With longing, Líle O'Connor stared out of her bedroom window, wishing time wasn't such a slippery matter and that her mind hadn't been in such a dismal state these last few days. There was little she liked more than sitting under the old oak tree in the garden and renewing her energy, yet she had not done so in a week's time now. Sure, there hadn't been much time, between her preparing for today, Nola's preschool and swimming lessons, Ewan's cocktail party and function she'd had had to attend, the groceries and her trip to the doctor, but in truth, she just hadn't felt up to it. And that was what bothered her the most: the excuses… She could have made time for it; she always had in the past, and 'twas crucial to keep one's life force clean, especially with what she was planning on doing today. It had always been part of her daily routine, like a ritual, rain or shine. 'Twas so ingrained in her that she felt sullied for having neglected it. But, while her thoughts had been on those dark spells she was trying to learn to fend off, she had been unable to convince her mind to settle down for any essence purifying at all.

With a shrug, Líle brought her gaze down from the rain that was beginning to fall heavily, her eyes stopping on the gnarly oak, and smiled. No matter, she'd make time later, she decided. Maybe 'twas her hormones playing tricks on her… Her hand went to her stomach at the thought and she made a mental note to start preparing the surprise she'd planned for Ewan. She'd tell him the news on their fifth anniversary on Sunday… if she didn't blurt it out in her excitement before that, of course. No doubt, he'd hope for a son this time around; that's what they'd been wishing for… a boy and a girl. They had the girl - and he loved his Nola to death - so now he'd expect a boy. 'Tis himself, she grinned… Ewan O'Connor liked things to go according to plans, while she preferred them to be spontaneous and more exciting. Sure, it made for some heated moments, but she wouldn't have it any other way; they were complementary, and she loved him to death. And, Líle thought, maybe she could convince him of trying for a third one in a couple of years; why stop at two when she enjoyed being a mother so much?

"I wonder if he'll have his father's azure eyes." She mused. Nola's were a shade lighter.

With a sigh, she pressed her hands to her heart and smiled. She loved Ewan's eyes; they were like looking into a clear blue sky and she never tired of getting lost in them. But, right now, she had some dangerous training to finish preparing for… she reminded herself. Reluctantly, she pushed away from the window, flicking one last yearning glance at the old oak, and grabbed her notebook from the dresser.

With keen eyes, she reviewed the spell she'd written for the occasion, nodding as she stepped out of the bedroom and dashed down the stairs, suddenly eager to get started. She'd prepared hard for this, she told herself; she was ready now. It felt right and she'd not have a better chance at it. She didn't want to attempt it while Nola or Ewan were home, in case something went wrong… Ewan would certainly order her to stop the nonsense if he knew of her plans, at any rate, so 'twas now or never. Not that she'd obey in the least, but she preferred not to get into any arguments with him about it now, especially since she was planning on discussing Nola's training with him soon. The girl was old enough to start practicing the basics.

Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, Líle blinked and brought a hand up to her face with a scowl… Here they were again, those eyes of pure grey popping into her mind, and while she was awake now, too. Who did they belong to? And why were they always haunting her? 'Twas a curse, this business was! She really ought to call home and ask her father and grandmother what they made of it, she thought, her eyes absently stopping on the telephone. Well… she had no time at the moment, she shrugged and shook her head with a sigh, her mind already on the task at hand. Dismissively, she turned away from the phone stand, rushed into the study where she had already brought all of the items she would be needing for the spell and meticulously locked up. There was no reason to trouble her parents now… she was almost twenty five and more than able to take care of herself. 'Twas dinner time there, besides; she'd call them after she picked Nola up from Preschool, even if only for her own peace of mind. 'Twas almost certainly her brain playing tricks on her, she decided; she was overworked and had had a lot to think about lately. No doubt her mind was in need of a breather. Soon, she sighed. Very soon.

With an anxious flick of the wrist, Lile tossed the notebook on the desk and stripped off to consecrate the room. It all had to be exactly right, she thought as she busied with the ceremonial tools. She certainly didn't want to unleash a calamity in the house. Setting her tree of life pendant on her little altar with a quick prayer, she drew a pentagram in the air around it with her fingers, apprehension growing now that time had come to start. Calling on the dark arts, even if it was only to learn how to better fight them, always carried a certain degree of risks. Of course, she knew she could always call Ciarán to help with it - he was more than skilled in fighting dark spells - but he'd already spent so much of his time lately explaining how she could go about teaching Nola that she didn't want to bother him again. And he'd gone to Aneira besides, she remembered with a smile; 'twas only fair that he got to spend some tender time with his mate… 'Twasn't often that one got to celebrate 2000 years of life together! Just the thought of it brought happy tears to her eyes.

