Emerald Isle by Barbra Annino Read Free Book Online Page A

a badass-looking pirate. I shot a sideways look to the painting of Danu and asked, “What do you think?”
    A blinding light flashed off the silver of the mirror. I whipped around.
    Birdie’s door was still open and the lights were off, but something chimed within the room.
    Had I imagined the flash? Was it simply the front bell I heard ring?
    I walked into the room, clicked on the light switch, and looked around. The curtains were drawn, so I went to the window for a peek. Chance stood in the yard, a huge bouquet of roses in his strong hands, talking to Fiona. Then that stupid crow flew into view and tapped his beak on the glass three times. I yelped and jumped back.
    That’s when I noticed the smoke seeping from Birdie’s scrying mirror. I rushed over to it, fearing some sort of electrical fire. Perhaps it was positioned over an old outlet. I lifted the mirror gently but saw only wall space.
    Until I let go. Then I saw a face.
    If Big Bird had a mother, this was what she would look like. The woman staring at me through Birdie’s scryingmirror had some sort of yellow-feathered hat on her head that bobbed up and down all on its own.
    Unless it was an actual bird—I couldn’t be sure.
    I looked at my own scrying mirror, wondering if it too was equipped with Skype.
    The woman snapped, “I need to speak with Birdie.”
    “She’s not available right now. May I take a message?”
    The woman leaned forward, studied me for a moment. Then her eyes pierced through mine and a chilling grin swam across her face.
    I could not believe I was talking to a mirror while wearing a dress pieced together by recycled bits of other garments. I felt like Snow White meets Cinderella. And I had the sneaking suspicion that this woman was some kind of wicked.
    I stepped back, startled by the malicious vibe emanating from her. My stomach lurched and that old familiar feeling gripped me.
    Harmful intent.
    She said, “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the famous Stacy Justice.”
    Why did I get the inkling I was in for more than one surprise on my birthday?
    I tried to appear a whole lot braver than I felt. “And who might you be?”
    Her voice was coated with venom, as if she had just discovered a hundred Dalmatians and was itching for a new coat. “You don’t know who I am?”
    She waited for some recognition, but I had none. “Mrs. Peacock in the library with a wrench. Am I close?”
    The woman’s nostrils flared, and I was certain that fire was going to shoot from them. “You just tell your grandmotherthat I don’t care what kind of privileges she thinks she has with the council. You will never find that cauldron before my grandson does, and when he does, not only will they know you are not the true Seeker, but your mother’s chance for freedom will be lost forever. She will rot in that castle.”
    I had no idea what the hell she was talking about, but I got the sense that if I showed my confusion, she would feed off it like a vulture off a carcass.
    “Over my dead body,” I said.
    “That can be arranged, my dear.”
    I thought about smashing the mirror, but decided to just flip it around to face the wall.
    I paced around the room for a bit.
    What did she mean, my mother’s chance for freedom would be lost forever?
    More importantly, what was all this about a missing cauldron? And what the hell had Birdie promised?
    I stuck my head out the window and said, “Oh, Grandmother, may I speak with you a moment?”
    And I’ll be damned if that freaking crow didn’t laugh.
    Birdie had just set the corn muffins on the table outside. She was about to retrieve her granddaughter, when the child leaned out of Birdie’s bedroom window and called to her. Birdie gave Lolly an odd look, as if to say,
What now?
    Lolly shrugged and poured some wine for Anastasia’s suitor, Chance.
    Birdie wove her way around the table, her granddaughter’s familiar at her heels. She had just reached theback door when Fiona bustled through with an