“We searched her car,” Pierce said. “Didn’t find anything. But if shehadtaken the Heart of Brigid, she wouldn’t be so stupid as to hide it in a rental car parked on the premises.”
“Do you think she has it on her?” Griffin asked.
Mack quirked his lips intoa cross between a smirk and a leer. “I volunteered to strip her naked, but your grandfather says you must do it yourself as guardian for the stone.”
“Whatever you do,” Griffin’s grandfather said, “you can’t let her out of your sight.”
“Then what am I doing here while she’s sitting alone in the garden?” Griffin itched to go back and confront the phony Brigid. “Let’s bring her in forquestioning.”
“Can’t do that,” Grandfather said. “Her name is Clare. You do know what that means, don’t you?”
Griffin squeezed his eyes, trying to recall the many notes and journals he’d been reading to catch up on his long life. “Is she the Morrigan I’m supposed to mate with?”
“I say yes,” Grandfather declared. “You were holding the lump of coal and saying her name.”
“That’s scant evidence,” Griffin said. “There are many women in Ireland named Clare.”
“We’ve reviewed the video of your journey to the Otherworld,” Grandfather said. “You seemed surprised when you took out the stone and realized it was not the Heart of Brigid.”
“Video? Why didn’t you show me earlier?” Griffin demanded.
“You shall see it now.” Grandfather motioned him toa screen and pressed “Play.”
Griffin watched with horror at the clip, captured by a security camera, of him loosening his shirt and taking out the lump of coal. His heart clenched at the horror written all over his face, followed by the desperate scribbling on the floor.
He wanted to rush out to the garden and strangle the little witch. “What are we doing sitting here? Why aren’twe asking her where she hid the Heart of Brigid?”
“Can’t do that.” Grandfather grimaced. “You must play along. Let her fall in love with you and give you the stone.”
“Why can’t he take it from her?” Mack interrupted. “All this love stuff is for losers.”
“You forget there’s fairy magic involved,” Grandfather said. “Once a woman possesses the Heart of Brigid, she can cast fairyillusion on you. You won’t be able to take it from her because the stone will hide from you, even if it’s right in front of your nose.”
“I can think of a whole lot of places she can hide that stone,” Mack drawled. “And a whole lot of places I’d probe.”
“I suppose the Quill of Niamh is in a safe place?” Griffin felt like punching the arrogant prizefighter and was pleased to see himsquirm. “You worry about your treasure. This Clare person is my problem, and she has to willingly give me what’s mine.”
“The stone is not yours,” Grandfather warned. “It belongs to Brigid, and we are the guardians to bestow it to our goddess and bring about her return to Ireland to reign and rule.”
Flap. Flap. Flap. That was all his grandfather did. Flap his jaw while Griffin hadto do all the work.
“Thanks for the information,” Griffin said. “I better get back to the delightful lunch I’m sharing with my Brigid.”
“You mean Clare Hart,” Pierce reminded. “If she produces a son for you, you’ll be off the hook.”
“I don’t want to be off the hook,” Griffin said, glaring at his grandfather. Apparently, that was what his grandfather had done and then his father.They weren’t able to return the Heart of Brigid and bring the goddess back, so they passed the hot potato to their sons. “This ends here and now, with me and my Brigid. I will fulfill the prophecy and bring the Queen of Ireland back to save Ireland from all marauders, financial and environmental.”
Every man raised their fist and shouted the rallying cry, “Éirinn go Brách.”
