Read Online A Fine Cauldron Of Fish by Cornelia Amiri - Free Book Online Page A

mac Alloid scooted his chair
back, and with one fluid movement he stood. He lifted his hands
into the air, waving them in a circular motion. Suddenly, the air
sparked and an amber light circled Orbsen. He transformed before
Margaid and Andrew into a luminescent figure wearing a pale blue
tunic, with a silver belt covered in knot work, and a darker blue
cloak adorned with silver swirls. It was pinned with a large,
penannular brooch.
    Margaid gulped. “Why did you take my
voice away?” She gazed accusingly at the druid.
    “ Because sometimes you
speak too much. Still I will hear what you ask of me and I will
consider your request based on the service you have given
me.”
    “ What are you talking
about?” Andrew whipped his neck toward the druid. “Who are
you?”
    “ It’s him.” Margaid let go
of Andrew’s hand, clasped her palms together and stepped forward to
Orbsen. “I failed as a lhiannan
shee .”
    “ You didn’t find a man to
seduce?”
    “ No, I found one, but he
seduced me and now I’m his slave.”
    Andrew tried to stay calm but he
wanted to grab Margaid’s hand and run as fast as he
could.
    “ It is good you have come
to me.” The glowing god with long shivery hair held out his hands
to Margaid. “I will help you. I will slay him so you will be free
to seduce a man who cannot resist you.”
    “ No, no, don’t do that.”
She waved her hands in front of the god’s face. “I don’t mind being
his slave. I want to be with him.”
    Andrew looked the god straight in the
eye. “We love each other and you can’t change that.”
    The sea god ignored him and peered at
Margaid. “What?” His silvery brows arched and his glowing eyes
widened. “He must be quite a man.”
    “ Oh, he is.” Margaid stood
up and moved behind Andrew, who stood as well. She wrapped her arms
around his shoulders and chest “Here he is, his name is
Andrew.”
    Andrew turned his head and
gently placed a whispery kiss on Margaid's soft cheek. Then he
turned his gaze back to the deity. “You are a trickster god aren’t
you? I am not afraid of you and I won’t let you hurt Margaid. I’ll
have you know, she is not a failure. She is the most
wonderful lhiannan shee and the greatest woman I’ve ever met.”
    Mannon’s lips turned up into a broad
smile and he nodded at Margaid. “It doesn’t sound like he resisted
your charms. It sounds like he is enchanted by you.”
    “ Well, I don’t have his
blood in my red cauldron.”
    “ I can see that.” For the
first time Mannon peered at Andrew. “Your blood is still inside
you, right?”
    “ Yes, no one drained my
blood and I plan to keep it that way.”
    The god chuckled warmly. “Well, I can
understand why you would prefer that.”
    “ But I also want Margaid
free. She deserves more than to live her entire life as my slave,
and I won’t let you to turn her into a water horse
either.”
    “ Oh, I was looking forward
to turning you into a cabyll-ushtey , Margaid.”
    “ I wish you wouldn’t. But
if changing me into a water horse will keep Andrew safe, I would
willingly become one.”
    Mannon raised his huge cape up. “If I
flap this cloak between you, the two of you will forget each other
forever.”
    “ God Mannan beg mac y Leir,
if it means he will still live, then do it. I don’t want him harmed
just because he wants me free.”
    The god chuckled and let go of his
cloak so the hem hit the floor.
    Andrew quivered. Mannan beg mac y Leir
seemed so cruel, to actually laugh at them. If only he didn’t harm
Margaid, then Andrew could live with whatever the god dished out to
him.
    "Let’s run through this
again. Andrew, you want Margaid to be free, not a slave to you and
not a lhiannan shee to me. A free, human woman. And you are willing to die to ask
the favor for her.” Then the god turned to Margaid. “You want
Andrew to be kept safe and unharmed and you are willing to let me
turn you into a cabyll-ushtey , which is in truth your
greatest fear.”
    Andrew