Pure

Finten stared at the back door as it shut behind Maigred and Niamh. His hands were shaking, his heart was beating too fast. Maigred had been right not to let him go with her, he would have had a difficult time keeping himself under control, but it irked him right down to the marrow in his bones. She hadn’t even brought her knife with her.

A strong hand squeezed his shoulder. “Come and sit, Finten.”

Finten allowed Cathal to lead him to a chair. He sat down, not seeing anything, all of his focus had turned inward. He needed to keep himself calm.

A warm mug was pressed into his hand.

“Drink this, it will help.”

Finten blinked and looked up into Cathal’s face. “Why didn’t you go with her?”

He smirked. “I offered. She declined.”

Finten’s chest squeezed with anxiety.

“Drink the tea. It will help. It’s what Maigred makes for me when things get to be too much.”

Finten raised the tea to his mouth and blew softly over the top. It smelled of lavender and chamomile. Warmth eased into his chest. Caevah had made tea like this for him when he’d had a hard time sleeping.

Cathal dragged a chair over next to Finten and dropped into it. He blew over the top of his own mug of tea.

Finten glanced at him and saw the worry in Cathal’s eyes. “Why did you let her go?”

Cathal chuckled. “Have you met my sister? You don’t let her do anything. If she decides to do something, it’s done. If she decides not to do it, no power on earth or in heaven can move her.”

Finten’s chest squeezed with anxiety again. I have to go after her. He began to get out of his chair but Cathal clamped a hand over his arm.

“Sit down, Finten. She’s going to be fine.”

Finten shook his head. “Treaseaigh is almost just as cruel and greedy as his master, Hadeaon. I don’t want him to set eyes on her. He’s going to see what a beautiful, untamed woman she is and he’s going to want her, he’s going to want to break her.”

Cathal’s lips twitched into a little smile. “Finten, I promise you, she’ll be fine.”

Finten stared at him wondering how he could be so calm. “How do you know?”

“She always has been. No matter what she has to face or overcome, she always continues on. If Hadeaon couldn’t stop her, Treaseaigh can’t either. You and I certainly can’t, so just sit. Drink your tea.” He took a sip of his tea.

Finten slumped back in his chair. “But Hadeaon hurt her. Badly.”

“Yes. He did.” Cathal’s voice was hard.

Finten glanced at Cathal, seeing again the scars that had ruined his young, handsome face “Treaseaigh could hurt her.”

Cathal nodded, his jaw tight.

“Then how can you just sit here and say, ‘she’ll be fine’?”

Cathal let out a long breath and turned to look at Finten. “I used to wonder why Maigred was born a woman, she has so much fire in her. But then I realized that as strong as her fire is, her connection to earth and water, her ability to care for and nurture others is even stronger.”

Cathal leaned down and put his mug on the floor, then he rolled up his sleeve and turned his wrist up so that Finten could see the long, thick, white scar that ran down the center of his forearm. There were other, smaller scars, jagged lines crossing the long one. Some of those were fresher, still pink and healing. “I shouldn’t have survived this. But Maigred made sure I did. I don’t think she even realizes what she did for me, what she still does for me everyday.” He rolled his sleeve back down again.

“Hadeaon taught me that I couldn’t stop him. No matter how hard I fought he got his way. I was hurt, my family was hurt. Maigred was hurt. I thought that was the end.” He gestured at his now covered arm. “I had failed.

“Maigred taught me different.

“She’s taught me that I might not be able to keep people from getting hurt, but I can always be there to help them get through whatever they’re facing. There’s an after. We keep on living and loving and fighting for those we love. Hadeaon can’t take that away from us…unless he kills us.” He shrugged. “Then it wont matter. We’ll be dead.”

“But, that’s what Maigred is doing right now, for Niamh and her mother, what you’ve been doing for them, and for so many others. And yes, maybe Maigred will get hurt helping them, but that’s not the end. She’ll have us to help her get through whatever it is.

“Like I said, we can’t stop her from going. I’m not sure I really want to.” He leaned down and picked up his mug again. “It is hell waiting for her to get back though.”

“She’s done things like this before?” Finten asked.

Cathal nodded. “Many times. She’s not usually going to face someone as powerful as Treaseaigh, but it’s still nerve wracking. She always comes back fine, but some little voice inside my head keeps whispering that there will be a day that she wont.” He swallowed. “I keep living so that I’ll be here for her if that day ever comes.” He took a long drink of his tea.

Finten slumped back in his seat and drank from his mug. “I hate this. It’s easier to be the one going to face the devil.”

Cathal nodded again. “Our day will come.”

Finten looked over at him. “You believe that?”

“Yes.”

“How can the gods give any of us power again? We’re used up…broken, violated by our association with Hadeaon.”

“I don’t give a damn if the gods help me or not. One day, I’ll have a chance to hit back for everything Hadeaon has taken from us, and I’m going to hit with every bit of strength I have.”