4
“Isaw the light,” Aedan said by way of explanation, when I stepped outside. “I thought there might be trouble.”
“There’s no trouble.” I took the stairs and joined him in the yard. “Why leap to that conclusion?”
“You’re harboring me?” The slits opened on one side of his neck, the other was caked with poultice. “I don’t want to bring trouble to you.”
“Oh.” I waved away his concern. “I forgot about that.”
In an adrenaline-fueled rush to determine whether I had to kill you to protect Asa.
“You…forgot?” He laughed softly. “Life with Astaroth must be some kind of adventure.”
There was no good answer for that, so I spun it into a question. “What do you know about dobhar-chú?”
“They’re adorable when docile and vicious when riled.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Have you seen one?”
The internal debate on how much to tell him waged only for a few seconds.
“One attacked an animal in town.” I watched for his reaction. “I killed it tonight.”
“Pity.” He rubbed his nape. “They’re not a bad sort…” He dropped his arm. “You saw one in town?”
“Yes.” I tracked the play of emotions across his face. “What of it?”
Others were much easier for me to read than the clutter of feelings looming when I turned my gaze inward.
“They’re comfortable in rivers and lakes, but you don’t have more than the creek out back and one hole I noticed local humans swimming in. Dobhar-chú come inland to birth their pups, but not for much else. It wouldn’t have come to a landlocked place like this of its own choice. It’s most vulnerable out of water, and several pups would have died on the trip back to the river.”
“How do you know about those waterways?”
“These aren’t to enhance my good looks.” He flexed his healing web fingers at me. “Do you think I would travel to a landlocked area without mapping all escape routes first?”
A smile crept up on me. “Escape routes?”
“I came to challenge the high king’s son and heir.” He huffed. “Only a fool wouldn’t come prepared.”
“So…” I crossed my arms. “You came to die, but you wanted to know where to run.”
“I…” A frown knit his vibrant-blue brow. “It’s habit.”
That much was probably true, but I suspected more. “Or you didn’t really want to die.”
“No one wants to die.” His confusion evaporated. “I see what you’re doing.”
Good.
That made one of us.
A low rumble that promised violence poured into the night behind me.
“Um.” I lifted a finger. “Hold that thought.”
One of these days, I would remember that the instant Asa went under, the daemon clawed his way up.
“Rue,” the daemon snarled as he stomped toward us, “mine.”
“Ace,” Clay yelled from the porch. “Get your butt back in here.”