Shadowmagic - Sons of Macha by John Lenahan

sin.’
    â€˜But you also helped Cialtie, didn’t you? Why help him?’
    Macha turned the key in the lock. We walked in and then opened the inner doors that had been newly constructed to prevent any wind from entering the room when the outer door was opened. Lugh was chained to the bed. A muslin cloth across his mouth stopped him from even whistling and his hands were shackled in silver gloves. Macha pointed to him.
    â€˜I did not want to take sides when it came to my children,’ Macha said, ‘but Lugh insisted on helping – his son.’

Chapter Nine
Ona’s Book

    C ialtie is not Finn’s son, he’s Lugh’s son. He’s Dad’s half-brother. I imagine news like that would shock some people but as soon she said it I thought,
that makes sense
. Sure Dad and Uncle Cialtie looked alike, but I could never get over how differently their minds worked. Now that I had met Lugh and then heard this news – it all started to make sense.
    Lugh, still under the influence of one of my mother’s specials, was awake but looked pretty out of it. Grandma ordered me to unlock his custom-made silver gloves and chains. Macha then stood over him and fanned his face like a trainer between rounds in a boxing match. The more the wind hit his face the clearer his eyes became until he reached out and grabbed her fan. Macha backed away as Lugh ripped the sheets from the bed. In one hand he fluttered the fan towards his chest. Even to me, uneducated in the ways of wind magic, it looked like he was building up energy. In his other hand he swirled the sheet around his head. He then turned to the window that only days before had been bricked up and let loose a scream. A blast of air blew the bricks and the window right out into the night.
    â€˜Open the doors,’ Lugh commanded.
    Macha looked to me and said, ‘Well? Open them.’
    I opened the inner and outer doors and a breeze flew through the room. Lugh stood on the bed feeding on the air. The colour returned to his cheeks and lips; it almost looked like he grew muscles and a couple of inches. He took in a huge gasp of air, then turned and vomited out of the blown-out window. He turned back to us, wiping his mouth on his sleeve and smiling.
    â€˜Excuse me, my love, I had to purge the poisons that that Shadowwitch had filled my body with.’
    Macha let go of Ruby and ran into Lugh’s arms. As they embraced, Ruby made a pitiful attempt to find her way out of the room. Macha saw her as Lugh’s embrace spun her around. ‘Stop her,’ she said and I did.
    â€˜I’m sorry Ruby,’ I whispered, ‘she has control of me but I’ll find a way to get us out of this. I promise.’ She buried her face in my stomach and hugged me. I hugged her back, glad that I could at least do that but desperately wishing I could do more.
    I looked up to see Macha kissing Lugh. If there was any part of me that wasn’t sure that these two were in love and in league with each other, it was dispelled then. Anybody that kisses someone immediately after seeing him puke … well … that’s true love.
    â€˜How long have I been here?’ Lugh asked.
    â€˜Not even a day, my love.’
    â€˜And so soon you have found the girl, Ona’s writings and the bows?’
    â€˜The girl came to me as I was searching for the book. As for the bows – they are in the armoury. Not far from here in the north wing.’
    â€˜What do you want with Ruby?’ I said.
    Lugh looked shocked and turned to Macha. ‘I thought you had him under your control.’
    â€˜His body and will are mine, my love, but that impudent tongue is harder to subdue.’
    Lugh laughed. ‘Well, he is your grandson. Would you prefer if I killed him?’
    I felt Ruby’s shoulders begin to shake, or maybe it was me.
    â€˜There is no need, my lord, he knows no more than they will deduce when we are gone.’
    â€˜He is a loose