By the time our plane touched down in Dublin, I was exhausted. I hadn’t slept a single moment the whole flight, unable to shut my brain off as theories about the purpose the bracelet served and why my mother had given it to me marched through my head. It also didn’t help that Sam made crude jokes inside my head at every given opportunity.

“Any word from the guys?” I asked Wesley, rubbing at my tired eyes while we waited for our luggage. We’d flown because the twins had never tried teleporting anyone quite so far before and didn’t want to lose us into space or something—a fair enough concern.

“Nothing yet.” He shook his head and shifted his shoulder strap higher. His bag was loaded with his laptop, headphones, chargers, and more. It weighed an absolute ton. “I’m sure they’ll be in touch as soon as they know something, though.”

Caleb and Austin were chasing down Bridget in the hopes of squeezing some answers out of her, while Cole, Vali, and River were focusing on both Jonathan and the underground movement to publicize supernaturals.

As for Wes and I, we just needed to get our asses down to Glenganen. It was a five hour drive from Dublin and we were expected there in exactly five hours, so we needed to get a move on. This guy, who still hadn’t given us a name, didn’t sound like the sort of man who enjoyed being kept waiting.

We retrieved our bags and made our way through customs to the car rental desks. We were both travelling on fake passports, just in case Omega was watching. They had been made by Vali’s contacts, and I really could not have picked them out as anything less than real, save for the different names.

“Are you nervous?” I asked Wes while we stood in line at the Hertz counter. I snaked my hand into his free one, linking our fingers together and earning a small, tired smile from him.

He, too, hadn’t slept on the flight, but I suspected that had more to do with him not wanting to deal with his dreamtime visitor than anything else.

“Yeah, a bit,” he admitted with a shy smile. “Hopefully this guy can actually help us, though, and doesn’t turn out to be a massive waste of time.”

“If he does, we will just find someone else,” I reassured him, squeezing his fingers and pressing a kiss to his shoulder. “Now, are you sure you’re okay to drive?”

He gave me an appreciative smile. “I’ll be fine. But we can take turns if I get tired, right?”

“You bet,” I confirmed, grinning at his response. I loved that Wesley treated me as an equal, someone totally capable of driving a car despite my vagina.

Vali had made our reservations, so within a few minutes we were hauling our luggage out to a midnight-blue Range Rover.

Once we were inside with the heat blasting—because it was still cold despite being springtime—I plugged the address into the inbuilt GPS system, then sat back with a heavy sigh.

“You okay?” Wes asked me, resting his hand on the gear shift but not making any moves to start the car. “That frown has me worried, sweetheart.”

“Yeah.” I gave him a weak smile. “Just exhausted. Worried about this.” I held up my wrist encircled by the tight gold band. “Worried about what this trip is going to tell us... Did that creeper fucking with your dreams, Gaelin, give you anything useful in your nightly meetings?”

Wes shook his head. “Nothing. But I haven’t told him I was coming here, either. I get the feeling he’s on some sort of revenge-fueled power trip, and I’m collateral damage. Who knows what he’d do if I told him someone else might be able to help?”

“Makes sense.” I nodded. “I’m pissed that this douche is being such a...” I trailed off with a frustrated hand wave.

“Such a douche?” Wesley laughed. “Yeah, you and me both.” He leaned over, cupping my face gently with a cold hand and kissing me. “Let’s get on the road, and you can psychoanalyze everything he’s told me, again.”

“You say that like I’ve already done it a million times,” I grumbled as he followed the signs to get out of the airport parking lot and onto the freeway.

Wesley coughed a laugh. “Oh, you haven’t?”

“Whatever.” I grinned, whacking him lightly with the back of my hand as I got comfy in my seat. “Okay so, the first time he appeared in your dream he made a comment about you being the ‘first of your kind in hundreds of years’ or something like that, right?”

“Right.” Wes nodded, not taking his eyes off the road. He was such a safe driver.

“And that he was assigned to teach you how to control your powers?” I was repeating information he’s already given me, but wanted to double-check.

“Yup,” he confirmed.

I pursed my lips while I thought about this from a different angle. Wes was right that I’d already gone over this with him a hundred times. But I was convinced there must be more clues hiding somewhere.

“So obviously Gaelin isn’t in charge,” I murmured, and Wesley nodded.

“He sounds pissed as hell at being given the task of teaching me and is deliberately fucking around out of stubbornness.” He glanced over at me as we waited at a traffic light. “So hopefully this guy here can teach me how to block him out or something.”

