“Don’t ask if you don’t want to know. It’ll be messy, but it should do the job. So if you’ll get either Sawyer or—”

“Do you think I’m so weak?”

“I don’t think that at all.” He swayed, had to catch himself, grip the bed to sit upright. “It’s only that—”

Because she worried she was weak, she picked up the silver-handled knife. “How do I open it?”

“All right then, all right. I need to stand.” He gripped one of the bedposts, pulled himself up. Fresh sweat popped out on his skin. “The candles on the floor, they’re three points of a triangle.”

She set them out. “Do they need to be lighted? Should I get matches?”

“Yes, and no.” He stretched out a hand, and the wicks flickered to life. “Stand behind me, and hold the bowl under the wound in your left hand, the knife in your right. When I tell you, you’re to draw a circle around the two punctures.”

“With the knife?”

“Not deep, just enough to break the skin. And when I tell you, you’ll open each puncture by carving them with an X. Sharp and quick now, and if you feel you’d hesitate, get one of the men.”

“All right.”

He gripped the bedpost with both hands, and stared at the candles.

“Whatever you see or feel, do just as I’ve said.”

He took a moment to steady himself, center himself.

“Airmed, Brigid, Dian Cecht, hear your son and servant. This pure light I offer you, one by three.” As he spoke the flames speared up, shone white as the wax. “Banish the dark within my blood. Within this circle, draw it clear. Now, Sasha, the circle.”

His fingers whitened on the bedpost as the knife point scored over his inflamed flesh. “I call upon you, power to power and blood to blood, till the black runs clear, runs true.

“As you will, so mote it be.”

He braced himself. “Open them, catch all that comes in the bowl. Quick and sharp.”

It felt as if she scored him with a flaming blade, both burn and cut sliced deep, and hot.

Then the fire was in him, a burning-hot wire through his blood. His skin quivered; his knees shook and wanted to buckle.

Her voice came through the throbbing in his head.

“Just hold on. Hold on. It’s nearly done.”

He focused on her voice—it quivered as well, but she continued to talk him through.

“The redness is fading. How much more?”

“Not done. It’s better, not finished, but better.” He could breathe now, and as the dizziness passed, loosened his vise grip on the bedpost.

“It looks clear now.”

“Nearly,” he told her. “Very nearly.”

“How will I know when—” The three candle flames flashed, a quick, hard burst of light, then glowed quiet. “Oh.”

“That should do it.”

“Let me get a towel to— You’ve stopped bleeding. Just stopped.”

“Well, three healing deities should be able to staunch blood if they’ve a mind to. Especially with some fine assistance.” He turned, took the bowl from her.

“It’s black. It came out black until . . .” It made her stomach roil to look at the blood. “What should I do now?”

“If you can manage it, you could coat the punctures with the salve. I can reach the rest. And that should take care of things.”

She took it from the top of her dresser, coated her fingers, spread it as gently as she could on the punctures. Then moved on to the scoring along his ribs.

“You should take this,” she told him.

“I’ll make more.”

“How long does it take to make?”

“A bit of time.” She’d helped him, he reminded himself, so he owed her honesty. “And a day to cure.”

Nodding, she took more salve, coated her injured arm with it, closed the jar, and then to his amused surprise, dropped it in one of the pockets of his cargoes.

“If I need more, I’ll ask for it.”

“All right.”

She looked at the bowl, the way his healthy red blood lay over the sick and black. “What will you do with it?”

“I’ve some ideas to work out. For now, seal it up. You’ve a steady hand, Sasha. And I’m grateful.”

“Then don’t be careless again.” She bent down for the candles, handed them to him. “I’m going to finish Riley’s painting, then I’m really going to be ready for one of her famous margaritas.”

“I could do with one myself.” He set the candles down, slid the knife in his belt, then picked them up again. “I’ll see you downstairs.”

He started to the door, stopped to turn back to her. “I’ve never thought you weak, not for a moment. I hope you’ve stopped thinking of yourself that way.”

“I have.”

“I’m glad of it.”

He took his knife, his candles, and the copper bowl with poisoned blood and clean mixed to his room, then went back for the herbs and plants.

A day to cure, he reminded himself when he considered putting off making the salve.

So he cleansed his knife, sealed the blood. And got to work on the housewifery.

CHAPTER TEN

Riley mixed margaritas on the terrace, and considered playing bartender her kitchen contribution for the day.

Along with the full pitcher and glasses, she brought out her maps.

She poured the first glass, held up a finger while she sampled, then smiled. “Definitely. More where this came from,” she said, and sat. “I got us an RIB,” she began.

“What is that?” Sasha asked.

“Rigid-hulled inflatable boat,” Doyle told her. “How big?” he demanded as Sasha murmured, “Inflatable?”

“Twenty-eight feet, with a wheelhouse. My contact says she’ll do seventy knots.”

Bran considered the pitcher, decided why the hell not, and poured out glasses. “The friend of a friend of an uncle?”

“Not this time. Cousin of a friend’s husband.”

“Outboard?” Doyle asked.

“Yeah. Can you handle an RIB?”

“I can, and have.”

“Good, that makes two of us.”

“When you say inflatable . . . ” Sasha began.

“Fast, open—stable. It’s a good dive boat,” Riley assured her. “I can score us diving equipment, but we’re going to have to shell out some.”

“I can get shells, all you need,” Annika said.

“Pay,” Riley explained. “I’ve worked us a deal, but it’s not free.”

“I don’t know how to dive.”

“You’ll stick with me when the time comes. I figure we start with the easier-accessed caves, work our way up—or down. Can you snorkel?”

“I haven’t in years.”

“It’ll come back to you.”

As they spoke Sawyer studied Riley’s maps. “I’ve done some research on some of these caves. The easier accessed won’t be a problem, which strikes me as the problem. I don’t think we’re going to find what we’re after somewhere anybody can get into.”

“That’s a good point. But we should eliminate in any case.” Bran glanced around the table for agreement. “And practice as well.”

“What about your compass?” Sasha tried a sip of the margarita and thought Riley was right. Definitely. “Would it help with location or direction?”

Obligingly, Sawyer took it out, laid it on the map. Where it sat, still and quiet.

“Battery low?” Riley suggested.

“Ha. Usually it means I can’t expect miracles until I put some work into it.”

“It’s fair.” Annika nodded. “To deserve miracles, you must work, and believe. This is very nice,” she said to Riley as she drank.

“World famous for a reason. Okay, I can outfit us, get us going for the cost of fuel, oxygen, and a hundred euro a day. If that works, we can pick up the boat in the morning.”

“More than a fair price.” Bran deliberated over the maps. “I’d say we could explore and/or eliminate several of these caves in a day or two. Then move on to the less accessible.”

“Works for me.”

“Will you be able to dive?” Sasha caught the flare of annoyance in Bran’s eyes, simply pushed forward. “He was hurt more seriously than he told us. And there’s no point being angry with me. We’re a team,” she reminded him. “So the health of one is of concern to all.”