Devlin and I woke early the next morning to a landscape shrouded in low mist. The air was frigid enough to require a scarf and gloves, and as I peered through the glass of our bedroom window, I wondered if it might snow.
We prepared our own breakfast in the tiny kitchen, not wanting to disturb the Wildren who had not yet been awakened to start the communal meal, and packed enough food to hold us over until we reached Luathara. Devlin informed me there was a dolmarehn a few hours’ hike away that could carry us to the castle, but he wanted to give me a chance to see the countryside and camp out under the Otherworldly sky. Although I wasn’t too keen on sleeping out in the open, the idea of snuggling with Devlin beside a campfire under a brilliant blanket of stars was too romantic a notion to pass up.
Giving my pack one last, thorough check, I hefted it onto my shoulders and reached for my crossbow. I ran my fingers down the polished, hazel stock, crooning to it like a sick baby, then wrapped the accompanying bolts in a leather pouch. I quickly tied the bag of crossbow bolts to my pack and lifted Venom so that her lath rested against my shoulder, and the bow curved behind my neck. As I crossed the common room of the cabin, the crossbow listed to the side, and I nearly pulled a muscle twisting to keep it from crashing to the ground. When Venom was secure against my shoulder once again, I proceeded to express my apologies for being so careless.
Devlin arched a brow when I emerged from our cabin with my bow clutched to my chest.
“You are way too attached to that thing,” he commented dryly.
I only stuck my nose in the air. “Please, as if you don’t obsess over your swords. Besides, Venom and I have a special relationship that you could never understand.”
I petted the crossbow as if I expected it to start purring. Devlin only shook his head in exasperation.
“That may be, but I still don’t understand the name you gave it.”
My look must have been one of stupefaction. “Because venom is a poison that either kills or incapacitates its victims.”
“Yes, I get all that, I just think you could have come up with something more fitting for such a,” he paused, as if unsure how to continue. Devlin cleared his throat before finishing, “For such a docile weapon.”
I gave him a look of horror, then leaned down and whispered to the crossbow, “Did you hear him? He just insulted you!”
Rolling his eyes, Devlin ushered me out into the open, so he could lock up the cabin behind us.
“Venom may not be as flashy as your pretty knives,” I stated tersely, “but she is just as dangerous.”
Devlin turned to me, the amusement going a little flat on his face. “In the time it takes you to fire a bolt and have a second one ready to send flying, I could have cut through half a dozen attackers, maybe more.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Are you trying to say I’m incompetent?” Because, honestly, I had felt like nothing but since arriving in the Otherworld. I’d had to rely on Enorah’s and Devlin’s (and the rest of the more experienced Wildren’s) protection so far, and although I appreciated it, not being able to take care of myself as thoroughly as I had in the mortal world had really bothered me. I think part of the reason I had advanced so quickly in my self-defense classes, and with my crossbow practice, was because I was so determined to be wholly independent once again.
Devlin must have realized his mistake because he raised his hands, palms facing me, and said, “No, not at all.” Then he grinned. “I simply adore the way your eyes gleam when your temper is up.”
I snorted, accepting his pathetic attempt to save face with a shrug. My annoyance drained away, and I took a deep breath. Devlin could insult my crossbow all he wanted. He was just jealous that she was getting more attention at the moment than he was. The very thought made me bite my lip to keep from smiling.
The familiar sounds of the village waking up in the distance encouraged me to turn my attention away from the cabin. Through the thick veil of fog, I could sense patches of pale sunlight trying desperately to pierce through, but the mix of mist and shrubs kept me from clearly seeing any of the Wildren who had risen to start their chores.
“Ready?” Devlin asked, tightening the straps on his pack and checking that the bedrolls he’d attached were still there.
I strapped Venom securely to my pack, since I didn’t want to carry her the entire way to Luathara, then faced Devlin. I gave a lazy smile and answered, “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
To be quite honest, I was working hard to contain my excitement. I couldn’t wait to see Meghan again and despite my fear of the world outside of the Weald, I was curious as to what sorts of wildlife and scenery Eile had to offer.
* * *
For much of the morning, the landscape didn’t change. Huge, ancient trees gave way to verdant meadows, and every now and then, we had to make use of fallen branches in order to cross the many creeks and streams which spread through the forest floor like veins. Despite my damp shoes and the extra weight of the pack, my heart was light and my mood a happy one. The Weald was such a beautiful place, and my pagan spirit felt so at home here. Oaks and evergreens of varying species intermixed with the beech trees from time to time, and more often than not, Devlin had to stop and wait for me as I paused to watch an Otherworldly creature scuttle into the underbrush or scurry across the treetops. Perhaps this trip would stretch into four days by the time it was through. There was just too much to see, and I was determined to absorb all of it if I could.
