Free The Dark Divide by Jennifer Fallon Page A

going?’
    ‘I will show you the way.’
    ‘Is it far?’
    ‘Not especially.’
    ‘Is there food there?’
    She poked him in the back to get him moving. ‘There is,’ Kazusa informed him, as she shouldered the katana again. ‘It remains to be seen, however, Youkai , whether or not my brother wishes to waste it on you.’

CHAPTER 9
    It was raining again by the time Darragh and Sorcha reached Jack’s place, which was fortunate because it kept the paparazzi next door in their cars. Darragh’s ankle was swollen and throbbing by the time Sorcha retrieved the key from its hiding place in the glasshouse and they let themselves into the kitchen. Rónán had a memory of Jack owning an impressive first aid kit, which Sorcha located in a cupboard under the kitchen sink. By the time Jack got home from his gardening club meeting, Darragh’s ankle was bandaged, he was almost dry and feeling very little pain due to the helpful contents of a small white bottle in the kit labelled ‘codeine’.
    ‘What the feck are you two doing here?’ Jack demanded. He entered the kitchen through the back door, shaking the rain from his coat as he spied Darragh sitting at the table. He didn’t need to have it explained to him that this was Darragh and not Rónán. Jack had seen them together and could tell the boys apart at a glance.
    ‘There was trouble at the rift,’ Sorcha explained, coming up behind the old man. She had a kitchen knife in her right hand and a scowl on her face that did not bode well for Jack’s future if he refused to help.

    Jack ignored Sorcha and stared at Darragh. ‘Trouble at the rift, you say? Is that how you cut your face?’
    Darragh fingered the bruised slice across his cheek. It was still there which meant Rónán hadn’t yet realised he was able to heal the injury magically. It seemed odd to Darragh that Ciarán or Brógán wouldn’t have explained to Rónán by now that he could heal himself.
    ‘No. This is an injury Rónán received in another reality.’
    Jack looked around then, as if expecting to see Darragh’s brother. ‘Where’s Ren?’
    ‘Safely through to the realm where he belongs,’ Darragh assured the old man, although he had no real way of knowing. He was certain Jack would toss them out if they intimated that something ill had befallen his twin.
    ‘Not so safe, if somebody’s already smacked him in the face. What are you and Attila the Hen, here, still doing in this realm?’ he asked, full of suspicion and doubt.
    ‘Something happened to the rift,’ Darragh explained. ‘I sprained my ankle and couldn’t get to it before it closed.’
    Jack stared at both of them with a doubtful expression, shaking his head. ‘So you came here? To my house? Next door to Kiva’s place? Are you mad? This is the first place they’ll look for you! Christ, half the fecking Dublin press corps is parked outside your mother’s place!’
    ‘That woman is not Darragh’s mother!’ Sorcha sounded offended. ‘His mother, and Rónán’s too, was the Druidess Sybille —’
    ‘Whose stupid idea was it you come here?’ Jack cut in, ignoring Sorcha’s interruption.
    ‘Patrick’s,’ Darragh said as Jack slumped into the chair opposite at the table. ‘He said he’d come for us later.’
    ‘Jaysus, you didn’t tell him I helped you find Hayley at that rehab centre, did you?’

    Darragh shook his head. ‘Hayley made it safely through the rift. Patrick doesn’t realise I’m not Rónán, and he hopes I’ll tell him what happened to her.’
    ‘There’s a conversation not to be missed,’ Jack muttered sourly. ‘Jaysus-fecking-Christ, what am I supposed to do with you two now?’
    ‘Shelter us until we can find a way home,’ Sorcha said.
    ‘How long is that going to be?’
    ‘Until I can contact Rónán, that’s all,’ Darragh said, making it sound straightforward and everyday. ‘Once I arrange for him to open the rift on the other side, we can leave, and you’ll never see us