“Wow, stalk much?” Brigid whispered to me under her breath before standing up with a bright smile. “SK! MK! So glad ye could make it out to your own kingdom town, which you haven’t visited in donkey years. Sit! Sit! I’m just making Sadie Strawberry a list of shows she should watch—that’s not that shitty space and business drama stuff you like.”
This greeting struck me as typical Brigid. But there was a tense moment in which the whole shop seemed to hold their collective breath, turning their heads to Tadhg to see how he’d react.
He’d been nothing but kind to me, though—okay, pretty wicked in bed, but mostly kind. Not to mention generous.
I always had to ask him toslip and slide, as he called our technically non-penetrative sex. Otherwise, he and the Shadow King took turns quietly attending to themselves in the bathroom after showering me with multiple orgasms.
But these people were looking at Tadhg like they expected him to go off like a bomb.
Behind glasses I hadn’t seen since I first arrived in the secret kingdom, the Mountain King glowered at Brigid for several long seconds. His face was like the thunder clouds Cian had told me he only scheduled on a holiday called Samhain.
I was beginning to wonder if the townspeople had it right. Maybe there was a side to Tadhg that I hadn’t seen.…
But then a wry grin split across Tadhg’s face, and he told his sister, “If you suggestedBuffy the Vampire Slayer, I swear I’m going to excommunicate ye.”
“Holy psycho bear. What kind of absolute maniac doesn’t appreciateBuffy the Vampire Slayer?” Brigid immediately returned, making me suspect this argument wasn’t new. “Vampires are obviously the best, and you’ve got to put this in the rotation right away. I’m serious about this, Brother King.Right away.”
“Vampires are not the best when shows likeStar Trek: Deep Space Nineare still out there, waiting to be watched. Besides,Farscapeis next on deck.”
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me. Sadie, please use your pussy power to make him see sense.”
My face heated. This argument in no way struck me as an appropriate one to have in public. But soon the whole shop was involved in a sci-fi vs. fantasy argument.
Two more chairs and special Christmas blend teas magically appeared at our two-person table. To my surprise, we spenta perfectly pleasant afternoon in the charming town that was nothing like St. Ailbe.
And, unfortunately for my heart, somewhere I could definitely see myself wanting to live forever.
Second Supper
“Are you upset that I left?”
I turned in my seat to ask Tadhg this question as the Shadow King drove us back to the palace in a black-on-black four-seater golf cart a couple of hours later. The green dress, which had magically cost no money, sat in a bag at my feet, along with a box of something called buttered brack slices for the palace staff.
Tadhg, who had the entire back bench of the cart to himself and took up about two-thirds of it, leaned forward to take one of my hands in both of his.
“I’m upset you didn’t tell us you were leaving.”
He kissed the back of my hand, then my palm. “This was different than your whittling after brunch. You scared us unnecessarily when we found out you’d left the premises without making it known to anyone.”
Tadhg looked tired—bordering on weary—and I wondered if he’d been woken up from a Winter Sleepies nap to come find me.
“I’m sorry.”
“Sadie,” he warned. “We’ve talked about the apology stuff.”
“I know, but I actuallyamsorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I feel terrible.”
Tadhg sighed. “Not as terrible as I fail to feel every day about kidnapping you and bringing you here to live in a foreign place you don’t quite understand.”
“Sure, but in all fairness, I wouldn’t have understood anywhere I went,” I answered with a bittersweet smile. “St. Ailbe kept me pretty hopeless.”
“I don’t know about that, Strawberry. I reckon you’ve made the Shadow King and me more hopeful than we’ve been in… well… ever.”
Hopeful until…
I didn’t let myself finish that thought or that sentence.
And that night after dinner, I stopped them from having “second supper,” as they liked to call me. (Yes, I was more than caught up on the meaning ofeat you in a good wayby that point.)
