We venture on for another twenty minutes, and I look back to check on them. Kinu is sleeping now too. Good. Sleep when the babies sleep is wisdom for the ages.
I’ve been thinking about the devotion in Sloan’s words and the loving relationship he has with my grandparents. I’ve met his parents. Janet and Wallace Mackenzie are quite rigid and driven. They approve of the man he’s become, but I’ve never seen any signs of affection.
Which is totally sad.
“How young were you when you started poofing to Gran’s and Granda’s house?”
Sloan checks the rearview mirror, then casts a sideways glance at me. “Five. I was in the car with my father when he stopped in to speak with Lugh. He told me to wait there, but Lara took me by the hand, and we snacked on cookies and warm apple cider on the side patio with the birds and rabbits and mice she invited for a tea party.”
“I can picture that. The first day I spent with her, I told her she reminded me of Snow White.”
He nods. “That night, I was lying in bed wishing I could see the nice lady again, and I transported into their kitchen. That’s when my wayfarer gift first appeared.”
“And a grand first adventure.” I can picture them finding a young boy in his jammies in the middle of their kitchen. “I’m glad you’ve had their love. It’s kinda perfect actually.”
“How so?”
“Well, they wanted to love us, but we didn’t know about them, and my da cut them off. Your parents kept you a bit cut off, and you needed love. Win-win.”
He turns off the side road and into Gran’s laneway. I smile out the front windshield at the thick hedge that runs the length of the front of the house.
I like to think my grandparents live in the Shire.
“They’ve been good to me.”
Tension rings in his voice, and I know we’re getting dangerously close to “feelings.” I don’t care. Sloan’s more than a high-handed jerk. Beneath that crusty exterior is a gooey center I’ve caught glimpses of a few times. “It must’ve hurt when Granda asked you to go to Toronto and find us.”
“Don’t be stupid. Lugh was dying. It was necessary. Why would that hurt me?” He slows the truck and eases through the arched opening into the property’s interior.
The place is exactly as I remember: the thatched roof on the house that backs into a hill, the tree that grows out of the center, the intricate maze of cobbled walkways bordered by lush growth and flowers.
For lack of a better description—it’s magical.
I can’t help but lean forward in my seat and smile. “It’s perfectly natural that you might resent the idea of sharing them after having them to yourself for so long. You’re an only child, and you haven’t had to share much in life. I think it must’ve sucked for you.”
His brow creases. “Fine. If ye must know, it stung my pride more than it should’ve and I’m not a bit proud of it. Lugh needed ye and yer his family, not me. I had no right to feel slighted.”
“Sure, you did.”
“I didn’t. It was petty and beneath me.”
I wave at Gran. She steps out the front door and rushes along the front walk. Before I jump out, I reach over and squeeze his arm. “Surly, love is a complicated thing. Don’t get your boxers in a bunch. S’all good. In this family, there’s always enough love to go around.”
Chapter Two
“Tsumaranai mono desu ga.” Kinu holds out the jar of authentic Canadian maple syrup she brought. She presents it to Gran as she leans forward in a formal Japanese bow. “It means this is not much, but I bring you a small gift.”
“Och, well, thank you, luv. That was thoughtful.” She sets the syrup onto the stone half-wall that lines the walkway and holds her hands out for the sleeping baby girl in my arms.
“And you’re even more excited for these small gifts, aren’t you?” I hand her Meg and my grandmother bursts at the seams. Jackson toddles beside me while rubbing his eyes. “Jackson, this is your gran. Remember what I told you?”
He nods his little head, his russet brown hair standing up like a rooster’s comb at the front. “If Meggie and me is good, we can play with bunnies and Gran’s skunky.”
“That’s right.” I chuckle. “Is Dax here?”
Gran sends me an admonishing look and fights back a smile. “He’s out at the moment. I’m sure we’ll have a grand time with or without him while yer gone.”
“So, Granda called you and filled you in?”
“He did. He said yer to deliver Aiden’s family, then be off to the Doyle’s to join them.”
I shrug. “That’s what he told us too. I’m so sorry to hug and run. I’m not sure what it’s all about yet.”
