Chapter One

Luathara

MEGHAN

I woke to the sound of spring birds chirping outside the window, their boisterous songs filling the air with joy and promise.  Although I was no longer asleep, I kept my eyes shut, not yet willing to let in the brightness of the morning sunshine.  I could feel it pouring in through the tall windows.  I knew instinctively, without even reaching across the wide mattress, that Cade was already up.  Ever since the ordeal with the Morrigan - his warmongering, glamour-hungry hag of a mother - came to its climactic closure, I had noticed a change in the both of us.  It wasn’t so much a physical change, or, more precisely, it wasn’t a physical change at all.  It was something different, an awareness just beneath my skin.  I imagined this alteration had a lot to do with our glamour.  Perhaps all the time we spent together had trained my magic to recognize his on a level far deeper than I had previously realized. It was as if my magic could reach out and connect with Cade’s without my even being aware of it.  Then again, it could simply be a side effect of my being completely and unquestionably in love.

Grinning like a fool, I stretched and reached out across the mattress.  As I had expected, Cade wasn’t there.  I tried not to feel disappointed.  I knew he wasn’t far.  Probably out on the patio or walking through the garden.  He might have already dressed and gone down to his study, but he wouldn’t be riding the acreage with Speirling today or venturing into Kellston to address any concerns the townspeople might have.  Today, we were leaving Luathara for a time, and we planned on heading out long before noon.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, I allowed my eyes to flutter open.  The room was indeed bathed in golden light, the rich color bringing life to the hues in the tapestries, rugs and drapes hanging around our four poster bed.  For a few moments, I simply lay there, cocooned in the soft sheets, tracing the embroidered design in the comforter.  Even after all I had been through in the past few years, I still woke sometimes, sucking in my breath at the absurdity of it all.  Three years ago, I had been one of the awkward nerds at my high school.  I had started out my junior year the same way I approached the previous two: keeping my head down and focusing on getting good grades, so I might get into a reputable college someday.  I had lived a typical teenage life, and other than my moments of insanity when I thought I saw monsters and imagined I heard weird voices, I thought I was pretty normal.  How wrong I had been.

Rolling over in bed, I crooked my elbow and rested my cheek against my hand.  I was facing the glass doors that opened out onto the terrace just outside the room Cade and I shared.  The doors were open, the cool breeze of early spring flowing in and making the gossamer drapes dance like cheerful specters.  The air smelled of lingering frost and the sweet flowers that dared to open this early in Eile.  And beneath it all, I could smell the faint, unique scent of wild glamour.  I breathed it all in as I stretched once again.

A small movement out of the corner of my eye distracted me for a second.  I shot my gaze toward the balcony once more, just making out the shape of a tall figure.  The corners of my mouth curved up, and I felt my body flush with joy.  Cade.  Even after having known him for three years, and having survived everything we’d been through since, I still got chills when I looked at him.  Well over six feet tall and built like a Celtic god, Caedehn MacRoich was the image of any young woman’s fantasies.  I thought back to the first time I had seen him, wondering how I had kept my cool long enough to string more than two coherent thoughts together.  Alright, if I was being honest with myself, I had fallen for his charms quite quickly.  In fact, the sensible Meghan Elam would have smacked the love-struck version of myself upside the head.  Before seeing Cade in all his Otherworldly glory, I would never have gone for a guy like him.  He was too beautiful, too large, too frightening.  Yet, I had kept going back for more.  I had agreed to meet him and listen as he slowly peeled back the wool from my eyes.  And I had fallen fast and hard.  Yet, I didn’t regret any of the decisions that had brought me to this point in my life.  True, Cade and I had been through trials and tribulations, many of them so horrifying I don’t wish to reminisce on them.  But because of those tests, we had grown closer than ever.

I bit my lip and glanced down at my wrist, admiring the beautifully woven and bejeweled bracelet secured there.  It wasn’t just any bracelet, though.  This was the piece of jewelry Cade had given to me over a month ago, when he had asked me to marry him.  Another flurry of chills coursed through me, and I sighed.  The day Cade proposed had been one of the happiest days of my life and I only imagined those days would grow happier.  After all, we were Faelorehn, and we were immortal.  And, we no longer had the Morrigan hunting us like wild game.

I smiled again as I rose from the bed, bringing a sheet with me in lieu of clothing.  As I headed for the open doors, I felt my powerful glamour well up and reach out toward Cade’s.  For so long, we had fought against our common enemy, and finally, finally, we were going to start our new life together.

CADE

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.”

Chapter Two

Arroyo Grande

CADE

On the other side of the dolmarehn, the mortal world was in one of those transitions between choking, early morning fog and the brilliant sunshine signaling the approach of midday.  I stepped out into the open first, making sure it was clear of anything nefarious before giving Meghan’s hand a squeeze.  I didn’t really expect to see any faelah on this side of the boundary between our worlds, but old habits die hard, and I haven’t lived as long as I have by taking things for granted.

Meghan exhaled a soft sigh of appreciation as she joined me, her head swiveling back and forth to take in all her surroundings.  It had been a long time since she last visited the place where she was raised, so I allowed her to get her fill before reminding her that her family was waiting for us.

She gave me a cheeky grin and shoved me on the shoulder.  “Are you that eager to tell them the news?” she wondered.

I narrowed my eyes at her.

She laughed and crossed her arms.  “I’m only nineteen, you know.  Young women my age are typically picking out their college courses for next term and not planning their weddings.”

That gave me pause.  When I made the decision to propose to Meghan, I had been thinking only in Otherworldly terms.  I loved her, more than any woman I had ever known, and having lived as long as I have alone, I couldn’t wait to make her a permanent part of my life.  I hadn’t even considered her age.  Although technically an adult, Meghan was so young.  Had I made a mistake in proposing so soon?

My face must have showed my uncertainty, because Meghan lost her look of amusement and stepped in close, wrapping her arms around me as she placed her ear to my heart.

Oh, Cade, don’t worry! she sent using shil-sciar.  I am only teasing you.  It’s not like they didn’t know you planned on proposing to me.

I nodded, bringing my hand up to press into the small of her back.  I leaned down and kissed the top of her head.  You are right, I sent back, my words brushing against her mind, but I wonder ...

I let that thought trail off, afraid to ask her what was foremost on my mind at the moment.

Meghan pulled her head away from my chest and gave me a hard look.

“Out with it,” she insisted.  “We have survived faelah attacks, your mother’s manipulation, her dark glamour and a war together.  I was forced to keep secrets from you, and you were obligated to keep your own from me.  Let’s start our new life on the right foot.  What still bothers you?”

And how was I to argue with that logic?  Meghan was right.  There was no reason for me to keep my thoughts to myself.

Taking a step back, I pushed my fingers through my hair and let out a great breath.  “Are you sure you want to marry me, Meghan?”

The moment the words left my mouth, I knew I should have taken the time to word them differently.

Nicely done, Cade, Fergus drawled, from somewhere ahead.

I ground my molars.  Keep out of this, Fergus.

The wolfhound gave a mental, canine snort and sent, Very well.  I shall inform you should I stumble upon anything dangerous.

“Cade, I don’t know what to say to that,” Meghan said, a little distantly.  “Of course, I want to marry you.  Are you having second thoughts?”

“No,” I barked immediately, my voice stern, my eyes fixed steadily on her face.

I moved toward her again, pulling her close to me and breathing in her unique scent, willing it to calm my frantic nerves.

“Forgive me for the way I phrased that,” I added.  “Meghan, I love you.  I love you more than my immortal life.”

“I know,” she mumbled against my chest.

Please, let me finish, I sent into her mind.  My only concern is that perhaps you feel too young to get married.  Maybe you would like to wait a few years, give yourself a chance to live without the threat of death waiting around every corner, and then decide.

Meghan reached up and put her hands on either side of my face, her eyes fierce.  I could almost see her glamour welling up behind the irises, that brilliant blue that had burned through the Morrigan’s defenses.

“You listen to me, Caedehn MacRoich,” she practically growled, poking me in the chest with her index finger.  “I may only be nineteen years old, but in the past three years, I’ve seen and experienced more in my short life than many four times my age.  If I’ve learned anything, I’ve realized that if I find something I want, then I need to hang onto it with everything I’ve got.  And I want you, more than anything.”

She pulled my head down, not too gently, and seared my mouth with a fervent, demanding kiss.  And, being the Faelorehn gentleman that I was, I gave the lady what she asked for, returning her affection tenfold.

By the time we broke apart, my heart was racing, and my breath coming in ragged gasps.

“You know,” I managed, my tone husky and deep, “we could delay going to your house an hour or so more.  It isn’t quite noon yet, and they aren’t expecting us this early.”

Meghan, her cheeks flushed and her eyes dark, only grinned wickedly at my suggestion.

“Tempting, my brave Faelorehn warrior, but as much as I love you, I miss my rambunctious brothers even more at the moment.”

She pulled away with a smile, lacing her fingers with mine and tugging on my hand so I’d follow her up the culvert.  Groaning in slight frustration, I complied, willing my blood to cool and my glamour to settle down.

Those boisterous brothers of hers were waiting for us at the top of the equestrian trail, along with Fergus and Meghan’s spirit guide merlin, Meridian.

“They’re here!” Bradley, her oldest brother screeched.

He jumped over the corner fence and came barreling down the trail, Logan and the twins, Jack and Joey, right behind him.

“Meggy!” Jack cried out, wrapping himself around his sister’s leg.

Joey quickly took his place around the other leg as Bradley and Logan folded her top half in a constriction of arms.

“Boys!” Meghan laughed.  “You guys are going to make me fall over!”

For the next several minutes, Meghan and I took turns peeling her overenthusiastic brothers off their sister so that all of us might make it to the house.

“Where’s Aiden?” Meghan asked, once she was free.  Her smile faded as she scanned the pack of boys surrounding her.

