Guardian

 

When I woke up later that day, I nearly panicked. The bed I was lying in wasn’t my own, the air held the distinct scent of wood smoke and damp earth, and there were several pairs of eyes (not belonging to my brothers) gazing at me with intense curiosity. Fortunately, I didn’t scream, but I came darn close. Then it all came flooding back to me in one painful rush: leaving my family and home for the Otherworld, fighting off the attack on Luathara, the horrible puca delivering the Morrigan’s threat, traveling to the Weald, Cade leaving to take care of business without me . . . A wave of emotion overtook me and a sob escaped my throat. I clasped a hand over my mouth before I lost it completely. That action alone scared the kids off, but they were soon replaced by Enorah.

“What’s wrong Meghan?”

“I’m fine,” I managed as I wiped away the stray tears.

I would not break down in front of Cade’s sister. What was wrong with me? I had been fine earlier that morning after Cade left and I’d had something to eat. Perhaps the shock was just now wearing off.

Enorah sank down onto the thin mattress next to me and swung an arm over my shoulder, pulling me close and leaning the side of her head against mine.

“If you need to cry, go right ahead. You have every right to be upset right now. No one will judge you harshly for it.”

I shook my head. No, I could control myself. I was just taken by surprise is all. I kept my tears at bay and refused to lose it. Time to be strong, Meghan, my conscience told me. And for once, I agreed. Instead of crying, I simply took several deep breaths, willing myself to remain calm.

Ten minutes later Enorah was leading me out into the middle of their small town. From the angle of the light pouring through the canopy above, I judged the time of day to be around noon. Huh, guess I hadn’t slept that long after all. Would explain why I still felt groggy.

“Sorry, our accommodations are a little primitive, but we do have a shower,” she said, grinning as she pointed out what looked like a shed with steaming cauldrons of water simmering beside it.

I smiled. Despite the rustic set up, a hot shower would help soothe my nerves.

When I was done cleaning up and had donned a fresh set of clothes from my backpack, I sought out Enorah again. She sat with a few other adults her age around the central mid-day fire. Several children, ranging in age from two to fifteen darted around, either helping their older comrades with chores or playing games of chase. There seemed to be a lot more kids than what I remembered from my last visit and quite a few extra adults as well.

I asked Enorah about this and her usually bright face turned gloomy. She nodded once and said, “The Morrigan’s creatures have been more active of late. I think Cade is right; she is up to something and everyone in Eile can feel it. Those who think they might have wronged her, and those who live too far away from established settlements to protect themselves, have sought shelter with us and others who will take them in.”

She turned and looked at me, her grey-green gaze hard. “A war is brewing Meghan, I can feel it in my bones. The trees can feel it,” she glanced up at the boughs high above us, “the animals and the very earth can feel it.”

A stone seemed to have formed in my throat, only to slide down to the pit of my stomach.

“Oh no,” I whispered harshly, “this is my fault. Cade had warned me about this, when we first met, before I’d even come to Eile.” I looked up at her and I knew my eyes were flickering with my magic once again. “He told me that my mixed blood would bring turmoil to the people of the Otherworld.”

Enorah only shook her head, then placed a hand on my shoulder. “No Meghan, don’t look at it that way. Yes, your presence has brought about this change, but it has been a long time coming. The Morrigan has been working for years to inflict her reign upon our world. Only now does she think she stands a chance, but it is a risky bargain.”

I furrowed my brow. “How so?”

“She wants you Meghan, she wants your glamour. If she succeeds, the power she steals from you will make her all but invincible. But if she fails, then she may be rendered powerless for centuries.”

I shivered at that. I knew the gods and goddesses couldn’t be killed, but I could, immortal or not. That gave me an even greater reason not to fight the Morrigan. And despite what Enorah said, and what the Dagda had once told me, I couldn’t help but feel guilty about all of this. Only one thing to do about it though . . . I sucked in a deep breath and let it out just as forcefully.

“Okay, maybe I should start learning how to use this immense power of mine then.”

I grinned, despite my unease, and Enorah laughed. “That’s the spirit. Let’s have some lunch and then I’ll take you to the Tree of Life.”

As we headed towards the village square, I said, “Cade mentioned something about that this morning. What is the Tree of Life exactly?”

Enorah’s eyes took on that mischievous glint once again and all she said was, “You’ll see.”

Great, I thought, more surprises . . .

* * *

Meridian volunteered to be our lookout as we made our way deeper into the heart of the Weald. I had no idea where exactly this Tree of Life was supposed to be and Enorah wouldn’t tell me. What she did do, however, was point out all of the wondrous creatures that lived deep within this magical place as we hiked. I saw several more twigrins, following quietly after us for a few minutes before disappearing into the branches again, and even some of the pixies that had greeted me in the swamp those many months ago. A few times we passed by a small clearing bedecked with what looked like a cluster of small, dome-shaped houses. I probably wouldn’t have noticed them except several had streams of smoke rising from their roofs. I lifted an eyebrow at Enorah and she said with a smile, “A cranobh village.”

“Huh?”

“They are distantly related to brownies but prefer to live in the forest. Cranobhs are generally shy and keep to themselves, but are incredibly strong and ferocious if you anger them.”

My eyes must have been huge because Enorah let loose a string of laughter, pausing long enough to slap a hand against her thigh.

“Don’t worry Meghan! The only way to offend a cranobh is by cutting down a tree in its presence. They are very protective of the forest.”

We started walking once again, moving deeper and deeper into the ancient forest. On more than one occasion, I stepped on a moss-covered rock only to squeal when it jerked itself out from under my foot, scuttling off into the brush while emitting clicking sounds. The first time this happened I gave Enorah a look of horror, but she only smiled and said, “Litterbug.”

Oh, right. I’d encountered one of those before, only it had looked different than the living rock version.

“Um, do they all blend in so well with their surroundings?”

If Enorah said yes, I didn’t think I was going to make it through this day with my nerves still intact. And just like that, my wonderful imagination conjured up an image of me grabbing onto a branch for support only to find that it was some creepy crawly thing that didn’t appreciate being touched.

Enorah chuckled and nodded her head to answer my question, looking like a woodland elf ready for mischief. Great.

Eventually, we came upon a wide, flooded meadow and the natural magic of the Weald, which had been brushing against my skin for the past several hours, intensified into something far more substantial. I glanced down at my arm, expecting to see goose bumps. Instead, an almost imperceptible pale blue glimmer shimmered just above the surface of my skin, making my blood sing and my own growing glamour flare ever so slightly.

Shaking my head, I tore my attention away from the sudden influx of magic and returned my eyes to the glorious scene before us. The water flooding the meadow was shallow, maybe two to three feet deep at most, and there were several large stepping stones creating a path across the natural moat. As beautiful as the shallow pool was, however, the enormous tree perched dead center on the largest piece of dry land brought me to a sudden stop. I felt my mouth drop open as I gazed upon one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen. Most of the tree’s boughs curved downward and several of its roots reached up towards the sky, intertwining with the twigs and branches above them. All around the entire tree, the roots and branches joined together like this, forming a great sphere of woven natural beauty. The leaves were gone from the tree, and I couldn’t tell if it was always supposed to look that way or if this particular species lost its leaves in the summer. This was the Otherworld after all, and anything was possible.

“Meghan,” Enorah said softly, all of her earlier mirth gone from both her voice and her face.

Cade’s sister now donned a quiet demeanor of respect, one I was quick to mimic. I glanced down at her arm. She was indicating the pathway of stones that crossed the shallow pool. “All Faelorehn are welcome to enter within the joining of roots and branches of the great Tree of Life.”

I stared at her in surprise, still under the spell of the tree and the magic that thrummed throughout this meadow like the resounding hum of a plucked guitar string. Releasing a great sigh, I looked more closely at the collection of stepping stones stretching out in front of me, my gaze tracing where they led. On the other side of the pool I noted a narrow gap in the tree’s branches; an entrance large enough for someone to pass through.

Then Enorah’s words hit me. “Wait, you want me to go in there?”

It didn’t seem right. Sure, I was technically Faelorehn and the daughter of their queen, but I hadn’t grown up here and it wasn’t as if Danua was welcoming me into her castle with open arms. I knew next to nothing of their ways and although I had come a long way since my internet searches, I still had plenty to learn about my heritage. And Enorah wanted me to walk up to this tree, which looked to be as old as the earth itself and probably contained more magic than all the Celtic gods combined, and . . . do what exactly?

I almost leapt out of my skin when Enorah placed her hands on my shoulders. “The Tree of Life is here to help guide us, to give us wisdom, and show us our true selves. And to soothe us when we are distressed. Can you not feel it beckoning you?”

I swallowed, but nodded. Yes, I could feel it beckoning me, almost like the feeling I got before being pulled through a dolmarehn. Only this sensation tugged on my heart, or maybe it was my magic. I couldn’t quite tell, but it was there. Still feeling a bit reluctant, I took the first step towards the tree. After all, I could definitely use some guidance and soothing, even if it came from a giant, magical plant. Slowly but surely, I crossed the shallow moat, barely even noticing the enchanted aura of the meadow anymore.

When I was only a few feet away from the tree, I reached out a hand and carefully touched a knot on one of its roots. Instantly my nerves sizzled, as if icy lightning had struck my hand. I hissed in a breath, but didn’t move my fingers away. Instead, I squared my shoulders and stepped through the gap. Suddenly, the world went quiet and all I could hear and feel were the whispers of hundreds of voices, all trying to speak to me at once in that Otherworldly language that seemed more ancient than time. My small well of magic flared, stronger than ever, and for a moment I thought my heart might burst.

The murmuring voices all came together and suddenly, I could understand them: You have goodness in you Meghan Elam, but you are not meant for mere goodness. You are destined for greatness . . .

The words swirled around in my mind, and although I could see them the way I saw Cade’s thoughts when he used shil-sciar, I could hear these words as well. What did they mean, I was destined for greatness? Me? The nerdy teen from Arroyo Grande? But then again, that wasn’t quite who I was. I was also Meghan of Eile, daughter of Danua the high queen.

I gritted my teeth and let the meaning of the words sink in. Could I really be destined for greatness? I snorted. Sure, why not? I had gone from being the most unpopular girl at my high school to being an immortal Faelorehn princess with a powerful arch enemy and a hot, faelah bounty hunter as a boyfriend. My world of possibilities had gone from ‘Not a chance in hell’ to ‘Anything could, and would, happen’ in just a few months. And that’s when it hit me, like the first icy drop of a winter storm, insignificant but shocking at the same time. I wasn’t Meghan Elam of California, nor was I the daughter of a Celtic goddess queen. I was just me, but unfortunately I hadn’t quite figured out who that person was yet. I mean, I had a pretty good idea, but I was still in the process of becoming who I was supposed to be. Maybe that is what the voices, the Tree of Life, meant. I was destined for greatness because I still hadn’t discovered my true calling yet.

And just like that, my magic, which had been swirling around inside of me like a freight train tearing down a mountain side, died back down to the candle flame I always saw it as.

You are well on your way, Child of Eile . . .

The voices whispered in unison one last time, dissipating as my heart rate slowed back into a normal pace.

Feeling suddenly drained, I plopped down on the bed of soft moss surrounding the base of the tree and rested my back against its gnarled trunk. I just needed a few moments to regain my composure, then I’d return to Enorah. I think I was at my limit when it came to powerful Otherworldly things for the day and I needed to clear my head to sort out the ‘words of wisdom’ the Tree had shared with me.

Taking deep breaths, I glanced around, sighing at the beautiful knot work weave of the interlinking branches and roots once again. Nothing in the mortal world ever grew like that, unless diligently trained by a gardener, and even then it didn’t come close. I was so distracted with tracing the pattern with my fingers that I didn’t notice the pale blue light slowly growing and overtaking the marshy glen. Eventually it caught my attention and I whipped my head around, expecting to see Enorah performing some tricks with her glamour in order to pass the time while I recovered.

What I saw instead took my breath away. A great stag, closer in size to an elk than a deer, stood stoically on the other side of the shallow pool. The numbing silence that had surrounded me melted away and the enchanting music of the forest played softly across the glen. As I tried to blink the incredible image of the stag from my vision, he took several soundless steps, moving gracefully through the water as if he were composed only of spirit. I stayed absolutely still, afraid that I might scare him away. Where had he come from? And where was Enorah?

And then something even stranger happened. That pale magic dancing around the Tree gathered behind the stag and he started melting into something different, something more familiar. By the time he reached the opening in the Tree, he had taken on the shape of a man with only his great antlers remaining. And all I could do was stare up at his impressive figure like an idiot.

He smiled, then tossed a lock of earth-brown hair out of eyes the same color and extended a hand out to me. I swallowed and continued my staring contest, trying for the life of me to figure out who he was. He wore leather hunting pants and simple moccasins, and his bare chest revealed toned muscles hidden only slightly by a deerskin vest. Around his throat was a torque, similar to Cade’s and mine, only this one portrayed the heads of deer instead of hounds. Not too surprising, considering he had been one only a few moments ago.

