ill.
Alec leaned forward a little, clearly concerned by his father’s reaction. “Dad?”
“Wait here,” Kole said softly. He got up slowly and walked unsteadily out of the room. He came back with a book in his hands. It was large, and from the binding, Cronin could tell it was of a fair age. He handed it to Cronin. “You read Gaelic?”
“Yes,” Cronin answered, looking at the book he held. It was of Gaelic mythology, folklore, and traditional Gaelic names and histories. He looked up at Kole questioningly.
“Do me a favor,” Kole said gruffly. “Find the section on names.”
Cronin flipped through pages until he found what Kole had instructed. Alec leaned over Cronin’s shoulder to look at the book, and although he knew some Gaelic words, he was not fluent enough to read.
Kole sat down in his seat. He looked as though he’d aged a decade. “Our name, MacAidan, spelled with an an is the only one. All other MacAidens are en . The prefix of Mac means what?”
Alec answered that one. “Son of.”
Kole looked at Cronin. “Look up the meaning of Son of Aidan.”
Cronin turned the page and scanned down the lists of Gaelic definitions until he found it.
Key.
“My name,” Kole said softly. “Kole with a K, not a C. It’s not Scottish, but English. It means Keeper of the Key.”
Cronin’s eyes met Kole’s. The old man swallowed hard. “We never chose the name for Alec. His mother and I had the same dream on the same night, the day before he was born. We were both told what his name would be.”
“You never told me that,” Alec said.
“We never told anyone that,” his father answered. Then he looked back to Cronin. “We call him Alec, but his real name is the Gaelic adaption, Ailig.”
Cronin turned back a few pages until he found the name and his blood ran cold. His eyes shot to Kole, and Alec’s father nodded slowly.
Cronin turned to Alec. “We need to leave.”
“Why?” Alec asked. “What does it mean?”
Kole answered him. “Ailig means Defender of Mankind. Your name literally means Defender of Mankind; Key.”
“We don’t need to search for information on the key, Alec,” Cronin said quietly. “Because it’s you. That’s why you’ve been tracked down, that’s why you’ve been protected. You’re the key.”
“Me? Protected?” Alec asked, standing up. “You mean Eiji knew? Is that why he protected me? Cronin, the vampire who got shot with the wooden bullet, he called me Ailig. And it was Eiji who put him on detail; he had to have known my real name. Eiji must have known what it meant.”
Cronin blinked. This thought or realization was terribly unsettling. His jaw clenched and he stood up. He threw the book onto the sofa and held out his hand for Alec. “I don’t know, but I can assure you I will find out.”
Alec took Cronin’s hand, the two looking only at each other for a long moment, then Kole quickly stood as well. Alec dropped Cronin’s hand and hugged his father. “Stay safe, Dad.”
“Will I see you again?” Kole asked his son.
Alec opened his mouth, but closed it again. He clearly had no clue how to answer. Cronin answered for him. “Yes. Mr. MacAidan, I’ll do everything in my power to ensure you see him again, but right now we need to leave.” Cronin held his arm out and waited for Alec to slide in against him.
Cronin couldn’t believe he didn’t see this before. He couldn’t believe he didn’t know.
His fated one, his Alec—the one he’d waited a millennium for—was the Key.
Cronin tightened both arms around him, breathing in his scent and feeling the warmth of home against him. “When we get to the gathering, stay close to me at all times.”
Alec nodded against him, and they leapt.
CHAPTER NINE
Alec gritted his teeth and focused on the energy of leaping rather than the pain. When they’d arrived at wherever Cronin had taken him, he surprised himself by only needing a deep breath to shake off the lingering sting.
Cronin
Alec leaned forward a little, clearly concerned by his father’s reaction. “Dad?”
“Wait here,” Kole said softly. He got up slowly and walked unsteadily out of the room. He came back with a book in his hands. It was large, and from the binding, Cronin could tell it was of a fair age. He handed it to Cronin. “You read Gaelic?”
“Yes,” Cronin answered, looking at the book he held. It was of Gaelic mythology, folklore, and traditional Gaelic names and histories. He looked up at Kole questioningly.
“Do me a favor,” Kole said gruffly. “Find the section on names.”
Cronin flipped through pages until he found what Kole had instructed. Alec leaned over Cronin’s shoulder to look at the book, and although he knew some Gaelic words, he was not fluent enough to read.
Kole sat down in his seat. He looked as though he’d aged a decade. “Our name, MacAidan, spelled with an an is the only one. All other MacAidens are en . The prefix of Mac means what?”
Alec answered that one. “Son of.”
Kole looked at Cronin. “Look up the meaning of Son of Aidan.”
Cronin turned the page and scanned down the lists of Gaelic definitions until he found it.
Key.
“My name,” Kole said softly. “Kole with a K, not a C. It’s not Scottish, but English. It means Keeper of the Key.”
Cronin’s eyes met Kole’s. The old man swallowed hard. “We never chose the name for Alec. His mother and I had the same dream on the same night, the day before he was born. We were both told what his name would be.”
“You never told me that,” Alec said.
“We never told anyone that,” his father answered. Then he looked back to Cronin. “We call him Alec, but his real name is the Gaelic adaption, Ailig.”
Cronin turned back a few pages until he found the name and his blood ran cold. His eyes shot to Kole, and Alec’s father nodded slowly.
Cronin turned to Alec. “We need to leave.”
“Why?” Alec asked. “What does it mean?”
Kole answered him. “Ailig means Defender of Mankind. Your name literally means Defender of Mankind; Key.”
“We don’t need to search for information on the key, Alec,” Cronin said quietly. “Because it’s you. That’s why you’ve been tracked down, that’s why you’ve been protected. You’re the key.”
“Me? Protected?” Alec asked, standing up. “You mean Eiji knew? Is that why he protected me? Cronin, the vampire who got shot with the wooden bullet, he called me Ailig. And it was Eiji who put him on detail; he had to have known my real name. Eiji must have known what it meant.”
Cronin blinked. This thought or realization was terribly unsettling. His jaw clenched and he stood up. He threw the book onto the sofa and held out his hand for Alec. “I don’t know, but I can assure you I will find out.”
Alec took Cronin’s hand, the two looking only at each other for a long moment, then Kole quickly stood as well. Alec dropped Cronin’s hand and hugged his father. “Stay safe, Dad.”
“Will I see you again?” Kole asked his son.
Alec opened his mouth, but closed it again. He clearly had no clue how to answer. Cronin answered for him. “Yes. Mr. MacAidan, I’ll do everything in my power to ensure you see him again, but right now we need to leave.” Cronin held his arm out and waited for Alec to slide in against him.
Cronin couldn’t believe he didn’t see this before. He couldn’t believe he didn’t know.
His fated one, his Alec—the one he’d waited a millennium for—was the Key.
Cronin tightened both arms around him, breathing in his scent and feeling the warmth of home against him. “When we get to the gathering, stay close to me at all times.”
Alec nodded against him, and they leapt.
CHAPTER NINE
Alec gritted his teeth and focused on the energy of leaping rather than the pain. When they’d arrived at wherever Cronin had taken him, he surprised himself by only needing a deep breath to shake off the lingering sting.
Cronin
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