“Paislee you were a child, you had no idea magic was even real, let alone that you would possess it. You cannot start blaming yourself. If you start down that path, your entire world is going to crumble.”
“Oh, because I have so much to live for now?” Her eyes were brimming with tears when she looked up at him.
“Don’t you dare give up on life Paislee. If I’ve made it this far, you can push through this.” He stood. “Come with me, we should be landing soon.”
She stood and followed him back into the bedroom.
He opened the door to the bathroom where her clothes were all hanging over the shower rod. “I didn’t have time to get you new ones, but I did wash these.”
“There’s a washer on this plane?”
“No. I washed them by hand.”
“Seriously?” She tried to picture the man before her, sleeves rolled up, hand washing her underwear, but it was difficult.
“I didn’t always have a washer and dryer,” he reminded her.
“Mr. McGinley?” A voice sounded over the intercom.
He walked to the speaker mounted on the wall, and pressed a button on the panel next to it, “Yes?”
“We are about to begin our descent.”
“Thank you.” He headed back to his seat and held his breath as the plane slowly descended into the country he hadn’t been to in over two hundred years.
* * *
They stepped off the jet and onto the tarmac. Timothy’s entire body was rigid, but Paislee didn’t notice. She was too captivated by the new land in front of her. They had landed in a private airport somewhere in the beautiful country. Lush green grass surrounded the area that held dozens of private airplanes and one tall tower.
They didn’t have any bags, so they quickly climbed into a black town car that was waiting for them. “We will run into Dublin to get some necessities and then we are going to be staying in a small town a few hours outside.”
“Why are we going there?”
“I’m taking you to see someone who might be able to help you.”
After checking to make sure the barrier was all the way up between them and the driver, she leaned forward and whispered, “A witch?”
He nodded.
“The witch?”
He nodded again.
“How long has it been since you’ve seen her?”
“The last time I saw her, she was breaking my heart on the front porch of her family home. That was two hundred and three years ago.”
Paislee leaned back in her seat, it made sense now why Timothy had been so angry at the woman for casting the spell to help her brother. He’d been in love with her, and she’d turned him away forcing him to live out an eternity without her.
His heart had been broken, and she’d mocked him for it.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For mocking you about your wife.”
“Myria was not my wife.”
“She wasn’t?”
“No, my wife was not a witch. She was a kind woman with a knack for healing the sick using herbs.”
The inflection on his words when he’d said she wasn’t a witch had stung, but Paislee brushed them off. She knew he hadn’t meant it that way and that he was already on edge. Picking a fight over something as silly as that would have been pointless.
“Either way, I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.”
They bought clothes, shoes, toiletries, and luggage to hold it all at a mall in Dublin. Then they climbed into a car that Timothy had rented himself and made their way out of the city. He had checked a map and explained that since he hadn’t been here when the roads had been created, he was useless as far as figuring out how to drive to where they needed to go.
She’d never seen him dressed the way he was now. He was completely casual in his jeans, t-shirt, and black jacket. He wore dark boots and sunglasses that made it impossible to see his eyes. She wondered if he’d done it on purpose, so she wouldn’t be able to see if he was upset.
She turned her attention out of the window and watched with wonder as the scenery passed her by. A flock of sheep grazed beyond stonewalls, and the grass was greener than she ever could have imagined.
The entire country felt like magic, it was no wonder there were so many myths and legends surrounding it.
“Are you alright?” she asked cautiously.
He nodded and continued driving. “I’ve missed this place, and I hadn’t been prepared for that.”
She reached over and squeezed his arm lightly, and he moved his hand over to link his fingers through hers.
The simple act had butterflies fluttering in her stomach, and she suppressed a smile as she turned to continue staring out of the window.
They drove in silence the rest of the way, only breaking it when Paislee had a question about ruins they passed or the small villages that dotted the road between them and wherever it was they were going.
Timothy’s hand tightened on hers as he turned down a private gravel road. Trees stood up on either side, blocking the sun and casting gorgeous strands of lights over them as they drove.
They emerged into a clearing next to a large barn, and once she turned her attention off it, Paislee saw the most beautiful house she had ever seen standing before them. It looked like a fairytale cottage, and she tried to picture what it must have been like when Timothy had last seen it. Had it looked the same? Had that ivy climbed its stonewalls the day he left here heartbroken and alone?
He released her hand and gripped the steering wheel, placing his forehead against it. Paislee didn’t say anything, she knew there was nothing she could say to ease the pain he was in, so she stayed silent and waited patiently until he opened the door and stepped outside.
Chapter 15
Timothy stood at the end of the drive, in front of a house he never thought he’d see again. He closed his eyes, and the image of him saying goodbye on that porch step came rushing into his mind.
A mixture of emotions—mainly anger—shocked his system and he ground his teeth together. His past came to the front of his mind, and for a moment he lost himself in it.
