Closing my eyes, I rested on his broad chest, letting my fingers trace across the hair. It was cozy to lie here in his arms, listening to the rain slash against the windows and the wind roar through the forest.
Michael made a satisfied sound and pulled me closer. “Lass, feels like a dream to wake up with you.”
“What about last night?” I asked, grinning to myself.
“Told you, I’d been thinking about it for days,” Michael said.
“We only met the other day, though,” I pointed out. “How long – I mean…”
“I know what you mean,” Michael said and I opened my eyes, raising my head. His hand caught my cheek, a thumb brushing my lower lip, and I shivered. “Well, there’re some things we haven’t told you yet.” Curiosity filled me and he shook his head. “All in good time. I’ll tell you this though. Once Seamus found you, he shared you with all of us.” His throat worked. “Then I saw you in person a few days ago and…”
I pushed myself up higher. “Why didn’t you say hello?”
“Yeah, ‘cause you were real receptive at that first meeting,” Michael said, rolling his eyes. I gave him a sheepish smile. “I had to be patient, no matter how much it killed me.”
“Bet that wasn’t easy,” I teased him.
In one fluid motion, I was under him and Michael’s lips brushed against my neck. “You have no idea,” he whispered in my ear. I gasped as his hand slid into my pajamas. “But you’re here now.”
Two hours later, we finally went downstairs for breakfast. Michael kept his arm around me the whole time and I leaned into him, bubbling over with laughter.
The storm had worsened, to the point where it seemed as though morning had never come. The manor was still snug in the storm, with the lamps blazing and the fires roaring, but I couldn’t repress a shiver as we passed a landing window.
Endless night.
At that moment, blue lightning forked across the sky and I pulled my sweater around me tightly. Under all my joy, there was a sense of trepidation, one I couldn’t put my finger on.
The thought flew out of my head as we went into the dining room. Swallowing, I waited for covetous, angry looks or maybe a caustic comment, but we were hailed with enthusiasm.
“I like that green sweater on you, Sadie, brings out your eyes,” Mick said, pulling out my chair. “Coffee? Kippers? Eggs?”
“Coffee and eggs, thank you,” I said, trying to subtly check him for signs of jealousy. But Mick merely looked amused as he made me a plate and poured me coffee.
“You know, I had to cook breakfast this morning,” Seamus said, leaning towards Michael.
“Did you now?” Michael asked, taking a seat and tearing into a sausage. “What?” He cocked an eyebrow at his cousin. “Did you die?”
“I almost did,” Patrick said through a thick mouth of eggs. “You know how long it took me to pry him away from his books? That and he kept insisting we wait for you.”
“Well, it all worked out, then,” Michael said. “Damn, this is good, thank you, Seamus.”
Seamus’s eyebrows rose, while Mick and Patrick exchanged a grin. Reaching over, Mick tugged on my hair and said in a stage whisper, “Someone’s in a good mood.”
“Mhm,” Michael commented, snapping his fingers and a newspaper appeared. He vanished behind it, ignoring Patrick’s silent laughter, Mick’s grins and Seamus’s curious gaze.
Beyond that, nothing else was said. The jealousy I’d feared was almost laughable now. None of the guys minded, if anything, they seemed intent on trying to get a rise out of Michael. However, he’d retreated into his unruffled self and ignored them until he was done reading the paper. Then he gave them a rundown of the spellbinding lesson yesterday. More than once, I flushed at his praise.
Mick whistled. “Sadie, I’m not surprised, but I’m a wee envious. It took me a year to learn how to spellbind like that.”
“Well,” I said, “I have quite a deadline.”
“Nah, you’re brilliant. What’s on the schedule, today, Michael? More defensive?” Mick’s eyes glinted. “Maybe offensive?”
“No, no battle magic yet,” Michael said, folding his hands and resting his chin on them. “And we never got around to working on the prophecy. Seamus.”
His cousin started and looked up from his book. “What’s that?”
“You’re working with Sadie today.” Michael’s eyes shot to Patrick and Mick. “As for you two knuckleheads, you can work with me on lesson plans. I don’t want you disturbing them.”
