Brighid frowned at her. “As I was trying to explain-Cuchulainn just thinks he desires me because of what we experienced together. That will fade. That’s why it would be best if I absented myself from MacCallan Castle for a little while. To give him time to return to himself.”

“I understand your reasoning. It’s highly logical and realistic.” Elphame smiled slyly at her friend. “And it doesn’t take into account my brother’s stubbornness.”

“Of course it does.”

Elphame laughed. “Do you remember when Cu first realized his feelings for Brenna were serious?”

“Yes. His actions were far too annoying to easily forget. He made a complete ass of himself pursuing the poor girl relentlessly until she…” Brighid suddenly ran out of words.

Elphame arched one brow. “So you didn’t take into account his stubbornness. I also couldn’t help but notice that you’ve said Cu’s feelings were caused by the soul retrieval. But you’ve failed to mention much about your own.”

“Your brother and I are friends. I like him and I respect him,” she prevaricated.

“You are friends who care about and respect each other. Now add to that your beauty and the legendary centaur passion.” Elphame raised her voice and talked over her friend’s sarcastic snort. “Plus my brother’s definite flair with females, and then mix into it a soul-touching, intimate experience. Seems to me that unless you’re repulsed by humans it could all add up to much more than temporary infatuation.”

Brighid stared down into the frothy ocean. She was incredibly moved by what Elphame was saying. Her friend was making it clear that she would accept any kind of relationship Brighid had with Cu. Her heart tripped around in her chest. If only…

“It’s not that easy,” she finally said.

“Love rarely is,” Elphame said.

“El, I can’t love him! I can’t shapeshift.”

“After what you’ve just experienced in the spirit realm I shouldn’t have to remind you that love has more to do with the soul than it does the body.”

“Then I phrased it wrong,” Brighid said wearily. “The problem isn’t that I can’t love him. The problem is that if I do, I’ll forever desire what is absolutely and utterly impossible.”

“Look, I know you don’t like to talk about it, but your mother is-” Elphame broke off at her friend’s look of shock. “I’m sorry, Brighid. I didn’t mean to cause you pain by bringing up your family.”

“It’s not that.” Brighid wiped a shaky hand across her face. “It’s Brenna.”

“Brenna?”

“She-she came to me in a dream. Here, at MacCallan Castle. Oh, Goddess! I didn’t even realize until just now…”

“What is it, Brighid?”

The Huntress pressed her hand to her heart where it beat wildly against her chest. “She wanted my oath that I would keep an open mind to things that seemed impossible. She used that word exactly, El.”

Elphame’s eyes were bright with tears. “Did Brenna look happy?”

The Huntress nodded and her eyes filled, too.

“Did she say anything else?”

Brighid nodded slowly. “She said I could tell Cu about her visit, but not right away, that I’d know the right time. She also said that…” She hesitated, emotion choking her words.

Elphame took her friend’s hand.

“Oh, El-she said that she was leaving Cu to me. Freely, and without any hesitation. I-I thought she was talking about the soul retrieval. I never thought… I didn’t realize…”

“She was telling you that you have her blessing to love him,” Elphame said.

“I think she was.”

Elphame wiped at her cheeks. “Do you still think you should run away to Guardian Castle?”

Brighid smiled through her tears at her friend. “I can’t. I swore an oath to be open to the impossible. I have to stay and face it.”

“Well, my brother would certainly qualify as impossible.”

“And there you, Brenna and I are in perfect agreement.”

“So what are you going to do about him?” Elphame asked, sniffling happily and wiping her eyes.

“I don’t really know. I suppose I’ll just have to stay open to the possibility of…” She trailed off, feeling awkward and uncomfortable and extraordinarily out of her element.

“You’re going to stay open to the possibility of having a relationship with my brother.”

“Yes.”

“Well, he’ll be glad to hear it.”

Brighid gasped. “I’m not going to tell him!”

“But-”

“And neither are you. Please.”

“Fine. I’ll stay out of it.”

“Can we change the subject now?”

“If you insist,” Elphame said.

“I insist.”

“Just know that I’m here if you need to talk to me. As your friend, or as your Chieftain, or as Cuchulainn’s sister if he doesn’t behave himself.”

“Changing the subject?” Brighid reminded her.

“I just wanted you to know.”

“Thank you, now I know.” Brighid smiled fondly at her friend. “And I still want to change the subject.”

“I suppose you actually want to know what we’re planning for the New Fomorian village.”

“Absolutely.”

“Would you like to return to the blueprints so that I can show you what Cu and I drafted this morning?” Elphame’s eyes glittered at the possibility of taking the Huntress back to her brother.

“Why don’t you show me from here,” Brighid said dryly.

Elphame huffed an exaggerated sigh, but began pointing and explaining that she and Cuchulainn had decided to-once again-break tradition. Because of the lack of a typical family structure, they would build one large barracks-like building to house the majority of the children. The structure would be situated not far from the southern wall of the castle. Radiating from it would be a few small cottages, where the adults, as well as the older children, could have privacy. The rest of the plateau would be tilled and planted with a variety of crops, which the New Fomorians could tend and use for trade as well as tithe to MacCallan Castle.

“My hope is that eventually what happened between you and Liam will happen with more of the children and the clan,” Elphame continued.

“You hope that the children will almost pester the clan to death?”

Elphame laughed. “You know better than that. That boy belongs to you. I’m hoping many of the children find a place in the hearts and homes of my people. But I want to be careful not to force them. It has to happen naturally, and that could take some time.”

“Exactly like your brother and me,” Brighid muttered.

El smiled. “Not exactly, but I get your meaning.” She hesitated, and her smile faded. “You’ve been busy, so I’m sure you haven’t noticed, but we’re missing several members of Clan MacCallan.”

“How?”

“The first group left the same day you did. I didn’t like it, but it didn’t surprise me. I released them from their oaths, and said that if any more of the clan would like to join them to step forward.” Elphame shook her head sadly. “It still grieves me to think of it, but I do understand them. What we are proposing, to accept the return of a people who carry the blood of Partholon’s sworn enemies, is a radical thing.”

“They also carry the blood of Partholonian women-innocent women who lost their homes and their lives, and whose children deserve to be given a chance,” Brighid said.

“Not everyone believes that. Some people believe that anything with wings is a demon, despite what lives within his heart.”

Brighid snorted. “I’m glad those people are gone. We’re well rid of them. You are The MacCallan. They should have trusted that you would never put them in jeopardy.”

“I’m also mated to a man who carries the mark of his demon father’s blood.”

“And who proved his loyalty to you!” Brighid said furiously, even as she remembered her own instinctive mistrust of Lochlan. But she hadn’t let her doubts cause her to desert her Chieftain. Those who left had been wrong. They should have stayed close to Elphame and kept watch to be sure she wasn’t in danger.