Ireland 1815
Timothy burst into the clearing just in time to see the sorcerer they were hunting drive his dagger into the stomach of his latest victim, the love of his best friends life. Aengus howled in rage and Aengus’s sister Myria cried out as they rushed to where she was suspended in a tree.
Aine screamed in pain, but Timothy could hardly hear it over his own blood pounding in his ears.
“Keep them away from her!” Timothy ordered his men as he jumped off his horse and attacked the guards protecting the sorcerer, Caipre.
He fought with anger at the memory of the other death caused by this man all because he had become obsessed with Aine over the years.
Her young sisters face stayed in the front of his mind as he fought those who refused to surrender. As soon as the fight was over, he searched for his best friend who was currently cradling the love of his life in his arms.
Timothy’s eyes caught sight of Caipre at the edge of the clearing, seething. He raced towards him and ran through the trees trying to capture the man responsible for all the carnage of the last day.
Timothy’s breath came out in ragged puffs as he raced through the trees searching for any sign of the sorcerer. A dizzying wave of magic passed over him and he wondered if Myria had been able to heal Aine. Her magic had grown over the years and he knew healing was something she’d been working towards.
New hope bloomed in his chest at the thought, and he ran back towards the clearing. He saw Aengus kneeling, hands tied behind his back. He was covered in a thick layer of blood from the guards who had surrendered, but were now lying in a lifeless heap on the grassy ground.
Myria was kneeling next to Aine and he felt his own tears. Aine was dead. He could see it all over the faces of those he considered his closest friends.
“Cut him loose!” Timothy order
ed one of his men.
“But sir—”
“I said cut the bloody ropes off of him. Can you not see he is grieving? These men deserved to die for what they have done. Do I need to remind you of the little girl who was murdered earlier? I know I don’t have to remind you of the woman who was beaten, as she is lying right there!” he screamed, and the guard hesitated just before cutting the binds on Aengus’s hands.
Timothy felt a pain unlike anything he’d ever felt as he watched his broken friend pull the body of his true love into his arms and cradle her as one would do a child. He swallowed hard and walked over.
“Aengus.” Timothy placed his hand on Aengus’s shoulder, he didn’t say anything else knowing that no words could soothe his friends broken soul. Within moments, Aengus stood and carried Aine back to his horse.
“Come on, Myria.” Timothy lifted her into his arms and cradled her to his chest as she cried. His heart broke for the only girl he had ever loved and the pain she was suffering as well as the grief he knew his best friend was facing now: a life without the one person he loved the most. It was a pain that Timothy couldn’t even imagine.
“Wait,” she said softly, and turned to look at the ground where Aine had once laid.
“What is it?”
Her eyes searched frantically, “Oh no. Where is it?”
“Where is what?”
“The dagger, the one that Aine was stabbed with.”
“I saw no dagger.”
“Oh no, this is bad.”
“Why? It was simply a dagger.”
“No it wasn’t. It was the Dagger of Souls.”
“Dagger of Souls?” Confusion spread across Timothy’s face as he looked down at her.
“I learned of it in scrolls Caipre had in his study. It is rumored to trap the soul of the victim. It was why I removed it from her before she—” She choked up at her words.
“We will find it.” Timothy stepped away for a moment and went to speak with some of his men. Myria watched as they nodded and he came back to her.
“They are searching for it now.”
Myria nodded and let Timothy guide her once again.
* * *
Timothy made his way back to the house, exhausted and helpless. Aengus had disappeared and after searching for him, Timothy had discovered he was holed up in a small cabin.
He had begged his friend to come home, for his family, for his sister, but he had refused. The house came into view and he saw Myria sitting on the porch. She looked completely and totally broken and Timothy hated he would have to deliver more bad news to an already distraught family.
“Myria.” She looked up at him and he saw fleeting hope in her eyes. Hope that he was going to have to extinguish. “He is refusing to come back,” he said softly, and took a seat next to her.
Myria nodded.
“I’m so sorry for all you have suffered through, Myria. You are the most amazing woman I have ever known, and I truly hope that one day you find happiness again.”
She smiled at him then, and although it didn’t reach her eyes, Timothy believed it was the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.
“Thank you, Timothy.”
He cleared his throat. “Perhaps we might spend some time together?”
“I’m sorry, Timothy. I need to focus on bringing my family back together. There must be a way to get Aengus home.” She stood, and Timothy followed.
“I understand.” He started to take a step down off the porch, but turned back to her. “Actually, I’m sorry. I don’t. I know you have lost a lot recently, but you have to know that I will do anything for you. I care for you, Myria, beyond the bounds of friendship, and I need you to know that.”
“I know,” she said softly, and leaned down to kiss his cheek. “But my happiness is not what matters now. I have to bring Aengus home, and I have to ensure Aine comes back to him.” She had told him of the spell she’d cast to offer her brother a second chance, but he didn’t understand why she would use it as an excuse. He wanted to though, and had she not already looked so beaten down, he might have pressed for more.
“That sounds like a very lonely future,” He said softly, and cupped her cheek with his hand. The feel of the warmth against his palm had a lump forming in his throat. “I cannot wait any longer.”
