“Grimoire was not lost.”
Eyeing him with a chilly glance, she stood and stretched her back. “Ah, that’s right, the book was broken into three parts and each one hidden. But as no one knows where any of those volumes are today, that makes them lost in my way of thinkin’.”
He knew the whereabouts of one volume locked away in the VIPER vault, but he wanted information on all of the volumes. “What is next?”
“I have no idea.” She gave him a bite of her own impatience with that answer. “One snippet of information might lead me to a major detail or it may only put my foot on the first step of a path that could be a short trip or a long journey.”
He would not allow her to run him in circles. “Ya have a week to find the grimoire. ’Tis the length of your journey.”
She shoved the desk chair back into place under the desk and turned to him. “Do you think givin’ me some arbitrary deadline will be makin’ this search happen faster?”
His dragon growled in reaction to Daegan’s irritation.
Luigsech’s eyes rounded and she took a step back.
That infuriated him even more. “I smell your fear. I have not threatened ya. I merely tell ya time shall mean the difference between life and death for others.”
Then he lifted his hand in a silent order to say nothing as Quinn’s voice came into Daegan’s head. I have information on Fenella.
What is it?
We retrieved Fenella’s mobile phone number from Casidhe Luigsech’s phone. I’ll spare you how our technical people can track those phones, but Fenella’s phone is moving through Ireland. She may or may not be in possession of the device, so it doesn’t mean her body is traveling with her phone through Ireland. But it’s a good sign that Cathbad might not have her.
’Tis good to know, Quinn. How are things in Atlanta?
A lot going on, but nothing I can’t handle.
Daegan felt pulled in every direction. He wanted to protect his people back home and support his Beladors. He had to find Tristan, but he also needed any part of the grimoire he could get his hands on to save Devon, Renata, and the others.
To save their world from Imortiks.
Daegan ended the conversation with Quinn and lowered his hand to address Luigsech. “Quinn has located information on Fenella.”
Relief burst into Luigsech’s face. “Where is she?”
“He has no specifics yet, only that our people have located your friend’s mobile phone and are on her trail. They believe she is likely not with Cathbad ... yet.”
Casidhe reached for her backpack. “Good enough. Tell me what you have and I can probably find her right away on my own.”
“No.”
“No? You can’t hold back information on Fenella. I’ve been worried sick over her. I can find her.” She shoved the pack back on the floor with a heavy thud.
“Quinn shall continue to send me information as our people discover more. I shall tell ya what we have after ya locate one of the grimoire volumes.”
“No!” She slapped her hand on her desk. “Do ya think I’m just goin’ to go off lookin’ for this damned grimoire with Fenella in danger? I have no idea how long it may take to find that stupid book, or volumes, whatever. I need to know about Fenella now. She could be in trouble and your people might not even realize it.”
Venom still pulsed in Daegan’s body and concerns about his ability to tap power when he needed it had him on edge. His snarl came out inhumanly deep. “Tristan is in trouble. I want to find him immediately. My people are in trouble. Now we both have a strong desire to find the grimoire sooner rather than later. I suggest ya get busy huntin’ it.”
“I will not! I have no reason to trust you.”
He took a step and leaned toward her, staring hard into her hostile eyes. “I do not trust ya either, but I need ya.” He let that sink in first then added, “Ya need me too. It does not help Fenella if ya go runnin’ into one of Cathbad’s traps. My man caught by Cathbad could teleport and he has as yet been unable to escape. Ya have few choices. Help me, and I shall help ya. Trust me ... and I shall trust ya.”
He got her mulish look in reply.
Daegan leaned until their noses almost touched. “’Tis simple. Work with me ya hardhead if ya want Fenella back.”
Luigsech pressed her lips tight and her eyes shined with unshed tears.
Before he had a chance to calm her down, she scowled at him. “I’ll look for your damn book, but if anythin’ happens to Fenella, you will wish you had never met me.”
He would not undermine her show of a strong backbone by soothing her now. Instead, he said, “I shall take that as an agreement. What would help ya find this book?”
Breathing hard through her nose, she stared him down for a minute then shook her head at some thought she would not share. After a stretch of seconds, she became all business. “You said the grimoire was broken into three volumes. It would help to know who the last people were to possess the volumes. That would narrow the hunt down from a bazillion possible hidin’ places to maybe only a million,” she replied sarcastically.
“Ya have a twisted sense of humor,” he pointed out, glad to have her snapping at him and not hurt.
“I have lost all ability to find any of this humorous. Considerin’ my life since meetin’ ya, that should not be surprisin’.” She walked around him and through the opening into the rear area of the centre with books piled on every shelf.
He held back a retort. His anger grew from many seeds before he met her. He had no desire to wound the lass, who had gone through so much in her life, but he mentally warred between pushing her to act faster and taking a lighter approach to let her work at her own pace.
The lighter approach won out.
He sighed, now feeling guilty over not demanding more, and attributed his desire to not push her harder as nothing more than a natural desire to protect a female.
Ruadh’s voice ghosted through Daegan’s mind. You have never lied to yourself before.
What was his dragon talking about? Daegan replied silently, but with a sharp edge to his tone, I tell no lie now. Luigsech is annoying, but still a woman to be shielded from harm.
I see. You would protect Queen Medb?
Daegan had walked into Ruadh’s trap, something that had not happened in a very long time. Ya know very well that queen does not fall under my protection.
Ruadh quieted, leaving Daegan to stew with those thoughts. He stalked into the book area in the back.
Darkness swallowed Luigsech, her movements that of a shadow. She tossed an order at him. “I’ll be needin’ some light unless you want me to turn all of them on back here.”
He lifted a hand where he called up a flame to sit upon his palm. With the sun not setting until much later this evening and the cloaking he’d created across the window facing the street, he doubted anyone could see a light in here. Still, the flame in his palm would not expose their presence.
“Are you nuts?” she screeched. “Put out that flame.” She looked at his hand in horror as if he held the head of a bloody kitten.
“Why?”
“This library is filled with rare books, one of a kind literature, not to mention all the research material I’ve accrued over ten years.” She sounded close to doing what Tristan called hyperventilating.