Chapter 23
The next day, Keelin kept reviewing the date in her mind. She was unaccountably nervous. All morning, she had replayed his words to herself. Was "my love" the same as "loving" someone? Was it just a term of endearment? Her heart clenched at the thought of loving him. The view of the cove's glowing water haunted her.
Fiona bustled in from the outside, bringing in sunshine and a rambunctious puppy. Keelin smiled as Ronan raced to her and wiggled at her feet, begging for a scratch.
"Keelin! How was your date last night?" Fiona asked breathlessly. She hung up her coat on the hook by the door and moved to the table with the bag of herbs that she had collected that morning. Keelin blushed as she thought about how to answer the question. "Ah, so he's a fine lover then," Fiona said as she caught the blush on Keelin's face.
Keelin sighed. "He's wonderful. Everything about him. He's a good employer, concerned about the economy, loves dogs, honest, and hardworking. Not to mention gorgeous." Keelin kicked at the table leg.
"So, why aren't you happy?" Fiona stopped sorting her herbs and gave her full attention to Keelin.
"I just…I don't know. I couldn't tell him about our power." She looked at Fiona nervously. "How did you tell Grandpa?"
"Well, honey, I was honest with him. If you can't show the person you love all the corners of your soul, do they really love you or just an image of you? Why would you want to live like that? Forever hiding a secret?"
"I don't know. I really don't. I guess I'm not used to discussing this and I have seen how it has led to destruction in my past relationships. I'm scared. I really think that I have a thing here with Flynn. The cove glowed last night."
"Ahhh." Fiona rushed around the table and gave Keelin a small hug. "So, it is love. On both parts. You have to tell him, Keelin."
"I know. I know. I will. We are going hiking tomorrow. Maybe I will tell him then."
Chapter 24
Restless, Keelin decided to take a drive into the village to tell Cait about Flynn's boat. And, well, just to talk to someone with similar issues to hers. Keelin pulled up to the pub and stretched, feeling twinges in muscles that she hadn't felt in a long time. Even though she was nervous, it was almost impossible to keep the smile off of her face. An evening of being lapped up like she was the best dessert on the table would do that, Keelin thought, and swung through the door of the pub.
"Well, I'm not one of those fancy women that you take up with, am I now?" Cait shouted at Shane. Her heated tone had Keelin stopping in her tracks.
Cait and Shane faced each other across the room, mere inches apart, both of their chests heaving.
"Whoo, boy," Keelin whispered under her breath, and didn't move.
"Who said that I want one of those fancy women?" Shane countered.
"It's plain as all can see, isn't it? Nothing but the richest for Shane," Cait said.
"I don't know where this is coming from, Cait. You're being crazy," Shane said, and ran his hands through his hair in frustration.
"Oh, crazy is it? Well, then you can just take yourself right out of my pub. Wouldn't want you associating with a mad woman, now," Cait sputtered at Shane.
Keelin's mouth dropped open as Shane wrenched Cait to his chest and captured her lips in a smoldering kiss before shoving her away from him.
"You're crazy. You drive me crazy. This is all crazy," Shane muttered to himself. Seeing Keelin, he threw his hands up in the air and breezed past her out of the door. Keelin turned to watch him go and then looked back to Cait, her eyebrow raised.
Cait stood with her hand to her lips, her face slack with a mixture of shock and lust. Keelin walked over and waved her hand in front of Cait's face.
"Hello…earth to Cait," Keelin said.
Cait's eyes snapped to hers. "Sorry about that."
"Oh, don't be. Really, it was most entertaining," Keelin said and laughed down at Cait. Cait moved behind the bar and poured them both a cider without asking. Keelin settled onto a stool and studied her friend's flushed cheeks.
"So, want to tell me about that?" Keelin asked.
"Nope, not in the slightest. I can see it all over you that you have way more exciting news. So, dish." Cait gestured with her cider.
Keelin eyed her for a moment. "Okay, I'll give you a free pass. For now. And only because, yes, I have the best story for you."
Keelin all but glowed as she filled Cait in on her night.
"Three times? Three!" Cait squealed at the end of it and Keelin laughed.
"Three," she said.