“Up at the house with Mom and Dad,” Logan responded.

Bradley nodded.  “He wanted to help add the finishing touches.”

Meghan froze and cast me a disturbed glance.  I only arched a brow at her.  Her family had a tendency to go overboard with celebrations, and I could only imagine whatever they had planned wasn’t a nice, cozy brunch or afternoon tea.

What we did find upon entering the Elam household was far less dramatic than I had envisioned.  True, there were ‘Welcome Home!’ signs taped all over the walls, obviously drawn and decorated by her brothers, and several multi-colored streamers hanging from the light fixtures.

Meghan’s adoptive mother had gone to great efforts to put together a feast to feed an army, and her father was busy carrying one dish after the other to the table.  The moment Aiden spotted his sister, his blue-green eyes grew wide and he moved toward her as quickly as he could.  Aiden, despite being Meghan’s biological brother and boasting a wealth of glamour to rival his sister’s, had a geis on him that prevented him from behaving as a normal child would in the mortal world.  Danua had put a cap on his magic, and since it was so intrinsically a part of him, having that part dampened made it impossible for the rest of him to work properly.  He had trouble speaking and communicating, and his arms and legs didn’t always work the way a normal child’s should.  The people living in the mortal world thought he had autism, but the moment he stepped foot through a dolmarehn, he transformed into a bright, literate boy full of life and vigor.  It was painful to watch Meghan with him now.  She scooped him up and twirled around with him, smiling, but barely holding back the tears.

“I can’t wait for the summer,” she told him.  “You’ll get to come spend some time with me in Eile.  Oh, Aiden!  You will love it there, especially now that the Morrigan is gone.”

Meghan and I made the official announcement to the family about our engagement as soon as we were all settled around the table.  Although both Mr. and Mrs. Elam knew of my intentions already, Meghan’s mother was beside herself, insisting on seeing her daughter’s bracelet even though she had helped me pick it out.  Meghan’s father shook my hand, reminding me with his sharp gaze of the conversation we had shared only a few months before.  I hadn’t forgotten it, and I let him know so with a steady glance of my own.

After that, we settled down on the couches and chairs and watched a movie together.  The movie was strange to me, and during most of it, Meghan was telling me what was going on, which resulted in nasty glares from her brothers.  I decided I didn’t care so much for movies, but smiled and told the boys I thought it was great nonetheless.  These are things an older brother-in-law-to-be is expected to do, according to Meghan, at least.

That evening, we went out to a nice steak restaurant overlooking Pismo Beach to celebrate my and Meghan’s upcoming marriage.  I had visited my old apartment and brought the Trans Am out for the occasion.  It had been so long since I’d driven it, I worried it might not run.

“I’d like to leave the keys and paperwork with you, if that’s alright,” I’d told Meghan’s father.  “Perhaps Logan or Bradley can drive it when they’re old enough.”

Both boys’ eyes grew as wide as saucers at that prospect.  Meghan’s mother, however, wasn’t so thrilled about the idea.

“I don’t think so!” she exclaimed.  “If they get a car at all, it will be something that won’t tempt them into speeding every chance they get.”

After returning home from the dinner, the boys had argued for nearly an hour over who would get to drive it first.

“Me, duh!” Bradley had exclaimed.  “I’m the oldest!”

“What if you don’t pass your driver’s test!?” Logan had countered.

Bradley just stared at him.  “And what makes you think you will?”

I tried my best not to laugh at the entire situation, especially with Meghan sitting next to me, pinching me every time the corner of my mouth curled up.

Finally, their mother had enough, and she sent them off to bed.  Meghan and I didn’t stay up much longer, either.  We were planning on leaving tomorrow around noon, to give us plenty of time to stop by Luathara before venturing into the Weald.  I was nervous about telling my sister about my upcoming wedding, but the news had gone over so well with the Elams, I was holding out hope that Enorah would have a similar reaction.  Only time will tell, I reminded myself.

Releasing a deep breath I didn’t realize I was holding, I began to let the slight tension drain away as Meghan resettled herself against me on the couch.  I could worry about Enorah and how she might take the news tomorrow, but at the moment, I was content just sitting still and relaxing.

MEGHAN

I was beginning to nod off when Cade leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Ready for bed?”

Jerking back awake, I blinked blearily at the TV screen.  When Bradley and Logan had finally followed my other brothers to bed, Dad had switched on one of those murder mystery documentaries that aired once a week.  It had been pretty interesting, but it was hard to focus when I had Cade as my very own warm, comfy pillow.

“Huh?” I managed, rubbing at my eyes.

Cade smiled and repeated his question.  Oh, right.  Bed.  We had to go back to Eile tomorrow.  I sighed.  So soon.  I hadn’t had enough time with my family, but the wedding was a month and a half away.  We needed to let the rest of our loved ones know about it, and then, we had to start making all the preparations.

Yawning, I nodded my response, and the two of us rose to wish my parents good night.  I was going to sleep in my old room. It was in the process of being converted into Bradley’s room, but for now, it still contained my bed and most of my other belongings from my previous life.  I almost snorted at that, but it was true.  I was not the same person I had been those handful of years ago.

Regretfully, I kissed Cade goodnight before disappearing down the spiral staircase.  It was no secret the two of us had been living together for a few months now, but Cade took it upon himself to do the honorable thing and sleep in the guest room.  It was one night, after all, and he wanted to show his respect toward my parents.  Even so, I tossed and turned half the night, missing his solid, safe presence next to me.  I wondered if he was having the same problem upstairs.

I must have drifted off at some point, because I woke up the next morning having not remembered falling asleep.  Changing into a fresh set of clothes, I padded upstairs to find the house empty save for my mom.  She was in the kitchen, getting breakfast ready for all of us.  I smiled, happy to see her behaving just as she always had before learning what I was.  It brought me some comfort, knowing that although my world had turned on its head, some things never changed.

I slipped onto one of the stools tucked under the ledge of the kitchen island and propped my elbow up on the counter, watching her with a faint smile on my face.

Her hair was slightly messy from sleep, and she had a towel draped over her shoulder.  As she turned to deposit some bacon onto a pad of waiting napkins, she caught me studying her.  She froze and lifted one eyebrow.

“What?” she asked cautiously.

I shrugged.  “Nothing.  It’s just good to see you, Mom.”

She smiled, and some of that anxiety seemed to melt away from her.  “It’s good to see you too, honey.”

As she turned to tend to the new batch of bacon, she threw over her shoulder, “Cade has taken your father out for a ride in that car of his.”

She rolled her eyes, and I laughed.  Dad would enjoy that.

“Where are the boys?” I wondered aloud.

“The twins are still asleep, but Bradley, Logan and Aiden were all watching cartoons until your fiancé stepped out of the guest room announcing he was going to take a drive, and anyone who wished to join him was welcome to tag along.  He was also sure to mention there were three seatbelts in the back.”

I snorted again.  If I didn’t already love the man beyond all reason, then Cade’s efforts to charm my brothers and father would have pushed me over the edge.

“I take it you don’t approve?” I pressed carefully.

There was something more I wanted to ask my mom, something that had been nipping at the edge of my mind like a tiresome mosquito I couldn’t quite swat.  But I wanted to make sure I led up to it in a gentle way.

Mom shrugged.  “I don’t approve of the car.”

I released a small sigh.  Perhaps she had anticipated my question after all.

“But what about Cade?” I asked, taking the plunge.  “Do you approve of him?”

I had never really asked her that question before; I just assumed she liked him.  Now that we were about to make our relationship permanent, I wondered if she simply tolerated him because I was so smitten.

For several moments, everything went still in the kitchen, and all I could hear was the crackle and bubble of frying bacon.  I held my breath, keeping my eyes lowered.  There was a loose thread on the cuff of my hooded sweatshirt, and I worried at it nervously.

Finally, Mom took in a great breath and let it out on a long sigh.  I glanced up just as she turned around to look at me.  To my dismay, tears glinted in her eyes.  I was off of the stool in a heartbeat and rounding the island to reach her.

“Oh, Mom!” I cried.

She held up her spatula like a sword, her gaze narrowing as she forced the tears back.  I stopped my forward progress and showed her my palms.

“Hold it right there, missy,” she scolded. “I’m just having a Mom moment.  You are my only daughter, and I still see you as my baby girl.  Of course, I approve of your Cade.  In fact, I couldn’t possibly imagine anyone more deserving of you.  The man asked your father for permission to marry you, and he took the time to sit down with me and listen as I helped him pick out that bracelet on your wrist.  And,” she paused, sniffling back those tears she couldn’t quite get rid of, “and he spent the entire day getting to know your brothers.  He played a basketball game with them, sat through those mindless videogames with them.  He volunteered to be the one to count in several games of hide-and-go-seek, and he brought them all bows from that place you live, Eire?  Eilu?  Whatever it’s called.  Then, he taught them how to make their own arrows and showed them how to shoot the darn things.”

As Mom went on and on, listing everything Cade had done to win my family over, I could only gape, feeling my own tears form in my eyes.  He had done all that?  Had it been during those handful of days he’d been gone from Luathara before he proposed?  And why hadn’t he told me?  If he was standing in this kitchen right now, I would fling myself at him, then drag him off to some corner of the swamp where no one could disturb us for a very long time.  I wouldn’t be able to help myself.

“Oh, Mom,” I said again, and this time my voice cracked a little.

She only nodded at me, her eyes still shining.  “That young man must love you beyond reason, Meghan.”

Setting the spatula aside, Mom moved forward, her arms spread wide.  Without a second thought, I stepped into her embrace, hugging her as fiercely as she hugged me.

“Go home to your Otherworld, Meggy.  Go home and marry your Cade and be happy.”

She sniffled and held me at arms’ length, smiling brightly up at me.  “And,” she added with a waggle of her eyebrows, “Come back and visit us as much as you can, especially when you have a grandbaby for me to hold.”

