by Kate Sweeney
“Thank you. Have you eaten?”
“Uh, no. I haven’t.” He glanced curiously at Grayson who raised her glass.
“Then you must have something.”
“I will, thank you, Elinora,” Corky said with a wink.
Grayson kicked him under the table. “You just talked to Neala?”
Corky winced and rubbed his shin. “Oh, bugger. I nearly forgot.” He took out his phone and dialed. “Neala, we’re at the Dungarin Inn. Yes, at the north end of town. Right, see ya in a bit.” He snapped the phone shut and picked up his pint. “She’s on her way. She’s done with the museum folks for now and wanted to get away for the night.”
“Seems a long way for her to travel for the night,” Elinora said.
Corky grinned. “Yes, but Neala seems to love the company.” He looked at Grayson, who scowled. Corky picked up the menu; he now glanced at Elinora. Grayson couldn’t blame him. Elinora was strikingly attractive. Grayson wasn’t sure if it was the shining dark hair or her deep brown eyes. Maybe it was the olive skin that looked as smooth as silk, just begging to be caressed. Yes, the immortal was very beautiful.
Elinora leaned in. “We are not having sexual relations,” she reminded Grayson.
Corky spat up his Guinness and furiously wiped his sweater with the napkin.
Grayson merely shrugged. When she heard the door creak open, she looked to see Neala and waved her over to the table. Grayson stood and pulled out a chair for her.
“Thanks, Grayson,” she said breathlessly and looked at Elinora. “Hello, you must be Elinora. Grayson was right, you are very beautiful.”
Elinora raised an eyebrow in Grayson’s direction. Grayson shrugged and waved her off. “I know, I know. No sexual relations.”
Neala’s jaw dropped and Corky leaned over and whispered, “I’ll tell ya later.”
“And you are Dr. Neala Rourke,” Elinora said, watching Neala.
“Yes, I am,” Neala said with a smile. She glanced at Grayson when Elinora still watched her.
“And you have traveled across the country to see Grayson just for the evening?” Elinora asked.
A smile tugged at Grayson’s mouth when Neala blushed deeply. “Well, it’s not all that far.” She buried her head in her menu.
“Well, let’s eat,” Corky said. “I’m starved.”
When Corky and Neala ordered the seafood fare of mussels, clams, and whatnot, Elinora looked at Grayson, who hailed the waitress.
“So tell me about yourself, Elinora,” Corky said as they ate.
Elinora replied between bites, “There is not much to tell. I am here to assist Grayson so she may be more comfortable with her abilities. You and Neala do not seem as reticent to believe in me as Grayson does.”
Corky laughed. “A non-believer. But she’ll come around.”
“Quit flirting, Corky. You will not be having sexual relations,” Grayson said with a smirk.
Corky turned bright red and glared at her.
Elinora nodded. “This is true, Corky. We will not.”
“See?” Grayson said and ate her salmon. She glanced at Elinora, who eyed the plate.
“And what of you, Neala?” Elinora asked.
Neala’s eyes bugged out of her head. “I-I…” she stammered helplessly, avoiding Grayson’s questioning grin as Neala glanced at Elinora’s cleavage. “Um…”
“Are you a believer?” Elinora continued between bites.
“Oh,” Neala said, seemingly relieved. Grayson laughed quietly and drank her beer. “I suppose so.” Neala stopped to take a sip of her wine. “There’s too much out there that we can’t explain to simply discount as nothing. And since I’ve met Grayson and Corky, the idea of not believing seems silly now.” Neala regarded Elinora for a moment. “And what are you going to teach Grayson?”
“To accept her destiny and learn how to use the powers that the gods bestowed upon her.”
“That sounds so simple,” Grayson said.
Elinora buttered yet another piece of brown bread and popped it into her mouth. “It will be as simple or complicated as you make it. I have a feeling things will get quite complicated.”
Neala and Corky exchanged smiling glances.
Grayson avoided all of them and noticed a small gathering of villagers at the far end of the bar. Each of them looked her way and smiled. She nodded and returned their smile; she hailed the waitress.