"So, when do you see him next?" Cait asked.
"Tomorrow: we are going hiking. I'm nervous," Keelin admitted.
"Because you haven't told him about yourself, have you?" Cait asked, reading Keelin's mind.
"I haven't. I…he just seems so resistant to the concept. How do I even begin?" Keelin asked as she tore apart a bar napkin.
"I don't know. I really don't. But all I can say is…the sooner, the better. You don't want to get too far along with him and have him find out. He'll never forgive you," Cait said ominously.
Keelin finished her cider and mulled it over. Cait was right. She'd just have to do it on the hike tomorrow. Worst-case scenario, he'd run screaming over the hills to get away from her. Keelin could only hope that it was far less dramatic than that.
Chapter 25
Fiona helped Keelin to pack her hiking bag the next day. The old woman fussed nervously over her.
"I'm fine," Keelin said.
"I know, I know. I just…never mind," Fiona said as a knock on the door interrupted them.
"Coming!" Keelin yelled out, and snagged her small pack for a day hike. "I shouldn't be too late."
"Good luck, my dear girl. Remember, true love sees all."
Keelin nodded and stepped into the sunshine and the warmth of Flynn's smile. He scooped her up immediately and caressed her lips with his. Startled, Keelin let out a laugh as she sunk into his mouth. He tasted elemental – all manly and earthy. On a small moan, she stopped herself and leaned back to look into his deep blue eyes.
"Morning, handsome." Keelin smiled up at him and tried not to sink into his eyes. Oh, she was for sure a goner, she thought as her heart tripped a bit and seemed to fall off a ledge into her stomach.
"Hey, beautiful. I thought about you all night. I couldn't wait to see you again today." Flynn smiled openly and easily at her as he took her hand and led her down a path. Keelin's heart clenched a bit. She wanted to fall into this easy rhythm with him. She didn't want there to be secrets. How would she bring the subject up?
They followed a path over the hills and winding around the other side of the cove. The sun was retreating behind one of Ireland's famous mists, yet it was still warm enough for a hike. Keelin realized that she was able to identify many of the plants and flowers thanks to Fiona's tutelage. They reached the base of a path that led up a sharp cliff. Though the ascent didn't look to carry on for that long, the path was severe.
Flynn stopped her at the base. "Up for a climb? It is tough but only for a small bit. The view is worth the climb."
"Absolutely. I would love to see the view."
"Why don't you go first? That way I can catch you if you slide," Flynn joked at her.
"Sure, you just want to look at my butt," Keelin teased as she poked a finger into the muscles of his hard stomach. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, trailing his hands down to cup her bottom.
"Mmm, I certainly do love it. Maybe we should stop here and rest for a bit." Flynn wiggled his eyebrows at her and pulled until she was locked against the hard length of him. Heat shot straight to her core.
"Oh no, this one is for the top. Last one up owes the other a massage!" Keelin laughed at him and turned tail to run up the path. She heard his chuckle behind her but didn’t look back. Her breath came out in heavy puffs as she navigated the rocky terrain. Rocks slipped out from under her feet as she heaved herself over sharp rock piles, and she gasped as her foot slipped and caught the
sharp edge of a stick. Rolling her eyes, Keelin told herself to slow down. This was a dangerous path and she needed to be careful.
"Keelin!" Flynn's shout broke her thoughts and she turned to see him fall from the ledge below her.
Panic raced through Keelin as she screamed for Flynn. Her heart pounding, she turned to race down the ledge and realized it was too steep to do so. She would have to back down as a rock climber would. Trying to hurry and calling Flynn's name repeatedly, Keelin eased herself painstakingly down the path.
"Flynn. Please, Flynn, answer me. Flynn!" She reached level ground and raced to where Flynn was crumpled over his leg. Her heart slammed into her chest and she forced herself to take deep breaths as she saw a pool of blood rapidly flowing from him. Flynn groaned and leaned backward. His face was ashen and quickly turning to white.
"Help. Run. It's bad. Really bad. Please. Call for help," Flynn gasped out.
