Da said she was lit up because I was going to have a brother or sister. I wasn’t sure if I liked the idea, especially since I might have to give up Bucky to the newcomer. Bucky was the stuffed buck I’d had since I was a wee babe, but I was too old to outwardly put up a fuss about it, ya know? But the new babe made Mam happy, and if Mam was happy, we were all happy.
After Da got some drink in him at dinner, he seemed to relax some. Mam went on about the castle, the plans she had for it. Da was mostly quiet, and so was I. The food was good, and for a second, I was full. My stomach felt like a bottomless pit lately, and in a couple minutes, I’d be beggin’ for dessert.
Mam looked happy that I’d eaten so much. She said all the fresh air and land was goin’ to do me good. Then she took my hand and Da’s and led us into what she called the ballroom.
She twirled around in the center of it, like she was a queen. Da grinned as he lit the candles on the wall. A stained-glass window shimmered with the soft candlelight. Mam spun in front of it, Da meetin’ her there. He took her hand, and they started movin’ together.
An unfamiliar sensation rushed my chest with warmth at the sight of them. I’d never seen my parents so happy.
“Dance with us, Cillian.” Mam held out her hand for me.
As soon as I took it, it sounded like a door had opened and closed.
Da’s eyes narrowed, and he gave Mam another one of those looks. I wasn’t sure if it meantstay hereor what, but it seemed to have an order behind it. It was the same look he gave me when he wanted me to keep still in public.
Mam wrapped her arms around my chest, pullin’ my body against hers. Her eyes darted to the right, like she was thinkin’ of a way out.
Why was she nervous?
My heart started to beat harder, and the food made a solid lump in my throat.
“Do you know of a good place to hide, Cillian?” she whispered to me, her palm pressed against my poundin’ heart.
“In the castle?” It was a dumb thin’ to say, but I was freaked out.
The trolls…that witch…even Fiona with her bloody apron, they were all playin’ havoc on my nerves.
“Yeah. Or outside of it?”
My eyes narrowed as I started to think. The castle was huge, and I hadn’t even explored half the land. I was still gettin’ used to the place.
“I—”
My answer was cut off when Da came back in the room. He scratched his forehead and tucked the gun he was carryin’ behind his back.
“Just these old doors.” He shrugged. “Maybe Keenan and Fiona didn’t close them properly on the way out.”
Mam held me tighter, like she didn’t believe him, but she nodded.
A flicker caught my eye, but before I could even scream out about the shadow materializin’ out of the darkness, the man came up behind my Da and set a knife to his throat.
The man ticked his mouth in Da’s ear. “Hiding out under another fella’s name? Has it come to cowardliness, O’Callaghan?” The tip of the knife pressed into Da’s neck, the blade against his throat, and a droplet of blood ran. “Where’s the gold?”
I couldn’t stop starin’ at the man’s hand. It had a poisonous lookin’ spider tattooed on it.
Another man materialized, stalkin’ toward me and Mam. He took a step forward, and she took a step back, movin’ me behind her as we moved together.
He had a web tattooed on his neck.
Spider and Web.
In the glow of the candles, I could see the menace on Web’s face. I’d only seen that meanness in action movies. But it was much scarier in real life. And with men who were not actin’.
It didn’t stop me, though, from steppin’ away from Mam and in front of her.
“Cillian!” she shrieked, clawin’ at my shoulders to get me behind her.
“Cillian.” Web repeated my name, his tone mockin’. “Are we going to defend mommy?”
