He considered, frowned a bit, then looked at his love.
“I feel…better.”
“You look better.”
He flexed his fingers. “I might have to take myself out for a canter about the old place in a bit.” He leaned closer to her. “I also might need to make a hasty journey in the direction of Angesand.” He looked around him, but the rest of the company had somehow left him for a rousing game of cards with another group of locals. He turned back to his lady. “You know, in regard to that promise I made to Hearn.”
She pushed a small coin toward him. “Soilléir said he went back to my unc—I mean, to Fuadain’s study for a bit of a visit while you and I went to the barn.”
“No doubt to make certain I’d left the man alive,” he muttered.
“I think he cared far less about that than finding this, if you want the truth.” She nodded. “He said you would need it.”
He pocketed that very precious piece of what he assumed was Tùr of Angesand’s soul and decided that he might have to tender a decent thank-you for the same. “I don’t suppose Seannair’s youngest grandson also sent word ahead as well as leaving us directions on where to go?”
“I think he said something about not wanting to be too involved in things.”
Acair looked for the barmaid and raised his finger. That comment was going to require another drink, but perhaps after that he would decide how best to accomplish the final task on his list.
“Will you tell me what we’re actually going to do?”
He blinked. “Of course.” He put his arm around her and leaned back against the wood of the bench they shared. “Hearn asked me to do a bit of, well, healing. For a change. With his son.”
“Careful,” she murmured. “You never know where that might lead.”
“I know exactly where it will lead which is why I’ll only do it this once unless you’re involved, or perhaps one of our numerous children. But this is the final act of do-gooding for me. I’m looking for that old leaf and turning it back over.”
“Of course.”
He had to take a deep breath before he could look at her. “Frightened off yet?”
“Not yet,” she said with a shrug. “And just so you know, you’re terrible at this proposing business.”
He met her gaze and realized she was looking as him as if she might very well have been rather fond of him. He ignored the choruses ofhuzzahsand other appropriate sentiments all the damn magics in his chest set up, and smiled faintly. “I might corner your grandfather later.”
“Do you want me to come along and prop you up?”
He attempted a look of mock outrage. “Accompany me on my manly business? I think not.”
Her smile faded. “Did it do any good?” she asked, sounding a bit wistful. “That magic of mine?”
“You can’t truly mean that,” he said, genuinely startled. “I couldn’t have used that spell on my own. It needed you.”
“Can you do this thing for Hearn’s son with just me?”
“Of course,” he said confidently. “I’ll take Soilléir’s place, you’ll do what you do, and we’ll see what happens.”
“Soilléir did suggest that while you were wheezing.”
“Of course he did,” Acair grumbled. “The next thing I know, he’ll be hiring me out to do his dirty work for him.”
“He said that as well.”
Acair leaned his head back against the worn wood of that sturdy pub bench and gave himself up for utterly lost. The next thing he knew, Soilléir was going to have him going round to every damned soul in the Nine Kingdoms to refill their cups, as it were.
He thought he might have to make a concerted effort to retrieve parts of his own black soul lest he never again be equal to carrying on the grand and glorious tradition of his parents.
Of course, he would have to find a way to balance that with the rather unexpected pleasure of having the woman he loved sitting contentedly next to him, stroking the back of his hand as if she might have a few fond feelings for him, and listening to the pleasant conversation of companions who had apparently tired of their gaming sport and returned to greener conversational pastures.