Soon, the villagers, with fresh pints, looked as though they might make their way to Grayson’s table. Corky noticed and wiped his mouth with his napkin. “I’ll take care of it.”
Before Grayson could say anything, Corky walked over to the bar and spoke with the men there. He slapped them on the back, and they all laughed. Grayson watched as Corky made his way back to the table and sat down.
“What did you say to them?” Grayson asked.
“I told them who you were and you’ve come home. You’ll probably get a visit from time to time. But they won’t bother you right now. Oh, and you owe them another round.”
“Between their thirst and this one’s appetite,” Grayson motioned to Elinora, “I’ll go broke.”
“I adore humor,” Elinora said, still eyeing Grayson’s plate. She nodded her thanks when Grayson slid it in front of her.
“Don’t you get full?” Corky looked completely enthralled as he rested his chin on the palm of his hand and watched her.
“No, it comes with being immortal. I can eat and not get full, but I still taste the food. I can drink and enjoy the flavor and not get intoxicated.” She waved her fork in the air. “It is truly the best of all worlds.” She then glanced at Grayson and continued, “Which Grayson needs to embrace.”
“You mean Grayson can do that?” Neala asked.
Elinora shook her head as she ate. “No. I mean the best of all worlds she has at her fingertips, and the sooner she believes and accepts this, the better off she will be and more productive and useful.”
Grayson grunted. “You make me sound like a pack mule.”
Elinora put her fork down and sat back. “You can be quite surly when you want to be.”
Corky, once again, spit up his beer. “Sorry.”
“There’s a great deal we’re all learning about each other,” Neala said, glancing at Grayson.
Elinora stood. “Well, I must go.”
“Where do you go?” Grayson asked. “You must stay somewhere.”
“I will be in touch,” Elinora said.
“When is all this training supposed to start?”
“When you grow up and begin to believe.” Elinora looked down at Corky and Neala. “Thank you for a lovely evening—”
“No ice cream?” Grayson interjected.
“—We will meet again,” Elinora said, ignoring Grayson.
Corky stood and took Elinora’s hand. “Where are you staying?”
“Corky,” Grayson said, swirling her glass. “If the immortal can eat and drink like a Roman goddess, I don’t think we have to worry about where she’s sleeping. Do you sleep?”
Elinora smiled and walked out of the pub. It did not go unnoticed that the heavy door opened and closed by itself.
“I think you pissed her off,” Corky said.
Neala watched Elinora’s dramatic exit, then turned back to Grayson. “She’s a curious…”
“Immortal?” Grayson offered. She watched Neala, who toyed with her wineglass. Grayson reached over and poured another glass for her. “What’s on your mind, Doctor?”
“Oh, nothing really. I just find it curious that she appears out of nowhere and we accept that she’s here to help.”
“What are you suggesting?” Corky asked.
“I don’t know really. With all that has happened and with Phelan on the loose, I’m not sure I’d trust anyone who just appears.”
“Maybe Neala’s right, Grayson.” He stopped and laughed nervously. “I was taken by her beauty, and I admit I haven’t given the idea consideration. I mean, really, how does one go about ch
ecking the credentials of an immortal? It’s clear she’s not human.”
“Neither is Phelan.” Grayson tiredly rubbed her face. “We’ll just have to keep our heads about us. She’s here for a reason. If what she says is true, then she’s here to help me.”
“And if it’s not?” Neala asked.
Grayson looked at her worried face. “Then we’ll just have to see.”
“Neala, have you had any strange dreams lately?” Corky asked.
“Nice segue.” Neala thought for a moment. “Not really. Why?”
“Because I had a dream about Maeve the other night, and from what Grayson said, so did Rose Barry. In both dreams, Maeve said ‘liar’s moon,’ and I just wondered if she might have come to you in a dream, as well.”
“No, not at all.” She looked at Grayson. “Has Maeve come to you?”
“No. But two dreams in as many nights is a little too coincidental. There has to be something about it.”
“What does it mean?” Neala asked Corky.
