Dragon Storm
Page 61
“You could, but not the others, not without making a deal you probably don’t want to make.”
“Ugh,” Aisling said, wrapping her arms protectively around herself. “I think we’ll avoid anything that involves making deals.”
“What are we going to do?” Aoife asked, pacing the width of the cell. Ysolde sat down next to Aisling and started speaking softly to her.
“Wait?” I suggested.
“For what? For you to figure out how to use the ring to rescue us?” Aoife made a disgusted noise and turned back to try the door.
I got to my feet, my anger getting the best of me. “You annoying little shit!”
Aoife turned back to me, her mouth an O of surprise.
“Word,” Jim said, nodding his head.
Aoife shot him a wicked look before narrowing her eyes on me. “What did you call me?”
“You heard me.” I stalked forward, past Ysolde and Aisling, and stopped when I was toe-to-toe with my little sister. “You just got done telling me that you didn’t really want the ring, and gave it back to me. Well, I’m sick and tired of this attitude of yours, and frankly, I’ve decided I’m not going to take it anymore.”
Her jaw dropped for a second before it snapped close, and she jabbed a finger into my upper arm. “I am not the one who had my sister condemned to a loony bin for two years. You don’t have the right to be tired of my attitude!”
“I have explained to you why I had to do that and also apologized that they did not treat you as Rowan and I were told you would be treated. I’m sorry, Aoife, I’m really sorry about what happened. I wish I could have explained to you what was going on, but you were in so much danger… and it had only been a few years since Mom and Dad died, and the thought of losing you was just more than I could stand. I know you won’t forgive me, but I truly did what I had to do in order to save you.”
She looked taken aback now, blinking rapidly before saying, “I don’t think I was in that much danger.”
“That’s because the Otherworld hadn’t really touched you yet.” I was suddenly tired, exhaustion pulling at me and making me want to curl into a little ball and ignore the world. “And frankly, I’m grateful for that. But let me reassure you that while you were tucked away safely—if uncomfortably—the rest of us in the Otherworld were trying to stay alive. It wasn’t just dragons who suffered from the curse, you know—lots of others got in the way of the demons and were cut down just like Jovana and Guillaume.”
Tears sprang to Aoife’s eyes, and she turned away from me. My heart hurt as I added, “The Otherworld isn’t a magical place of sexy men who just happen to also be dragons—there is blood and death and suffering here because of some very dangerous individuals. Can you blame me for wanting to keep my baby sister away from it all?”
She choked, and shook her head, her eyes closed. Tears burned behind my own as I hugged her, wishing with all that I had that I could keep her away from the pain that I knew must follow. After a moment, she hugged me back, causing Jim to say, “A* Sisterly love. The only way that could be better is if they mud-wrestled out their issues first.”
I laughed shakily, sniffing and wiping my eyes, releasing Aoife to face the two other women. “I’m sorry you had to witness our family squabbling.”
“Not at all,” Ysolde said, giving us both curious looks. “I suspect it’s been a long time coming.”
She and Aisling returned to their discussion.
Aoife wiped her eyes with the edge of her sleeves, giving me a rueful smile. “I didn’t realize… I mean, I know that you did what you thought was best, but I was just so angry about being stuffed into the loony bin that I didn’t consider what everyone else was going through.”
“It’s understandable you feel that way,” I said, my shoulders drooping. I wondered if my relationship with my sister would ever be mended. I hoped fervently that it would. “It can’t have been easy for you.”
“No.” Her lips twisted wryly. “But I don’t suppose you were out having oodles of fun.”
“Far from it.” I rubbed my face, wondering how long we’d be held before Constantine and the others managed to free us. “I just hope that someday you can forgive me.”
She was silent for longer than I was comfortable with, but eventually she nodded. “I think I have. It doesn’t mean I would have done what you did if I had been in your shoes, but I am willing to accept that you acted in what you thought was for my best.”
“You had the ring,” I said, brushing a strand of her hair back from where it clung to her tear-stained cheek. “I didn’t want you to die for that quirk of fate.”
“Are you going to be able to use it to get us out of here?” she asked.
Ysolde and Aisling paused their conversation to look expectantly at me.
I shook my head. “I’m a Charmer. I’m a whiz at working maze puzzles and I can unmake curses, but I can’t break out of anywhere, let alone hell.”
“Abaddon,” Jim and Aoife said at the same time.
“We’re just going to have to wait for the men to realize we’ve been taken by Asmodeus. I have no idea how long that will be, but I’m—”
The door was wrenched open at that moment, the passageway beyond it filled with demons.
“Come,” the one nearest the door said, gesturing abruptly. “The master wishes to treat with you.”
“Asmodeus is willing to bargain for the ring?” Aisling said, getting to her feet with a hand from Ysolde. It struck me at that moment that she was pregnant, not far gone, but enough that she was no doubt very concerned about the welfare of her unborn child. It made me resolve to do whatever it took to get the others out of Abaddon before I dealt with Asmodeus.
“She’s got it on her finger,” Aoife said, leaving the cell with a nod at me. “He can’t take it off her with force.”
“Huh. You learn something new every day,” Aisling said, filing out behind us.
We were escorted to the room where Constantine and I had faced Asmodeus before, and sure enough, as soon as we were herded into the center of it, a door at the far end of the room opened and the dark figure of Asmodeus strolled in. He looked more preoccupied than before, although I did notice he was looking pointedly at my hand when he stopped in front of me.
