Chapter 62: Chapter Sixty-Two: A Dannan Reunion
Where is the Shai'Alomar!" Colleen yelled. She stormed through the cottage and was back in the kitchen where Fiona and Tully were tied to kitchen chairs. "Where have you hidden it!"
"How many times do we have to tell you!" Tully raged back at Colleen. "We do not have your bloody knife!"
Colleen's wild green eyes landed on Tully's bloodied face, she had used Fiona's rolling pin to try to convince him to give up the location. When he would not give her an answer, she tried a different tactic. If she turned her full wrath on Tully, Fiona would relent and tell her.
So far nothing neither one was talking. Now that she was in Arwyn, her Da'ark powers were weakened. But she could still wield weapons and if necessary she could still exert her thrall over whom she pleased. She rummaged through the kitchen drawers and found a meat cleaver. Colleen grunted in satisfaction and glared over her shoulder at Tully, "If you lose a few fingers or perhaps an ear, that will loosen Fiona's tongue."
"No!" Fiona screamed. "Colleen don't do this!"
"Then tell me where you've hidden the knife!" Colleen demanded.
"I don't know!" Fiona cried.
"You could never lie to me!" Colleen told Fiona, "You're lying to me now! If you don't tell me he will lose an ear!" She laid the cleaver blade against the top of Tully's ear. The edge was sharp and as she applied pressure, she drew blood and a groan from Tully.
"Oh, please stop this madness! Please!" Fiona cried out as she strained against the ropes that held her in her chair.
"Then. Where. Is. It!" Colleen hissed at Fiona, the blade cutting deeper into the flesh of Tully's ear.
"All right!" Fiona cried, "I'll tell you! It's in Mother's secret hiding place!"
Colleen paused. "In the apothecary?"
"Yes," Fiona said, "Just take it and go!"
"No, you go get it," Colleen said, and she stepped behind Fiona and yanked Fiona free, "Go get it bring it back here!"
"Don't hurt him!" Fiona pleaded with Colleen. "Please!"
"Hurry up," Colleen snapped, "Just hurry up and bring the dagger here to me!"
Fiona hurried out of the kitchen and into the apothecary, once inside the room, she looked around. To see Colleen again after so many years shocked her! She had aged but still looked younger than Fiona. Fiona went over to the shelves where the leather-bound books stood in order by years. She pulled two thick books from the end of one shelf at eye level and reached back to feel for the release mechanism. She found it and pressed the metal spring latch. The entire shelf swung forward and there on a narrow shelf was the slim box containing the Shai'Alomar. She pulled it free and hurried back into the kitchen. She slammed the wooden box on the kitchen table in front of Colleen.
"There!" Fiona declared tearfully, "Take it and go!"
Colleen waved Fiona back from the table with her cleaver. Immediately Fiona moved away to edge closer to where Tully sat. He was leaning heavily against his restraints. Blood continued to slide in a thin trail down the side of his face into his beard. Luckily, Colleen had not finished slicing the blacksmith's ear from his head!
"Take your bloody prize and go!" Tully growled. His black eyes glared up through his thick brows at Colleen where she stood gazing avidly at the box Fiona had delivered.
Colleen ignored Tully and reached over and flipped the latch. She opened the box and gasped where the dagger lay in black velvet. The blade glinted in the dull light of the kitchen lanterns. She smiled in triumph then turned and glared up to the ceiling of the cottage, "Watcher! Come here to me!"
Bracken popped up, crouching low under the kitchen table. "I here!" he said. His brown face was crinkled up in pain as he fought against the thrall Colleen exerted on him.
She felt him push back against her control. It was proving more difficult to maintain her power on the Watcher. He yielded readily enough when threatened with the prospect of her burning down the home grove and every Watcher with it!
Colleen slapped the lid shut and latched it. She turned her cold eyes on the Watcher, "Take this to the arch and hide it! If you see or hear anything you come back here instantly and report it!"
Bracken hopped up on the table, grabbed the box in his hands, and was gone. Colleen looked over at Fiona. "Sit down! Tell me everything!"
Fiona did as she was told. "What do you want to know?"
"Why did Maire send the girl to you?"
"She didn't want to," Fiona said. "But Sunny was heartbroken, and Maire sent her to me to help heal her. I never wanted her to discover her powers."
"It will not take much to mold her to my will," Colleen said. "All you managed to do is make her weak!"
"Sunny is just an innocent girl, Colleen!" Fiona declared.
Colleen scoffed at Fiona. "Innocent? You are stupid, Fiona!"
"What do you mean?" Fiona asked,
"Nicodemus Fury," Colleen replied. "Just like you, she follows him around like a lovesick puppy! He is the same soulless bastard he's always been. He's using her just like he used you and tried to use me!"
"What?" Fiona looked horrified.
Colleen angled a hard look at Tully, "You knew what he was up to, didn't you?"
Tully remained silent. Colleen laughed. "Of course you did! But you were fine as long as he stayed away from your precious Fiona!"
"No!" Fiona said. "Nicodemus is protecting –
Colleen waved her hand at Fiona and the power of speech was paralyzed. "Now we wait!"
"Wait for what?" Tully rumbled.
"Your rescuers!" Colleen declared then scoffed at the very notion! "That silly granddaughter of mine is coming!"
Fiona wept soundlessly and mouthed the words: "Oh, please!"
Colleen laughed harshly in Fiona's face. "You foolish old woman! She is going to move the dagger for me! I know what she is, and she'll have no choice but to do what I tell her! Not if she wants to save all your miserable lives!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone