Page 29 of Dead Air (Moon Murder Mysteries)

Nineteen

G iving Niall time and space was the right call.

Niall was so mad and overwhelmed, he couldn’t even look at Cenn.

The worst part was, Niall wasn’t that upset that Cenn had been evasive and misleading about who he was and why he had come to Hawksbill Mountain.

What else would you expect from a demon?

He was furious because Cenn had put himself in terrible danger and for getting Niall tangled in a feud with an evil warlock.

It was one thing to accept a demon into your life and to house train him, but Niall hadn’t signed up for warlocks, soul pacts, demigods, hellhounds, and eternal damnation. That was a lot to leave out!

Niall still believed that Cenn wouldn’t hurt him and that he could be trusted—with a massive grain of salt and several stipulations—but he also believed and trusted Professor MacIlwraith and Mr. Oglethorpe.

He was also grateful to Agent Nelson and the rest of their friends for rushing to the park and up to the summit to help someone they had never met.

They all seemed so good and decent that Niall was incredibly torn.

There was no way he could be against them and he was obviously going to help if they were being targeted by said evil warlock.

If Niall could help. But he had a sinking feeling that helping them could hurt Cenn.

Even worse, Niall had begun to suspect that Cenn considered the professor, Mr. Oglethorpe, and their friends his sworn enemies.

That was the overwhelming part.

He wanted to befriend these people and help them, not to deceive and hinder them the way Cenn was hoping he would.

But Niall also wanted to protect Cenn and possibly prove he wasn’t the heartless demon everyone thought he was.

Which was a big hurdle because it was safe to assume that Cenn didn’t want to be rehabilitated in their eyes and Niall barely understood what was going on.

Shelby seemed like a good place to start.

An uncomfortable place to start, but Niall could trust Shelby to be clearheaded and totally fair in his assessment of the situation.

He was on the porch, staring in the direction of the cliff and Niall’s “secret” salamander spot while the others were making themselves at home on the front lawn.

Two large tents took up most of the cleared patch and Agent Nelson was setting up a fire pit.

Niall had no idea where everything had come from but was impressed by how well-prepared they were and how safe their site already looked.

“Interesting morning?” Niall gave Shelby an apologetic grimace as he sidled up but received a glare and a hard snort.

“There was no way I’d let this bunch head up here without me, not if they were lookin’ for you.

” He grumbled something under his breath about being a ‘damned fool’ before continuing.

“I heard all kinds of crazy shit as we were hiking but I kept tellin’ myself I wasn’t hearin’ them right or it was all over my head because I’m not a scholar.

Then we get up here and I find out he’s some kind of demon and the two of you have been—” Shelby shook his head, unable to look at Niall.

“How the fuck do I save you from a demon and a warlock?”

Suddenly, Niall was the monster. “Don’t!

” He shook his head quickly and it took a strong shove to turn Shelby so he’d look at Niall.

“I’m sorry I didn’t give you a chance. I wanted to ,” he said heavily and pointedly.

“But I came here to get away from something terrible in my past and I was afraid you’d find out. ”

“You were hiding,” Shelby whispered and for a moment, his expression clouded with sympathy and regret before he sniffed hard and nodded. “I always wondered what it was, why you wouldn’t let me in. I kept hoping it was just you bein’ stubborn and that one day you’d decide you were ready.”

Niall laughed. “I was so ready, but I was scared of how much I’d like you and how hard it would be to lie to you and hide the truth.”

“Knowin’ me and how I felt about you, I probably would have gone with it or helped you run from the law,” Shelby said, chuckling sadly.

“I wasn’t running from the law. I…relocated in a dramatic fashion to escape a terrible relationship.

” Why was it so hard to say he was a victim and that Andy was abusive?

Niall hadn’t broken any laws but he was still too ashamed to admit he had run and had lied about why he climbed to the summit of Hawksbill Mountain six years ago and never left.

“I wish I could have helped you make peace with that and start over.” Shelby said and started to reach for Niall’s cheek but stopped himself.

He turned back to the view and braced his hands on the rail.

“This doesn’t feel right!” he whispered tightly.

“How the hell could it feel right? Merlin gave me some kind of ‘Celtic Mythology for Idiots’ seminar on the way up but I didn’t understand half of what he was sayin’!

I would have paid more attention if I knew this shit was real! ”

“I need to see when Mr. Oglethorpe is giving the next one because I need that seminar,” Niall said, swinging his head toward his door.

