But how could that be? She’d inherited second sight, even if her gift wasn’t as strong as Mom’s. At the very least, familial ties should have told her Mom was in trouble, even if it didn’t clarify the reason.

I took a hasty sip of tea as I searched for the best way to tell her and, in that moment of silence, a phone rang upstairs.

My gaze jumped briefly to the ceiling before settling on my aunt’s again. “I thought you said Tia wasn’t here?”

“She isn’t.”

“Then who’s upstairs?”

“A guest.” She half shrugged. “This farmhouse is too large for one person, so a year ago I renovated a couple of rooms and opened up a B&B. It’s been quite successful.”

“Why on earth would you need to open a B&B? It’s not like you need the—”

She gave me a dead eye look that was so similar to the one Mom used to gift me when I said something dumb that it stopped me in my tracks.

“It’s not about the money, dear child, but the company. Meabh would totally understand, I’m sure.”

No doubt she would have. I took a deep breath and released it slowly. “There’s something you need to know.”

“Meaning there is a point to this visit other than telling me Tia raided the tavern in what I presume was an unsuccessful attempt to steal the Eye?”

Her voice was dry, and something in me snapped. “If you hadn’t constantly harped on the fact that she was true heir rather than me, she wouldn’t be in the deep well of shit she’s now in.”

“The theft of a stone—one that has little value to anyone other than the women in our family—could hardly be described as deep shit. Even Sgott, as protective as he is of your mother and yourself, would be hard pressed to make serious charges stick.”

Her use of present tense rather than past had the anger dying again. I took another deep breath and then said, “What I came here to tell you...”

I stopped, momentarily unable to complete the sentence, and she raised an eyebrow. “Do you pause for dramatic effect? Because I’m well past such things.”

My gaze met hers. I wasn’t sure what she saw in my face, but hers went pale.

“What’s happened?” she whispered.

There was no gentle way to do this. “Mom has been missing for six months. A few days ago, we found her body. She was murdered.”

Her head snapped back so abruptly, I might well have slapped her. With a shaking hand, she clutched her cardigan across her chest and whispered, “No. That can’t be. I would have known.”

“I’m afraid it’s true. I saw her body.” I hesitated. “I also found Egeria’s Coin at the entrance of the tunnel we found her in.”

“Egeria’s Coin never drops by mistake.”

“No.”

“Why would Meabh release it? It is a symbol of wisdom and good fortune and has never failed our family.”