“Och, we’ll be fine. Off ye go. Safe home.”
Once Sloan has carried the last of the luggage inside, he holds his hand out for me. I clasp his palm, and with a squeeze of his hand, we arrive on the manicured side lawn of a country estate. I eye the surroundings and smile at the rolling beige and sage green hills in the background.
I’ve come to love the backdrop of Ireland.
“Doyle.” I follow him around the back of the house toward the open fields. “As in Ciara Doyle?”
“The same.”
“Oh, joy. I’ve been in the country for two hours. I wondered when ill tidings and personal assaults would begin.”
We round the corner of the large, gray brick house and head toward the sheep pastures in the back. At first, I’m not sure what we’re looking at. A section of the forested area off the back of the house looks odd. Instead of tall trees and green leaves, there’s a section that looks crooked and withered.
I don’t have to be a cop to realize something bad happened to part of the Doyle family grove. The magical energy of the area feels anguished, and I understand why Mrs. Doyle was in a fit when she called Granda for help.
If she’s anything like Gran, her sacred grove is more than a source of fae power. It’s a living, breathing part of her.
I rub the nape of my neck and try to ease the tingling.
Following Sloan’s gaze, my attention shifts from the destruction of a centuries-old druid grove to the grazing pasture of a large flock of recently shorn sheep. The green pasture slopes away from the house and in the center of the flat plane of grass sits a massive crater of rich, dark earth.
This would be the part of Iris Doyle’s tale that mentioned the big hole in the ground.
Da and Granda stand on the near ridge of the crater while speaking with Evan and Iris Doyle. I’m glad to see them working together. From their perch atop the freshly disturbed dirt, it’s not a stretch to envision one of them getting shoved in the hole if things got heated.
I push down my anxiety and stop projecting.
Da said his only problem with Granda was not wanting a druid life. I forced that issue, so there’s nothing for them to fight about…I hope.
Deciding to leave them to chat, I scan for my brothers. Aiden, Calum, and Dillan are on the far ridge almost sixty feet away. And Emmet is…
“Ew, don’t touch that!” I slap Emmet’s hand away from stroking Ciara’s arm. I’ve seen him use that move before and it’s not happening. “Gross, Emmet. No. Just no. You’re not hooking up with this one.”
“And this involves you how?” Ciara sneers.
“Cumhaills watch out for one another. I’m not letting you debutante your way into my brother’s pants. That’s a hells no veto.”
Emmet frowns and gives me a look. “On what grounds?”
“Either Bro Code Article 150 or 86, take your pick.”
Emmet looks from Ciara to me and back before his face splits into a wide grin. “Well, well, your trip to Ireland was full of firsts. I didn’t know you swung that way, Fi.”
I roll my eyes. “Not me, dumbass. Sloan.”
Sloan’s scowl is hilarious, so I put him out of his misery. “Bro Code Article 150 is, ‘No sex with your Bro’s ex.’”
Sloan arches a brow. “And Article 86?”
E
mmet chuckles. “That’s the Hot/Crazy Scale. It’s to help gauge whether the allure of the exterior is worth the Fatal Attraction boiling bunny scene sure to follow.”
Sloan eyes up Ciara scowling at us and laughs. “Yer sister is right. That would be a hells no. Is there a Bro Code for running fast and far and never looking back?”
Emmet chuckles. “That’s the advice when a chick tips the Hot/Crazy Scale.”
“Consider it tipped. Trust me. This one is not pretty; she only looks that way.”
“Fuck you, Mackenzie.”
“Been there, done that. Got nothing but regrets.”
Emmet sighs. “Okay, I guess I’ll go help the others with the craters then.”
“Are ye daft?” Ciara snaps and casts withering glances among the three of us. “Yer listenin’ to them and blowin’ me off? We were havin’ a perfectly lovely time until they stuck their noses into our business.”
Emmet shrugs. “What can I say? You don’t mess with the Bro Code.”
He turns and strides off to join the others, and Sloan laughs and shakes his head. “Yer all cracked. Ye know that, right? The lot of ye live life a mile off-center.”
I bat my lashes at him. “You say the sweetest things.”