“Or,” I pondered aloud, “teach you how to bypass Gaelin.”

“How do you mean?” He frowned.

“Well, if Gaelin was assigned to you, then there is someone else pulling the strings. I figure if you can get past Gaelin to whoever is actually in charge, then maybe you’ll have more luck?” I was feeling a bit proud of my theory, but the small smile fading the frown from Wesley’s face said he’d already thought of this and was humoring me. Dammit.

“I know, sweetheart,” he chuckled. “I just haven’t figured out how.”

“Okay, well”—I yawned heavily—“then in that case—”

“Kit,” he interrupted me. “Take a nap. You’re exhausted, and we still have hours of driving ahead of us.”

“Yes, but,” I protested in a sleepy voice, “we still need to come up with a plan!”

Wesley chuckled. “You might come up with one in your sleep, you never know. Besides, I need you fresh in case we need to switch driving.”

Thwarted by logic once again. He had a point; if we were going to make it in time, then I might need to drive so Wes could sleep—which wouldn’t be easy if I was dead on my feet.

“Fine,” I muttered, snuggling into my seat and using my coat as a pillow. “But wake me up as soon as you need to rest, okay?”

“You got it, sweetheart,” he assured me, and I drifted off to the sound of the rumbling engine.

When I woke again, we were pulling up outside a little rustic farmhouse in the middle of damn nowhere, judging by what I could see out the windows.

“Where are we?” I asked Wesley, rubbing my eyes.

“We’re here,” he replied, blinking at me sleepily. He looked like shit, his blond hair all mussed up and big, dark circles under his eyes. “I didn’t want to wake you up; you looked so peaceful for once.”

I gave him a stern look. “Thank you, but you should have woken me up hours ago so you could sleep. But you’re right, no nightmares this time. Maybe the crisp, Irish air is clearing them out?”

“Well in that case, I vote we all move here.” Wesley grinned, but I could tell he was only half-joking. “Come on, let’s go see if this guy is for real or not.”

Unclipping my safety belt, I opened my door and slid down to the ground where I stretched the kinks out of my back. Wesley came around the car and took my hand in his before approaching the little cottage.

He hesitated only a second before knocking on the wooden door, but his hand was clenched tightly around mine, betraying how nervous he was. I squeezed his hand back, trying to convey my support, but jumped when the door swung open with a bang.

The man squinting at us on the other side of the threshold was elderly, and that was my first let down. One thing I had learned so far in dealing with supernatural creatures—they all aged very slowly, if at all. So either this guy was ancient... or he was human.

“You must be Wesley,” he said in a gruff, thick Irish accent. “Expected you two days ago.”

“Yes, and as discussed via phone, Kit and I were in the midst of a kidnapping attempt.” Wesley’s jaw clenched, and he narrowed his eyes at the old man. Not an amazing start, so far.

The man stared back at us for a long moment, then grunted and held out his hand. “Name’s Seamus. Come in; all the heat’s getting out.”

Wesley shook his hand, then moved aside so I could do the same. We both followed Seamus into his cottage, and he shut the door behind us with a heavy sound.

“So,” our host muttered, limping past us to lead the way into the little sitting room in front of an open fire, “you want to learn more about Druid-lore.”

“Uh, do we?” Wesley asked, taking a seat on the couch when offered. “We understood you had some experience with, ah, dreamweaving.”

Wes flicked a glance at me, and I gave him an encouraging smile. It couldn’t be easy talking to a total stranger about magic. It made me glad that I had the guys and that they’d never once made me feel like a crazy person for what I could do.

Seamus leaned forward in his seat, his beady eyes locked on Wesley so hard that even I squirmed a little. “If you came here looking for some crackpot fraud who will put you through a meditation and speak a bunch of mumbo jumbo, then charge you for the privilege... well you’re barking up the wrong bloody tree, kid.” He paused, and his intelligent eyes darted over me and back to Wesley. “But I get the feeling you kids are more than what you seem. So why don’t you start from the beginning, and then I’ll see how I can help. Hmm?”

Wesley sucked in a deep breath and raised a brow at me, like he was asking my permission or something. But this was what we’d come for, so I gave him an encouraging nod and squeezed his fingers.

He smiled back and then turned to Seamus to start retelling his history, starting way back before he met me, when he started seeing me in his dreams.

While he spoke, he kept a tight grip on my hand, and I noticed Seamus giving me several curious looks throughout Wesley’s story. When Wes finished telling Seamus about his encounter with Gaelin inside his dreams, the old man narrowed his eyes at me, and I squirmed uncomfortably.

