“I can’t be.” Shaking it off, she held out an arm. Amish soared to it. “It’s who they are, and what they are. And if Odran comes, I’ll be lifting up a sword. I’ve grown up knowing that day may come. So.”
She raised her arm so Amish took flight. “We live today, and a fine one it is. We’ll watch the beauty of my hawk, spend time with your good dog and our friend. As Mahon will likely be off dealing with all this most of the evening if not the night, Harken will go to Aisling’s cottage to keep her company and help with the boys.”
“I think he’s one of the best men I’ve ever known.”
“He is, in all ways. I love him,” she said simply. “And I’ll go to his bed tonight, as we’ll both need it. I’ll ask you to invite me to dinner first.”
“Sure. You’re always welcome.”
“I can’t tell my grandparents any of this, and it scrapes at me. I find yet another reason I wouldn’t want what Keegan has. You can’t tell Marco.”
“I know, and yeah, it scrapes.”
“We’ll have leave soon enough to tell them, and that’s a more worrying time. And so…” The hawk flew back to her. “And there’s that good dog playing in the water with the Mers, and another good man sitting and watching. We’ll take the rest of this fine day with them, won’t we?”
“Yes. I’m glad I’ve got you, Morena.”
“We’ve all got each other now.” Morena gave Breen a little shoulder bump as they walked. “What do you suppose he’ll make for dinner?”
Since the Mers provided the fish, Marco tried his hand at fish and chips. The three of them ate with the fire simmering, the music humming, and candles flickering.
An easy meal with easy conversation helped Breen put thoughts of vengeful—possibly psychotic—elves and murderous gods out of her head for a little while.
It meant something, a great deal of something, to see her two closest friends, one from each of her worlds, erase all boundaries to forge a strong friendship of their own.
“I know my fish and chips.” As she polished off a second round of the chips portion of the meal, Morena wagged her fork at Marco. “So I can say with considerable authority, this was the best of them I’ve had in Talamh and on this side as well.”
“First time I’ve made them with fish caught by mer-kids. That might add an extra zip.”
“They like you, and a certain water dog.”
“Who, maybe for the first time ever, played himself out.” Breen smiled over to where Bollocks sprawled sleeping in front of the fire.
“Clancy’s cousin in the Far West has a female about to drop a litter. I’m thinking I’ll barter for one of the pups for Harken. They lost their Angel last winter, such a sweet dog she was, and he’s not had the heart to get himself another. But he misses having one running about. He’d accept a pup as a gift, then he’d have that love in his life.”
“Aww.”
She laughed, lifted her beer in a toast to Marco. “I can’t be denying I’m soft on the man, but if you preferred women, I’d toss him over without a thought for you, darling.”
“For my fish and chips.”
“It weighs heavy on your side of the scale.”
“You know, the highlight of my life, seriously, was coming to Ireland with Breen last summer. Seeing things I’d only read about or seen in movies. Actually being there. But hitching a ride to Talamh with her tops it. Meeting you, Keegan and his family, Nan and Sedric, going to a freaking castle, learning to ride a horse, finding out my best pal’s a witch, all of that. Meeting Brian? The best icing on the best cake in the history of cakes.”
“I’m tossing an aww right back at you.” Morena propped her chin on her fist. “You’re mad for him, aren’t you?”
“I guess I am. Hell, no guess about it. Totally crazy about him. I was hoping he’d make it for dinner.”
Breen accepted the quick twist of guilt knowing she couldn’t talk about the new council meeting. “I imagine Keegan’s got most of the riders doing flyovers, or whatever they’d call it. Since I had a little talk with him—Brian, that is—this morning, I happen to know the totally crazy’s mutual.”
“You talked with him? About me? What’d he say?”
She ticked a finger in the air. “Sorry, the details are in the vault.”
“Hey, hey, hey!”