"Here, let me look." Keelin kneeled at his side and tried not to wince at the rapid flow of blood. Flynn's hands were covering a large wound in his leg. He applied pressure and was trying to stop the flow of blood but it squirted from beneath his hands. Keelin ripped his pants open and discovered the cause of the blood. A compound fracture had caused his bone to rip through his thigh. And, judging from the flow of blood, he had ripped his femoral artery. Keelin knew that death would come soon without a tourniquet and immediate medical aid.
"Okay, Flynn, don't look. Just keep the pressure on. I am going to make a tourniquet." Keelin stripped off her shirt and ripped it into several strips before she laid it underneath his leg and told him to brace himself. She looked around for a few sticks. Finding some near, she placed one in his mouth and the other in the shirt to tighten it.
"This is going to hurt. Just hang on." Flynn nodded at her and closed his eyes. His color was fading fast. Keelin quickly tied the tourniquet and pulled it as tight as she could. She could feel the tension in Flynn as he clenched his jaw around the stick. The gray dregs of panic threatened to cloud her head and Keelin tried to breathe. What now? Keelin pulled Flynn's hands from the wound and saw that the tourniquet had done little to stem the flow of blood. If she didn’t save him now, he would die.
Keelin reached for her pack. Inside was her necklace. Grace O'Malley's necklace, she reminded herself. She had packed it this morning for some odd reason and now she knew why. She placed it over her head and the stone warmed itself between her breasts, a low hum throbbing through her skin. Flynn’s eyes tracked her through his narrowed eyelids.
Keelin hiccupped a sob out as she pressed her hands to Flynn's leg. She watched as the blood squirted between her fingers and her mind whirled. She couldn't breathe – couldn't think. Could she do this? Could she heal someone – not just someone – but the man she loved? She wanted to scream. She wasn't prepared for this. Fiona hadn't taught her how to handle emergencies. What if she made it worse? With a quick glance at Flynn's pale face, Keelin realized there wasn't much opportunity for it to get any worse. He was close to death.
Keelin took one of her hands, slick with blood, and wrapped it around her amulet. Instantly, her mind cleared and the stone grew hot in her hand. Keelin closed her eyes and placed her hands on Flynn's leg. She whispered a short prayer of love. A soft white ball of light formed in her mind's eye. She imagined the ball of light traveling through her mind and down into her heart. From her heart, she poured all of her love into the ball of light and it began to pulse with a dull pink light. Taking her love, her heart, she allowed the ball of light to run through her arms and into her hands. In her mind, she could see the dull edges of death creeping through Flynn's veins towards the beautiful blue light of his soul.
Suddenly furious, Keelin forced her light into Flynn's leg and slammed it in front of the dark light creeping towards his heart. She gasped as pain shot through her. Determined to hold on, she fought the dull blackness and started to build a wall around it with her white light. Over and over, she pushed the sticky black stain further from his leg, creating building blocks along the way. Her entire body shook with the effort, and sweat dripped in a stream down her back. Tears, unbeknownst to her, ran down her face and into his wound. Over and over, Keelin prayed for her light to rebuild his artery and to knit the bone in his leg. Her strength began to fade and she shook with the effort of holding on until she was certain the dark light was gone. In one final push, her amulet burned to her chest, and with a loud snap, her light eradicated the darkness in his leg.
Flynn jumped to his feet. "What the hell was that?" His fury blasted her.
Shocked, Keelin stared at his angry face and slid into the darkness.
Chapter 26
A gray haze shrouded her vision. Keelin could barely make out shapes or colors. She was so confused. Where was she? Flynn? Was Flynn okay? Frantically, she tried to turn her head and search for him.
Keelin realized she was no longer on the trail. She could vaguely make out the familiar surroundings of her bedroom. She squinted as the shapes became clearer. Flynn stood over her bed. His strong shoulders were hunched and his face was tense. He wiped sweat from his brow and laid a hand on the bed. Fiona stood next to him and she held a small jar in her hands. Keelin moved closer.
"Flynn. You're okay. I'm so glad." Keelin reached out to Flynn and watched her hand go through him. Keelin gasped as she looked down and saw herself lying on the bed. Her eyes were closed and her face was bone white and devoid of emotion. Panic slammed into her and she let out a guttural scream that shook her soul. "No. Flynn. Fiona. Help me!"
