Embers in the Dark

The Lucky Watch

The group fell over laughing once Sean had finished the song. All except Brigid, of course, who looked stunned and appalled. She'd heard plenty of vulgarity in her day, but this was a whole new level of disgusting.

"Ugh," she groaned. "How is any of that funny? It's so inappropriate."

"That's why it's so funny," Sean explained as he sat down.

Brigid rolled her eyes and leaned back. "I still don't see the humor in a man cheating on his wife repeatedly."

"Well, the original is where a woman is cheating on her husband. Lilly changed it, though."

Brigid sighed and folded her arms. "So you've known her since The Emerald Star sank, correct?"

"Yes, but according to Lugh, you people have known her for even longer."

Brigid nodded. "Yes."

"But Lilly doesn't remember that. It's because of that dark magic in her, isn't it?"

"Correct."

"Well," Sean said as he tilted his head. "I have questions. How did we not know? How did I not know? How did we never see any of it...ya know, manifest? Ya think someone woulda noticed-" suddenly he perked up. "Oh."

"What is it, Mr. MacGuire?" Brigid asked.

Sean looked like he'd just seen a ghost. "OH!" he stood up suddenly in a panic while grasping his hair. "Oh! Oh oh oh!"

"Sean, calm yerself, mate!" Lugh barked jokingly.

Sean slapped himself and shook his head. "Alright...alright, alright, alright," he mumbled quickly before taking a shaky breath. "Did ya guys know about her night terrors?"

Everyone shook their head except Lugh. "Well, Arthur did mention it a couple times, so did Dutch and Hosea, but...huh. How much magic did Dubh put intah her, I wonder?" Lugh asked while stroking his chin.

"I dunno," Sean yelled while throwing his hands up. "A ton?!"

"No, Lilly woulda died if Dubh gave her too much. She was only five at the time, so it had tah have been a minuscule amount along with the binding," Lugh said, adjusting himself on the couch to lean forward. "Anyway, continue."

"Lilly would have horrible nightmares, real nasty ones," Sean began. "She'd use her shout and shite would go flying everywhere. Sometimes, I swear the whole world would shake when she had a night terror."

Lugh sighed and clasped his fists together while putting his lips to them. "Okay. The shout is her magic, obviously, but using her mind tah make things fly about? That's gotta be the dark magic's doing." Lugh stood up and started pacing. "It...doesn't make sense, though."

"What do ya mean?" Sean asked curiously. "None of this makes sense! From the first time I met Lilly, nothin' about her ever feckin' made sense! I've been tryin' tah be supportive fer her, but all of this was...very new fer me at the time. And then when she left fer Blackwater, I spent years tryin' tah find her when I heard about Craig dyin'."

Lugh stopped walking and looked at Sean with a humorous expression. "Craig?"

"Yeah, Brian's friend in Blackwater. After Brian died, Craig and I began exchangin' letters to one another. He told me that when the time came, I needed to make sure Lilly got to Blackwater."

Lugh smirked before putting his hands on his hips. "Yeah, about that..."

Sean narrowed his eyes at Lugh. "What now?"

Lugh took in a sharp breath before looking at Sean with a mischevious expression. "I'm Craig."

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