“What?” I asked when he didn’t speak for a long time. “Why are you staring at me?”

“Lemme see that ring of yours, girl,” he ordered me, and I glanced down at my hand, still entwined with Wesley’s. I still wore my bloodstone Ban Dia ring, of course. It physically couldn’t come off now that I’d begun my bonds.

“Why?” Wesley asked for me. “That has nothing to do with what I am.”

Seamus barked a laugh. “Bullshit, boy. You wanna tell me I ain’t gonna find a Ban Dia bloodstone on that there finger?” Wesley opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. I simply cocked an eyebrow in curiosity at the old man. “That’s what I thought.” His Irish accent made it sound like he was dropping all his h’s from th- words, and I fought a smile. Something about him was just... non-threatening.

“What do you know about Ban Dia, then?” I asked him, tilting my head to the side. “So far as I’m aware, they’re not a well-known race of people.”

He chuckled, scratching his chin. “Nor are the badbh, and yet here the two of you sit on my very couch.”

“That’s... is that what I am, then?” Wesley puzzled, “Badh-uv?” He sounded it out awkwardly, so Seamus helpfully spelled it for him.

“Badbh. Yes, I’d say so, if this story you’ve told me is true. There’s always a chance you’re here to pull me leg and get a good laugh from messing with old, crazy Seamus, but I have a feeling you wouldne brought a Ban Dia with you for that.” He gave me a shrewd look, and I simply met his stare with curiosity, neither confirming nor denying the accusation.

“So you can help me then?” Wesley queried. “You can teach me whatever I need to learn to control my magic? We can pay, of course.”

“Nope,” Seamus replied without even a second’s hesitation.

“What? Why not?” Wesley demanded, and I tightened my fingers around his. I got it, though. After all this, it was yet another dead end.

Seamus let out a weary sigh and leaned in closer to us. “Boy, you already know why. Gaelin told you himself in your dream.” He reached out a gnarled finger and tapped the side of Wesley’s head. “Think. What did he tell you when he first showed up claiming to be your teacher, hmm?”

A deep frown marred Wesley’s forehead, but I knew he already knew the answer. “‘You’re the first of our kind to surface in the human realm for a very long time.’ The first to surface... meaning...”

“Meaning I’m not like you.” Seamus nodded. “Ain’t nobody on this whole planet like you, unless your girlfriend has been flinging that magic of hers around and restoring more unsuspecting fools to their birthrights?”

I scowled and gave a little head shake.

“So, why do you know so much?” Wesley’s voice was dripping with disappointment, and I wanted nothing more than to hug him in that moment. I knew better than most how lonely it felt to be the only one of your kind.

“Ah, well now, I didn’t say I couldne help you at all, now did I?” The old guy’s face creased up in a smile. “Wait here; back in a jiff.” He groaned as he stood from his seat, and then he shuffled his way to a narrow staircase leading up to a mezzanine level.

“Kit...” Wesley whispered under his breath, but I shushed him.

“This is more than we have gotten so far. Let’s just see where it goes.” I pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “No harm in seeing what he has to tell us.”

“I’m nothing but human, myself,” Seamus called down from the loft to us, confirming my suspicion. “But once upon a time, my people were badbh themselves. When the plague hit some four hundred-odd years ago, all the full-blooded ones cleared out back to their own realm, leaving any mostly human offspring to fend for themselves here. My ancestral grandmother many, many times over was one of them left behind, but her mam was an optimist, see?”

A series of grunting noises came from the loft, and then he reappeared to make a slow descent down the stairs carrying a heavy-looking book.

“See, back then, a wee mage girl made a prediction that all would be righted in the magical world one day. No one believed her on account of her being so young. No one but my ancestor, that is. She believed, and she didn’t want her descendants left out in the cold when that day came. So she broke all the rules and left this.” He dropped the book on the coffee table and it landed with a heavy sound, sending clouds of dust flying up from it.

“And what is this?” I asked, letting curiosity get the better of me.

Seamus gave us a sly grin. “A bible, of sorts. Or... an encyclopaedia. Except this one outlines all magical species. Their appearances, origins, powers... weaknesses.” As he stressed this last word, he raised a brow at me, and ice formed in my gut. Suddenly he seemed considerably less non-threatening.

“Holy shit,” Wesley breathed, stretching out a hand toward the book. “This is... do you have any idea what this information could mean?”