Just before noon that first day, the forest came to an abrupt end, and Devlin and I found ourselves standing on the edge of a cluster of hills, gazing out at what looked like the ocean in the distance.
“Not an ocean,” Devlin said when I asked. “That is Lake Ohll, though it is large enough to be an ocean. And this is just the narrow, southern tip of it.”
His smile was infectious, and once I had gotten my fill of the deep blue expanse of the lake and its several small, tree-speckled islands, we were off once again, heading in a southeasterly direction. For a long while, we stayed between the edge of the Weald and the shore of Lake Ohll, picking up an easy pace as we climbed and then descended the many rock-strewn hills that dotted the landscape. Spring’s burgeoning presence painted the land in hues of emerald, jade and chartreuse, and the moisture from the recent bout of rain and frost soaked into my jeans. Oh well. I shrugged, pulling my pack higher up onto my shoulders. My shoes were already drenched, so might as well add my pants to the fray.
We didn’t stop until late afternoon, while the sun was still in the sky, in order to set up camp. Devlin had chosen the top of a small hill that provided a view of the lake and the surrounding rolling, rocky landscape. What I had seen of the Otherworld so far reminded me of the pictures of Ireland and Scotland often featured in magazines and calendars, and I wondered what else this wonderful place had to offer.
Later that evening, we sat and watched the distant lake turn to flame as the sun sank below the horizon. Devlin got a fire going before twilight settled in, and we enjoyed a meal of some cold chicken, bread and butter, and some berries that grew and ripened early in the Weald. The fruit looked a lot like blackberries, but had a tangy taste similar to cranberries. Devlin told me they were called bitterberries, and they were his and Rhyne’s favorite growing up.
“The nice thing about bitterberries is they will grow anywhere and bloom and produce fruit throughout the year.”
I finished chewing and swallowing the handful I’d just popped into my mouth and lifted my eyebrows at him. “Even in the dead of winter?”
Devlin smiled, his lips slightly stained from the dark red fruit. “Even in winter. If the snow is very deep, or lasts too long, it will delay their flowering or the ripening of the fruit, but once it melts, the plant rebounds.”
I picked up the branch he had snapped off for me and turned it in my hand. The wood was a deep brown, almost black, with a few short thorns scattered along the surface. The leaves were dark green and waxy, very similar to holly leaves. I took extra time to study the plant, committing it to memory. If I ever found some seedlings growing in the Weald, I’d be sure to dig one up and plant it behind our cabin, so Devlin and I could eat the berries whenever we liked. I bet they’d taste great in some scones or muffins, or even a pie.
Once we were done with dinner, we curled up together under the blankets we had dragged along with us. Fortunately, the grass was thick and spongy beneath us, and Devlin’s heat was enough to keep me warm. Letting out a long breath, I snuggled up against him, resting my head just beneath his chin and turning my ear to his chest, so I could hear his heartbeat. For the longest time we remained quiet, the gentle hush of the flames from the weakening fire doing their best to lull us to sleep as the sky grew darker.
Eventually, I yawned and murmured, “Devlin?”
His chest rumbled as he answered me, “Yes?”
I wasn’t quite sure how to word my question without sounding nosey, but my brain was too tired to be diplomatic about it.
“Do you think Queen Danua will ever give you another chance?”
Devlin drew in a long breath, then answered, “How do you mean?”
I shrugged, and his arm pulled me in closer. “You know, the whole dilemma with Mikael’s escape and not getting that old castle for you and Rhyne. It still bothers me that all of your hard work was wasted because of me.”
We had had this argument a dozen or more times before, where I expressed my guilt, and Devlin insisted that it wasn’t my fault. One of these days, I was certain I was going to drive him insane, but I just couldn’t let it rest.
“I mean, Meghan is Danua’s daughter. Maybe she could talk to her on your behalf, if I asked her, and maybe the high queen would give you another shot with another mission. Or, maybe you could try tracking the Daramorr again.”
I shivered, because the last thing in the world I wanted was for Devlin to go after that murdering psychopath and his equally malevolent sister. I wanted everyone I loved to stay as far away from those two as possible, but I also wanted Devlin to be happy. And maybe having the castle and its land would give Rhyne something to love as well, and he wouldn’t walk around with that dark cloud surrounding him anymore.