Chapter Three

Weald

MEGHAN

Returning to Eile after such a short visit with my family was bittersweet, but I counted my blessings where I could and tried to be grateful I’d had the chance to see them at all.  Cade and I stayed a little longer than we’d planned, arriving on the Otherworld side of the dolmarehn an hour past noon.  We met up with the horses closer to the bottom of the hill and reached Luathara a few hours before sunset.  After a quick bite to eat, and once we’d switched out our worn clothes for new, clean sets, we were stepping out onto the back patio and heading for the cave system behind the castle.

All this rushing about had me feeling rather drained, but Cade assured me we would slow down once we reached the Weald.

“If we don’t get there before this evening, Enorah will worry,” he’d said, as we stepped into the dolmarehn that would bring us to the edge of the great forest.

“That is your fault for giving her a time of reference.  If you’d just said we’d be dropping in sometime this week, she wouldn’t be sitting on the outer most edge of the village boundary waiting for you to show up.”

I said it in a teasing manner, despite the truth behind it.  If anyone in this world loved Cade as much as I did, it was his sister, followed closely by the Dagda, his foster father.

I caught the sarcastic roll of Cade’s eyes in the dim light of sunset once we were on the other side of the dolmarehn.

“She isn’t that bad,” he insisted gruffly, his Otherworldly accent growing sharper.

I beamed at him. “Oh, yes she is.  And that is exactly why I am so pleased she’ll be my sister-in-law soon.  She loves deeply, your sister, and I plan on earning that same affection and trust she guards so fiercely.”

Cade impeded my forward progress by coming to a stop.  I turned to look at him, a question in my eyes.

His look was dark, but not in a way I thought was meant for me.  “You already have that from her, Meghan.  You know that, right?”

I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.  A large part of me wanted to start laughing manically.  How was it that all of these unanswered questions were coming out now, mere weeks away from our wedding?  Shouldn’t we have addressed them long ago?  I shook my head.  The other part of me, the more sensible and cautious side, insisted that it was perfectly natural to be wondering about these things now.  After all, we weren’t married yet.  We still had time.  We should only worry if these questions started popping up after the wedding, not before it.  I bit my lip.  Despite my own self-administered reassurance, I was certain there’d be plenty of questions in our future.

Sighing, I shrugged and said, “I know, Cade.  It just seems like there are so many more layers to your sister I haven’t even begun to uncover.”

He nodded, then shrugged his pack more securely onto his shoulders and started moving again.

“There are,” he conceded a few minutes later, “more layers to uncover.  But it is Enorah’s place to tell you, and it will have to be in her time.  Perhaps you can get her to open up a little in the next handful of days.”

After that, Cade and I made our way through the darkening forest in relative silence.  I was lost in my own thoughts, and I’m sure Cade was as well.  Meridian and Fergus joined us every now and again, and I smiled as my spirit guide swooped down onto my shoulder.

Night! she sent, fluffing her feathers and tucking her head under her wing.

Must be nice, I mused, having someone carrying you around all the time while you sleep.

We walked for an hour or so more, Cade stopping me every time he thought he heard someone or something rustling in the underbrush.  Usually, it was only a benevolent Otherworldly animal foraging for food in the dark and not some foul thing wanting to give us trouble.  By the time we reached the outskirts of the Wildren’s village, it was full dark and Cade and I had to use our glamour to light rudimentary torches.

Just as I’d anticipated, Enorah was perched in a tree growing along the edge of her territory.  She dropped to the ground, as silent as a panther, and nearly scared me half to death.  Cade, of course, barely flinched.

“There you two are!” she proclaimed in her usual, boisterous way.

Enorah either didn’t notice my glare of annoyance, or she didn’t care.  She stepped forward and wrapped her brother up in one of her bear-hugs and then did the same with me.

“Enorah!” I wheezed, “I can’t breathe!”

She let me go then and held me at arm’s length, studying me with those sharp eyes of hers, their color impossible to discern in the flickering torchlight.

“And how are you, Meghan?  Holding up well since the great battle?”

I nodded, grateful to be able to draw air into my lungs once again.

Enorah smiled and said, “Good to hear it.”  She turned her gaze back onto Cade.  “And how does Luathara Castle fare?  I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to your Imbolg celebration.”

“Don’t worry about it.  You weren’t the only one.  Most of those we invited outside of Kellston had to decline for one reason or another.”

Enorah turned her eyes onto her brother, then narrowed them.

“You seem far more cheerful and light-hearted than usual.  Are you ill?”

“No, not at all,” was all Cade said, his mischievous smile only widening.

I turned to regard him.  He had been so quiet as we traveled through the Weald, and now, he looked simply giddy, so much so that if I were to suggest we go disturb a badger den just for the fun of it, he would jump for joy and clap his hands at the prospect.

What is with you? I sent, but he ignored me.

“Are you sure?” Enorah wondered, stepping away from me and placing her hands on her hips.

She gave her brother a quick perusal, then studied me as well, her eyes narrowing once more.  “Something is different about you two.”

She placed her chin in her hand and gave us one more careful look.  She studied Cade’s face, then trailed her eyes down his arm and regarded his fingers clasped tightly around the handle of the torch.  They lingered there for a short while in puzzlement, and I started to wonder what she found so fascinating.

I think the truth hit Cade’s sister the same second I realized what she was gazing at.  Enorah’s eyes grew impossibly wide, and her mouth became suddenly slack with shock as she turned with the speed of a viper to stare at my left wrist.

She made a choking sound as her eyes met mine.  I almost laughed out loud.  Never in my life had I seen Enorah so caught off guard.

Cade stepped forward and gave her a strong pat on the back.  “What’s the matter, big sister?  Did you accidentally swallow a litterbug?”

So that’s why he had looked so smug.  He was waiting for Enorah to discover the truth on her own.  I did my best to hide a smile.  Only Cade would find a way to tell his sister about our engagement in pesky little brother style.

“M-married?!” she finally got out.

Cade shook his head.  “Not yet.  The wedding will be in early May, perhaps even on Beltaine.”

While Enorah still gaped at the news like a fish out of water, I took advantage of her weakened state and said, “I would have told you on Imbolg, if you’d come to the party. I told Cade that telling you in person was much better than sending a lett-”

I was abruptly cut off as Enorah shot forward, taking me in one arm and her brother in the other.  Meridian screeched indignantly and fluttered off into the dark, seeking out a branch.

Too many arms! she complained.

“I am so happy!” Enorah finally managed.  “Oh, wait until the Wildren hear!”

When she let us go, I chuckled lightly.  “The Wildren don’t know us all that well, what makes you think they’ll be as excited as you?”

Enorah snorted and rolled her eyes, grabbing us both by our hands and dragging us forward.  “Because this is an excuse to have a huge bonfire and party tonight, of course!”

Both Cade and I laughed as Enorah led us into the village center, proclaiming the good news at the top of her lungs.  We just barely managed to drop our bags in a spare cabin before we were pulled and prodded to the center of the settlement where several younger children were already building up the central fire.

People poured from the many cabins making up the Wildren’s village, and soon, Faelorehn men, women and children of many ages were stepping forward to congratulate Cade and me.  Wind and string instruments were passed around, and somewhere in the crowd someone began playing drums.  For the next half hour, we danced merrily to the music as the great flames of the fire leapt high into the sky, spitting flecks of orange light that disappeared into the night.  Cade pulled me close to him.  The two of us danced the way we had done at the Dagda’s Beltaine Eve party and at the castle in Erintara before the battle with the Morrigan.

For several glorious minutes, I felt that same rush of life again, that determination to live to my fullest because I had no idea what lay in store for me.  In some ways, that was still true.  I was about to embark upon a lifetime commitment with Cade, an eternal commitment, and although the very thought should frighten me, it didn’t.  The reason why was beyond my understanding at the moment.  Maybe it didn’t scare me because I had already known what it was like to lose the very thing I now held so dear.  I had watched Cade die, and I had felt the fear of it happening again.  Perhaps the reason I was so comfortable in the knowledge that I would soon be pledging my immortal life to his was because I had already done so in my heart.  My glamour flared up then, as if verifying everything my mind was still trying to work out.

I looked up at Cade then to find his brilliant green eyes studying me intently.  All around us the Wildren danced and laughed and played their music.  We moved with them, two facets of a larger entity, yet I felt that Cade and I stood apart.

What are you thinking, Meghan?  His thoughts whispered against my mind.

I smiled languorously and tilted my head back just enough to see him below my half-lidded eyes.  That, despite all of these questions that are sprouting like weeds regarding my decision to marry you, not a single one of them scares me.

He angled one brow at me, his eyes darkening to brown.

Oh? he sent back.

I nodded, then proceeded to share my theory with him.  He grinned, reaching down to give me a quick kiss.

Would you like to know when I decided I wanted you as my wife? he asked quietly.

I drew in a breath and felt my eyes go wide.  My heart fluttered, and not because of our dancing.  I bobbed my head vigorously.  Yes.

I knew the morning I visited you after your first journey through the dolmarehn.

For a second, all I could do was follow the rhythm of the music as I stared at him, doing my best to dredge up that particular memory.  The day he visited me after my ill-conceived dash into the Otherworld ... I wanted to groan.  That had been my first introduction to the Celtic goddess of war.  I had stupidly fallen for the Morrigan’s tricks, running headlong into the first of her many traps.  Thinking Cade needed my help, I had blindly followed her without question only to find myself caught in the midst of a massacre once I’d crossed over.  I had nearly died that day, and would have if not for Cade.

Ugh, I managed.  That wasn’t my proudest moment, you know, being so easily duped by the Morrigan.  You would have been fine, and you wouldn’t have broken your geis if I had just stopped and listened to my common sense.

