Truth

 

Lopez Lake was crowded with the usual family vacationers, looking for a weekend away from lying around the house. The buzz of motorboats and the muffled sounds of radios playing across the campsites drifted through the window of Cade’s Trans Am as we rumbled slowly through the camping area. Robyn, Tully, Thomas, and Will were meeting us there, and as we drew closer and closer to our destination, the knots in my stomach became even tighter. The night before, Cade joined me in my room after everyone went to bed so we could discuss the camping trip and the meeting of my friends.

“I want to tell them everything,” I’d said nervously. “Well, not everything. I want them to know the truth about what I am. They have been my closest friends all through high school and they deserve to know why they won’t be seeing me so much anymore.”

I had kept my head down, talking to my hands as they worried away at the tattered cuffs of my sweatshirt’s sleeves. Cade had gently taken one of them, distracting me from my nervous fretting, and squeezed my fingers.

“Then you should tell them, and I’ll help you.”

He kept my hand in his for a long time before dropping it, and once again I’d wondered about the big question that was my constant shadow. Would we just go on forever pretending like nothing had happened between us? I tried to forget it as I’d tossed and turned in my bed after Cade left, wondering if he was doing the same thing in the guest room upstairs. Eventually, I managed to force the thoughts from my mind, again, and fell into a fitful sleep.

“This looks like the place,” Cade said, jerking me out of my reflection.

He turned his car down a paved lane that ended in a cul-de-sac of sorts mere yards from one of the lake’s small inlets. I noted the numbers of the campsites until I spotted the one that matched the name scrawled on the paper I held: Toro, site eight. If the sign hadn’t been an indication, the image of Will and Thomas struggling with a partially raised tent while Robyn and Tully looked on in mild disapproval would have cinched it.

Cade rolled up next to Thomas’s van (on loan for the weekend) and killed the engine. I’d been too busy finding amusement at my friends’ expense that I had completely forgotten that I was about to spend a night alone with Cade with only my friends to chaperone us. Friends who knew nothing about him, nor how I had met him . . . My heart shuddered to a stop as the last rumble of the Trans Am’s engine came to an end. Not even Robyn knew how I’d met Cade. For some reason, she had been so dazzled by his Otherworldly beauty that she’d kept her boundless curiosity alive only on the tidbits I was willing to feed her.

Okay, she had asked me once where I had found him, but I had flippantly responded that he had found me. Sooner or later my friends were going to want to know more about my good-looking, mysterious pseudo-boyfriend, and I would have to either invent something or bite the bullet and do what I’d planned to do all along: tell them the truth. For some reason, informing my friends that I was an immortal, Otherworldly being who’d met Cade while being attacked by monsters seemed far less daunting than admitting I wasn’t all that clear on what our relationship status was. Yeah, and just what did that say about my sanity?

I took a deep breath and climbed out of the car, putting on my best smile as my high school buddies came to greet us. In all honesty, I still wasn’t ready to tell them about my unusual ancestry, but I had a weird feeling that Cade and I weren’t going to leave this camping trip without something happening that would give us no choice.

* * *

To my immense relief, no one charged at me spouting questions regarding Cade and his sudden appearance. They all had been aware of his existence for a little while (or, according to everyone but Robyn, his feigned existence), so his appearance wasn’t too shocking. Last spring, Cade was supposed to go to prom with me, and he would have met everyone then, but that was before his mother sprung her neat little trap and kind of ruined my whole weekend. Now, as the two of us slowly walked up the short drive to the campsite, I would finally get the chance to show them that I hadn’t invented him after all.

“Meghan! Cade! So glad you guys could make it!”

Robyn dropped the tent stakes she’d been holding and came sauntering over. Though not as short as my best friend Tully, I still had quite a few inches on her and I had to bend down to give her a hug. Robyn let go of me and I looked up at everyone else, expecting the same casual, Aw-shucks-how’s-your-summer-been? expressions on their faces. What I saw instead made me want to laugh out loud. Tully, Will, and Thomas stood ramrod still, their eyes wide and their mouths open in different stages of shock. Their gazes were fixed on Cade, like a Pointer spotting a duck. I covered my mouth to hide my amusement. Yes, even in his civilian clothes Cade had that effect.

Robyn hadn’t given Cade a hug, but she did give him a once over. I noticed admiration on her face, but it wasn’t the dumbstruck look she had plastered on him the first few times they’d met.

I cleared my throat. “Cade, you know Robyn of course, and this is Will, Thomas, and Tully.”

I gestured towards my mute friends as I named them. Cade smiled politely and nodded at each of them in turn.

“Pleased to meet you all,” Cade said. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

He indicated the tent and, as if some hypnotist somewhere snapped his fingers, Tully and the boys became alive with purpose, instructing Cade on how he could be of assistance. I glanced at Robyn, but she only gave me one of her sly looks.

“I’ll get our stuff out of the car,” I blurted, and turned on my heel before she could start interrogating me.

Half an hour later the tent was up, our food organized in the cooler, and our camping gear stored securely inside our canvas abode. The tent itself was big enough to hold eight people and had two smaller rooms off to the sides, their fabric doors rolled back to let it air out before nightfall.

“I moved yours and Cade’s stuff to one of the side rooms, you know, in case you two want some privacy.”

Robyn winked at me and I gritted my teeth. It didn’t help stop the blush, however. I pushed past her and went to join Will and Thomas, who had taken out their fold up chairs and were each enjoying a soda. I plopped down next to them and released a great sigh.

“In case you’re wondering,” Will said after taking a loud sip of his drink and pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, “your boyfriend decided to take a walk.”

I had been leaning back in my chair, my eyes closed against the warm sun above. Upon hearing Will’s comment, I did a full body cringe and leaned forward, my hair falling into my face, as I glared at him.

“He isn’t my boyfriend. He’s just a friend.”

Yes, I wanted him to be my boyfriend, but I couldn’t tell my friends that without talking to Cade first. The last thing I needed to do was ruin our friendship by going around and telling people something that might not be the truth.

“Well, if that’s the case, can I have him?” Thomas asked.

My annoyance disappeared in a flash and I cast him a quick look. He gave me his crooked grin, brown eyes dancing with mirth. I snorted out a laugh and in the next moment the tense mood had vanished.

“What are you guys talking about?” Tully asked as she and Robyn came walking up the road.

“How hot Cade is,” Thomas answered wistfully as he dug around for another drink in the cooler.

Will groaned and rubbed his face, but I only smiled. I kind of felt sorry for him, getting stuck with all us girls and Thomas, and the gorgeous son of a goddess and the Celtic version of Hercules. It was definitely going to be a long camping trip for him.

Tully took a seat next to me and looked like she was about to ask me something when Cade appeared out of nowhere from the oak trees behind our tent. He startled all of us into a fit of laughter and when it died off, Will clapped his hands together and proclaimed it was time to start the fire so we could barbecue the chicken.

Cade offered to help and Will begrudgingly accepted. Thomas, without an ounce of shame, offered to watch, which only resulted in Will casting him an annoyed glare. Not surprisingly, I had to stifle another laugh. Cade, to my relief, didn’t seem to notice his newest admirer and proceeded to make a teepee out of the wood they’d gathered earlier.

I helped Robyn and Tully get the meat and vegetables ready, and since Cade was in the immediate vicinity, we kept our conversation to books, movies and the like, though I could almost feel the waves of curiosity rolling off of them, Tully especially. She had been my best friend since childhood, but ever since I stumbled into the swamp in the middle of the night and met Cade for the first time, we had been drifting apart. Not that it was anything she or I meant to do, it’s just how everything had turned out. I regretted keeping things from her, but I had done it for her own safety.

The sun was dipping low on the horizon, but the chicken was over the fire, the potato salad waited on the table with the chips and drinks, and we had all retreated into silence. Of course, the sounds of other campers nearby intruded on our thoughts, but I think for the most part we blocked it all out.

After eating and packing away the extra food, we gathered around the fire pit and cracked open the graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate. Thomas and Will sat across from me in their fold out chairs, Tully and Robyn on either side of them, and Cade and I took up one side of the bench. We had dragged it closer to the fire so we could make our own s’mores.

I flicked a glance at Cade. He gazed into the flames, his expression free of any emotion and his eyes dark. He had remained relatively quiet the entire time, taking part in polite conversation but only speaking when he needed to. Perhaps he was taking this time to study my friends; to get a sense of what they were like. Mostly, though, I imagined he was deep in thought about what awaited us in Eile. I bit my lip and turned my eyes back towards the fire. I didn’t want to think about what might be occupying his mind at the moment.

I returned my attention to the marshmallows turning golden brown over the fire. Mine was done, so I got to work making a s’more. Cade watched me with curiosity, and then began mimicking my actions. I was simply glad that look of deep contemplation was gone from his eyes. It always worried me when Cade adopted that expression.

With nimble dexterity, Robyn plucked the crispy marshmallow off the end of her own fork and wedged it between two graham crackers with a piece of chocolate. “So, now that we are all here with no pesky parents to eavesdrop, why don’t you tell us how the two of you met?”

I inhaled a cracker crumb and proceeded to cough uncontrollably. Cade gently patted my back as the blood rushed to my face and my eyes watered. When I regained my composure, I looked up at him while blinking the tears from my eyes. He didn’t look at all phased by what Robyn had said.

How couldn’t he be? She had just insinuated that we were an item. And it only bothered me because he had never indicated one way or another that we were (or were not) an item. Somehow, between the day he arrived in the swamp at the beginning of the week and this very moment, Cade and I had never found any free time to discuss it. Okay, if I was being completely honest with myself, I’d admit it was because I was scared to death to broach the subject, but it was easier to blame it on time constraints. Yes, a week simply wasn’t enough time to ask the boy who claimed he loved you if he wanted to be your boyfriend.

I opened my mouth to give an answer, what answer I wasn’t sure. Cade, however, beat me to it.

“My little sister goes to school with Meghan’s brother, Aiden.”

The unformed answer died in my throat. I turned my surprised face towards his, but he was looking at Robyn.

“I had to pick her up one day after school and Meghan happened to be there as well.”

Robyn grinned and took a bite out of her s’more, chewing with relish and losing that gleam of mischief in her eyes. I quietly exhaled my relief and Cade turned to study me, a soft look in his expression and a gentle curve at the corner of his mouth. Wait, what just happened? One minute Robyn was swooping down, talons open, to tackle the mystery of Cade once and for all, and he just stepped right in and thwarted her with a simple little lie.

I turned my attention back to the fire. Robyn was never that easily diverted. She had been surreptitiously fishing for information; trying to get one of us to claim Cade and I were a couple, and he had stopped her dead in her tracks. Normally such a question would be followed up by another more intrusive one, especially given his answer, but no. Robyn was content with Cade’s response, one that neither claimed nor denied what our relationship status was. Had he used glamour to suppress her curiosity? I blinked and looked at Cade again. He was still gazing at me, his features calm, calculating. I swallowed. Could he be waiting for me to acknowledge our relationship? But how could I do that when I didn’t even know what our relationship was? Ugh!

“Well, I’m bushed,” Tully said, yawning as she pushed herself out of her chair.

Eventually, the fire died down and my three other friends claimed exhaustion and climbed into the tent. Robyn, of course, was the last one to rise.

“Goodnight you two, don’t stay up too late.”

In the dim light of the dying fire, the suggestive waggle of her eyebrows made her appear downright demonic. I glared at her and she chuckled, the harsh grating sound of the tent zipper sealing her inside and cutting her amusement off.

Cade and I sat in silence, side by side on the wooden plank of the bench, gazing into the orange glow of coals. I took a slow breath and swallowed back my rising fear very carefully. All week I’d managed to put off saying anything about what had happened between us on the battlefield with the Morrigan. At home, my family acted as a nice distraction, but now I only had the gentle lap of the lake a few dozen yards away, the quiet rippling hiss of the fire, the general racket of fellow campers joking and enjoying the night, and my own heartbeat to chase my errant thoughts away.

Stop being such a coward, Meghan! He said he loved you, didn’t he? And are you going to try and convince yourself that that kiss meant nothing?

I gritted my teeth, squeezed my eyes shut, and told my conscience to take a hike. I turned to Cade with every intention of bringing up the subject we were both avoiding, but the words died in my throat. First mistake: I should not have glanced at his face. Second mistake: I should have diverted my eyes right away.

“Uh . . . um.” I raked my hair behind my ears and glanced down. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t find the words. Cade sat there, patiently, expectantly, and I knew, somehow I just knew he was waiting for me to say something, anything. What could I say?

I licked my lips and tried again. “I-I think I’m going to go to bed. Do you mind putting out the fire?”

And because I was such a wuss, I stood up quickly and headed into the tent without so much as wishing him a goodnight.

Way to go Meghan. I think you just blew it. I didn’t even bother opening the tent quietly and I’m sure the muffled grunt was Thomas’s way of letting me know he didn’t appreciate being tripped over.

I pushed past the nylon divider that cut off the small room on my side of the tent and plopped down on my sleeping mat. I never liked sleeping zipped up in a sleeping bag; made me feel claustrophobic, so I was the dork who always brought a sleeping mat to lie on so that I could use my sleeping bag as a comforter. I yanked the sleeping bag over my head and did my best not to burst out of my own skin. I took several deep breaths and tried to calm my heart and settle my mind. It didn’t help.

Something tickled my cheek and I reached up, expecting to find a mosquito or some other unpleasant insect taking advantage of me, but when I pressed my fingers to my skin all I felt was moisture. I turned over on my side and burst into tears, great, big muffled sobs that I hoped no one else heard.