“Don’t be afraid Meghan,” he said gently, his voice so in tune with the sounds of the forest.

“Wh-Who are you?” I croaked, still staying put on the ground.

He smiled again, his face lighting up and his gentle brown eyes flashing gold.

“A friend,” he answered.

Feeling that I was trapped in this spherical nest of branches and roots, I took my chances and let him pull me up and out onto the stepping stones.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, brushing off mud and leaf litter while at the same time casting quick glances in his direction.

He now stood with his arms crossed, studying me openly. He didn’t feel threatening, but that didn’t mean anything. He was tall and those antlers made him appear even taller. What was with that anyways? Obviously he was some sort of shape-shifter, but why wouldn’t he get rid of the antlers after taking on his human form?

I tried to get a better sense of who he might be, but before I could ask any more questions, he sighed and said, “I’ve come to be of some help to you, Meghan.”

“How do you know my name?” I whispered.

The strange man smiled. “The spirits of the forest told me.”

Uh, okay . . .

“I know about your troubles with the Morrigan as well.”

Ah, wonderful. First I had the spirits of the forest and a sacred tree telling strangers my name and informing me I was ‘destined for greatness’, and now I had some antlered shape-shifter I’d never met before telling me he knew about my biggest problem. Did everyone know everyone’s business in Eile? Or was it just because I was the clueless newbie? Or worse, was he here to escort me back to the mortal world? Sorry Meg, we can’t have you stirring up trouble in the Otherworld so you’ll have to leave . . .

“I also know who your mother is and that you are capable of producing great magic.”

For some reason, that sparked enough anger in me to burn away my trepidation. “Oh? And did she send you? To try and talk sense into me?”

The last time I’d seen Danua, my mother, she had insisted I give up my friendship with Cade and move into the castle at Erintara with her to take on my proper role as her daughter. I had refused and she hadn’t been too happy about it. Oh well. I hadn’t cared at the time and I didn’t care now. If she wanted me in her life, then she needed to make an effort to get to know me and not try to mold me into something I wasn’t.

The strange deer man must have felt my irritation, but all he did was smile. It was a bit disarming because, after all, he had the same beauty about him that all the Faelorehn had.

“No, she didn’t. I came on my own,” he finally said. “As soon as you entered my realm I could sense your glamour. You have great potential to become very strong, but not strong enough to defeat your enemies. I am here to offer you a gift, a gift no other Faelorehn has ever been granted.”

I opened my mouth to share a few more terse words with him, but choked on whatever it was I was about to say. Instead I offered a garbled, “Huh?”

“I am the Guardian of the Weald, Meghan, and all the wild things of Eile. I know of the threat that looms over our world, and I know that you are a central player. The fight to overcome the Morrigan will not be an easy one, and since you are her main target, I thought you might benefit from a little extra magic.”

I stared at him again and this time it wasn’t because I found his antlers a bit disconcerting. How did he know all of this?

“Are you serious?” I finally managed, placing a hand behind me as I groped for something to keep me steady. A rough root or branch finally gave me some support.

“Would you like to have as much magic as one of the Celtic gods?”

I shook my head to clear it of my disbelief. If what he was telling me was true, then perhaps I stood a chance against the Morrigan after all. But a prickle of doubt pierced through me and I hesitated. What if this was a trick? I didn’t know who this person was. Sure, he had emerged from the woods in the shape of a giant deer, the magic of Eile clinging to him like a cloak woven from starlight, but I was in the Otherworld now. I really had no idea who was on my side.

Taking a deep breath, I opened my mouth to tell him I wasn’t interested, but then an old memory played across my mind. It was an image of Cade, standing in the middle of a bloody battlefield, looking at me one last time before collapsing to the ground. The reminder of what the Morrigan was capable of made my chest hurt, and I had to grit my teeth and squeeze my eyes shut until the nightmare passed. Suddenly, I wasn’t so certain of turning the shape-shifter’s offer down any longer, and something, intuition or some deep instinct, made me think that this chance might not come my way again. I steeled myself, then looked the antlered man in the eye.

“Yes,” I said, hoping I was making the right choice. It was so hard to think straight with so much magic saturating the air. “I would appreciate your help.”

The stranger stepped forward and showed me his palm. “I’ll have to touch you to make it work,” he explained. “One hand I must place over the spot where your magic sleeps, the other I will place on your forehead. Is that alright?”

I bit my cheek, but nodded.

“Now, this might feel strange and it may even make you unaware of your surroundings for a while, but it will have no lasting effects, other than creating another pocket of magic next to your own. However, I must warn you,” he paused, giving me a look that didn’t reflect his general kindness, “this gift comes with a price.”

I felt my stomach sink and a raw bitterness gnawed at my heart. Of course. I knew it must be too good to be true.

I swallowed my disappointment and whispered, “And what price is that?”

“A geis,” he murmured.

I cringed and pulled away from him. In my experience, nothing good ever came from being pinned down with a geis. Would I be willing to pay the price? To have a taboo hovering over me in order to gain the power of a god? I thought about what I intended to do with that power once I got it: defeat the Morrigan so that she could no longer hurt me, my friends, or my family. Yes, that was worth the price of a geis. But I still wanted to know what it was going to cost me.

I clenched my fingers into fists. “Very well,” I said rather boldly, “what would the terms of this geis be?”

The antlered man studied me for a long while, then gently nodded his head before saying, “The power I lend you can be used only once, so you must use it wisely. It is also a secret and may not be shared with any other Faelorehn man or woman until after you’ve used it.”

I blanched and gave him a look of horror. What!? I had to keep this a secret?

“Why can’t I tell anyone about it?”

A flash of gold crackled in his brown eyes, and for a split second he lost his smile. Pressing his fingertips together he gave a slight nod, “It is just one of the conditions of your geis.”

I gritted my teeth in frustration. What kind of an answer was that? Huffing a breath of annoyance, I asked, “So, what happens if I violate this geis?”

Hey, I needed to know all the details, right? Would be foolish to swear an oath without knowing all the consequences.

The man’s humor vanished once again and his brown eyes darkened, taking on a somber aura. “If you share any details of this gift before you’ve made proper use of it, then you will lose all of your magic, never to gain it back again. You will become mortal; unable to live in Eile.”

I’m pretty sure my knees buckled, because one minute I was standing there, trying to look tough in front of this weird guy with antlers, and in the next moment I was sitting down in the shallow pool. The shape-shifter tried to help me up, but I really didn’t care if I got soaked or not. I could lose my magic. All of it. Not that it was something I was terribly attached to. Heck, I hadn’t known it existed most of my life. But if I had no magic, I wouldn’t be able to protect myself from the Morrigan. Sure, she wouldn’t want to make me her own personal, glamour cash cow any more, but after the fight I’d given her the last time we met, she would most definitely kill me simply out of spite.

Eventually, I allowed myself to be helped up. I had a decision to make. A life-changing, possibly life-ending, decision. The deer man must have known this because he stood patiently as if allowing me to think. Okay, he was offering to give me a lot more magic to be used only once, the kind of magic the Morrigan and my mother could wield. Enough to possibly defeat the Morrigan, someone who threatened everyone I loved. I had no reason to trust the validity of what he said, but something about the power that emanated from him and something maybe more instinctual, told me he wasn’t lying. His offer was very generous, and tempting, but that was one heck of a gamble to take on a future I had no way of predicting. And even then, would it be enough? Could it stop the Morrigan for good?

Then I thought of Enorah and the Wildren, and Danua and the Dagda. I thought of my family back in the mortal world. And finally, I thought of Cade. I loved them all, in one way or another, and the Morrigan was a threat to all of them. Yes, the Dagda and my mother were immensely powerful, and even Cade and I had our fair share of glamour. But what if the Morrigan had even more? Especially now that she had an ally. And who knows what other unknown advantages she had hidden up her sleeves. If I knew the Morrigan, she was no fool. She would have planned for everything and she would never take on her Tuatha De brethren if she didn’t think she could win.

I took a long, deep breath and closed my eyes, trying to ease the ache in my chest. When I opened my eyes again, I found the strange man exactly where I had left him, standing only a few feet in front of me. His mouth cut a grim line across his face, his eyes studying me closely once again.

“I will accept your offer,” I heard myself say over the fierce pounding of my heart.

I reached out my hand and he took it carefully, shaking to seal the deal. A jolt of magic coursed up my arm and joined the flame of my own glamour, sizzling and sparking for a brief moment before becoming that docile little flicker once again.

“Wait,” I said suddenly, jerking my hand back. “Why me? Why offer this gift to me?”

The antlered man grinned and his eyes glinted. He may have been a deer, but that look was all predator.

“The Morrigan presumes too much; she takes things too far and thinks we’ll sit back and allow her to do so. She is wrong. Besides, you’re the one she wants the most. You need this magic more than anyone else.”

I gritted my teeth. Yes, I was the little Faelorah with the gall to stand up to her without dying, so it was no surprise I was on the top of her ‘People Who Must Die’ list. I just wish everyone would stop reminding me of that fact.

“Are you ready?” the shape-shifter asked.

I nodded, bracing myself.

He took a step forward and lifted both hands, placing one on my chest just to the right of my heart, and the other on my head, as if I were a child he was blessing. Immediately, I felt my magic shimmer and quiver with life.

“This may feel strange,” he whispered, “and when it is all over, I will be gone. My gift of magic will be its own separate entity, but it will reside next to your own glamour. Just remember what you promised, and follow your heart. It will tell you when it is time to use this gift.”

Before I could so much as nod or voice one of the five hundred other questions that sat on the tip of my tongue, a great flash of light pierced the landscape and seared my retinas. I cried out in shock and felt myself falling once again. The candle wick that had once embodied my magic shuddered as a new flame, a much paler shade of blue than mine, flashed and burst forth like a super nova. Just as quickly, the great whirlwind of sensations overwhelming me vanished. The bright light that had accompanied the stag faded and I was left in a world caught between twilight and evening. Eventually I heard Enorah calling out my name and felt someone shaking my shoulders.

I wanted to keep my eyes shut; keep the world locked out until I figured out what had just happened, if that was even possible, but Enorah’s frantic voice forced me to look in her direction.

“Meghan! What happened!?”

“The stag,” I managed, “I mean, the man. I-I don’t know.”

A wave of painful dizziness swept over me and I felt my head loll to the side. Enorah grabbed me and shook me gently, forcing me to sit up and open my eyes.

“You stepped through the gap in the branches and sat down for no more than a minute Meghan, then you keeled over into the pool. I dragged you over here and tried to get you to wake up, but you weren’t responding. You were out for a good ten minutes or more.”

Enorah propped me up against a moss covered stone and looked me in the eye, her own eyes now pale grey and bright with worry. “What happened in there? Why did you black out? What did you see?”

My mind felt fuzzy and incoherent, as if I was chasing words around in my mind, trying to catch them and string them together to form lucid thoughts. I pressed a hand to my head and tried to think. That only made my head hurt worse, but I was able to recall a fragment of what had happened. Eventually, everything cleared and I licked my lips to answer Enorah’s question.

“Didn’t you see him? The giant stag?” I blurted, “He was standing right where I left you, then he came over to me and turned into a man, only he had antlers.”

Had that been real? It seemed so real, but now that I was conscious again it seemed more like a dream than reality. Could I have imagined it all?

“What?” Enorah breathed in response to my babbling. Her grip on my shoulders tightening.

I bit my lip as the rest of my conversation with the stranger came flooding back. Tell no one of my gift, it is a secret . . . Oh no. I had sworn an oath and accepted a geis, promising the shape-shifter I wouldn’t tell anyone about my new extra dose of glamour. Had I already broken my geis? I started to panic, but then a soothing voice, nothing more than a breath of wind, crooned, I never said you couldn’t speak about me . . . just don’t tell her about your secret . . .

I pressed a palm to my forehead and tried to think again, but Enorah pulled my hand away and cupped my face in her hands.

“Meghan! Do you realize who you saw?”

I shook my head and frowned, then felt the blood drain from my face. Oh no. Oh Meghan . . . Had my first instincts been right after all? Had I just accepted a geis from one of the Morrigan’s allies? Did I just sign my own death warrant? A sob worked its way up my throat and I nearly choked on it.

“Meghan? What’s wrong? No, don’t be upset!”

Enorah gently shook my shoulders, but the tears wouldn’t stop.

“Meghan! You had a vision is all, a vision of Cernunnos! Don’t be upset, please.”

She pushed back my tangled hair and gave me a hug, trying to shush me and get me to stop crying.

“Cernunnos is the Guardian of the Wild, Meghan. He hardly ever comes this close to our village. Many people say that he lives in the farthest reaches of the Weald, where no one dares tread. It is said that his magic is so vast he is the wilderness itself.”

She let go of me and held me at arm’s length, smiling brightly. I sniffled, finally forcing myself into a calm state.

