by Laura Howard
“Yes, your sister is here to save you Samantha. Much like you came rushing to her rescue, hmm?”
Samantha turned her face, as though she refused to acknowledge Aoife.
“Oh Samantha, where are your manners?” Aoife’s hand came up again and Samantha cried out. A shudder passed through her body and then she lay still.
“I already said I’d do what you want,” I said, turning to glare at Aoife. “You don’t have to hurt her.”
Aoife appeared to delight in my outburst. I’d reacted exactly as she’d wanted me to. “Oh, I know that,” she said with a malignant grin. “Samantha is a bit of a… fail-safe, just in case you think to defy me.”
With a flourish, she turned to leave the cavern.
Even though I was pretty certain she couldn’t hear me, I attempted to speak in Samantha’s thoughts again.
I’ll be back for you as soon as I can.
Without a moment wasted, Aoife whisked me through the portal and back to the abandoned cabin where we’d left my car.
She paced back and forth as I opened the door to climb in. “What will you tell them about your disappearance?” she asked.
Gripping the top of the car door, I glared at her. As if she needed me to tell her. It was all planned out for me, down to the last letter. “I was on my way to follow Niamh and Aodhan to Thunder Bay when my car broke down. I couldn’t find my phone so I had to spend the night sleeping in the car.”
Aoife appeared directly in front of me in the space of a breath. Her eyes were laser sharp as she leaned in. “You will not speak of this meeting to anyone. You will do as I’ve told you, right down to the last detail. If you think you can fool me, or trick me in any way, your father will suffer. Do you believe me?”
I nodded, her compulsion too strong for me to resist.
“Good, go then,” she said, pushing my face toward the car with one finger.
I got in, the burden of what I must do heavier than I thought I could bear. So many lives were in my hands and it settled like a lead cannon in my stomach.
As I backed out of the overgrown lot, I looked over my shoulder where Aoife had stood seconds before. I saw nothing, but I knew she was there.
By the time I made it back to Stoneville, it was nearly forty-eight hours after I’d gone dress shopping with Nicole.
I pulled into my driveway and looked at the house I’d lived my entire life. I’d called the house from a payphone to let Gram know I was okay, but no one had answered. Everyone’s cell numbers were programmed into my own cell, which now lay on the side of the road somewhere and I couldn’t remember them from memory.
Taking a deep breath, I climbed out of the car and made my way to the porch. As I took the first step, the front door slammed open. Nicole and her mother, my Aunt Jessie walked out wearing identical expressions of confusion and relief.
“Oh my God, Allison,” Nicole said. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” I said, not meeting her eyes. “Did you get my message?”
I told them Niamh left abruptly after a fight with Liam and I’d gone after her. My family thought Liam was Niamh’s brother and one lie blended into the other. I was appalled at how easily the lies came to me. But relieved as well, since there were many, many more to come.
Aunt Jessie wrapped her arms around me. “Did you ever catch up with Niamh?”
I stalled for a second, then shook my head. “The address to their family’s home was on my GPS. Once I lost my phone, I didn’t even know where to go. Then of course, the car broke down.”
“We were so worried. You’ve been so impulsive lately. It isn’t like you,” Nicole said. I finally met her eyes and saw the disapproval and hurt there.
As far as Nicole knew, I’d left the dress shop when Niamh called me upset about something to do with her family.
“I know. I feel terrible.”
“Listen, honey,” Aunt Jessie said and I pulled back to meet her eyes. “Pop was having some chest pains early this morning and he’s been admitted up at the hospital. Gram is with him right now while they wait for a room to open up.”
“Oh no,” I said, shuddering. I turned on my heel and walked into the house, rubbing my hands over my face.
As the door shut behind Aunt Jessie, I heard a cough coming from the den. The sound of my mother’s cough was nothing compared to Liam’s, but it was a stark reminder of what my life was reduced to.
