"I want you to take me into the cove. I promise that I won't take anything out of the cove. But I need to see it. I need to know what is in there. Something is pulling me there."
Fiona's hands continued to adeptly tie the bundles of herbs she had picked. She was silent for a long moment as Ronan raced across the yard, chasing a butterfly. The cove spread out before them. It beckoned to Keelin.
"Yes. I can no more keep you from the water than you can keep me from the hills. It's in your blood. We'll begin today."
Satisfied, Keelin called for Ronan. They both had some growing up to do.
Fiona packed a bag lunch for the both of them. She gathered the worn leather book, various jars, several crystals, and shears to harvest herbs. Keelin packed her snorkeling gear and put together a bag of toys and water for Ronan. Fiona surprised her when she pulled out old, yet serviceable, snorkel equipment.
"You dive?" Keelin asked.
"Of course, my dear. You can't live on the water and not know the water."
Impressed, Keelin picked up Fiona's gear and carried both as they made their way to the edge of the cliffs. It was one of those perfect summer days. The sun warmed the Kerry green of the grass that carpeted the rolling hills behind them, the stark edges of the cliffs hugged the gentle waters of the cove, and the waves lapped invitingly on the empty sand beach. Keelin inhaled the sea air, a deep breath that she dragged into her core, and exhaled, allowing the tension to fade from her. Purity of purpose, she thought.
They carefully picked their way down the path on the ledge, Ronan running excitedly ahead of them.
"Will Ronan be harmed here?" Keelin asked.
"Most likely not. A dog's purpose is to love life and to serve its master. They care little for harming the cove. The cove knows that," Fiona said.
They reached the base and stopped. Fiona pulled out several small crystals in varying shapes and colors. She held them in her hand and drew a circle in the sand around them.
"Oh, most sacred of sacred waters, we come to youtoday to learn and grow. Anything we take from here will be for the purest form of healing and nothing more. We pay our due respects by offering you these stones. We ask that our angels serve as protection as we enter these sacred waters in the most humble of manners." Fiona handed Keelin some crystals and they gently threw them into the waters of the cove.
"That should be good. Let's get Ronan set up in a spot."
Fiona and Keelin spent the afternoon snorkeling in the waters of the cove. Fiona knew all of the nooks and crannies and soon Keelin found herself immersed in the varying coral formations that lined the length of the cove.
As the shadows began to deepen, Keelin and Fiona sat on the beach, Ronan running in circles around them. Fiona laid out their finds for the day. Before them lay piles of rocks, corals, and crystals, some of which Keelin couldn't classify. There was a pile of kelp, seaweed, sea urchins, and mussels. Sand and deep clay lay damply in several large mason jars. A pile of moss scraped from the rocks further out in the cove lay out, drying in the sun. Fiona spent time explaining the various uses for the seaweed, the mosses, and how different crystals used different healing energies. Keelin made notes in her book and tried to look at it like a chemistry class. She was worried though. She'd never been a good cook and a lot of this sounded like recipes. What if she screwed it up and hurt someone?
Fiona seemed to read her mind, and laughed.
"Practice. You'll learn all of this. And, ultimately, it is learning to trust your own intuition. Your own power will tell you if you are doing something wrong or if you areusing the wrong potion or wrong ingredient. It is very different than following recipes to a T. There is no exact science with this. These are the ingredients. Your potions and ointments will be different than mine. Yours will work with you better than they will with me. You just have to trust in yourself."
"What if I screw it up? What if I hurt someone?" Keelin blurted out.
"We all make mistakes. How do you think a doctor feels when they first start out? You have to learn to listen to yourself and believe in your own power. Start there. Start small. It will build."
As the sun began to dip low, they gathered their supplies and turned to head home. Keelin caught a faint blue glow in the cove.
"There! See, look, look!" She grabbed Fiona and turned her just as the light faded.
"You've seen it!" Fiona said.
"Yes, what is it? I can't figure it out."
"I've been researching for years. The best that I can piece together is that the cove will light up for its own. I also know that it glows in the presence of love."
Keelin blushed as her thoughts flashed to Flynn sending her over the edge the other night. The cove had definitely glowed blue then. But, love? No way. She barely knew this enigmatic Flynn. Which, she reminded herself, was why she shouldn't be kissing him, let alone letting him underneath her clothes.
As they approached the cottage, Ronan growled and let out some warning barks. A late-model sedan was parked infront and Keelin recognized blond Shane from the pub the other night.
"Hmpf," Fiona said as she nodded to him and sailed past him inside.
"Um, sorry about that. She's had a long day," Keelin said. Shane walked around the car as Ronan stood in front of Keelin, barking at Shane. He was dressed in business clothes today, his tie pulled loose and his top button open. His white shirt was crisp and tucked into Irish-wool pants. He bent over to let Ronan smell his hand. Ronan approached him and gave his hand a tentative lick, then backed up and sat on Keelin's feet.
Shane grinned down at him and then looked Keelin up and down. She knew she was mussed and sandy, and blushed a bit. Her tank top clung to her wetsuit and her shorts had sand on them.