My common sense had kicked in and convinced me that perhaps I hadn’t been making the wisest choice, only by then, it was too late.

Cade lifted a hand to my face and gently brushed his thumb along my cheekbone.  Suddenly, my old thoughts of regret vanished, and I felt myself growing still as I basked in his attention.

But that is how I knew, Meghan.  As much as I hated the idea of you taking such a risk for me, I realized that if you were willing to cross into a world you knew nothing about, understanding that danger of an unimaginable kind waited for you on the other side, in order to help me, that you were just the right person I had waited all my long life for.

Cade moved in closer, leaning down and pressing his forehead to mine.

You see, I was in denial for so long, Meghan.  I had convinced myself I didn’t deserve you.  Even with the not so subtle advice of my sister and foster father, it took me forever to realize you were exactly what I needed.  I needed your strength to challenge my own.  I needed your faith to guide my way.  And I needed your love to open my heart.

I took Cade’s face in my hands and met his eyes.  But don’t you see, my love?  I needed those things from you as well.

I saw more than felt Cade’s answering approval as a wash of pale blue color flooding my subconscious.  Then, we are well paired, are we not?

“Yes,” I said aloud, “we are.”

Smiling, I linked my arms behind his neck and laughed as he picked me up and spun me around.  The merriment went on for several hours more.  The whole lot of us only pausing long enough to eat something from the communal meal and take short breaks from our dancing.  Eventually, the younger children were ordered to their beds, and those adults who had less energy than the others sought out their cabins.  One by one, they bid me congratulations as they retired for the night.  Finally, it was just me, Cade and Enorah left to watch the remains of the fire die down.

“Would you two care for a cup of mead to celebrate?”

Cade and I both nodded our approval, and Enorah disappeared for a few moments, returning with three ceramic mugs and a bottle.

For several minutes, the three of us lounged before the now low-burning bonfire, laughing and reminiscing over our strange adventures together.  Just before midnight, Enorah started to rise.

“I need to check the perimeter one last time before going to bed,” she said, her speech slightly slurred.

Like me, she had probably had one glass of mead too many.  Oh well.  I was happily warm and snuggled up next to Cade without a care in the world.  At least, I was snuggled up next to Cade until he stood up, beating his sister to it.

“Let me check the perimeter,” he offered, a little too steady on his feet for someone who had been enjoying as much, if not more, mead than his sister and me.

Enorah only blinked dazedly at him, and he showed her a sharp smile.  “Besides, I think there is something Meghan wants to talk to you about.”

He gave me a quick look before striding from the fire pit and disappearing into the dark.  I turned to regard Enorah, the light buzz of the alcohol beginning to wear off.  She returned my look, her green eyes appearing brown in the firelight.

“So,” she piped, draining the last of her mead before setting the cup down and lacing her fingers behind her head, “what ominous subject did you want to bring up in Cade’s absence.”

For a while, I just stared at her.  Only when she flashed her teeth in one of her characteristic smiles did I relax.

“I’m only teasing you.  Go ahead.  What did you want to talk about?”

Rubbing the back of my neck, I set my own mug down as well, not bothering to finish the last of its contents.

“Nothing so daunting as you might guess,” I admitted.

When Enorah continued to watch me, I let out a great sigh and turned my eyes to the sky above.  Remarkably, it was clear tonight, the stars mere pinpricks of diamond dust scattered over deep blue velvet.

“I would like for you to act as my Maid of Honor at the wedding.”

Enorah, who had been tilting her head back as I had been doing earlier, leaned forward and gave me a surprised look.

“Me?!” she asked, her tone one of shock.

I huffed a small laugh.  “Yes, you.”

“But, what about your friends from the mortal world?”

Obviously, I had shocked her with my question because she had forgotten that my friends, like the world they came from, were mortal.  I sat up straight and crossed my arms casually, arching one brow.

“Enorah, they aren’t Faelorehn.  They can’t participate in my wedding unless we have it in the mortal world, and we’re not.  It’s going to be at Luathara Castle.”

“Oh,” was all she said.

For the first time since meeting Cade’s sister, she looked somewhat embarrassed.  My asking her to be my Maid of Honor must have really come as a great surprise to her.  Afraid I might have offended her with my last statement, I blurted, “But I don’t want Robyn or Tully to be my Maid of Honor.  They are my best friends from the mortal world, that’s true, and I honestly regret they won’t be able to attend my wedding, but you are my closest friend here, besides Cade and the Dagda.  Enorah, you are going to be my sister!  I can think of no one I’d rather have acting as my moral and emotional support when I marry your brother.”

I gave her a smile and she returned it, relaxing a little.  Her eyes were still a bit glassy from all the mead she’d consumed, so, trying to lighten the mood once more, I gave a little laugh and said, “And who knows, maybe one day you can return the favor and make me the Maid of Honor at your wedding.”

I smiled and wiggled my eyebrows at her.

Enorah only snorted and rolled her eyes.  “Unlikely.  The only person suitable to play the role of husband in my life would just as soon slit my throat.”

My light mood darkened in a flash, and I gave her a disturbed look.  What in Eile did she mean by that?

Enorah must have realized she had said something she hadn’t meant to because her own carefree smile faded as her eyes turned away from mine, her brows furrowing in slight confusion.

“Sorry, that was the mead talking,” she managed.

She shook her head slightly and sat up, leaning forward as she pressed the heel of her hand to one eye.  She took a deep breath and then glanced once more at me.  The haunted, distant young woman she had been for a split second was long gone and the ever-gregarious Enorah was back.

“Of course I’ll be your Maid of Honor, Meghan.  You honor me just by asking.”

I took in a breath to question her about what she had said before, but a familiar bark and the sound of footfalls announced Cade’s return with Fergus.  For the next five minutes, the three of us worked together to put out the fire.  When it was nothing more than a pile of hot ash, Enorah bid us goodnight and headed for her cabin.

Cade and I soon followed suit, seeking out the small cottage that would be our quarters for the next few nights.  As we settled in for the evening, I found myself curling up close against him in the rather small bed.  I rested my head on his chest and pressed one hand flat against his warm skin.

“How did the talk with Enorah go?” his voice rumbled beneath my ear.  “Did you ask her about being your Maid of Honor in the wedding?”

I nodded, afraid to open my mouth and speak.  If I did so, I would be tempted to ask him what Enorah might have meant with her bizarre comment from earlier.  Did she mean she expected to spend the rest of her life alone, always caring for the Wildren but never starting a family of her own?  Did it mean she didn’t have the patience for a husband?  Or did it have a much darker connotation, some reference to a past I knew nothing about?

I shuddered, and Cade wrapped his arms more securely around me.

“What’s bothering you, Meghan?” he asked.

Curse him.  He knew me better than I knew myself sometimes.

“Nothing, really,” I answered.  “It’s just something your sister said.”

He stopped running his hand up and down my back in a soothing gesture.  “Oh?”

I sighed and stretched out next to him.  So much for keeping my thoughts to myself.  “I made a light joke about me someday returning the favor, of being her Maid of Honor when she got married.  Her response was a little unnerving, but then she tried to brush it off like it was nothing.”

Cade grew even more still, and I could have sworn his skin went cold.

“Cade?” I asked, moving my head so that I might see some of his face.

“What exactly did she say, Meghan?” he pressed, his voice quiet but deep.

I knew better than to keep things from him when he adopted that tone.

“She said that whoever was willing to marry her would also be willing to slit her throat.  But Cade, she must have been joking, even if it was a bad joke.  She did have a lot of mead tonight.”

Cade let out a long sigh and lifted both his hands to rub his face.

“I thought she had put all that behind her,” he said, more to himself than me.

“Cade?”

His arms tightened around me once again, taking me by surprise.  I felt him press a kiss to the top of my head, and he murmured, “Don’t worry about it, mohr faelorah.  It most likely was the mead talking, as you suggested.  She’ll be back to her old self in the morning, you’ll see.”

As much as I wanted this new mystery solved, I also didn’t want to stir the pot.  Whatever dark demons Enorah had buried in her past, they had almost managed to claw their way to the surface tonight.  If pressing the issue gave them even the tiniest bit of leeway, then I would drop the subject.  There was going to be a wedding in just over a month’s time, and so far, everyone we had informed had been overjoyed by the news.  We needed this, not just me and Cade, but everyone we knew in Eile.  After the hell we had gone through battling the Morrigan, we deserved a time of celebration, and I was more than ready to let the happiness outshine the sorrow.

CADE

I woke up with my arms and legs entangled with Meghan’s, and I smiled.  Sharing the small bed in one of the spare cabins in the Weald meant we had to sleep practically on top of one another.  Something I wasn’t at all bothered by.  Cracking open an eyelid, I noticed that the light streaming in through the window was watered down in tones of deep grey and cobalt.  Either it wasn’t quite dawn yet, or some heavy rainclouds had moved in overnight.  Carefully, I extracted myself from Meghan, managing not to wake her up, and quickly got dressed.

Outside, I discovered I had been correct on both accounts.  The sun hadn’t risen yet, and thick, inky clouds darkened an already dark sky.

“Cade!” a familiar voice called out from across the small creek running behind my cabin.

I squinted against the weak light and recognized my sister’s tall figure.  I waved back, then darted inside to leave Meghan a quick note before stepping out into the cool air once again.  Enorah’s cabin was situated against a small rocky hillside along with a handful of other, multi-story buildings.  These small houses were set aside for the few Faelorehn living in the Weald who had a husband, wife or significant other.  Or, in Enorah’s case, happened to be looking after the entire lot of them and had therefore earned a small, private refuge to call her own.

I managed to get beneath the roof of her small front porch before it started to pour.

She crossed her arms and leaned against a post, shaking her head.  “I had wanted to run weapons drills with the older students and ask Meghan if she’d be willing to talk with those who still haven’t been able to find their glamour yet.  But this weather might just keep us locked indoors all day.”

