Blood and Blade (Goddess with a Blade #6) - Lauren Dane Page 0,92
to interpret them. I’m at loose ends.”
Her mother smiled. Proud. “But you do. You’ve interpreted them both, have you not? There will be more dreams. This is one of your gifts from Brigid, manifesting itself. And the more you have them, the easier you’ll find it to interpret them. Until you have a dream that isn’t easy to interpret. But I expect you know that too.”
“Nothing is easy.”
Her mother’s laugh soothed the jagged edges in her belly. “Nothing worth having is easy.”
“It’d be nice if things could be easy just every once in a while. I promise I wouldn’t complain.”
“Yours isn’t an easy path. I’m sorry for that. I wish your father and I could have given you a life full of love and without all this struggle. But that isn’t to be. So I hold on to what I have and these moments in time where I can speak to you and tell you I love you and I believe in you.”
Okay. Well, that was worth it. Worth all the difficult stuff life tossed her way because she did have a mother. Even if it was fleeting.
Her mother faded, replaced by Brigid. A double header was a portent of big things to come.
“It is indeed a portent of big things to come,” Brigid said. “The old powers are restless because of this Faerie. This is why Carl has been to see you twice in such a short period of time. They want to help you defeat our enemy.”
“If they did, just saying things clearly and plainly would be a start. If I have to spend all my time trying to figure out what I’ve been told, I can’t use what I’ve been told. So what’s the point in that?”
“I know you’re frustrated. These are trying times and you, as usual, are here doing the hard work of keeping balance. And as much as you’re going to hate this next part, there are rules as to what a sage can say and how that sage can say it. If Carl doesn’t obey them, he won’t be able to communicate with you and no one wins. He’s on your side. I promise.”
“I know he is. Mostly. It’s just I’m not that good at figuring this stuff out.”
Brigid laughed. “My sweet Vessel, you’re amazing at it. You’re just a little over thirty human years old and look at your life. The friends and allies you’ve managed to surround yourself with are all you need to take this Fae out. I will be there with you, as always. But as a bit of advice I want to tell you the Fae cannot lie, but they are masters at twisting the truth. And they’re masters at manipulating humans with those twisted truths to get what they want. You know your truth. Let that be unwavering. I believe in you.”
It should have seemed odd to hear the Goddess say She believed in Rowan when it was the other way around. But it felt absolutely like the thing she needed to hear most.
* * *
She was home by two thirty and decided to sleep, needing, very much, to rest and let everything she’d learned and heard settle deep when her waking brain wasn’t trying to argue with everything.
Star had been sleeping in the bed in a corner of the living room but when Rowan came through, she perked up with a sleepy yip before stretching and then trotting over, touching her nose to Rowan’s hand in greeting.
“Hi, yourself. Do you need to go outside?”
Star trotted toward the back doors so Rowan figured that was a yes and headed along to let her out.
As hot as it was during the day, the night, especially this deep into it, had begun cooling off so she was glad Star did her thing quickly before coming back to Rowan’s side.
Yawning, with a dog at her side, Rowan headed to her room and flopped onto her bed, only meaning to take a moment.
* * *
And ended up taking nine solid hours. No one woke her up but at some point, her shoes had been removed and a blanket had been put over her. Clive, she figured as she rolled over and saw the note he’d left on her pillow.
Didn’t want to interrupt what I am certain is well deserved rest. Sleep well. I’ll see you later today after sunset. I adore you. C
She blushed. Still not used to the way he so easily said such things to her and about her.