“Well, it appears that the liar’s moon is a full moon, which has a haze or shroud around it as if it’s hiding something. And the fact that Maeve came to our dreams saying that to me means something is about to happen during that time.”
“Does it have anything to do with the residual moon, ya know from your prophecy?”
Corky shook his head. “Not that I can tell. Well, not so far anyway.”
“There’s so much it could be,” Grayson said. “But I agree with Corky. For Ma to come to them and say the same thing, something’s going on. I wish I could tell when this liar’s moon is.”
Corky was staring out the window. “I think whatever it is, it’ll be soon.”
“How do you know this?” Neala asked.
Grayson watched Corky; her left palm instantly itched. She could almost feel the blood running through her veins; she felt light-headed and at the same time keenly aware of her surroundings. Grayson stood and walked over to the window; she felt Corky and Neala at her side.
The moon had risen above the buildings; it was a half-moon, shrouded by a white haze.
“We’ve got about four days,” Corky said. “I wish I knew what was about to happen.”
Chapter 9
With Neala on her way back to Dublin and Corky driving back to his home, Grayson for some reason felt lonely. She had offered her other bedroom to Neala instead of the drive to Dublin, but she refused, saying she had a big day ahead of her. What was wrong with that? Grayson thought. It was logical and sound thinking on Neala’s part. Grayson fought the nagging idea that she somehow wanted Neala to stay.
Grayson kicked at the stone wall that lined her property. What did she want from Neala? She looked at the crescent birthmark on her palm. What could she offer Neala? She had no idea with her life far too convoluted now to keep a normal thought going.
She looked up at the hazy half moon that hung low in the sky. Grayson gazed over the green sloping hills and watched the moon start its trek.
“Liar’s moon,” she said. “What are you?” She pulled the heavy corduroy jacket around her. It may have been early spring, but it was still cold in the evening.
She sat back on the wall that lined the narrow dirt road. Was her mother visiting Rose and Corky in their dreams a coincidence? Or did it mean something when Maeve said “liar’s moon”? With all that had happened in the past few months, Grayson dismissed nothing as coincidence. After her mother died, Maeve told Grayson she would “be around” from time to time. Was this one of those times?
Grayson let out a thoughtful sigh, wondering what, if anything, liar’s moon meant. Once again, she felt that helpless feeling, the same feeling after her mother died. Everything had happened so fast—the murders in Chicago, meeting Neala, then Phelan. Her mother’s admission to her part of guarding the ancient mythical stone, which, as it turns out, was not mythological but very real. Just as Phelan, though an ancient wizard and asshole, was real. Oh, yes, Grayson thought with a wry chuckle, let’s not forget he’s also a shape-shifter.
Someone changing into an animal was something Grayson knew only from the movies—that is until she met Corky. Now she knew one firsthand. And while she was on the subject, Grayson now knew a vampire. “Can we add any more immortals to this equation?”
This had her thinking of Sebastian; she wondered what the mysterious vampire was up to and what happened with the resurrection of Leigh. “I never believed I would be actually involved with a vampire.” Grayson shook her head, still trying to wrap her mind around all that had happened.
“Actually, you’re not involved with a vampire, per se.”
Grayson whirled around to see someone several feet away standing by an oak tree half hidden in the moonlight.
When the figure walked toward her, Grayson put a hand to her heart. “Goddamnit,” she exclaimed.
Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “Such language coming from an immortal.”
“Oh, shut up. You scared the shit out of me. What are you doing here?”
Sebastian sat on the wall and looked around. She leaned back, stretching her long legs in front of her. Grayson remembered how sexy this vampire was, dressed in a long leather coat. She looked at the long legs, then up to her hazel eyes, sandy-colored short hair, and brooding expression. Sebastian grinned slightly, her canine teeth showing.
Grayson felt the color rush to her face as if Sebastian could read her mind. “A beautiful night.”
“Yes, very romantic,” Grayson said dryly. “What’s going on? When we never heard from you again, I thought you might be dead.”
“I am dead.”
