I ’m not good at explaining them . If you do draw on someone, but do it wrong, then they can turn the power back on you and take your life force. It’s dangerous. ”
“You did good with the power bolt , ” I said, touching his hand. He let out a snort.
“I think you just have a knack for the high voltage moves.”
I started to ask a question but Aednat jumped out at us from behind a tree , scaring me into a girly shriek. “Good reflexes , ” s he said, laughing . My knife was gripped, my fingers holding the bone handle for all I was worth. I hadn’t even realized that I’d Called it.
“Don’t do that, Aednat , ” I said, putting the knife back into its sheath. “Stop acting like a little kid.”
Her lips twisted up in a snarl. “ Aednat is not a child.”
“Then don’t do things that make me think of you that way. If you want to be treated like an adult, act like one.” I’d had that conversation more than once with Ashling through her teenage years; the words flowed naturally when it came to Aednat.
B right spots of colour lit up her cheeks, her anger made her eyes glitter like two brilliant gemstones, emerald and sapphire. “I AM NOT A CHILD!” Her shout stilled the birds around us, but it didn’t faze me. Her anger seemed to make her forget to speak in third person, at least for that moment.
“Could have fooled me , ” I said , and pushed past her. I wouldn’t tolerate Ashling’s bad behaviour growing up , and I sure wasn’t going to tolerate Aednat’s —e specially if she was very old and just showing us a childlike body. That was even more reason for her to act like an adult.
Silence reined for sometime after that, none of us speaking, though Luke gave me a wink a nd a smile. I squeezed his hand and let go of him so I could focus on making small flames o ver and over again above my fingertips . I worked at it until I was sweating.
Slipping up beside me, Aednat put her hand in mine.“Aednat is sorry. You are right ; Aednat need s to be more grown up. Friends?”
I smiled down at her. “Of course, that never changed.” With a squeal that made me think she had no idea what it meant to be an adult, her grip tightened on mine.
With a jerk, she pulled me forward to a curved arbutus tree, the bright red trunk twisted over in an almost perfect arch , just like the one that had brought us here . “ This is the right archway , ” s he said. “This gateway takes us back to Enchanted forest, close to water’s edge.” She was tugging hard on my fingers; I dug my heels into the dirt.
“Wait, we need a plan, we can’t just go charging in there again.” The remembered feel of the water beast ’ s tentacles on my legs sent shivers through me. There was no way I wanted to face that creature again if I didn’t have to. I could too easily recall the feeling of my power being sucked through me , and into the beast .
Luke nodded. “Aednat, can you sing to the lake monster , be-spell it for a time?”
She shook her head. “No.”
Luke though seemed determined. “Come on Aednat, you were the queen, surely you have some powers left?”
Though I thought perhaps I should step between them, I was curious to see how this played out. Something about Aednat’s lack of power seemed strange, even if she had been usurped.
The banshee glared at Luke. “ Aednat know s how to lure beast. Large chunks of Tuatha.” She spat at him.
“Hey!” I said, “We are all on the same side.”
I crouched down so that I could look Aednat in the face. “We need your help. Please, can you lull the beast?”
Luke’s hand brushed along the back of my neck, sending a not unpleasant shiver down my back. “Thank you ,” he murmured, quiet enough that only I could hear him.
Snorting, Aednat shook her head at me , then after a moment nodded . “I sing to baby beast, you and Shining boy dive for Lir.” She snapped her fingers. “Like that, we get him out. He can tame baby beast for real.
“That’s a
“You did good with the power bolt , ” I said, touching his hand. He let out a snort.
“I think you just have a knack for the high voltage moves.”
I started to ask a question but Aednat jumped out at us from behind a tree , scaring me into a girly shriek. “Good reflexes , ” s he said, laughing . My knife was gripped, my fingers holding the bone handle for all I was worth. I hadn’t even realized that I’d Called it.
“Don’t do that, Aednat , ” I said, putting the knife back into its sheath. “Stop acting like a little kid.”
Her lips twisted up in a snarl. “ Aednat is not a child.”
“Then don’t do things that make me think of you that way. If you want to be treated like an adult, act like one.” I’d had that conversation more than once with Ashling through her teenage years; the words flowed naturally when it came to Aednat.
B right spots of colour lit up her cheeks, her anger made her eyes glitter like two brilliant gemstones, emerald and sapphire. “I AM NOT A CHILD!” Her shout stilled the birds around us, but it didn’t faze me. Her anger seemed to make her forget to speak in third person, at least for that moment.
“Could have fooled me , ” I said , and pushed past her. I wouldn’t tolerate Ashling’s bad behaviour growing up , and I sure wasn’t going to tolerate Aednat’s —e specially if she was very old and just showing us a childlike body. That was even more reason for her to act like an adult.
Silence reined for sometime after that, none of us speaking, though Luke gave me a wink a nd a smile. I squeezed his hand and let go of him so I could focus on making small flames o ver and over again above my fingertips . I worked at it until I was sweating.
Slipping up beside me, Aednat put her hand in mine.“Aednat is sorry. You are right ; Aednat need s to be more grown up. Friends?”
I smiled down at her. “Of course, that never changed.” With a squeal that made me think she had no idea what it meant to be an adult, her grip tightened on mine.
With a jerk, she pulled me forward to a curved arbutus tree, the bright red trunk twisted over in an almost perfect arch , just like the one that had brought us here . “ This is the right archway , ” s he said. “This gateway takes us back to Enchanted forest, close to water’s edge.” She was tugging hard on my fingers; I dug my heels into the dirt.
“Wait, we need a plan, we can’t just go charging in there again.” The remembered feel of the water beast ’ s tentacles on my legs sent shivers through me. There was no way I wanted to face that creature again if I didn’t have to. I could too easily recall the feeling of my power being sucked through me , and into the beast .
Luke nodded. “Aednat, can you sing to the lake monster , be-spell it for a time?”
She shook her head. “No.”
Luke though seemed determined. “Come on Aednat, you were the queen, surely you have some powers left?”
Though I thought perhaps I should step between them, I was curious to see how this played out. Something about Aednat’s lack of power seemed strange, even if she had been usurped.
The banshee glared at Luke. “ Aednat know s how to lure beast. Large chunks of Tuatha.” She spat at him.
“Hey!” I said, “We are all on the same side.”
I crouched down so that I could look Aednat in the face. “We need your help. Please, can you lull the beast?”
Luke’s hand brushed along the back of my neck, sending a not unpleasant shiver down my back. “Thank you ,” he murmured, quiet enough that only I could hear him.
Snorting, Aednat shook her head at me , then after a moment nodded . “I sing to baby beast, you and Shining boy dive for Lir.” She snapped her fingers. “Like that, we get him out. He can tame baby beast for real.
“That’s a
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