Hounded

with those flat black eyes and promised me a short, miserable life—and I’m grateful for that, because the Morrigan has tried to make it the opposite as much as possible.
    » ‘You may enjoy this victory now, Druid,’ he said, ‘but you will never know peace. My agents, both human and Fae, will hound you until you die. Always you will have to look over your shoulder for the knife at your back. So swears Aenghus,’ blah blah blah. «
    » Where did you go? « Flidais asked.
    » At the Morrigan’s suggestion, I left Ireland to make it tougher for Aenghus to kill me. But the bloody Romans were everywhere and they weren’t friendly to Druids. It was the reign of Antoninus Pius, so I had to travel east of the Rhine to escape them and join the Germanic tribes holding the line there. I fathered a child, picked up a language or two, and waited a couple generations for people in Ireland to forget about me. By stealing Fragarach, I had ensured plenty more battles and horrible, bloody deaths. Conn wasn’t able to fully unite all the tribes without Fragarach to enforce his will, and Aenghus Óg’s dreams of some kind of Pax Ireland were ruined. Even though Conn won that battle and slew Mogh Nuadhat, he had to settle for a patchwork of truces and marriages to keep the illusion of peace, and it all fell apart after his death. The Morrigan has used my name to goad Aenghus Óg ever since, not that he needed it. After I bore witness to his cowering before her, there was nothing he wished more than to erase his humiliation by erasing me. «
    » How long since you have wielded Fragarach? «
    » I will not say. « The goddess’s face fell a bit, clearly disappointed that her gambit had failed, and I grinned. » But if you are wondering if I have kept up with my swordsmanship, the answer is yes. «
    » Oh? And with whom do you spar out here? I would imagine that there are few mortals alive who are truly skilled with a blade anymore. «
    » You imagine correctly. I spar with Leif Helgarson, an old Icelandic Viking. «
    » You mean he can trace his lineage back to the Vikings? «
    » No, I mean he really is a Viking. Came to this continent with Eric the Red. «
    The brow of the goddess knitted in confusion. There were a few extremely long-lived mortals like me running around, but she thought she knew them all. I could tell she was reviewing them in her head, and when she failed to recall any Vikings, she said, » How is this possible? Has he made some sort of bargain with the Valkyries? «
    » No, he’s a vampire. «
    Flidais hissed and leapt out of bed, landing in a defensive fighting posture as if I was going to attack her. I very carefully did not move except to turn my head a little bit and admire her perfectly sculpted form. The last rays of the day’s sun were filtering through the blinds, leaving soft striped shadows on her lightly tanned legs.
    » You dare consort with the undead? « she spat.
    I really hate that word, even though I occasionally catch myself using it. Ever since Romeo and Juliet , I am of Mercutio’s mind when he takes issue with Tybalt’s suggestion that he consorts with Romeo. To mask my irritation, I grinned and tried to affect an Elizabethan accent. » Zounds, consort? Wouldst thou make me a minstrel? «
    » I speak not of minstrels, « she scowled. » I speak of evil. «
    Oh well. Not a fan of the Bard, then. » Your pardon, Flidais. I was alluding to an old play by Master Shakespeare, but I can see you are in no mood for light banter. I would not say that I consort with the undead, for that would imply a relationship beyond what is minimally necessary for business. I merely employ Mr. Helgarson. He’s my attorney. «
    » You are telling me that your lawyer is a bloodsucking vampire? «
    » Yes. He is an associate at the firm of Magnusson and Hauk. Hauk is also my attorney; he’s also Icelandic, but he is a werewolf and takes care of clients during the day, and Helgarson obviously does his business after sunset. «
    » Associating with a member of the Pack I can understand, and even approve. But frolicking with the undead, that is tabu. «
    » And a wiser tabu has never been enforced by any culture. But I have never frolicked with him and have no plans to do so. Leif is not the frolicking type. I merely use his legal services and occasionally spar with him because he is the finest swordsman available in the area—and the fastest as well. «
    » Why does the pack member work with the vampire?