And he'd prepared her well, Ciarán had. Hadn't he said so himself just last month, when she'd last seen him? Yes, she was ready… With a decided nod, she stood in the centre of the room and spread her arms out at her side. The spell she had written, in the language of her birth - even though it had felt wrong to associate such dark words with it - came to her lips like a mantra. She didn't even need to look at the text; she knew them by heart, having read them time and again over the last few days.

She still didn't know where the words had stemmed from really; they'd come to her in her sleep, like visions streaming in front of her eyes in dreams, and had been so clear in the morning when she'd woken up that she'd been able to jot them down. Were the gods trying to send her a message? She laughed at the thought… Why would they have anything important to do with her? She was just a simple lass. Maybe the Seers did… though she didn't know if they were capable of sending visions to humans. Those eyes of pure grey - they were gone again - had often been in those dreams, they had seemed to be chanting the words right along. Was it a Seer trying to communicate with her? The voice that sometimes came with them had the lilt of the land she longed to get back to, with a soft brogue that called to her blood; and she could at least be honest with herself, they had made her shiver in delight many times.

With a shrug, Líle closed her eyes and focused on the spell and the energy that she would need to repel it. She couldn't let herself become infatuated with vivid grey eyes and a soft lilt, she admonished herself; she was happily married and had a lovely little girl who brought joy to her life. And there was life growing inside of her again, she thought with a smile. Yes, she was blessed with a good life and her husband was a good man who made her happy. She was only getting all worked up because of the cabin fever she'd been caught in lately; 'twas nothing a trip home wouldn't cure in a jiffy. She'd convince Ewan, she told herself with certainty; they'd go spend Easter with her family and everything would be going back to normal. She'd forget all about bright grey eyes, Irish lilts and rhythmic brogues. She didn't even like grey eyes all that much, she thought with a pout. She much preferred her love's soft blue ones.

A gust of dark energy rose around her as she finished reciting the words and it pulsed with such malice it sickened her, caused her stomach to twist and churn. With a frown, she pushed the sickness away and resolutely held on to her wits, slitting a notch in her palm so her blood ran free; she didn't like working with blood, especially not with that kind of magic, but the spell called for a sacrifice of blood… and she'd use no other. A wicked glee sought to engulf her as the dark energy she'd called upon sought the blood, the richness of it strengthening the spell. And then a pair of demon red eyes was on her, in front of her mind's eyes, the contact keen and intent while they flashed with a vicious gleam. Oh God… she thought, gritting her teeth to hold on to the slippery eel the spell had suddenly become. It churned, threatened to engulf her, and her breath grew heavy, her knees weak. There was a sudden nippiness in the air, a deep wintry frost that left her bones chilled.

A cold wave of fear rushed through her as the spell unexpectedly spun out of control and a tug of war began between the red eyes and her. Her mind all but burst open under the spell's pressure and her knees bucked, abandoned her as she dropped to the floor, hand out towards her pendant on the altar. Eyes dimming, she prayed for strength even as the room faded from sight, leaving only those wicked red eyes to stare at her and a chilling laugh filling her ears.

Then her hold snapped and the spell ran wild around her; she felt it seep into her, burning through her very soul. Vile, it sought to destroy her and, feeling drained and light-headed, she bore down against it, her whole body convulsing under the strain. Wheezing, she fought to remain conscious, barely found the strength to breathe as a vicious rush of wicked essence broke through her protective ring.

"Oh God, forgive me." With one last effort, she brought herself back up to her knees and channelled what little was left of her energy. "What have I done?" She literally felt her brain split open from the impact of the invading life force on it.

Tasting defeat as blood spurted from her nose and mouth, she sent her last living thoughts to the only one she knew could end the nightmare and keep her family safe.

"Ciarán!" She prayed all the Gods who may still have some pity on her that he was able to hear her, and sent her memories of the spell out to him so he would know what had just happened.
"He can no longer help you." A female voice sneered as life slipped through her hands.

