protective runes and
whatnot. I wondered what else she was keeping them so busy with that they didn't have
time to consider mutinying, which, in my opinion, they should have done years ago.
Like, say, before they lost the Dark Book that this whole stupid war was about, because
somebody sure must have fallen asleep on her watch to let that happen.
Oh, yes, I had a few bones to pick with the not-so-Grand Mistress.
I parked my Rover in front of the stone fortress of the abbey, got out, locked it--they
were my supplies, and nobody was taking them--and marched to the door. I left my
pack and MacHalo in the car but brought my gun. I was rather surprised the old woman
wasn't waiting out front, arms crossed, glasses perched on her nose, magnifying the
intellect and ferocity in those sharp blue eyes, with a band of sidhe-seers gathered
behind her, denying me entrance. We've never been on the best of terms, and I had no
doubt that our relationship, if you could call it that, was worse now than it had been
before.
Frankly, I didn't give a damn.
The door was locked. I fired a quick burst of bullets at the handle with my favorite
new toy and kicked it open.
The entry hall was empty. Could it be that no one was expecting me? I'd passed
through all those wards, setting them off. I frowned. Or had I set them off?
If I could pass through wards now, was it possible I did it without tripping them?
That certainly could come in handy. Still, I'd just let loose a round of automatic gunfire.
Surely that had alerted someone.
When the attack came, it blasted me from nowhere, hit me like a brick wall, and I
went sprawling on my ass for the third time that day. It was getting old. Something
yanked at my gun and pummeled me like a speed boxer.
Then a face blurred into view and I gasped, and she gasped, then she stopped hitting
me and grabbed me and hugged me so tight I thought my spine was going to snap.
"Mac!" Dani cried. "You're back!"
I laughed and relaxed. I loved this kid. "Have I told you you're the Shit, Dani?"
She rolled off me and bounded to her feet. "Nope. Never. I woulda remembered it.
But you can say it again, if you want. And you can tell everybody else, too. I wouldn't
mind a bit." Cat eyes gleamed in her gamine face.
"You're the Shit, Dani." I got up and slung my gun back over my shoulder. We stood
and smiled for a moment, absorbed in being happy to see each other.
Then we spoke at the same time:
"You okay, Mac?"
"What happened to you, Dani?"
"You first." She looked me up and down admiringly. "Dude, you look awesome.
Love the coat. What you been doing? Weight training or something?"
I blushed. Then I rolled my eyes at myself. Toting automatic weapons and still
blushing? I needed to get over that fast.
"Dude!" she said reverently. "With Barrons? You been having sex this whole time?
S'that how he got you back from Nympho-land? I was so worried when you didn't
come back. Guess I shouldn't a been. I couldn't find you anywhere. Where'd he take
you? I been hunting all over Dublin for you every chance I could duck under Ro's radar.
Which wasn't often," she said sourly, then immediately brightened. "You gotta tell me
everything! Everything!"
I wrinkled my nose. "Where did this `dude' thing come from?"
She preened. "Don't I sound more like you? I been watching a lot of American
movies. I been practicing."
"I liked you better when every other word was a cussword. And I'm not telling you
anything. Not today, not ever. All you need to know is, I'm okay now. I'm back."
"You had sex with Barrons and you aren't going to tell me one thing about it?" She
looked incredulous. "Nothing? Not even one tiny little detail?"
Oh, God. She was so thirteen. What was I going to do with her? "Nothing. Ever."
"You suck."
I laughed. "Love you, too, Dani."
She grinned. "I saved you."
"Big-time. And I owe you big-time."
"You can pay me back by telling
whatnot. I wondered what else she was keeping them so busy with that they didn't have
time to consider mutinying, which, in my opinion, they should have done years ago.
Like, say, before they lost the Dark Book that this whole stupid war was about, because
somebody sure must have fallen asleep on her watch to let that happen.
Oh, yes, I had a few bones to pick with the not-so-Grand Mistress.
I parked my Rover in front of the stone fortress of the abbey, got out, locked it--they
were my supplies, and nobody was taking them--and marched to the door. I left my
pack and MacHalo in the car but brought my gun. I was rather surprised the old woman
wasn't waiting out front, arms crossed, glasses perched on her nose, magnifying the
intellect and ferocity in those sharp blue eyes, with a band of sidhe-seers gathered
behind her, denying me entrance. We've never been on the best of terms, and I had no
doubt that our relationship, if you could call it that, was worse now than it had been
before.
Frankly, I didn't give a damn.
The door was locked. I fired a quick burst of bullets at the handle with my favorite
new toy and kicked it open.
The entry hall was empty. Could it be that no one was expecting me? I'd passed
through all those wards, setting them off. I frowned. Or had I set them off?
If I could pass through wards now, was it possible I did it without tripping them?
That certainly could come in handy. Still, I'd just let loose a round of automatic gunfire.
Surely that had alerted someone.
When the attack came, it blasted me from nowhere, hit me like a brick wall, and I
went sprawling on my ass for the third time that day. It was getting old. Something
yanked at my gun and pummeled me like a speed boxer.
Then a face blurred into view and I gasped, and she gasped, then she stopped hitting
me and grabbed me and hugged me so tight I thought my spine was going to snap.
"Mac!" Dani cried. "You're back!"
I laughed and relaxed. I loved this kid. "Have I told you you're the Shit, Dani?"
She rolled off me and bounded to her feet. "Nope. Never. I woulda remembered it.
But you can say it again, if you want. And you can tell everybody else, too. I wouldn't
mind a bit." Cat eyes gleamed in her gamine face.
"You're the Shit, Dani." I got up and slung my gun back over my shoulder. We stood
and smiled for a moment, absorbed in being happy to see each other.
Then we spoke at the same time:
"You okay, Mac?"
"What happened to you, Dani?"
"You first." She looked me up and down admiringly. "Dude, you look awesome.
Love the coat. What you been doing? Weight training or something?"
I blushed. Then I rolled my eyes at myself. Toting automatic weapons and still
blushing? I needed to get over that fast.
"Dude!" she said reverently. "With Barrons? You been having sex this whole time?
S'that how he got you back from Nympho-land? I was so worried when you didn't
come back. Guess I shouldn't a been. I couldn't find you anywhere. Where'd he take
you? I been hunting all over Dublin for you every chance I could duck under Ro's radar.
Which wasn't often," she said sourly, then immediately brightened. "You gotta tell me
everything! Everything!"
I wrinkled my nose. "Where did this `dude' thing come from?"
She preened. "Don't I sound more like you? I been watching a lot of American
movies. I been practicing."
"I liked you better when every other word was a cussword. And I'm not telling you
anything. Not today, not ever. All you need to know is, I'm okay now. I'm back."
"You had sex with Barrons and you aren't going to tell me one thing about it?" She
looked incredulous. "Nothing? Not even one tiny little detail?"
Oh, God. She was so thirteen. What was I going to do with her? "Nothing. Ever."
"You suck."
I laughed. "Love you, too, Dani."
She grinned. "I saved you."
"Big-time. And I owe you big-time."
"You can pay me back by telling
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