulah rushed off toward the library, and Birdie went to her granddaughter.

Ivy placed the locket around Anastasia’s neck, a tear in her eye.

“Strength, Warrior,” Birdie said.

A minute later, Tallulah returned, distraught. “She isn’t in her room.”

Fiona said, “Oh no.” She shifted her eyes to Birdie. “We can’t do it without her mother.”

Birdie knew that, or feared it at least. The cauldron was powerful, that was certain. A symbol not only of sustenance, but of water, the womb, birth, life.

Resurrection.

It had been known to reanimate many a fallen soldier—especially those who fought to protect it. But without her mother to dunk her, would it work for Anastasia?

“Eleven thirty,” Ivy said.

For it to work at all, the baptism had to be performed on the day the person died.

“Let’s go,” Birdie said.

“I’ll keep looking,” Tallulah said, and rushed off.

Fiona said, “Thor shouldn’t be there. I don’t think he’s aware yet.”

Birdie thought Lolly shouldn’t be present either. “Wait upstairs, both of you. I’ll call if I need you.”

John, Ivy, Birdie, and Ethan headed for the Dining Hall. The sign posted on the wall read
DANU’S DINNER GUESTS, THIS WAY
. A mock street sign.

Birdie searched for a light switch as John helped Ethan place Anastasia gently on the floor beneath the portrait of the great goddess.

The cauldron was here, they were certain, based on the visions that filtered through to them on the mound.

They had discussed their plans on the car ride over. Everyone had a purpose, everyone was focused.

The lights flicked on, and Birdie thought Ivy had discovered the switch, until she heard, “Looking for this?”

She spun around to see Elizabeth standing near the golden cauldron, a gun in her hand. “Aedon told me you were here to steal the cauldron.” She trained her gun on Birdie.

John asked, “What’s that wire sticking out of the back?”

Birdie answered, “Didn’t I mention the bomb?”

“No, but thanks for bringing me up to speed.” John pulled his own gun out and said, “Look, Tinker Bell, I suggest you get your ass away from that pot before you blow us all to bits.”

That was the last thing the Guardian said before a lamp crashed into his head.

Birdie watched, fury filling her belly, as Gary stood over John, the broken lamp in his hand. He discarded it and picked up John’s pistol.

The youngest Geraghty turned to the tiny woman holding the big gun. “Elizabeth, don’t be a dolt. Stop and think why the cauldron is here in the first place.”

“Aedon said—”

“Aedon is dead!” Birdie said.

“I’m afraid that was just a rumor, Brighid.”

Birdie whipped around to see Aedon, looking worse for wear, walk into the room, clutching his arm.

Birdie had no idea the capacity of her hatred until she lunged at him. With one wave of his hand, Aedon lifted the witch and tossed her through the air. She crashed into a serving cart.

“Thank you for your loyalty, Elizabeth,” Aedon said.

The stupid woman nodded as Birdie hoisted herself upright.

“You will pay for what you have done, Aedon. I promise you that,” Birdie said.

“I would warn you against threatening me, Brighid, but I suspect you have already seen the consequences of what happens to those who cross me,” Aedon said.

Suddenly, Ivy came at Gary with the ferocity of a lion. She karate chopped his neck, and he slumped to the floor. The young girl grabbed the gun, looked at Birdie. “Twenty minutes until midnight.”

“Ethan, get the water,” Birdie said.

Aedon said, “Move, and Elizabeth will shoot you.”

Elizabeth looked like she hadn’t signed off on that order. In that moment, Birdie was certain Aedon was acting alone in his plan for revenge.

Birdie took advantage of the small woman’s hesitation. “Do you see? Aedon is willing to destroy an O’Conor to satisfy his vengeance.”

Elizabeth looked from Birdie to Aedon.

“Give me the gun, Elizabeth,” Aedon said.

Elizabeth began to shake.

“Don’t do it,” Birdie warned.

The very walls of the room seemed to be holding their breath.
Please, let this woman be smarter than she looks
, Birdie prayed.

Ivy made the decision for Elizabeth when she shot the gun out of the woman’s hand. Elizabeth shrieked and bumped into the cauldron, clamping her palm.

That’s when the ticking started.

Elizabeth’s fall must have tripped some sort of timer on the bomb. Birdie’s priorities shifted. She couldn’t let the cauldron explode.

She gingerly stepped toward it as Aedon focused on the small blonde woman.

“You should have done as I told you, Elizabeth,” Aedon said.

Then he flicked his wrist and snapped her neck. Birdie watched as Elizabeth slumped to the floor.

Birdie said, “Aedon, please, don’t do this.”

Birdie’s old friend ignored her. He trained his sights on Ivy and twisted his hand, and the gun she held opened, spilling its bullets across the floor. Ivy dropped the barrel.

“You don’t have to do this. It was all a mistake. Liam O’Conor is the one to blame for your son’s death. He gave the order to kill Anastasia,” Birdie said. After what Tallulah had told her, it was the only explanation. He wanted the locket, and he wanted someone from his loins to be Seeker. Since that wasn’t looking like it would happen, he must have decided to eliminate the competition.

