"My dear girl. Do you love him?"
Keelin nodded. Words escaped her.
"Love is the strongest of medicines. Watch as Fiona works on you. You can see her love pouring into you.You'll be given another chance. But only if you honor your love for Flynn. Take him to the cove and show him everything. Bare your soul or lose your chance at life."
Keelin felt the warmth begin to spread through her. Hope leaped in her stomach. Light began to fill her as she raised her eyes to Grace's – a twin of her own. "And if I can't tell him?"
"You'll live. But as a shell of yourself, and true happiness will forever escape you. Deny who you are and life isn't worth living." Grace leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her brow. She smoothed her hair and began to fade. Keelin looked from her to Fiona and Flynn, desperately huddled over the bed. "Goodbye, my child. I will wait for you."
Keelin looked back at her and her vision seemed to fragment and snap as heat shot through her. She shrieked out a breath and realized that Flynn and Fiona now stood over her. Keelin blinked rapidly and tried to speak. Her mouth was dry and she coughed.
"Oh, oh, Keelin. There you are. I was so worried. Shh. Don't talk. Don't say anything. Let me get you some ice chips." Fiona shuddered and wiped tears from her eyes. She ran to grab a glass of ice chips.
Unable to speak, Keelin raised her gaze to Flynn. Joy rushed through her as she realized that she had saved his life. His face was tense and his eyes were shuttered. He clenched his hands over and over around a small stick he held in his palms. Slowly, he met her eyes. She looked at him and offered him a small smile. Flynn looked at her and shook his head. He turned and stormed from the room, slamming the front door to the cottage on the way out.
Keelin's heart shattered. She began to weep. Her whole body ached to scream and cry but she simply had no energy. Fiona rushed in and hovered over her.
"Shh, shh, my love. Shh. We'll fix this. We will." Fiona spooned ice chips into Keelin's mouth. The cool slide of the ice cube did little to soothe the heat of the panic that gripped her.
"I didn't get a chance to tell him about me. He saw it first," Keelin gasped out. She shook as the tears coursed over her face.
"Shh. I know. He told me. It will be okay. Just hush. You need to get your strength back first. We'll figure this out. If Flynn is the man that I think he is then he will accept you for you. Let me get some of my broth. I need to make sure you get some strength back." Fiona hurried from the room, clucking her tongue.
Keelin rolled to her side and stared blankly at the room. Two paws and a small head popped up on the side of the bed. Ronan tilted his head at her quizzically and then leaned in to lick her tears. She smiled at him and patted the bed. He quickly jumped up and nuzzled into her, whimpering softly. His kindness made the tears come faster and he whined softly as he continued to lick her face.
"Good boy, Ronan. Good boy." She ran her hand down his soft fur and was grateful for his comfort. Fiona rushed back into the room with a steaming teapot and poured water into a bowl full of herbs.
"This is my special blend. You must drink it all." She leaned over to help Keelin sit up and tucked pillows behind her. Keelin could barely lift her arms so Fiona heldthe bowl to her lips. Keelin blew on the hot mixture and, suddenly ravenous, she took large sips of the broth, not caring if she burned her tongue. She was so happy to feel anything – even if it was pain. She didn't want to be back in that gray place where everything was numb.
"I saw Grace," Keelin said as she felt the medicine of the broth slowly work through her body. Energy spikes started to twitch in her arms and legs and she began to slowly wiggle her fingers and toes.
"You…you saw Grace? When?" Fiona stopped spooning her the broth and stared at her. Keelin saw concern flash across her weathered cheeks.
"I was in the veil. I wasn't here but I wasn't there either. I could see you and Flynn and…and…myself. On the bed. She was in the corner and spoke to me."
"Oh my. Oh, Keelin. How scary. And, what an incredible gift." Fiona smoothed the hair from Keelin's brow and smiled at her. "She gave you back to me, didn't she?"
"Yes. On the contingency that I give Flynn my whole soul or live a life of unhappiness." Keelin started as Fiona huffed out a small laugh.
"Oh, I love the spunk of that woman. I'd heard she always drove a hard bargain."
"Flynn, he hates me. He was disgusted by me." Tears threatened to well up in Keelin's eyes again and she hurriedly took another sip of the broth.
"He most certainly does not. You should have seen that man. I've never seen anyone run across the hills like that. He carried you over his shoulder, shouting the whole way, while he ran like the wind." Fiona smoothed the sheets around Keelin.
"Well, I know he doesn’t want me to die but that doesn't mean he isn't disgusted by what I am."
Fiona opened her mouth to speak and stopped. She took the empty bowl from Keelin's hands.
"I guess that is for you to find out, isn't it?" Fiona said gently.
Annoyance whipped through Keelin. She wanted Fiona to tell her that Flynn loved her and that he would do anything for her. She heaved a big sigh as she realized that those were questions that only she could answer for herself.
"Okay. I will."
"You're a good girl. I love you so much. Later, you'll have to tell me about today. For now, you must sleep. Doctor's orders. I'll leave Ronan with you."
Keelin smiled at her and grasped the old woman's hand between her own. "Thank you for saving me. I love you too." Fiona smiled and cleared the dishes before she pulled the shades and quietly closed the door. She curled herself around Ronan's warm body and immediately fell into the deep sleep of sheer exhaustion.