But Líle didn't care about her own life anymore; it was too late for her… She'd only had what she deserved at any rate, she told herself miserably. Regrets filling her heart at the thought of leaving her child and her love behind, she set a quivering hand on her womb in protection; a futile gesture she knew, as she would be taking this one with her. Fighting for her last breath, she fell backwards when a gust of icy wind swept through the room and she lay sprawled in the middle of the floor, unable to budge. Ciarán would come; she was sure of it.

With that certainty in mind, she felt her body give way and slipped into death, focusing on the light and rejecting the dark she could still feel pulsing all around, tempting her, its icy fingers licking at her soul. She'd always prided herself of being strong and bold in life, she would settle for no less in death… Her sorrow was great when her soul finally soared towards its new home, hanging back longingly as her thoughts went to the family she would never see again. With a sigh of relief, she saw Ciarán rush in and finish what she could not. Guilt filling her, she watched Ewan join him only seconds later and shed a tear with them as they knelt grieving at her side then, without looking back, she answered the soft call of the Lady of Night to the Path of the Dead.

The little ball of light that had been my mother's soul dissolved into nothingness inside the Orb of Seeing, leaving me to stare at the emptiness it had left behind long after it was gone. In silence, I stood petrified, too numb to even move, let alone think or talk. The frost my mother had felt during the Seeing had spread to me and it was chilling my bones, clotting my very blood as the images played in a loop in my mind. My arm fell like a lump on the table as I finally released the orb and I took a deep breath, only relaxing slightly when Liam's arms gathered me in their fold.

"We'll take a break." The Augur said right away, breaking the heavy silence that had followed the Seeing. "As long as you need; take your time."

I nodded but said nothing for the longest time, only clinging to Liam for dear life. I remembered how I'd felt a year or so after her death, when I'd realized she hadn't just left across the country and would come back any day now like, for the longest time, I'd convinced myself she would. Just like it did then, the truth of it came crashing down on me; it squeezed my chest, burned a hole in my heart all over again and threatened to sweep me away. But I wasn't five anymore, I told myself firmly, and this had happened twenty years ago… It was only a memory; I could handle a memory, I assured myself, taking a deep breath. Liam's hands ran up and down my back lovingly and I laid my head on his chest, not even bothered by the lack of heartbeat anymore.

"She was going to have a baby…" Was all I managed to say for some time, remembering how much I'd wanted to have a brother or a sister growing up, mostly a brother because my best friend Eileen had had one and I'd wanted to do everything like her.
"'Twould have been interesting to deal with two of you…" Liam teased, his fingers gently brushing the tears I hadn't even noticed were falling down my cheeks.

I chuckled at his words but couldn't bring myself to follow him on the jesting path quite yet, so I gripped his back fiercely and nodded instead.

"I knew what had happened to her…" I whispered at last, closing my eyes as I deliberately sunk deeper into his arms. "My father told me a few weeks ago, but seeing it is…" I left the rest unsaid; I wasn't even sure how I felt.

Yes, it hurt to see her die, and there was an ache in my heart because of it, but it wasn't all rage and all pain like it had been - and still was at times - with Aidan. However strange it seemed, I felt closer to her now, too; I'd had a glimpse into her life, her thoughts and, even if it had been the very end of it, it would be something I could now relate to, a memory of who she was. The part of her that had always been in me but had, so far, seemed dead had suddenly awakened.

"Nola?" Liam's voice cut into my thoughts and I shook myself back on track, forced a smile when I looked at him. "You okay?"
"Yeah." I said, taking a sip of water. "I just need a minute." I added, standing away from the table. I was antsy all of a sudden.

Keeping my gaze on him, I slid my hand in his and hoped he would get the hint; I didn't want to spend that minute alone. To my relief, he stood with me and led me down the stairs without a word. We walked down a circular hallway, passing several closed doors before stepping into what seemed to be the library the Augur had spoken of. It was filled to the brinks with books, encyclopaedias, dictionaries, parchments and scrolls of all sorts, some looking rather ancient. There were seats around low tables on either side while a cast iron oil-burning stove sat in the middle of the room, with a marble bench all around it. A fire was crackling quietly inside and I stopped in front of it, hoping to chase the iciness from my body. Suddenly remembering Liam shouldn't be so close to fire, I cast him an apologetic glance and moved to the back of one of the armchairs instead, feeling unexpectedly awkward. So, I kept my eyes riveted longingly on the flickering flames and squeezed Liam's arms tight as I blew out a heavy sigh.