“No, I just kept it all these years for shits and giggles,” Seamus responded to Wesley with heavy sarcasm, and I stifled a giggle. “I’m letting you read this on one condition, and mind I am not giving it to you, simply letting you study it here to learn what you need to know.”

“What’s your condition?” I asked him quietly, as Wes was thoroughly engrossed in the pages before him already. “You want your magic healed?”

Seamus snorted a laugh. “That’d be assuming I even have any in my diluted bloodline. Ain’t no one know for sure until they try, eh? No, not me. I’ve lived a damn long life already and got no desire to keep on keeping on.”

“If not you, then who?” It was pretty clear that this favor he wanted was from me, if his curious glances had been any indication.

“My great-niece, Siobhan. She’s only seven, but she’s sick.” He pursed his lips and sucked a breath through his nose. “Real sick. Cancer.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” I whispered, seeing how much this upset him. That poor kid, to be so young... “And she’s... I mean, is it not something that can be cured through human means?”

“She’s dying, so no. Doctors only gave her six months, and that was four months ago.” Seamus dashed a tear off his cheek. “So, this is the deal. You two can come here and study my family book for as long as you want if in return you”—he nodded at me— “agree to heal wee Bonnie.”

It seemed like a no-brainer, but still I hesitated. “It could change her; you understand that, don’t you?” He gave a short, sharp nod. “Do her parents?”

“I’ll explain it to them. They’ll be fine with it, though. If it gives her a chance to live, they won’t object. For all we know, she could be pure-as-snow human.” He gave me an imploring look, and I sighed.

“Of course I’ll try, but only if she and her parents understand the risks. If she changes... well, then her and Wes will be the only badbh in existence.” I chewed my lip, watching Wesley from the corner of my eye. He’d stopped reading to listen to us, but his fingers unconsciously stroked the words on the page open in front of him.

“I’m aware. But something tells me it won’t stay that way for long.” Seamus straightened his shoulders and stuck out his gnarled hand for me to shake. “Do we have a deal, girl?”

I glanced to Wes, and he gave me a small smile of encouragement. If this little girl really did change, I knew he would be there to help her.

“As much as I want to take your deal just to get access to this book, it wouldn’t be right. I’m having some issues with my magic right now.” I paused, chewing my lip. “As in, I don’t have access to it. So until I get that little problem sorted, I can’t heal anyone.”

Seamus narrowed his eyes at me, clearly thinking this over.

“I appreciate your honesty, lass. And you don’t look like the type to sit on your hands for long, so if you can promise to heal my girl as soon as you can, well, then I will still let you read my book now.” He held his hand back out again.

“Deal,” I agreed, taking Seamus’s hand.

“Perfect,” he crowed, clapping his hands together. “I’d better get over to Siobhan’s mama’s house and get started explaining all of this. She’s a non-believer, so it’s going to take a bit of effort.” He grimaced and rapped his cane on the floor before heaving up to his feet. “You two help yourselves to tea or whatever. When I’m back, we can sort you out somewhere to stay.”

“Sounds good,” I murmured as he hurried out of the door. Nervousness was pooling in my gut, though. Was I doing the right thing in agreeing to this?

“Kit, you’ve got to read some of this,” Wesley gushed, drawing my attention back to him and the huge book open on his lap. “It’s got information on everything. Mages, shifters, Ban Dia, vampires! Sweetheart... vampires are real!”

I snorted a laugh. “Yeah, Caleb told me that they’re, like, some sort of demon or something? And people got them mixed up with Blood Mages at some point in history.”

Wesley bobbed his head in agreement. “Uh-huh, yup, I can see how that happened.” He paused, flipping a few more pages. “This is so cool. I wonder if he’d let us scan it or something.”

“I highly doubt it.” I grinned. “Let’s not test the friendship so early in the game. Flip to Badbh first so you can learn about you. Once you’ve done that, we can go back and learn about everyone else. Who knows when this info might come in handy, huh?”

“You’ve got that right,” Wes agreed. “Okay fine, start with me, then we learn about Ban Dia, and then everyone else. Yes?”

“Perfect. Get started, and I’ll make us more tea. Something tells me Seamus isn’t a coffee drinker, which sucks...” I moved to the small kitchen as I spoke, but I’d already lost Wesley’s attention as his nose disappeared behind parchment once more.

He was beyond excited about the secrets that book held, and I didn’t blame him. I was utterly dying to read what it said about Ban Dia, but the whole reason we made the trip to Ireland was for Wesley, so his information needed to take precedence.

Now if only he would read faster, dammit.