Tír na nÓg Trilogy, Book II: The Rising Dark

A Cold House

Emery stared at Cathbad for a heavy moment, and then she burst out laughing. All three of the others could only watch her in bewilderment. But Emery couldn't stop herself. She was practically doubled over, and for a moment, Oonagh feared she'd gone mad.

"What have you done to her?" the freckled girl cried to the druid.

"I?"

"You have your lunatic charms! I know it! If she goes mad and Lord Cuchulain finds out I've brought her here—"

Cathbad's face fell. "Cuchulain doesn't know she's here?"

"Of course not! Do you think he'd have let her come?"

"This . . . is not good." The man grabbed hold of Emery and shook her. "What ails you?"

Catching her breath, eyes shining, Emery half-laughed, half-sobbed. "It's just--I--I can't even go a week without--without you trying to tell me something terrible!"

The druid let go of her and exchanged a glance with Oonagh; neither of them knew what exactly to do. But Tess did. She approached Emery and put an arm around her shoulder. "Come on," she said. "You're fine. This is just nonsense. You know Cat--so dramatic."

Cathbad sulked at that but said nothing.

"Tess! I just can't even. They've taken everything away from me and thrown us here where we don't fit at all!" Emery was practically crying at that point, having pent up her frustration inside since she'd arrived. "And all the bad stuff was supposed to be done! I just--I just wanted to come here to see him and have a good time, and he's going on about some new stalker, when I haven't even figured out what to do about the first one--"

"Shh, shh." Tess stroked Emery's hair and led her to a little bench that rested against the outer wall of the druid's cottage. "You don't mean all that. Everything is going to be all right because I'm here with you. Nobody's stalking you."

Emery knew that; in fact, she'd felt disingenuous using the word, stalker. She hadn't thought of Cullen as a stalker in a long time. He hadn't lied to her about any of that curse, about her being married to him--it'd all been true. Of course he'd tried to find her again, even if Emery couldn't be whoever he'd known in the past.

"Cathbad didn't mean anything scary, right?" Tess looked at the druid, something slightly cold in her eyes.

The man felt scolded, and it confused him. He wanted to be neither dishonest nor theatrical in his response, but there seemed to be no other option.

Fortunately, Oonagh cut in. "The Dark Man is scary," she said, biting her lip in thought, a bit vacant in her gaze. "Fear Doirich, he's called." She looked to the druid. "You're sure of it? He's not traveled these parts in . . . well, ever, to my knowing. At least, not since I've been here."

Emery had regained her composure, by that point. She shook off Tess's arm. "Do I really want to know what this Dark Man is?"

"No, Lady. I think it best you do not, now. I shall tell my Lord, and he will know how best--"

"You will not tell him. I can handle whatever you need to say, so say it."

Cathbad didn't appear convinced, but with the three young women waiting for his answer, he relented. "The Dark Man's purpose is obscured, in my castings. I know only that he seeks you, Emery, though I cannot say why. He may visit you in dreams--have you had any disturbing night haunts?"

"No," Emery raised her shoulders with a slight shiver. "Nothing that would mean anything to me." She'd dreamt only of peaceful meadows and her previous life. "If I've had any nightmares, I don't remember them."