Read Online Earth's Blood (Earth Reclaimed) by Ann Gimpel - Free Book Online

brogue, “ye might be the Old Ones’ prisoner now.” Her eyes narrowed and she returned to her usual English. “Once they had you, they’d have come back for me.”
    “Over my dead body,” Rune growled, having found his voice again.
    “Well, and none of that happened.” Gwydion spoke with a brisk asperity that revealed how drained he was.
    “Do you think the gates are still open?” Aislinn looked from one to the other of the Celts.
    Fionn shrugged. “I doona see why they should not be.”
    “We did change the quality of the spell binding these two,” Gwydion pointed out.
    “Okay, next question. Do you think Slototh went back to wherever he came from after I, ah, wounded him?”
    Another shrug. “We doona know that, either, lass. The dark gods are nearly impossible to kill. As the god of filth and all that’s discarded, Slototh would be particularly difficult to do away with, since he could hide behind all the memories he’s stolen.”
    Her gaze sought Gwydion. He nodded agreement and mimicked Fionn’s shrug.
    “Christ, what good are the two of you?” she blurted before dropping her head into her hands. “Ach, sorry. It’s just, I’m so tired I can barely see, let alone think straight.”
    She looked up in time to see something subtle pass between Fionn and Gwydion. Though she couldn’t quite interpret it, it alarmed her.
    Fionn herded her toward the stairs. Rune shambled to his feet and took his place on her other side.
    “Where are you taking me?”
    “To bed, leannán .”
    “The trouble’s not over, is it?” She stopped and turned, locking gazes with him.
    “Nay, lass. Not now. Mayhap not for a verra long time ahead, but ye need rest. And food once ye are rested.”
    “Aye.” Gwydion’s voice sounded from behind her. “Despite Fionn trying to shield you, ye were a great help here. Yon wolf, too. We need your magic. Ye must care for yourself so it is available to us.”
    She felt Rune preening in her mind and sent loving thoughts his way. He was so brave and so selfless, it made her feel petty by comparison. “I’m lucky to have you.” She buried her hand in his fur.
    “Yes,” he agreed, “you are.”
    She would have laughed, but she was too wiped out.
    Sandwiched between wolf and lover, Aislinn found her way back down the stairs. She didn’t even remember crawling into bed.

Chapter Five
    “W ake up!” Dewi’s mind voice blasted Aislinn out of a deep sleep.
    The fucking dragon.
    Aislinn rolled over. “I’m tired. Leave me alone.”
    “I am many things, too, but it does not excuse me from duty. Get up and get out here. Now.”
    Aislinn threw a pillow across the room and focused her bleary brain. Must mean Bran is back, too. Thank God we have reinforcements if those things upstairs get out of control again.
    Forcing her gritty eyes open, she rubbed them to get some of the irritating particles out. She could have slept several more hours. Her entire body ached. Rune was curled in his customary spot on the floor. It was the same place he’d slept in for years as Marta’s bond animal.
    Fionn was gone. His energy was unmistakable and it was conspicuously absent. She reached a hand to his side of the bed. Apparently he’d left quite a while ago because the duvet no longer held any remnants of his warmth.
    An imperious tapping sounded at her window. Rune growled.
    “None of that,” she chided the wolf. “It will only make things worse. It has to be Dewi. If she could fit inside this house, she’d have rousted me more directly.”
    Dragon laughter rattled the windowpanes. Aislinn threw back the comforter, pulled on the first robe she saw—which happened to be Fionn’s—and padded across the room to pull the curtains open. After a minor struggle, she managed to open a window.
    The dragon bent her long, sinuous, red-scaled neck down to peer at her. “You look like hell,” she pronounced.
    “Thanks,” Aislinn muttered.
    “You’re in luck. I have just the cure for that. Put