"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. Soon she 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 backwards. 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 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 Twenty-Six
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 disorientating to see herself lyi
ng 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.
"This is my special blend. You must drink it all." She leaned over to help Keelin sit up and tucked pillows behind her. Keelin could barely lift her arms so Fiona held the bowl to her lips. Keelin blew on the hot mixture and, suddenly ravenous, she took large sips of the broth, not caring if she burned her tongue. She was so happy to feel anything – even if it was pain. She didn't want to be back in that gray place where everything was numb.
"I saw Grace," Keelin said as she felt the medicine of the broth slowly work through her body. Energy spikes started to twitch in her arms and legs and she began to slowly wiggle her fingers and toes.
"You…you saw Grace? When?" Fiona stopped spooning her the broth and stared at her. Keelin saw concern flash across her weathered cheeks.
"I was in the veil. I wasn't here but I wasn't there either. I could see you and Flynn and…and…myself. On the bed. She was in the corner and spoke to me."
"Oh my. Oh, Keelin. How scary. And, what an incredible gift." Fiona smoothed the hair from Keelin's brow and smiled at her. "She gave you back to me, didn't she?"
"Yes. On the contingency that I give Flynn my whole soul or live a life of unhappiness." Keelin started as Fiona huffed out a small laugh.
"Oh, I love the spunk of that woman. I'd heard she always drove a hard bargain."
"Flynn, he hates me. He was disgusted by me." Tears threatened to well up in Keelin's eyes again and she hurriedly took another sip of the broth.
"He most certainly does not. You should have seen that man. I've never seen anyone run across the hills like that. He carried you over his shoulder, shouting the whole way, while he ran like the wind." Fiona smoothed the sheets around Keelin.
"Well, I know he doesn’t want me to die but that doesn't mean he isn't disgusted by what I am."
Fiona opened her mouth to speak and stopped. She took the empty bowl from Keelin's hands.
"I guess that is for you to find out, isn't it?" Fiona said gently. Annoyance whipped through Keelin. She wanted Fiona to tell her that Flynn loved her and that he would do anything for her. She heaved a big sigh as she realized that those were questions that only she could answer for herself.
"Okay. I will."
"You're a good girl. I love you so much. Later, you'll have to tell me about today. For now, you must sleep. Doctor's orders. I'll leave Ronan with you."
Keelin smiled at her and grasped the old woman's hand between her own. "Thank you for saving me. I love you too." Fiona smiled and cleared the dishes before she pulled the shades and closed the door to the room quietly. She curled herself around Ronan's warm body and immediately fell into the deep sleep of sheer exhaustion.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Sharp hunger pains woke Keelin. She groaned and rolled over, dreaming of French toast. She sat up quickly as the events of the day before washed over her. It all felt like a weird dream. Keelin gingerly reached out her arms and then swung her legs off of the bed. Though she was a little unsteady when she stood, she felt good. She felt alive, she reminded herself. Keelin shuddered in a breath as she realized how close she had come to dying.
She stumbled into the bathroom and flicked the light on. She met her eyes in the mirror. Her face looked different. It looked older somehow. Not in age lines, but in wisdom. She imagined it was how a soldier's face looked after a battle. There seemed to be a new power to her – a knowledge – that came from being so close to the edge. Everything had shifted for her yesterday. Keelin had to decide what that would mean for her. Would the pain of this experience casually fade with time or would the lessons learned change her very core? She suspected it was the latter of the two. She already felt like a different person.
Keelin pulled a demure one-piece bathing suit on and threw a loose dress over her head. From habit, she braided her hair as she walked into the kitchen to find Fiona bustling over the stove. She started when Keelin padded silently behind her and laid a kiss on her cheek.
"Oh! You're up. Let me look at you." Fiona turned and held Keelin's face in her hands and looked deep into her eyes. Keelin smiled at the old woman, drinking in all of the age lines and wisdom her face held. "You look better. You've changed, haven't you?" Fiona gestured to the table and Keelin gratefully sat in front of a plate that held warm blueberry scones and fresh cream.
"Mm, this looks delicious." Keelin nodded at Fiona with h
er mouth full as she placed a rasher of bacon by her plate. "Yes, I feel like I've changed. I don't know how yet. But it seems like I have a choice to make. Either I embrace everything I am or lose everything I have."
Fiona settled onto the stool across from Keelin and sipped her tea. She paused for a moment before she spoke. "I don't know if it is all or nothing like you think. But I do know that when you heal someone like that and you take it into you, you'll forever know your true power as a healer. You've pushed yourself as far as you can go. Because of that, your limits are now defined. In some respects, this makes you a far better and more efficient healer."
"That makes sense. I wasn't even thinking about what I was doing. I was so distraught that I just went into autopilot. It was a stupid move."
"Why did you allow that energy into your body? Why didn't you send it away? Tell me what happened."
Keelin filled Fiona in on the whole scenario up until when Flynn's leg had healed and he had stared at her with such anger. A small sob caught in her throat and her hand shook as she took a quick sip of her tea. "He…he hated me, Fiona. His face was so full of anger. It wasn't even gratitude. I was so startled that I never finished the healing session because I swear my heart just broke when I saw his face." Keelin shredded the rest of the scone on her plate, nervously picking the bits into small crumbs.
"So you didn't get a chance to talk to him before he hurt himself?" Fiona asked, and slid a new scone onto Keelin's plate.
"I was going to. We were just having fun and I was going to tell him at the top of the climb. It is kind of a weird thing to talk about when you are hiking and not looking at each other face to face."
"He doesn't hate you. But you do need to make this right with him," Fiona said.
"Why do I need to make it right? Why do I have to be ashamed of what I am?" Keelin demanded furiously. "I saved his damn life and he walked away. You healed me and he took one look to make sure that I was alive and stormed out the door. I'm so furious with him that I don't even know if I want to see him!" She slammed her mug on the table and Ronan whined softly from under her chair. Keelin slipped her hand down and rubbed his silky ears between her fingers.
Wild Irish Heart (The Mystic Cove Series Book 1) Page 16