Devlin shifted and drew away from me, bringing his hands up to rest on either side of my face. Gently, he bent my head back so that his eyes met mine. It was dark, but what little light escaped from the fire pit made his eyes glitter.
“And what makes you think for one second, Robyn Dunbarre, that I haven’t found something worth more to me than ten thousand Diarnans?”
For five glorious seconds, I had trouble breathing, then Devlin leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on my upper lip, teasing me into taking his bait. Well, going by the state I was in, it didn’t take much to convince me to give in. I snaked my arms around Devlin’s neck and kissed him for all I was worth, and suddenly, the frosty night air didn’t bother me so much.
Eventually, we both came up for air, and I pressed up close against him once again. Devlin returned his arm to where it had been, loosely wrapped around me, and pulled me in to kiss the top of my head. I sighed blissfully, still wondering how I had made it to this wonderful place in my life. With Devlin smoothing his hand down my back, his strong, steady heartbeat playing in my ear, I fell fast asleep and didn’t wake again until dawn.
* * *
As usual, Devlin was already awake and getting the fire going by the time I rolled out of our makeshift bed. Grumbling about the cold, I wrapped one of the blankets around myself and stumbled off to find a place to use as a restroom. Nothing like peeing out in the open to get you going in the morning. Camping was one thing, but this roughing it out in the wild was an entirely different animal.
Despite my grumpy morning attitude, I was soon chipper and feeling better once I got back to our campsite, and Devlin handed me a mug of tea.
“It will take away the stiffness,” he assured me.
The first sip informed me that this wasn’t just tea. It had been laced with honey, and the flavor was slightly different than what I was used to. Whatever it was, I liked it. By the time I had drained half the cup, the headache that threatened to make its presence later in the morning was gone, and the crick in my neck had disappeared. I felt downright giddy.
I drained the cup, then glanced up at Devlin. “What is this?”
He smiled and returned his attention to making breakfast, an oatmeal concoction of sorts.
“That’s a secret,” he said.
I stuck my tongue out at him and then held my cup up, quietly pleading for more. Devlin complied, and I drained it faster than the first one. After that, we dug into our oatmeal, warming our fingers and toes with the dying coals of the breakfast fire.
As I basked in the bliss of a very relaxing start to the morning, I took the opportunity to study our surroundings a bit closer. The view from this little hilltop was breathtaking. Rolling green hills, some dotted with trees, others scattered with large rocks, spread out around us like an endless sea. A lazy stream meandered out of the edge of the Weald in the distance and met up with several small ponds before continuing its journey to the south. The early rose hues of the sun stained several pockets of low mist with their color, and a chorus of spring birds, shaking the dew from their feathers, greeted our ears. It was so beautiful, my heart began to ache in my chest. This was nature at its best. This was the spirit of the land that cried out to my pagan soul. Beside that ache, another sensation sparked to life. My little pocket of glamour. I knew better than to get excited. My magic, although present and very much aware of its homeland, never grew any brighter than that little spark. I blew out a breath of air and closed my eyes, not allowing myself to hope for anything more.
Devlin and I finished our simple meal just as the sun pulled clear of the horizon, then we worked together to pack up our blankets. When the fire was out, and we had stowed everything back into its proper place, we turned our backs to the lake in the distance and left our lofty campsite behind.
The countryside we traveled through today was rocky and uneven, even more so than the day before. Every time we crested one hill, ten more popped up to take its place. Fighting the urge to groan, I continued on, following Devlin like a diligent puppy. I was convinced that he wasn’t used to such a slow pace by the way he glanced over his shoulder to check on me every thirty seconds. Gritting my teeth, I reminded myself how determined I was to regain my sense of independence. Begging Devlin to carry me would not only knock me down several branches from the ‘Robyn Can Take Care of Herself’ tree, but it would also suggest I wouldn’t be able to hold my own in a fight should anything dangerous make an appearance.
I reached over my shoulder and gave my crossbow a pat. “We can do this Venom,” I murmured, focusing my hard stare forward. “We will prove that I’m not weak and you’re not docile.”
At noon, we stopped beside another lazy creek and ate some bread and cheese for lunch. The hills had tapered off a little, thank goodness.
“How much farther until we get to Luathara?” I asked, stretching my sore legs out in front of me.
