Chapter 11
Bryn had draped her arm around Dermott's shoulders and was trying to comfort him as well as she was able, when Sinbad burst upon them.
She looked up at him and did a double take when she realized that he was SMILING! She frowned - the poor guy had obviously gone out of his mind with grief. It was then that she noticed what looked like a person standing behind them. A person with long, red-gold hair.....
She gasped. "Maeve?" she exclaimed.
Next to her, Dermott's head whipped up savagely. He stared in amazement at his sister - but his keen eyes noted a difference to her. She was slightly transparent and there was a shimmer to her that made her look a trifle unearthly. He slowly stood and walked to her side.
He looked at her sadly - love in his dark green eyes. "You're still dead aren't you?"
She smiled up at him, regret in every line of her body. "Yes."
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes tightly. When he reopened them, she could see the effort it took for him to control his emotions. Pride in her older brother swamped her - he was strong - he would survive this.
Her gaze fell on Bryn and she grinned at the other woman. She knew that her brother was in good hands - although the couple in front of her did not realize it as yet.
She turned back to Sinbad, who was watching the scene quietly. She raised an eyebrow at him and he quirked the left side of his mouth in response, causing a deep dimple to show. Maeve felt a jolt of desire and ruthlessly squashed it. She was DEAD for crying out loud! The last thing that she should be doing was having sexual cravings for the living!
Sinbad wondered what had put that frown on the sorceress' face. She looked as if she had swallowed something sour. He shook his head. Even dead and slightly transparent, it was still a task for him to understand her.
He opened his mouth to speak before he was once again distracted by thoughts of her. "Maeve, do you have any idea who it was that killed you?" he asked.
She frowned in concentration. "No - but he seemed familiar somehow. There was something about him - something that I can't quite place my finger on........"
Then her eyes brightened. "He used the same type of magic that I had encountered only once before - when I was training with Dim Dim. It was peculiar, oppressive, and I had the impression that using his power hurt him greatly."
Dermott raised an eyebrow. "So this guy is someone you know then? Who is he?"
Maeve shook her head regretfully. "Sorry, I can't place it."
"No matter sis," Dermott jumped to his feet. "We'll find out who it is soon enough."
She laughed. "Whoa soldier." She glided to his side. "First, you have to see about yourself. You and the sailor across there look as if you haven't eaten in days."
"They haven't," Bryn piped up. "Stubborn men."
"Bryn!" Dermott exclaimed. "Don't tell her that! Now there'll be no end to her mothering!"
Maeve grinned at him. "Don't be an ass, brother dear. I'd never nag you to eat. I'd just shove the food down your throat."
"Hard to see you doing that sis," Dermott snickered. Bryn and Sinbad smiled as they watched the interaction, knowing that the best way for the siblings to deal with their fate was for them to playfully insult each other.
The hardest thing was knowing that time was limited and that this would be the last that they ever saw the woman who had touched their lives in so many ways.
Bryn looked upon her as a mentor - a teacher who was willing to devote countless hours selflessly training her to develop her powers. She also considered Maeve a friend and confidante.
Dermott's little sister held a big part of his heart - and his life. It was she who had kept him safe for the years when he was a hawk and she had devoted the main years of her life studying for a way to restore him. Her loving actions had made him feel humble and had made him realize what a gift he had been given.
And Sinbad......he could only look at his ladylove with regret and yearning. Now that he was finally able to open his heart and admit his feelings for the beauty, she was about to leave. He was heartbroken, thinking about the children that they would never have and the love that they would be unable to share.
Maeve looked up just then and caught the wistful look ion his face. She smiled softly at him and his breath caught at the tender expression that she wore.
He turned his face away and rose slightly unsteadily to his feet. "I think I'll go scout around for dinner," he said shakily.
The trio watched him go - a myriad of feeling etched across their features. They each knew the pain that he was feeling at that moment and each longed to lessen that hurt in some way.
Finally, it was Dermott who stood.
"I'll be back shortly," he told them.
They watched him go off, his lean body disappearing quickly in the woods as he easily covered ground with his graceful stride.
Maeve turned to Bryn. "He'll be alright. You all will."
"We will miss you terribly Maeve," Bryn murmured. "you know how much we've come to rely on you."
"Yes," Maeve agreed. "I do." She looked at Bryn. "But honey, you've got to realize that I would not have been here forever. I expected to die soon - in fact - I knew that my time here was going to be a short one." She grinned suddenly. "I just didn't expect it to be THIS short."
Bryn found herself smiling back. One thing that she loved about Maeve was her ability to laugh in any situation and turn it around to make the burden lighter.
Together, they sat and talked as they waited for the men to return.