"They can't hear you."
Keelin whipped her head around to see a woman standing in the corner. She was dressed oddly, as though she were in a play from the 1600s.
"Please, please help me. What is happening?" Keelin ran to her and grabbed her arm. The woman smiled at her gently and reached up to trace her face with her hand.
"My blood. The daughter of my daughters. My love." Her warm brandy eyes drank in Keelin's face.
"Grace? Grace O'Malley? Oh my God. Am I dead? Am I dreaming?"
"You're neither. You're in the veil between both, which is why I can reach you."
"What happened?" Keelin looked back at herself on the bed. It was oddly disorienting to see herself lying there, unresponsive. Fiona had pulled the sheet down and rubbed some of the ointment into her mouth and onto her chest. Keelin watched as she placed her hands over her heart. She felt a small prick of warmth in her chest and Grace's image became watery.
"You saved Flynn. But you forgot to direct the pain from you. Instead, you took it into your heart."
Keelin gasped at Grace's words. Fiona had warned her of this. She wouldn't survive this. Keelin hung her head and began to weep. Her time on this earth was over and her love for Flynn unrealized. Her body began to tremble as waves of sadness rocked through her. She had wanted, no, needed, more time.
"My dear girl. Do you love him?"
Keelin nodded. Words escaped her.
"Love is the strongest of medicines. Watch as Fiona works on you. You can see her love pouring into you. You'll be given another chance. But only if you honor your love for Flynn. Take him to the cove and show him everything. Bare your soul or lose your chance at life."
Keelin felt the warmth begin to spread through her. Hope leaped in her stomach. Light began to fill her as she raised her eyes to Grace's – a twin of her own. "And if I can't tell him?"
"You'll live. But as a shell of yourself, and true happiness will forever escape you. Deny who you are and life isn't worth living." Grace leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her brow. She smoothed her hair and began to fade. Keelin looked from her to Fiona and Flynn, desperately huddled over the bed. "Goodbye, my child. I will wait for you."
Keelin looked back at her and her vision seemed to fragment and snap as heat shot through her. She shrieked out a breath and realized that Flynn and Fiona now stood over her. Keelin blinked rapidly and tried to speak. Her mouth was dry and she coughed.
"Oh, oh,
Keelin. There you are. I was so worried. Shh. Don't talk. Don't say anything. Let me get you some ice chips." Fiona shuddered and wiped tears from her eyes. She ran to grab a glass of ice chips.
Unable to speak, Keelin raised her gaze to Flynn. Joy rushed through her as she realized that she had saved his life. His face was tense and his eyes were shuttered. He clenched his hands over and over around a small stick he held in his palms. Slowly, he met her eyes. She looked at him and offered him a small smile. Flynn looked at her and shook his head. He turned and stormed from the room, slamming the front door to the cottage on the way out.
Keelin's heart shattered. She began to weep. Her whole body ached to scream and cry but she simply had no energy. Fiona rushed in and hovered over her.
"Shh, shh, my love. Shh. We'll fix this. We will." Fiona spooned ice chips into Keelin's mouth. The cool slide of the ice cube did little to soothe the heat of the panic that gripped her.
"I didn't get a chance to tell him about me. He saw it first," Keelin gasped out. She shook as the tears coursed over her face.
"Shh. I know. He told me. It will be okay. Just hush. You need to get your strength back first. We'll figure this out. If Flynn is the man that I think he is then he will accept you for you. Let me get some of my broth. I need to make sure you get some strength back." Fiona hurried from the room, clucking her tongue.
Keelin rolled to her side and stared blankly at the room. Two paws and a small head popped up on the side of the bed. Ronan tilted his head at her quizzically and then leaned in to lick her tears. She smiled at him and patted the bed. He quickly jumped up and nuzzled into her, whimpering softly. His kindness made the tears come faster and he whined softly as he continued to lick her face.
"Good boy, Ronan. Good boy." She ran her hand down his soft fur and was grateful for his comfort. Fiona rushed back into the room with a steaming teapot and poured water into a bowl full of herbs.
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