I walked into the den to find my mother sitting on the couch. Nobody else spent time in this room besides her. Usually she came in here to play her violin, but she was wrapped up in one of Gram’s old patchwork quilts.
I approached her tentatively. She looked at me with a blank expression. No sign of recognition, but also no sign of anxiety. There was no telling how she would receive me from one moment to the next. Some days she tolerated me, others she became upset at the sight of me. She stayed calm as I sat beside her and relief coursed through me.
“How’s Mom been?” I asked. Aunt Jessie stood leaning a hip on the doorway.
“She’s doing okay now, but she was upset when Pop got sick. Thankfully Nic was here to take care of her.”
Even though Aunt Jessie would never say something to hurt me on purpose, it still felt like a shot to my chest. I should have been here to take care of my mother. If I’d been more careful, would Pop still be home where he belonged?
“Thanks Nic,” I called out to my cousin, who was banging around in the kitchen.
“No problem, obviously,” she said, bringing me a cup of coffee.
“What time did they go to the hospital?” I asked after I took a sip.
“Well,” Aunt Jessie said glancing down at her watch. “It’s 9:00 now, so it was about 6:30 when we drove him up to the ER.”
“Does Gram know I called?” I asked.
“Yes, and she’s very relieved. Maybe you should give her a call.”
I walked out to the kitchen to get the cordless phone. I dialed the preset button for Gram’s cell. She answered right away in a hushed tone.
“Hi Gram,” I said.
“Oh, sweetheart. I’m so glad to hear your voice. We’re just getting Pop settled into his room, so I’ll have to call you back in a few minutes, okay?”
“Of course, call me back when you can.”
I started to put the phone back on its cradle, but decided I needed to let Ethan know I was okay. He’d have questions I couldn’t answer.
I set the phone down. What was I going to tell him? Before I came up with an answer the phone rang. I picked it up before it finished the first ring.
“Christ, Al,” Ethan said with a deep sigh. “What the hell happened?”
I licked my lips and looked out the window.
“I lost my cell, my car died. You name it and it happened,” I said, going for vague.
“Did something happen with Niamh? Is she okay?”
“I don’t know,” I said, which was the truth. I kept my voice low to keep my family from hearing. “She and Aodhan went to Thunder Bay and I… I tried to follow them and, well you know how that went, I presume.”
“From what Nic said, I didn’t know what to think. Something about Niamh and Liam arguing, which obviously wasn’t true. Dammit, I was going crazy, Al.”
“I’m so sorry Ethan, really. I didn’t mean to worry anyone.”
“I’m glad you’re home safe. I just wish you would have called, I would have gone with you.”
I chewed at my lip, fighting back the misery in my chest. There was no way I could have called any of them, but that didn’t ease my conscience.
“Mind if I stop by at lunch?” Ethan asked when I didn’t respond.
“No, of course not. Did you… did you know about Pop?”
“Yeah, Jeff told me a few minutes ago. How’s he doing?”
“I’m not really sure. I just walked in the house a few minutes ago.”
“When you get the go ahead, I’ll take you up to see him okay?”
“I’d like th
at,” I said, surprised he was being so nice to me after what I’d put them all through.
I hung up and walked over to sit on the couch. I had many hours during the drive home to consider different ways I could cause problems for Niamh and Aodhan. Aoife gave me no concrete way to come between them, which was possibly worse than if she had. The whole plan had to be of my own making.
I’d considered pretending to be in love with Aodhan and almost laughed out loud. As if that would be enough to keep them from finding their way back to each other. Niamh was, well Niamh. Blonde, beautiful and powerful. And they had so much history. Not to mention how much that would hurt Ethan after all he’d done for me. That was not an option I could work with.
The thing was, it would actually be very easy to keep them apart. I didn’t need to pretend very much to do what Aoife wanted. That’s what made me so sad. I’d been rooting for them working things out, despite the odds against them. But I’d known how precarious their relationship was.