“He’s not a friend of the Morrigan?” I murmured, my relief making my bones feel weak.

Enorah released a great sigh and then chuckled. “Oh no! Is that why you are so upset? Did you think the Morrigan was sending her minions to terrorize you when you were unconscious? Poor Meghan! I can’t say I blame you, after what happened at Luathara the other night.”

No. I was thinking I had just made a deal with one of her henchmen and I would soon lose all of my magic.

I wiped my sleeve across my nose, not caring that it was totally unladylike, and nodded. Hey, I had a secret to keep. It wouldn’t hurt to let Enorah keep believing it was only my fear of the Morrigan that had forced me into hysterics. And the memory of the attack on Cade’s castle helped me keep up the whole ‘emotionally disturbed Meg’ act.

“So, are you okay now?”

Enorah was sitting on her knees, her hands pressed against her thighs.

Finally, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m fine, really. I’m just a bit tired of being clueless when it comes to the Faelorehn nobility. If another god or goddess pops up and doesn’t bother to tell me who they are, I might just punch them.”

I could have sworn there was another person laughing along with Enorah, someone with the smooth, rich voice of the forest, but I brushed it aside as she helped me up.

“Come on, let’s get back to the village,” she said.

“Good idea. I think I need to go to bed and not wake up until morning.”

We made our way back through the forest and while we walked in silence, I couldn’t help but reach inside of myself to examine my new source of magic. Its wild flare had died down, but I could no longer picture it as a candle flame. Instead, I envisioned a pale sapphire rose, closed up tight as if it was sleeping. Brilliant, electric cerulean tendrils of light glowed between the tight petals, and somehow I knew that this is how I’d always see Cernunnos’s gift. And then another thought struck me like a well-placed arrow. What if Cade noticed this new change in me when he returned? After all, he had been able to sense my Faelorehn glamour long before I even knew about it. Would he be able to sense this power too?

“Meghan, you okay?”

The weight of Enorah’s hand on my shoulder made me jump.

She pulled her hand back immediately and donned a worried look.

“Sorry. I’m okay, really. Just thinking about what happened back at the Tree.”

I gave a half-hearted grin, hoping she bought my lie.

Enorah nodded, then smiled and gave my shoulder a friendly nudge with her fist.

“Let’s get a move on then. If we stick to this pace then we’ll get stranded in the forest after dark.”

I sighed, but started walking again. I really wanted to think about more pleasant things as we made our way back to the village, but what had happened with Cernunnos insisted on taking center stage in my mind. It would be hard keeping this knowledge to myself, I knew that for certain, but I also knew that the lives of those I loved (and my own life as well) depended on it. And then, when the time arrived, I would let that bud of power blossom and release its potent, brilliant blue magic and stop the Morrigan in her tracks. I just needed to figure out when that would be.

As the lingering, magical essence of the enchanted meadow wore off, I pictured the Tree of Life in my mind once more. Despite the stressful interaction I’d had with Cernunnos, the whole experience hadn’t been all that bad. In fact, I had the itchy feeling that the Tree was pleased with my choice. How I knew this, I couldn’t say. I only hoped that I’d made the right decision.

 

-Ten-

Training

 

Dusk had begun encroaching upon the village by the time we got back, so Enorah fetched me a quick dinner then left me in one of the small cabins to sleep off my ordeal. Of course, I never told her it had been an ordeal, I simply explained that I was still tired from the night before. Either way, I was left to simmer in the near silence, listening to the children playing outside as I tried to gather my thoughts. So the wild deer man, Cernunnos, had given me an overdose of magic, enough to rank me among the Tuatha De; the gods and goddesses of the Otherworld. And I had to keep it a secret from everyone I knew and I could only use it once. Alright Meghan, I told myself, don’t screw this up. You made the right choice in accepting his help, now you have to figure out how you are going to keep something this big a secret.

I turned over on the lumpy mattress and huffed a breath of frustration. I didn’t think I would have any trouble keeping quiet with Enorah, the Dagda, my mother, and any of the other Faelorehn I came into contact with, but how on earth was I going to keep this information from Cade? Especially now that I knew how to talk to him using only my thoughts. Don’t forget Meghan, just because you can communicate mind to mind doesn’t mean you have to tell him everything. Right. I simply wouldn’t speak about it, out loud or internally. But would the guilt eat away at me? We were in a relationship now and the last thing I wanted to do was ruin it because I couldn’t be honest with him.

Once again, the image of the Morrigan using Cade as a chew toy for her horrible hounds flashed across my mind. I ground my teeth. I would hang onto that image like a leech, despite the pain it caused me. If ever I was tempted to spill my discovery to Cade, the memory of his fight with the Cumorrig would keep me in line.

Trouble?

The sudden thought from Meridian made me jolt upright. I sighed and leaned back into the pillow when I realized it was her. She had been scarce all day, so I wondered where she was now. Probably perched in the tree behind my cabin.

Yes and no, I responded, then paused for a moment. I could tell my spirit guide about my magic, couldn’t I? She didn’t speak with anyone else and spirit guides were the very form of loyalty. And she wasn’t a Faelorehn man or woman.

I drew in a slow breath, deciding it best not to risk anything. Just feel a little odd in this new place, I sent. There, that should be safe.

Yes, new great magic inside, she said, Bright Flower.

My eyes widened in surprise, though there was no one to see me.

You know?

Of course, she responded, and I could just see her fluffing her feathers smugly. Wild Lord told me.

Huh. Well, if Cernunnos took the initiative to inform my spirit guide of my secret power, then I guess it was okay to speak with her about it.

We can’t tell anyone, I whispered into her mind, not even Cade or Fergus.

No one. Secret.

I grinned. Yes, I sent as I finally allowed myself to relax, my eyelids fluttering shut as I lay back down. Very secret.

It wasn’t long before sleep crept up on me, but before I lost complete awareness of my surroundings, a cool, inviting voice as old as the earth itself whispered against my mind, so gentle I wondered if I imagined it: Rest now Meghan, for you will meet many trials before you can truly rest again . . .

* * *

I woke to the sound of metal clanging and a male voice shouting, “Breakfast!”

Groaning, I sat up and placed a hand to my forehead. Had I slept straight through the night? Feeling somewhat sheepish, I crawled out of my cot and slipped on my shoes, then pushed the door open onto a scene of rambunctious chaos. Children, young and old, were scattering everywhere. Some squealed in delight, abandoning their morning chores, while others grumbled as they dragged themselves from their cabins, still in their pajamas. I followed the stream of children to the town center where a great fire heated the bottom of a pot-bellied cauldron. It wasn’t as big or ornate as the Dagda’s, but the vessel reminded me of Cade’s foster father anyways. I smiled, a bit ruefully, wishing that the attack on Luathara had never happened. I could be at the Dagda’s house right now, enjoying his company and warm hospitality.

I stood behind the others, not sure what to do, until a small girl thrust a wooden bowl and spoon into my hand and took off running, giggling as she continued passing out her wares. Small hands, belonging to a gaggle of boys no older than five, gently shoved me forward and I realized that I had somehow joined a line. Eventually I found myself face to face with a boy about my age. He lifted up a large ladle, dipped it into the cauldron, and pulled up a heaping portion of oatmeal. The smell of cinnamon and sweet spices hit my nose, making my stomach growl and my mouth water simultaneously. I blushed a little as I smiled. The boy emptied the thick oatmeal into my bowl and jerked his head to the side. I turned to find a group of young girls offering up baskets of steaming biscuits. I grabbed one from the smallest girl, holding her basket up with all her might as if the fate of the world depended on it.

“Meghan!” a familiar voice called.

I turned my head. Enorah was sitting on the great log of a fallen beech tree, surrounded by a few others I’d seen the day before. I side-stepped a few more of the wildren and made my way towards them.

“Feeling better?” Enorah asked.

“Much,” I responded as I dipped my spoon into my breakfast. I took a bite and my eyes grew wide as the sweet, crisp flavors of late summer filled my mouth.

I quickly dug in, hardly noticing Enorah’s dancing eyes as she watched me.

“Were you not feeling well last night?” one of the boys asked me.

I glanced up, my mouth closed over the spoon, and thought of an answer. He was tall, but looked a little younger than me. He had the natural beauty and grace I had come to expect from the people of this world, something that would have caused me to gawk a year ago. Being around Cade had raised my standards, apparently.

Enorah swallowed a mouthful of oatmeal, then waved her spoon around like the drunken conductor of a band.

“She isn’t sick. She simply had a run in with Cernunnos when we visited the Tree of Life.”

The comment had been nonchalant, but by the way everyone’s eyes widened, I could tell my so-called run in wasn’t something that happened every day.

I glanced up at Enorah. She merely grinned and winked. At the time of the incident, she had been rather floored herself. Obviously she’d had time to let the surprise wear off.

Eventually everyone got back to their breakfast, and by the time I was scraping the last bits out of the bottom of my bowl, it had grown brighter.

A flurry of small children scurried through the scattered diners, collecting dirty bowls. They were quick, too. One minute my bowl was in my hand, the next it was gone. I blinked as a young girl disappeared into the darkness like a twilight sprite.

“So, are you ready to start using that magic of yours?” Enorah asked, planting her hands on the trunk of the beech as she shoved herself back down to earth.

I froze, and for a split second I thought she was talking about the new magic Cernunnos had gifted me. Fortunately, my brain jumpstarted itself and I remembered Cade had left his sister with the responsibility of training me.

“Yes,” I said, relaxing a bit, “I’m so ready to learn about my glamour.”

“Excellent,” Enorah piped. “Why don’t you go back to your cabin and change and meet me back here.”

I nodded, pushing away from the giant log and headed back towards the small cottage that had become my new, temporary home. I quickly pulled on a pair of pants, a clean shirt and a different sweatshirt than the one I’d been wearing the day before. I considered the small pile of dirty clothes before me and wondered if there was a way to get them clean.

I hope so, I thought, because I only had a few more spare sets with me.

Grabbing my longbow and quiver, just in case we met up with anything creepy, I pushed open the door and stepped out into the early morning light. Meridian, who’d made herself scarce the past several hours, dropped from the treetops somewhere and landed on my shoulder.

Hunt? she sent.

Not planning on it. Magic practice, I returned.

Meridian grumbled her contentment and tucked her head under her wing for a snooze. Sometimes I thought I must have the laziest spirit guide in Eile.

* * *

“Now I hope Caedehn has at least taught you how to find your magic,” Enorah cast over her shoulder as she came to a stop at the top of a hill.

We’d left the Wildren’s village about a half hour ago, taking one of the many paths trailing off into the forest. The day was sunny and pleasantly warm, just as any mid-summer day should be. Enorah led the way, her stride strong and confident, reminding me so much of her brother. I bit my lip as a pang of longing hit me, but just as quickly I shook the thought from my head. Honestly Meghan, he’s been gone two days . . .

Readjusting the quiver of arrows on my back, I tried not to think about it anymore. If I dwelled too long on what could be happening with Cade, then I was certain to drive myself crazy. Instead, I tried to remember what Enorah had just asked me. Oh yeah, if Cade had taught me how to find my magic. Taking a breath, I answered her, “Yes, he has.”

I felt slightly winded from climbing the hill, but then the land leveled out. Enorah nodded towards a small clearing and started setting her own gear next to a large stone. She gestured for me to join her in the meadow, and once we were standing opposite each other, she crossed her arms and studied me for a moment.

“We’ll start with just getting used to the feel of your magic and how it works,” she said. “I want you to locate the source of your glamour, then let it expand to its furthest limits. Don’t go too fast; you want it to suffuse your blood slowly.”

I nodded and closed my eyes, picturing the small flame burning next to my heart. I almost gasped when the image of a pale blue rose jumped into my mind with it, but then I remembered that the extra magic had taken up residence next to mine.

The magical rose petals started to peel back and the glittering, pale blue power of Cernunnos’s gift began to spill forth, hungry to be released. No, not yet. You have to stay closed inside the flower until you’re needed! I bit my lip and thought about how I was going to do this without letting it all escape and without giving away its presence. I gritted my teeth and willed the petals to close just a little. Reluctantly, the new power obeyed and the bright blue magic dimmed. I took a deep breath and winced at my pounding head. Ignoring the ache in my temples, I shifted my internal view just enough to catch a glimpse of my own magic. The flame greeted me like an old friend, and to make sure I had the right magic, I made it dance and flicker ever so slightly.

“Got it,” I hissed past the pain.

“Good, now let it grow. Fan the flame until it can’t get any bigger.”

Taking a deep breath, I carefully willed the flame to grow. Slowly, the fire next to my heart grew brighter, bigger. As my own magic flared, the blue rose of Cernunnos began unfurling again. This time it was harder to coax it into submission.

When it seemed like the rose wouldn’t obey me any further, I quickly capped my own magic, not allowing it to grow any larger. The rose stopped blooming, and with sheer willpower alone, I forced it to close back up. Sweat beaded on my forehead and my jaw hurt from clenching my teeth so tight. The power in the rose tickled my senses, but I refused to let it go. I could feel more than tell the amount of magic that still wished to be released. Like the heavy weight of a massive lake pressing against an unstable dam. Well, I just had to figure out how to reinforce that dam.

“Okay,” I said, my mouth feeling parched, “I’m at my limit.”

Technically, I felt like I could release loads more of my magic, but I was afraid it I did, the rose would burst into full bloom and join it. I’d just have to make do with what I had control over at the moment.

“Good,” Enorah answered. “Now, all I want you to do for today is practice expanding and drawing in your magic so you get used to the sensation. Hopefully by the end of the week, if you practice every day, you’ll be able to do it without consciously thinking about it.”

I nodded, then drew my magic back down into a tiny flame and opened my eyes. A sharp pain cut across my vision as the rose tried to crack open once again, but the glamour obeyed me more quickly this time when I forced it down. A slight thrill of triumph shot through me. I was certain I could learn to balance both my sources of power with enough practice.

I made a mental note to wander off on my own whenever I could to practice that particular drill in full force. I wanted to be prepared when the Morrigan struck, but I had no idea what letting my magic flare to its full strength might do. Best to do it where no one could see.

For the rest of the morning, Enorah simply taught me some basic spells I could cast using my magic. As I practiced fluctuating my own glamour, she helped me memorize the words and actions that went along with these simple charms. For instance, by speaking the ancient word for ‘sleep’ and whispering it into someone’s ear, or pointing my finger to my own while gathering a small bit of my magic, I could put someone or myself into a deep sleep.

When I arched my eyebrow at her, she merely shrugged. “It might come in handy some day. I’ve used it many times on myself when I didn’t want the children disturbing me after a long night standing guard.”

Once I felt like I had a good grasp on the expanding and contrasting exercises for my magic, she showed me how to gather up a small bead of glamour to use in the spells she’d taught me.

For another hour, I worked on drawing away small beads of my magic. It was simple, really, once Enorah explained the concept to me. First, I had to let my magic grow to a large flame, then I would simply pull away a tiny fragment of it, like gathering cotton candy on a paper cone, only instead of making a beehive of spun sugar, I was concentrating the glamour into a tiny pebble of magic. It took me a few tries to get it just right, but after several minutes I was whipping out beads of magic like I’d done it all my life. By the time we headed back for the village, I was glowing with confidence. Enorah couldn’t stop telling me how well I’d done and that she was certain by the end of the month, I’d be a force to reckon with.

We made it back home just in time for lunch, and after I finished eating with the others, I sought out a quiet spot just beyond the edge of the village to think. I wanted time to let my thoughts wander, without any distractions.

Despite my determination, and so far, success, at hiding my new wealth of magic, I was still terrified that somehow I’d let it slip that an antlered being of power had placed a god’s share of glamour into my hands. Yes, it was only my first day of practice and so far Cernunnos’s gift had obeyed me when it tried to flare, but I had also only been able to expand my own magic to half its potential before I couldn’t control that other source of power any longer.

Picking up a stick and pushing away a few of the leaves plastered to the ground, I opened up a small space on the damp earth and started drawing random images. After a few moments I paused, glancing around the open meadow I had settled in. I wondered if this would be far enough away to practice taming Cernunnos’s magic. Regardless of my fear and trepidation, I was pretty certain that I could whip it into shape if I just worked with it; practiced that simple exercise Enorah had taught me over and over again until I could open my magic up entirely without affecting the pale blue rose that sat next to it.

You’ll have your chance, I promised it.

As if the foreign well of power heard me, the rose pulsed once, a brilliant, electric blue, then settled back into being a young, dormant bud.

Breathing a mental sigh of relief, I continued doodling and another worry invaded my mind. I had no idea how I was going to keep this secret once Cade returned. Surely he’d notice I was hiding something and despite what he’d told me about the practice of shil-sciar, I couldn’t risk the truth slipping out that way.

“Something troubling you?”

I yelped at the sound of Enorah’s voice, snapping the stick I’d been using to draw. She smiled and dropped down from behind the giant beech tree I’d been using as a backrest.

“So, spill. You can talk to me, I’m the only friend you’ve got right now in this strange and wonderful world of ours.”

Enorah arched her eyebrows in anticipation and I allowed myself a little smile. I couldn’t tell her what was really bothering me, so I went with what she probably already assumed.

“I’m worried about Cade, well, and all of us. I can’t hide here forever and it’s only a matter of time before the Morrigan figures out how to get beyond the magic that protects the Weald.”

Enorah crossed her arms and leaned back against the tree. She nodded and sighed.

“True, but Cade is very capable. He’s been dealing with her his whole life you know. If anyone can evade the Morrigan it’s my brother.”

“I know, but I still worry.”

We remained silent for a while, listening to the fires from the village crackle, the scent of their smoke spicing the pleasant summer air. Animals, some familiar to me, some not, scurried in the branches above and the underbrush below, evading predators or searching out food. The brilliant colors of the forest seemed more vibrant here than they ever were at home, and I wondered if it was a result of the living magic that thrived all around us. I so wanted to forget about all my worries and drink it all in, but then a new thought occurred to me. Enorah had taught me a few handy spells this morning, could there be a charm that might help me hide the secret of my new magic?

Clearing my throat, I glanced over at Cade’s sister. With her arms still crossed, she had her face tilted towards the sky. I imagined she was doing what I wished to do: taking in the beauty of the forest in all its glory.

“Enorah,” I said tentatively.

She made a sound of acknowledgement.

I took a deep breath. Okay, here goes . . .

“Is it possible to use my glamour to, um, hide information I don’t want anyone else to know?”

She lowered her head and trained her sharp eyes on me. I pursed my lips and reached for a new stick, hoping to seem only slightly interested in an answer.

“Why do you ask?” she said after some time.

I shrugged. “Just in case. There are some things I want to keep to myself for now and I’m afraid I’ll accidentally let them slip before I’m ready to share them.”

“No one can force you to share your secrets Meghan. Well, perhaps the Morrigan could if she got a hold of you and used her dark magic.”

Ignoring her use of the word secret and instead latching onto the Morrigan’s name, I nodded vigorously. I had only really been thinking about keeping the knowledge of my new magic from Cade, but if his mother found out . . . ? I shuddered. That would be beyond disastrous.

“Yes, that’s exactly it. I’m safe for now, but as soon as I leave the Weald there’s a good chance the Morrigan could corner me. I’d like to be prepared.”

“There’s a way,” Enorah said slowly, quietly. “It isn’t known to many, and I learned it a long time ago, when I lived a different life.”

I arched a brow, but she held up a hand.

“Please, don’t ask.” She smiled a sad smile. “In fact, it’s this very trick I’m going to teach you that keeps those memories away from prying minds.”

My curiosity ached to know what her dark secret was, but I could tell from the sudden change in her demeanor that her past was a book best left unopened. Besides, Enorah was my friend and a good friend didn’t pry.

“Oh,” I said instead, “I’d never press you Enorah if you didn’t want to tell me–”

Again, she held up a hand and shook her head, cutting me off. “I know Meghan, don’t fret. Now,” she inhaled and pushed away from the moss-encrusted tree trunk, “the convenient thing about this spell is that you only have to use it once for every secret you want to keep, and then it takes care of everything else for you.”

I gave her an incredulous look.

Enorah merely smirked and said, “Imagine a spider, with a hundred legs instead of eight.”

I wrinkled my nose at her. I had nothing against spiders, but they weren’t my favorite things in the world. And to imagine one with a hundred legs? Eww. But if that’s what I had to do, then so be it.

“Now, this spider lives in your subconscious, sort of like your magic, and it spins a web in the corner of your mind. Once it’s established, you give it the knowledge you want to keep hidden from all prying minds and it will wrap it up like an insect and place it in the center of the web. Any words or other thoughts that come to you about the secret you keep will be snatched up by the spider’s legs and added to the web. Only you can look at them, no one else can, no matter how powerful they are.”

Wow. I simply gaped at Enorah. That was a convenient trick.

“Where on earth did you learn how to do that?” I breathed.

She shook her head. “Can’t tell you that, and you mustn’t let anyone know I taught you. Very few Faelorehn know how to cast this particular spell and it’s not something I should be teaching others.”

“Oh Enorah, I’m sorry,” I reached out to her, feeling guilty that I’d put her in such a position. But I wasn’t sorry I’d be learning this rare bit of magic. I needed it.

Enorah grabbed my hand, her eyes shining. “You are my friend, Meghan. And you are dear to my brother. Of course I don’t regret teaching you. Now,” she cleared her throat and smiled, “are you sure you’re up to this? You did spend half the day practicing with your magic. Do you want to wait a day or two?”

“No,” I said automatically.

At her slight look of surprise I smiled sheepishly. “I feel perfectly fine, honest.”

“Okay then. Here’s how you create your very own spider . . .”

I stood up straighter, all my attention on my tutor.

“First, you have to separate out a small granule of your magic, about the size of a marble, just like we practiced today. With me so far?”

I nodded and closed my eyes. Since it was so fresh in my mind, creating the marble-sized sphere of glowing blue was a cinch. And even better, Cernunnos’s rose remained tightly furled.

“Next, repeat these words after me: Caerah nost, foreth setten aevoreh feain.”

I opened my eyes, almost losing control over my tiny ball of magic. “Huh?” I said. “What does that mean?”

“It basically means: Hold fast the secret I wish to keep. Simple enough words, but since they are spoken in the language of the ancients, they hold more power than others.”

“Is that the same language I hear you and Cade and the Dagda speak sometimes?”

Enorah shook her head, her eyes somber. “No, that’s a different language.”

I opened my mouth to ask more, but Enorah interrupted me.

“Do you need me to repeat them?”

“Please,” I answered.

She said the phrase several more times and when I was sure I had it, I closed my eyes again and found that little sphere of magic waiting for my instructions.

“Caerah nost, foreth setten aevoreh feain.”

My accent wasn’t as smooth as Enorah’s, and I’m pretty sure I mispronounced a few of the words, but the blue sphere of my magic burst forth like a supernova. I squeaked and fell to the ground, my rear end making contact with a damp pile of leaves. I blinked away the shock and when I focused inwardly, I saw a tiny blue spider, busy making a web in the corner of my mind. She was pale turquoise, just like my magic, but had a lovely red and black pattern on her back. She was actually kind of cute.

“It worked!” I breathed.

“Good,” Enorah said, standing somewhere above me. “Now, take whatever information you want to remain hidden, and hand it over to the spider. Just picture it and say it in your mind. When the spider grabs it and takes it to the web, you’re all done.”

I nodded, closing my eyes again and forgetting about the soggy earth soaking into my pants. I found the spider again, busy with her web, and told her about the secret magic Cernunnos had given to me and how I needed her to hide it and any other thoughts I had about it. The spider reached out with her multiple legs, long, delicate strands of pure, raw magic, and grabbed up all the thoughts about my extra source of power. She gathered them together, like those little word magnets used to write poetry on a refrigerator, and spun her beautiful silk around them, securing them in her web. I smiled again and sighed.

“All finished?” Enorah asked as she gave me a hand up.

“Yes,” I said with relief.

“One more thing to know. You can destroy the spell any time you wish. Just simply find the spider and its web in your mind and speak the word duantis. It means ‘done’. Also, if you let your glamour run down, like if you visit the mortal world and stay there for a long time, your spell with die off on its own.”

I nodded, committing the word to memory with the others I’d learned.

Feeling a hundred times better now that I’d found a way to keep my secret safe, I headed back to the village with Enorah. We planned on going out tomorrow once again to practice with my glamour, but I had the whole afternoon free.

“So, is there anything else you’d like to know about our daily life here?”

Enorah’s bright tone of voice was a pleasant change from her earlier, somber mood, so I took advantage of the situation and said, “Actually, I’d like to know how you clean your laundry.”

Laughing, Enorah swung an arm around my shoulder and led me towards the creek.

“Unfortunately, we have to do it the old fashioned way. However,” she added, a glint in her eye, “I can show you another trick with your glamour that might help get the job done faster.”

 

-Eleven-

Arrival

 

I kept a tally of the days Cade was gone. Yes, it was silly and pathetic and practically drove me crazy, but I couldn’t help it. Besides, it helped me keep track of my progress with my magic as well. Every morning, Enorah and I would hike to that hilltop meadow, far enough away from the village that if my magic got a little out of control, it wouldn’t damage anyone or anything. We would spend hours there, going over what I’d learned the day before and then Enorah would teach me something new. I always warmed up with the same expand and contrast drill from that first day, and as the days progressed, I became better and better at pushing my magic further without Cernunnos’s glamour butting in. A few times it tried to join my own glamour, but I always managed to force it into submission. And anytime I thought about it, that little magical spider living in the corner of my mind would work furiously to keep it secret.

On the tenth day of my stay in the Weald, Enorah taught me how to create a shield of magic. By releasing small amounts of glamour, and sending it out in wide, flexible sheets instead of rolling it up into pebbles, I was able to construct a force field over myself.

“Think of it as one of those fountains that looks like a sphere of water,” Enorah said.

I wrinkled my nose and pictured water flowing in a continuous stream, a thin film of liquid pouring around a central geyser. Like everything new I tried with my magic, creating the shield was tricky at first, but gradually I became better at it. By the end of our lesson I had the hang of it, and when Enorah threw a stick at me, it bounced off of my invisible shield and clattered into the shrubs growing under the great beech trees surrounding us.

“Good!” she barked. “Now for invisibility . . .”

Invisibility was easily my favorite. Enorah coached me through the process of coating myself in magic. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths through my nose.

“It’s just like the fountain, but this time the water pressure isn’t nearly as great. You want it to feel like a steady stream of water flowing over every contour of a stone statue.”

At first, my magic burst forth and I merely created another shield. My heart skipped a beat when this happened, because the rose tried to burst open once again.

No you don’t, I growled inwardly, you stay just as you are until I need you.

An image of Cade, standing against the Cumorrig with the beast’s long claws stabbing into his abdomen came to mind. The sharp lick of pain that sliced my heart managed to force the wild magic back where it belonged and only the hairline cracks along the petals’ edges showed pale blue. I hated drawing on those memories, but sometimes they were necessary to get Cernunnos’s magic to obey. Every time it fought to be released, I got the impression that it was used to being free and didn’t like its confinement.

“Okay, steady, let’s start over again,” Enorah’s calm voice crooned.

I nodded and dashed away my fears and anxiety. Focus Meghan, focus . . .

An hour later I’d mastered it, and by the end of the second week I could create a shield, become invisible, and even fling small bursts of my magic in long tendrils from my fingers or throw it like fireballs in one of my brothers’ video games. It was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time, but I always managed to accomplish what challenge Enorah set for me without letting Cernunnos’s power slip from my control.

The first few days of the third week progressed almost exactly as the previous days had. I would get up early and eat breakfast with the other Wildren and then spend a few hours practicing (I only practiced now since Enorah was satisfied with my progress and thought it best if I just strengthen what I’d learned). After practice, we would return to the village and either play games with the younger kids or participate in archery with the older ones. Enorah even taught me some self-defense maneuvers that we tested out on the bigger boys.

After the evening meal, I would sometimes help out with the chores or read stories to the younger children as they got ready for bed. More often than not, they’d want to hear about the mortal world, so I’d tell them about my mom and dad and brothers, or share tales from my adventures with Tully, Robyn, Will, and Thomas. I tried to tell them that my high school woes with my friends weren’t real adventures, but they didn’t care. They begged for them every night and I always gave in, grateful to somehow reconnect, even on this basic level, with the ones I’d left behind in my other life.

It was no surprise, then, that I soon lost track of the time Cade had been gone. I had grown so used to my new routine and had settled in so well with the Wildren that I no longer had time to worry.

Of course, when Enorah caught me gazing off longingly into the east one afternoon, she murmured only for my ears to hear, “Three more days, Meghan.”

I started, not realizing I’d let my mind wander, and then smiled back at her, returning my focus on the arrow I’d placed in my longbow. Gazing at the target in the distance, I took a steadying breath and drew the string to my cheek. Three more days. In three more days the four weeks would be up, and Cade would be coming back. My stomach fluttered with anticipation, and as my arrow found the ring just on the outside of the middle of the target, I only hoped that nothing would impede Cade from keeping his promise to return.

That night, I watched the wildren place the wood around the base of the cauldron, their movements well-practiced and fluid, and savored the smell of fresh smoke as the flames licked the side of the great black pot. The muted light of early twilight spread over us and I found my mind wandering off with thoughts of Cade once again.

Now that my magic was well under control, and with Enorah’s reminder earlier this afternoon, my mind had the energy to conjure up an image of Cade standing on the edge of the village, telling me he’d be back soon. My heart sped up and I began to fidget with anticipation. I couldn’t wait to see him, though I was also afraid of what news he might bring back. I’d been so fixated on getting my magic (and Cernunnos’s) under control, that I’d forgotten about why Cade had left in the first place. Had he been able to tell the other Tuatha De about the Morrigan’s attack? Had he told my mother? And if so, were they going to help us do something about it?

“Thinking about my brother?”

Enorah’s voice just a few feet away caused me to fall off the log I was sitting on.

I grumbled and brushed the dead leaves off of my pants as I made room for her. She sat down next to the spot I’d made and dismissed the older children who had managed to get the fire under the cauldron going.

“So,” she said as they scattered to get in some good playing time before dinner was ready, “was I right? Were you thinking about Caedehn?”

It was hard to avoid her eyes, even when that was the only thing in the world I wanted to do at the moment, but I sighed and glanced up. There was humor there, like always, but warmth and sorrow as well. There was no doubt in my mind that Enorah loved her brother, but why did she look so sad? Didn’t she know I loved him too?

The best way to go about this situation was to answer honestly and then go from there. “Yes, I was thinking about Cade.” And just in case she any doubts, I added, “I love him, Enorah.”

Enorah bent over, her elbows resting on her knees, and ran her fingers through her curly hair.

“I know you do,” she answered softly, “I just need more time to get used to it is all.”

I gave her a troubled glance. All this time she’d been helping me with my magic, treating me like a close friend, and she had doubts about my devotion to Cade?

Enorah shook her head and smiled.

“Oh no, not like that.” She snorted, then ran her fingers through her hair again. “We’ve been so busy practicing your magic that we never had time to have this conversation.”

I watched as the flames of the fire flickered in her eyes. Suddenly nervous, I swallowed and gave her my full attention. What conversation would that be?

Enorah took a deep breath and said, “I am so happy that my brother found you, Meghan. You have no idea how grateful I am. It’s just that long before he met you he would bring girls here to introduce to me. I could tell they made him happy, but there was always something off about them. Like deer in the meadow during summer. No inclination to look elsewhere until the good food ran out. They were simply waiting until something better came along. Cade couldn’t see it because, well, because he thought he’d finally found someone to love him for who he was.”

I listened to Enorah, remaining calm and silent. Strangely, I didn’t feel any jealousy towards these previous girlfriends, though a few months ago I may have. Perhaps it was a sign that I understood that there was no need to resent the people who had been too blind or selfish to see the young man I’d grown to love; so shallow that they couldn’t look beyond his unfortunate ties to the Morrigan and the battle fury that sometimes overtook him.

“Cade and I, we have been alive a long time Meghan, you must understand we’ve been looking a long time for that perfect companion.” She smiled, but it was the furthest thing from joyful. “Some of us are still looking.”

I glanced up and gave her a concerned look.

She shook her head. “Oh no, don’t you dare feel sorry for me. I have chosen my life here, among the unwanted children of Eile. I have enough love here to last several hundred immortal lifetimes.”

She laughed, but I was not convinced. My heart gave a small twinge of remorse for Enorah’s sake, but I didn’t press the issue. Sometimes it was best not to talk about regrets.

“I just wanted you to know that it means a lot to me, that you care for my brother. For once, I feel like I can trust someone else with his heart.”

Her statement was so honest, such a reflection of what I could see in her eyes and sense in her presence that I almost started crying. Here was a sister who genuinely loved her brother and although she was grateful for me, I was grateful towards her as well.

I sniffled and placed my hands no her shoulders. “And it means a lot to me too, knowing that Cade has a sister who loves him so much.”

Enorah beamed at me, then wiped at her eyes.

“Don’t you dare make me cry, Meghan Elam. I can’t risk tarnishing my image.”

We both laughed then and I gave her a hug.

“Come on, help me stir this soup until the second dinner shift gets here.”

We stood, pulling each other up, then took one of the several, giant wooden spoons sticking out of the great cauldron. As we mixed the soup, we laughed and joked together. Enorah told me tales about Cade when they were younger and I told her stories about growing up with my brothers.

By the time the other kids showed up to keep the soup from scalding, both Enorah and I had tears running down our cheeks from laughing so hard.

That night, Enorah and some of the other adults brought out a few bottles of mead to celebrate Lughnasadh. The harvest festival was still a handful of days away, but as Enorah put it, “The denizens of the Weald begin celebrating early and stretch the party out for as long as possible. Besides,” she added with an impish grin, filling mugs as she walked around after dinner, “we must acknowledge Meghan’s progress with her magic lessons.”

A few of the children knew how to play musical instruments, so in no time we had a full-out, forest festival underway in the village square. Enorah even pulled several people up to dance and as a group, we laughed and jigged around the fire, making utter fools of ourselves and having a great time.

By the time I made it to bed in my small cabin, I was dizzy from the mead and general cheer of the evening. As I fell asleep, I thought of the conversation I’d had with Enorah. Smiling, I welcomed dreams of friendship, love, and loyalty, and for once I felt like I truly belonged in Eile.

* * *

I woke slowly the next morning, my head still slightly fuzzy from the mead last night, only to find Meridian perched on my headboard. I had been letting her in before bed since the nights had been growing cooler, but she usually slept in the corner where I’d constructed a small perch.

Meridian hopped down onto my pillow, then fluffed her feathers and nibbled at my ear. Ugh! What a way to wake up in the morning. Grumbling, I rolled over and grabbed the spare pillow, clamping it over my head. Meridian screeched in avian outrage at my attempt to ignore her.

Up! she blared into my head.

Meridian! Go back to sleep. I don’t even know if the sun’s up yet!

Outside! she insisted.

Groaning, I threw back the sheets in frustration, immediately hissing as the cold air hit me. I grabbed the warm cloak Enorah had lent me and slipped on my shoes, yawning and cursing my spirit guide at the same time. Honestly, the way she disdained the cold you’d think she’d want to stay in as long as possible.

I stepped outside into a fog bank, the light of dawn barely cutting away at the dark morning. No one else was stirring. Uh huh, just as I’d thought. I envied them their lack of pestering spirit guides. I wrapped the cloak more tightly around myself and turned to go back inside. I could probably get one more hour of sleep in before Enorah woke me up for breakfast, and I was more than ready to get back under the warm covers. Unfortunately, Meridian darted out the door and almost slammed into me.

“Hey!” I shouted, falling back so her wings wouldn’t smack me in the face.

Glowering as she disappeared into the thick mist, I made to turn back towards the door when something caught my eye. I squinted into the distance, trying to figure out what was moving behind the thick wall of mist. A heartbeat passed and the shape grew more solid, mimicking a figure wearing a long, hooded cloak. I froze in place, my heart pounding against my ribcage. Who could be coming into the village this early and why hadn’t the people standing guard warned us?

Just as I was about to dart into my cabin and bolt the door, the person stopped and pulled back his hood. I sucked in a breath and clasped my hands to my mouth. Cade. Forgetting my warm bed and that coveted extra hour of sleep, I bolted from where I stood and sprinted across the village square.

Cade watched my progress, his calm face slowly changing, as if a light within had been lit and was slowly growing. When I was five feet away from him I threw myself into his open arms. I couldn’t help myself. I had missed him so much and his smile was enough to charm the common sense right out of me.

For a long minute I simply stayed where I was, pressed up against Cade’s solid strength and blocking out all other senses. From the way he pulled me close, his arms like a vice, I could tell he shared the sentiment. I could feel the tears forming in my eyes, but I ignored them.

“You’re early,” I said.

Then I wanted to kick myself. You haven’t seen him for nearly four weeks, worrying almost the entire time that he might be getting torn to shreds by a pack of faelah, and that’s what you come up with to say to him?

“I would have been even earlier if I could have managed it. I missed you so much,” he murmured into my ear.

Pure joy unfurled in my stomach and I sighed, leaning into him even further.

“Well!” someone said rather loudly.

Cade reluctantly let me go, setting me gently on the ground. Oh, I guess I’d had him in another one of my tourniquet hugs . . . I bit my lip and turned my head, my hands still resting on Cade’s arms.

Enorah stood there with her hands placed casually on her hips. Of course she was up. She was always up this early. And behind her stood a group of sleepy-eyed children. Yay! An audience for my lovely display of overactive hormones.

“If I knew keeping Meghan captive here would result in more frequent visits, brother, then I would have dragged her to the Weald long ago.”

There was humor in Enorah’s voice and after our conversation the night before, I knew there was sisterly affection there too.

Cade grinned and I relaxed even further.

“Hello, sister mine. I’m glad to be back.”

“Breakfast is in half an hour.” Then she added with a glint to her eye, “That should give you plenty of time to get reacquainted.”

Enorah turned and walked away, barking out orders to the children who’d stood behind her. Groaning, they scattered to start getting the breakfast ready.

Suddenly, the village was silent once again, the approaching dawn softening the blanket of fog that surrounded us.

Meridian chittered in the tree above and a soft whine from behind Cade let me know she was talking with Fergus.

Go play, I sent to her.

She responded with a joyful screech and Fergus’s spirited bark let me know that Cade had told him the same thing.

I turned my head and glanced up only to find Cade’s green eyes regarding me so intensely that it became hard to breathe.

“Meghan,” he said, right before pulling me close into another embrace.

I returned the hug and pressed myself as close to him as possible; to ensure myself that he was truly here and that he was real. Silently, Cade led me away from the center of the village and headed towards a small meadow, conveniently screened by a thicket of brush and large stones.

We were blessedly alone and there were a million things I wanted to ask him: did he find out about the Morrigan’s plans? Was she organizing her army of faelah? Did she really have someone helping her? Could the Dagda aid us? Did we need to stay in the Weald longer? But none of those questions came up. Instead, I stood up on my toes and leaned into him, eager to simply absorb his essence.

Feeling suddenly mischievous, I whispered into his ear, “Would you like to see what I can do?”

I didn’t wait for an answer. Drawing on my several days’ worth of practice, I merely allowed some of my magic to flood over me. Only the tightening of Cade’s hold on my arms let me know I had disappeared from sight. I wiggled out of his grip and slipped away from him before he could realize what I was doing. He turned in place, reaching out as he scanned the surroundings looking for me.

“Not so fun when the joke is on you, is it?” I crooned from his right.

I had no idea what had come over me. I had missed him terribly all these weeks, and now that he was back I was trying to hide from him? But the idea of Caedehn MacRoich, faelah bounty hunter extraordinaire, fumbling around in a foggy clearing searching for me, sent a thrill of exhilaration through my blood.

Cade darted and I just barely missed getting caught. My heart was pounding and a flood of adrenaline helped me get out of the way. I’d have to be careful; he was incredibly fast and I needed to concentrate if I wanted the magic to keep working.

Cade repositioned himself and bowed his head, his eyes closed, as he took long, deep breaths from his nose.

What on earth was he doing?

Nervous, I took a small step back and a leaf crunched under my foot. I could barely hear it, but it was enough for Cade to locate me and pounce. I squeaked when his arms wrapped around me, secure but not painful. I squirmed, but there was no way I was going to escape that grip.

My back was to his chest and he lowered his mouth, pressing it against my ear, then murmured, “Looks like you’re trapped. Whatever will you do now Meghan?”

His voice was low and seductive, and I couldn’t stop the tremor that ran down my spine. Answering him was also out of the question. He kissed me lightly below my ear and I willingly turned in his arms. The cool sensation of my invisible shield of magic melted away and when his lips finally met mine, I no longer cared about escaping. I no longer wanted to escape. Cade’s grip loosened and he dropped his hands to my hips. I mimicked him, but instead of staying at his waist, my hands began pulling at his shirt. Following my lead, Cade pushed his fingers under my T-shirt and ran his palms up my bare back, bringing me closer. I was utterly lost in sensation and all I wanted was to be as close to Cade as possible. The timid Meghan had disappeared, along with all my other inhibitions as well, apparently.

Someone cleared their throat and Cade stopped, dragging his mouth away from mine. One of his hands remained pressed against the bare skin of my back, while the other rested halfway up my stomach. My own fingers were gripping the hem of his shirt and we were both breathing heavily. From the look on Cade’s face, his mind had to be just as scrambled as my own.

“I hate to interrupt your reunion,” Enorah said, her voice dripping with amusement, “but there are young children present just around that rock outcropping and if I don’t stop you now, I’m afraid you’ll both forget you’re in the great wide open. Besides,” she added with a wide smile, “breakfast is almost ready and I’m sure you’re both very hungry.”

Enorah winked as she turned to leave, and I silently cursed her for the blush her comment caused. Cade hadn’t seemed to notice, however. He pulled me closer, his arms wrapped around me again, and took a long, deep breath.

“I missed you,” he murmured against my hair.

Forgetting my embarrassment, I returned the gesture. “Me too.”

We walked back to the center of the village, hand in hand. Fergus and Meridian returned just as the first rays of morning light pierced through the fog. As we ate, Cade entertained the youngest of the wildren with tales of his battles against the faelah. Me, well, I just sat back and enjoyed the fact that Cade had come back to me in one piece.

Once breakfast was over, Cade and I helped everyone clean up, despite their protests. Afterwards, I led Cade away to the meadow where Enorah and I had practiced. We spent the entire morning there, with me showing Cade all I had learned and him demonstrating a few more tricks. By the time we returned to the village we had missed the noontime meal, so by nightfall we were starving.

Dinner that night was a casual event. Some of the older teens had gone hunting earlier, so we ended up roasting hunks of meat and vegetables over the bonfire. I did my best not to hoard Cade all to myself. After all, Enorah deserved some time with him as well.

As the fire died down, the younger kids headed off for bed. Eventually only Cade, Enorah, and I were left. The logs crackled and popped, the hot flames whispering along with the sounds of the forest creatures at night. Silence descended upon us, but then Enorah let out a big yawn, dumped the dregs from her mug into the fire and stood up, stretching.

“I’m going to call it a night, but I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”

She glanced at me, then her brother, and although it was hard to see in the dark, a glint of regret crossed her eyes. I frowned, but Cade nodded before I could ask what was wrong. With one last smile, Enorah turned and headed towards her cabin, leaving Cade and me to soak up the warmth of the fire.

Cade reached over and pulled me close, kissing my forehead and wrapping his cloak around me.

We have to leave in the morning, his shil-sciar words brushed against my mind.

I sighed. So that explained Enorah’s morose mood. I figured as much.

You seem disappointed. I thought you were eager to get to the Dagda’s, he continued.

I am. I’ve just grown fond of the Weald, I guess.

Cade took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. I would rather you stayed here, where you’re safe.

I can’t hide forever Cade, and that’s not the reason I’m reluctant to leave.

I lifted my chin up so I could see his face. I like it here and I’ll miss Enorah and all the kids.

Cade chuckled and murmured, breaking the silence, “Oh, you’re definitely a keeper if you have the patience to like Enorah.”

I smacked him. “Is that the only reason you can think of for keeping me?”

I meant it as a joke, but his green eyes darkened and his voice grew deeper as he answered, “Oh no, far from it. You’re so beautiful, Meghan. Your eyes,” he bent down and kissed each of my eyelids, then gently ran his fingers through my hair. “Your hair, your nose with its freckles.” He smiled and nipped my nose with his lips. “And your unrelenting spirit.”

He lifted a hand and pressed it against my skin, right above the space between my heart and my magic. And of course, my glamour let out a burst of energy, the blue rose next to it cracking open to see what was going on.

I felt as if I was melting under the warmth of Cade’s endearments, but I had just enough sense to get control of Cernunnos’s gift. Stay shut, you, I growled at it.

“You’re perfect, Meghan. How could I ever let you go?”

He bent down and kissed me for real that time, drawing it out so that I thought it would never end. The fire grew suddenly hot and I had to pull away to catch my breath.

I cuddled next to him so that my hand was placed over his heart. “I don’t plan on ever letting you go either,” I murmured drowsily, then yawned and felt my eyes drift shut. I could so fall asleep just as I was, with Cade as my mattress and blanket all in one.

Before I could register what was happening, Cade had lifted me up into his arms and was carrying me across the dark village square.

“What are you doing?” I murmured, my eyes still working to remain open.

“I’m going to get you settled in your cabin. You can hardly keep your eyes open.”

“Not true,” I said as I fought another yawn.

Cade snorted as he managed to push open my cabin door. In one second I was safe in his arms, and the next I was being tucked under my quilt. It wasn’t nearly as warm and didn’t smell quite as good as Cade.

Go to sleep Meghan, he whispered into my mind. I need to check the perimeter of the village one last time, then I’ll join you.

A shiver coursed through me at his promise and I was determined to stay awake until he got back. Unfortunately, that resolve waned and I was asleep within five minutes of curling up in bed. I never even heard Cade come in after his inspection, and it wasn’t until morning that I realized the warm sense of safety I felt was really his arms wrapped tightly around me.

 

-Twelve-

Lasair

 

The sky was still dark when Cade and I left the small village behind. Enorah was up to see us off of course, but none of the other Wildren were awake.

Cade’s sister met us outside of our cabin, her arms crossed with her elbows resting in her hands. She was like a silent wraith of the forest; serious and grim. Her current mood, so unlike the general cheerful one from the past several weeks, made my stomach churn into knots. She was worried about her brother; about the both of us. Suddenly, the idea of leaving seemed extremely unappealing. Why couldn’t we just hide in the Weald with all the other castoff children? Why not just wait out the Morrigan’s fury?

Because she will not rest until she has had her revenge, Meghan, or your power . . .

The words seemed to whisper in the wind, though the eerily still forest was blanketed in a thick, static fog. I shivered. The words weren’t from Cade or Meridian, perched far above us. Nor were they from my own conscience. Yet I knew who they had come from, and he was right. Cernunnos didn’t give me that magic so I could sit in the middle of the Weald and hide. He had given it to me so that I could go out and fight against the evil that threatened all that I loved.

Suddenly I was angry and that anger helped burn away the fear. How dare the Morrigan threaten me, threaten all of us? Who cares if she was an all-powerful goddess? What right did she have to take what she wanted and hurt those who couldn’t defend themselves? For some bizarre reason, an image of Michaela West and Adam Peders and their gang of friends popped into my head. I hadn’t thought about my high school tormentors in months, yet, in a way, they were very similar to the Morrigan. They too took what they wanted and treated people like dirt. Well, I had fought back against them and I’d fight back against the Morrigan as well.

“Meghan?”

Cade’s voice snapped me out of my internal tirade.

I blinked up at him.

“Are you okay? You seem tense.”

Quickly, I smiled and hoped my face didn’t reflect the way I felt.

I leaned into him and said, “Yes, just a little sad about leaving.”

Cade relaxed, then helped me settle my now full backpack and quiver on my shoulders.

“Before you go,” Enorah said, lifting up her hands. Resting on her forearms were two daggers, one slightly larger than the other, enclosed in identical sheaths. “For both of you, to keep you safe.”

“Enorah,” Cade whispered, his voice gruff as he lifted the larger knife, “where in Eile did you get these?”

He drew the dagger from its cover, the bright silver blade clean and sharp. It was about the length of his forearm and the head of a hound decorated the pommel.

Not knowing what else to do, I mimicked him and examined the other dagger. Mine was shorter and instead of a hound’s head, the profile of a merlin adorned the top of the hilt.

“This is so beautiful, Enorah,” I murmured, tears returning to my eyes.

“Keep them on you at all times, it will give me peace of mind.”

Cade reached out and grabbed his sister into a tight hug. Enorah left one arm free, so she used it to pull me into the embrace as well, the three of us fighting our brimming emotions. Eventually, Cade loosened his grip and we both paid Enorah our final farewells, waving as we turned down the trail that would take us out of the Weald.

“Let me know what the final plan is,” she called after us. “Those of us who are able would be honored to help in the battle against the Morrigan.”

Cade only nodded, waving one last time as Enorah’s figure disappeared behind the shroud of mist.

By the time we made it out of the cave behind Luathara, the sky was bright with morning light. The castle itself stood quiet, so different from how it had been when Cade and I had fled four weeks ago.

We entered the back of the castle, through the great oak door that now stood in the repaired wall. Inside, the castle was dark and cold and I could barely make out some of the colors in the tapestries decorating the walls.

“Where is everyone?” I whispered.

Despite my attempt to speak quietly, my voice carried through the vast hall.

“At their homes in Kellston. My mother could still target the castle just to spite me.”

“Oh Cade,” I murmured as I moved closer to him, “I’m sorry.”

He stopped his forward movement and stepped up to me, taking my face in his hands.

“It’s not your fault, Meghan. We’ll continue with the construction when we’ve defeated the Morrigan.”

I nodded, my thoughts grim nonetheless. And how are we to defeat a powerful Celtic goddess?

By pooling our resources.

I frowned at him.

He smiled and traced one of my eyebrows with his thumb. “I managed to visit most of the Tuatha De while you were stuck in the Weald with my sister, busy training your glamour to answer to your beck and call. Remember? They have agreed to meet with Danua and discuss our options with regards to the Morrigan.”

Just because they’d agreed to meet, didn’t mean they would help. I wondered if Cade had learned anything else about the person who was helping his mother regain her power so quickly, but that was a question for another time.

Taking a deep breath, I nodded, my head moving between Cade’s hands.

“In a week we’ll meet up with them at Erintara.”

I tried not to wince, but Cade noticed and arched a brow. I sighed and glanced away, attempting to find something to focus on in the dark hallway.

“I haven’t spoken to my mother since that day I told her I’d have nothing to do with her.”

Cade chuckled and pulled me closer, resting his chin on the top of my head. “She is your mother, Meghan. No matter how often you might disagree, she will always care about you.”

I took a breath and said softly, “You’re mother doesn’t care about you.”

Cade stiffened and I immediately regretted my words. I pulled away and looked him in the eye, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

He only shook his head and took my hand, drawing me towards the stairs. “No Meghan, it’s the truth, and that’s why I have no qualms about challenging her. She wishes to overthrow Danua and to be the new high queen of Eile. Imagine what life would be like for all of us if she succeeds. That is why the entire contingency of the Tuatha De have agreed to this meeting. We must take action before it is too late. We can no longer turn a blind eye as the Morrigan grows in power.”

As we wound our way downstairs, I thought about why Cernunnos had given me the extra power that day I visited the Tree of Life. Could he, for some reason I couldn’t fathom, really be trying to help me? Or did he have some other ulterior motive? Naturally, that thought didn’t comfort me as we stepped through the castle’s main doors.

Speirling greeted us in the courtyard, whinnying and tossing his great black head. I smiled, forgetting my dismal thoughts. I’d missed the huge horse. Once we were both secure on the stallion’s back, Cade led him out into the fields and up the hill towards the dolmarehn that would take us to the Dagda’s. Meridian followed us from the sky and Fergus trotted ahead, keeping an eye out for faelah. Being at Luathara again had made me nervous, but between the castle and the large dolmarehn, we saw no sign of the Morrigan’s underlings.

Once through the great stone gateway, Cade nudged Speirling in the ribs and the black stallion veered to the left, stepping gingerly around the stones and lumps of grass that decorated the otherwise barren landscape.

“Where are we going? The Dagda’s is east of here, not north.”

Cade turned and threw me a mischievous smile. “We have a stop to make along the way.”

“What stop?”

I leaned forward and tried to see further ahead of us. A crop of tall, rugged hills loomed far in the distance, their jagged tips standing stark against the sun’s early light.

You’ll see, Cade whispered in my mind, his words a beautiful pale pink.

I grumbled to myself but simply leaned in closer to him and rested my cheek against his broad back. I inhaled deeply, and his scent helped calm my spirit. Speirling’s easy breathing and rhythmic plodding must have lulled me to sleep because I jerked awake some time later.

How long have I been out? I sent to my spirit guide.

Meridian swooped from the sky and came to rest on my shoulder.

An hour, she answered.

That surprised me. Who would have ever thought I could sleep for an hour atop a horse?

I glanced around at our surroundings, not bothering to question Cade any further about our destination. I would find out eventually. We had reached the rugged hills I had seen earlier, but a broad, smooth river snaked along their base, cutting us off from the thick woods on the other side. There were plenty of trees on our side as well, but those across the river seemed to have a more powerful aura to them, as if they were guarding something.

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered.

Cade turned his head to glance down at me. He looked weary, but a smile graced his perfect face nonetheless.

“I have a surprise for you.”

I returned his smile. “You always seem to have a surprise for me.”

He laughed and nudged Speirling on.

We followed the river’s edge for another half hour and I occupied my time listening and looking for the birds I could hear chirping in the trees. Eventually the land sloped downward and drew level with the river. A small stream flowed from the hills to meet up with the larger tributary and a wide beach on either side suggested that it was shallow enough to cross.

Cade pulled Speirling to a stop and slid off his back, helping me down once he was steady on his feet.

Fergus, who had been jogging between us and the unseen Otherworldly creatures he chased, broke free of the brush and joined us on the small stretch of bare land.

“Let’s see if our friends are nearby,” Cade murmured.

He lifted his fingers to his mouth and let loose a harsh whistle.

A moment went by, then another. In the distance a horse whinnied and Speirling answered it.

I glanced up at Cade, the question plain on my face.

He lifted a hand and grinned. “Just wait,” he said.

I turned back towards the river, my eyes on the opposite shore. Soon the air filled with the voices of several horses, calling out to one another. A faint rumble followed shortly after, and then the rumbling overtook the sound of the wide, rushing river. A film of dense mist still hugged the low parts of the land, but the sun had managed to burn through a few patches of it, the bright rays painting pools of yellow on the ground.

The pounding grew louder and in the next moment a herd of horses broke free of the trees. Like a flock of birds, they moved as one and followed the stream down to the river bank. I gasped so loud that I stumbled in place, Cade catching hold of me.

Led by the most beautiful cream colored mare I had ever seen, the herd tore through the shallow river, sending up great plumes of water. I had half a mind to bolt; to find a tall bolder to take refuge on so I wouldn’t get trampled, but the magnificence of the herd kept me glued in place. Well, that and Cade’s firm grip on my arms.

The herd’s leader didn’t pause until she was a few feet in front of us. Her ears were pinned back against her head and she was breathing heavily.

“Steady now, you know me,” Cade said firmly but calmly.

The pale horse drew back on her hind quarters and let out a loud whinny, but as she descended back to the ground, her form faded and morphed into something else entirely.

My mouth dropped open and my eyes grew wide. No longer was I staring at a horse, but a tall woman with great tangles of pale blond hair falling over her shoulders and reaching the backs of her knees. I had seen the Faelorehn transform before, particularly the Morrigan and then Cernunnos, but for some reason this change took me by surprise.

I made a sound that could have been a squeak and pressed myself against Cade. He only smiled softly, squeezing one of my hands in his own, and all I could do was chastise myself for being lame. Honestly, I had within me magic powerful enough to rival the gods, and I was afraid of a tall woman?

The woman who had been the horse just seconds ago turned to her herd and raised a hand. The agitated horses stilled immediately and perked their ears forward, their large eyes now gleaming with intelligence and curiosity. The woman turned back around and eyed me suspiciously, her sharp, clear grey eyes flashing to hazel then gold. She drew in a deep breath through her nose and I distracted myself by counting her freckles. I had a feeling I could be at it all day and I’d never reach the final number.

“Caedehn,” she finally said, her voice clear and crisp and her eyes now trained on him. “What brings you to my realm? Is this the lost Faelorehn girl everyone has been speaking of?”

I instantly snapped out of my daze. Okay, two things. One, I wasn’t lost and two, everyone was talking about me? Alright, maybe that was a pointless thought. After my mother had announced to her entire court that I was her illegitimate daughter, I couldn’t be too surprised that I had become the latest source of gossip in Eile. But I resented being considered lost.

Forgetting my earlier apprehension, I cleared my throat and stepped away from Cade. The horse woman snapped her eyes back to me and I ignored the unease that formed in the pit of my stomach.

“I am Meghan Elam, daughter of Danua, and you are?”

Cade stiffened next to me and for a dreadful moment I was afraid I might have said something to anger the woman. I didn’t know her, after all, and the fact that she could take on the guise of a horse meant she was very powerful. Probably one of the Tuatha De; a goddess of the Celts.

I bit my lip and fought the urge to back down. Way to go Meghan . . .

The woman merely arched a pale eyebrow at me, and without smiling or adding any emotion to her voice, she said, “I am Epona, but some call me Rhiannon. I reside over the horses of Eile.”

For about five seconds I simply stared at her, at a loss. Then I remembered reading about her in some of the stories in my Irish mythology book.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I fumbled with my words. “I’m just tired of being talked about like I’m some sort of novelty. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

I stuck out a hand, hoping to make peace, but Epona merely stared at it for a split second, her own eyes wide. Eventually, her lips quirked up into what could only be considered a smile. She reached out her own hand and took mine, shaking it firmly. A jolt of power shot up my arm and I hissed, fighting the urge to let my own glamour break free. I struggled against the rush of power and gradually my magic quailed. Unfortunately, it took a little more effort to get Cernunnos’s gift back in line. A half a minute (and a slight headache) later, it finally settled. Thank goodness I’d had all that time to practice controlling it.

Epona released my hand and took a breath, casting her glance on Cade. “So, she has spirit, your Meghan. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, considering she’s Danua’s daughter.”

The horse woman crossed her arms and smirked at me.

Speirling, who had remained strangely quiet this entire time, decided to make his presence known and let out a small whicker, his ears pricked forward and his eyes bright with joy.

Epona forgot us for a moment and glanced over at the black horse. Her face broke into a genuine smile and she stepped forward, her hand reaching out to Cade’s stallion.

“Speirling! My dearest, how is Caedehn treating you?”

Speirling tossed his head once and dug at the earth with his hoof.

Epona patted his face and murmured something in the language of Eile.

Without looking back at us, she sighed and said, “I take it you’ve come for a horse for Meghan.”

“Yes, if you have anyone to spare,” Cade responded.

Huh? A horse for me? I blinked up at Cade and though his smile was small, his eyes were bright with humor.

“Very well, I shall ask them.”

Epona stepped away from Speirling and faced her herd of horses. She crossed her arms and simply stared at them. As we waited, I took this time to study all of them. They all resembled Speirling: strong, sturdy animals with that aura of Otherworldly power and intelligence about them. Some were as dark as Cade’s horse, while others were pure white or grey or brown. Many were all the shades in between and several more were multi-colored.

Finally, a red stallion trotted forward, tossing his head and whinnying. He was the most brilliant shade of chestnut I’d ever seen on a horse, and he was a bit smaller than Speirling.

The goddess eyed him and said, “Are you certain, Lasair? You will be the horse of the high queen’s daughter. That’s a big responsibility you know.”

The red horse merely dug at the ground and rumbled. I could only assume it meant he was sure about taking on the task of carrying me around the countryside.

“Very well,” Epona replied, dropping her arms to her sides. “Come, meet your new mistress.”

She reached out a hand and gestured for the horse to step up to me. I stiffened for a moment, nervous once again, but the Otherworld didn’t have any cars and it would be nice to have my own horse.

“Meghan, this is Lasair, and Lasair, this is Meghan. You will need to rely on one another and trust each other’s instincts if you are to work together. My horses do not belong to anyone, Meghan, they serve you willingly and may return to me whenever they please. If you wish Lasair to serve you, then you must be prepared to work as a team. Do you think you can do this?”

I nodded, trying not to flinch as she took my arm and placed my hand against the horse’s forehead. As soon as my skin made contact, I could feel his thoughts and concerns. It wasn’t exactly the same as speaking to Meridian or using shil-sciar with Cade, but somehow I knew what he was thinking; what he was feeling.

“He’ll obey you now, but you must never abuse his loyalty or his trust.”

I pressed my lips together and nodded.

“Thank you, Epona,” Cade said, giving her a slight bow.

She nodded sharply, and stepped away from us.

“We will see you in Erintara at the end of the week, I believe.”

“Yes,” she answered, her voice growing grim and her eyes burning with anger. “I am ready for the battle to come. I will lose no more of my horses to the Morrigan.”

She glanced over at Lasair, who had pinned his ears back against his head. I could feel his anger pouring over me, and I took a step back.

“Fear not, Meghan. He lost his sister to the Morrigan several years ago, and he has not forgotten it. I believe this is what encouraged him to become your companion. He is ready to defeat her great evil as well.”

I nodded and reached out a hand to my new horse. I stroked his neck and slowly his anger melted away. I smiled, sending thoughts of encouragement his way.

We took the extra saddlebags from Speirling and draped them over Lasair’s shoulders. He didn’t seem to mind, holding still until we had everything secure, including my longbow. I decided to keep the quiver on my back. It seemed more secure there and I didn’t want to lose any arrows, especially if there was a chance of being ambushed by faelah at any given time.

Cade gathered up Speirling’s reins and climbed onto his back. He then reached out a hand and helped me up behind him before leading the black stallion over to the red one. I was reluctant to get onto Lasair’s back without a saddle or bridle, but the horse was calm and I could sense his encouragement. Once settled securely behind his neck, we turned to look at Epona.

“Until I see you in Erintara then. Be sure to stay clear of the faelah and anything else the Morrigan throws your way.”

With that, the goddess transformed back into the cream-colored mare, tossing her head and whinnying as she led her herd back across the river.

Lasair watched her and the other horses as they disappeared behind the trees on the opposite riverbank. He whickered softly and I leaned forward to pat his neck. I ran my fingers through his mane and smiled. I could feel his sadness, but his pride was stronger. Casting aside my own doubts and fears, I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his neck. Lasair nickered with affection and before I knew it, we were on our way toward the Dagda’s once again.

* * *

We followed the river for an hour before turning south again. The trees eventually gave way to the rocky ground I had grown so familiar with when traveling to the Dagda’s. The horses moved at an easy pace, not too fast and not too slow. Just after mid-day I caught a glimpse of a familiar group of hills rising up from the level earth.

“Not much further now,” Cade called over his shoulder. “Fergus, go on ahead and let them know we’re on the way.”

Fergus barked once and took off, Meridian chattering as she hurried after him.

Yes Meridian, I sent after her, go right ahead.

I smiled when she sent me an apology. She had grown rather fond of Fergus and ever since nearly losing him in spring to the Morrigan’s wrath, she had been even more intent on watching over him.

Settling back into the rhythm of Lasair’s smooth gate, I relaxed and prepared myself for an easy end to our journey. Unfortunately, that’s not what Fate had in mind. The first wave of faelah exploded from the earth a split second before Meridian’s warning screech tore into my mind. The dark creatures rose from the uneven ground as if the soil had been as heavy as tissue paper on their backs. Of course, by the way they were built it didn’t surprise me that bursting from the earth was no difficult task. Compact and close to the ground but with powerful legs, the creatures didn’t even bother to stop and shake the mud from their hides. They simply emerged and charged, their broad, crocodile-like mouths hanging open, their long spiked tails trailing behind them. Let’s just say shock didn’t even come close to describing my first reaction.

