hunters came back, walking through the grayness before dawn. One of them was licking its claws like a child with honey on its hands. Teagan tried not to think about what could stick to a shadow to be licked off later. They walked straight to the trees, the dawn air shimmered, and they were gone. Still, she didn't move or say a word until the sun came up. Finn was sleeping with his head on his knees, and Aiden was curled up beside her. The park looked perfectly peaceful in the bright morning light. A robin searched for worms on the lawn.
"Finn," Teagan said softly. He lifted his head. "We need to talk before Aiden wakes up. You said the goblins serve Fear Doirich. Do you mean the man in the story Dad read to us when you came to our house?"
"The same. The goblin god who cursed Fionn for marrying Muirne."
"But that was prehistory. It's legend and myth."
"Tell that to the goblin who stole your da. He was probably around when that 'myth' was happening."
"What will they do to Dad?"
"I don't know." Finn rubbed his chin. "But the sooner we find him, the better."
"I think we should take Aiden to Mrs. Santini's house," Teagan said. "Before we go after them."
"If there were any safe place," Finn said, "I would send you both. You heard what the goblin said. It was telling the truth. They walk where they will. Mrs. Santini couldn't stop the thing if it came for your brother."
"Who could?"
"Mamieo." Finn waved a fly from Aiden's sleeping face. Finn seemed relaxed in the morning light, more settled. Almost the Finn she'd met four months ago. "She might be able to keep him safe."
Teagan fished her phone out of her pocket. "Call her."
"Call Mamieo?" Finn shook his head. "The woman doesn't own a phone. She borrows one when she has need. She expects me to meet her in Gary, Indiana, after I've collected ... well, you know what I came for."
"You think all this has something to do with my mother's ashes?"
"I do," Finn said. "But don't ask me what." His stomach growled.
"Hey!" Aiden sat up quickly. "I heard something."
"Just my belly, boyo," Finn assured him. "It hasn't been near food for two days. We'll eat before we go on. My kit's back at the house anyway."
"Where are we going?" Aiden asked.
"To find your da, I hope." Finn crawled out of the wild house.
A little old lady walking her poodle gave Teagan a startled look when she crawled out of the bushes behind Finn.
"Shocking, isn't it?" Finn picked a twig out of Teagan's hair. "The way youth behave these days?"
The old lady pulled the dog to the other side of the street, looking straight ahead as if they didn't exist.
"Some people are not born friendly," Finn said.
When they got back to the Wylltson house, the front door was still unlocked and the back door still hanging open. The kitchen smelled slightly of rotten eggs, and flies buzzed around the blood spatter on the wall. Finn's kit was on the floor where he had left it. He checked through it while Teagan made peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast. Finn ate three and inhaled two glasses of milk. Aiden didn't want to eat at all, but finally managed a half a sandwich when Finn told him he couldn't come with them if he didn't eat.
Finn had his knife in his boot and his kit over his shoulder when they went back to the park. They stood together at the spot where the shadow men had appeared.
"Well," Finn said, "let's try it." There was no shimmering under the trees as they walked forward. Nothing looked out of place or odd. But as she passed under the trees, Teagan felt something brush her skinâand suddenly it felt as if a million tiny fingertips were touching her. She'd walked in this park a thousand times, and nothing like this had ever happened before.
"It's tickling me!" Aiden shouted.
Teagan gripped his hand and kept on walking. The tickling stopped as suddenly as it had begun, and Teagan blinked. The light around them changed. The sun was shining from a different direction; she was sure of it. The trees were
"Finn," Teagan said softly. He lifted his head. "We need to talk before Aiden wakes up. You said the goblins serve Fear Doirich. Do you mean the man in the story Dad read to us when you came to our house?"
"The same. The goblin god who cursed Fionn for marrying Muirne."
"But that was prehistory. It's legend and myth."
"Tell that to the goblin who stole your da. He was probably around when that 'myth' was happening."
"What will they do to Dad?"
"I don't know." Finn rubbed his chin. "But the sooner we find him, the better."
"I think we should take Aiden to Mrs. Santini's house," Teagan said. "Before we go after them."
"If there were any safe place," Finn said, "I would send you both. You heard what the goblin said. It was telling the truth. They walk where they will. Mrs. Santini couldn't stop the thing if it came for your brother."
"Who could?"
"Mamieo." Finn waved a fly from Aiden's sleeping face. Finn seemed relaxed in the morning light, more settled. Almost the Finn she'd met four months ago. "She might be able to keep him safe."
Teagan fished her phone out of her pocket. "Call her."
"Call Mamieo?" Finn shook his head. "The woman doesn't own a phone. She borrows one when she has need. She expects me to meet her in Gary, Indiana, after I've collected ... well, you know what I came for."
"You think all this has something to do with my mother's ashes?"
"I do," Finn said. "But don't ask me what." His stomach growled.
"Hey!" Aiden sat up quickly. "I heard something."
"Just my belly, boyo," Finn assured him. "It hasn't been near food for two days. We'll eat before we go on. My kit's back at the house anyway."
"Where are we going?" Aiden asked.
"To find your da, I hope." Finn crawled out of the wild house.
A little old lady walking her poodle gave Teagan a startled look when she crawled out of the bushes behind Finn.
"Shocking, isn't it?" Finn picked a twig out of Teagan's hair. "The way youth behave these days?"
The old lady pulled the dog to the other side of the street, looking straight ahead as if they didn't exist.
"Some people are not born friendly," Finn said.
When they got back to the Wylltson house, the front door was still unlocked and the back door still hanging open. The kitchen smelled slightly of rotten eggs, and flies buzzed around the blood spatter on the wall. Finn's kit was on the floor where he had left it. He checked through it while Teagan made peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast. Finn ate three and inhaled two glasses of milk. Aiden didn't want to eat at all, but finally managed a half a sandwich when Finn told him he couldn't come with them if he didn't eat.
Finn had his knife in his boot and his kit over his shoulder when they went back to the park. They stood together at the spot where the shadow men had appeared.
"Well," Finn said, "let's try it." There was no shimmering under the trees as they walked forward. Nothing looked out of place or odd. But as she passed under the trees, Teagan felt something brush her skinâand suddenly it felt as if a million tiny fingertips were touching her. She'd walked in this park a thousand times, and nothing like this had ever happened before.
"It's tickling me!" Aiden shouted.
Teagan gripped his hand and kept on walking. The tickling stopped as suddenly as it had begun, and Teagan blinked. The light around them changed. The sun was shining from a different direction; she was sure of it. The trees were
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