Free Blood In Fire (Celtic Elementals Book 2) by Heather R. Blair

answering to Moiré . She’s scarier than me.”
    “No' by much,” Ronan said, cupping Lacey’s chin in an enormous hand, “Ye’re purely terrifying when yer pissed.” His face was so full of teasing love that Heather could only gape, then turn away when he kissed Lacey. It was a quick kiss but so thorough her friend was blushing before he released her.
    “I need to talk to Heather without you two hulking around.” Lacey’s words were soft in the big man’s ear, but Heather caught them.
    “I don’t ‘hulk’.”
    “Have you looked in a mirror lately?”
    “Ye want a mirror, we can get a mirror. I think a nice, big one would look right fine over the bed—”
    “Ronan, fer gods' sake,” Aidan interrupted.
    “He’s turning into such a bloody nag.” Ronan nuzzled Lacey’s neck as she giggled, then pushed him out the door at Aidan’s next words.
    “This nag is going vanish in a ball of fiery ash, mate, if you donna move yer horny arse…”
    “Well, now, why donna ye just take some more of tha' potion—ye remember, the one tha' ye stole from me? Ye cábúnach —”
    “Oh shut it, ye eejit lunatic. I thought we were mates. And here yer gonna watch me burn just to steal a kiss from yer woman…”
    Their voices moved off.
    “They really love each other, you know.” Lacey’s voice was fond as she watched the two men walk down the white stone path that curved away into the fading night.
    “Seems there’s love in the air.” Heather’s tone was accusing, but she couldn’t help it. Lacey was her best friend. She didn't understand any of this, not the least of which was what might be between Lacey and that big beast of a man.
    Lacey shut the door and turned around, regarding her with those bright eyes that always saw way too much.
    “I wasn’t hiding him from you, sweetie. I just didn’t know how to explain…to tell you… Shit, Heather! You have no idea what kind of crazy stuff has happened to me since I came to Ireland.”
    Heather started laughing. And laughing. She couldn't stop. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
    Lacey stared at her with her mouth open. A moment later, an understanding smile stretched her face and she started to giggle. “I guess Aidan has shown you some of the ‘sights’ then.”
    Heather gasped for air. “You could say that! Damn it, come here and give me a hug. Then we’ll share crazies and decide who is the most certifiable.”
    “I’ll win,” Lacey said confidently as she dropped to her knees by Heather and they wrapped their arms around each other.
    “I doubt it,” Heather whispered in her ear, real tears threatening as she squeezed the person she loved best in the entire world. “I think I saw a…a demon tonight.”
    “Seriously? Is that the best you can do? I've seen about a hundred of them. And I'm dating a werewolf. Former werewolf. Actually, we’re kind of getting married.”
    Heather jerked back, her hands on Lacey’s shoulders, speechless. Her friend smiled that sweet, knowing smile of hers.
    “Told you I’d win.”
     
    An hour later, Heather was sitting Indian-style across from Lacey on a big, furry rug in front of the fire, inhaling and wondering if someone had snuck a few pounds of high-grade bud in with the peat. Heather tried to wrap her head around all that she’d just heard.
    Her best friend had died last week. She had literally died in a cavern full of demons intent on using her blood to break the curse that had made her lover, Ronan, a werewolf. For centuries. Trapping both him and his family outside of time. Lacey had only been given a new lease on life because of that red-headed woman Aidan hated so much.
    According to Lacey, that same woman was the Celtic goddess of death.
    “That’s insane! And there are three of her?!”
    “Yeah,” Lacey said, munching on some chips she had pulled from Ronan’s desk. “It's the classic goddess trilogy; maiden, mother—or in her case— seductress , and crone. Anu, Bav and Machu. I haven’t met