CHAPTER 3
A noise caught her attention, and Aine moved towards it, finding Nick practicing tai chi by himself in a clearing. She hated to admit it, but watching him was a pleasure. There was a predatory grace to the way he moved, and she could tell he was restraining himself. That meant he was very disciplined. He knew when he had to hold himself back, and probably enjoyed letting go on the occasions when he could. She wondered if that applied to all aspects of his life?
Nick knew someone was nearby, watching him. His naval training had taught him to always be aware of his surroundings, and to respect that gut feeling that told you something was wrong, or someone had you tagged. It saved your life. The trick, though, was to make the one watching you unaware that you knew about them. Continue what you're doing, look for all the world like they have the upper hand, and then steal their element of surprise. Surprise could mean the difference between success and failure.
Aine stepped into the clearing. "It's only me," she told him, finding a spot to sit on the grass next to his towel and gray zip-up sweatshirt. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare from behind the bushes. I thought only I was up at this early hour."
She'd managed to surprise him, but only because he hadn't been aware he'd set off signs that he knew she was near. "What makes you think I was worried anyone was watching?"
"The atmosphere changed. I felt you tense and ready yourself to face a threat." She tossed his towel to him since he seemed to be done with his workout now. "In Ireland I normally walk by the cliffs every morning and evening. My way of commuting with nature."
He couldn't help the small derisive smirk that curled one corner of his lips up. "You commute with nature?"
For some reason his derision bothered her. "Yes, I do. Somewhat the same way you do when you become aware of your surroundings. Only I listen to the wind, and to the whispers of every living thing."
"What's that tree saying?" he quipped, nodding to the big oak behind him.
Rising she glowered at him, her chin rising proudly. "That Alex is on her way here."
Nick watched her storm off, amusement lighting his hazel eyes until he heard his name being called behind him. Turning he was startled to see Alex making her way past that big oak and towards him. "Did Aine know you were coming here?"
Alex halted, wariness stiffening her whole body. "No, why? I don't think she even knew I was awake. What's wrong?"
Nick turned back towards the path Aine had taken, his eyes narrowing. In his years with the Legacy he'd battled many things, seen many things, and yet he still questioned the validity of most of it. Philip had once said that he had no respect for the forces he faced, and perhaps he had a point. Respecting evil gave it power over him. Not that he underestimated evil. There was a reason it was called evil. The lure and power of it was strong, and many succumbed. But Nick never would because he had respect for himself, and for the fight to save the innocents.
"Nothing wrong," Nick replied though he decided now that he and Aine needed to have a talk. He wasn't certain who she was, but he meant to find out.
. She was here. There were still lingering traces of her essence, though they were fading quickly. But it was enough to know she had been here, and recently. Now to find her trail, and follow it, but it was difficult with the stench of the mortals clouding it. Mortals, who tried to mask their scent with all manner of lotions and colognes and sprays, but who would never be able to cover that essence that was each of them. Each mortal had a distinctive extra to the scent they all shared, a kind of fingerprint to tell each apart if you already knew the scent you were after. Those with any kind of power whatsoever ~~ such as psychic or magical ones ~~ had a strong and distinctive tang to their scent, like spices added to a sauce to give it that certain something more.
Her trail led outside of the airport, and it didn't bother with a cab like everyone else did. It would move faster without that encumbrance. Not to mention the fact it could follow the sudden changes in her trail more easily if it was on foot. Which had been a wise decision because the witch had often backtracked and taken sudden turns. She knew she would be hunted. O'Shea had been an intelligent man, and it wasn't unreasonable to assume his daughter was also intelligent. Her mother had been a crafty and smart also. But not smart enough. It had caught her, and ended her evil ways. It had ended O'Shea's life, and thus his cycle of protecting and harboring evil witches. Now it would find the daughter, and finish her as well.
.
It had taken a while, but Nick found Aine standing near the edge of the cliffs, her arms out wide and her face lifted to the sky. For a moment he could only hang back and watch her, and wonder what the hell she was doing. She never moved, so when she calmly said, "Hello, Nick," he blinked, mentally shaking the cobwebs off. Was he losing his edge, or was she that good?
Not wanting to let her keep him off balance he moved closer, but not within her reach. "We need to talk, Aine."
The day had been a hot one with no breeze to even stir the air, but at that moment one lifted and warmly caressed skin and rustled the leaves of the nearby trees. Her arms lowered as she turned to face him. "Will it ease your mind? Will you believe me if I tell you I'm not evil, and I'm not here to harm anyone?"
Cocking his head to one side he eyed her intently. "Try me, I might."
Taking a step nearer she never deviated her gaze from his. "I'm not evil, Nick, and I'm not here to harm anyone. I want to know who killed my father, why, and stop them. I came here because my father felt he could trust you over the House he had once belonged to. Would you have done any different?"
"I'm Legacy, you're not. It tends to make eyebrows raise when you know about us, practice pagan ways, and left Ireland after your father was buried." He wasn't sorry for the abrupt way he was speaking. He didn't much like to beat around the bushes. It was a waste of precious time.
