“Taoiseach.” Loren nodded to Keegan, then beamed at Breen. “Breen Siobhan O’Ceallaigh, it’s a great pleasure to meet you at last.”
“Loren Mac Niadh,” Keegan said as Loren took Breen’s hand, lifted it to his lips.
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m just leaving.”
“I’ll see you again at your Welcome. I hope I can claim a dance.”
Because she couldn’t think what to say, she just smiled and got out. Since it seemed right, she closed the door behind her.
Loren took a seat. “I’m told you wanted to see me, and urgently. Is there trouble? Odran and his demons?”
“Trouble there is, but not, at the moment, from him.” Rising, Keegan retrieved the sealed cup, and unsealing it, offered it to Loren. “Don’t drink. Do you know what this is?”
Obviously puzzled, Loren frowned into the cup. “Well, it’s wine, isn’t it? A bit of a cloud in it, and …” He lifted it to sniff, then his gaze shot up to Keegan’s.
“Why would you brew this? Why does the taoiseach break one of the First Laws with a love potion?”
“I didn’t. It was meant for me to drink, but like you, I knew it for what it was.”
“You’re not telling me the O’Ceallaigh’s daughter would—”
“Not Breen, no.” Keegan took back the cup, sealed it again before setting it aside. “Shana.”
“That’s wild talk, and I don’t know who would have told you such a lie, but—”
“It’s not a lie.” Now he picked up the vial. “She brought it with her in this, slipped it into wine she poured. And before she came to me, Kiara went to her room, saw what Shana was about. When Kiara tried to stop her, to save her friend from harsh judgment, Shana struck her down. She left Kiara stunned and bleeding on the floor, locked her in, and came here.”
“There’s a mistake, surely.” He pushed up. “Some misunderstanding, confusion. Kiara, is she badly hurt?”
“Breen found her, and we’ll thank the gods for it. She healed her wound enough that Kiara could come to me, afraid I’d drink. And I’ll tell you, she had blood on her face, in her hair, on her clothes. Blood spilled by a friend. I’m asking you, did you give her what she needed for the spell?”
“Gods, no, and I’m not convinced of any of this. I’ll say I know we’re not fast friends, you and I, but never would I use my magicks for such a purpose, or help another to do so. A rape of the heart and mind? And the danger that may …”
Loren fell silent; his eyes went dull.
“You’ve remembered.”
“No, nothing, no. A game, a lover’s lark. Where is she? Where is Shana?”
“We’re looking for her. What game?”
“It was just a pretending, and well back in the summer. A pretending to mix the potion, but only pretending. But, gods, I gave her the words, I told her how it’s done, so she could pretend to enslave my heart to hers.
“I knew she didn’t love me full, but I thought she was coming to it. Let me take her away.”
“There must be a Judgment.”
“I’ll take her away.” Desperate, Loren gripped Keegan’s arm. “Wherever you say, out of Talamh if that’s your wish. I beg you not to banish her to that place. Ban her, a lifetime, and I’ll take her away.”
“Knowing all this, you’d want her?”
“I love her.”
“Then you’ll speak at the Judgment, make your offer. If she’ll go with you, and you’re willing, I would grant that. In truth, it would relieve me to grant that. But first we have to find her.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Marco sat on the chest at the foot of his bed while Breen paced and told him everything. “Holy freaking shit monkeys!”
He’d said that or equivalents throughout her monologue, then just stared at her when she dropped down in a chair.
“She was going to vamp him with a love potion. Who the hell wants somebody you have to drug into thinking they want you?”
“Apparently, she does, or the upshot I got was she wanted the status—Keegan just came with it.”
“That’s way over the Mean Girl line. You’re sure Kiara’s okay?”
“Yeah, but I don’t know how she gets over it, Marco. It would be like me doing that to you, or you to me. At least from Kiara’s side.”
The sad filled his eyes. “Shana broke her heart as much as her head.”
“She did. I guess I don’t believe now that Shana’s capable of real friendship, or love, or loyalty, but Kiara is. Anyway, I had to vent it out. I can’t believe we’re going to a damn party after all this.”
“It’s going to be just what you need. And if Kiara’s feeling up to coming, we’re going to make sure she has some fun, take her mind off all this.”
“We can try.”
He knew his girl, and switched tacks to lighten it all up. “We’re gonna do it, and we’re gonna look extreme doing it. Nan sent me a ’fit, and I’m betting she sent one for you.”
“She did.”
He jumped up to open his wardrobe. “Gander this.”
She walked over to see pants—and damned if they weren’t leather— in a bronzy shade, a cream-colored tunic, and a long velvet vest in deep green to go over it.
“You’ll look great, and I’d better go get started on putting myself together. Let’s go put our party on, Bollocks.”
When she’d dressed, indulged herself with a couple of turns in front of the mirror, someone knocked on the door. Assuming Marco, she called out.
“Come on and gander this!”
And flushed a little when Minga came in.
“Sorry, I thought it was Marco. How’s Kiara?”
“Much better, thanks to you, and the boy—man, I have to remind myself she’s a woman grown—the man she’s busy falling in love with came with flowers and has coaxed her into going tonight. It’s good for her to go, and not sit and mope over Shana.
“And I’ve brought you these.” She held out jeweled hairpins. “Brigid tells me this is what you were after, and if you hadn’t been, my baby would have lain there for who knows how long. I think they go well with your dress, which I had a peek at when Marg gave it to me to bring to surprise you.”
“They’re perfect, thank you. I just have to figure out where to put them in.”
“I’m happy to do that for you. Kiara may have gotten her elfin gifts from her father, but her skill with hair ran through me.”
“Yours is …” Half swept up, half floating down in coils. “Fabulous.”
“Thank you. Here now, turn around. Oh, aye, here’s how it should be.
“They’ve not yet found Shana,” she said as she placed pins in and along the braid. “Her parents are crushed, Tarryn tells me.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“As am I. I’m told as well that when she’s found, when there’s a Judgment, Loren will offer to take her away, to make a life with her, if she’s willing. This would be best for all. She’s never had to fend for herself, you see, and though being sent from the Capital, and perhaps from Talamh altogether, will be hard for her, she’s earned that right enough. And she can make a good life with Loren.”
“He must really love her.”
“I think he does. Aye, he does, though I think he mistakes he can, with love and indulgence, temper the edges of her. There, they set your hair off, they do, and go very well indeed with the dress.”
“Thanks. I’d never have figured out how to do it myself. I lean on Marco for this sort of thing.”
“Do you think he’s ready? I’ll take you both down to the banquet hall.”
“We’ll find out. And it’s really okay if Bollocks comes?”
“He’s an honored guest, and another love in my life.” In her dress of shimmering copper, Minga bent down to him. “You knew my Kiara needed help, and saw she got it. You are a hero to me.” Minga smiled as they started out. “I would so like to read the book you wrote about him.”