Shelby nodded.“That’s who you should be talking to. Merlin and the professor can tell you everything you need to know.”

“I’ll do that. I mean it, Shelby.” Niall grabbed his arm and squeezed it.

“Don’t waste any time wishing you’d done something different or trying to find a way to save me.

I’m safe with Cenn as strange as that sounds.

He takes good care of me and I bring out parts of him that aren’t evil.

He’s considerate and protective when it’s just the two of us and I think my purpose is to make him love something again, so he can find his way back,” he explained, causing Shelby to laugh and swear.

“You would make it your mission to save a demon. Why didn’t I see that coming?” He gestured for Niall to go on. “You need to talk to those two.”

“I’ll see you later.” Niall said a quick prayer before going back inside. He didn’t want to feel more conflicted.

Inside the cabin, someone had started the pellet stove and Mr. Oglethorpe was warming his hands as the professor leaned against the freezer, reading the back of Niall’s novel.

“So… Professor MacIlwraith…” Niall pushed out a steadying breath and headed for the shelf over the sink to get his last two mugs. “How bad is this Cenn Cruach thing?” he asked as he gave them a quick rinse.

“You can call me Nox and just call him Merlin,” Nox said, hopping up and sitting on the freezer. “It’s really bad, but not nearly as bad as I was expecting.”

“Oh?” Niall turned and studied one of the mugs as he dried it. “How’s that?”

“Well…” Nox chewed on his lip thoughtfully. “He’s far more reasonable than I thought he’d be and your soul’s still intact. That means he must have something resembling a conscience.”

“Or something else planned that we haven’t yet ferreted out,” Merlin cautioned. “He is the father of the dirty, underhanded deal and he invented the long con. Our best hope is that Cenn Cruach decides that his pride and his honor are at stake.”

Nox groaned heavily. “Putting our faith in a demon’s pride and honor is risky business,” he said but Merlin snorted.

“They deserve each other and I have a feeling Hugh Dùbhghlas is about to learn a valuable lesson about biting off more than he can chew with Cenn Cruach. I would bet the great and powerful Lord Smoak is planning his revenge as we speak.”

“This could get ugly,” Nox whispered excitedly as he rubbed his hands together. “Huge Douchebag has pulled some really nasty tricks lately.”

“You must think I’m a terrible person,” Niall said, handing Merlin and Nox the mugs and gesturing at the jug of drinking water on the counter. “I have some tea.”

“Nonsense. We know you’re not a terrible person and we brought refreshments.” Merlin held up a flask and filled his mug, then passed it to Nox.

Nox ducked and offered Niall an encouraging smile. “I think you’re brave and that you’re handling this like a boss. I understand the allure and that darkness isn’t always evil. Even my people, the Tuath Dé, were called demons and fallen angels, depending on who was telling the legend.”

“Right…” Niall nodded slowly. “I don’t know about any allure.

.. I preferred Cenn when he was a really hot biologist before I knew about the whole…

father of demons thing. But I wasn’t that afraid of him when I found out because I’ve met human men who seemed like worse monsters.

Cenn might be this Lord Smoke guy, but he’s never hurt me and I… think I can trust him.”

That got a good laugh out of Merlin. “You are wiser than your years, lad, but trust Cenn Cruach at your own peril. There are men—and women—who offend demons, because they’re capable of such tremendous acts of evil.

Men like Huge Douchebag. And it’s usually a demon, one of Lord Smoak’s ilk, who delivers their comeuppance.

The light cannot always contain the darkness and sometimes, the only remedy for something as dark and evil as Hugh Dùbhghlas is a greater evil, like Smoak. ”

Nox nodded and hummed into his mug. “The thing about gods and goddesses and monsters and fae is that they belong to both the darkness and the light. You can’t have one without the other. There’s always madness in magick, or else it would just be science.”

“Cenn Cruach is where madness and magick merge and that is his true nature.” Merlin held up a hand and turned to the door. “He’s approaching.”

Niall saw the tense look that passed between Nox and Merlin, wishing they understood what Cenn was really like. “I think I can change him. He has changed since we met.”

“You sweet summer child,” Merlin said with a tender smile at Niall.

“He’s a hell of a lot smarter than you think,” Cenn said as he stepped out of the corner behind the door, startling Nox and Merlin and making Niall roll his eyes.