“’Tis me,” Aodh exclaimed as they headed after him.
“Constance,” young Aodh roared. He peered over the edge with his heart in his eyes, then fell to his knees and hung his head in defeat. In utter sadness. “I told ye not to do it. That I did not know how to follow ye yet. That ye did not know how to shift yerself.”
“But I do,” came her younger voice before Constance witnessed the impossible and staggered back in disbelief.
Chapter Eight
THE MOMENT AODH sawConstance’s little red ghostly dragon with bright purplish-blue eyes crawl up over the edge with a dagger in her mouth beaming at his younger self, he knew his heart was lost to her.
Had been lost for a very long time.
“Good God.” Constance’s eyes widened on the little dragon, and she clutched the cross around her neck. “Is that...am I...” She blinked from Aodh to the dragon and shook her head. “Thatcan’tbeme?”
“It’s most definitely you, sis.” Shannon swallowed hard and blinked back tears. “I can feel you in her, and she’s so sweet.” She nodded. “A really beautiful soul.”
He could tell by the expression on Constance’s face that she was nowhere near convinced. Rather she took another step back and shook her head as young Aodh jumped to his feet in joy, relieved to see her.
“I thought I lost ye,” he exclaimed, impressed as he eyed her over. “But there ye are, just like ye said ye would be.” He cocked his head and considered the dagger. “And ‘twas just where ye thought it would be tucked away at the base of me castle in the rocks, ta?”
He kept talking, but the memory faded before he could finish what he was going to say.
“That was it.” Constance looked from the dagger tucked at Shannon’s waist to her face. “That was my Unnamed One dagger, wasn’t it?”
“Most definitely.” Shannon glanced back at the ruins. “I’d say that was why you had such a strong pull to look for something here.”
“Not me.” Constance gazed at the ashes she still clutched in understanding before her troubled eyes rose to Aodh. “But someone who had you at her disposal.”
“So my dragon attacking this part of the castle ‘twas not out of kindness.” He saw it clearly enough now. “Siobhán was looking for your dagger. Thought you might have hidden it here.”
“And the power of your dragon fire would have made the dagger easily visible no matter where you hid it,” came Ulrik’s voice from the doorway. He focused on Constance. “Are you all right? You have learned a lot since ending up in these ruins this morn, yes?”
“I have, and I am,” Constance said softly, clearly not sure how she felt. She might be upset, but she wasn't above lending Aodh comfort when she looked his way. “Siobhán might have forced your dragon to torch this part of the castle,” her gaze swept over the blackened area, “but he kept his lines pretty clean by the looks of it.” She eyed the castle wall. “If I didn’t know better, he was very precise about where people may or may not have been.”
It did appear that way, and he could only hope she was right.
“I am.” She offered him a reassuring look. “There’s good in your dragon. I see that now.”