Her chin lifted, and she caught her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment. Inhaling deeply she nodded. "Fair enough. If it's impossible to believe or trust me then maybe I should leave."
"Your choice," he shrugged. "You can't expect us to just blindly hand over trust. We never would have survived this long."
"I'm not asking you to blindly hand over trust," she shot, waving a dismissing hand. "Never mind. I do understand, but so far everyone is looking into my background, and no one is trying to figure out who the killer is."
"Answers don't come to you overnight," he snorted. "It can take time."
"But is an effort being made?" she demanded. "Is anyone trying, or are they just following me and watching me to see who I try to kill next?"
Her Irish accent thickened with her emotions, and her eyes were darker, stormier. Nick decided she looked amazing at this moment with her hair loose and falling to the center of her back in blue-black waves and her eyes looking like wild violets after a heavy rain. "We have to be careful about probing with the London House intent on finding you."
"I have no idea why they want to find me, Nick. I swear by all the Gods and Goddesses, I have no idea."
He believed her. "Okay. Let's go up to the house, and you can tell me about the day you found your father. Maybe we can find some clue that will lead us to his killer." She visibly relaxed and nodded, and moved towards him.
The bullet ricocheted off the rocky outcropping behind her, and harmlessly away. Nick dove, taking her down and covering her with his body. In one swift move he had his revolver out, and was aiming it at the trees and bushes around their little cleared cliff area. Dimly he became aware of Aine muttering, and the words registered when he felt a tingling rush over his body. A bullet bounced off an invisible shield surrounding them, and then a few more bullets harmlessly fell away. The whole time they were being shot at he was aiming the revolver, trying to find where the bullets were originating from, but he was having no luck.
"This is the time when tracers would come in very handy," he quipped. Glancing down at her his eyes raked over her face. "You okay?"
"As okay as can be expected for someone who was being shot at," she quavered.
She sounded weak, and tired. "Are you sure you're okay?" Worriedly he ran his hands over her arms and moved back to check her legs. "I tackled you pretty hard." No broken bones that he could feel.
"Casting always takes something out of me," she admitted. "I need a moment to regain my energy. I've never tried to cast a shield before, and hold it for so long."
Rising he helped her up. He was convinced now that she hadn't killed her father. "Was your father shot?"
"Yes, actually, he was." Peering up at him she shivered. "Nick, someone just tried to kill me. First my mother, and then my father, and now someone is after me. I'm beginning to feel someone has a grudge against the O'Shea clan."
"I have to agree with you," he gave the surroundings a final dark scowling stare. "C'mon, I'd feel a lot better if you were safe in the house."
"Nick? Thanks," she whispered.
A noise caught her attention, and Aine moved towards it, finding Nick practicing tai chi by himself in a clearing. She hated to admit it, but watching him was a pleasure. There was a predatory grace to the way he moved, and she could tell he was restraining himself. That meant he was very disciplined. He knew when he had to hold himself back, and probably enjoyed letting go on the occasions when he could. She wondered if that applied to all aspects of his life?
Nick knew someone was nearby, watching him. His naval training had taught him to always be aware of his surroundings, and to respect that gut feeling that told you something was wrong, or someone had you tagged. It saved your life. The trick, though, was to make the one watching you unaware that you knew about them. Continue what you're doing, look for all the world like they have the upper hand, and then steal their element of surprise. Surprise could mean the difference between success and failure.
Aine stepped into the clearing. "It's only me," she told him, finding a spot to sit on the grass next to his towel and gray zip-up sweatshirt. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare from behind the bushes. I thought only I was up at this early hour."
She'd managed to surprise him, but only because he hadn't been aware he'd set off signs that he knew she was near. "What makes you think I was worried anyone was watching?"
"The atmosphere changed. I felt you tense and ready yourself to face a threat." She tossed his towel to him since he seemed to be done with his workout now. "In Ireland I normally walk by the cliffs every morning and evening. My way of commuting with nature."
He couldn't help the small derisive smirk that curled one corner of his lips up. "You commute with nature?"
For some reason his derision bothered her. "Yes, I do. Somewhat the same way you do when you become aware of your surroundings. Only I listen to the wind, and to the whispers of every living thing."
"What's that tree saying?" he quipped, nodding to the big oak behind him.
Rising she glowered at him, her chin rising proudly. "That Alex is on her way here."
Nick watched her storm off, amusement lighting his hazel eyes until he heard his name being called behind him. Turning he was startled to see Alex making her way past that big oak and towards him. "Did Aine know you were coming here?"
Alex halted, wariness stiffening her whole body. "No, why? I don't think she even knew I was awake. What's wrong?"
Nick turned back towards the path Aine had taken, his eyes narrowing. In his years with the Legacy he'd battled many things, seen many things, and yet he still questioned the validity of most of it. Philip had once said that he had no respect for the forces he faced, and perhaps he had a point. Respecting evil gave it power over him. Not that he underestimated evil. There was a reason it was called evil. The lure and power of it was strong, and many succumbed. But Nick never would because he had respect for himself, and for the fight to save the innocents.
"Nothing wrong," Nick replied though he decided now that he and Aine needed to have a talk. He wasn't certain who she was, but he meant to find out.