“Ugh,” Aisling said, wrapping her arms protectively around herself. “I think we’ll avoid anything that involves making deals.”
“What are we going to do?” Aoife asked, pacing the width of the cell. Ysolde sat down next to Aisling and started speaking softly to her.
“Wait?” I suggested.
“For what? For you to figure out how to use the ring to rescue us?” Aoife made a disgusted noise and turned back to try the door.
I got to my feet, my anger getting the best of me. “You annoying little shit!”
Aoife turned back to me, her mouth an O of surprise.
“Word,” Jim said, nodding his head.
Aoife shot him a wicked look before narrowing her eyes on me. “What did you call me?”
“You heard me.” I stalked forward, past Ysolde and Aisling, and stopped when I was toe-to-toe with my little sister. “You just got done telling me that you didn’t really want the ring, and gave it back to me. Well, I’m sick and tired of this attitude of yours, and frankly, I’ve decided I’m not going to take it anymore.”
Her jaw dropped for a second before it snapped close, and she jabbed a finger into my upper arm. “I am not the one who had my sister condemned to a loony bin for two years. You don’t have the right to be tired of my attitude!”
“I have explained to you why I had to do that and also apologized that they did not treat you as Rowan and I were told you would be treated. I’m sorry, Aoife, I’m really sorry about what happened. I wish I could have explained to you what was going on, but you were in so much danger… and it had only been a few years since Mom and Dad died, and the thought of losing you was just more than I could stand. I know you won’t forgive me, but I truly did what I had to do in order to save you.”
She looked taken aback now, blinking rapidly before saying, “I don’t think I was in that much danger.”
“That’s because the Otherworld hadn’t really touched you yet.” I was suddenly tired, exhaustion pulling at me and making me want to curl into a little ball and ignore the world. “And frankly, I’m grateful for that. But let me reassure you that while you were tucked away safely—if uncomfortably—the rest of us in the Otherworld were trying to stay alive. It wasn’t just dragons who suffered from the curse, you know—lots of others got in the way of the demons and were cut down just like Jovana and Guillaume.”
Tears sprang to Aoife’s eyes, and she turned away from me. My heart hurt as I added, “The Otherworld isn’t a magical place of sexy men who just happen to also be dragons—there is blood and death and suffering here because of some very dangerous individuals. Can you blame me for wanting to keep my baby sister away from it all?”
She choked, and shook her head, her eyes closed. Tears burned behind my own as I hugged her, wishing with all that I had that I could keep her away from the pain that I knew must follow. After a moment, she hugged me back, causing Jim to say, “A* Sisterly love. The only way that could be better is if they mud-wrestled out their issues first.”
I laughed shakily, sniffing and wiping my eyes, releasing Aoife to face the two other women. “I’m sorry you had to witness our family squabbling.”
“Not at all,” Ysolde said, giving us both curious looks. “I suspect it’s been a long time coming.”
She and Aisling returned to their discussion.
Aoife wiped her eyes with the edge of her sleeves, giving me a rueful smile. “I didn’t realize… I mean, I know that you did what you thought was best, but I was just so angry about being stuffed into the loony bin that I didn’t consider what everyone else was going through.”
“It’s understandable you feel that way,” I said, my shoulders drooping. I wondered if my relationship with my sister would ever be mended. I hoped fervently that it would. “It can’t have been easy for you.”
“No.” Her lips twisted wryly. “But I don’t suppose you were out having oodles of fun.”
“Far from it.” I rubbed my face, wondering how long we’d be held before Constantine and the others managed to free us. “I just hope that someday you can forgive me.”
She was silent for longer than I was comfortable with, but eventually she nodded. “I think I have. It doesn’t mean I would have done what you did if I had been in your shoes, but I am willing to accept that you acted in what you thought was for my best.”
“You had the ring,” I said, brushing a strand of her hair back from where it clung to her tear-stained cheek. “I didn’t want you to die for that quirk of fate.”
“Are you going to be able to use it to get us out of here?” she asked.
Ysolde and Aisling paused their conversation to look expectantly at me.
I shook my head. “I’m a Charmer. I’m a whiz at working maze puzzles and I can unmake curses, but I can’t break out of anywhere, let alone hell.”
“Abaddon,” Jim and Aoife said at the same time.
“We’re just going to have to wait for the men to realize we’ve been taken by Asmodeus. I have no idea how long that will be, but I’m—”
The door was wrenched open at that moment, the passageway beyond it filled with demons.
“Come,” the one nearest the door said, gesturing abruptly. “The master wishes to treat with you.”
“Asmodeus is willing to bargain for the ring?” Aisling said, getting to her feet with a hand from Ysolde. It struck me at that moment that she was pregnant, not far gone, but enough that she was no doubt very concerned about the welfare of her unborn child. It made me resolve to do whatever it took to get the others out of Abaddon before I dealt with Asmodeus.
“She’s got it on her finger,” Aoife said, leaving the cell with a nod at me. “He can’t take it off her with force.”
“Huh. You learn something new every day,” Aisling said, filing out behind us.
We were escorted to the room where Constantine and I had faced Asmodeus before, and sure enough, as soon as we were herded into the center of it, a door at the far end of the room opened and the dark figure of Asmodeus strolled in. He looked more preoccupied than before, although I did notice he was looking pointedly at my hand when he stopped in front of me.
