Page 56 of Whiskey & Witches

Moira screamed her rage.

And Sabrina froze in shock as Seamus dumped Aeden’s skinny little body on the ground.

With both hands clamped on his opened throat and as the blood oozed through his fingers, Aeden shot her one last pleading look. His thoughts came to her clearly for the first time since meeting him.

Go, Beastie. Go get your da.

Moira gaspedin shock as the glamour surrounding the child at their feet dissolved, revealing the scrawny form of Aeden O’Malley. She met Seamus’s stunned gaze for a split second before she ran for the girl behind him. She had a chance now that the child was frozen in her fear. But before she took two steps, the Aether’s daughter was gone.

The wind around them picked up, and a bellow of anguish carried on the current.

Moira spun back around to see Roisin O’Malley running for all she was worth through a copse of trees. The anguish on her face was either from the pain of her damaged body having to move so quickly or from witnessing her son’s attack. Probably both. Moira took a grim pleasure in the sight.

Ronan’s long legs ate up the ground, out-pacing Roisin by far.

He was almost upon them when Moira had the idea to protect herself. Instinctively, she recognized the greater threat. Rushing to Aeden’s dying body, she dipped her hands in the fresh blood and twirled in a circle.

“I bind thee, Roisin Byrne-O’Malley, from harming me,” she shouted as she ran to the closest tree and drew ancient ruins on the bark to protect herself. Blood magic was the most effective against a powerful witch like Roisin. It was how Seamus had stolen her power to begin with.

But Roisin went straight for Seamus, who still held the dripping knife, and the absolute rage on her face told Moira, no binding would stop her this time.

Hands in the air, Roisin threw glowing gold ropes in his direction, and Seamus, dumbfounded she could hold him, turned to look at Moira. She saw the second he registered what she had known all along. By killing Aeden O’Malley, he’d not made the O’Connor clan stronger; he’d made them all weaker. It was why Moira had wanted the girl’s power before he killed the boy—to mitigate the loss of the O’Malley magic when that part of the prophecy was fulfilled.

The Golden Son had indeed sacrificed for the One.

Ronan crashedto his knees next to Aeden, a harsh cry escaping him. He pressed his palms flat over the gaping wound on the boy’s neck and directed all his fading O’Malley magic into Aeden’s severed throat. As he worked, he imagined the flesh knitting and the lost blood returning to the child’s body. With a mind for dirt, bacteria, and possible infection, he isolated these things and drew them out.

Dull, near lifeless eyes locked with his, and Ronan wanted to beg Aeden’s forgiveness for not killing Moira and Seamus when he had the chance.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated over and over again. “I’m so sorry, Aeden.”

As Ronan grew weaker, the child’s skin fused together. With one last push of his receding magic, he sealed the boy’s wound, releasing a harsh breath.

Aeden raised a shaky hand, and his dirty, blood-drenched fingers brushed Ronan’s cheek, just below his eye. “Don’t cry, Mr. Ronan,” he said in a hoarse voice. “The Aether will make it right.”

Ronan hadn’t realized it was the salt of his own tears burning his eyes until that second. He hadn’t cried since he was a small boy, roughly Aeden’s age. After swiping at the moisture, he stared in surprise at the wetness on the back of his hand. His wry smile disappeared the instant Aeden’s eyes grew round and focused on something behind him.

Moira!

For the length of time it took Ronan to heal Aeden, he’d forgotten about that treacherous bitch.

He rolled at the exact moment she struck, and the blazing hot pain from her knife cut a trail across the skin on his back.

Leave it to that hellcat to have the sharpest fucking blade on earth!

He had little magic left to fight her, but he was a damned sight stronger and trained in physical combat thanks to his overbearing monster of a father. This was the one woman he’d gladly make war with.

As she charged a second time, the knife poised to strike, Ronan drew up his legs and thrust out toward her stomach. She flew backward into Seamus and lost her weapon. Simultaneously, Moira and Roisin dove for it, with Roisin marginally beating her out.

Ronan rolled to his feet, intent on helping Roisin, but as he rose, the ground shook, and a deafening rumble echoed in the evening sky. He struggled to maintain his balance.

The Aether had arrived.

CHAPTER22

Roisin braced her legs against the rolling ground beneath her feet, and when she had her balance, she looked around and discovered Moira was gone. Apparently, that vicious wagon teleported away to save her worthless arse. Any retaliation against that black-hearted bitch would need to wait, but Roisin could—and would—take another chess piece off the board in the meantime.

The earthquake didn’t alter Roisin’s intent or shock her into forgetting what Seamus McLeary had done to her son. The time was at hand to make him pay for all his past sins, and the Goddess could sort it out when he made it to the Otherworld’s waiting room. With any luck, the scaldy bastard would go straight to hell.

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