I’d had seeds of doubt myself about whose side Niamh’s mother, Saoirse, was actually on. Aodhan and I had spoken about this several times since we’d met. But if I was to cause him to doubt Niamh’s true allegiance, even in the slightest, it would widen the rift between them in no time. I felt sick thinking about it.
I felt the couch move next to me and realized how deep in thought I’d been. Aunt Jessie gave me a tight smile.
“I know you’re probably exhausted, sweetie. Nicole’s going to stay and keep your mom company for a while and I’m going to take a ride up to the hospital.”
I blinked and nodded. “Of course. I’m sorry, I didn’t even think. Go ahead, we’re fine here.”
My aunt threw her arms around me, and sniffled against my shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
I squeezed her back, the feeling of love and acceptance like a balm against the hollow dread in my heart.
“Tell Pop I’ll be up to see him as soon as I can,” I said, fighting back tears.
“I sure will,” she said, getting to her feet. “Try to get some rest, okay?”
I nodded, following her to the front door. Nicole came up behind me as I watched Aunt Jessie climb into her car.
“Was that Ethan who called?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I said without looking at her.
“He was sort of freaking out when I told him you went after Niamh,” she said.
I cleared my throat and waved as Aunt Jessie pulled away from the house.
“Yeah,” I said, rubbing my temples where a throbbing pain was starting to take root. “What a mess.”
Nicole was silent as she followed me back to the couch where I flopped back down and threw an arm over my eyes.
“What I don’t understand is how you’ve become so close with these people that you jump in the car to chase after them, neglecting to even tell your own family where you’re going.”
“I told you where I was going, Nic. You’re acting like I’m fifteen years old.”
“You’ve gone your whole life refusing to make friends with anyone. All the way through high school and college, you shut down every single person who tried to talk to you. It just doesn’t make sense.”
I opened one eye and scrambled for an answer to placate her. “Haven’t you been the one encouraging me to give people a chance? I’m trying to do just that.”
“I guess. I’m sorry for being a bitch, I was just scared you’d been abducted or hurt.”
I tucked my hair behind my ears and closed my eyes again. “It’s fine. I would have called you if I could, you know. It was just impossible.”
“You should probably call Niamh now that you’re home, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, I should. I will in a few minutes.”
“Doesn’t she work?” Nicole asked after a minute.
“Niamh?” I asked, taken aback.
“Yes, Niamh,” Nicole said, smirking at me.
I took a deep breath. “Oh, um. Sort of. She doesn’t really have to since her family has so much money. But she does some modeling once in a while.” That wasn’t a question I’d been expecting.
“That must be nice,” she said with a laugh.
I shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”
I heard my mother start coughing again from the den. “Does she need more medicine?” I asked, sitting up.
“I don’t think so,” Nicole frowned. “It doesn’t seem like it’s helping much.”
I leaned my head against the back of the couch again. Of course medicine wouldn’t help. The cough was Aoife’s subtle reminder of what I needed to do.
Getting a hold of Niamh might be difficult. She had a cell phone, but she didn’t keep it with her all the time. She preferred her own method of communication.
“I’m just gonna run up and see if I can find Niamh’s number,” I told Nicole.
I’d written her number on a sticky note somewhere on my computer desk. I went to my room and looked for the note. What would I say to her once I got her on the phone? The weight of the pendant Aoife gave me hung heavy on my chest.
I had to get her and Aodhan back to Stoneville. Maybe I’d get lucky and they’d have taken care of the guards already. I was appalled with myself for thinking so lightly of the fact they planned on killing the guards.
Finding the number under one of the college texts on my desk, I picked up the corded phone and stared at it a moment before dialing.
It rang and rang before a voice answered, but it definitely wasn’t Niamh.
“Um, hello?” I said.
“Well, hello there Allison,” Bláithín said smoothly. “What can I do for you?”
“I was looking for Niamh, is she around?”