“Meghan, your bow, quickly!” Cade snarled from Speirling’s back.

I snapped out of my stupor and reached down, trying my best to untie the knot holding my bow in place while simultaneously staying atop Lasair. We were still moving forward at a steady pace and the faelah were charging towards us, covering the distance at an alarming rate.

My fingers shook and I could feel sweat breaking out on my forehead. I gritted my teeth as my adrenaline surged, awakening my glamour. I would have loved to just fry our approaching enemy, but unfortunately I had to use my own power to suppress the magic Cernunnos had given me. The blue rose was fighting harder than ever to burst open and spill its magic into the world. Too bad my gut instinct was telling me this wasn’t the right time to use it.

I cursed as the first monster slammed into Lasair. He gave a fierce whinny, but kicked out with his front legs, catching the faelah before it could do any damage. I slipped and almost fell, but managed to catch a handful of the horse’s mane.

Lasair didn’t shy away from the Morrigan’s minions like Speirling did. Instead, he rushed towards the downed faelah, lashing out with his hooves and trampling the creature into the ground. For a mere moment I sat stunned, almost forgetting to shift with his movements so I wouldn’t tumble to the ground. This wasn’t just a horse, this was a warrior.

“Meghan!” Cade called out again.

I looked up to find him clear of Speirling’s back. He stood still with his arms spread slightly.

“Don’t let their tails lash you and try not to get bitten.”

Cade let his head fall back and he closed his eyes, taking long, steady breaths. The reptilian faelah kept emerging from the earth and in the distance I heard the baying of the Morrigan’s hellhounds; her Cumorrig. We were under full attack. She had known we would eventually travel to the Dagda’s. All she had to do was wait.

Lasair’s furious scream reminded me we had stopped moving. I glanced at Cade once more as the power of his riastrad took hold, but a horrible noise demanded my attention elsewhere. I sucked in a breath. More of the scaled faelah had moved in. I gave up on trying to untie my bow and instead reached down and drew the dagger Enorah had given me from its sheath. Thank goodness I had taken her advice and kept it on me.

“Try to stay steady Lasair,” I whispered as I crouched low against his back, my heart in my throat. I had practiced defending myself during my stay in the Weald, but none of it had covered fighting from horseback. Still, my instincts told me I stood a better chance if I could just stay on Lasair.

The red stallion whickered softly, his sides heaving from the effort he’d used to kill the first monster. Having Lasair on our side gave me a sense of security, but that slight moment of peace vanished as something dark appeared over the rise to the north. I squinted, losing my concentration for a moment as I tried to see what that darkness was. Then it dawned upon me and my heart dropped to my stomach. The hellhounds I’d heard earlier. Dozens of them, and several other faelah as well. Their numbers far outshone the ones we faced that afternoon the Morrigan had lured me into her trap. We were doomed.

Meridian, go get the Dagda. Tell him we need his help! I sent in desperation.

Yes, swift! Meridian sent back.

Lasair pinned his ears flat against his head and snorted in fury, baring his teeth and stomping his feet. I let the three faelah that had surrounded us see my dagger, but whatever Otherworldly magic it might contain, it did nothing to intimidate them.

The creature in front of us hissed and leapt, aiming for Lasair’s throat. The horse moved quickly, rising up on his hind legs and striking out with his hooves. He caught the faelah in the head and it went down. Unfortunately that gave the others an opening. They both jumped at the same time and one landed on Lasair’s rump. The other aimed for me but I reacted quickly and lashed out with the dagger, stabbing the creature in the chest. It screamed in agony, but the forward momentum threw me off of Lasair. I landed with a thud on the ground, the faelah landing on top of me. I gasped for breath and thrashed at the creature, nearly throwing up as its stench filled my nose. Finally I struggled free, then quickly scrambled to my feet, my dagger ready for another attack.

Fortunately, the creature was dead, a giant welt growing and spewing smoke and gore where I had stabbed it. I pressed the back of my hand to my mouth, fighting the sickness that threatened to rise up. The magic within me still struggled to break free, but I gritted my teeth and fought it along with the nausea. If that army of Cumorrig fell upon us I might use it, but right now I was willing to fight with what I had.

A harsh whinny tore my attention back onto the battle scene and worry laced my blood as Lasair fought to remove the faelah. He bucked once, getting the one on his rump off, then reached around and bit into another, tearing it free and kicking it. I watched in awe and admiration as the horse pummeled the beasts with his hooves.

He tossed his head and screamed, jogging over to me and turning so that he stood between me and the approaching sea of evil. In the distance I could hear the rumbling of feet pounding the ground and Cade’s harsh howl of anger as his battle fury aided him in taking out the first line of monsters.

This couldn’t be happening. We were only yards away from the Dagda’s home. We had to make it. I wasn’t ready to risk using the magic Cernunnos had given me; I wasn’t ready to risk losing my only secret weapon . . .

Suddenly furious, I shoved the dagger back into its case and then went to finish untying my bow from Lasair’s saddle bag. More of those ground-dwelling faelah closed in, snarling and growling, but they didn’t scare me. I calmly drew an arrow from my quiver, placed it in my bow, and took aim. The closest monster was only ten feet away, trying to get around Lasair. It lashed its long tail out like a whip and caught my horse on the shoulder. Lasair screamed in pain and I gritted my teeth, allowing just enough of my magic to flow free in order to ease the tension building inside of me. I released the arrow, letting it take some of my glamour with it. The arrow caught the creature in the throat and brought it down instantly. I sacrificed a few seconds to test my magic again. Straining against the strength of the other source of power, I drew just enough of my glamour out to establish a weak shield. Hey, something was better than nothing, and Enorah would be terribly disappointed in me if I couldn’t create a simple defense after all my practice.

Once both my sources of magic were stabilized, I sought out another arrow and readied it, taking aim at one faelah, then the next as they charged towards me. I used just enough of my glamour to keep my shield up and to add extra killing power to my arrows. That other well of magic still burned and clawed to be set free, but I held it in place as sweat poured down my face. I took out three more faelah and listened for Cade among the clatter and cries of battle. His angry shouts assured me he was still fighting, so I kept up the combat on my end. Lasair, too, had proven himself a fierce fighter and he continued to kick and bite and trample as I aimed and shot my arrows.

A screech from above and the thundering of hooves tore me from my concentration. Meridian swooped down out of the sky, diving at the faelah who had managed to sneak up behind me. A shockwave of power hit me and I fell to the ground, my weak defense bursting like a bubble. Oh well, wasn’t much of a shield anyway. The five monsters behind me collapsed and turned to ash, helpless against a spirit guide’s power.

Dagda follows! Meridian sent as she moved on to another group of faelah.

A bark and a snarl announced Fergus’s arrival as well. He must have gone with Meridian.

I stood up, wincing at the pain in my arm as I pushed against the ground. I glanced down at it and sucked in a breath. A long gash ran from my elbow and halfway down my arm to my wrist. The sleeve of my sweatshirt was soaked in blood. How had I missed such a huge injury? Had I been that focused on the battle?

A shout of fury rose above all the rest of the noise and I glanced up to see a small army of horses carrying men in chainmail charging towards us. Leading them was a huge man on an equally giant Palomino charger. Pale red hair streamed from beneath his helmet and he had a great sword raised above his head. The Dagda.

My knees buckled and I collapsed with relief. The Dagda and his guard thundered past me and behind them were dozens of other men armed with crude weapons and simple leather armor. I tried to stand back up so I could continue helping with the fight, but my legs wouldn’t hold me. I mentally kicked myself for being weak, but there was nothing else I could do.

Lasair came up to me, his sides wet with bloody cuts where the tails of the faelah had lashed him. He knelt down beside me and at first I thought he was just as exhausted as I was, but when he turned his head to regard me with brown, intelligent eyes, I realized he wanted me to climb on his back.

Nodding grimly, I complied, trying to ignore the injured arm that had gone from aching to burning. I scooped up my bow before he rose and despite my pain, I continued to shoot the faelah from Lasair’s back. The battle lasted a half an hour longer and although the Dagda and his men managed to kill several more of the Morrigan’s faelah, most of them fled to return to their master.

“Meghan!” a familiar, yet muffled voice yelled.

I blinked and turned around, smiling in great relief.

“Dagda!” I nearly sobbed.

He still sat astride his large blond horse, but he’d removed his helmet, his red hair sticking out in every direction. His face was grim and his eyes burned with the fury of battle. He climbed down from his horse, the armor he wore clanging with every step. Without stopping, he reached me and pulled me up into a great hug. I yelped in slight surprise, but returned his embrace without a second thought. He smelled of leather and oil and sweat and the earth itself. I sighed and let the tension in my body melt away.

“Dear girl! Are you well?”

He put me down, then held me at arm’s length, checking me for missing limbs and any other injuries.

“Your arm,” he murmured, taking my hand and gently stretching my arm out.

I winced, but held still. His mouth cut a grim line across his face.

“It looks bad, but I’m sure it will be fine once it’s cleaned.”

Throughout the Dagda’s fussing, the last vestiges of the fight came to an end. The dead faelah were all but ashes thrown to the wind and the Dagda’s men were wandering the great field, checking to make sure all the monsters that remained were truly dead. Well, dead in the sense that they wouldn’t be rising up again.

The sound of approaching footsteps made me turn around. Cade stood there, looking tired but not nearly as tired as he had looked in the past after going through his battle fury.

He nodded at the Dagda, silently thanking him for his aid, then stepped up to me, pulling me from his foster father’s protective shadow and into his arms before I could so much as squeak in protest.

“Are you well?” he said against my hair.

I only nodded, taking a shuddering breath, though that action alone was difficult with Cade’s death grip on me.

A sharp whinny reminded me that Lasair was still hurt and bleeding.

“You’re lucky,” Cade said as he reluctantly stepped away from me. His eyes were bright and fierce. I attributed it to the remnants of his riastrad, but it could have been something else entirely. I swallowed hard as my nerves started acting up again.

After looking at me like that for a good fifteen seconds, he cleared his throat and said, “You picked a good horse.”

I laughed, despite our surroundings and my fresh anxiety. “I was lucky he picked me, remember?”

Cade grinned and took my hand, the sharp, primitive look in his eyes fading a little.

“Now, that’s enough fraternizing for now. Let us return to my abode where there awaits a hot bath for the both of you and then a meal afterwards. We have a Lughnasadh celebration planned for this evening, and with today’s success on the battlefield, my men will be eager to begin the festivities as soon as possible.”

The Dagda patted Cade on the shoulder, though it was more of a wallop, then climbed back into the saddle of his own horse.

Cade squeezed my hand once, casting me another quick glance, then left to retrieve Speirling. I turned to find Lasair gazing at me with great brown eyes. I walked up to him, placed my hand on his forehead and sighed.

“Lasair, you did such a wonderful job,” I said, trying not to think too much about the crushing power of his hooves.

At the sound of his name, his ears pricked forward and he pushed out his head, nudging me with his nose. I laughed and hugged him, happy to hear his contented whicker.

With the help of a nearby soldier, I was back atop the red stallion, and within ten minutes we were all headed towards the Dagda’s home. It wasn’t until we passed between the first two hills, however, that I noticed the large black raven glaring at me from the edge of a copse full of dead trees.

I sucked in a breath and Lasair slowed to a stop, his ears swiveling as he tried to detect what had alarmed me.

Danger? Meridian sent as she snoozed on my shoulder. The tightening of her claws let me know she felt my unease as well.

Yes, I sent swallowing back a lump of fear, but it will remain at a safe distance.

For some reason I knew the Morrigan would not act today. Mustering up as much courage as I could, I sat tall on Lasair’s back and faced the raven straight on. A hundred yards separated us, but if I didn’t know any better, I would have sworn I saw the horrid bird twitch.

That’s right, I thought as the Morrigan released a low grumbling caw, I have friends now to help me, and I’m not nearly as weak as you think I am.

Tempted as I was to let some of my glamour flare, the last thing in Eile I needed to do was hint in any way at the magnitude of my power. The Morrigan was far too observant and powerful. Magical spider or not, showing off in broad daylight would definitely give my secret away. Besides, it would be in my best interest to play the victim.

Yes Meghan, show her you are defiant, but under no circumstances let her know what power you now possess. Your life and the lives of others may depend upon it.

With one last lift of my chin, I turned back towards the Dagda and his soldiers. My arm ached and Cade waited for me up ahead. If that wasn’t incentive enough, then the opportunity to get clean, have something to eat, and then take a nap before the party cinched it. I sighed and urged Lasair onward. The Morrigan and I would find another opportunity to meet and work out our differences, I was certain of it.

 

-Thirteen-