The sun had been up for at least an hour, yet the stubborn frost of winter still coated the hills surrounding Luathara. I had slipped out of bed only ten minutes ago, reluctant to leave Meghan alone, but my sleep had been restless again. Ever since defeating the Morrigan’s army a few months ago, I hadn’t been able to relax. One would think that destroying the goddess responsible for so many years of my misery and suffering would be enough to banish all the demons that haunted me, but for some reason or another, it wasn’t. I had a terrible feeling that although my tormentor was now nothing more than a memory, her evil glamour and negative influence were still strong contenders for dominance in this world. That would explain my lingering fear.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in through my nose, scenting the early spring air for danger. It was pointless, really. I couldn’t really smell danger on the wind, but one never knew. I could most certainly smell faelah if they were near. The very thought brought a sneer to my face. Yes, my mother’s leftovers still plagued our world, but I could deal with those in time. A sudden gust of light wind sent a chill through my blood. I lifted my arms and crossed them over my chest. I hadn’t dressed completely after rising from bed, and at the moment, I wore a pair of loose pants and one of my thin linen shirts, and neither was keeping off the cold.
Just as I was about to abandon my survey of Luathara’s landscape, a pair of familiar arms wrapped themselves around my torso, and I felt Meghan press her warm body up against mine. I leaned my head back and to the side, allowing my eyelids to drift shut.
“Hello, my love,” I murmured, relishing Meghan’s body heat as it took the chill off my own skin.
“What are you doing standing out in the cold?” she wondered, in a sleepy voice.
I huffed a breath, trying to will my worry away. “Just thinking,” I answered.
“About what?”
I smiled. My ever curious Meghan. Shrugging, I answered, “Many things, but right now I’m thinking about our upcoming journey.”
Meghan lit up at that. I knew because I could sense the change in her glamour. It had been snoozing quietly beside her heart, but now, it was pulsing with joyful curiosity. She had become so much better at controlling her own power since the battle against the Morrigan, and I couldn’t be more proud of her.
I turned to face her then, grinning rakishly when I noticed what she was wearing, or rather, what she wasn’t wearing.
As if she could read my thoughts, Meghan gave me her own impish smile and pulled the sheet more tightly about herself.
“What time is it?” she asked, dancing out of my reach.
Giving up on my attempts at seduction, I exhaled and answered her, “Between eight and nine in the morning.”
She gasped and dashed toward her chest of drawers. “We had better get moving, then. Good thing we packed last night!”
I chuckled and stepped fully into our bedroom, tugging my shirt over my head as I did so. “Relax. We have plenty of time.”
Despite my reassurance, both Meghan and I were dressed and hauling our travel packs down the stairs within half an hour.
Briant, my steward, greeted us in the entrance hall with a stack of documents he wanted me to look over one last time before we left.
“Briant,” I complained as I set my pack down, “we’ll be in the mortal world for no more than two days, then we’ll stop back here to get clean clothes before heading to the Weald. I have taken care of everything, and you will do fine in my absence. You have managed quite well before.”
The Faelorehn man gave me a stern look and huffed out a breath of air. “Yes, I know, but it is still best when the signature and directions come from you.”
I took the papers and glanced over them quickly, added my signature to the ones that needed it, then handed them back to Briant.
Melvina, Briant’s wife, came bursting out of the kitchen carrying a dish cloth stuffed full of something giving off a savory scent.
“Scones,” she exclaimed, shoving them at Meghan. “Since you insist on leaving so quickly.”
Meghan dug around in the cloth and pulled out a hot scone. She took a bite out of it and closed her eyes in bliss. “Thank you, Melvina,” she managed, around a mouthful. “And can you blame me? I’m going to see my family for the first time in weeks!”
In her state of excitement, she reached out and gave the woman a tight hug. Melvina only chittered in feigned embarrassment while Meghan offered a scone to me.
“Thank you, both of you, for looking out for Luathara. While we’re gone this time and for all the times before and those to come,” I said, giving them each a grateful look.
“Luathara is as much our home as it is yours, Cade,” Briant insisted. “Now, go on. Your friends and families have waited long enough to receive the news of your engagement.”
With a quick smile, I escorted Meghan outside where the horses and our spirit guides waited. Both Speirling and Lasair had been led into the courtyard by Cormac, the new stable master. They were completely free of the usual tack since they would return to the stable once they dropped Meghan and me off at the dolmarehn.
After helping Meghan onto Lasair, I mounted Speirling, casting Fergus a questioning glance.
Any new faelah I should know about?
Haven’t smelled, heard, or seen any, the white wolfhound responded.
Good. Perhaps they’ve moved on.
Or, more likely, they are lying low for the time being.
I nodded grimly. Fergus was right. I couldn’t hope they had all simply disappeared from Luathara land. Some of them had started developing a will and life force of their own over the years. I feared there were even more of them out there, wreaking havoc and spreading their dark magic even though their mistress was no more.
Shoving my dismal thoughts aside, I turned Speirling toward the gate. I could worry about my mother’s lingering black taint on Eile when Meghan and I returned from our trip. We had the mortal world, the Weald, the Dagda’s abode and Erintara to visit before we returned home to make the final plans for the wedding, and we had only a couple of weeks to do it in.
Clicking my tongue at Speirling, I encouraged him into a quicker stride, checking to make sure Meghan and Lasair kept up. Meridian swooped through the sky above us, and Fergus kept pace with the horses as we crossed the rolling fields of Luathara. We made it to the dolmarehn an hour after leaving the castle and bid farewell to the horses.
Gathering up our packs, Meghan and I stepped into the cave together. Fergus and Meridian had gone in already and would meet us in the mortal world.
“Are you ready, Meghan?” I asked quietly, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her close.
She tilted her head back and looked up at me with her beautiful hazel eyes. They darkened to honey gold for a split second before melting into green.
“Of course,” she smiled.
Stepping away, but keeping a firm grip on her hand, I winked back at her. “Then let’s go tell your family the good news.”