"Nonsense. Just a wee bit of a fever, and this broth will help in a jiffy." Keelin prayed it was so. She could feel the amulet burning against her neck and she began to feed Finnegan the broth. As she did, ancient words rose to her lips and she recited a prayer in Gaelic. Keelin didn't know the words she spoke, yet she allowed them to come. It felt right. Slowly, Finnegan finished the broth and collapsed back on the bed, trembling.
Keelin's brother grabbed her shoulder.
"What have you done to him?" Colin pulled her off of the seat.
"Colin! No. Let her. We have nothing else. Please." His wife dragged him away. Keelin met his eyes and turned back towards Finnegan. There would be time to deal with Colin later. She sat beside Finn once again and placed her hands on his chest, near his heart. Closing her eyes, she let the sickness flood her. It was a twisted black mass. A toxin of sorts that was ravaging his small body. She visualized the broth seeping into his system, a silver stream of light and purity, and forced it to surround the black mass. Winding, dipping, and intertwining, the silver liquid slowly worked itself around the black mass and she envisioned it rolling into a ball. She focused on pulling the ball up, up, and out, and launched it out the window and into the sky, directing it towards a dying tree she saw in the yard. She heard a snap and saw a flash as a huge branch on the tree fell.
Finnegan began to cough and Keelin motioned for a bucket. The rest he could vomit out. Finnegan retched into the bucket over and over. Keelin's brother stood back, unsure of what to do. Keelin wiped Finnegan's brow as heshuddered over the bucket. Slowly, he raised his head and smiled at her. Keelin trembled as gratitude rushed through her. It was over. She ran her hands over his body but could feel no lingering sickness. Finnegan's tired eyes met hers and a flush filled his cheeks.
"Can I see the puppy now?" Keelin laughed and kissed his brow. Finnegan's mother rushed to his side, weeping as she rocked him. Keelin straightened and turned to face her brother.
"I'm sorry. I'm, I just. He's all I have." Colin brushed past Keelin and hugged Finnegan.
A wave of exhaustion hit her and she steadied herself on the table. She looked to see Fiona dozing in her chair. There was no way that Fiona would be able to drive home. Keelin wasn't certain she would be able to either.
"We need to go. Can you drive us home?" Keelin asked Colin. He broke away from Finnegan.
"Of course. I'm indebted to you," Colin said stiffly. They gathered their herbs and gently led Fiona to the car. She promptly fell asleep in the back seat and Keelin looked at her with worry.
"I, um, think she'll be okay. I've heard this happens after a serious healing," Colin said.
Keelin was surprised that he knew about Fiona but then figured she shouldn't be. It seemed to be common knowledge in the village, yet was something that wasn't openly discussed.
"Thanks for the ride; we can come get our cars in the morning," Keelin said as she rested her head against the window.
"If you give me the keys, I can have them driven out for you," Colin said stiffly.
Keelin nodded, too tired to speak.
"Thank you. I don't know what it is you do, but thank you for saving my son. Your nephew. God, your nephew. I'm sorry that I haven't come to see you. I should have. I should have reached out to you. I knew you didn't know about me. I just, I've always hated you," Colin said. He kept his eyes carefully on the road.
Startled, Keelin raised her head. "Hated me? Why? What did I do?"
"I guess it wasn't you. It was the thought of you. The whole village knew that your mum was Dad's one true love. He never quite got over her and though he loved my mother, it wasn't the same. I always knew that you came first even though he never spoke of you. Aislinn and I spent our whole lives trying to live up to you. And now, here you are."
Keelin was shocked. This was too much to handle. She started to laugh. Hysterical giggles built up and she couldn't keep them quiet. Soon she was sputtering in her seat.
Colin's mouth quirked. He eyed her from the driver's seat.
"You think that's funny?"
"I, no, I, well, yes. Yes, I do. God. Oh, so stupid." Keelin wiped tears from her face. "My whole life I've always wanted a brother or sister. Anything. Siblings. And here I had them all along and they hated me! Just like normal siblings do."
Colin burst out laughing.
"Yes, I suppose you could call it a sibling rivalry of sorts. And since you saved my son, I'm likely to turn a corner and start anew. Will you come for dinner sometime this week?"
Keelin recognized an olive branch when she saw it. Eager for the connection, and the family, she reached out and touched his arm.
"Of course; I have to bring Ronan to meet Finnegan."
Colin smiled. They had reached the cottage and they woke up a gently snoring Fiona and brought her to her bed.
"It's okay, I can take it from here." Colin nodded and, giving her an awkward hug, said he would call her this week.
Keelin stripped Fiona down and tucked her in. She ran her hands over Fiona's forehead and down to her chest. Closing her eyes, she felt for the sickness. She sensed an exhaustion that mirrored her own but nothing so serious that it would harm Fiona for long. Satisfied, Keelin pulled the sheets over her and left her a pitcher of water and some brown bread by the table.
Keelin was exhausted, and starving. She rustled around in the kitchen and procured a rasher of cold bacon and a blueberry scone. She wrapped it in a towel and went outside to sit by the side of the house. She needed to sit in the sun and reenergize. She leaned her back against the warm stones of the house and faced the cove. Her necklace pulsed. Keelin was too tired to think about what it meant but she looked down and could swear the sun hit the crystal at just the right angle to make it shine with a hint of blue. Blue lights everywhere, she thought, slightly delirious. Keelin polished off her food and leaned back, lettingthe warmth slide over her skin. She quickly dropped into sleep.