“If we moved quickly, we could probably get there a few hours after nightfall, but I’d rather spend one more night in the hills and arrive in the morning.”
I nodded my agreement, though my heart had skipped a beat thinking of how close we were to Meghan’s new home. The last time I had seen her was during that awful camping trip at Lopez Lake, before she had married Cade. After that summer, she had become too entangled in the politics of the Otherworld and the impending war with the Morrigan, and I had started my freshman year at Cuesta College. I had intended to send her a letter at some point in time, through her parents, but I kept putting it off for some reason or another. Then, my sophomore year started, and the whole drama involving the Daramorr and Devlin kind of blindsided me and sucked up all of my time. Oh well. A few weeks ago, I had finally finished that letter, and in another day, I would get to sit down with her and have a nice, long talk. Oh, did we have so much to catch up on!
Taking a deep breath, I glanced up at Devlin. He still sat in the grass, reclining casually against a giant fallen tree branch carpeted with moss. The sun was much brighter this day, and the unusual warmth from it had enticed him to take off his shirt. Catching sight of that golden skin and especially the intricate, teal and indigo tattoos that adorned his torso, made my breath hitch in my throat. Thank goodness no one else was around, because I was convinced I looked like an utter fool, sitting there and staring at Devlin as if he held me under a spell. Well, if I were being honest with myself, there was far more truth to that than I wanted to admit.
For a spare moment, an image of Meghan watching Cade popped into my mind. I used to smirk and tease her for her weakness around him. Now, I wondered if I had fallen victim to the same ailment. I held my hands out in front of me, expecting to find a shiny new glow to my skin. Nope. Same pale, skinny arms as usual. Perhaps it was only something other people noticed. I’d have to wait and see what Meghan said when we got to Luathara. Oh boy. Was that going to be fun: asking my friend if I glowed with the aura of love. No way was she going to make fun of me for that.
Despite the possibility of making a fool of myself in front of Meghan, I felt myself grinning and biting my lip to stop it. What would Meghan think of Devlin? She had definitely been curious about him in the letter she had sent in response to mine. Would she think I was foolish to run off with him, a young man I had known for less than a year? What if she disapproved of him? I’d always wondered what I’d do if I ever found myself in a situation where my friends hated my boyfriend.
Ack! Knock it off, Robyn! You’re imagining situations that haven’t even happened, and probably won’t happen. Honestly, who would disapprove of Devlin?
I glanced up at him then, catching a curious look on his face as he studied me. I had to bite back a smirk again.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing. Just silliness is all.”
“Silliness?” One of his dark blond eyebrows arched upward.
I nodded, then gave him a sly smile. “Imagining what I’d do if I had to choose between you and Meghan.”
His other eyebrow joined the first, and I laughed out loud. Shaking my head, I stood up and explained myself.
“Oh, I was just wondering what would happen if she didn’t like you. Would kind of put a damper on our friendship.”
Devlin adopted a pensive look, then nodded before standing and re-donning his shirt and leather vest. A pang of disappointment fluttered in my stomach, and I squashed it right away. Honestly, did I want him traipsing half-naked through Eile? Alright, so maybe I did, but I also wanted him protected in case any faelah took us by surprise. I reached for my backpack, shifting it into place before picking up Venom. I’d untied the crossbow earlier and kept it at my side, just in case.
“Ready?” Devlin asked, settling his own pack on his back.
I nodded, more than ready to get moving once again.
We stopped early that day to camp, Devlin picking out another hilltop, this one completely free of any trees. As we lay together under the dark sky, he pointed up to the stars, naming them and describing the constellations to me. I listened to his explanation with the eagerness of a small child. The stars were slightly different here in Eile; forming unique patterns in the sky. They were brighter, and their colors varied more than the ones back at home.
“Do you see that golden arc of stars there?” Devlin asked, pointing toward the northwestern horizon.
I squinted and counted nine or more stars, twinkling in shades of yellow and bronze. The pattern of stars made a horseshoe shape, and I nodded against Devlin’s shoulder.
“I see it,” I murmured.
“That’s the Dagda’s Cauldron. And those dark stars over there, if you connect them with the paler blue and green ones, make the shape of a raven. The Morrigan’s sign.”
I could lie there and listen to him all night, but unfortunately, fatigue took over. As Devlin continued to educate me on the basics of astronomy, I drifted off, thinking there was no other place I’d rather be than right where I was. I didn’t care if Meghan didn’t approve. Nothing in all of Eile would convince me to let go of Devlin.