A few months ago, I had had my heart wrenched from my body because I believed Cade was dead. And now he was here, right in front of me, and I didn’t even have the courage to tell him I loved him. No, apparently I only had the nerve to do that when he had no way of responding or understanding my declaration.

I can’t say how long it took me to fall asleep, but eventually my body stopped shaking and I dozed off, wondering if I had ruined my only chance to really tell Cade how I felt.

* * *

Sometime later that night I woke up with a start. I was lying on my side, staring at the outside wall of the tent, the bright moonlight shining down through the mesh roof above me. I strained my ears, thinking that maybe some noise had woken me, but I heard nothing except the soft snoring of my friends and the occasional cough from a neighboring campsite. I sighed and focused on getting back to sleep before I could remember why I felt so empty inside.

Meghan?

The sight of my name popping up in my head, blue script against a black abyss, made me jerk. And when I did, my shoulder came into contact with something, no, someone, just behind me. Cade?

Meghan, are you awake?

Blue again, but not as harsh. I could detect Cade’s essence in the words and I relaxed.

Yes? I sent back.

I was hoping we could talk, like this.

Oh. He wanted to have a conversation using shil-sciar, a conversation that no one else could hear. Why now, in the middle of the night? And then the memory of what had taken place around the campfire came rushing to my mind like an unexpected wave on the shore. My skin flushed with anxiety.

Alright, I answered tentatively as I tried to swallow.

I’m sorry I’ve been distant these last several days, but I wanted to give you space and give myself time to think. I’ve been trying to figure out the right words to use . . .

He sighed out loud, but then the silent words returned to that dark place in my mind.

What happened on that plain, with my mother and her Cumorrig, I didn’t want you to have to ever see me like that.

Ah, so here it was: the conversation I had been yearning for and avoiding at the same time. So far it sounded as if Cade was just as afraid as I was, and I guess I could understand that. He had been rather frightening when the battle fury took over. Both his appearance and what he had done to those mutated hounds was enough to give the Grim Reaper nightmares. Not that I blamed him, nor was I in the least bit ungrateful for what he had done. Maybe this was why he had been so quiet on the matter since coming back to the mortal world; perhaps he had been worried about my reaction all along.

And–

Cade’s word hung in the darkness for a long time, fading towards yellow in my mind.

And? I prompted, my heartbeat quickening.

He released another sigh, but this one wasn’t physical. It was a feeling that appeared in my head as a wash of blue and green.

And I didn’t want you to think you were obligated in any way. I didn’t want you to feel like you owed me a debt for what I did.

This night, and the entire week if I was being honest, had been an emotional roller coaster for me, so my ability to process simple thoughts was a bit off. I rolled over to face Cade, hoping I might be able to discern something from his expression. I could see him clearly enough, his features limned in the silver light of the moon. His eyes looked darker than usual and his hair was slightly mussed from sleep. Only when he lifted a hand and placed his fingers gently against my cheek did I realize that he had crawled under my open sleeping bag with me. I tensed slightly as my heartbeat kicked up its pace once again, but the soft stroking of his thumb against my temple soothed me.

I meant what I said the last time I saw you in Eile, before I fought the Morrigan’s hounds.

All uncertainty was gone from his eyes. The entire week he’d kept his distance, being careful not to touch me too often or let his gaze linger too long. Now he looked as if he saw nothing else in the world but me; as if he had given himself a pep talk after my rude departure earlier that night and was ready for the challenge ahead of him. This was the Cade who had held me close before taking on the Morrigan’s monsters; he was holding nothing back. My toes and fingertips started to tingle, and I bit my lip, not allowing myself to breathe.

I am in love with you, Meghan Elam, and you mean more to me than you can possibly know.

The proclamation was so soft, so sincere, his words in my head so pale blue they were almost white. Tears began to form in my eyes and a cloud of butterflies took flight in my stomach.

I love you, he sent again, his thumb continuing its soothing caress, but I don’t want you to think that you owe me anything for what I did for you. I don’t want you to feel that you need to love me ba–

I cut off his thought process by leaning forward and pressing a kiss against his mouth. I don’t know what possessed me to be so bold. It was as if my mind had stopped working and my heart had taken control.

Cade didn’t miss a beat. He deepened the kiss, bringing both of his hands forward, lacing his fingers in my hair and molding his body to mine.

Reluctantly, I pulled away so I could catch my breath and suddenly I was ready to talk.

You didn’t hear me after you . . . after you died that day. You couldn’t hear me, I sent to him, my own words rich with emotion.

Cade’s fingers loosened their hold in my hair, but he didn’t let go completely. Taking a deep breath and trying to make my head stop spinning, I managed to continue. But I’ll repeat what I said when you were gone and as Speirling carried us across Eile: I love you too, Caedehn MacRoich, and I want to be with you more than anything else.

He smiled, his eyes shining in the moonlight.

And since my fear was now obliterated and since we were being so openly honest, I continued, I was afraid you had changed your mind. That you regretted what you had said to me.

Cade’s hold tightened for a split second and his face grew stern.

Never, his pale words whispered across my mind.

He drew me forward for another long kiss that sent me reeling, and then he wrapped his arms around me. I snuggled against him, resting my head on his chest, my heart glowing contentedly. Cade did love me after all, and now I had no fears about going to the Otherworld, for he would be with me. I fell asleep listening to his heartbeat and the occasional terms of endearment he sent into my mind as he drifted off. For once in what felt like a very long time, I was indescribably happy.

 

-Five-

Evidence

 

I think it was the horrendous screech scraping at my eardrums that woke me up again. I jerked and flung out an arm, wondering why I felt disappointed when it only tangled in my sleeping bag. Then I remembered. Cade had told me he loved me, again, after curling up next to me last night. And this time he heard me tell him I loved him back. I recalled falling asleep in his arms, but he was obviously no longer lying next to me. A black shadow formed above me and I nearly screamed, but it was only Cade, crouching low in the dark.

“Meghan,” he hissed, “there are some faelah in the campground. I need to go take care of them.”

I sat up, the color draining from my face. I knew this was going to happen! This was exactly why I hadn’t wanted to go camping in the first place.

Cade moved to stand up, but I grabbed his hand.

“Wait, I can help,” I insisted.

Sure, the thought of confronting faelah in the middle of the night wasn’t my idea of a fun camping trip, but I didn’t want to be that girl: the one who sat quivering in fear as her boyfriend took on the role of knight in shining armor. I grinned despite my fear and annoyance. Cade really was my boyfriend now, wasn’t he?

“No, you’ll stay here.”

It wasn’t really a demand, but I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes. “I’ve been practicing with my bow, which is in the back of your car, and this is a much more public place than the swamp. What if the faelah decide to start searching tents? The people two campsites down from us have a baby.”

Cade hesitated, then drew his mouth into a hard line.

“Alright,” he finally conceded, drawing me up so he could give me a quick kiss.

My stomach fluttered again and I was disappointed when he pulled away.

“Put on some shoes and a sweatshirt and follow me.”

I quickly obeyed and soon we were picking our way over the lumps of my sleeping friends.

“Wha . . ?” Robyn mumbled as she sat up from her sleeping bag.

“Shhh, lie back down Robyn,” I told her.

“What’s going on?” Will grumbled.

Robyn slumped back down and turned over in her sleeping bag. “Meghan and Cade are sneaking out for a lovers’ tryst,” she huffed. “Go back to sleep, it’s probably three in the morning.”

I didn’t correct her assumption, nor did I grow annoyed at her claim. As much as I would have liked to be fulfilling Robyn’s hypothesis, I had more important things to worry about at the moment.

The sound of the tent zipper as Cade opened it was much louder than I thought it should have been. We stepped out into the night, still bright with moonlight but obscured by the dark shadows cast by trees, trailers, and tents. Cade took my hand again and we went straight for his car. He unlocked the door and drew out my bow and quiver, leaving his own behind. I gave him an odd look, barely discernible in the pale moonlight, but before he could answer my questioning gaze, he had somehow flipped the seat bottoms up in the back of his car to reveal an impressive collection of weapons. My eyes grew wide when he chose a sword. Not just any sword. This thing was a good three feet long, plus another foot for the hilt. Cade’s grin told me my jaw had dropped open.

“I need you to pick off the little ones Meghan,” he said. “Can you do that?”

I nodded numbly, wondering just what we were going up against. I had a sneaking suspicion it wasn’t going to be those demented gnomes or even one of the bigger things I’d managed to take down over the summer. I got an arrow ready and started following Cade quietly, my heart beating a fierce tattoo against my ribs. I wanted to go back to the tent and hide under my sleeping bag. Then I gave myself a mental kick. Stop being so pathetic, Meg! You wanted to go with Cade, and besides, you’ll be facing this stuff every day very soon. You won’t last a week in Eile if you can’t handle a few stray faelah.

Breathing deeply to calm my nerves, I crept silently along, always following Cade and keeping my ears open for stray sounds. I felt a little ridiculous sneaking around the campground in the middle of the night, dressed in my pajamas and tennis shoes, holding a bow like some sleepwalking nerd who had taken her hobby of live action role playing a little too seriously.

Eventually we came to a low spot in the campground, only a few dozen yards from the closest tent, the one with my snoring friends in it. I caught a clear glimpse of the lake in the distance, the moon pooling in the silver dimples over its black surface. A dumpster and several trash cans formed a dark obstruction of the view, and the dozens of oak trees clinging to the hilly campground offered many good places for faelah to hide.

A sudden crash sounded to our left as one of the trashcans fell over. Cade whipped around, keeping his sword low but pointed away from him. I fought the urge to press myself against his back. Instead, I lifted my bow and got ready for battle.

A heartbeat later, two small creatures came rolling out of the trash bin, snarling and fighting over a chicken bone. At first glance they looked like raccoons, but as I watched them I could see they were definitely Otherworldly. Bushy tails and patchy fur covered their hides, but it was the legs and heads that made me blanch. The faelahs’ arms looked mummified; shrunken skin stretched over bone, and their heads were completely devoid of flesh. Cade tapped his sword tip on the asphalt and the horrid creatures stopped their argument to look at us. I felt my stomach turn. Bloody eyes peered out from gore-stained skulls.

“Now Meghan,” Cade hissed under his breath.

Pushing aside my fear and disgust, I drew my bowstring back, took aim, and let an arrow fly. It pierced the side of the first creature, causing it to scream in agony. The other one scrambled to get away, but I had already found a new arrow. As it tried to scurry up the hill into the shadows, I took aim and released my bowstring. This time the arrow lodged into the back of its neck.

I grinned, very proud of myself, and it was only when Cade leaned in to give me a one-armed hug and plant a kiss on the top of my head did I realize how badly I was shaking. I had always managed to stay relatively calm in the swamp, but then again, that was always during the day and practically in my backyard. Here, it was dark and there were other people who could be immediately hurt.

“You did great Meghan,” Cade whispered against my hair.

I didn’t have much time to enjoy the moment because the dark campground was shaken by the roar of some Otherworldly monster. Cade’s grip tightened right before he released me and stepped away. He made ready his sword again, this time positioning it so that its length protected his torso.

“What was that?” I breathed, feeling cold sweat break out on my forehead.

“Cuthra,” Cade growled, his jaw tight. “They don’t normally visit the mortal world, unless–”

He paused, so I prompted him, “Unless?”

“Unless they are sent by someone with great power,” he finished, turning his head to give me a grim look.

Sent by someone with great power . . . The Morrigan. I gulped, tempted once again to run and hide, but I never got the chance. In the very next moment the huge beast stepped out of the shadows of the trees. I think the smell hit me first, that clinging scent of death and rot and evil. The monster was about the size of a Clydesdale horse and walked on all fours. Instead of hooves it had long-fingered hands and feet with wicked claws at their tips. A bedraggled mane ran down the back of its neck all the way to its small tail. Like most of the Morrigan’s evil faelah, it appeared to have been dead for a week. Its face, so disturbingly similar to the two faelah I had killed, was broad and ridged with bony spikes. Saber-like teeth lined its mouth and its small eyes glowed with a malevolent orange.

As if the Cuthra’s size and muscle mass weren’t terrifying enough, it stopped and stood up on its hind legs. Oh, it could walk like that too? Now it could use its long, powerful forearms like spiked wrecking balls. Wonderful.

“Meghan, I want you to go back to the tent, wake your friends, and get out of here.”

Huh? My mind was still numb from processing what it was seeing.

“What?” I rasped.

Cade whipped his head around, his eyes fierce. “I want you to get out of here!”

“No!” I said without even thinking. “I’m not leaving you!”

Cade gritted his teeth. “You don’t understand. I have to use my riastrad against the Cuthra, so I want you as far away as possible.”

Riastrad. Cade’s battle fury. The same battle fury he had inherited from his father, Cuchulainn. I had seen it once before, when he had died protecting me from the Morrigan’s mutated hounds.

I placed a hand on his arm and forced him to turn and look at me. “I have seen you use it before, Cade. I’m not afraid of you.”

His mouth was set in a grim line, the sword in front of him gleaming in the moonlight. “I don’t want to hurt you Meghan,” he murmured.

I tightened my grip on his arm. “You won’t. But I’ll keep my distance just in case.”

Terrified as I was, I couldn’t leave him to fight this battle alone.

His shoulders drooped insignificantly and then he nodded once. Reluctantly, I stepped back several paces before turning and looking for a good place to watch the battle. There, behind two boulders marking the boundary of the campground. My heart was in my throat and I was tempted to crouch behind the stones, but Cade might need my help. I positioned myself so that I faced the monster, then drew an arrow from my quiver.

The creature moved forward, close to fifteen feet tall now that it stood on its hind legs, and swiped at the air in front of Cade with a massive paw, its razor sharp, bear-like claws almost making contact. It opened its mouth and let out a great roar, its nose, eyes and throat glowing with red coals like the Cumorrigs’ had. My knees went weak again and what little sense I had left spent its energy wondering how this thing wasn’t waking up the other campers. Perhaps its glamour disguised the sounds it was making, or maybe they thought it was a bear and they were hiding in the false safety of their tents.

I didn’t have much longer to think about whether or not the Cuthra could actually be heard, because in the next second Cade lunged at it. I almost screamed as I ducked my head. What was he thinking? That monster’s reach was far greater than his and it was obviously much stronger. When the Cuthra bellowed again, I risked a peek. Cade was back to where he had started, his chest heaving, his sword, dripping in near-black blood, held to the side. He had managed to cut the faelah, but now it looked angrier than ever.

Cade hesitated, and as I squinted in the pale moonlight, it looked like his eyes were closed and he was trying very hard to concentrate. The Cuthra moved forward slowly, back on all fours, twitching its tail like a lion about to pounce. I wanted to shout out a warning, but then I realized what was happening. Cade began to grow larger, his hair gathering in spikes. His arms seemed to dislocate and his eyes grew wild. The riastrad. When he was done with his transformation, he was a full two feet taller than usual and more closely resembled the Cuthra than the young man I loved.

The sword he carried looked like a dagger in his hand, but as his battle fury took full control of him, Cade made quick work of the Cuthra. It wasn’t an easy fight, not in the least, but I could tell by Cade’s quick movements and the monster’s flagging strength that soon the problem would be gone and we could return to the tent.

As I watched the fight from afar, I spotted a few more of those little faelah I’d shot before the Cuthra arrived. A pack of them, like rats smelling blood, waited on the outskirts of the ensuing struggle. Feeling a rush of adrenaline, I aimed my arrow and shot. The first creature squealed and fell to the ground, twitching. I readied another arrow and took aim at another one. Twelve arrows later, they were all dead. I wondered at their intelligence, since none of them fled after witnessing their comrades fall. Perhaps they were too focused on the smell of blood to care.

“Well done Meghan.”

I jumped. I had been so fixated on killing the faelah I hadn’t noticed that Cade had finally killed the Cuthra and morphed back into his more human-looking self. I grinned sheepishly and glanced up at him. He looked tired and bedraggled in the torn remnants of his clothes, but not nearly as exhausted as he had the day he fought the mutated Cumorrig.

He must have seen something cross my face because he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Oh,” I flapped a hand, “nothing. I just thought you would look more, uh, worn out after your riastrad.”

He grinned, that grin that made my bones melt.

“Normally it takes a lot more out of me. But a Cuthra in the mortal world isn’t that tough to defeat.”

I blinked up at him. He thought that had been easy? Of course, I shouldn’t be that surprised. After all, he had managed to take on ten of the Morrigan’s giant hounds at once.

We headed back to our tent, staying alert in case any more faelah showed up. It was when we were returning our weapons to Cade’s car that the glare of a flashlight fell on us.

“Meghan, what the hell?!”

I froze. Robyn. Of course.

“Is that, is that a sword?! Crap, I thought you guys were just going out for a make out session or something.”

She gasped. “Is that blood?! What happened to Cade’s clothes? What have you two been doing?”

I sighed and started to turn around. Maybe I could make up some excuse . . . But when I noticed Tully, Will, and Thomas standing behind her, all three of them with looks of horror on their faces, I knew there was going to be no easy way out of this.

“What’s that smell?” Tully asked, crinkling her nose.

Oh no.

“Hey, what’s that over by the dumpster?”

Will adjusted his glasses and picked up a lantern, Thomas close behind. Robyn cursed and started after them.

“Wait up!” she grumbled.

Oh no, oh no, oh no!

I twisted around and shot Cade a panicked look. Would they be able to see the dead Cuthra? His face was grim.

In the next breath, Cade’s words entered my mind: Meghan, it hasn’t been dead long enough to turn to ash and it no longer has control over its glamour. They are going to see it for what it truly is.

Crap! What do we do?! I sent back.

Cade sighed, then gave me a long steady look, his eyes appearing black in the pale moonlight. We tell them the truth.

Could we? Tell them the truth? I mean, I’d wanted to tell them something about my true identity, but could I really do it? After hiding it all these months, and would they believe me? Was I really ready to tell them?

A panicked curse coming from Will and a blood-curdling scream that could only belong to Robyn was my answer. I let my shoulders slump as Tully bolted towards our other friends. Ready or not, my friends were about to learn what I’d been keeping secret for the past few years. That I was from an entirely different world than they were, one that grew monsters like old bread sprouted fungus. And I thought the worst part of the night was over . . .

* * *

Half an hour later, we were sitting around the inside of the tent. Cade had changed into a new set of clothes and I had pushed back the screen that separated our small alcove from everyone else. And at the moment we were being very closely scrutinized by my friends, the light of the two lanterns we’d switched on illuminating four unreadable expressions.

“So,” Robyn said, her voice sounding uncharacteristically subdued.

“So,” I repeated.

I had just finished telling them, in a rush, everything I had been withholding from them for the past two years. I told them how I had always heard voices, how I had stumbled upon Cade in the middle of the swamp, how he had told me about Eile and how I’d been jumping back and forth between the two worlds for some time now. I didn’t, however, tell them about the Morrigan, only that the creature they found by the dumpster had come from the Otherworld and that it was Cade’s job to take care of them. Cade had held my hand the entire time and I was certain he was only being a gentleman by not complaining about my death grip.

Now we sat silently, Cade and I, facing my friends and waiting for the judgment, the questions, and the horror to come pouring out of them.

Next to Will I could hear Thomas muttering something about God and the devil in Spanish. I couldn’t blame him. The Cuthra had looked like something straight out of hell.

“I must admit,” Robyn said, “that this all seems a bit far-fetched, and I would in no way shape or form believe you if it weren’t for that, that,”

She gave me a hard look.

I closed my eyes and released a deep breath.

“Cuthra,” Cade offered, his voice a bit clipped and defensive.

Robyn cast him a quick, wary glance. “Yeah, that, thing lying next to the trash bins in plain sight. But, I mean, how is it even possible? This is the stuff I’ve been telling you about for years Meghan! It’s mostly mythology. It isn’t real!”

I blinked in surprise. It was the first time I had ever seen or heard Robyn doubt her Wiccan beliefs.

“But Robyn, I thought you believed in this stuff,” Will said, voicing my question aloud.

“Well, yeah, some of it!” Robyn answered. “There are spirits and ceremonies and the like that need to be observed, but nothing like this!”

She gestured towards Cade, and I sucked in a breath, suddenly feeling resentful. Cade must have felt it too because I could have sworn he growled under his breath.

“What more proof do you need!?” I hissed, pulling my hand away from Cade’s so that I could throw my arms up in annoyance.

Robyn snorted and crossed her arms, turning her head to stare at the wall of our tent.

I gritted my teeth, trying not to grow angry. This is exactly why I didn’t want to tell them.

Then Will surprised me by saying, “How the hell could you be keeping this from us Meghan? I thought we were your friends.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but the emotion that had been building up got caught in my throat.

But Tully, who had remained calm and quiet this whole time, only nodded somberly. “No Robyn, Will, you’re both wrong. How could Meghan have told us something this big? Think about it. Would you have told anyone?”

And that was Tully. Always level-headed, always coming up with the right answer to smooth out all of our problems. She was probably life’s greatest gift to me simply because she knew that not every predicament could be solved by talking about it.

Tears burned my eyes. I had lied to her all these years and she should be upset like Robyn and Will and Thomas. But she wasn’t. No, she understood. Somehow, with all the hurt and anger and fear that was permeating the space around us, she understood. I was going to miss her more than anything when I left for Eile.

“Oh Tully,” I cried, swiping at a wayward tear, “I’ve been such a horrible friend.”

She only smiled sadly and crawled over to give me a hug. “No you haven’t, Meghan. I knew something must be bothering you all this time, but I knew you would tell us when you were ready. Of course,” she added with a soft laugh and a smile, “I never imagined it could be anything like this.”

I sniffled and returned her hug.

Robyn, Will, and Thomas had quieted down and were now donning looks of guilt.

“I’m sorry, Meg,” Robyn finally said, the tone of her voice telling me she had let go of her anger, “I didn’t mean to yell at you, it’s just, well, this is a big shock is all.”

I nodded grimly. I didn’t think I deserved such kindness. Deep down, I thought what Robyn and Will had said was true. They were my closest friends and I should have told them the truth.

“Well, now what?” Will asked, crossing his arms after adjusting his glasses.

“There’s no way we’ll ever get back to sleep,” Thomas offered quietly as he eyed Cade suspiciously for what seemed like the hundredth time that night.

Or was he just checking him out again?

I bit back my amusement, glad to be distracted with silly thoughts instead of angry, hurtful ones.

“I don’t know about you guys,” Robyn said with her usual brusque confidence, “but I would kill to hear more about the Otherworld.”

I grinned again. So, Robyn was finally going to admit this was real, huh? And just like that, Cade started in with details and stories from Eile and my friends hung on his every word. I relaxed and moved so that I was settled between his legs, my back leaning into his chest. I sighed when he draped an arm around me as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I added a few tidbits here and there as he retold some of our experiences in the Otherworld, but left most of the talking to him.

We stayed like that until dawn, exchanging stories like kids spending their first night with their cabin buddies at summer camp. At some time during Cade’s regaling, it dawned upon me that I may have told my friends where I was from, but I hadn’t told them I was going back.

“Well,” Robyn said, yawning as Cade finished off another story, “anything else we should know?”

Cade looked at me and whispered in my mind, Well?

I think I should tell them that I’m leaving.

I studied my fingers, folded together over the hand Cade had placed against my stomach.

Now would be a good time.

His thoughts were gentle, soothing.

Gathering my courage, I took a deep breath and let my eyes trail over Thomas, Will, Robyn, and finally Tully.

“Yes, there is one more thing you should know.” I took a deep breath and dropped my gaze. “I’ll be leaving soon, with Cade. I’m going to go live in Eile.”

“What?” Tully asked, her voice quiet and slightly strained.

And that’s when the lump, which had snuck up on me in the last few seconds, lodged itself in my throat.

“I don’t belong here Tully,” I whispered.

I drew my legs up to my chest and wrapped my arms around my knees. Cade tightened the arm he had draped around me. I felt somewhat comforted but not entirely.

“But, your family, your friends!” she said, a little louder but not shouting. Tully never shouted.

The guilt was nearly overwhelming. She had been so calm earlier, so ready to accept the fact that I was much more different than she had always thought. Now it was Tully’s turn to let me know how upset she was.

“They know, and now you know,” I murmured. “I’ll be living in Eile Tully, but it doesn’t mean I’ll never come back and visit you again.”

Tully made to say something else, but then closed her mouth and gave a short nod.

“Can we come visit you?” Robyn asked eagerly.

I grinned despite my sadness. Yes, now that Robyn was willing to believe my crazy story, she would be the first one to hitch a ride through the dolmarehn. If only she could . . .

I sighed. “You can’t come visit me. Humans can’t cross into the Otherworld.”

Her face fell and I could almost feel her disappointment weighing heavily in the air.

“But Meghan, what about that demon you guys killed,” Thomas said. “There must be more of them in the Otherworld.”

I regarded him and gave a small smile. He was worried about me. It was a nice change from the distrustful anger. I took a deep breath to answer him, but Cade beat me to it.

“I won’t let anything hurt her.”

His voice sounded determined, fierce even. My smile broadened. “Besides,” he continued, “Meghan is extremely strong. She has more glamour than most Faelorehn and as soon as we get to Eile, her magic will grow even stronger.”

That caused everyone to pause and look at me with great awe.

“Magic?” Will practically breathed. “Oh Meghan, can you show us?”

Cade shook his head. “She’s been in the mortal world too long. She needs to spend some time in the Otherworld in order for her magic to work properly.”

“Oh, darn.” Will sounded so disappointed, but then Cade released a soft chuckle.

“She can’t,” he said, moving to stand up, “but I can.”

What followed was a modest, yet impressive, display of Faelorehn magic. Cade simply gathered his glamour in the palm of one hand and proceeded to make a dark green flame flicker and dance and take on the shape of various images: a bird, a leaping fish, and a raindrop splashing into a puddle to name a few. I merely sat back and enjoyed the show alongside my friends. I had seen Cade do so much more, but I appreciated this little offering. It helped to ease the tense mood and took my mind off of what had passed earlier in the night.

By mid-morning we had packed up our sleeping bags and taken down the tent. Before leaving for home, I wandered down to the lakeshore and just stood there, staring out over the water as the breeze tugged at the loose strands of my hair. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply through my nose, my thoughts wandering off into the Otherworld.

“You know, I always thought there was something special about you Meghan Elam.”

I jumped, then turned to look at Tully. She was smiling, but her eyes were sad.

“Oh Tully,” I said quietly, lowering my head and returning my gaze to the lake. “I can’t believe you still want to be my friend after the way I’ve treated you these last few years.”

Tully didn’t say a word. She merely stepped forward, bent down to pick up a flat rock, and threw it out across the lake. We watched it skip four times before it dove below the surface. Eventually she shrugged.

“Sometimes the measure of a good friend is knowing when to simply be there in case you’re needed.”

“Tully,” I said, my voice harsh, “I practically ignored you for the last year and a half! What kind of a friend does that?”

She reached out and pulled me into a hug. I couldn’t return it because my arms were crossed, but I let my chin rest on her head.

“You didn’t ignore me, Meghan,” Tully murmured. “You just didn’t know how to tell me what was wrong, and I knew that.”

She released me and stepped back. “I’ll miss you,” she said, sniffling a little, “but I’ll just pretend you’ve gone away for college. Promise you’ll come back and visit?”

I took a deep breath and placed my hands on Tully’s shoulders. “I promise.”

We both turned back to watch the small waves ripple across the lake once more.

“So,” Tully said, all traces of sadness gone from her tone. “Cade. Was he your reason for being such an emotional wreck last year?”

And just like that, we were teenage girls once again, talking nonsense and giggling with reckless abandon. Soon I would be facing down the worst Eile had to offer, but at that moment I just wanted to be young and carefree one last time.

 

-Six-

Luathara

 

Cade and I left for Eile the next morning. I tried to hold it together as I packed what I could carry into the Otherworld with me. Most of my stuff would be left behind, and Mom had told me it was because I would need somewhere to stay when I came to visit. Every weekend. I had smiled at that. I would try to come back as often as possible, but I was sure that getting settled in to my new life would take a while. After all, I had to learn how to use my magic, somehow make peace with my birth mother, and avoid the Morrigan all at the same time.

I sighed, gave my room one more remorseful glance, and headed upstairs. Cade was in the living room, standing at attention with my family gathered around. I gulped. It felt like I was going to my execution.

“I guess this is it,” my mom said with a trembling lip.

No Meghan, you will not cry . . .

And then Aiden ran up and gave me a fierce hug, followed by the rest of my brothers. It took me a long time to compose myself enough to speak.

“It’s just like if I was going off to college,” I assured them as I sniffed. “As soon as I’ve got my life in order in Eile, I’ll come back for a visit. I promise.”

“Cade, a word if you don’t mind,” Dad said, opening the door and gesturing for Cade to follow.

My mouth went dry and my stomach plummeted. Oh no.

Cade gave me a calm look and used shil-sciar to speak to me. It will be alright Meghan.

I took a deep breath. I had to believe him. He was the son of a goddess and could turn into a faelah-killing superhero on a whim, but I feared for his safety when he was alone with my dad.

They were gone for twenty minutes, twenty agonizing minutes. While we waited, I helped Mom and the boys make some cookies, one last family activity before I left. When Dad and Cade finally returned, we all stopped our laughter and chatter. Dad’s eyes had a misty quality to them and Cade looked the same way he had before he left. I bit my lip to keep the tears from coming.

Before Cade and I started down the horse path, my brothers handed me a picture album my family had put together for me. The photos depicted scenes from my life. My mortal life. I hugged everyone for a long time, crying silently as I hung on to them one last time. I would miss them, but I would come back to visit. They were still my family.

Cade whistled for Fergus, who had been keeping a low profile in the bushes, and I called out to Meridian. She swooped down from the treetops to settle on my shoulder, nibbling me affectionately to try and cheer me up.

Sorrow? she sent.

Yes, I answered, but it will get better.

I smiled. Mind-speaking with Meridian seemed less colorful, less complicated than the shil-sciar method with Cade, but her words were comforting nonetheless.

We reached the dolmarehn fifteen minutes later. I took a deep breath and tried to will my tears to stop falling. Cade looked at me and I was tempted to ask him what my dad had said to him. Tempted but currently too afraid. Maybe someday I’ll get the nerve to ask him, I thought to myself.

“Are you ready, my love?” he asked gently, stepping up once again to take my face in his hands, my heart singing at his term of endearment. He wiped away the tears with his thumbs, a gesture that I was quickly becoming addicted to.

I nodded and he leaned in to give me a gentle kiss. He dropped his hands and reached one out to me. I took it and he carefully led me into the small cave. Fergus had run ahead of us and I could feel Meridian’s talons digging into my shoulder as she hunkered down.

We moved slowly through the dark and my mind kept itself busy by thinking about where my life was headed. I had left my family behind and I was going home, to the world where I belonged. I was terrified and depressed, but I was also filled with excitement and wonder. I’d learn how to use my glamour properly, now that it was fully awake, and I would have Cade by my side. I allowed myself to smile through the tears, but before I could contemplate another thought, that familiar tug of Otherworldly magic latched onto me and we were pulled into the deep darkness of Eile.

* * *

The Otherworld was the same breathtaking sweep of green rolling hills and ancient forest I had grown used to, welcoming me in that cool rush of ancient magic that could never be found on Earth. We quickly made our way towards Cade’s castle, and once there I gaped at the difference. The ruined fortress was alive with activity. Men worked at replacing old crumbled stones and broken windows. Women and children were interspersed throughout the fields, tending to what looked like a combination of potatoes, carrots, onions, and several grains. As we took our time walking up the dirt road, I got a full view of the side of the castle facing us. The stone wall that surrounded it was being patched up, but a narrow gap that still needed attention gave me a glimpse of a small kitchen garden that I hadn’t noticed the last time we’d visited the castle.

I looked up at Cade and he merely smiled down at me.

“I wanted to make Luathara ready for you, so you’d have a place to stay in case you didn’t want to live in the castle in Erintara,” he said.

I shivered at the idea of staying with my mother, under her suppressive rules. I didn’t think she’d allow Cade to visit me even if I asked nicely. No, I wasn’t ready to jumpstart a working relationship with my birth mother, the high queen of Eile. Best get my bearings in my new world first.

I sighed and let my eyes sweep the castle once more, then I remembered what Cade had said. I blinked up at him. “You did this all for me?”

Cade nodded.

I regarded the old castle, the one that had somehow worked its way into my dreams those many months ago. Luathara Cade had called it. I liked that name.

“The construction isn’t quite complete, so after tonight we’ll be staying with the Dagda for a while.”

My face split in a huge smile. I loved Cade’s foster father and I couldn’t wait to see him again. The Dagda was an overwhelming presence, but he had shown me nothing but cheer and acceptance since the moment I’d met him.

“Unless, of course, you’d rather go to Erintara,” Cade added with a smirk.

I punched his arm. “No, I wouldn’t. I mean, yes, I eventually want to go see my mother again, try to make peace with her, but I'd much rather stay with the Dagda for now.”

As we passed through the castle gates and stepped into the noisy courtyard, we were welcomed by a man Cade introduced as Briant, his steward. He was a kind looking man, tall, middle-aged with brown hair and intelligent eyes. Like all Faelorehn, he had a handsome quality to his looks.

“So this is the young Miss Elam. Welcome, my lady.”

I blushed, as usual, but took his hand and allowed him to escort me deeper into the courtyard. All around, people in work clothes were bustling about. Men and women both hauled stones in wheelbarrows while those who were younger carried baskets full of berries and fruits to be prepared and stored for later. My head swiveled on my shoulders as I tried to take it all in and Briant laughed, a hearty, strong chuckle that reminded me of the Dagda. Cade strolled leisurely by my side, and when I glanced up at him I realized he was watching me with a soft smile on his face. I recognized that look. It was a look of pure bliss. I returned the smile, unable to help myself.

At the large door leading into the castle’s main hall, a tall woman with strawberry blond hair, snapping blue eyes, and perfect posture greeted us. She came off as stern at first, and when Briant caught her glance he dropped my arm and handed me off to Cade.

“Melvina!” he exclaimed. “Cade has come back with the Lady Meghan!”

The woman lost a little of her sternness and her rigid face melted into a brilliant smile. The result was enchanting.

My distraction at the change in the woman standing before us was short lived when the steward spoke next.

“High Queen Danua’s daughter. The princess.”

I flinched so hard Cade felt it. He glanced at me, one eyebrow arched and a look of amusement painted across his face. I glowered at him.

Melvina’s bright eyes widened and she descended into a graceful curtsy that would do my birth mother proud.

I gritted my teeth. When I managed to find my voice I said, “Please, I’m the furthest thing from a princess.”

Cade detected my distress and stepped in closer to me, the cloak he had thrown on that morning sweeping his sides and partially blocking me from those who had been close enough to hear Briant’s loud announcement.

He pulled my head close, pressing his lips to my hair, and whispered, “Technically, you are a princess.”

I reached out and grabbed the loose fabric of Cade’s shirt with my hands and drew him closer.

“A princess is someone who grows up in a palace, wears expensive clothes, has nannies to raise her and servants at her beck and call. You saw where I grew up,” I hissed.

You are the daughter of Eile’s high queen, Meghan. I know you don’t like it, and I understand why the title grates at you, but it doesn’t matter where you grew up. Danua’s blood runs in your veins and you are her daughter.

The silent words were soothing, and I understood Cade’s point. Didn’t mean I had to like it. I released a deep breath and pulled away, glancing up at him.

Fine, I returned, but please, could you ask them not to call me ‘princess’? Just because I’m the daughter of a queen doesn’t mean I want to be treated differently than anyone else.

Cade grinned and kissed the top of my head again.

“Briant, Melvina,” he turned to both of them. “Meghan would be eternally grateful if you would forget who her mother is while she’s at Luathara.”

They both widened their eyes in horror, but Cade stiffened his jaw and gave them both a stern look.

“What will we call her then?” Melvina asked, her voice warm and welcoming. The very tone made me relax.

“Meghan, just call me Meghan, please,” I said, stepping away and holding my hand out to the woman at the top of the stairs.

She took my hand as if she had no idea what to do with it. I shook, and she quickly caught on.

“It’s nice to meet you,” I said.

“And I you, Meghan.”

She smiled again.

“As Briant said, my name is Melvina and I am the head cook here at Luathara. If you have any complaints with the food, please let me know and I’ll do all I can to improve it.”

Briant huffed and said, his voice full of pride, “No one can make a better meal than my wife.”

Melvina pulled a dish towel from the belt she wore around her waist and smacked him with it.

“Hush you!” she hissed, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

I turned and looked at Cade. First a steward, now a cook? Where had all these people come from? They hadn’t been here the last few times I’d visited the castle. I asked him using shil-sciar.

They all have homes in Kellston, but I invited them to live in the castle and aid me when I started the construction. Melvina and Briant have an older daughter who is married and she now lives in their old house. We can’t live in a castle without the proper staff.

I swallowed. We. Living together . . . in a castle. Sure, he had said it was up to me whether I lived with Danua or stayed with him, but it really hadn’t hit me until just now. Was this really happening? Had he discussed this with my dad? Was I really going to live in the Otherworld with Cade in a castle? I snorted inwardly. And to think, I had just told him I wasn’t a princess.

Once we were properly ushered inside, and my wayward thoughts were left for another time, I discovered more wonderful changes. Colorful rugs decorated the floor and detailed tapestries hung on the tall, stone walls. All the windows were repaired and clean, making the place feel bright and airy. Melvina excused herself, claiming she had to prepare the evening meal, something that would be grander than usual since I had arrived. I tried to tell her not to worry on my account, but she only brushed me off and disappeared down one of the many hallways branching away from the entrance hall.

“Well, I shall leave you two alone then,” Briant said, clapping his hands together. “But there are some missives in your study you might want to look at, my lord.”

He bowed to Cade and then turned to leave.

I arched a brow and gave Cade a questioning look. He only smiled.

“My lord?”

He shrugged, unbothered by the comment.

“When you own a castle in Eile, you officially become the lord of the castle and the land belonging to it.”

“How much land?”

Another shrug. “Several thousand acres.”

I dropped my arms and gaped. Several thousand?!

“Cade! Why did you never tell me any of this?”

He backed away slightly, stepping out of the ray of light streaming in from one of the tall windows. Some of that smugness he’d been exuding a few moments ago vanished and he looked uncertain. He ran his fingers through his hair and took a breath.

“For the same reason I never told you about the riastrad and my own heritage. I was afraid you would realize I wasn’t good enough for you.”

Tears sprung into my eyes, not because I was hurt he hadn’t trusted me enough to tell me these things, but because he had been afraid to do so.

“Oh, Cade.”

I stepped forward and pulled him close, wrapping my arms around him beneath his cloak. Cade returned the embrace and rested his cheek against my hair, one hand placed behind my head.

“How could you ever think you weren’t good enough for me?”

“You are the daughter of our high queen, and I am the son of her worst enemy,” he whispered.

I cringed, remembering the conversation he had overheard the last time I’d talked to, no, argued with, Danua.

I pulled away just enough to look him in the eye. I lifted my hands and held his face, the way he often held mine. “Nothing will ever convince me to stop loving you Caedehn MacRoich, nothing.”

He sighed and I reached up to kiss him, a gentle brush of our lips that left me wanting more. I dropped back down to lean into him again, resting my head against his chest so I could hear his heartbeat. We stood like that for goodness knows how long, the bright mid-day light streaming down into the massive entrance hall, bringing the brilliant earthy reds, greens, and golds of the rugs and tapestries to life. The sounds of men shouting, children laughing, and stones being fitted into place rung throughout the castle, but I didn’t mind. This was my new home and I wanted to soak in every last detail of it.

Eventually, Cade planted a kiss on my forehead and took a step back.

“I have to check on those missives Briant was talking about. Why don’t you go rest or find one of Melvina’s undercooks to make you some tea.”

I regarded him with an arched eyebrow but only said, “I’d like to explore the rest of the castle, if that’s okay.”

Cade grinned, seeming pleased. “I’ll be in my study if you need me.” He indicated a carved oak door down one of the side passages, opposite to the one Melvina had disappeared down earlier. I nodded.

“Your bags were taken up to your room if you need anything. Your bow and quiver as well.”

Cade’s eyes glittered and I wondered if maybe he had set up an archery range somewhere on Luathara’s several thousand acres. I shivered in anticipation. I had grown very fond of my bow and arrows. Perhaps we could practice later.

A sharp bark and the familiar screech of a merlin broke through the general ruckus outside, and Fergus and Meridian came flying through the open door. Well, technically Meridian was the only one flying, but Fergus was moving at top speed.

I smiled again. Somewhere between the dolmarehn and Luathara’s courtyard, I’d lost track of them.

Meridian came to rest on my shoulder and started cuddling against me with excitement.

Home! Magic! Happy! she sent.

I laughed. Yes, pretty Meridian. Home.

Cade gave my hand one more squeeze, then dropped it and headed down the hall. I took a deep breath and spun around, Meridian clinging to my shoulder with her sharp claws. It was a little daunting, exploring Luathara while everyone around me seemed busy with work. Perhaps I could find someone who could use my help. Despite having visited the castle a few times before, I’d only ever seen this entrance hall, my room upstairs, and the great patio out in back that led to the cavern full of dolmarehn in the hillside.

“Want to explore with me?” I asked my spirit guide.

She chittered happily and fluffed her feathers. Fergus panted and wagged his tail at my side. Looks like I’d have company after all.

Smirking like an imp ready to make mischief, I decided to start with the first floor.

Luathara was filled with many rooms, some small, some larger. Most of them looked like spare bedrooms, but a few spaces resembled studies as well and I even found a set of doors that led down further into the belly of the fortress. I imagined a wine cellar or even an old dungeon awaited at the bottom. Shivering at the thought, I didn’t venture any further than where my imagination took me.

At one point I popped into the kitchen, the vast room bright, spacious and warm from the fires in the ovens, to see if Melvina needed any help. She promptly shooed me away, claiming that she wanted the meal to be a surprise and that she didn’t want Fergus getting into anything. I had just enough time to catch a glimpse of the dried garlands of herbs and vegetables hanging from the rafters and to detect the scent of something delicious bubbling in a cauldron over one of the fires before my curiosity was cut off with the click of the door closing in my face.

Of all the rooms I discovered, however, the library was the most impressive by far. Located towards the back of the first floor, it was the largest room next to the entrance hall and just a tiny bit bigger than the dining room I’d stumbled into just a few moments before.

Several comfortable looking chairs and a few couches were scattered about, and a giant, diamond-paned window stretched from ceiling to floor, taking up most of one wall. The rest of the walls were dominated by bookshelves housing tomes that looked as old as the Book of Kells. I desperately wanted to take my time exploring this one room, but there was so much more to see. I shut the door with a soft click and made a mental note to come back one day when I could take my time looking around.

Once I was finished with the inside of the castle, I made my way out the front door, Meridian still gripping my shoulder and Fergus trailing us like a puppy. The courtyard was noisy and dusty, what with all the construction going on, so I looked around for a way out. If I wanted to get away from all the ruckus, I could simply slip through the portcullis and cross the bridge. Perhaps I might even find Speirling, Cade’s black stallion, grazing in the fields. But I already knew what lay that way. I wanted to see more of the castle grounds. A sharp whistle pulled my attention to a small stone archway. Fergus released a bark, then took off to chase a young boy through a small gate. Aha, that would be a good place to start . . .

I quickly followed after him, passing through the arch and stepping into the small gardens I had seen earlier. Up close, the space appeared to be much larger, the far end backing into the same hillside where the waterfall and dolmarehn could be found. Luckily, the water cascading down the hill fell on the other side of the castle, so no mist bothered us here, although a narrow creek snaked along the garden’s edge to disappear under the great stone wall I recognized as the base to the patio on the second floor. I suspected it flowed past the garden to join up with the larger stream that formed a makeshift moat around the castle.

Fergus barked somewhere in the maze of herbs and plants up ahead, so I followed the crushed gravel track around flower beds overflowing with lavender, rosemary, thyme, yarrow, and a variety of other herbs whose names I didn’t know. I trailed the wolfhound’s excited barks and after bypassing a bed of mint, a happy scene greeted me. In the center of the garden stood a small fountain and around the fountain ran the boy who’d whistled at Fergus. Two little girls, their looks so similar they might have been twins, chased after the dog and the boy, squealing in delight, their light red hair trailing in braids behind them.

“Niall!” a young woman kneeling in a muddy flowerbed shouted. “Stop playing with that dog and get back over here and help me with these weeds!”

“He’s not a dog! He’s a spirit guide, Lord Cade’s spirit guide!” the boy responded, out of breath as Fergus yipped at his heels.

Play! Meridian sent before leaping from my shoulder.

Before I could say anything, she dropped from the sky and made an arc in front of the boy. I knew she was just joining in the game, but her sudden appearance startled him and he jerked to a halt, letting go a small screech. Fergus didn’t have time to stop, so within the time span of two seconds, the boy, the spirit guide, and the two little girls were in a jumbled heap, legs and arms, both Faelorehn and wolfhound, scrambling to get up.

“Niall! Oriana, Wynne!” the girl weeding the flowerbed cried, jumping to her feet and lifting up her mud-stained skirts to run towards the others.

“Oh no!” I shouted, bolting from where I stood to join her. “I’m sorry, it’s my fault. My spirit guide, Meridian . . . she likes to play.”

I felt guilty, even though I knew Meridian meant no harm. Eventually, the girl was able to pull the boy and two other girls free of Fergus, and to my relief, they only had a few scratches. The two little girls were crying, but only sniffling at the shock of being rolled around on the gravel with a giant wolfhound. Fergus had trotted off to the side, tail between his legs and looking somewhat shamefaced.

I knelt down to help. “Is everyone okay?”

The young woman looked up for the first time and I saw Melvina’s double, only younger, gazing back at me. The expression of concern on her face was briskly replaced with surprise.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Uh, sorry, I’m Meghan. Meghan Elam.” I held out my hand and grinned, but the girl’s eyes only widened.

She stood up and backed away, giving a quick curtsy, then glanced at her skirts and grimaced.

“Forgive me, Princess, I’m not looking my best.”

“Princess!” the boy shouted.

He quickly scuttled behind the older girl, clutching at her skirts and trying to hide.

“Niall!” the girl hissed, kicking him lightly with her foot and nodding towards me.

The boy, Niall, reluctantly let go of the girl’s skirts and stepped forward, sketching a bow that might have been featured at court.

I hadn’t realized I’d been standing there gaping like an idiot until the older girl cleared her throat.

“I’m sorry Princess Meghan, my name is Birgit, and this is my brother Niall and our sisters Oriana and Wynne. Our father is Briant, the steward of Luathara, and our mother is Melvina, the cook.”

The two girls scuttled from where they stood to go press against their sister’s other side.

Finally, my voice learned how to work again. “No, don’t, I’m not–” I babbled.

The four of them gave me an odd look, and somehow I managed to find my composure.

“It’s very nice to meet you all, but please, just call me Meghan, or Meg.”

I tried out a smile, but they looked even more frightened.

“But mum says we have to always give respect to our elders. What if I called you Lady MacRoich instead?”

Birgit hissed at her brother again, and I couldn’t tell what shocked me more, the fact that he considered me an ‘elder’ or that he thought I should be called Lady MacRoich. I’m sure I paled, and then flushed scarlet right after.

I cleared my throat. How had this strange encounter grown so awkward? “Um, no, I’m giving you permission. I’m not Lady MacRoich so you can just call me Meghan. I’m not that much older than you.”

“Why can’t I call you Lady MacRoich? Aren’t you the one Lord Cade brought back from the mortal world?”

“Niall! Do I need to glue your mouth shut?” Birgit growled, giving him a look that would scare the audacity right out of me.

Before I could let his question sink in, Birgit plastered her face with a smile and said, “Don’t mind my brother, he has this horrible habit of speaking without thinking, all the time. Is there someone you were looking for Prin–, uh, Meghan?”

I could tell Birgit wasn’t very comfortable using my name, but I was determined to show the people of Luathara that I was one of them.

“No, I was just exploring the castle and Fergus took off through the fence. I think I’ve seen everything, though. Would you like some help with the garden?”

Birgit’s eyes grew wide again. “Oh no, you can’t be pulling weeds!”

I arched a brow. “Why not? I used to do it all the time at home with my brothers.”

The sudden thought of home and my brothers brought a pang to my heart, but I shrugged it off.

Birgit looked like she was going to protest again, but I walked past her before she could speak and knelt down in the partially weeded flowerbed.

“Um, you might want to show me which ones are weeds. These don’t look anything like the plants in the mortal world.”

I peered over my shoulder to find Birgit, frozen in place with Wynne and Oriana still clinging to her skirts. All three of the girls resembled Melvina, but Birgit had her mother’s graceful posture, despite the mud and dirt. Niall, on the other hand, was a spitting image of his father.

“I’ll show you!” he cried, instantly getting over his fear as he sprinted up to me.

I studied him as he slid into place beside me. His hair was dark with a bit of curl to it, and his dark brown eyes were flashing to gold as he pointed out the weeds and explained that they had to be grabbed at the base if you wanted to get them all the way out of the dirt.

We had created a nice little pile of discarded plants before Birgit joined us. She remained silent, and I wondered why she was so quiet until I remembered that I was a princess to these people. I sighed, but kept at my work. Cade must have told them about me, but how much had he told them? Obviously they knew I was Danua’s daughter, but wouldn’t he have told them that the high queen and I were estranged? Yet maybe he felt that it was my place to share that bit of information. Then Niall’s words from earlier hit me full force: Why can’t I call you Lady MacRoich? Aren’t you the one Lord Cade brought back from the mortal world?

What had he meant by that? I shook my head, reminding myself that my goal at the moment wasn’t to analyze the ramblings of young boys, but to try and make friends with the residents of Luathara.

I cleared my throat. “So, uh, Birgit, how long have you and your family lived in the castle?”

She was quiet for a moment, methodically pulling weeds from the flower bed.

“A few months now. Lord Cade asked my parents if they would like a position at Luathara Castle, and they happily agreed.”

She paused and pressed her hands to her thighs and looked at me with a small smile. “We all love this place and it has been empty and sad for so long. It’s good to know that it will be occupied once again.”

I yanked at a weed and felt the satisfying tear of roots leaving the soil.

“Do you always call him Lord Cade?”

She shrugged and got back to work. “Mother and father insist upon it, though he would rather we just call him by his first name. He says it makes him feel strange, but Mother and Father would be angry if they knew. It took them long enough to stop calling him Lord MacRoich.”

I nodded. I knew exactly how Cade felt. He and I had a somewhat similar past, growing up with foster parents and not really ever belonging. Just as being called ‘Princess’ felt so very wrong to me, I’m sure Cade shied away from the title of ‘Lord’.

We spent ten more minutes pulling weeds, Birgit telling me about life in Kellston and Niall piping up every now and again to add his own details while their two younger sisters, who I learned weren’t twins but only a year apart in age, played in the flower bed a few yards away. I thought about my own family back in the mortal world and I had to suppress the pain. I wondered when I’d get a chance to visit them again, if only to make sure Aiden was okay. He’d taken my departure the worst.

A sharp bark and the sound of heavy footfalls on the gravel drew my attention away from the weeding.

“Over here, my lord.”

I glanced up to find a young man following Fergus. And behind him was Cade.

Cade stopped in his tracks and eyed me from head to toe. I glanced down at my jeans and shirt and suppressed a grimace. I was filthy.

I met his eyes and gave him a sheepish grin, blushing a little, then shrugged my shoulders. “I wanted to help.”

Cade simply crossed his arms casually and shook his head, a humorous look on his face, his green eyes flashing to pale gray and back again.

Birgit and Niall had leapt to their feet the moment they saw Cade and now had their heads slightly bowed. I was still kneeling in the mud, so I had to crane my neck to look up at them. Ugh, I was so not used to this kind of behavior. I would expect it at Erintara in my mother’s court, but not here.

“Thank you, Arlen.” Cade nodded to the young man.

Arlen bowed his head once, then he glanced up and gave Birgit a quick smirk before turning and leaving the garden. I craned my neck again and noticed the slight blush and smile on Birgit’s face. I felt the corners of my own mouth curve upward. Looks like I’d have something to ask Birgit about the next time we met.

Cade strode forward, so I made some effort to get up. My legs were stiff from kneeling on the ground for so long and Niall was quick to come to my aid. I thanked him when I was on my feet and his eyes widened with pride. I laughed. He’d be a charmer when he was older.

I turned my head and found Cade standing right in front of me, arms still crossed and one eyebrow arched in question.

“Look, I made some friends,” I said, turning to indicate my weeding partners. “Birgit, Niall, and their little sisters. They told me that Briant and Melvina are their parents.”

Birgit and Niall curtsied and bowed at the mention of their names, but Oriana and Wynne were too busy making mud pies to notice us.

“I see you’ve done a good job getting the anchor root out of the chamomile patch.” Cade waved a hand to indicate our handy work.

“Anchor root?” I asked.

“Oh! That’s what we’ve been pulling out!” Niall jumped in. “It’s called anchor root because the roots are really hard to yank out of the ground.”

I felt Birgit more than saw her stiffen behind me. Niall noticed too because he suddenly became silent and his brown eyes grew wider as his face paled.

“I’m sorry, my lord,” Birgit said in a pained voice, “Niall has a problem with manners.”

Ahhh, that’s right, the whole ‘lord’ and ‘lady’ thing I was wholly uncomfortable with.

I glanced at Cade, hoping to gauge his reaction. To my great delight, he was smiling warmly and stood just as relaxed as ever.

“Birgit, we’ve had this discussion many times, you, Niall and I. You don’t have to call me ‘lord’ and you don’t have to worry about offending me simply by sharing your thoughts. Please, I am the furthest thing from nobility and the last thing I want is for those who work and live here at Luathara to think that they are in any way beneath me.”

“But, you’re the grandson of–”

Cade raised his hand to stop Niall from continuing, and to my surprise, the boy stopped mid-sentence.

I arched a brow at Birgit, but she only turned her face away, scowling down at her talkative little brother. I gave Cade a sidelong glance, but he wasn’t looking at me. He had never mentioned grandparents before, but with Niall’s outburst I was curious. Very curious. Unfortunately, now wasn’t the time to probe. I made a mental note to ask about it later.

“That doesn’t matter,” Cade said, answering the boy. “I know your parents wish for you to act a certain way, and I won’t argue against that, but Meghan and I both would like you to feel comfortable around us. Show us the same courtesy you would your fellow neighbors in Kellston.”

A strained silence fell over us all until Cade held his hand out to me and said, “Melvina has informed me that dinner will be ready in an hour, so if any of us needs to clean up, we best go about doing so.”

He eyed me again, that glint of mirth in his expression, and I had to bite back a small smile. I took Cade’s hand, wiping as much dirt off as I could before I laced my fingers in his. He didn’t seem to mind. I turned and waved at Birgit and Niall and told them I’d see them later, then Cade and I made our way back to the castle.

“Did you have a good day?” he asked as we stepped through the archway into the courtyard.

Everyone seemed to be packing up for the night. The men and women who were rebuilding the crumbling wall climbed down from the scaffolding, and those already on the ground stacked loose stones up in neat piles.

I sighed, somehow gladdened by the scene. “I had a wonderful day. What time is it?”

“Five thirty,” Cade answered as we ascended the few stairs that fanned out in front of the castle keep’s main hall.

I almost tripped over the top step. “Five thirty?! Have I been in the garden that long?”

“Birgit and her brother and sisters must have made an impression.”

Cade tugged me forward and we stepped into the hall, now suffused with the wonderful smell of home cooking. My stomach rumbled at the scent.

“Well,” I said, “I might have spent a lot of time exploring the rooms of the first floor before actually heading out into the garden.”

Cade smiled again and led me upstairs.

“I’m afraid there isn’t a shower or tub in your room, but I have both in mine.”

The thought of a shower after spending hours digging around in the dirt sounded blissful. We reached the top of the stairs and Cade led me down the hall, past the door to the room I had stayed in before, and on to his own. A large, four poster bed occupied the center of the room and a huge glass door stood open on the opposite end. A stone patio, complete with a balustrade, waited invitingly just through those doors.

“Oh, Cade!”

I couldn’t help myself. I pulled free of his hand and made my way across the room. The view from this terrace was amazing. I could see the stone courtyard off to the right and the rolling, wooded hills and ponds scattered in the distance. To my left, a set of stairs led down to another small patio, then climbed back up once more onto the great terrace behind the castle. Directly below the low point of the staircase was the garden, its herbs and plants organized in a beautiful maze resembling a Celtic knot.

Cade stepped up behind me, so quietly he almost startled me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my head.

“Do you like it?” he whispered.

I bit my bottom lip and turned around so that I faced him.

“I love it.”

He bent down and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and returned his kiss, but he pulled away before I was ready.

“Dinner soon,” he whispered. “I need to show you how the shower works.”

I nodded, disappointed but also eager to get clean.

In Eile, they didn’t have modern plumbing like we did in the mortal world, but they had something close. The shower looked familiar, like something I’d find in a nice house in my hometown. The entire interior was composed of stone and sunken deep into the room so that a shower door or curtain wasn’t necessary.

“The water is drawn up from a well and kept above the showerhead. All you need to do is release it with this knob,” Cade indicated a lever, “and warm the water with your magic.”

I turned and blinked at him. “How do I do that?”

He grinned. “It’s really simple. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much glamour to heat water. All you do is press your hands to these stones and let some of your power loose. The more you release, the warmer the water becomes.”

He showed me and then I tried. It was simple and I almost got us both wet when I turned the nozzle to check to see if it was working.

Before leaving, Cade informed me that I could find my bags in my room, then he pointed out the robe and towel neatly folded on the countertop. The distinct click of a closing door informed me that Cade was gone, so I moved forward and began searching the bathroom shelves for soap. After opening and closing two cupboards, I finally discovered what I was looking for. Five minutes later I was standing under the steaming stream of water, thinking about what I’d learned during my exploration earlier. Luathara was a beautiful castle, there was no doubt about it, and Cade seemed to want me here as well. Yet I was still bothered by what Niall had said about calling me Lady MacRoich. Did he think Cade and I were married? That sent shivers down my spine, despite the hot water. I sighed and worked some liquid soap I’d found in a jar into my hair. The strong scent of lavender suffused the air, helping relax my nerves a little. Cade and I had admitted our feelings for one another, but was he ready to take our relationship to that level? Was I?

The water momentarily became cold and I had to turn and press my hands against the stone again, tainting it with my magic. My bags had been sent to my own room, so I could safely assume that he wanted to take this slowly. I breathed a sigh of relief, despite the tiny pinch of disappointment. I wanted more than anything to be close to Cade, but I also didn’t want to mess things up by moving too fast.

I finished rinsing away all the stray soap and turned the knob. I dried off using the towel on the edge of the stone basin Cade had said was the tub, and wrapped myself in the robe. I pushed the bedroom door open and checked the hallway, darting to my own room when I realized no one was wandering about on the third floor. I changed into a clean pair of jeans and one of the nicer shirts I’d packed. Dinner might be formal, and the last thing I wanted to do was make a bad first impression.

 

-Seven-

Interruption

 

The hall was busier by the time I made it downstairs. Many of the people I had seen working earlier stood around looking less dusty than before. Cade spotted me from the middle of the crowd and walked over to meet me at the bottom of the stairs. He too had cleaned up a little, though he wore the same clothes he had worn that day. The hall grew quiet when the crowd noticed me. I felt odd again, like the time I first met my mother in Erintara.

“Everyone, this is Meghan Elam. Meghan, these are the people from Kellston who are helping to rebuild Luathara.”

I smiled, despite my awkwardness, and everyone nodded and murmured something about being honored to meet the daughter of the high queen. To my immense relief, nobody said anything about my being a princess.

“They’ll be joining us for dinner,” Cade continued, smiling happily as he took my hand and led me down the hall towards the dining room.

A great rectangular table, loaded down with dishes brimming with a variety of food, greeted us as we entered. I liked the dining room. It was situated on the side of the castle closest to the waterfall and had windows that ran from ceiling to floor all along the outer side. A narrow patio sat just beyond the windows and I was able to get a clear view of the fall in the near distance.

Cade led me to the far end of the table where two chairs waited. We sat down and I felt a little ridiculous, images of a nobleman and his wife dining before their subjects coming to mind. I winced. Maybe that was a bad analogy, considering what I’d heard in the garden and what had occupied my mind only a half hour ago.

The image vanished from my mind as everyone started pulling out chairs and taking their seats, casually talking to one another. I soon learned that even though Luathara was a castle, and although Birgit and her family insisted on addressing Cade and I with the proper titles, it was nothing like the formal court at Erintara. Thank goodness. People started passing around bowls and plates, chatting and laughing and sharing gossip. I blinked up at Cade only to find him watching me closely. I smiled and he returned it, but I could tell he was wondering how I was taking all this. I reached down and grabbed his hand under the table, squeezing it to let him know I was doing fine. After that, his composure was much more relaxed.

I glanced up and spotted Birgit and invited her to come sit in the chair next to me. Never in the mortal world would I be bold enough to actively seek out new friends, but that was the old Meghan. Besides, I really liked Birgit and I was in desperate need of some friends now that I was starting a new life.

Birgit’s eyes widened as she made her way gracefully to my side. Before she sat down, I noticed her glancing towards the opposite end of the long dining table. The boy from earlier, Arlen, was watching her carefully. I had to hide a grin as she turned to give me a shy smile.

Borrowing some courage from thin air, I took a sip of mead and said, “So, tell me about Arlen.”

Birgit choked on her own drink and I cheerfully patted her back as she regained her composure. When she glanced back up at me, her blue eyes were wide with surprise and her face had grown redder than her hair. I only beamed at her. So that’s how I looked all those times Robyn prodded me about Cade.

“You don’t have to sit next to me, you know. You can go sit with him if you want.”

Birgit took a deep breath and shook her head. “That’s alright. My father doesn’t really approve of my spending time with him.”

All of a sudden, all the fun of talking with her about her crush left the room. I frowned. “Why?”

She shrugged. “He thinks Arlen isn’t interested in more than what he sees.”

Birgit blushed again and I nodded. I wondered if that was the truth or if Briant was just being a typical father. I wished to find out more, but I didn’t want to spend the evening talking about a sore subject between father and daughter, so instead I asked Birgit about growing up in Eile. Any thoughts regarding Arlen soon left our minds as my new friend answered all of my questions. The meal lasted long into the night, and as the dinner plates were exchanged for dessert, I turned to Birgit once more.

“Do you see many faelah around here?”

Birgit finished a bite of pie before turning to me to answer. Unfortunately, I never got a chance to hear what she had to say because the distinct sound of breaking glass cut through the dining room like a gunshot.

I jerked back only to catch sight of something pushing its way through the window twenty feet up. People started shouting and screaming and moving out of the way as another window shattered.

I stood, almost knocking my chair over, but before I could so much as duck under the table, strong arms grabbed my shoulders and a large body folded over me. Cade. The sound of shattering glass continued to permeate the room, so I pulled my head free of Cade’s arm and glanced upwards. Dark creatures were struggling to crawl through the broken windows, their shapes almost impossible to trace because they matched the black sky outside.

“Briant!” Cade shouted over my ear, “Gather those with fighting experience and go get some weapons from the arms room, then spread out. It looks like they’ve got us surrounded!”

Briant’s strong voice cut over the panicked ones and I caught a glimpse of several people trailing him out of the dining room to follow Cade’s orders. Birgit had left my side to join her father and I wondered whether she was seeking a safe place to hide or if she was going to help fight off the creatures.

Cade pulled away from me just enough to grab my hand.

“My sword is in my room,” he said as he half-dragged, half-led me into the main hall. “And your bow and arrows are in yours.”

I stopped my stumbling and gained my feet but didn’t let go of his hand. My heart pounded and I could feel my magic stirring. At first I thought it was fear, but to my surprise and delight, I realized what I was feeling was excitement. I was getting another chance to test out my archery skills on some of the Morrigan’s monstrosities and I was looking forward to it. I didn’t know if I should be proud of myself or shocked.

Cade let go of my hand at the top of the stairs and I sprinted to my door as he headed for his. I flew into my room, not bothering to pause, and walked into chaos. My window had been broken and Meridian, who I had let in before dinner, was flying around in the dark, screeching.

Meridian! I sent.

Angry! she returned, Kill creature!

A quick, blinding flash and a sharp screech informed me that Meridian had zapped whatever faelah had managed to invade. I shuffled over to the corner where my bow had been earlier, relying on touch since the room was so dark. The acrid smell of scorched death greeted my nose and I had to fight back the urge to be sick.

Meridian, shoulder, I demanded, and in the next moment I felt my spirit guide’s talons digging into my skin. Her overly tight hold told me she wasn’t happy about the rude awakening.

I came back out into the hallway in time to meet Cade, brandishing his sword before him. Something black covered half the blade and I had a feeling his room had been broken into as well.

“Are you alright, Meghan? I shouldn’t have let you go into your room without checking it first.”

“I’m fine,” I breathed, “Meridian zapped whatever managed to get in.”

Together, we ran down the stairs, Cade holding his sword in front of him while I slung the quiver on my back and readied an arrow in my bow.

The main hall was deserted, only a few torches and lamps burning to lend us light.

“Where is everyone?” I asked, my voice panicked. Could the faelah have hurt them?

“Most likely outside,” Cade answered.

Something flashed in the corner of my eye and I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized it was only Fergus. He crept up close to us, a silent ghost with his hackles raised. Cade paused for a moment and then the wolfhound shot off ahead of us and through the open doors of the hall. I assumed he’d given his spirit guide instructions to wreak havoc on the Morrigan’s creations.

Meridian, I sent, do you think you can help Fergus?

Yes, she replied eagerly, attack!

Meridian took off from my shoulder the moment we stepped through the door and into the courtyard. What greeted us was nothing short of pandemonium. The people of Luathara had spread out, all brandishing swords, spears, bows, and clubs. Several torches had been lit and placed in iron sconces hanging along the walls, and someone had started a fire in a stone pit in the center of the courtyard. I almost wished they hadn’t, for the flames cast a plume of bright light over the army of faelah. Odd, winged atrocities that resembled mummified possums crawled along the castle walls. Dark, rotten dog-like creatures snapped and snarled at someone with a battle axe, and some of the demon bats I remembered from the football game last fall swooped down at us, screaming and trying to whip people with their barbed tails.

“Meghan,” Cade growled, “see if you can’t take out some of the faelah crawling up the wall. I’ll help with the others.”

I nodded, my mouth going dry. My blood felt chilled and my heart pounded in fear, but this was my life now. I had a feeling that I’d never get away from the Morrigan’s minions, so I would have to fight them instead.

Cade moved to leave, but before he leapt off the stairs, he grabbed me and pulled me close. The air whooshed out of my lungs and I hardly had time to take a breath before his mouth pressed hard against mine. The cold blood in my veins caught fire and I almost forgot about the monsters and the sounds of battle around us. Before I could really enjoy it, however, the kiss was over and Cade released me.

“Be careful,” he whispered harshly before stepping away.

It took a few moments for my knees to grow solid again, but once they did I took a deep breath and jogged down into the courtyard and joined a group of people with bows. I allowed myself a split second of delight when I found Birgit among them, her serene face cut in anger and concentration as she let loose an arrow, piercing one of the creatures crawling up the castle’s side. It shrieked and fell from the wall, slamming against the stone below with a sickening crunch.

I came to a stop several feet away from her and breathed, “Nice shot!” before readying an arrow and letting it go. To my relief, I caught one of the faelah in the wing, not killing it but bringing it down so that someone else could finish it off. It would have been mortifying to miss on my first attempt.

The battle cries of the Faelorehn combining in the air with the angry baying and howling of the faelah brought back memories I’d rather not revisit, but I tried my best to block the noise out. The small group of archers I’d joined managed to pick off most of the creatures climbing the walls, so they turned their attention, and their arrows, towards the faelah that were still airborne. When I noticed no more black shadows crawling towards the upper windows, I paused to see if I might be able to help those on the ground. What little glamour I’d soaked up since arriving in Eile this morning burned in my chest, recognizing its homeland and clawing to be set free. I ignored it for the time being, remembering what Cade had said about using too much. I was still untrained, and the last thing I wanted to do was kill myself by letting my magic lose control. Besides, I might hurt the people who were on my side. It was frustrating, not being able to use my magic, especially knowing what it was capable of, but I simply clenched my teeth and focused on the battle.

I can’t say how long we fought the faelah, but it couldn’t have been very long. Cade and Briant and everyone else wielding swords and spears seemed to be driving the remaining creatures out of the courtyard, and only a few demon bats were diving at us now. I jogged to reach Cade’s side just as he thrust his sword into one of the half-dead dogs I’d seen before. Not a Cumorrig, to my utter relief.

I kept my bow in my hand, an arrow ready just in case. We drew closer to the open drawbridge, pushing the monsters out so that we could close the gates, but then something bizarre happened. The handful of faelah who were still fighting us simultaneously froze. A heartbeat or two later they turned and darted under the newly built portcullis, over the drawbridge, and then disappeared into the night. I stopped and let my arm drop. What the hell? It was as if someone had broadcasted a silent command, telling them all to flee in unison. Luathara’s defenders, covered in sweat and some sporting bloody cuts, lowered their weapons to their sides and grew still. I glanced around Cade’s large form and caught sight of what had silenced the monsters.

Just outside the gate several torches flickered, casting just enough light to reveal something horrifying, something familiar. I gasped and dropped my bow, covering my mouth with both hands.

The creature opened its mouth, revealing sharp, rotting teeth and spoke in a voice that conjured up images of deep, dark chasms and skeletons rattling in the wind.

“Hellooo Meghaaan, spaaawn of Danuaaa,” it hissed, drawing out its words.

Despite the bravado I’d displayed that night, I reached out to Cade and pulled myself against his body. The horrible thing chilled me to the bone and its fetid stench burned my nostrils.

“Puca!” someone growled nearby. It sounded more like a curse than a statement.

So that’s what this particular faelah was called . . . The last time I’d seen this creature I had been running for my life down my street, trying to reach home before it caught up to me. Luckily, that was before I’d broken the geis my mother had placed on me. I’d been terrified then and I was terrified now, especially since it had taken up the gift of speech. The faelah, the puca, resembled a twisted molding of a human and a goat. It had the torso and arms of a man, but the head of a demented goat, complete with burning eyes and long curved horns. The puca made me think of a satyr who’d visited Hades but had managed to somehow escape by swimming across the river Styx.

The creature lifted one cloven foot and slammed its hoof down while letting out a terrible wail. I gritted my teeth when its call was answered by similar screams from the hills and trees surrounding Luathara.

“My Queeen wishes to seee you, Meghaaan,” it continued, its eyes burning with dark magic.

“No!” Cade growled, squaring his shoulders and moving so that he stood more solidly in front of me. “I’ll give you one chance to turn and walk away. You know what I’m capable of puca, and you know I will not hesitate to kill you and any other faelah that come within ten yards of Meghan.”

For several moments, all I could hear was the whispering of torch flames and the slight noises of the shifting feet of the people around me. The faelah, wherever they had disappeared to, remained eerily quiet. Then the puca started to laugh. It began as a light chuckle and soon grew into an echo that played across the expanse of Luathara. I had never felt so cold in my life.

“So, you dooo live, after aaalll Caeeedehn MacRoich. There waaasss taaalk you had risennn from the deaaad. My Queeen will waaant to know of thisss. For nooow, Caeeedehn, I shall not haaarm the little Faeloraaah. But youuur mother is ooowed a debt, and sheee’ll be wantiiing payment sooon. There isss nowheeere to hiiide.”

The puca opened its mouth, the lower jaw dropping further than what would normally be considered possible. A deep, horrifying rumble rose from its throat and a black, swirling cloud poured from its mouth. In one moment the puca was there, gaping as if it meant to swallow us whole, and in the next second the swirling black cloud engulfed it and the nightmare was gone. The magical backlash hit me like a sudden headache, but the pain soon passed. I hadn’t realized how tense I’d been until I collapsed against Cade.

“Meghan!” he hissed, turning to support me as several others rushed forward to help.

“It’s okay lass,” a gruff male voice said, “evil magic like that can knock you off your feet if you’re not expecting it.”

I turned to see a huge bear of a man, black hair and silver eyes regarding me. Despite their fierceness, there was kindness in those eyes. I remembered spotting him working on hot iron when I’d explored the grounds earlier. The local blacksmith maybe? His appearance certainly fit the stereotype.

“Thank you, Torec,” Cade murmured as I gained my balance.

“What do you want us to do for the remainder of the night?” the giant called Torec asked.

Cade’s face grew grim and I wondered what he thought, but the look vanished as he said aloud, “I thank all of you for your help, and I can’t express how sorry I am that you had to fight my mother’s abominations tonight when you should have been heading home to your families.”

A woman, tall and with the build of a warrior, held up a gloved hand and shook her head. “Lord MacRoich, you have given us a castle and a home to defend once again. We are happy to help you.”

“I agree with Liadan,” Briant spoke up from further back, “let us set up a guard and keep watch in shifts, just in case the Morrigan’s minions decide to return.”

There was a general murmur of agreement and Cade relaxed a little. I leaned into him and put an arm around his back, hoping to add my own form of comfort. He returned the gesture and nodded.

The guard was posted in pairs, one couple for each wall of the castle, and four people to stand guard on the tower of the drawbridge, which was now shut tight. The rest of us filtered into the great hall where Melvina used her glamour to get a roaring fire going in the massive fireplace. It shouldn’t have been cold out, since it was still summer, but the faelah had left a nasty chill we couldn’t seem to get out of our bones.

Once inside, Cade pulled Briant and me into his study. The room was dark, but after lighting some candles, I took note of more bookshelves, an oak desk, and thankfully, a window that hadn’t been smashed.

“We can start cleaning up in the morning, and I’ll send a message to the glazier to start making replacements for the glass that got broken.”

Cade stepped up behind his desk, placed both hands on its smooth top, and released a deep sigh. I quietly took a seat in one of the stuffed armchairs by the fireplace, waiting to see what Cade had to say.

He glanced up at me, his eyes sad and his face grim. My heart quickened. I did not like seeing Cade like that, and if it wasn’t for Briant’s presence, I would have walked over to him and done my best to erase that look from his face.

“We’ll be leaving as soon as possible,” he said quietly, so quietly I almost didn’t hear his words.

Cade glanced at his steward, and the man merely blinked at him.

“Meghan and I. We’ll have to forego our stay at the Dagda’s and go directly to the Weald, but I’ll need to contact my foster father and the other Tuatha De to find out how much they know.”

Cade looked at me again. “I didn’t see the damage Meghan caused that night the Morrigan cornered us, but from what my foster father told me, it was something to behold. We should have had more time than this–”

He cut himself short, his eyes glimmering with worry as his gaze lingered on me.

“For the Morrigan to be able to bounce back from such an attack so soon . . . it makes me think she is receiving help.”

Briant gasped. “From who?”

Cade gritted his teeth and shook his head. “I have my suspicions, but that is all they are, suspicions. Until I know for sure, I need to get Meghan somewhere safe. The rest of you should return home. The Morrigan isn’t after any of you and I couldn’t bear it if any of you were hurt while her monsters tore the castle apart looking for us.”

Goose bumps broke out along my skin as Cade’s words registered. The Morrigan, getting help from someone else? She was terrifying and volatile enough on her own.

“Is it safe for you to go now?” Briant murmured.

Cade stood up and ran both hands through his hair, then dropped them to rest on his hips.

“The dolmarehn that leads to the Weald is in the caves, and I doubt there will be any faelah waiting for us on the other side. As soon as we’re done here, we’ll pack what we need and go.”

Briant nodded and I remained quiet, my mind reeling. Just this morning, I had been making cookies with my mom and brothers, looking forward to the Otherworld and seeing the Dagda’s friendly face again. Now Cade and I would be taking off in the middle of the night to go to the Weald, the huge forest that covered much of the western edge of Eile, a place dripping with wild magic. But I knew why Cade had chosen the magic wood, and it wasn’t just because his sister lived there with the Wildren, the unwanted children of this world, but because the Weald was the one place in Eile the Morrigan could not reach us. And since I still needed to recharge my magic, it would be the best place for me to be at the moment, especially if the bane of my existence had found someone to nurse her wounds and assist in quickly refurbishing her army of monsters.

Cade gave his steward a few more directions on how to proceed with Luathara’s construction and what to do with any more faelah that might show up before turning towards me. His eyes were cheerless, but a fierce determination shone through. Briant glanced between Cade and me, then excused himself to give us some privacy.

The moment the door snapped shut, Cade let loose a deep sigh. “I cannot even begin to apologize, Meghan. I hoped to show you the progress here at Luathara before heading to the Dagda’s, but instead you’ve been met with violence and fear.”

He dropped his gaze and took another rattling breath. Quietly, so much so that I almost didn’t catch it, he added, “I had hoped we would be able to avoid this for a little while longer.”

I cleared my throat and decided to speak for the first time since entering the room. “I knew the Otherworld would be more dangerous than the mortal one, so you don’t need to make apologies, Cade.” I leveled my eyes with his. “I made the choice to come here with you, and despite what happened tonight, I won’t change my mind.”

I smiled, despite my rattled nerves. The encounter with the puca and the other faelah had been terrifying, but I couldn’t help but admit, the pulse of my magic mixing with adrenaline as I helped defend the castle had been intoxicating. It felt good to finally have the means to fight back.

“Are you up to traveling to the Weald tonight?”

I shrugged. “Sure. Besides, if we stick around here that puca might come back.”

The very thought froze my blood, and although wandering into the caves and then through the dark trees of the Weald was just as daunting, it was better than listening to that demented goat-man speak to me about the Morrigan’s hatred again.

Cade nodded, his eyes softening a little.

“Very well, let’s go pack and be on our way before my mother’s servants have a chance to tell her where you are.”

I was out of the chair and through the door before Cade even finished speaking. Apparently, it didn’t take much to motivate me when I though the Morrigan might be arriving at any moment.

 

-Eight-

Departure

 

The caves were dark, darker even than the night sky we had just left behind, so I had to rely on Cade’s guidance to lead me to the dolmarehn. It had only taken me fifteen minutes to pack since most of my stuff was still in the suitcases I’d brought along. The short time it took us to cross the space between the third floor doorway and the cavern’s mouth seemed minutes longer than usual. I kept waiting for the faelah to return and overwhelm us. Meridian clung to my shoulder, as usual, and Fergus remained a silent guardian at our sides. Didn’t matter. I was still jumpy after what had happened earlier that night.

Cade led me by the hand through the caves and I had to trust that he knew his way in the darkness. Eventually, he stopped and pulled me closer.

“Ready?” His voice was a rasp against the rough, damp cavern walls.

I swallowed hard and nodded, then remembered he couldn’t see me.

“Yes,” I whispered back.

I felt a small tug as the dolmarehn pulled me into its depths. When the magic spit us out on the other side, the black, towering beast that was the Weald loomed before us. The air was cool and held the sharp smells of a summer night. Thankfully, there were no corpse hounds with glowing eyes or other zombies waiting to ambush us. We didn’t linger long, quickly making our way to the edge of the Weald and finding the trail that would take us to the village where the Wildren lived. Cade had borrowed a torch from Luathara and sacrificed a few minutes to light it, so at least we weren’t tripping around in the dark.

Fergus led us, always moving at an easy lope and staying well ahead. Meridian clutched my shoulder, grumbling in her avian mind about traveling at night. I spotted many eyes, flashing in the shadows as we passed. My bow was in my hand, an arrow ready just in case, but I drew closer to Cade when the eyes started following us. He had told me before that the Weald was safe from the Morrigan’s henchmen, but it was clear my nerves were suffering hearing loss.

When I crashed into Cade for the fifth or sixth time in the same number of minutes, he held up the torch so I could see who the eyes belonged to. I smiled with relief when I recognized the twig people through the flickering light, the twigrins, trying to spy on us from the trees. Their tiny arms and legs were covered in lush, green leaves. I looked back at Cade, who was just a step ahead of me. His mouth curved in a small smile, his eyes lighting up and making the night seem less dark.

