“Fine. We do not want anything to do with the Tuatha De Danann. Mortals who have dealings with them rarely end happily, and while we are not your average mortals, we still are not in their weight class, if you will allow me to use a boxing metaphor.”
“I will allow it this once. I would find it more amusing if you would use gamer jargon from now on, like, ‘If we fought the Tuatha De Danann, we’d get so pwned.’ ”
She smiled at me, understanding that I had made a joke even if she had no clue what being pwned meant. “We would actually like to help you, Mr. O’Sullivan. We think Aenghus Og will be displeased if he discovers why he is unable to perform, and he may turn his wrath against us as well as you. So if you two are to fight, we would like to ensure that you are the winner. To that end, is there anything we can do to help?”
There was no way I was going to let them “help.” I was sure it would backfire on me. But this was a golden opportunity to fish for information.
“I’m not sure,” I said. “Tell me about the Zoryas you mentioned. Are they the source of your power?”
“When did I mention the Zoryas?”
“You swore by them when you threatened Emily.”
“Ah. Well, yes, the Zoryas are star goddesses known throughout the Slavic world. The midnight star, Zorya Polunochnaya, is a goddess of death and rebirth, and, as you might expect, she has quite a bit to do with magic and wisdom. It is she who gives us much of our knowledge and power, though the other two Zoryas are helpful as well.”
“Fascinating,” I said, and I was being serious. I hadn’t heard much about the Zoryas before-old Slavic deities had rarely come up as a topic of conversation in my travels. I’d need to do some research. “You don’t do any mucking about with the moon, then?”
“No.” She shook her head. “That’s another kind of craft.”
“Then I’m at a loss as to how you can help me. What sort of thing did you have in mind?”
“Well, since you seem to be fairly accomplished at wards”-she gestured around at the store to the spells she could sense-“perhaps we could help you with some offensive capabilities. How were you planning to attack Aenghus Og?”
Did she really think I would answer that? “I think I’ll just improvise.”
“Well, we could increase your speed.”
“Unnecessary, but thank you.”
Malina frowned. “I get the feeling that you do not really want our help.”
“You are correct. I am very grateful for the offer, however. It is kind of you.”
“Why would you refuse our aid?”
“Look, I understand you would like to expiate the debt your coven owes me for Emily’s treatment, but this is not the sort of service I am interested in.”
“You think you are a match for Aenghus Og?”
I shrugged. “That remains to be seen. He has not exerted himself overmuch to fight me. Perhaps he thinks I am.”
Malina looked incredulous. “Are you anything more than a Druid?”
“Of course I am. I own this shop and I play a mean game of chess, and I’ve been told that I’m a frakkin’ Cylon.”
“What’s a frakkin’ Cylon?”
“I don’t know, but it sounds really scary when you say it with a Polish accent.”
Her brows drew together and her accent thickened. “You are being flippant with me now, and I do not appreciate it. You have implied that a member of the Tuatha De Danann is afraid of you, and yet you offer no credible reason why this may be true.”
“It doesn’t matter to me whether you believe it or not.”
Malina’s eyes turned icy as she glared at me. “It seems we have some trust issues to work out between us.”
“Ya think? Tell me your coven isn’t plotting with Aenghus Og against me.”
“My coven isn’t plotting against you with Aenghus Og.”
“Now make me believe it.”
“That appears impossible. But you have a document with Radomila’s blood on it. I think that indicates that she trusts you, at least. I was under the impression that you and Radomila had exchanged favors in the past and were very cordial to each other.”
“Yes, that’s true. That was before members of her coven began sleeping with my mortal enemy.”
“Well, I do not know how to allay your suspicions,” she said, and pushed her chair back from the table. “So I will take my leave for now.”
“Thank you for controlling Emily. I really did appreciate that,” I said. “And I was pleased to have met you.”
“Good day,” she said, apparently not as pleased to have met me, and tossed her mane of luxurious hair over her red shoulder as she exited, prim and stately and Polish and oh so witchy.
‹She’s kind of like a Mary Poppins just before she turns to the dark side of the Force,› Oberon said. He was still behind the counter, but he had had a good look at her as she exited. ‹Let go of your anger, Malina! There’s still good in you! The Emperor hasn’t driven it from you fully!›
I clearly need to get you some new videos to watch while I’m at work.
‹I’d rather come to work with you from now on. It’s fun to watch you pretend to be normal.›
At that moment, the door opened on its own and the Morrigan sailed through it, squawking loudly in her battle-crow form and scaring the bejesus out of my customers-again. Sigh.
When all had exited except for Perry, I told him to take a lunch break.
“You’re just, uh, gonna take care of that giant freakin’ bird all by yourself, then?” he asked, never taking his eyes from it. “The one with the razor-sharp beak and the spooky eyes that look like they’re lit with the fires of hell?”
“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” I said casually. “Enjoy yourself. Take your time.”
“Well, okay, if you’re sure. I’ll see you later, then.” He circled around to the door cautiously, never taking his eyes off the bird, and then slipped out. I went to the door and locked it behind him, flipping the reversible sign around to say CLOSED.
“Okay, Morrigan, what’s on your mind?”
She shifted into her human form and remembered this time to clothe herself in black. She was upset, though; her eyes were still glowing red.
“Brighid is on her way to see you. She will be here in moments.”
I jumped up and down and swore violently in seventeen languages.
“I feel the same,” the Morrigan said. “I do not know what she intends. I told her I had taken Bres and the manner of his death, as you suggested, and she merely listened. When I finished speaking, she thanked me and said she would be coming to see you. Then she asked me for privacy, so I know nothing of her true feelings. She has been traveling across the desert this morning on this plane. She is alone.”
“Great. What if she decides to kill me?”
“That will test our bargain quite severely,” the Morrigan replied with a smirk.
“Morrigan?”
“Relax. We have a bargain. But have the good grace to pretend to be dead if she decides to kill you.”
“What if she decides to set me on fire and watch me burn?”
“Then that’s going to hurt. Scream all you want, but turn it off at some point and she’ll figure you for dead. I’ll help you once she’s gone.”
“That makes me feel so much better. Hey,” I said, suddenly remembering, “were you aware that Flidais came to see me and warn me about Aenghus Og as well?”
“No.” The Morrigan frowned. “When was this?”
“The same day you came to warn me here. When I went home, she was waiting for me there.”
“I do not know why she would suddenly be interested in your welfare.”
“I was thinking the same thing. Especially since she got me and my hound into some trouble with the local authorities.”