Tears filled her eyes but she nodded. “I understand.”
“Goodbye, Myria.” He kissed her softly and turned away. He fought the urge to turn around, to rush to her and insist she not drive him away, but he continued. If she didn’t wish for him to be in her life then who was he to force it.
They both deserved better.
* * *
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Paislee asked softly, her voice pulling him from his trance. He hesitated and then nodded, it was now or never, he supposed.
Each step he took towards that house made the panic rise in his chest. Would they even recognize him?
The door loomed before them, and he took a deep breath before knocking. He heard voices inside and then a woman with dark hair opened the door, an infant in her arms. The similarities were endless, and he knew he was staring face to face with Aine, a woman he’d watched die over two hundred years ago.
“Hi, what can I-” She stopped mid-sentence, and her jaw fell slack. “Timothy?”
“Aine,” he ground out. He had no reason to be angry with her, he reminded himself. It was Caipre who had gone after her, and she hadn’t been the one behind the spell, only the object of it.
“Aengus!” she called, and Timothy straightened. The last time he’d seen Aengus, was the night Aine and her sister had been laid to rest.
“What is it?” he asked and stopped in front of the door. Tears filled Timothy’s friend’s eyes as he took in the scene before him. “Timothy, is that you? But how? I don’t understand.”
“Aine, Aengus, this is Paislee.” Paislee held out her hand, and Aine took it gently.
“Please come in you two.”
They stepped into the house and Timothy took it all in. Aside from the modern upgrades, the house was nearly an exact match for the home he had spent so much time in as a boy. Some of the same paintings and tapestries hung on the walls, and the fireplace was the same stone it had been centuries before.
He heard the sound of giggling and turned to see a young girl chasing after a dog. “Isleen, no running!” Aine called, and Timothy and Paislee followed them into a sitting area.
“Isleen?” Timothy asked, curious about the little girl with Aine’s sister's name.
“That’s our daughter,” Aine said. “And this is our son, Timothy.” She gestured to the infant in her arms.
“Timothy.”
She blushed. “We named him after you.”
“Congratulations, Aine,” he said through gritted teeth and tried to be happy for the woman who had to spend so many years in pain. He was moved they had chosen to name their son after him, but the jealousy he felt at the fact that they had children when a family had been all he wanted, rose to the surface. He tried to ignore it though and reminded himself that he had loved these people as family.
“It’s Abby now,” she corrected him. “At least that’s what I go by out in the world.”
Aengus still hadn’t spoken, he just continued to stare at Timothy in disbelief. “How are you here? I thought you dead?” His voice was barely above a whisper.
“I’d rather not repeat the story. We need to see Myria, and I can tell everyone then.” He wished he didn’t have to face her, wish they didn’t need her help, but without her, they were as good as dead.
“I’ll call her,” Aine, or rather Abby, said easily and rose from the couch.
“This is a beautiful home,” Paislee commented, trying to break the awkward silence that had fallen over the room. She folded her hands in her lap and watched the young girl play with the dog. It reminded her of the dog she’d saved as a young girl, and it brought a pang of sadness to her chest.
“She’s on her way.�
� Abby took a seat next to Aengus and smiled at Paislee. “So how did you two meet?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Why are you here? Why now?” Aengus confronted Timothy. “If you’ve been around all this time, why are we only just now seeing you?”
“Aengus.” Abby put a hand on his arm.
Timothy didn’t answer, he just continued to stare at the flames in the fireplace. Ten minutes of awkward silence passed before the door opened and one of the most beautiful women Paislee had ever seen burst in. Her skin illuminated unlike the others in the room, and her magic seemed to call out to the newcomer as if it were sensing a kindred spirit. Those two things could only mean one thing; this was the witch who had cursed Timothy. The one he’d been in love with all those years ago.
“Timothy?” She stopped in front of the couch, and he stood to face her. Paislee saw the barely leashed control all over his face, so she stood with him and placed her hand on his arm. “Is it really you? Of course, it’s you.” Her eyes filled and Paislee saw love reflected in the depths. But not the same kind of love she imagined had once been in Timothy’s.
“I’m sorry Paislee, I can’t do this.” Timothy pushed past Myria and the red-haired man who had followed her in. He slammed the door shut behind him, leaving Paislee starring at four very confused pairs of eyes.
“Excuse me for just a moment.” She eased past them and headed for the door where Timothy had disappeared. She saw him standing at the entrance to what appeared to be a giant flower garden.
“This was all dead,” he said softly when she came to stand next to him.
Since the moment she’d met Timothy McGinley, she’d sensed the strength inside his soul. He’d been a stubborn, persistent, sometimes thickheaded ally in the private war she was raging against Malcolm. Seeing him now though, she couldn’t help but feel heartache at the pain reflected on his face.
He was broken, damaged, and she had no idea how to put him back together.
Collateral Damage_A Tethered Novel Page 12