The Silent Goddess: The Otherworld Series Book 1 Read Online Free PDF Page B

about to scold a child.  The message registered and Knackers quickly looked down at the floor.
    “Respect you deserve,” she said to Duncan as her eyes remained on Knackers. When she was sure her visual scolding had put Knackers in his place she returned her attention to Duncan and continued speaking.  “You are the key to the survival of us all I think.    Now, let us be friends and talk as friends should.  I see no others around that would object,” she said as her eyes slid back to Knackers.  “You may call me Fiona and I will call you Duncan.”
    Duncan nodded his head in agreement.  It never paid to disagree with a Bean Tighe, for as much as their purpose was to keep things clean, they could also make things very dirty and chaotic.
    “Very well, how may I help thee Fiona?” Duncan inquired.
    “Oh, I think you misunderstand Duncan,” she said with a motherly pat on his sword arm.  The action reminded Duncan that he was still poised to strike a blow.  He slowly lowered his sword to a less threatening position.  Fiona smiled gratefully and continued, “I am here to help you.”
    She smiled up at him and two dimples appeared in her rosy cheeks.  She hopped up on the chair Knackers had been using as a shield moments before; and wiggled her way back until she was comfortable.  Her tiny apple shaped face looked left then right before coming back to face Duncan.
    “It seems I have taken the only available seat, why is that?”  She asked raising a gray brow at him.
    “I am fine where I am and was not expecting company,” Duncan replied.
    She fixed him with a very disapproving look and snapped her fingers producing another chair.  She motioned for Duncan to be seated, “Sit, I’ll not be hurtin’ me neck ta stare up at ye.”  Duncan did as he was told and slowly lowered himself into the chair.
    “What ‘bout me?” Knackers whined.
    “Cat’s sit on the floor,” she snapped back at him.
    Knackers grumbled under his breath but he too did as he was told.  Seemingly pleased at the new seating arrangements she smiled and nodded.  It was not a sweet smile and Duncan groaned internally.  He had visions of Knackers being even more unkempt than usual; and then he thought of the smell and groaned out loud.
    Fiona seemed to ignore all of this.  “Now, though ye might be a great champion,” she said waving a stubby finger under his nose.  “This may prove yer toughest battle yet.”  Her proper court speech was gone and each word became accented in an Irish country manner that Duncan struggled to understand.
    “I will take whatever aide you can offer,” Duncan assured her.
    “Ye see before she came I served another family…”  Her eyes grew misty as she looked over his shoulder and became lost in a memory.  She inhaled deeply and set into her long tale.
    Fiona related the tale of the Murphy’s.  They had a fine sweet brood of children.  The house was filled with laughter and was alive then.  She told them how she would carefully tuck those sweet children into their beds every night and watch over them as they slept.  She had done her duty well and true and never left the Murphy’s until the last of them, the mistress of the house, died.  For decades the house was empty and with nothing to do, and feeling quite depressed, she fell asleep.
    Duncan listened patiently to her long tale plucking out the pieces that seemed most important and ignoring the pointless remembered tales of the children when they were small and their silly, yet adorable antics.  He picked out hidden clues.  The house belonged to an immigrant Irish family that brought the old ways with them to the New World.  Such places where Fae magick existed were always a source of stronger magick and considered, by some “safe havens”; while others would consider them haunted or cursed.  Duncan also found it strange that a Bean Tighe would fall asleep in an empty house instead of moving on.  He had never heard of such