Curse And Craving

63

I have enough to worry about already.” She held her right hand over her chest across her heart. “Don’t you worry. I’m entirely too scared of my mam to do anything stupid. I’d never hear the end of it.” We discussed a few mundane work-related topics before she wished me luck and headed back to her desk, her red curls bouncing as she left the room.

I spent a good chunk of the afternoon thinking about the upcoming meeting. Wondering what information these secretive elders might offer and what questions I should ask. As if the meeting wouldn’t be nerve-wracking enough, I was scheduled to have my first training session with Lochlan as well. I was anxious about that for half a dozen reasons. With both events looming over me, I found myself chewing away at my fingernails while my leg bounced restlessly under my desk. Needless to say, I got very little done. With only an hour left in the workday, I left my desk and began to walk the halls of the museum. Losing myself in the artwork was just the distraction I needed. No matter how many times I had seen the same pieces, I could still appreciate new aspects and see new elements from different perspectives. I found myself lingering at The Quarrel of Titania and Oberon. I hadn’t visited the painting since my tour with Fergus. A radiant Titania stood with a child hiding behind her while arguing with the statuesque Oberon. He looked nothing like the Fae man who had been its muse, and Titania looked nothing like the Fae queen I had met. The piece depicted a scene from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in which the two argue over who would keep a young orphaned boy. According to Shakespeare, Oberon had won the argument and raised the boy as one of his knights. Lochlan had been raised by Alberich. I wondered how that had come about. Had Guin fought Alberich for the rights to Lochlan? I would have to ask him when the time was appropriate, but who knew when that would be. Every time I saw him, I left more confused than the last. The dream, while cathartic, had done nothing to help on that front. My desire for him was undeniable, but I was too emotionally unsteady with everything going on to keep from forming attachments, and growing attached to Lochlan would be a disastrous idea for so many reasons. It was imperative I kept our relationship professional and my head clear of confusing thoughts. Lust had gotten me hurt once. I wouldn’t fall victim again. THE LIBRARY and the museum were both stately buildings, and while they were similar in style, the library was constructed in red brick instead of the museum’s white stone. The library was also much smaller without any modern expansion efforts. I walked into the dated building and found the stairwell down to the basement. Cat had said the ground floor, but here in Ireland, I’d come to discover that meant the basement. The reading room was spacious and accommodated several long wood tables, each outfitted with reading lamps. Two patrons occupied the otherwise empty space, and I scanned the area in search of the study room Cat had mentioned. I spotted a door off to my right and moved closer to investigate. As I approached, my brows narrowed in profound confusion. Inside were two men and three women sitting around a table talking, and among them was Fergus. Cat had mentioned that he was a family friend, but I’d never considered he might be a part of her secret group. I felt like smacking myself in the head. “Thank you for joining us, Rebecca,” said a woman who looked like an aged carbon copy of Cat. “Why don’t you come in so we can shut the door and have some privacy while we talk.” I nodded numbly and did as she suggested, too dumbfounded to argue. Fergus wore a wry grin, but the features of the other man sitting next to him were considerably more stern. Recognition tugged at my mind, but I couldn’t place where I might have seen him. The Cat look-alike had a single brow arched coolly, and the other woman, unfamiliar to me, offered a friendly smile. Clearing my throat, I addressed the group. “Thank you for meeting with me.” The kind-looking woman answered. “You know Fergus, and my name is Maura. While you may not remember me, I’m the police investigator who interviewed you after your friend was attacked. This is Cat’s mother, Colleen. You may recognize Niall Burke.” She motioned to the man with cold eyes and pinched lips. “He’s one of the anchors on the local news, and this is Rian Collins. He’s a doctor at the local hospital. I know you’ve got a lot of questions, and we’ve decided to offer you some information but know that we expect answers in return.” She looked at me pointedly. “Yes, I’m more than happy to tell you what I know. A lot is going on, and I think we all need to work together.” “You aren’t wrong. Let me start by explaining that our group consists of the modern-day descendants of the Druids.” After researching the history of magic in Ireland, I had suspected as much, but it was good to get confirmation. “Many centuries ago, our ancestors were taken to Faery to serve as the queen’s handmaids because she didn’t trust the Fae in her court. Human women posed little risk as they didn’t stand to prosper from her death, and over time, a close relationship developed between her and the women. Over the many years they were together, she taught these women magic through runes and spells. They formed a sort of family bond. When the queen decided to withdraw the Fae from Earth and keep the races separate, she sent her handmaids back to Earth on seemingly peaceful terms. However, not long after, the women were sought out and slaughtered like animals by the Wild Hunt.” She paused, allowing the information to sink in. Six somber faces watched me intently. These people might not have known their ancestors personally, but it was clear that the stories and lessons had lived on in a way that was real to them. The fear was real, and they did not take the subject of the Fae lightly.