“Sounds good to me,” I said, sipping at my coffee and wondering how Samwise was doing. Should I call Belinda? I frowned to myself. And should I tell my mother where I am?
“Sadie?” Seamus’s voice broke through my thoughts and I looked up to see him regarding me with trepidation. I blinked in surprise. “Is that not okay?”
“Huh?” I shook my head.
“Stop spacing out,” Michael barked, but a note of amused affection belied it. “Seamus, you’ll have to watch her – she’s divvy like that, getting lost in her daydreams.”
“Ah, okay,” Seamus said, his gaze downcast. I studied him, a twinge of alarm in my chest.
Was something wrong with him? Or was Seamus not jealous, but wounded?
We left for the library together, not talking the entire time, and my alarm increased. Once the doors were shut behind us, I pursed my lips, determined to find out what was going on. Maybe explain myself. Although, with the latter, I wasn’t sure what to say.
But before I got a chance, Seamus gave me a worried look. “Do you not want to…?” He trailed off and looked away. “I get it if you think books aren’t much of a help to stop Skinner.”
“What?” I asked, watching him walk away and lean against the edge of a table. “No, not at all. I love reading. And I haven’t had a chance to look at this library…” Or spend time with you.
“Well, you looked unhappy at the end of breakfast,” Seamus said, tracing a pattern on the table. “I get it if you’d rather learn spells and such.”
“Oh, Seamus, no,” I said, catching his face in both of my hands and forcing him to look at me. “I started worrying about Samwise and my mother. It had nothing to do with you.”
“Are you sure?” he asked in a husky voice, his gray eyes dark and face inches from mine.
Giving in to impulse, I leaned in and kissed him.
Seamus went rigid and I went to pull away, then his arms wrapped around me. He took over and I melted against him. Seamus took his time, his lips finding every corner of my own until they parted. Then he stroked his tongue inside, gentle and savoring, until I quivered in his arms. When he pulled away, grinning, I had to hold on to his shoulders to keep myself upright.
“Wh-what were we talking about?” I asked.
“You’re worried about Samwise,” Seamus said. “I’m sure he’s fine. And in a few days, perhaps we can take a break to visit. As for your mother, leave that mess enough alone.”
“No,” I said, swatting him lightly. “You didn’t think I wanted to spend time with you.”
Seamus gave me a sheepish grin. “Maybe a wee bit.” His eyes glinted, and he stole a quick kiss, along with my breath. “Not anymore.”
“Let me make sure,” I said, leaning in and flattening myself against him.
After several more minutes of kissing, Seamus pulled away and sat me down at the table, then began to pull down books. I watched him, a finger tracing my lips back and forth.
I’d kissed Seamus without any kind of self-restraint, wanting him to know how much I cared and admired him. There’d been a question in his eyes, questioning himself, and I’d recognized it. While his cousins had brash egos, Seamus’s was a bit more fragile and my heart ached.
How well I understood. How many times had I seen that look in my own eyes?
But more than that – more even than the fact that he was tall, that his butt looked great in those black jeans, that his hair glinted with auburn and his gray eyes did som
ething to my soul – it was because Seamus had wanted me to kiss him. It was right. We belonged together.
We all did.
At least, I think we do...
Is that okay? To split my heart four ways? I shuddered. Ugh, splitting makes me think of Horcruxes and Voldemort and that cannot be okay.
“Sadie, are you worried about your dog again?” Seamus asked, brushing a hand over my hair and sitting down next to me. I shook my head. “What is it?”
“I don’t want to split my heart,” I blurted out and Seamus started. “No, not literally.”
He laughed and the tension eased out of his shoulders. “Well, we are sorcerers, you have to be specific.” His gaze became thoughtful and he studied me for a moment. “Ah, I’ve troubled you about how there is one Sadie and four of us.”
Hunching my shoulders, I nodded. How could I explain that all four of them seemed to belong in my heart equally? That I didn’t favor one over the others? That I wanted them all?
