Belladonna

Still, there was enough to start with. A couple of times his eye caught Brighid's, and he was sure there was the same blend of worry and relief in his eyes as he saw in hers.
    And he saw the undisguised relief on Peg's, Moira's, and Kayne's faces when Glorianna Belladonna gave her approval of the house.
    Warrior of Light, Peg had called her.
    Images. Stories. Truths. Choices.
    This is the second time someone has called her the Warrior of Light, Michael thought. She knows it's not a coincidence, so she won't dismiss it forever. The day will come when she'll ask you for the story. If you lie to protect what your own heart desires, what harm will you do to the world?
    "We've done some repairs on the walls," Kayne said, now sounding nervous as they walked to the walled garden behind the house. "On the outside. We would have fixed the gate — put on a new one — but we weren't sure if that would be intruding too much."
    Michael watched Caitlin hesitate at the gate, then turn and look at Glorianna. And saw, in that moment, the transition from girl to woman, from child to adult.
    "She'll be all right, won't she?" he said softly as Caitlin and Glorianna slipped into the garden.
    "In all ways," Lee replied. "Come and help me pick out a couple of locations for a stationary bridge."
    "I thought you said you couldn't build one."
    "I can't build one between the White Isle and Lighthaven. But between here and Aurora? Shouldn't be a problem. Caitlin's resonance is in harmony with Nadia's and Glorianna's — and yours, by the way." Lee gave him a long look. "Every bridge I build now adds to the risk of the Eater of the World finding a way into Glorianna's landscapes and, therefore, finding the Places of Light.
    Caitlin's landscapes aren't isolated from the rest of the world; neither are yours. But if it will help you rest at night, I can build a bridge between one of your landscapes and Darling's Harbor to make it easier to visit."
    "That offer is being made from one brother to another, yes?" Michael asked. Lee tipped his head in agreement. "What would the Bridge say?"
    "He wouldn't be making a bridge between here and anywhere. But Caitlin needs what Nadia, and especially Glorianna, can teach her. So I will make a bridge."
    "And pray to the Light that the Eater doesn't find this place?"
    "Yes," Lee said. "That's exactly what I'll do."
    Michael took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he studied the walls of a garden he'd last seen on a hill in another part of his country. "All right then. I'll think on your offer. For now, let's see about this bridge you've already decided to make."

Chapter Twenty-four
    M ichael sat on the bench and watched the fish flash gold among the water plants in the koi pond. His mind was carefully blank, but the absence of busy thought wasn't restful. Not like it should have been. Because he was busy not thinking about the woman who wasn't there.
    "Are you stewing, brooding, pondering, or just letting a part of your brain float on the water?" Lee asked, settling on the other end of the bench.
    "Anything tries to float on that water is going to get eaten," Michael replied. "Doesn't anyone ever feed those fish?"
    "Sure. Doesn't mean they won't forage for themselves when the opportunity presents itself." Lee studied him. "Still worried about Caitlin?"
    Michael rubbed his hands over his knees. "Kayne seemed a bit too interested in a girl her age,"
    "He's interested," Lee countered. "He's also smart enough to know the male who is currently holding Caitlin's attention is small, brown, and fuzzy."

    He grunted. Not an eloquent response, but better than admitting Lee was right about Andrew the dog being Caitlin's companion for the foreseeable future. Then he sighed. "My heart aches because someone else is happy. Does that make me a ripe bastard?"
    Lee said nothing.
    Michael kept his eyes focused on the pond. "I respected my aunt Brighid because she came to help me and Caitlin when we needed her, and I suppose I loved her, but it was a duty love, if you take my I meaning." He glanced over long enough to see Lee nod. "I couldn't hear the music of her heart. Crashing chords and odd rhythms, but not the melody, not the tone that usually gives me a sense of who a person is."
    "She wasn't where she belonged," Lee said quietly. He waited a beat. "What do you hear in her now?"
    "A grand song. Something I never would have I imagined was in her. Even before I listened for the song, I saw her face when we stepped off