"Thank you." I whispered, bringing his hand up to my cheek. "I just needed to move around and shake the gloom."
"It's welcome you are to my hand." He answered, caressing my cheek with the back of it. "But if there are any other parts of me you need more, don't hesitate to use them too." I brought my gaze back to his, eyebrows raised with intent, my smile sleek and intentionally wicked, even though I knew he'd genuinely meant his offer. "That particular one excluded." He added with an amused pout. "They're all waiting for us and two minutes wouldn't do it justice at all." He added, smoothly leaning back against the chair as he matched my wicked smile with one of his own.

I couldn't help it, despite the pain and the sadness… a laugh bubbled out of me at his words and my gloom lifted magically. There was no denying it; Liam McInnis was a gem to me.

"Ian was right… You do have a sick mind." I told him, tongue in cheek.
"Oh? Ian said that, did he, now?" He asked, amused as he pulled me towards the arm of the sofa.
"Yeah, when I gripped his clothes and almost tore them off…" I explained with a wink… "Long story."
"I may just have to draw the story out of him very painfully then…"
"I don't need a knight in shiny armour to rescue my honour, thanks all the same." I told him playfully.
"A knight in shiny armour? Me?" He laughed, sitting on the arm of the sofa with a casual mix of amusement and smugness. "You must have me confused with someone else."
"All right, let me rephrase that…" I teased his cheek with a finger, saw his lips twitch. "I don't need a lord of darkness to come rescue my honour."
"Lord of darkness…" He repeated, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Aye, I like that better. It has a dangerous feel to it… 'Tis more my style." His expression suddenly turned more solemn as he observed me keenly and his arms came to settle on my shoulders again. "How are you holding up?"
"I'm okay, thank you." I answered, curling up into his arms instinctively in search of more warmth, before remembering he was only spirit here, no matter how real he felt, and there most likely would be none. He pulled me down on his lap and I welcomed the affection, the simplicity of it feeling natural. "I already knew Niall was the one who'd caused my mother's death… even if I didn't know how. So what else did the orb show me?" I pondered. "I don't understand what the session is supposed to have brought into the light."
"Did you feel something else there with Niall, in the room with your mother?" He asked, his gaze intent on mine.
"There was a chill and it soaked my bones." I nodded with a frown. "It still is…" His arms came up at once to rub mime vigorously and I smiled at him, grateful.
"Have you not recognized the chill?" He asked.
"I can't say that I have…"
"Awena." He said simply. "Her presence was there in the room with his. She's what gave him enough power over the spell; alone to face his will, your mother might have had a chance to fight back, or at least to hold him off until Ciarán arrived. As a matter or fact, I don't even think he could send his mind into this world on a person who's awake, without Idris's help either, so Idris must have been there too, only his presence was probably subtle enough that Awena's overpowered it. I did not feel it."
"Oh God… She was fighting all three of them at once?" I shivered at the thought. "She never had a chance… And you think Awena's been behind all of this for twenty years, that the three of them have been teaming for that long?"
"Maybe even longer than that…" Liam pondered, his gaze distant as he stared through the walls over my shoulder in silence for a long time. "I'm beginning to wonder how much of an accident Ian's mother's drowning really was. Of course, it's just a hunch and I've nothing tangible to support it…" He added with a shrug. "But it certainly would make sense, in light of what we've just seen. And if I'm right, I wonder why it took them so long to kill Evan… Why that gap of nine years in between, when they could have finished the job that same day?"
"Evan was killed by vamps." I pointed out, eyeing him thoughtfully. "Ian said so himself. He was there… he'd have seen it if it had been anybody else."
"They had help; I'm sure of it now, after what we learned about your mother's death." He replied with certainty. "Ian told me once that he'd frozen on the spot when they were ambushed, that he hadn't been able to help his brother out. Evan had to fight twelve vamps alone and he did kill them all, but the last blows were fatal to him, too. Ian has always blamed himself for lacking courage when it mattered most, but now I think he was held by a mind block. It would have been easy for Awena to use the spell on him as he can't counter spells."
"But why wouldn't she have killed Ian too, then?" I asked, perplexed.
"That's the only part I cannot explain." He admitted with a frown.
"Now that I think about it…" Something suddenly flashed in my mind and I stared at him, mouth hanging open as the memories of my solo hunting night came back to mind. "I think they may have tried something similar on me, except I was so far out of my mind, I shrugged it off as part of my own dark thoughts." I stammered, my mind suddenly racing.
"What?!" He suddenly pulled me away from him and stared at me, alarmed, and I finally saw what Ian had explained about the way he looked like he had a fierce need to protect me; there was a glint in his eyes now, not cold or angry but merely vigilant and firm. It was veiled as he no doubt tried to keep it from showing, but it was there nonetheless. "When?" He demanded.
"The night I went hunting for Idris." I answered with a pout. "Shortly after I set off, it felt as if the storm called to me. Something was making me want to jump off; I'm sure of it now. It was like a soothing voice promising to end my pain if only I agreed to swim to some golden shores beyond the storm. Fortunately, I was so adamant to get my revenge that I turned away."