Ciara looks like she might explode, and I’m glad. After the snide welcome I got at the Tralee dinner and her arranging an attack on me in an alley as a hazing event, my goal is to foil her at every turn.
All my brothers are good-looking, but Emmet and Dillan are the two who are particularly sweet eye candy. The two of them, as well as Calum and Brenny, got our mam’s ebony hair and emerald green eyes. Aiden and I got Da’s russet-red hair and bright blue eyes.
I’m not surprised she set her sights on Emmet. He’s also the only one who would’ve responded to her.
Aiden’s married, Calum’s with Kevin, and Dillan’s with Kady. So, Emmet is the only unattached Cumhaill man. I guess Da qualifies too, although he’s never had anyone in his life since mom died. Well, that I know of.
“Shall we go look at the big dirt hole?” Sloan gestures at the commotion.
“Great idea. I’ve enjoyed as much of this as I can stand. Careful not to trip on Ciara’s pouty lip.”
Ciara crosses her arms and her boobs almost bust out of her tight, knit sweater. “Yer a feckin’ riot, Cumhaill. Why anyone gives ye the time of day is beyond me.”
“I’m sure many things are beyond you. Don’t worry. Everyone finds something they’re good at eventually. How are you at puzzles?”
Sloan places a hand at the small of my back, and we take our leave. I see the smile he fights to hide, and it’s gratifying. My work here is done.
Except…the woman doesn’t take a hint, and the bitter, brunette bombshell follows us like a bad fart.
I cast her a glance over my shoulder and raise my hand. “S’all good. We’ve got this. You can go paint your nails or kill a puppy or do whatever you normally do after a guy drops you like a hot rock.”
“Are ye coddin’ me? Yer on my land and ye think ye’ll prove yerself more useful to the elders than me? Yer a neophyte. What do ye know about fae monsters?”
“Almost nothing.” I think about it. “No. Probably closer to nothing. You’re right, I’m new to all of this, but I pick things up quicker than most.”
The three of us join Da, and the Doyles, while Granda steps off to receive a phone call. Evan Doyle is a short and stout man in his sixties wearing a stern expression that seems quite natural. Iris Doyle is a brunette beauty standing elegant in jeans and a linen smock top. Even with red-rimmed eyes, I see where Ciara gets her silver-screen good looks.
“Is that what ye think this is?” Sloan asks as we join the group. “A fae monster?”
“Um, pardon?” Emmet jogs over with my brothers in tow. “Fae monsters? Seriously?”
“So, it’s not just Fi then,” Dillan says.
I prop my hands on my hips. “What’s not just me?”
Calum laughs. “We wondered if it was Ireland that stirred up the trouble for you or if it was you that stirred up the trouble in Ireland. Our bets were on you.”
“Nice. Thanks.”
Granda gets off the phone and curses. “That was Brian Perry. He lost his grove last night. Except, he and Gwyneth were away, and the whole thing is gone. Every tree is desiccated. Centuries of life siphoned and destroyed.”
“Oh, sweet goddess,” Iris gasps. “How awful.”
“It’s an attack, then.” Evan scowls at his withered trees.
“By someone who knows the difference between a forest and a druid grove,” Da adds. “That’s the groves of two elders of the Nine Families targeted in one night.”
“Do druids have standing enemies?” Aiden asks.
We all look at Granda and wait for him to weigh in on that one. “Not as a rule, but Niall’s right. It’s too much of a coincidence to ignore both targets being the power source of an elder family.”
My guts twist, and I see the same discomfort firing in Granda’s expression. “Sloan, take the boys home. I don’t want Gran alone. Have her walk the perimeter with them. Then they can keep an eye on things until we get back.”
Sloan looks at Granda and gets his nod of agreement.
“Don’t tell her about the danger to the grove yet, son. I’ll speak with her privately about it when we get back. Boys, ye simply want to see the property and explore, all right?”
“Not to worry, Granda,” Aiden says. “We’ve got this.”
“Just to be clear,” Emmet says. “If we engage with someone on your property, how much force do we use?”