“You’re not splitting your heart, Sadie,” Seamus said, frowning. “I thought Patrick explained this to you. That’s why I was…”
“Patrick? Well, he said something about being powerful. How maybe I deserved more than one man…” Seamus had put a hand over his eyes and groaned. “What?”
“I should have known that fool would think that would explain it,” Seamus muttered. “Sadie, lass, not only are you powerful, but you are about to face one of the gravest threats the Hidden World has ever seen.” He paused and I saw him thinking hard. “Oralee’s prophecy was not taken lightly in the Ring of Kerry. As her descendants, we inherited the most important task–”
“Babysitting me?” I interrupted with a sigh.
“Training and taking care of you,” Seamus said, his eyes soft. “Lass, I won’t lie, there are dark days ahead and you will have to meet this threat. We will be there, but only you can stop it. Here, let me tell you a story. Michael wanted to wait, but I think you need to hear it now.
“The day you came of age, each of us sensed you for the first time.” His fingers brushed across my lips. “And we each fell deeply, madly in love, how could we not?” My eyes went wide and my lips parted. “You were so warm, so full of life and laughter. It was a pure, poignant feeling, one that took my breath away and brought tears to my wee eyes.
“We were overcome by the depths of you. Your heart and your power.” Seamus laughed reminiscently. “Of course, that changed and deepened as we got older, becoming worthy of the men who could love a heart as big and pure as yours, with more than enough room for each of us.”
For the second time that day, my eyes filled with tears, only now they fell and Seamus wiped them away. “I didn’t…” I put a hand over my heart, remembering the first time I saw the four of them together in that grimy poolroom and the way my heart had bounded. It had recognized them, even if it took the rest of me time to catch up. “You knew about me for that long? And cared…” I let out a choking laugh. “Oh, I wish I’d met you sooner.”
“You were elusive, lass,” Seamus said. “We could sense you, but we didn’t know your face, your name – nothing. You should have seen how furious it used to make Michael. Gnashing his teeth and setting things on fire. Sometimes he and Mick would spar just to release their tension.
“I think that’s why Michael was a bit short with you when we first met. He was certain you must have sensed us, too. It took him a bit to realize you didn’t know. Or how you’d been duped to think so little of yourself by that harpie of a mother.”
“It wasn’t all her,” I admitted with a sniffle. “Why do you think it took so long? Was it me?”
“Nay, I think you were guarded,” Seamus said. “Perhaps by Oralee herself.”
“And you said that the Fae might have brought my charm.” I touched my necklace. “You received it, right?” He nodded. “How come you and not Patrick, with his Fairy blood? Not that I’m complaining, only curious.”
Seamus rolled his eyes. “Pat might have Fairy blood, but it only makes him more of a pranking imp. He’s pissed off the Fair Folk more than once in his life. You know how many times I’ve had to go to the Seely Court and ask them not to cut off one of his ears or steal his toes?” He shook his head and I laughed. “But they do seem to like me well enough and I wouldn’t be surprised if they knew more than they should of Oralee’s prophecy. Nosy creatures.”
“Will you tell me more?” I asked, suddenly agog to hear more about the O’Sullivans as boys.
“Yes,” Seamus promised. “One day. And one day I will regale you for hours about the misadventures of my cousins and I. Now, to work.”
“Wait, one more question,” I said, laying my hand on his arm. “Why didn’t I experience that moment of recognition?” There was longing in my voice. “I mean, I’m not sure I even quite know what you mean.” But it sounds wonderful.
“I think once you fully accept your role in the prophecy and what you can do, Sadie Matheson, Good Witch of Salem, you will.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, chewing my cheek. I want it now.
“No,” Seamus said and I blinked in surprise. “No, I’m not, but I believe. Either way, we have to get to lessons. It’s almost two in the afternoon, Sadie.”
“It is not,” I said, my eyes flying to the clock. “Oh my.” We both laughed.
“Michael was right about you, I do need to keep my eyes on you,” Seamus said. “But not too close an eye or I get far more distracted than you.”
