The Devlin Witch by Bernadette Walsh

Author:Bernadette Walsh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
Published: 2013-09-17T00:00:00+00:00

5

Annie

The sun blinded me and I felt very small sitting on the stairs. Tiny, insignificant. All I could do was sit on the stairs and stare into the blistering sun.

A figure walked toward me, blocking the rays. It lifted me up in its arms and crushed my face against its shoulders. I couldn’t breathe.

“Tea or coffee?”

I opened my eyes. “What?”

“She’ll have tea,” Rita told the stewardess, “and I’ll have coffee. Thanks.”

My voice rough from fitful sleep, I choked out, “How much longer?”

“We land in about an hour. Wow, you were out. I hope you don’t make little whimpering sounds when you’re sleeping with Officer Hot Ass. It’s really not attractive. But, I’m a little jealous. I can never sleep on planes.”

I rubbed my eyes. “The two rum and cokes probably helped. What are you reading?”

“Witchcraft for Dummies.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, I’m serious. The airport book store had a small occult section. I also picked up So Now You’re a Witch and Celtic Witchcraft.”

“I thought Gran said all we needed was the Book.”

“Never hurts to be prepared.”

“Prepared for what, Rita? Honestly, what are we doing?”

Rita said, in perfect imitation of our grandmother, “We’re fulfilling our destiny.”

“Stop it.

“Look, I don’t know. We couldn’t sit in Gran’s house waiting for someone to bash our brains in, could we? We’ll meet with Auntie Peg, talk to some of the cousins and figure out how to return the Book to where it belongs. Think of it as an adventure.”

“Some adventure.”

“Oh, Anne Marie, do you have to drain the joy out of every situation? Look on the bright side.”

“Bright side?”

“You don’t have to deal with that bastard Powers for the next week.” Rita reached over and picked up my paperback, which had fallen to the floor. She smirked as she looked at the cover. “Could Corrine tame the cold heart of the Highlander? Here, read your smut until we land. That should cheer you up, although I don’t know why you need a paperback fantasy when you have a live one ready to fill your bed. I swear, Annie, I’m jealous I didn’t meet him first. I love a man in uniform.”

“Yes, I know.”

She flipped through my book. “Maybe that was the problem between Karl and me. Maybe two boring lawyers shouldn’t marry.”

“Trust me, Rita, you are anything but boring.”

She smiled. “Why, thank you.”

I grabbed my book. “It wasn’t a compliment.”

Rita didn’t have a chance to answer because the stewardess came back with our drinks.

* * * *

Shannon Airport was almost empty when our plane arrived, only a few rumpled Americans looking in vain for a coffee. Rita was Miss Efficiency as she walked through the airport, retrieved our bags and made sure we got an upgrade on our car rental. Taking all those business trips must have taught her something. I tended to think of Rita as my flighty younger cousin, and was always surprised when she acted like an adult.

When I was twelve a neighbor of ours took his first trip to Ireland. He didn’t make it out of the airport parking lot.

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