Page 55 of Whiskey & Witches

Seamus’s life flashed before his eyes. If he attacked a child of the Aether, he wouldn’t live to tell the tale. If he didn’t, Moira would murder him on the spot. To put it simply, Seamus was fucked. When he remained quiet, silently assuring Meghan Byrne he’d be seeing her beautiful face very soon, Moira outlined her ridiculous plan. Sure, and it was genius in its simplicity, but it was stupid all the same. They’d never succeed, and they certainly wouldn’t live to tell the tale of their attempt.

As she rattled on, he slowly sipped his drink, savoring every drop. If it was to be his last, he’d damned well enjoy it.

“We’ve got to act now, Seamus. We’ve a small window of opportunity here.”

“Aye.”

He considered attacking Moira. Chances were he was physically stronger, but she was rabid and had a powerful hate in addition to madness on her side. Magically, she’d defeat him in a fecking heartbeat. Moira knew blood spells and enough black magic to shrivel a man’s bollocks and make him bleed out his eyes. He’d writhe in pain on the floor as she stood over him, cackling in that ear-deafening way she had.

“To be clear, I’ll stab the girl,” she said, and there was no mistaking the command in her voice.

“If you do, you get all her power?” He needed it clarified. Because if he could get to the child first, he’d take her life just to be stronger than Moira and have a fighting chance against Damian Dethridge when the girl’s da came calling.

“Yes. Your job is to kill the boy.”

Seamus nodded absently. Would he need the O’Malley magic if he had the power of an Aether? He could afford to let Aeden live if that were the case. It only briefly occurred to him to wonder if he could handle the bulk of those abilities.

Meg’s smiling face appeared in his mind’s eye. She’d always treated her nephew abysmally, but when no one was looking, she had gazed at the boy with longing. As if she wished he was hers. She probably had if she loved Carrick O’Malley as much as she’d claimed. Her longing stuck with Seamus, as did the horror of the scene he’d created when he overturned their vehicle.

If he could, he’d save the boy. But ultimately, it would be his life or the children’s, and he wasn’t fool enough to believe in sacrifice. Seamus was out for himself in this. His survival would be the deciding factor in whether to kill Aeden O’Malley or not.

* * *

Sabrina was inundated with images,and her heartbeat was painfully fast as she processed them. “I don’t like this plan,” she signed to Aeden, who was too calm for her liking.

“It will work,” he signed in return. “Come on.”

He led her away from the tree where Ronan and his mam were talking, and he took the path toward the secret garden where her grandmother’s body once rested in an enchanted sleep. The place no longer held her, and the cracked tomb was now overgrown with flowers, making it a pretty spot to play.

Sabrina recalled her beautiful grandmother. Not as she’d been when the Darkness had claimed her body for itself, but how she’d been in the waiting area of the Otherworld. She’d been sweet and loving, full of remorse for her actions. That’s what the waiting area was designed for; it was a place for people to work through their rights and wrongs. And if they were ultimately good-hearted, they could stay in the extraordinary world Isis had created. But if they weren’t, if evil remained in their heart and soul, they would go to hell.

She wished her grandmother was here to ask so Sabrina would know what she should do. Papa would “protect her from herself,” as he liked to say, but Grandmother would encourage her to make her own choices, she was sure. However, Isolde de Thorne was now in the black pit of the Netherworld, keeping guard over the Darkness. Someday she’d return when Sabrina needed her the most, but not yet.

As Sabrina and Aeden got close to the rose garden, she glanced back along the trail and kept thoughts of Papa out of her head. He was dialed into her, and if he felt her indecision or fear, he’d come, and Aeden’s plan would be ruined.

“Aeden!” Roisin’s worried voice reached them just as they arrived at the garden gate.

“We should go back,” Sabrina whispered in a raw, scratchy voice, glancing around at the darkening shadows. “I think we were wrong,” she croaked out.

“Wrong about what?” asked a cool voice.

She spun around and saw a petite red-haired woman approach. Behind her, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but where he was, a nervous red-haired man followed. His shirt was wet in the armpit area, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

Sabrina knew a moment of fear. Yes, she had a lot of magic, but she was a young Aether, not as powerful as she would be when she grew up. And the ability she was using to keep up appearances and the invisible protection bubble was taking a large part of her magic. Deciding it was time to teleport home, she reached for Aeden’s hand, but he’d moved to stand between her and the red-haired woman—just outside of Sabrina’s magic barrier.

“You must be Damian’s daughter,” the woman purred. All her attention was on Aeden disguised as Sabrina.

He gave a sharp nod and lifted his chin.

“Excellent.” The woman laughed and grabbed his arm. “Seamus, get the other brat. Be quick about it.”

Seamus focused on Sabrina, who was glamoured to look like Aeden, and as he approached, he withdrew a knife from behind his back. He was only halfway to her when he grabbed Aeden from Moira’s clutches and held the blade’s tip to his throat.

“If anyone’s to have the tiny Aether’s magic, it be me, Moira.”

“Go!” Aeden screamed with his newly repaired voice.

Seamus sliced his throat.

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