I flinched at my sister’s words.  I wasn’t disturbed by her obsession with teaching children how to fight with dangerous weapons, that was a necessity in the Otherworld.  Rather, I felt somewhat pained for those whom she deemed the late bloomers.  Most children sensed at least a small portion of their glamour from the day they are born, only discovering the wealth of it before the age of five.  Usually, some semi-traumatic event, most likely a fall from a short distance or an unexpected encounter with an unfamiliar wild animal, will wake it up.  Faelorehn glamour is as integral to our kind as breathing is to everything else.  It is a part of us and very necessary for our survival in this harsh world of monsters and magic.  In rare cases, glamour stays dormant well past the toddler years.  In Meghan’s case, it remained dark and lifeless far into her teenage years.  But that was most likely due to the geis her mother had placed on her and the fact that she spent her entire childhood in the mortal world.

“Since she is so well known now for her role in the war against the Morrigan, and since she, too, discovered her glamour late in life, I thought it would be a good morale booster for those who are feeling as if they don’t measure up.”

I nodded, my eyes studying the grey-washed landscape before us.  The deciduous trees had already started to leaf out, and the forest floor was beginning to turn green.  Soon the buds would begin to open, and the birds and animals would bring forth offspring of their own to care for.  But right now, this part of the Weald was in the middle of one of its transition periods, neither winter nor spring.  The drenching rain would encourage the still-dormant parts of Eile to wake up to spring’s calling.

“I’m sure she’d be happy to help.  Perhaps the rains will taper off by nightfall, and she can speak with them around the dinner fire.”

Enorah nodded and released a long sigh.  She seemed alert enough, but there was also a cloak of exhaustion surrounding her.  I imagined she was fighting the aftereffects of her overindulgence from the night before.

“Meghan asked me to be her Maid of Honor, you know,” my sister finally said, so quietly I almost missed it.

My mouth curved in a grin.

She arched an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side.  “Your idea?”

Shaking my head, I said, “No.  Hers.”

Enorah made a sound that was a cross between a snort and a laugh.

For several long seconds, we were silent.  The musical sound of the rain drumming upon the slate roofs and slapping against the broad beech tree leaves above, created its own kind of peace.  I wanted to let my mind get lost in the natural magic of Eile, to just close my eyes and drift for a while.  My nights had not been as restful as I’d hoped.  After defeating the Morrigan before winter, I thought the last lingering threads of her influence over me would have unraveled completely.  But I guess that was the problem with bad memories.  They aren’t concrete.  They cannot be touched or broken into smaller pieces and thrown away.  They pass as easily from one state of consciousness to the next, the way smoke filters through fog. I knew the same went for my sister, and for some reason, Meghan’s expression of friendship and respect last night put a hairline crack in that shell she’d built up around herself.

After a time, I spoke.  “The nightmares never really go away, do they, Enorah?”

She didn’t answer me.  She only stared out at the deluge, probably working her way through the same thoughts as me.

When her silence continued, I said, “Even now that the Morrigan is gone, and her evil magic scattered, the memories linger.  I thought finally destroying her would bring some comfort to my mind, but it hasn’t really.”

“But something must bring you comfort, Caedehn,” Enorah stated softly, in a tone that expressed she knew all too well what I was going through.  She shared many of those horrible memories with me, after all.

“Oh?” I said simply.

She turned and gave me a soft smile only barely tinged by sadness.  “Meghan. You may still be haunted by your past, but she is there to help take up some of the burden.  Perhaps the both of you will never be completely healed, but you have one another to make your way through the darkness.  You don’t have to face it alone.”

I didn’t bring up her comment to Meghan.  There was no point in doing so.  I knew enough of my sister’s past to understand dwelling on it was never a good idea.  Since the rain wasn’t letting up anytime soon, and since we had run out of things to say to one another, we both headed for the warm, dry safety of Enorah’s cabin.  Inside awaited a wide open space with a kitchen of sorts tucked away in the far corner, a table large enough to seat four comfortably and a staircase pressed against a far wall leading to the upper section of the cottage.  A fire blazed within the hearth which occupied one corner, and a kettle suspended from an iron hook screeched and spit steam.

“Tea?” Enorah asked over her shoulder, making her way to the kettle with a folded dish towel.

“Tea would be most appreciated, and breakfast, if you have it.”

“I highly doubt I have enough food in this entire cabin to fill your stomach, brother,” she answered drily, as she added the hot water to a ceramic tea pot.

Despite her claims, Enorah spent the next several minutes laying out muffins, butter and jam, as well as the tea pot and a few mugs.

As she got busy frying some eggs over the archaic stove in the kitchen, we chatted about more pleasant things, like what I was wearing to the wedding, if she needed to find a dress and who all would be invited.  I grudgingly took part in the conversation, even though I knew Enorah disliked discussing such things about as much as I did.  The two of us would much rather be going over the latest faelah I’d killed or the newest defense move Enorah had taught her pupils.  Perhaps we clung to this particular topic so stubbornly because it kept our minds away from those memories we worked so hard to forget.

Our somewhat awkward conversation didn’t last, however.  Barely ten minutes in, it was disturbed by a light knock at the door.

“That’s probably Meghan,” I noted, swallowing the last bit of egg on my plate and taking a quick drink of tea to wash it all down.  I stood to get the door and found a bright-eyed Meghan standing on the other side.  She was wearing her clothes from the mortal world and had on a rain coat, the persistent precipitation beading on the impermeable material before rolling off.

“Morning,” she said, with a cautious smile.  “Mind if I join you two?”

“Not at all!” Enorah stated, sliding into one of the chairs.  “Help yourself to some muffins.  I’d offer you eggs as well, but Cade ate them all.”

Meghan eyed the sizeable pile of egg shells beside the sink and then turned with raised eyebrows to give me a look of surprise.

I glared at my sister.  “I did not.  I only ate three quarters of them.  Enorah ate the rest.”

Meghan snorted a laugh and reached for a muffin.  “This is great, thanks.”

The fragile tension hovering between Enorah and me evaporated after Meghan joined us.  In fact, I hadn’t even noticed it was there until she arrived, but I was glad when it was gone.  Whatever had been on Enorah’s mind last night must have also vanished to that place where dark recollections remain buried, because for the rest of the day she behaved like her usual, affable self.  By noon, the rain had tapered off to nothing more than a drizzle.  Although Enorah was still unable to run her practice drills, she talked Meghan into working with the younger children who had yet to discover their glamour.

We gathered together under the trees with the most leaves to keep the light rain off, and Meghan patiently described to a small crowd of wide-eyed children how her glamour hadn’t shown itself until she was well past childhood.  She then gave them a very mild version of her long battle with the Morrigan and how she had had to rely mostly on instinct to get her glamour to aid her.  By the end of her lesson, the children seemed more at ease and less forlorn than they had appeared upon first arrival.  Meghan beamed at me, thrilled to have been able to make some difference to them.

That night, we enjoyed a more private dinner in Enorah’s cabin, playing cards and spending quality time together.  But like the past few days, the hours moved quickly, and it was soon time to say goodnight.

“I do wish you could visit Luathara more often, sister,” I said, as Meghan and I stood to seek our own cottage.

Enorah let out a long breath.  “I know.  Someday I’ll be able to leave this place for an extended period of time and not feel as if the forest will burn down while I’m gone.”

She gave me and Meghan a cheeky grin before crossing her arms and growing more serious.  “So, I’ll need a dress for this wedding then,” she stated.

Meghan flinched.  Enorah was not, in the least, a dress wearing kind of girl, but she surprised me when she said with a soft smile, “I wouldn’t mind getting dressed up for you two.  And some of the older girls here are quite good at mending and sewing.  I’ll commission them to make something for me.  They will be thrilled.”

Meghan lunged forward and gave my sister a tight hug.  Enorah coughed in surprise.  “Thank you, Enorah,” she said roughly.  “And it doesn’t have to be too fancy.”

Enorah gently pushed her away just far enough to look her in the eye.  “It will be the fanciest dress I own, Meghan.”

Meghan snorted.  “Of course it will be.  You have no other dresses to compare it to.”

She laughed, pleased that Meghan had understood her joke.  Enorah bid us goodbye then, claiming she had the night watch and would be going to bed before we left the next morning.

“Stay safe, the both of you,” she murmured, pulling us into a fierce hug.  “And I can’t wait until the bonding ceremony.”

As Meghan and I walked back to our cabin in the waxing twilight, Meghan linked her arm with mine and leaned in close to me, her face upturned and her eyes shining.

“What?” I murmured.

She shrugged and bit her bottom lip.  “Nothing.”

I narrowed my eyes.  I knew that look on her face.  There was something she found amusing, and I wanted to know what it was.

“Tell me,” I demanded, pinning her hands against the small of her back and moving in close.

Meghan gasped, but not in pain or fear.  I gave her a smug look.

I know you can’t resist my charms, I sent, using shil-sciar.

In answer, Meghan turned sultry eyes up to mine, and my strength diminished.  Suddenly, I wasn’t a Faelorehn warrior ready for battle, but one who stood drained of power in the aftermath.

Okay, I’ll tell you, but it isn’t all that scintillating.  She fluttered her eyelashes, and my mouth went suddenly dry.  Good thing our cabin was only a few feet away.

I’m waiting, I insisted.

She stood up on her tiptoes, licked her bottom lip and whispered into my ear, “I was just imagining what Enorah might look like in a dress.”

And just like that, the tantalizing image of Meghan I’d been building up in my head vanished and in its place stood Enorah, tapping her foot and shaking her head at me.  She wore a dress, but it was modeled after her usual practice clothes and not at all what a Maid of Honor might wear to a wedding.  I should have been disturbed by the whole thing, but Meghan’s response had caught me by surprise.  The image of my sister was so comical, I ended up barking out a laugh and releasing Meghan at the same time.

