Keelin looked at her quietly. "I don't know. I want to."
"I can see that you are a mess of feelings. Love usually is complicated, you know."
"I don't love him!" Keelin gaped at her.
Aislinn gave her an enigmatic smile and rose to clear their bottles. She said nothing and walked inside.
"I don't!" Keelin called after her. Silence answered her.
CHAPTER 17
Keelin took the cliff drive home. The fading sun cast a warm glow over the cliffs and the romance of Ireland seeped into her bones. There was nothing casual about Ireland's beauty. It was weepy, mystical, and oftentimes a punch to the heart. Keelin idly daydreamed about living here, nestled amongst the hills, with a child of her own to nurture. Shocked, she snapped out of her daydream. A child? She had never considered herself a maternal type. Where had that thought come from? Keelin shook her head as she pulled into the cottage's drive.
The warm scents of an Irish stew greeted her as she pushed the door open. Fiona tended a pot at the stove and smiled at her as she added more spices to the bubbling liquid. Ronan yipped and raced across the floor to greet her, tumbling over himself and sprawling haphazardly on her feet. Keelin laughed down at him and scratched his belly, murmuring nonsense words to him.
"A graceful one he is not." Fiona laughed at him from the stove. "Are you hungry?"
"Yes, please, I'd love to eat." Keelin helped to set the table with some warm brown bread and heavy stoneware bowls. Fiona bustled over and poured the steaming soup into the bowls. She inhaled and gave a brisk nod.
"Perfect. Now, tell me about your day."
Between bites of the chunky stew, Keelin filled Fiona in on most of her day. When she got to Aislinn's powers, she stopped. She wasn't sure if Aislinn would like her discussing her powers with Fiona. She didn't want to violate any sort of sister code.
Fiona eyed her. "Ah, I see Aislinn must have told you about her."
Keelin blew out a breath. "Yes. She did. Is it okay to talk about it?"
"Yes, with me it is. I've been one of the few that she could talk to freely. I did my best to lead her on a path of exploring her talents while still trying to lead a normal life. Lucky for her, the creative talents she has offered a wonderful outlet for much of her powers."
"Okay, so I just have to ask. Who are descendants of Grace? Does everyone have powers that are? Is it just us? What about Colin?"
Fiona eyed her levelly. "No. It is only passed down through the women. Colin is not gifted. Your friend Cait is."
"What! Cait is? What does she have?"
Fiona tapped her head.
"What? What does that mean? Minds? She can readminds?" Keelin's mouth dropped open as she stared at Fiona.
Fiona nodded and cleared the stoneware from the table to the sink. As she rinsed the dishes she motioned towards the cabinet. "Let's have a whiskey."
Silently agreeing that they needed a little something, Keelin pulled out a bottle of Clontarf and poured them both a generous portion. Together, they settled in the nook by the small fire and Ronan leaped onto her lap. Keelin picked up her glass and examined its contents. The fire picked up the warm gold of the whiskey and it seemed to glow from within. Keelin couldn't meet Fiona's eyes.
"I feel like I am going a little crazy. I am really struggling with understanding how I am able to do what I do. I had a nightmare last night about that tree exploding. On the other hand, part of my soul feels like it is singing because I am finally in the right spot for me."
Fiona smiled and took a sip of her whiskey. She rocked softly in her chair and leaned over to stir the fire. "Keelin, dear. This is very overwhelming. It is normal for you to feel this way. I wish that I had gotten to you sooner so I could have helped you to understand yourself as you grew. I wish that I had a distinct answer for you on what this power is but all I can tell you is my own conclusions that I have reached. I truly believe this power comes from a universal energy that we can all tap into. However, some of us are given the ability to tap into it where others have to actively work at it. Maybe it is from God, or maybe it is just a source energy. I only know that which I am compelled to do and that is to help others. From that alone I can only believe it is a power that is meant to be."
"But, what about being a descendant of Grace? The cove? How is that all tied in?"
"Ah, yes. Well, when Grace was close to her death she went into seclusion. Her oldest daughter went with her. Together, they decided on the final resting place for Grace. For months prior to her death, Grace and her daughter would spend the night at the cove and chant under the light of the moon. Now, this is powerful sorcery that I am talking about here – magick. Her daughter was pregnant at the time and absorbed much of this magick. When Grace was close to dying, she shared her blood with her daughter in a sacred ritual of blessing and passing of her power. Shortly after she gave her power away, she passed on and was burned on a funeral pyre at the cove. The story goes that her daughter swam to the pyre and collected the ashes in the chalice before hiding it deep in a small cave far out in the cove. There are so many charms and protections on the cove that nobody has been able to reach the cave. They all die while trying. It is said that her daughter gave birth the evening Grace died. It is believed that her soul lives on through her granddaughter and descendants."
Keelin let out a deep breath she had been holding. Her science mind warred with what she had seen of the power of the cove. "What do you mean give away her power? Can you do that?"
"Of course, Keelin." Fiona looked at her. "Look at your mother. She never formally renounced her power yet she chooses to live as if it doesn't exist. In doing so, she'll never find true happiness. It is a difficult trade-off. She lives in fear of what she truly is and turns her back on herpower. Would she just claim it and learn to harness it, happiness would be hers."
"Is this why I've always felt so unsettled? I've never claimed my power?" Keelin took a small sip of her whiskey and rubbed Ronan's back. The pup stretched lazily in her lap and rolled onto his back, revealing his stomach to Keelin. She smiled at him and felt her heart ache a bit with love for the small dog.
"Yes. But, in some respects, don't you think that goes for anyone? Think about the people who are accountants or businessmen that simply follow what their parents or wives want for them. They don't follow what makes them feel good, what their true passion is, and with that, a part of them dies. If they would just step into their power they would know true happiness."