At Spring Solstice, I’ll bring you back and you can see them when they’re in bloom.

My smile chased away any lingering, dismal thoughts. He knew what I was thinking without even asking me.

Our nocturnal trek eventually brought us to the edge of a small community, and we were greeted by some of the older Wildren standing guard. Cade quickly explained to the young man and woman that he needed to see his sister immediately. The woman left to wake Enorah, and Cade and I joined the other guard around a small campfire. By the time Enorah came marching up in all her determined glory, several of the cabins closest to us had started showing signs of life. Despite the early hour, it looked like word had spread about our arrival.

Enorah, taller than me by a few inches, her softly curling brown hair pulled back in a neat braid, stopped a few feet in front of us and drew herself into a domineering pose. She wore an outfit similar to the one she’d been wearing the last time I saw her: leather pants and vest, an old worn cotton shirt, and knee-length boots. The string of her longbow cut diagonally across her torso and I suspected that that was the hilt of a sword peeking over her shoulder. If I hadn’t met her before, I’d be shaking and cowering behind Cade. I had half a mind to do so anyway. Enorah pursed her lips, her sharp eyes running over the two of us like a wolf assessing a possible threat.

“So, you’ve come to visit again have you? And at such a horrendous hour.”

Her voice sounded casual, but I could tell she was suppressing her joy at seeing her brother.

Cade smiled and strode over, scooping her up in a bear hug. Enorah actually squeaked and spluttered, surprised at her brother’s show of affection.

Eventually, Cade put her down and she punched him. “What is wrong with you?!”

Cade only smiled as he rubbed his arm. “Glad to see you too, sis.”

At that moment, she glanced at me, her look of irritation disappearing. “Meghan! Have you no sense girl? What are you still doing hanging around my oaf of a brother?”

She strode over and gave me a hug, though not as powerful as Cade’s. I returned it, truly glad to see her despite our relatively new friendship. A moment slipped by and she held me at arm’s length. I almost gasped at the look on her face. Her grey-green eyes were swimming with unshed tears.

“Thank you,” she whispered harshly, “for bringing Caedehn back to the Cauldron.”

Ah. I had been so swiftly swept back to the mortal world after taking Cade to the Dagda that I had forgotten there were people who cared about him in the Otherworld. And with everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours, I was sure it wouldn’t be the only thing that slipped my mind.

I smiled tentatively and grasped her elbow with one hand. “You don’t need to thank me,” I glanced over at Cade. He had his arms crossed and was watching us closely in the bright light of the campfire. “I would do it again in a heartbeat.” I took a breath and carefully added, “Your brother means a great deal to me.”

Enorah blinked, her tears fading away as her eyes grew wide with joy. “Did the idiot finally admit that he’s crazy about you?”

I bit my lip, trying not to smile, and nodded once.

Enorah snorted and threw an arm around my shoulders. “It’s about time! Oh, we shall be like sisters now!”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cade stiffen. Uh, this could be disastrous if not handled properly.

“Well,” I said, clearing my throat and pulling away from Enorah. I methodically hooked my hair behind my ears as I fished for something to say. “We’ve just–”

Just what Meghan? my conscience asked me. Started dating? Did the Faelorehn date? Okay, he had just started courting me. Eww, no, that sounded lame. Uh . . .

“Oh, calm down you two! I’m just teasing. Now, do tell me, what on Eile possessed you to come stumbling into our village before dawn?”

I released a great breath, feeling intensely better. I braved a glance at Cade and was pleased to see he had relaxed again as well. Despite my relief, something must have been bothering me about the whole exchange because I could feel a little prickle of pain in my heart. What could I be upset about? It was the truth. Cade and I may have admitted we loved one another, but it wasn’t like we were a serious couple. It wasn’t like we were . . . engaged.

The very word sent prickles of fear and joy through my nerves. Whoa Meghan, you’re only eighteen. Way too young to think about marriage. But why did it make me feel so giddy to imagine myself engaged to Cade?

I glanced up at him once more and noticed the shadows in his eyes.

“The Morrigan has decided she doesn’t want to wait,” he said in a glum tone. “A contingency of faelah attacked Luathara several hours ago and a puca gifted with the power of speech threatened Meghan.”

The joy that had lit up Enorah’s face vanished and her smile disappeared.

“Oh no,” she murmured. “But how, Cade?”

She darted her eyes in my direction before returning her gaze to her brother. “I thought Meghan’s release of power put a nice dent in the Morrigan’s armor.”

Cade nodded, his own face grim. “I think she has recruited help.”

Enorah flinched, her crossed arms tightening about her. “Who? The Fir Bolg? Fomorians?”

I blinked between the two of them. I hadn’t heard of the first thing she mentioned, but I had heard of the Fomorians. Heck, my father was of Fomorian descent. But why would they help the Morrigan? All Tuatha De despised the Fomore. Unless she, or they, were desperate. I swallowed hard. Oh, if my glamour had done the damage everyone seemed to think it had done, then the Morrigan might very well be desperate enough to recruit the help of a sworn enemy.

Cade released a ragged breath. “I don’t know, but I intend to find out.”

Before the conversation could continue in its current direction, we were attacked by a flock of small children, all yelling and laughing and trying to get a better look at their visitors.

Enorah laughed and scooped up a small red-head, the same girl who she’d kept a close eye on the last time we visited.

“What are all of you doing up?! Honestly, if there were chores to be done you’d all still be hiding in bed.”

She turned to face Cade and me. “Come on, the both of you. Enough serious talk, let’s go get a good fire going and make something to eat! Apparently everyone is ready for breakfast.”

I readily stepped forward to join her, but Cade caught her arm and said, “I’m afraid I can’t stay.”

Enorah furrowed her brow at him, then set the girl down and drew herself up to her full, authoritative height.

“What do you mean you aren’t staying?”

I was just as surprised as Enorah, but Cade’s sister beat me to the question on both our minds.

“Meghan is staying, but I have to go inform the others that she is here and that we need to start thinking about how to deal with the Morrigan, because you know she won’t rest until she gets what she wants or until someone stops her.”

Enorah looked like she was about to argue, but Cade cut her off. “Someone has to tell them, and you know Meghan can’t come with me. Her power isn’t strong enough yet and this is the best place for her until it is. If she comes with me then the Morrigan will surely hunt both of us. With just me she is less likely to care.”

“Meghan, what have you got to say about all of this?”

Enorah turned to me, her face impassive. Honestly, I didn’t like it one bit, and if I had been at all lucid during his meeting with Briant before we left, I would have paid closer attention to what was said. Cade had mentioned getting in touch with the Dagda and the rest of the Tuatha De. It just hadn’t occurred to me that he meant to go visit them himself.

I hated the idea of him going out into the outside world alone. Yes, he had more experience in the Otherworld and definitely had more experience dealing with the Morrigan, but that didn’t make me feel any better. Especially since I knew she was capable of murdering her own son. But Cade was right. It made more sense for me to stay in the Weald. As much as I despised the idea of him being vulnerable, I knew if I were with him then the two of us would be a bigger target. And unlike the last time we encountered the Morrigan, I didn’t have a nice store of magic just waiting to wreak havoc.

I took a deep breath through my nose and released it before answering Enorah. “I don’t like it, but I’m going along with it because Cade is right. I’m safer here than anywhere, and I’d just draw the Morrigan’s attention if I went with him.”

Enorah thought about that for a while, then nodded sharply. “Very well. And of course Meghan can stay here with us.”

Cade released his breath, clearly relieved, then addressed his sister, “While she’s here, I was hoping you could teach her how to control and use her power properly. I had hoped to teach her myself, but now that the Morrigan seems to be preparing for war, Meghan will need all the knowledge she can get, as soon as she can get it. Perhaps you can even take her to the Tree of Life.”

I blinked in surprise. The Tree of Life? Where was that? What was that?

Enorah nodded. “I’ll take her once she’s had a chance to sleep. From what you’ve told me I can safely presume you’ve been up the whole night.”

Cade nodded then opened his mouth and called, “Fergus!”

The spirit guide trotted up to us, as silent and ethereal as ever.

“Go wait for me down the trail.”

Without so much as a wag of his tail, the wolfhound took off towards the edge of the settlement, disappearing down the path.

Cade turned to follow him, but paused and gave me a long look. Accompany me to the edge of the village? His shil-sciar voice felt smooth in my mind.

I sighed, then closed my eyes. I didn’t want to do this, not this soon. I had hoped for at least a good week or two in Eile before I had to worry about the Morrigan. Now Cade was leaving me in the care of his sister and I wasn’t even sure if I’d ever see him again. No tears Meghan! my conscience told me as my eyes threatened to well up.

I took a deep, shuddering breath and whispered back to him using the same, private method of communication. Of course.

Cade stepped away from Enorah, but she caught his hand before he could move any further. “Be careful brother. Now you have two women who would be heart-broken if you never came back.”

He gave her a curt nod, then looked at me again before walking away.

“I’ll be just a minute,” I told Enorah. My voice shook a little, but I hoped she didn’t notice.

“Take your time Meghan, there is no need to rush and it’s still plenty dark out.”

Despite the somber mood, she managed to lighten it by winking at me. Ugh, I could appreciate her attempt to make me feel better, but I didn’t appreciate the flush creeping up my neck . . .

Shaking off Enorah’s suggestive remark, I wrapped my arms around myself and followed after Cade. We walked like that, in silence, until the village was out of sight and we were blocked by a bend in the trail. The sky was still very dark, but I could see the beginnings of pale grey coloring the eastern sky. My skin prickled with goose bumps, but I knew it wasn’t just because of the cold. I was worried beyond belief. True, Cade knew what he was doing. He was a faelah bounty hunter for goodness’ sake and the son of a goddess. But I had seen what the Morrigan could do and I didn’t ever want that to happen again. I’d be worried about him the entire time he was gone.

When Cade finally stopped walking, he stepped to the side and leaned against a great beech tree covered in moss and shoved his hands into his pockets, his cloak falling all around him like an extension of the green forest. I just studied him like that for several moments, grateful for the encroaching light of dawn. I sighed in appreciation. He looked like some long forgotten god of the old forest, beautiful, strong, and intense. He was just standing there, still as the trees, but the power he exuded was almost too much to take in. I felt my heart swell again, reminding me how much I loved him.

I’ll come back Meghan, I promise, his mind whispered against mine.

I know, I answered, my own thoughts shaky and raw as I transferred my gaze to the leaf-plastered ground. When will you be back?

He took a long time to answer, but finally he said, No longer than a month. Maybe five weeks.

A month! Five weeks! That was an eternity! Cool it Meghan, I told myself. You’ve waited longer for him, remember? Okay, so maybe it wasn’t that bad, but it would seem like forever. I would just have to spend every waking moment focusing on fine-tuning my magic so that I could defend myself when it was time to leave the Weald.

The soft sound of rustling clothing was the first clue that Cade had moved from his resting spot against the tree. I glanced up, only to catch his gaze as he stepped towards me. My heart caught in my throat and I froze on the spot. When he was mere inches away, he reached up and took my face in his hands.

Without thinking about it, I lifted my own hands and placed them on his forearms. I knew my eyes were filling up with tears, and I knew it made me look pathetic, but I was too overwhelmed with emotion to care. I had just left my family behind, perhaps never to see them again, only to learn that Cade was leaving me for a month to traipse across the wilds of Eile in clear sight of his bloodthirsty mother.

“Shhh,” Cade murmured, resting his forehead against mine. “Hush, love. When this is all over, we’ll go back to Luathara and start over again properly.”

I tried to swallow, but there was an annoying lump in my throat. So, did that mean Cade wanted to marry me after all? If so, why had he nearly panicked when his sister joked about it? And despite the fact that I loved him beyond all reason, was I even ready for such a huge life step, especially when I had the potential to live forever?

Shut up Meghan and just enjoy the moment while it lasts, my oh-so considerate conscience told me. Okay, good advice.

I licked my lips and turned my face up to Cade’s. He smiled and leaned in closer, kissing me softly at first, but then deepening the kiss so that my nerves sparked all the way from the tips of my toes to the very ends of my hair.

I wrapped my arms around him and added my own fervor. Hey, why not play along if he was willing? Cade responded by wrapping his cloak around me and moving his hands from my face to my lower back. We were both lost in sensation for who knows how long, but at some point a screech from above forced us to break the kiss and we were left standing there, staring at each other as we caught our breath. Cade’s eyes were flickering from green to brown to grey and I’m sure mine were doing the same. The screech sounded again and I saw a flash of white tear by. Meridian. I bit my lip to hide a grin as my cheeks turned pink.

Cade smiled back at me and leaned in to give me another kiss, this one not nearly as disarming as the last. I tried not to feel disappointed. After all, he did have to get going.

I grabbed the edges of his cloak and pulled myself up on my tiptoes to give him one last peck on the lips, then I forced myself to step away.

I quickly turned and walked back towards the village, glancing every now and again over my shoulder. Cade stood there, in the middle of the trail, looking like some cloaked avenger, watching me. I smiled and turned back around, telling myself the sooner he left, the sooner he’d return.

Just as I was entering the village again, I felt Cade’s words sift into my mind.

A few weeks, my love. One short month.

I know, I returned. Be careful and come back to me whole and alive or I shall make your life miserable after I take you to the Dagda.

Cade’s soft chuckle was the reply I got, but that heartwarming sound soon drifted out of my conscious like smoke in the wind.

Five weeks max, Meghan, I told myself as I met up with Enorah and the sleepy children in the center of the village. Only a month.

 

-Nine-