Ethan used Birdie’s distraction to escape the room. Aedon caught the boy’s movements out of the corner of
his eye. He waved an arm, elevating Ethan, and slammed him into a wall.

Birdie cringed.

The air in the room grew bitterly cold. Birdie looked at the cauldron, took another step toward it.

Then, as if summoned, an angry force swept through the dining hall, knocking everyone to the floor.

Birdie watched in terror as a spirit materialized. He looked familiar. Could it be?

The spirit looked at Birdie with disdain, then set his sights on Aedon.

Aedon groaned and rose to stand. He tossed a nervous glance toward Ethan, before he met the spirit’s fierce gaze. “He’s fine, Liam. I…I wasn’t going to hurt him,” Aedon stammered.

Birdie inched toward the cauldron, glancing at Aedon.

His focus was on the spirit of Ethan’s grandfather.

Liam’s face was contorted into a palpable furor.

Aedon lifted his hand, “Liam, please, you don’t understand.”

Birdie advanced another step toward the cauldron.

Liam roared and Aedon cried out, tried to duck. “Don’t!”

Then the ghost of Liam O’Conor picked up a bullet, examined it closely, and sailed it straight through Aedon’s skull. His body slumped back against a wall as the head of the council took his final breath.

Birdie was about to take another step toward the cauldron, when the ghost of Ethan’s great-grandfather descended on Anastasia.

“Leave her alone!” Birdie shouted.

The man who was the cause of so much misery, both past and present, snarled at Birdie. Then he ripped the locket off her granddaughter’s neck.

The cauldron tick-tocked.

Ivy whispered, “Ten minutes.”

Ethan crawled to the cauldron. “I need something to cut the wires.”

Ivy slid her pocketknife to him.

Birdie stood, keeping her eye on the locket as the ghost twisted it in his hand, inspecting it curiously.

“Which wire?” Ethan asked.

“We just studied this,” Ivy said. “Cut the red wire.”

Tick-tock.

Ethan reached in with the cutter.

Birdie said, “No, wait! Is there a black one?”

Ethan looked.

The ghost was still marveling at his trinket.

“Yes,” Ethan said.

“That one. I know Aedon—he would think it poetic justice. Black is banishment.”

Tick-tock.

“Five minutes,” Ivy said.

“Ivy, get the water!” Birdie called.

Ivy rushed from the room.

Ethan said, “Here goes nothing.”

He reached in and cut.

They all held their breath for a split second. The ticking stopped.

Birdie approached the spirit. He opened the locket, spun it around a few times, and frowned.

“I believe that belongs to my granddaughter, Liam.”

The spirit sneered at her.

Ethan said, “Please, Great-Grandfather.”

Ivy rushed back in with the water. “Three minutes.”

Just then, Tallulah stormed into the room. “I couldn’t find her mother”—she was out of breath—“but I brought the next-best thing.”

She stepped aside, revealing an older woman who moved with great difficulty.

The woman bellowed, “Liam! Give me that locket. It doesn’t belong to you, and it never did.”

The spirit glared at the woman, and the room heated like a Florida summer.

“Honestly!” the old woman said. She looked at Ivy. “Don’t ever get married. Husbands are nothing but a pain in the neck.” She stepped forward. “Tallulah has informed me what you’ve been doing, and you should be ashamed of yourself.”

Liam didn’t look ashamed. He looked incensed.

“This kind of behavior is why I killed you in the first place.” The woman turned to Tallulah, who was stunned. “Sorry you had to find out this way, dear.”

Liam moved his lips, but only his wife, the Seeker, could hear him. Birdie assumed she must have been a necromancer.

“Two minutes,” Ivy said.

“You want to see what it does?” asked the old Seeker.

The ghost of her husband nodded.

“Fine, but then you give it back.”

He nodded again.

Tallulah’s mother told her husband to open the locket. “You see that watch face? I want you to stare into it and concentrate.”

He did.

“Sixty seconds,” Ivy said.

Instantly, Liam was sucked into the locket. It hung in midair until Tallulah’s mother grabbed it. She slammed it shut.

“That’s one of its secrets,” the old woman said. “When she wakes up, I’ll teach the new Seeker of Justice the rest.”

Ethan and Ivy lifted Anastasia, crossed the room, and laid her inside the cauldron. Ivy poured the water as Ethan draped the locket over Anastasia’s neck. The spell was in place. It had to work.

They waited.

Nothing happened.

Birdie walked over to the girl, put a hand on her forehead, sending her energy, strength.

Anastasia’s skin felt cold, brittle almost.

After what seemed like ages, Ivy said, “Why isn’t it working?”

John’s voice grumbled from the floor. He stirred. “Because we’re too late.” He was still lying on the ground. He groaned a bit as he held up a pocket watch. “It’s five minutes past midnight.”

Ivy cried, “No, that can’t be.” She looked at her phone. “We still have ten seconds.”

Ethan checked his phone, met Ivy’s eyes. “He’s right.”

“No!” Ivy wailed.

Birdie’s knees gave way as her body numbed.