She laughed as well, taking advantage of her freedom and darting toward the cabin door, pulling it open and running inside.

“That was cruel, mohr faelorah,” I whispered to the night air, feeling my wild glamour build up to a low smolder once again.  I grinned and revisited that image I’d created of Meghan. “And you will pay for your cruelty.”

Without another thought, I quickly bolted after her, closing the door behind me and daring the world to even try to disturb us for the rest of the night.

Chapter Four

Carnogh

CADE

We left early the next morning, intent on reaching the Dagda’s before nightfall.  Meghan and I couldn’t travel by foot, it was too far a distance, so we, once again, had to return to Luathara to get the horses.  Fergus and Meridian joined us a half a mile outside of the village of the Wildren and then loped and flew ahead.  They had interesting places to explore and potential enemies to look out for.

Meghan and I took our time heading back to the dolmarehn above Lake Ohll.  To my great relief, and Meghan’s as well, the rain had stopped long enough for us to make our journey.  Nevertheless, there were plenty of puddles to avoid, and the trail was one long ribbon of slick mud.  On more than one occasion, I had to reach out and steady Meghan, and I had a few close calls myself.

“I would say that visit went well,” Meghan commented, once we were clear of the forest.

I nodded my assent.  I hadn’t expected Enorah to be unhappy about our engagement, but there was always the possibility of her being somewhat chafed at losing her baby brother to another woman.  We had been each other’s only family for so long, I anticipated a little resistance on her part.  What I hadn’t expected was her sudden compulsion to open up in front of Meghan the night I had checked the perimeter for her.  True, what she’d said was a mere glimpse into the dark well of her past, a well so deep I doubted Meghan got much of a feel for what dwelt at the bottom.  Even I wasn’t certain what she had been referring to.  Still, it had been enough to nip at the back of my mind for the past day.  To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure what I thought of that.  What Enorah and I had experienced under the tyranny of the Morrigan, we kept locked away in a place inside our minds no one could reach.  Most of those memories, we didn’t even discuss with each other.  And those were the sorts of lingering nightmares I would not be repeating to Meghan.  She didn’t need to share that particular burden with me.  She was too bright and beautiful, and I wouldn’t let that darkness touch her.

Briant, Melvina and their children were waiting for us when we returned to the castle, and I was forced to leave my dismal thoughts for a later time.  Meghan and I stayed for a quick lunch, caving to Melvina’s fussing while catching them all up on the news from the mortal world and the Weald.

“It was so good to see my parents and brothers,” Meghan said with a smile as she finished up one of Melvina’s hearty sandwiches.  “I just wish they could come to the ceremony.”

“We can always have a second one in the mortal world,” I pointed out.

Meghan grinned and shook her head.  “Not now.  Maybe later, when I’m older and my friends aren’t all away at school.”

I nodded and got to work finishing up my own meal.  An hour later we were riding Lasair and Speirling toward the massive dolmarehn that would drop us on the outskirts of the Dagda’s vast realm.  Even though we had made good time, the late afternoon sun bathed the towering hills surrounding my foster father’s home in golden light.

The Dagda, in his usual fashion, greeted us with great cheer and a large helping of fanfare.

“Caedehn!  Meghan!  I received your letter just the other day saying you planned on stopping by on your way to Erintara.  Is everything well with you and the high queen, Meghan?”

The Dagda turned his kind blue eyes onto Meghan, and she only beamed.  “Oh, there is nothing the matter, as far as I know.  We just wanted to drop by here first because we have some good news.”

The jovial god’s pale red eyebrows shot into his hairline.

“What sort of good news?” he insisted.

Meghan removed one of her hands from his and reached it out to clasp mine.  “Cade has asked me to marry him.”

A sudden outcry of feminine voices swept through the grand entrance hall, all of the Celtic god’s female companions unable to hold back their excitement.  The Dagda, looking almost frantic, waved an arm to shush them, then turned wide eyes back onto Meghan.

“And how did you answer him?” he demanded, his face tight with anticipation.

“Dagda!” Meghan gasped in mock outrage, smacking him playfully on the shoulder.  “I said yes, of course!”

His bearded face split in a huge grin, and he scooped Meghan up, hugging her close and doing a little dance.

“That’s enough,” I chastised warmly, trying to get her free from his constricting hold.

That was a mistake.  My foster father set Meghan down and greeted me in the same fashion.  I tried very hard to keep my pride intact as he twirled around, holding me tight the way a young girl holds a doll she adores.  When the Dagda put me down, both Meghan and I were swarmed by the women who had gathered around.  They fussed over Meghan, asking her what color dress she would wear, if we planned on getting married at Erintara, where we were going on our honeymoon ...  Meghan answered them each patiently and with good humor.  When Alannah offered to prepare a bath for her upstairs, Meghan cast me a pleading look.

I smiled and pulled her in for a quick kiss.  “Go, enjoy your bath.  The Dagda and I will meet you afterward for dinner.”

“Just come and fetch us from my study when you are done!” my foster father called out as Alannah and the others herded her up the stairs.

With Meghan gone, the Dagda turned and regarded me with sparkling eyes.

“Alright, out with it,” I demanded, crossing my arms and drawing up to my full height.  This particular Tuatha De Danann happened to be taller than me.

“Out with what?” he responded, with an air of innocence.

“I know you have something to say about this news.  I’m ready to hear it.  I told you so, What took you so long?  You are the luckiest Faelorehn man in Eile, and so on and so forth.”

“You are the luckiest Faelorehn man in Eile,” he agreed.  “And although all those other things are true, there is no point in saying them.  The fact is you finally got your head out of your arse and proposed.”

The Dagda clapped me on both shoulders with his massive hands, making my teeth clatter together.

“But enough of this bandying about in the hallway.  Let’s retreat to my study where we won’t be disturbed.”

Nodding, I followed after him, feeling oddly nervous for some reason.  The Dagda had been the only father figure I had ever known, after all.  His approval and acceptance meant the world to me, and although he loved Meghan dearly, he also knew what being her mother’s daughter entailed.  Meghan wasn’t just any Faelorehn young woman, she was a princess, the high queen’s eldest child.  Thinking of Danua, and remembering Erintara was the next and final stop on our list, made my stomach turn.  Although Danua had come to be more accepting of me, there was still a rift between us.  I was hoping to fix that, somehow and some way, in a day or two when we left the Dagda’s abode for Eile’s capital city.

Until then, I would try my best to enjoy the Dagda’s warm company and pleasant mood.  The long hallway eventually opened out into a large, spacious, circular room.  Several windows were placed in the far wall, the cinereous light from outside spilling onto the colorful carpets underfoot and highlighting the gold leafed paintings hanging on the walls.  To the right and left, there were four sets of doors.  The Dagda chose the first one on the right and held it open for me to step in.  A comfortable room decorated in dark cherry furniture and rich red, gold and russet hues waited for us.  A couch and two stuffed chairs sat on the sunken floor before a wide fireplace, and a cherry wood desk was perched a step up in front of a ceiling to floor window.  The cozy setting was finished off with a tall bookcase to the left of the desk.

“This is the room I brought Meghan to the night you abandoned her to Drustan o’Ceallaigh, do you remember?” the Dagda commented in a cheery voice as he shut the door.

I shot him an acidic look before taking a seat in one of the chairs flanking the couch.

My foster father sighed, as if recalling some nostalgic memory, then stepped toward the bookcase.

“Yes, she was very upset that night,” he mused, pulling a crystal decanter and two heavy tumblers from behind a small glass door.  “But I guess that was to be expected, considering all she had been through up until that point.”

I ignored most of this because I already knew about it.  For some reason, the Dagda insisted on reminding me of Meghan’s misery, and I couldn’t yet decide why.

“Would you like some merynth?” he asked, holding up the decanter.  “Imported from the Amsihr Mountains.”

I turned in my seat, my arms still crossed over my chest, and lifted one curious eyebrow.  The golden green liquid glowed like a gem in its transparent vessel, and I couldn’t help recalling the time Enorah and I, as well as a handful of her older Wildren, ventured into the famed mountains in search of a draghan.  The Maithar, the leader of the Amsihria, had offered us merynth.  Just as I had then, I would not turn down the rare wine now.

Casting aside my broodiness, I said, “I would like some, thank you.”

Glass and crystal clinked together as the Dagda quickly filled two tumblers.  He returned the decanter to its safe place and then walked over to the couch, handing me my merynth before taking a seat.

“To the upcoming nuptials,” he crooned, holding his glass high.

I tapped the edge of my tumbler to his and then took a sip, savoring the hint of citrus as the liquid burned down my throat.

“So, was there a purpose behind bringing up that particular shortcoming with regards to Meghan?” I asked blandly and without preamble.

The Dagda, who had been taking a second sip of his merynth, choked.  It took him a few moments to regain his composure, something I found a tiny bit satisfying.

“Is that what you think I was doing?” he asked when he had finally cleared his throat.  His eyes were unusually bright, and his face a shade or two redder than before.

“I don’t know what you were trying to do,” I admitted, carefully sampling the wine again.

The Dagda, who had been exuding an undercurrent of mischief since the moment Meghan and I arrived, suddenly became serious.  He set his glass onto the small table in front of the couch and leveled his blue eyes on me.  I held his gaze with just as much determination.  I would not back down from him.  If he thought I wasn’t good enough for Meghan, or believed I had purposely harmed her, then he could tell me in a straightforward fashion.

My foster father was the first to look away, but I got the distinct impression he was in no way yielding victory to me.  His eyes were trained on the fire, and after a brief moment, he took a breath and let it out on a small sigh.  It was such an insignificant action, I almost missed it.

“You don’t remember when Enorah first brought you here, do you?”

The question, delivered in a soft tone, came as a surprise.