Granda frowns. “If they’re targeting the Elders of the Ancient Order, they aren’t ordinary humans. Ye’ll be facin’ fae, dark druids, or powerful creatures. Use whatever force ye need to keep the family safe from harm.”
Let me go too, Red.
“Agreed.” I focus on releasing my bonded bear from where he lives within me. A flutter builds in my chest, a gentle pressure forces my lungs to expand, then the pressure pops and he bursts free.
My nine-hundred-pound grizzly bear’s sudden appearance startles the Doyles, but my family is used to him dropping in unannounced.
“Bruin wants to go too.”
“Thank ye, Bear,” Granda says. “Keep them safe.”
Bruin nods his massive round head, then pegs Ciara with a glare. Lifting his lips off his canines, he lets out a long, threatening growl.
Mr. and Mrs. Doyle look like they might need a pit stop in the house to change their gitch. I feel bad for them. Not so bad I’d defend Ciara, but hey, I certainly don’t claim to be perfect. “It’s okay, buddy. You go and protect Gran and the fam. Ciara won’t try to hurt me again, will you?”
Ciara’s lips tighten, and she looks from me to her parents and back again.
“Wait a minute,” Emmet snaps. “Is this the bitch who arranged for you to be jumped and beaten in an alley?”
My brothers all puff up into their protective warrior modes, and I hold out my hand. “Off you go, boys. We’ll be along soon.”
“You coulda said that, Fi. That’s our Bro Code Golden Rule. All those who mess with our sister will pay.”
“I’ve got this. Love you. Concentrate on Gran, please.”
Aiden, Dillan, and Emmet each grab hold of Sloan’s arm and when he contacts Bruin, they all disappear. I look up at Calum and shrug. “You didn’t want to go?”
He shakes his head. “Not yet. I haven’t told you what we found by the forest and what we think about this crater and the creature who made it.”
Everyone is still scowling at Ciara and looking confused. It’s obvious no one will move on until I explain, so I recap for them. “Your daughter arranged a hazing prank and had me jumped in an alley. I fought with all I had, not knowing, and my bear nearly killed two of your heirs. I came out of it a hell of a lot better than they did.”
“We didn’t know.” Evan drops his chin and offers me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry and disappointed t
o hear this.”
“It’s old news, and I’m pretty sure that considering how badly it backfired on them, they won’t do it again any time soon.” I draw a deep breath and point at the massive crater in the tilled earth. “Back to the problem at hand. Calum, tell us what you boys figured out.”
“First off,” Calum begins, “Granda, did you ask about a dirt crater at the other site? Did the man on the phone mention a hole in the surrounding ground at his place?”
Granda shakes his head. “He said there’s nothin’ like that on his land.”
“That fits with what we put together.”
“Which is?”
“We think two separate incidents collided. We found multiple sets of boot prints on the ground along the edge of the grove. They came in from the road over there and did whatever they did to destroy the trees. Based on the Perry grove being destroyed, the perps here were likely interrupted.”
“Not that I’m complaining,” Evan replies, “but if the entire grove was the target, what happened to interrupt them?”
“That’s where things get interesting. There are four or five separate sets of tracks of the men coming in from the road, but only two sets leave. Also, the grass is compacted along that area as if something very large and very heavy slid across the ground.”
“Like a car?” Iris asks. “You think they had a vehicle to get away?”
Calum shakes his head. “No. There are no tire tracks. We think it was another creature—a very large creature with a rounded and smooth body, like a massive tube. Also, we don’t think the attackers got away. We found traces of blood spatter in the grass. We think they got eaten.”
The entire group shares Granda’s look of astonishment. “Eaten? By what?”
“Fi? Do you think your dragon friend could’ve made a hole like that?”
I follow his pointed finger and wander to the top of the ridge. It’s massive…but so is the Queen of Wyrms. And she’s smooth and heavy and wouldn’t leave any tracks. “Yeah, I think she could.”
“A dragon?” Mr. Doyle says. “Ye’ve got to be feckin’ with us. Dragons are extinct. And even if there were still such things, they would most certainly leave footprints. Their taloned feet would claw up the area like mulch.”
A Sacred Grove (Chronicles of an Urban Druid Book 2) Page 2