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Bryn had draped her arm around Dermott's shoulders and was trying to comfort him as well as she was able, when Sinbad burst upon them.
She looked up at him and did a double take when she realized that he was SMILING! She frowned - the poor guy had obviously gone out of his mind with grief. It was then that she noticed what looked like a person standing behind them. A person with long, red-gold hair.....
She gasped. "Maeve?" she exclaimed.
Next to her, Dermott's head whipped up savagely. He stared in amazement at his sister - but his keen eyes noted a difference to her. She was slightly transparent and there was a shimmer to her that made her look a trifle unearthly. He slowly stood and walked to her side.
He looked at her sadly - love in his dark green eyes. "You're still dead aren't you?"
She smiled up at him, regret in every line of her body. "Yes."
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes tightly. When he reopened them, she could see the effort it took for him to control his emotions. Pride in her older brother swamped her - he was strong - he would survive this.
Her gaze fell on Bryn and she grinned at the other woman. She knew that her brother was in good hands - although the couple in front of her did not realize it as yet.
She turned back to Sinbad, who was watching the scene quietly. She raised an eyebrow at him and he quirked the left side of his mouth in response, causing a deep dimple to show. Maeve felt a jolt of desire and ruthlessly squashed it. She was DEAD for crying out loud! The last thing that she should be doing was having sexual cravings for the living!
Sinbad wondered what had put that frown on the sorceress' face. She looked as if she had swallowed something sour. He shook his head. Even dead and slightly transparent, it was still a task for him to understand her.
He opened his mouth to speak before he was once again distracted by thoughts of her. "Maeve, do you have any idea who it was that killed you?" he asked.
She frowned in concentration. "No - but he seemed familiar somehow. There was something about him - something that I can't quite place my finger on........"
Then her eyes brightened. "He used the same type of magic that I had encountered only once before - when I was training with Dim Dim. It was peculiar, oppressive, and I had the impression that using his power hurt him greatly."
Dermott raised an eyebrow. "So this guy is someone you know then? Who is he?"
Maeve shook her head regretfully. "Sorry, I can't place it."
"No matter sis," Dermott jumped to his feet. "We'll find out who it is soon enough."
She laughed. "Whoa soldier." She glided to his side. "First, you have to see about yourself. You and the sailor across there look as if you haven't eaten in days."
"They haven't," Bryn piped up. "Stubborn men."
"Bryn!" Dermott exclaimed. "Don't tell her that! Now there'll be no end to her mothering!"
Maeve grinned at him. "Don't be an ass, brother dear. I'd never nag you to eat. I'd just shove the food down your throat."
"Hard to see you doing that sis," Dermott snickered. Bryn and Sinbad smiled as they watched the interaction, knowing that the best way for the siblings to deal with their fate was for them to playfully insult each other.
The hardest thing was knowing that time was limited and that this would be the last that they ever saw the woman who had touched their lives in so many ways.
Bryn looked upon her as a mentor - a teacher who was willing to devote countless hours selflessly training her to develop her powers. She also considered Maeve a friend and confidante.
Dermott's little sister held a big part of his heart - and his life. It was she who had kept him safe for the years when he was a hawk and she had devoted the main years of her life studying for a way to restore him. Her loving actions had made him feel humble and had made him realize what a gift he had been given.
And Sinbad......he could only look at his ladylove with regret and yearning. Now that he was finally able to open his heart and admit his feelings for the beauty, she was about to leave. He was heartbroken, thinking about the children that they would never have and the love that they would be unable to share.
Maeve looked up just then and caught the wistful look ion his face. She smiled softly at him and his breath caught at the tender expression that she wore.
He turned his face away and rose slightly unsteadily to his feet. "I think I'll go scout around for dinner," he said shakily.
The trio watched him go - a myriad of feeling etched across their features. They each knew the pain that he was feeling at that moment and each longed to lessen that hurt in some way.
Finally, it was Dermott who stood.
"I'll be back shortly," he told them.
They watched him go off, his lean body disappearing quickly in the woods as he easily covered ground with his graceful stride.
Maeve turned to Bryn. "He'll be alright. You all will."
"We will miss you terribly Maeve," Bryn murmured. "you know how much we've come to rely on you."
"Yes," Maeve agreed. "I do." She looked at Bryn. "But honey, you've got to realize that I would not have been here forever. I expected to die soon - in fact - I knew that my time here was going to be a short one." She grinned suddenly. "I just didn't expect it to be THIS short."
Bryn found herself smiling back. One thing that she loved about Maeve was her ability to laugh in any situation and turn it around to make the burden lighter.
Together, they sat and talked as they waited for the men to return.
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