The Stolen: An American Faerie Tale by Bishop O'Connell Read Free Book Online Page B

been something out of an Old English gentleman’s club. “You can set her on the couch.” He pointed to the large overstuffed sofa.
    Brendan placed a pillow behind Caitlin’s head and gingerly brushed hair from her face.
    Edward cleared his throat. “Kris is, uh, still in my car.”
    Brendan winced and stood quickly.
    Edward eyed him as he walked by. Brendan could feel it. He returned with the other girl, and Edward motioned to a love seat as he laid a blanket over Caitlin. “Over here.”
    Although the girl wasn’t tall, her legs still reached past the armrest. Taking a cue from Edward, Brendan found another blanket and draped it over her.
    â€œSo, what do we do now?” Edward sat on the arm of the sofa, putting himself between Brendan and Caitlin.
    Brendan looked Edward up and down, then in the eye.
    â€œWhat?” Edward leaned back as his eyes twitched.
    â€œYou’re staying here and watching over them,” Brendan said. “Keep your wards up and going till I come back. The oíche might’ve tracked us here.”
    â€œWhat are you going to do?”
    Brendan let out a long sigh. He’d been trying to put off the inevitable, but it wouldn’t be ignored any longer. He wasn’t going to find any useful information without an older friend’s help. “Well, I’m off to have a bit of a chat with someone who might know about where the oíche took the girl.” He turned and made for the door. Maybe there was another option though.
    â€œWait a second.” Edward stepped in Brendan’s path.
    â€œWe going to do this dance again, then, are we?”
    â€œWould you please tell me what’s going on here?”
    â€œYou’re dense as a block of Connemara marble. I told you already, didn’t I? Faer—­”
    â€œYes, I heard you the other eight times. Faeries accosted Caitlin, then used her purse or something in it to get past some kind of protection and kidnap Fiona. But why would faeries take her?”
    â€œIt don’t matter.”
    â€œWhat? Of course it matters! Does this kind of thing happen all the time?”
    Brendan swallowed. “Not like it used to, but—­”
    â€œLook, I’m the closest thing she has to family.” He pointed at Caitlin. “I don’t know anything about you, though.”
    â€œEasy there, buc—­”
    â€œNo!” Edward took a step closer. “Maybe you don’t care why they took her daughter, but I’ve known that little girl since she was born. She’s like my own daughter.”
    â€œWill it help get her back?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œWill knowing why they did it help get her back?”
    â€œIt might, actually. I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know much about all this, but I can help.”
    Brendan laughed.
    â€œYou dismiss me out of hand and I’m just supposed to trust you with getting my friend’s daughter back?”
    After watching Edward for a moment, Brendan half smiled and nodded. “Aye, you’re right.”
    â€œI, what?” Edward furrowed his brow. “I am?”
    â€œTime is an issue here, boss. There are all kinds of things they could want the girseach for, but figuring out that kind of thing isn’t what I do.”
    Edward waited.
    â€œI don’t have time to go into it all, either way,” Brendan said. “You’re right, you’ve got no reason to trust me, but we need to get past that now, don’t we?”
    â€œI suppose you’re right.” Edward narrowed his eyes. “Do you swear?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œYou seem the sort who values honor and your word. Do you swear that you’re only in this to help Caitlin get her daughter back?”
    â€œNo.”
    Edward’s face dropped.
    Brendan smiled and stepped close. “I’m also interested in giving the oíche a dose they won’t soon forget. And that’s