Emerald Isle by Barbra Annino Page B

them.”
    “Thanks, that clears it up.” A snapshot of the cauldron sputtered into view inside the bubble. I filed it into my memory bank. “Where is the Hill of Summoning?”
    Danu tapped the bubble, and a picture of a grass-blanketed mound with a small opening appeared. “It’s in the Boyne Valley.”
    The mound I was looking at wasn’t Dowth or Knowth, the megalithic passage tombs of Ireland constructed fivethousand years ago, but there were other mounds in that area; I just wasn’t familiar with all of them. This one had stone steps embedded into it. A simple Google search would tell me where it was located.
    “I can find it.”
    Badb called me over to her to view a map of the island. I gulped down the water, set the glass on the tray, and joined her at the table. “The green lines are the leylines that make up the Web of Wyrd. Those are the arteries to the Otherworld, where we reside. Should you need to recharge your energy, require a magical boost, or speak with us or any god, you must locate a leyline.”
    Most of them threaded around and through ancient sites.
    Badb explained, “The leylines are guarded by the Sidhe, and they are extremely protective of their roads. You must be respectful and cautious when traveling over a leyline.”
    “They are a sensitive race, so whatever you do, don’t offend them,” Danu said.
    Badb added, “And bring an offering. Milk, honey, cake, or anything shiny. Fairies love shiny things. They’re like cats that way.”
    “We have assigned you a Fae fetch to guide you safely through the Otherworld, should the need arise,” Danu said. She raised her voice. “Pickle, would you join us, please?”
    A blond, wispy boy of about eighteen slipped through the door. His eyes were seashore blue and he was wearing a
Star Trek
hat.
    “Pickle, I’d like to introduce you to Stacy Justice. She’ll be performing a very important task, and I’d like you to guide her through the leylines should she call on you.”
    Pickle bowed before me and kissed my hand. Then he licked it and winked at me.
    I yanked my hand back and said, “Don’t get any lewd ideas, pal.”
    The poor thing burst into tears and bolted out of the room.
    Danu barked, “Did I not just tell you they are sensitive? He was being friendly.”
    “He licked me. My dog doesn’t even lick me.”
    Thor looked up from a bone he was chomping on and belched.
    Danu said, “If you need him, all you have to do is whisper his name three times while standing on or near a line.”
    “Got it. Pickle, Pickle, Pickle.”
    He popped back into the room.
    “Just checking,” I said.
    He left.
    Badb said, “I’ve marked on the map previous locations where the cauldron was stored, and where it was taken when it was last stolen, as well as the location of the remaining three hallows.”
    There were several landmarks circled in red. One was Newgrange, a five-thousand-year-old passage tomb older than the Egyptian pyramids. The shape of the construction represents the female reproductive organs. Inside the inner chamber, a beam of sunlight illuminates the ground every winter solstice for exactly seventeen minutes. There was another circle around Cong, a quaint village on the west coast where
The Quiet Man
was filmed. Several stone monument formations can be found nearby, said to have been erected by the Tuatha Dé Danann to mark battlesites where they defeated the Fir Bolg, and to honor fallen warriors.
    There was a blue circle around Trinity College in Dublin. Badb told me that was where the cauldron had been discovered after it was stolen in 1845. She pointed to another blue circle very near that. “The spear is on display at the Royal Irish Academy.” Farther north, another circle indicated the home of the sword. Howth Castle, located on the edge of the seaside village, Howth. Legend has it that Grace O’Malley, returning from a long voyage at sea and low on supplies, approached the castle seeking sustenance for her and her men. The