Page 38 of The Night Vision
“I don’t care. I know you and Nelson will do your best.”
Tighe waved them off, not exactly pleased to be left behind but hopeful and proud of how skilled and resourcefulhisman was. He found Niall watching him, a knowing smile on his face.
“The two of you are already pretty serious.”
“We are,” Tighe confirmed, somewhat smug. “Silas is going to build a tiny house someplace where no one will bother us when all of this is over,” he boasted but Niall’s smile widened and filled his eyes.
“That sounds amazing. I’m happy for both of you,” he said, utterly sincere. “Shelby is the best and he deserves someone special.”
“You weren’t special enough?” Tighe asked with a skeptical hitch of his brow.
Niall shook his head. “Heck no! I’m pretty basic and I blew it with Shelby years ago, he just never knew it.”
“You blew it?” Tighe frowned, confused as Niall led him into the study.
“Big time. Shelby’s one of the most decent and honest men I’ve ever met but I was living a lie the whole time I was at Shenandoah. I faked my death and I wasnevergoing to tell anyone the truth, not even Shelby. It took a demon to get me to leave my summit, I was so afraid of my past and my abuser.”
“You were hiding from an abuser?” Tighe repeated, suddenly sad and mad for Niall, and regretted the resentment and jealousy he’d felt before. And he could understand why Silas wouldn’t resent Niall or blame him for all that had happened between them and with Smoak.
“I was going to hide forever but Cenn helped me realize I didn’t need to. I’m not afraid of that man anymore but it turns out, he had already moved to the other side of the country years ago. He hurta lotof people—not just me—and it caught up with him. He took his own life and I’m sad that he died and he’ll never answer for his actions, but at least he can’t hurt anyone ever again.”
“The sniveling shit got exactly what he deserved,” Smoak said as he wandered into the study.
“Did you have a hand in that?” Merlin asked, turning from one of the rolling boards.
“What?” Niall shook his head. “No way,” he said with a dismissive snort but Tighe caught the silent exchange between Merlin and Smoak and wasn’t as sure. He remembered Smoak’sthreat to Bryn at dinner and wondered if the demon had possessed Niall’s abuser in some way.
“He isn’t worth anyone’s time or concern,” Smoak said simply and nodded at the board. “Figure out if Niall’s turning into a nephilim. Worry about that or werewolves,” he suggested as he headed for the teapot.
“On that we can agree,” Merlin replied as he went back to writing and Smoak poured two cups of tea.
“Did you learn anything useful yesterday, up in MacIlwraith’s magickal boudoir?” Smoak asked Merlin, passing one to Tighe, then one to Niall as he perched on the armrest next to him.
“I learned a great deal,” Merlin replied while searching around the room. He gasped when he spotted something, then went to Nox’s desk and opened a large, old, leather-bound book and began flipping pages.
“And?” Smoak demanded and Merlin cast him an imperious look.
“I’mstilllearning and I’ve yet to form a conclusion,” he said, making Smoak throw up his hands.
“What have you learned so far?” he asked and Merlin sighed at his board.
“You know what theMalleus Maleficarumsays about cambion and changelings as well as I do and that a devilcannotmate with a living thing because it has no soul. I did a great deal of work with Niall’s soul yesterday and it is indeed stronger and purer than ever. He is radiant—and I do not mean the glow of love—and his body is regenerating like yours or Nox’s would. I’ve only seen this with Nox and Everly.”
Tighe cleared his throat and raised his hand. “I heal frightfully fast when I’m injured. All Ossors are tough and mend fast, but not in a few hours or a day like I do.”
“I must write that down!” Merlin said as he hurried around to the other side of the board with Tighe’s dossier. “The fae in you is very strong, lad.”
“My mother said it’s because I was dead and the faeries brought me back,” Tighe recalled and there were gasps from Merlin and Smoak and they advanced on him with wide eyes.
“What do you mean, you were dead?” Smoak asked and Merlin nodded quickly.
“How did you die?”
“It was a difficult birth,” Tighe said slowly, not liking their intent expressions or the way they were leaning in. “My mother was young and a small woman and I was a large baby and I came out the wrong way. I was blue and I wasn’t breathing so they left me in the woods for the animals to feed on. But they didn’t touch me and when she went back the next morning, she heard me crying and I was strong and healthy. The women of her village told her to leave me, that I was a changeling and would be trouble.”
“That’s terrible, Tighe! How could she leave you? Why would they tell her that?” Niall asked but Tighe shrugged.
“That’s what Ossors and their women have always done if a bairn showed signs of weakness or illness. They can’t run with their pack and their offspring might not be strong,” he explained, causing Niall to recoil.