“Not at the moment,” Bláithín said. “She and Aodhan are taking a turn looking around the latest crime scene.”
“Oh, okay. Well,” I began, thinking of a story as I went. “I think I saw Aoife this morning,” I blurted.
“Aoife? Are you sure?” she said, all business.
“Yes, pretty sure. She was… standing outside the store this morning when I was in line. Sort of taunting me.” Not all lies. She had been taunting me.
“Does Tagdh know?”
Dammit, I’d almost forgotten about Tagdh. His boyish face flashed in my mind, wide eyed and unseeing with an iron dagger piercing his heart.
“Um, I don’t know. I haven’t seen him.”
“He’s very good at staying out of sight, isn’t he? I’ll be sure to let him know next time I talk to him.”
Think, Allison. You need to get them to come back here.
My eyes darted around the room. “What if she’s done something to Tagdh?”
“Allison? What makes you think that?”
“I just haven’t seen him and I know she’s here. I don’t want anything to happen to my mother.” I despised how weak I had to act. Bláithín was so strong. She probably thought I was such a wimp.
“Okay, okay. Try to relax. We’ll call Tagdh. I’m sure it’s all fine.” The phone clicked.
I looked down at my hand still resting against the phone. I hated this. I hated the lies especially all I still had ahead of me.
After about an hour of staring at the wall, there was a knock at my bedroom door.
“Come in,” I said.
Ethan eased my door open and walked in. “Your mom’s asleep.”
I smiled weakly as he sat across from me on my bed. “Have you eaten anything since you’ve been home?” he asked.
“No, I’m not really hungry,” I said, and it was true. My stomach was twisted up in knots and even the thought of eating made me queasy.
“Is there anything you’re not telling me?” Ethan asked, tilting his head.
I might as well start lying to him, too. “Actually,” I said, loathing myself. “I think I saw Aoife this morning.”
His brows shot up. “Where?”
“I stopped for a water and I’m pretty sure she was standing outside the store while I waited in line.”
/>
“Jesus,” he said as his gaze searched my face. “Have you talked to Niamh?”
“I called and talked to one of her guards. But, no I haven’t talked to her.”
“Okay, well Jeff is coming to bring Nicole lunch. Why don’t we send them to the hospital to see your grandfather and when they come back I’ll take you up?”
I smiled at him and he patted the bed next to him. I got up and gratefully sank into his waiting arms. I needed this right now, even if I didn’t deserve it.
“I probably smell, I haven’t showered in a couple days,” I said, wrinkling my nose.
Ethan placed his hand on my cheek and trailed his fingers down my neck, behind my hair. “I don’t care,” he said as he kissed me before I could protest.
I pulled away after a minute, slightly breathless. “I’m just going to, um… take a quick shower. I’ll only be a minute,” I said, getting up and backing away.
“I’ll be downstairs. I took the rest of the day off.”
“Is your father mad?” I asked.
“One of the perks of being the boss’s son. My mother would give him hell if she found out he didn’t let me come to you when you needed me.” Ethan winked, getting up from the bed.
I blinked back more tears and hurried out of the room before I lost it.
Twenty minutes later, I was clean and dressed and feeling somewhat less wretched. I jogged down the stairs, hoping for news about Pop.
Nicole, Ethan and Jeff sat around the kitchen table with boxes of Chinese food spread out in front of them. The smell reminded me how long it had been since I’d actually eaten so I pulled out a chair to join them.
“Did you hear anything?” I asked my cousin.
Nicole finished chewing and nodded. “Mom just called. Pop’s settled and scheduled to have some tests done at two.”
I glanced at the clock on the stove. It was 11:30. “Can we see him?”
“We can, but Mom said we should let him sleep for a while before the tests. She thinks it might be better to go up tonight.”
My chest deflated. She was probably right. He needed the rest. It was for my own reasons I wanted to see him, to see with my own eyes he would be all right.