Nora Roberts's Circle Trilogy

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by Nora Roberts


  There were shouts and whoops, and he smiled as he heard the arguments already starting for who would be the sorcerer, who would be the queen.

  Because his senses were still keen in some areas, Cian lifted his hand to the back of the chair, and covered Moira’s.

  “You tell it well.”

  “Easy to tell what you’ve lived.”

  “Easy to enhance what was,” she corrected, coming around the chair. “But you stayed very close to the truth.”

  “Wasn’t the truth strange and magical enough?”

  Her hair was pure white, and her face as she smiled at him, lined with the years. And more beautiful than any he’d known.

  “Walk with me before twilight comes.” She helped him to stand, hooked her arm through his. “And are you ready for the invasion?” she asked, tipping her head toward his shoulder.

  “When it comes, at least you’ll be finished fussing over it.”

  “I’m so anxious to see them all. Our first circle, and the circles they’ve made. Once a year for the whole of them is so long to wait, even with the little visits between. And listening to little pieces of the tale brings it all back so clear, doesn’t it?”

  “It does. No regrets?”

  “I’ve never had a one when it comes to you. What a fine life we’ve had, Cian. I know we’re in the winter of it, but I don’t feel the cold.”

  “Well, I do, when you put your feet on my arse in the night.”

  She laughed, turned to kiss him with all the warmth, all the love of sixty years of marriage.

  “There’s our eternity, Moira,” he said, gesturing toward their grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. “There’s our forever.”

  Hands linked, they walked in the softening sunlight. Though their steps were slow and measured from age, they continued through the courtyards and the gardens, and out through the gates while the sound of children playing rang behind them.

  High above on the castle peaks, the three symbols of Geall, the claddaugh, the dragon and the sun, flew—gold against the white.

  Glossary of Irish Words, Characters and Places

  a chroi (ah-REE), Gaelic term of endearment meaning “my heart,” “my heart’s beloved,” “my darling”

  a ghrá (ah-GHRA), Gaelic term of endearment meaning “my love,” “dear”

  a stór (ah-STOR), Gaelic term of endearment meaning “my darling”

  Aideen (Ae-DEEN), Moira’s young cousin

  Alice McKenna, descendant of Cian and Hoyt Mac Cionaoith

  An Clar (Ahn-CLAR), modern-day County Clare

  Ballycloon (ba-LU-klun)

  Blair Nola Bridgitt Murphy, one of the circle of six, the “warrior”; a demon hunter, a descendant of Nola Mac Cionaoith (Cian and Hoyt’s younger sister)

  Bridget’s Well, cemetery in County Clare, named after St. Bridget

  Burren, the, a karst limestone region in County Clare, which features caves and underground streams

  cara (karu), Gaelic for “friend, relative”

  Ceara, one of the village women

  Cian (KEY-an) Mac Cionaoith/McKenna, Hoyt’s twin brother, a vampire, Lord of Oiche, one of the circle of six, “the one who is lost”

  Cirio, Lilith’s human lover

  ciunas (CYOON-as), Gaelic for “silence”; the battle takes place in the Valley of Ciunas—the Valley of Silence

  claddaugh, the Celtic symbol of love, friendship, loyalty

  Cliffs of Mohr (also Moher), the name given to the ruin of forts in the south of Ireland, on a cliff near Hag’s Head, “Moher O’Ruan”

  Conn, Larkin’s childhood puppy

  Dance of the Gods, the Dance, the place in which the circle of six passes through from the real world to the fantasy world of Geall

  Davey, Lilith, the Vampire Queen’s, “son,” a child vampire

  Deirdre (DAIR-dhra) Riddock, Larkin’s mother

  Dervil (DAR-vel), one of the village women

  Eire (AIR-reh), Gaelic for Ireland

  Eogan (O-en), Ceara’s husband

  Eoin (OAN), Hoyt’s brother-in-law

  Eternity, the name of Cian’s nightclub, located in New York City

  Faerie Falls, imaginary place in Geall

  fàilte à Geall (FALL-che ah GY-al), Gaelic for “Welcome to Geall”

  Fearghus (FARE-gus), Hoyt’s brother-in-law

  Gaillimh (GALL-yuv), modern-day Galway, the capital of the west of Ireland

  Geall (GY-al), in Gaelic means “promise”; the city from which Moira and Larkin come; the city which Moira will someday rule

  Glenna Ward, one of the circle of six, the “witch”; lives in modern-day New York City

  Hoyt Mac Cionaoith/McKenna (mac KHEE-nee), one of the circle of six, the “sorcerer”

  Isleen (Is-LEEN), a servant at Castle Geall

  Jarl (Yarl), Lilith’s sire, the vampire who turned her into a vampire

  Jeremy Hilton, Blair Murphy’s ex-fiance

  King, the name of Cian’s best friend, whom Cian befriended when King was a child; the manager of Eternity

  Larkin Riddock, one of the circle of six, the “shifter of shapes,” a cousin of Moira, Queen of Geall

  Lilith, the Vampire Queen, aka Queen of the Demons; leader of the war against humankind; Cian’s sire, the vampire who turned Cian from human to vampire

  Lora, a vampire; Lilith’s lover

  Lucius, Lora’s male vampire lover

  Malvin, villager, soldier in Geallian army

  Manhattan, city in New York; where both Cian McKenna and Glenna Ward live

  mathair (maahir), Gaelic word for mother

  Michael Thomas McKenna, descendant of Cian and Hoyt Mac Cionaoith

  Mick Murphy, Blair Murphy’s younger brother

  Midir (mee-DEER), vampire wizard to Lilith, Queen of the Vampires

  miurnin (also sp. miurneach [mornukh]), Gaelic for “sweetheart,” term of endearment

  Moira (MWA-ra), one of the circle of six, the “scholar”; a princess, future queen of Geall

  Morrigan (Mo-ree-ghan), Goddess of the Battle

  Niall (Nile), a warrior in the Geallian army

  Nola Mac Cionaoith, Hoyt and Cian’s youngest sister

  ogham (ä-gem) (also spelled ogam), fifth/sixth century Irish alphabet

  oiche (EE-heh), Gaelic for “night”

  Oran (O-ren), Riddock’s youngest son, Larkin’s younger brother

  Phelan (FA-len), Larkin’s brother-in-law

  Prince Riddock, Larkin’s father, acting king of Geall, Moira’s maternal uncle

  Region of Chiarrai (kee-U-ree), modern-day Kerry, situated in the extreme southwest of Ireland, sometimes referred to as “the Kingdom”

  Samhain (SAM-en), summer’s end (Celtic festival); the battle takes place on the Feast of Samhain, the feast celebrating the end of summer

  Sean Murphy (Shawn), Blair Murphy’s father, a vampire hunter

  Shop Street, cultural center of Galway

  Sinann (shih-NAWN), Larkin’s sister

  sláinte (slawn-che), Gaelic term for “cheers!”

  slán agat (shlahn u-gut), Gaelic for “good-bye,” which is said to the person staying

  slán leat (shlahn ly-aht), Gaelic for “good-bye,” which is said to the person leaving

  Tuatha de Danaan (TOO-aha dai DON-nan), Welsh gods

  Tynan (Ti-nin), guard at Castle Geall

  Vlad, Cian’s stallion

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Contents

  Morrigan’s Cross

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13 />
  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Glossary of Irish Words, Characters and Places

  Dance of the Gods

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Glossary of Irish Words, Characters and Places

  Valley of Silence

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Glossary of Irish Words, Characters and Places

 

 

 


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