Page 186 of A Winding Wave of Magic
Jonathan nodded. “It’s not just the Greeks, though. The Hindus had the twin flame, Rama and Sita.”
“The Celts have our own stories too,” Caitlin pointed out. “You’re the scholar, Cassandra. Surely you know of theanamchara.”
“That translates as ‘soul friend,’” I said. “And it originated with monks and ascetics who yearned for connection when they were isolated with just their texts. And applied to priests!”
“You think they just made it up, then?” Caitlin retorted. “That wasourphrase, Cassie. A word for the story of fae lovers whose very magic was split in the beginning, yearning for its other half to complete the cycle. Of course the Church stole it.”
I frowned. “Magic?”
“Another myth,” Jonathan, looking tired. “Rachel could give you the best version. As the story goes, fae became fae when the gods dropped the stars from the sky. But a few of the largest stars were deemed too powerful, and so Dagda split them apart.If you believe the story, then the fae carrying that incomplete magic in their souls must find their mates to find their zenith.”
“Hogwash,” Caitlin spit out. “No one needs a mate to manifest, as you, Jon, demonstrate just fine. It’s romantic bosh, probably created by a shifter or siren so they can justify riding whoever they want in the name of searching for their ‘mate.’”
“Cait,” I snapped. “Stop.”
She wisely obeyed.
I had pressed my hand flat on the table while they spoke, and as if in answer, another vision sprang to life—another of a young Penny, but this time fighting with a brooding man who looked like Caomhán, but with much longer black hair. Even in a vision, the connection seemed thick enough to grab.
“I hate you!”Penny screamed in Irish.
“Well, I hate you right right back!” he thundered. “But I love you too, Penny O’Brien. And I need more than I need the air I breathe, so you might as well get used to it!”
And then she was in his arms, and neither of them spoke at all.
I released the vision by tucking my hand into my lap, then turned to look at Jonathan. “I don’t love you.”
He blinked. “Um, that’s all right. I don’t love you either. We’ve only known each other a matter of months, and most of that was spent apart.”
I nodded. “Okay, so we are both capable of basic reason and communication and agree that love is impossible after such a short period of time."
Was it my imagination, or did he look like he wanted to argue with me?
“If I’m being perfectly honest,” I rattled on, “I don’t even know if I like you some of the time. You areveryfrustrating.”
As if he expected as much, Jonathan shrugged. “The feeling is more than mutual. But as I said, love and mating aren’t the same thing.”
Caitlin snorted. “That’s putting it mildly.” She turned to me. “There have been plenty of mates who couldn’t stand each other, I can promise you that.”
“Like Penny and Ciarán,” Jonathan supplied, earning another sharp glance from Caitlin. “I know you didn’t want to believe they were mates, Cait, but it’s the truth. When Ciarán was around, Penny’s energy nearly disappeared into his.”
“That’s what Robbie was talking about at the party,” I murmured to myself.
Caitlin looked irritated. “That man and his mouth.”
“Don’t blame Rob,” Jonathan said. “He was likely just speculating after too many pints. You know how he gets.”
“Then why did Penny leave Ciarán?” I wanted to know.
Caitlin sighed. “She didn’t. Ciarán left first, the cur. Supposedly, he went to find a safe place for them to hide when it was clear the island wasn’t safe anymore. And he never returned. So she went looking.”
“And did she find him?” I had to ask.
When they turned on me, Caitlin’s gray eyes were as vacant as an overcast sky. “She did not. Unless you know something.”
I shook my head. “So far as I know, she was alone until she died.”
“It’s amazing she managed that,” Jonathan said quietly.
