One Thousand Years to Forever Read Online Free Page B

also by Travis, who had the
habit of following him, in one form or another.
    “ Travis, beidh s’e sin ar
fad... ” He let his thoughts flow in the Irish to
Travis.
    Travis sat perched on the branch
and cocked his head towards Colum.
    “ Whatever are you thinking in the
Irish for when she can’t hear us? I know that will be all. But your
father told me to watch over you... ”
    Colum smiled but he knew it looked
strained. “Yes, we have met before... excuse me for a moment... ”
He bent and picked up a rock and threw it with precision of a
warrior who was used to hurling spears. It hit to the right of the
raven, making it squawk. As it flew away, it squawked some
more.
    “ Ni g’a duit a bheith chomh
rude... ” Then off he flew, fading in the distance.
    Colum let out a laugh. “Rude?”
    He turned back to Katherine and saw
her still standing, perfectly still, watching him and Travis with
her mouth open.
    “ You will have to forgive me.
Normally, I don’t have animals following me around like Snow
White,” he chuckled. He saw that made Katherine smile. How long had
it been since he had seen her smile? One hundred, two hundred
years?
    “ Let me introduce myself, my name
is Colum O’Heachthanna.”
    Katherine listened to the lilt in
his voice. She decided she liked it. His voice was deep like
thunder rolling off the hills but when he said his last name the
thunder was more like music and comforting.
    He saw her digesting his name. “You
could say the modern version, Ahearn.”
    It was Katherine’s turn to laugh.
“Somehow it loses something in the modern translation.”
    They stood there for a moment on
the side of the road with the gathering gloom about them when they
felt the first rain drop, each turning their faces to the
sky.
    Katherine turned her face to her
neighbor on the road. “Did you feel that?”
    “ Yes. Which way is home for
you?”
    Katherine pointed towards Rockport.
“That away.”
    “ Let’s see if we can out run
it.”
    They started running, the rain
continued to fall until they reached where she needed to turn onto
Mechanic Street off of Russell Avenue.
    Colum knew where they were going
but tried to act convincing enough. “Is this your home? When did
you move here?”
    Katherine stopped and started to
unlock her gate. “Come on in. I will make you a cup of tea or
coffee if you like.” Moving through the archway. “I moved here
September 11 th , just after my Grannie passed
away.”
    “ Oh, Margret O’Brien... That would
make sense. My parents will be saddened to know of her
passing.”
    Katherine looked up at her guest.
“You knew my Grannie?”
    Colum followed her into the house
and straight into the kitchen. He watched her as she lit the stove.
“I didn’t know her like my parents did. They knew her forever… it
seems.”
    He had known Margret for almost as
long as he had been alive. She was one of those rare creatures who
could get along and crossed boundaries. She had been part of the
high court of the Fae. During the Great Famine, she had come along
with many of her kind to America. He looked around and saw little
bits of her life from the old country. This place had suited her
and had been a haven for many a creature who had sought neutral
ground in the sometimes not-so-friendly other world.
    “ This place suits you. You remind
me of your Grannie, what little I knew of her.”
    Katherine smiled as she got mugs
down. “I hope you don’t mind having tea from a mug. I haven’t used
her china yet and somehow on a day like today, a mug of tea sounds
better.”
    Colum pulled a stool out and sat
down. Wondering if it would hold him. He wasn’t the smallest of
persons, otherworldly or human.
    Katherine stole a glance at the man
who sat at her counter, the very man who had saved her.
    Colum chuckled. “What are you
thinking?”
    Katherine bent her head like she
was busy getting out spoons. “Busted, I know... I was-was just
thinking and wondering what made you save