Holder of Lightning

It was supposed to be different. While they were together in the few minutes of passion, she had lost herself and forgot everything to simply be with him, but when it was over. . The insistent throbbing of her arm, the dead coldness of the scarred flesh called her back, and suddenly the anduilleaf was more important than being with Coelin. She sought solace in the sour milkiness of the brew, not with the man to whom she'd just given herself. She felt dead inside when she should have been feeling joy and release.

Did you do this because you wanted Coelin that much, or just so o Liathain couldn't be the first? She wanted to cry, but there were no tears inside her.

She felt Coelin move behind her, and his hand trailed from her head down her spine. She shivered and his arms went around her, cupping her breasts. She let herself lean back against him. "Are those the herbs you bought from du Val?" he asked. He kissed the side of her neck. "That potion smells awful."

"And tastes worse. But it helps."

"Mmm." He nuzzled the other side of her neck.

His fingers started to drift lower, and she stopped them. "Jenna. ."

"Hush," she told him. "It was wonderful. It was what I wanted."

She could feel his smile. "I thought, when I saw you with the Tanaise Rig tonight… "

"I was doing what I had to do, Coelin. Nothing else. There’s no love there. There never will be." That, at least, was only the truth. She turned her head, kissing him softly; Coelin grinned at her, then returned the kiss more passionately. When he tried to lay her down again, she shook her head. "No, not now, Coelin. My mam and Mac Ard will be returning soon, and I’m… sore. Later. There will be time. But for now, you’d better go." She stopped, looked into his green, soft eyes, and for a moment felt a surge of the old affection. "My love."

"My love," he answered, and kissed her again. With a sigh, he left the bed. "I nearly forgot," he said as he drew his tunic back over his head. "That man-Ennis O’Deoradhain. I found him. I know where he’s living."

Jenna sat up, her eyes narrowing as remembered anger made her jaw clench. If he sent the assassin, then he is also ultimately responsible for Aoife’s death. . "Where?" she asked.

"On Cooper Street. He has a room in a widow’s house. Her name is Murrin. I’ve seen him a couple times now. Do you want me to do some-thing with him? There are people I know in Low Town…"

"No," Jenna answered. "I will take care of O’Deoradhain myself."

Coelin’s head went back at the ferocity of her words. "You’re certain? He could be dangerous, and I-"

"I will take care of the man," Jenna said decisively. "Don’t worry about him."

Coelin nodded reluctantly. "I should go, then," he said. He looked uncertain, an odd, strained smile on his lips, and he shifted his weight from one leg to the other, as if he wanted to say more. "I’ve been asked to play for the Ri again, next week. And the Tanaise Rig said he would talk to his father about me."

The mention of O Liathain’s title brought the coldness back, and Jenna reached for the mug of brew, taking a long swallow and grimacing. "That’s… good," she told Coelin. "When you come here again, we’ll make plans."

He nodded. Turned.

Coelin," she said. She could not keep the desperation from her voice. Tell me that you love

He smiled, looking back over his shoulder. "I love you, Jenna. I always have."

And he left.

Chapter 24: The Traitor

THE Banrion seemed concerned when Jenna came to her requesting half a dozen trusted gardai, but to her credit, Cianna did not ask Jenna why but only nodded in agreement. "Certainly, Holder. Let me call for Labras; he's a good man, and he can choose five others… "

Jenna lifted her hand. "No, Banrion. Not today. After the Tanaise Rig leaves. Tomorrow morning. I need to go into Low Town then."

"Ah," Cianna had said. Just the one sound, then silence. "I'll make arrangements for them to be at Keep Gate at first bell tomorrow, then."

The Banrion started to move away, as if in dismissal, but Jenna cleared her throat. "Banrion, I would like to tell you why. It needs to be a secret between the two of us, though. You're the only person who has given me help, unasked for. Now I would ask it."

Cianna smiled softly. "Jenna, I will know anyway, whether you tell me now or not. The gardai will inform me where you take them, and why. The ones I would send with you aren't as blindly stupid as those you've borrowed before from my husband or Mac Ard. They won't let the Holder roam unaccompanied through Low Town, no matter what she says."

Jenna laughed with the Banrion. "I know. And that's why I came to you."

She told the Banrion about O'Deoradhain, how he had lied to them about himself on their way to Ath Iseal, how he had reacted during the attack by the Connachtans, that she'd glimpsed him in Low Town (though she said nothing about du Val), and how she now suspected the man had been responsible for the assassin.