“No,” I answered automatically.

The Dagda smiled and returned his eyes to mine.  “She was very young herself, just under the age of fourteen, if I remember correctly.  You, my boy, had not yet seen two winters.  She showed up on my doorstep, all skinny limbs and curly hair and fierce eyes.  What fierce eyes she had!  I knew right away she was Cuchulainn’s daughter.  And then, she pushed you forward, and I saw your face for the first time.  You were nothing but brilliant green eyes and red hair, and you shone just as fiercely as your sister.  When she asked me, no, begged me, to take you in, I had wanted to keep her as well.  But she told me she couldn’t stay.  She had to go somewhere, do something, and I had to watch over you.”

A darkness fell over the Dagda’s eyes, and I felt my own heart constrict.  I didn’t know all the details of my sister’s life before I was old enough to start paying attention, but I knew the Morrigan had somehow sunk her nails into Enorah early on, forcing her to choose between my happiness and her own.  Enorah had chosen to give me a chance at a good life and had willingly gone to the Morrigan.  Even after all these many, many years, it still hurt to know what my sister had sacrificed.

“Not for a second did I think to tell her to seek mercy elsewhere, and it almost killed me to watch her disappear into the mist-clogged day as I held you close while you cried for your sister.  The way she had bundled your threadbare jacket around your shoulders and murmured to you softly before leaving spoke volumes, Cade.  It was as if you were her child and not her brother.  That kind of love cannot be bought, my boy, the love of true family.  It cannot be bartered or traded, nor can it be forced or manipulated.  The love between you and Meghan is so very much like the love your sister proclaimed to the world when she sacrificed her freedom for yours.  Similar in its constancy and strength.”

“Why are you telling me this now, Dagda?” I asked, my voice coming out raspier than I had meant it to.

“Because,” he said, “I never thought I would see that level of sacrifice again, not until Meghan showed up on my doorstep the night of the Beltaine Eve party, a bloody mess with your cold body in tow.  I meant what I said earlier.  You are incredibly lucky, and you did take a ridiculously long time to come to your senses with regards to that young woman of yours.”

“And you brought up the incident with Drustan o’Ceallaigh because?” I continued, unable to let it go.

The Dagda beamed, instantly shedding the melancholy shadow that had overwhelmed his usually placid demeanor, and said, “Oh, I just love to see you react like a jealous lover.  Proves to me you have a heart, after all.”

I glared at him.  “You have a sick sense of humor sometimes, Dagda.”

He shook his head vigorously.  “Nope.  I just enjoy my fair share of drama from time to time.”

Leaning back against the couch, he cast me a fatherly look.  “But I am very happy for you, Caedehn, you and Meghan.  And I am very proud of everything you have accomplished and overcome.  I know she will bring you that happiness you have always sought, and I know you will be a good husband to her.”

Before I could muster up an appropriate response to that, the door to the study squeaked open and Meghan, her hair damp from her bath, peeked in.

“Ah!” the Dagda barked, jumping up from the couch.  “We were just talking about you!”

Meghan furrowed her brow.  “Good things, I hope,” she said, with a faint smile.

“Of course,” the Dagda insisted.  “Are you hungry, my girl?”

“Starved.”

“Good!  Let’s relocate to the kitchen and see what the chef can throw together for us.  We shall feast and make merry until the break of dawn!”

Meghan dropped her face into her hands and groaned.

The Dagda shot her a perturbed look.  “Does a party not sound appealing to you?”

I chuckled as I rose from my chair, moving to join Meghan at the door.  “We’ve just come from celebrating in the Weald.  I think Meghan might be a little worn out.”

“Nonsense!” the Dagda roared.

He brushed past Meghan and me, heading for the long hallway.  The giant Tuatha De paused long enough to cast over his shoulder in a jovial voice, “One can never enjoy too many parties!”

Meghan gave a sigh of defeat, leaning into me as we followed after my foster father.  He had the nerve to whistle cheerfully, practically skipping down the hallway, clearly in anticipation of the upcoming festivities.

“Don’t worry,” I assured Meghan, wrapping my arm around her and giving her shoulder an affectionate rub.  “It won’t be so bad.  It’s already growing dark, so he won’t have time to invite the entirety of his realm.”

She tilted her head and made a face at me.

I only laughed, hugging her closer, thinking back to my conversation with the Dagda.  He may have been right about Meghan all along; that we were meant for each other, and that I had been a fool to deny it for so long.  But then again, many of life’s little miracles are meant to happen precisely when they do, no sooner, no later.  I could have told Meghan I loved her before that awful night I took on my mother’s glamour-infused Cumorrig, or perhaps I could have told her the day we visited the standing stones, when I had made myself invisible using my glamour before kissing her.  But, it wasn’t just me who needed time to iron out his insecurities and get control of his demons.  Meghan needed the time to adjust to her new identity as well.  Too many things in life are rushed, often producing a disappointing end result.  I hadn’t wanted that to happen to my relationship with Meghan, so I had bided my time.

“I think I can survive one more night of frivolity,” Meghan finally said, breaking me away from my thoughts.  “So long as I get to sleep in for a week when we get back to Luathara.”

Laughing, I promised her we could sleep in for the next year if she wanted to.  After all, we had earned it.

MEGHAN

Cade and I learned that first evening at the Dagda’s that Danua had sent out a missive calling all the Tuatha De into Erintara for a meeting about the state of Eile.  That news came as a surprise, so I cast Cade a questioning look.  He only shrugged.

“I know nothing of it.”

“I wonder why she didn’t tell me in her response to my letter about our impending visit,” I groused, as the two of us got ready for bed that evening.

The grand celebration the Dagda threatened us with ended up being nothing more than a gathering of all his live-in staff and the women who seemed to keep a semi-permanent residence.  We had talked and shared our news with everyone.  Mead, ale and wine had been passed around, and a few of the more musically talented of the group played a few songs while we crowded into the kitchen surrounding a table of food.  Two hours after the start of the meal, Cade and I complained of our exhaustion, and after suffering the Dagda’s grumbling about foster sons not visiting nearly often or long enough, he let us escape into our borrowed room upstairs.

Now, as I paced around the chamber, recalling the last time Cade and I had stayed here with a small smile, I thought back to the conversation the Celtic god and I had shared.

“So, you are heading to Erintara after this?  Do you mind if I join you with some of my guard?  Danua has called us to a meeting, and we are expected to be at the castle no later than a week from tomorrow.  I wouldn’t mind arriving early and spending some more time with you and Cade.”

He had let out a long breath, his eyes simply shining with what I’d suspected was his powerful glamour.  “I’ve not seen much of either of you since the battle with the Morrigan.  Luathara Castle must be keeping you quite busy.  I know I’ve been rather preoccupied here.  Any incidents of faelah lately?”

The second half of that statement had been aimed at Cade, and as my husband-to-be went into the details of running Luathara, I’d thought about why Danua would want to call all the Tuatha De into the capitol city.

Now that Cade and I were alone, I was ready to hear his ideas as well.

“Perhaps she didn’t want to worry you,” Cade said, responding to my earlier question about Danua keeping us in the dark.  “We are not the Tuatha De, and Luathara doesn’t technically fall under any of their jurisdiction.”

I watched him as he shrugged off his shirt, displaying a golden torso decorated with Celtic tattoos and scars from old battles.  I sighed, partly at the sight of him and partly at my now piqued curiosity.  Despite the fact that the goddess of war, and my arch nemesis, was definitely destroyed, I couldn’t help but think some part of her lived on in the world somewhere.  We still had our small skirmishes and run-ins with renegade faelah, but they were easy enough to kill.  Just like dealing with an influx of aphids in the garden.  More of an annoyance than anything else.  Still, I could never quite shake the feeling this was the calm before the storm, the regrouping before the next fight.  And now, my mother was gathering her troops again.  It had only been a few measly months.  If Eile was about to become the victim once again of some nefarious villain’s dark plans, then I might just chuck it all and move back to the mortal world.

I didn’t even notice Cade until he was standing right in front of me.

“Meghan?” he said quietly.

Blinking, I trailed my gaze up his naked torso until it met eyes dark with concern.  I felt the side of my mouth quirk in a half smile, and I reached out, running my hands up his warm skin.  He hissed in a small breath and reached forward, pushing his fingers into my hair and guiding my head to rest against his broad chest.  I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent, immediately feeling the swirling dark cloud building in my heart dissipate.

“I’m okay,” I promised, before my worry could transfer over onto him.  “I’m just hoping Danua isn’t calling everyone to Erintara to discuss new battle plans.”

Cade chuckled and leaned down to kiss the top of my head.  “I’m sure it’s nothing.  She’s probably just trying to be thorough and keep on top of things.  My guess is she’s been calling the Tuatha De to meet every month.  The Dagda was complaining about it while you were playing a round of cards with Alannah and the others.”

I pulled away from him just enough to ask, “And you didn’t think to tell me?”

Cade shrugged, his fingers still carding my hair.  “I thought nothing of it at the time.  And there is nothing strange about the high queen checking up with the lesser sovereigns of her kingdom after a war.  I’m sure this is just another routine exchange of news and updates about faelah sightings and the like.”

He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek, moving his mouth to my ear in a gentle caress as he whispered, “The Morrigan is gone, Meghan.  We don’t have to fear her anymore.”

Although I knew it would still take time for that anxiety to wear off completely, I shoved my worries aside and melted into Cade’s embrace.  After that, it was easy to forget about everything unpleasant in my life.  In fact, for the next few glorious hours, I forgot unpleasant things even existed in the world.

* * *

We didn’t leave for my mother’s castle the next day.  Instead, we spent time lazing about the Dagda’s territory, watching the clouds shed rain and exploring the local landscape whenever there was a break in the weather.  Each steep hill surrounding the Dagda’s underground home hid some building or house of sorts.  One of the larger hills served as the stables for the horses, and a few others acted as the smithy, brewery and store house for grains and other victuals.  The gently rolling fields that stretched beyond the edge of the community of hills were dark and freshly turned, some of the furrows already dusted green with young crops.