We spent a good hour going over the prophecy, Seamus explaining some of the things Skinner might do to try and stop me. He also explained more about the four aspects of magic, which acted like the four points on a compass.
Defensive magic, offensive or battle magic, the physical, which was everything from the mind to healing to the art of spellcasting itself, to wielding the elements.
After that, the rest of the afternoon was spent reading and learning magic of the mind. Including summoning visions, where I sat cross-legged on a cushion in front of the window with my eyes shut and tried to clear my mind. Seamus wanted to see if I could probe into the future and get glimpses of how Skinner might attack.
But all I saw was lightning imprinted on the back of my eyes, only out of order with the actual bolts flicking down from the clouds.
After a quick dinner, we went back to the library and spent time looking up spells and potions. Then, Seamus escorted me to bed and gave me a goodnight kiss.
The next day was still stormy, but I barely noticed as I spent half the day in the library with Seamus again and then the rest with him and Patrick in the kitchen. With the latter, we concocted spells and traded jokes, our laughter echoed around the cavernous room.
Later, Michael came in and observed for a while, before he started cooking. Mick showed up awhile later, looking disgruntled, but then he grabbed a bag of “crisps” and sat on the counter, heckling his cousins. Michael ignored him, but Patrick fired up at this intrusion on his comedic territory. Soon we were all laughing, even Michael.
After that day, the five of us would spend the mornings together, discussing the prophecy and going over the four aspects of magic. I began to test out wielding the elements, as well.
Soon we settled into a routine. Working together in the mornings, then honing individual skills one-on-one in the afternoons. One day it would be spellbinding with Michael, the next day I’d be with Patrick, exploring the art of potion-making, healing and shaping, or with Seamus, trying to pierce the future and settle my mind.
As for Mick, we did not start on battle magic as I’d thought. Instead, he told me we were going to work on another aspect of defensive magic. Self-defense.
“You want me to learn how to fight?” I’d spluttered at him. Mick had brought me to the training room, which now looked like a cross between warlock dueling grounds and a gym. “Fight-fight? Like punches and kicks? But I’m…”
“You already know how to fight,” Mick had said, wrapping his hands with long strips of white
fabric. “Oye, I told you to grab some and follow me.” Hastily, I’d done so. “And yes, part of quick reflexes is getting in tune with your body.” His eyes twinkled as they ran over me. “Fair warnin’, I’m gonna enjoy myself too much during this.”
“Please, that was a given,” I’d retorted, but I was pleased all the same.
I’d never forget how Mick paid me that compliment Halloween night or how his green eyes had lit up looking me over.
“Funny and a quick study,” Mick had rejoined with a laugh.
The first lesson was a lot of cheeky teasing on his behalf as he took his time showing me stances, standing behind me and fixing my stance with playful nudges. But in the following days, the lessons grew more and more serious. Even if it remained just as much sweaty fun as spellbinding. Especially when Mick pinned me down on the mat and decided it was time for a make-out break.
However, as with spellbinding, the lessons with Mick tired me out. At first, I’d run out of breath within an hour. Witch self-defense combined both magic and physical strength. It took me a good week to get my breathing under control and not tap out over and over. Yet as the days passed, soon I was hanging in there and advancing quickly to the next lesson.
It was the same with all the magic I was learning, (save for Seeing, where I kept getting the damn lightning strikes and had no idea if it was a vision or if we were in for more stormy weather), I was progressing by leaps and bounds that delighted all of us. Dinners became mini-celebrations.
After two solid weeks of training with Mick, I was not surprised to see a hint of definition in my arms when I stepped out of the shower. I was still my curvy self, (if anything, a bit curvier with Michael’s hearty cooking) but my muscles, magical and physical, were starting to show.
Going down to dinner that night, I paused outside the door and peeked in. Playing with the crystal heart on my chest, I watched as Patrick said something inappropriate and Mick burst into laughter. Seamus was reading a book and ostensibly ignoring them, but his eyes flicked up and a smile curved into one cheek. Michael said something back, then a lively debate began.
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