Grayson blinked several times. “I keep forgetting that. Did you stop Leigh’s resurrection?”
“Sadly, I did not.”
“Nuts.”
“Sadly, she is.”
“Did you at least find the—”
Sebastian slipped a book out of her coat and held it up to Grayson.
“I thought you had to find Tatiana’s box.”
“I did. Its contents took me on a treasure hunt of sorts and led me to this book.”
Grayson took it with her left hand. Her heart pounded in her chest; she slammed her eyes shut as visions flew in front of her so fast, she had no idea who or what it was. However, there were flashes of what she had seen when she was in that dwelling after her mother died—visions of robed people standing in a circle around a huge bonfire. One member was wearing something very odd on his head. The vision, like all the others, faded quickly. Grayson was acutely aware of two things: the tingling sensation that shot up her left arm that was paralyzing and someone calling her.
When Sebastian snatched the book from her hand, her eyes flew open; she was breathing like a bull.
Sebastian, holding the book, frowned deeply and watched her with a good deal of curiosity. “Would you like to share what just happened?” She glanced down at the book in her hand.
Grayson pointed to the book with a shaky hand. “Want to tell me what the fuck that is?”
Sebastian hesitated, still carefully watching her. “This is the reason I was late in stopping Leigh’s resurrection. In it lies the answer to our beginning and all the power Tatiana possessed, which is now mine.”
“Is that all?”
“What happened, Grayson?” Sebastian asked.
Grayson groaned and ran her fingers through her hair. “I saw visions maniacally galloping through my brain.”
“Visions of what?”
“I don’t know. There were too many and too fast. But there was one part,” Grayson said. “I saw a group of people in long dark robes—”
“Standing around a bonfire. One in particular had some sort of a headdress.”
“Yes,” Grayson said. “Like some Grand Poobah or something. So you’ve had this vision, too.” She looked at the book once again. “What’s the answer?”
“I don’t know,” Sebastian said. “It’s written in an ancient Celtic language, hence my reason for being here.”
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“You need Corky,” Grayson said. “Well, let’s get back. I’ll call him. He’ll be thrilled to see you.” She glanced at Sebastian and grinned. “He’s very odd that way.”
Grayson dialed Corky’s number while absently glancing at Sebastian. “Would you like some tea, coffee,” she said and grinned, “B positive?”
Sebastian glared. “Just make the call.”
Grayson laughed as Corky answered. “Hey, Corky, guess who I’m with?”
“I can’t imagine,” Corky said.
Grayson waited, then Corky exclaimed, “Sebastian!”
“You’re so embarrassing.”
“Come right over, Grayson.”
“It’ll take a while to get there. If you didn’t live out in no man’s land.”
“Tell him we’ll be there in a moment or two,” Sebastian said.
Grayson gave her a dubious look.
“Trust me.”
Grayson was really worried now. “We shall be there momentarily, Lord Corky,” she said in a haughty English accent.
“How? How?” Corky asked.
Grayson shook her head at the excited tone in his voice. “I have no idea. Just sit tight.”
She snapped her cell phone shut while Corky was still asking questions and gave Sebastian a curious look. It took every ounce of her being not to back up as Sebastian inched away from her and opened her leather coat.
Sebastian smiled, showing sharp canines, and beckoned Grayson. “Don’t be scared, just put your arms around me.”
Grayson glared back. “I’m not scared,” she mumbled and walked into her arms. She felt Sebastian’s strong arms around her, and she cleared her throat.
“It’s the only way for immortals to travel.”
Grayson felt the pulling sensation throughout her body; her heart beat so fast she thought it might burst from her chest. In an instant, it stopped and she opened her eyes. Sebastian released her as she looked around. They were standing in front of Corky’s home.
“What a fucking rush,” she exclaimed.
Sebastian raised an eyebrow but agreed. “I will admit it is one benefit of the undead.”
Grayson ran her fingers through her hair and laughed. “Man, what a feeling. My scalp is tingling. It was like being on a roller coaster. How did you know where Corky lived?”