“You’ve been so kind,” Breen began.
“You’ve had trials and face more to come. This is thanks. Kindness? This costs nothing.”
Marco leaned down to kiss her cheek. “I’m awfully glad we met you, um, Mother.”
“Ah, what woman doesn’t like a kiss from a handsome young man.” She kissed his in turn. “We’ll see each other again. Now you need to be off, to make yourselves lovely for the Welcome.”
She took Breen’s hand one last time. “And have a care, Daughter.”
“She was great,” Marco said as they walked back. “A little spooky with the someone wants to hurt you bit, but great.”
“I think I know who she sensed, and it’s nothing. Hard thoughts don’t worry me.”
“Who? So I can give them the hard eye.”
“Shana. She embarrassed herself—and women everywhere—trying to get me into a fight over Keegan.”
“Oh, that.” Since she’d already told him the story, he shrugged it off as she did. “But I’m giving her the Marco Olsen Terrifying Hard Eye anyway. Nobody snipes at my girl.”
“That’ll teach her.” She gave him a body bump. “But on to more important things. Is it dumb if I changed the color on the blue dress—it’s all I’ve got—just for tonight?”
“You can do that?”
“I can. Maybe to purple or something bronzy.”
“Not dumb, but totally on. How about after we get all done up, I come over and you can try out different colors on me? And what else you should do? Hunt up Kiara, see if she’s got any sparkly pins or whatever for your hair. Just fancy it up a little.”
“She said she’d promised to do someone else’s, so wouldn’t have time. But … maybe I could hit her up for a loan, and you could help me fancy it.”
“Something sparkly,” he said again. “Or, you know, if you can’t find her, we could maybe work some flowers into the braid.”
Now she hooked an arm through his. “I’m almost, sort of, nearly looking forward to this thing tonight.”
“Almost, sort of, nearly? Come on, girl. Party in the castle! Can’t nothing be more lit than that. We had the sad and solemn last night, and man, I’m never going to forget that. We had the drama and your I’m-a-kick-ass-witch turn this morning. Now it’s party time. Welcome to the Capital, Breen Siobhan Kelly.”
“Yeah, it’s— Wait, what? You think this is about me tonight?”
“Don’t think, know. Girl, what’d you think? Besides, Brian told me for sure. Welcoming you—and I get a piece of that as the BFF of the star.”
She lost three shades of color on the spot. “Oh God, Marco, I don’t want to be the star.”
“It’s not like you have to get up and sing. Though you could. And no speeches required or anything, Brian said. I asked because I know you. You just talk to people, and there’s a big-ass feast, lots of drinking, and there’s dancing. A party, Breen.”
He laughed when Bollocks leaped off the bridge into the river. “That dog can’t pass up a puddle, much less a stream. Oh, and he gets to come, too. Toss away the nervous face, girlfriend. Everybody said tonight’s nothing but fun.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
In her room, blood boiling, mind burning, Shana set out the crystals and herbs, the oils and essences she’d taken from Loren’s cottage. From a box hidden in her wardrobe, she retrieved the strands of hair she’d taken and secreted away months before when she’d playfully insisted on brushing Keegan’s hair.
In her heart she knew she’d always planned to do this, just this, even when she’d believed Keegan would pledge to her. Because to attain all she wanted, she needed him to look at her and no other. To want her and no other.
Love her, and no other. Even his mother. How could she take Tarryn’s place as the hand of the taoiseach if he took love that should be hers and gave even drops of it to his mother?
She used a bowl of rose quartz Keegan had given her and, with that anger and ambition fueling her intention, lit a red candle.
“Red for passion and for the heart, light his love for me alone.” Her own pounded as she poured the oils into the bowl. “Oils of cinnamon and poppy cloud his mind to all save me, and to this I add the stone. A weight on his heart when we must part.”
Carefully, she tapped in powdered herbs. “Rosemary, valerian, remember and sigh till nothing I ask of him will he deny.” One by one, she added three strands of hair.