. She was here. There were still lingering traces of her essence, though they were fading quickly. But it was enough to know she had been here, and recently. Now to find her trail, and follow it, but it was difficult with the stench of the mortals clouding it. Mortals, who tried to mask their scent with all manner of lotions and colognes and sprays, but who would never be able to cover that essence that was each of them. Each mortal had a distinctive extra to the scent they all shared, a kind of fingerprint to tell each apart if you already knew the scent you were after. Those with any kind of power whatsoever ~~ such as psychic or magical ones ~~ had a strong and distinctive tang to their scent, like spices added to a sauce to give it that certain something more.
Her trail led outside of the airport, and it didn't bother with a cab like everyone else did. It would move faster without that encumbrance. Not to mention the fact it could follow the sudden changes in her trail more easily if it was on foot. Which had been a wise decision because the witch had often backtracked and taken sudden turns. She knew she would be hunted. O'Shea had been an intelligent man, and it wasn't unreasonable to assume his daughter was also intelligent. Her mother had been a crafty and smart also. But not smart enough. It had caught her, and ended her evil ways. It had ended O'Shea's life, and thus his cycle of protecting and harboring evil witches. Now it would find the daughter, and finish her as well.
.
It had taken a while, but Nick found Aine standing near the edge of the cliffs, her arms out wide and her face lifted to the sky. For a moment he could only hang back and watch her, and wonder what the hell she was doing. She never moved, so when she calmly said, "Hello, Nick," he blinked, mentally shaking the cobwebs off. Was he losing his edge, or was she that good?
Not wanting to let her keep him off balance he moved closer, but not within her reach. "We need to talk, Aine."
The day had been a hot one with no breeze to even stir the air, but at that moment one lifted and warmly caressed skin and rustled the leaves of the nearby trees. Her arms lowered as she turned to face him. "Will it ease your mind? Will you believe me if I tell you I'm not evil, and I'm not here to harm anyone?"
Cocking his head to one side he eyed her intently. "Try me, I might."
Taking a step nearer she never deviated her gaze from his. "I'm not evil, Nick, and I'm not here to harm anyone. I want to know who killed my father, why, and stop them. I came here because my father felt he could trust you over the House he had once belonged to. Would you have done any different?"
"I'm Legacy, you're not. It tends to make eyebrows raise when you know about us, practice pagan ways, and left Ireland after your father was buried." He wasn't sorry for the abrupt way he was speaking. He didn't much like to beat around the bushes. It was a waste of precious time.
Her chin lifted, and she caught her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment. Inhaling deeply she nodded. "Fair enough. If it's impossible to believe or trust me then maybe I should leave."
"Your choice," he shrugged. "You can't expect us to just blindly hand over trust. We never would have survived this long."
"I'm not asking you to blindly hand over trust," she shot, waving a dismissing hand. "Never mind. I do understand, but so far everyone is looking into my background, and no one is trying to figure out who the killer is."
"Answers don't come to you overnight," he snorted. "It can take time."
"But is an effort being made?" she demanded. "Is anyone trying, or are they just following me and watching me to see who I try to kill next?"
Her Irish accent thickened with her emotions, and her eyes were darker, stormier. Nick decided she looked amazing at this moment with her hair loose and falling to the center of her back in blue-black waves and her eyes looking like wild violets after a heavy rain. "We have to be careful about probing with the London House intent on finding you."
"I have no idea why they want to find me, Nick. I swear by all the Gods and Goddesses, I have no idea."
He believed her. "Okay. Let's go up to the house, and you can tell me about the day you found your father. Maybe we can find some clue that will lead us to his killer." She visibly relaxed and nodded, and moved towards him.
The bullet ricocheted off the rocky outcropping behind her, and harmlessly away. Nick dove, taking her down and covering her with his body. In one swift move he had his revolver out, and was aiming it at the trees and bushes around their little cleared cliff area. Dimly he became aware of Aine muttering, and the words registered when he felt a tingling rush over his body. A bullet bounced off an invisible shield surrounding them, and then a few more bullets harmlessly fell away. The whole time they were being shot at he was aiming the revolver, trying to find where the bullets were originating from, but he was having no luck.
"This is the time when tracers would come in very handy," he quipped. Glancing down at her his eyes raked over her face. "You okay?"
"As okay as can be expected for someone who was being shot at," she quavered.
She sounded weak, and tired. "Are you sure you're okay?" Worriedly he ran his hands over her arms and moved back to check her legs. "I tackled you pretty hard." No broken bones that he could feel.
"Casting always takes something out of me," she admitted. "I need a moment to regain my energy. I've never tried to cast a shield before, and hold it for so long."
Rising he helped her up. He was convinced now that she hadn't killed her father. "Was your father shot?"
"Yes, actually, he was." Peering up at him she shivered. "Nick, someone just tried to kill me. First my mother, and then my father, and now someone is after me. I'm beginning to feel someone has a grudge against the O'Shea clan."
"I have to agree with you," he gave the surroundings a final dark scowling stare. "C'mon, I'd feel a lot better if you were safe in the house."
"Nick? Thanks," she whispered.