His eyes narrowed and the veil lifted on his protective edge, revealing a fierce glint and a hostile stare that would have withered me if they had been aimed at me. Yet, there was also a sheltering warmth behind them that caused me to lean forward on instinct and seek safety in his arms. The mix wasn't even remotely confusing to me; it was as natural as my next breath. With a jerk, I caught myself and pulled back to glance at him, taken aback by how needy I'd unexpectedly felt; was I really that dependent on him? No… it wasn't dependence as much as closeness, I realized, falling into his vivid blue gaze… and something else my heart wasn't ready to accept yet. A warning sign flashed inside of me and I reactively yanked myself away from him, almost panicked. It wasn't love, I told myself with certainty. It couldn't be love. Sealing that part of me away, I dared look at him again and fell in the confused abyss his eyes had become at my move.

"Sorry…" I mumbled, noticing his quizzical glance. "Just a little nervous. Do you think it was them trying to break into my mind too?" I asked, quickly burying the foolish thoughts that had suddenly invaded my mind.

He said nothing, only nodded forbiddingly and brought his hands up to my face, laying his fingers on either side of my temples while his eyes clouded with power. I felt his energy shudder as if the effort cost him a great deal, but soon it was steady again and it hovered on the edge of my own, as if requesting permission to merge with it. Instinctively, I opened to him, welcoming the familiar closeness. The contact was short however and soon - too soon, I thought - he pulled away with an outraged nod.

"Niall…" He told me, a focused frown creasing his forehead. "I don't think I've given my little brother enough credit." He added with contempt. "I should have killed the fecking dirtball straight off instead of locking him in that bloody shroud."
"What if…" I stopped, feeling very awkward by the thought that had suddenly emerged in my mind; I'd already insulted him enough recently… "Oh to hell with it!" I said the words out loud before I realized I had and sent him an apologetic shrug, when he stared at me, looking rather puzzled. I held his gaze and went on; surely he could take a hypothesis. "Sorry, I was thinking out loud."
"Indeed." He answered, his laughing gaze catching mine. "What if…?" He prompted me with a nod.
"What if Niall broke into your mind too, and made you decide to not kill him?" I bit my lip edgily, waited for his reaction. "Sorry, it's just a thought."

To my surprise, he didn't grumble, argue, laugh me out of the room or strangle me; he didn't even cast me an irritated glance. As a matter of fact, he said nothing for the longest time, only stared at me, not quite shocked but certainly brooding. His gaze turned inward, the vivid blue of his eyes gradually darkening to a cobalt shade in a way I recognized as the oncoming of a burst of temper. The storm played in his eyes for a while, wisps of it passing through his gaze as he was lost in contemplation. He eventually stirred and his eyes found their focus and their vibrant shade again, held mine with approval.

"Definitely didn't give him enough credit." He said, his tone one of stupefaction. "And I certainly won't be making that mistake again… I wonder how long he's been playing this game with me." With resolve, he lifted me off his lap, kissed my nose with a wink, a hint of arrogance surfacing again on his face as he took my hand and dragged me back to the dome. "Let's find out."

Still, no matter how much confidence he tried to convey, I could still read the edginess in his brooding gaze, and in the slightly tighter lilt than usual in his voice. With a resolute step, he led me back to my seat and took his place next to me, glancing at everyone around the table.

"Unless someone else would like to take their turn, I think I'll go next." He announced, his gaze settling on Ian last and waiting for his answer.
"Sure you won't hear me complain." Ian nodded, almost looking relieved. "Cheers."

And so, without further debate or hesitation, Liam brought a steady hand to the orb and looked straight into it as images began to unfold. If he was at all apprehensive or nervous, he certainly wasn't showing any sign of it.