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magick projected by his daughter.  She stood proudly in front of the rest of the group quivering slightly from the sudden burst of energy that she had just unknowingly produced and hurled at her father.
    “Never discount the bravery of every creature in this room again,” spoke the powerfully calm voice of Annie.  The goddess she contained was barely restrained beneath her mortal shell as the outer sky blue rim of her irises paled to an icy blue color that was beautifully frightening.
    “Robert,” Griffin muttered sensing that the situation and mostly Annie was teetering on the edge of control.
    Robert remained silent for a minute assessing the situation with tools that apparently no one else in the room had access to. He carefully studied Annie and after a moment he replied to Griffin’s concern.  “Don’t worry,” he responded as he slowly and carefully got to his feet.  “She’s got this,” he assured Griffin as his eyes never left her angrily vibrating form.
    “Everyone in this room put their lives on the line to defend me against the jealous wrath of Bres!”  Each enunciated word grew louder as anger continued to pour out of her.  Tendrils of golden red hair began to rise off her shoulders creating a fiery halo around her head.
    “Uh, Duncan,” whispered Robert suddenly very concerned.  “Grab on to her.”
    “What-“
    “Just do it!” he shouted above the noise of crackling static electricity.
    Without further thought Duncan seized ahold of Annie’s hand.  The physical contact began to have an immediate effect as the static energy began to slowly wan, withdrawing from the environment and back into the vessel that had produced it.
    “You waited until the very end to show yourself,” she continued but the power and strength behind her words had begun to fade until it was reduced to little more than an anguished accusation.
    Never releasing his gentle yet firm grip on her Duncan rose to his feet; and reaching out his right hand drew her face toward his.  When her eyes found his they had returned to the same summer sky color he had grown to love.
    “Twenty-five years he had and he wasted every single day,” she whispered speaking directly to him before tears overflowed her eyes and began to trace out a path down her face.
    “I think,” Duncan said. “This meeting is over for now,” he said as he drew Annie closer and wrapped his arms protectively around her.
    The sonic sound of speed out racing sound erupted and Manny whether in careful withdrawal or hasty retreat fled from the company of the Derby Nine.

 
     
     
     
     
            Chapter Four
    Speaking of Sam
     
     
     
    After Manny’s quick and sudden disappearance it had taken a few hours for the Derby Nine to come to terms with the idea that they were on their own.  None of them, not even Duncan and Finn had any real knowledge of the inner workings of the Sidhe court or the magick which they guarded.  They had no idea what kind of help they could expect of if there would be any assistance offered by the Sidhe at all.  No one knew if Manny would return or even if could return as he had been in the natural world for the last twenty five years.  For the moment and possibly far into the future, they were on their own.
    The group quickly formed into two factions one led by Duncan and one championed by Finn.  Finn insisted that they stick to Manny’s plan; with of course some minor alterations as he did not wish to incur the same wrath that had befallen Manny.  Duncan remained dead set against using the Lia Fáils as a method to separate the Life Spark from Annie, insisting there had to be another, closer, way into the Otherworld.  With a line drawn through the middle sides were quickly taken.  Each captain seemed to quickly amass a following.
    Annie instantly sided with Finn.  She had many reasons for doing so; but the more she tried to convince herself of the multitude of reasons she always came back to the hope that