“The land surrounding Carnogh is very rich and perfect for crops and the grazing of cattle, goats and sheep,” the Dagda had boasted on one of our lengthier tours.

I arched a brow and glanced around Cade who was walking between us.  “Carnogh?”

“Aye, that’s what I call my abode and the immediate area surrounding it.  Did I not tell you the name before?”

I smiled and shook my head.  “Nope.  Carnogh.  I like the sound of it.”

“Means ‘little mountain’.”

“An appropriate name, then.”

The Dagda beamed and gave me a wink.  “That it is.”

We didn’t wander far beyond the last hill, although Fergus and Meridian, the ever curious spirit guides, insisted on exploring much farther out.

You know where to find us, I sent to my merlin.

Yes! she responded distractedly.  Return soon.  Creek ahead.  Lots of snacks!

I watched her, a small white dot against the dark clouds, as she and Fergus made their way northeast and toward a ribbon of silvery green willows and sycamores following a curving crease in the land.

Cade tilted his head back and studied the clouds.  “I think we might have a reprieve for a while longer.  Shall we circle the perimeter of the hills and then head back in?”

The Dagda nodded his approval.

“Meghan?” Cade asked.  “Are you warm enough?  Should we head back instead?”

If I was being honest, I would admit I was a little chilly, despite the wool scarf and coat one of the women had let me borrow.  Instead, I shook my head and cuddled up next to Cade.

“I’ll be fine if I can walk close to you,” I said, batting my eyelashes.

The Dagda snorted then let out a bark of laughter, shaking his head as he led us away.  As we circled Carnogh, Cade and his foster father took turns pointing out little bits and pieces of the landscape or wildlife to me.  Some of the animals living here differed greatly from those at Luathara, and I delighted in seeing all of them, especially the birds busy bringing insects back to their nests.  Besides birds, there were foxes, rabbits, deer and some other little creatures that looked like a cross between a weasel and a cat.

Along with the annual crops dominating most of the freshly turned fields, there were also orchards, the trees adorned in brilliant white, pink and butter colored blossoms.

“Apples, of course,” the Dagda answered when I asked about them, “as well as walnuts, almonds, pears, peaches, cherries, plums and apricots.”

I closed my eyes as he ticked off the names, imagining what it must be like in this part of Eile in the fall months when all of these wonderful fruits would be ripe.

“We’re going to have to come back in the autumn, Cade,” I stated when we reached the Dagda’s abode once again.

“Oh?” he asked, helping me out of the coat and scarf.

I nodded.  “I want to try all the fruit they’ll be harvesting.”

“A wonderful idea!” the Dagda crowed.  “We can make soul cakes!”

“Soul cakes?” I repeated.

For some reason, an image of the Morrigan sacrificing a young woman and fusing her soul with a birthday cake slathered in pink frosting popped into my head.  I shuddered.  Perhaps I shouldn’t have added so much sugar to my oatmeal this morning.

“They are a traditional cake made from the leftover dried fruit and nuts after the harvest,” Cade explained, for my benefit.  “And on Samhain and the Winter Solstice, it is customary to leave some out for the souls that have not yet crossed over into the afterlife.”

So, my bizarre hallucination wasn’t so far-fetched after all.

“But,” I argued, “the Faelorehn are immortal.”  At Cade’s confounded look, I waved my hand around and said, “I mean, I know they can die.  You don’t have to tell me that, but I would think that would put a pretty sizeable cap on the death rate around here.”

“Maybe now, in more modern times, but a thousand years ago, we were still a pretty violent people.  Just look at the tales and sagas the mortals of your world recorded.  Many of their ancient wars and conflicts were a direct result of our interfering with their world.  We may be immortal, but like you said, we can still die.”

“So, what time were you thinking of leaving tomorrow, Dagda?” Cade asked, moving the conversation along and onto a less gruesome subject.

“I’d like to be on the road by midday, but no sooner,” the Dagda conceded.  “I don’t like to rise too early.”

I had to laugh at that.  The Dagda was definitely a night owl.

For the rest of the afternoon, we lounged around in the room adjoining the grand entrance hall.  It was the same apartment the Dagda often used as the indoor gathering place for his famous parties, but today it was empty of people.  A few skylights, round windows set high into the hillside, wept grey light upon us as we perused old books or battled it out in board and card games.  The rain continued to pummel the world outside, but inside the hill we had warm blankets, a roaring fire and an endless supply of hot tea and honey.  None of the women were around, and I wondered if maybe they had retreated to the other hills nearby, or if they were simply off in some of the many rooms of the Dagda’s house, giving us our time together.

Dinner that evening was a less grand affair than the night before, and it was not followed by music and dancing.  It turns out, even the fun-loving Dagda needed a break from the constant revelry every now and again.  Instead, we returned to the great room, and Cade’s foster father entertained us with tales from his foster son’s youth.

“I remember on one occasion, when Cade was no older than ten or eleven, he insisted on having a wolf for a pet.”

So far, the tales had been accounts of Cade doing silly things like playing in mud puddles or rolling down the Dagda’s hill and scratching up his arms and legs.  By the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes, however, I could tell this particular story would be far more interesting than the others.

“So, what did you say to that?” I pressed when the Dagda failed to continue with his recollection.  “Did you tell him wolves didn’t make good pets?”

“Oh, no!  I told him what any sensible Faelorehn foster father would.”

I blinked, then darted my eyes between him and Cade.  The latter, who was seated across from me in a large stuffed chair, looked as relaxed as a lion.  He had his arms crossed loosely over his chest, and he was stretched out like a throw blanket cast carelessly aside.  If not for the firelight reflecting off of his eyes, I might have thought him asleep.

“I told him,” the Dagda continued, gesturing animatedly with his massive arms, “that if he wanted a wolf for a pet, he’d have to get it himself.”

My mouth dropped open.  I tried to imagine Bradley or Logan whining to Mom or Dad about getting an entirely inappropriate pet.  Mom would sit them down, give them her no-nonsense look, and explain, in great detail, why whatever it was they wanted would not be joining the Elam family.  They would then shuffle away and sulk until they got distracted by something else.  If it had been Dad they appealed to, they would have been greeted with a stern and final ‘NO’.  Never, in a million years, would my parents tell my brothers that if they wanted a pet, they could have it if they went out and got it themselves.  First of all, that was highly dangerous, considering the types of things Logan and Bradley found cute and cuddly, and secondly, they might actually succeed in securing whatever poisonous, vicious animal they hoped to bring home.

Shaking my head to dispel my mind of those thoughts, I said, “Sorry?  You told him what?”

The Dagda gave me a look as if I might be daft.  “If he wanted a wolf, he would have to go out into the wild and get it himself.”

“Are you crazy?!”

“You’re just wondering about that now?” Cade asked, his voice low but tainted with amusement.

I crossed my arms and shot him a terse look.  He only grinned at me.

“Well, would you like to hear the rest of the story or not?” his foster father demanded, sounding a bit like a petulant child.

“Yes, do go on,” I said, picking up my cup of tea and taking a sip.

“The very next day, I found him standing in the grand entrance hall,” the Dagda waved a hand toward the cavernous, adjacent room as if this had just happened yesterday, “a pack with a few days’ supply of food and clothes, as well as a sleeping blanket and various weapons.

“He told me he was going to get his wolf pup, and he’d be back in two or three days.  I stood in the doorway and watched him disappear down the road that leads out of the hills.”

“What?!  You let him go!  Dagda, he could have been killed!”

I was horrified.  He’d let an eleven-year-old boy go hunting for wolves on his own?  I glanced over at Cade, my eyes huge.  All he did was gaze back at me with that same, calm look. The Dagda started talking again, so I snapped my attention back in his direction.

“He ended up staying away for four days.  And no, I wasn’t worried about him,” he added quickly after hearing my sharp intake of breath.  “He was the child of Cuchulainn and the Morrigan.  I knew what he was made of.  One of the men in my guard who was on watch duty that day ran ahead of him, telling me he was on his way home.  Just as I had done on the day he left, I stood in the doorway, waiting patiently for him to arrive.  He was dirty, his hair a mess and he had a sizeable collection of abrasions and bruises on his exposed skin, but his glamour burned brighter than ever.”

The Dagda paused and glanced away from me and Cade.  His eyes went to some distant place, perhaps to that moment in the past when Cade was still a young boy and clearly some grand lesson had been learned.  I wanted to know what that lesson was.

“Did he find his wolf?” I pressed, careful not to look at Cade.

The Dagda smiled, the kind of smile a father wears when he discovers his son has become an even better man than himself.

“Aye, he did.”

“But I did not bring it home,” Cade said quietly, stepping into the conversation and picking up where the Dagda had stopped.  “I tracked a female for two days to her den, then waited for her and her mate to leave to hunt.  I crept up to the edge of the small cave and counted five beautiful pups, just old enough to be separated from their mother.  I couldn’t decide which one I wanted, so I watched them for a long while.  I must have lost track of the time, because I suddenly became aware of two pairs of eyes on my back.  The parents had returned with two large wild hares.  For several moments, we simply stared at one another, the wolf pair and I.

“I called upon my glamour as soon as the male moved forward, his teeth bared.  When he sensed my magic, he backed off, whining as if I had stung him.  I drew more fiercely upon my glamour, terrified these wolves would kill me, and I wouldn’t get my pup.  At some point, I delved deeper, unlocking the cage that kept my riastrad in check.  I would use my battle fury if I had to.

“The adult wolves paced back and forth several feet in front of me, whining and flattening their ears to their skulls if they got too close.  Not wanting to lose my chance, I reached into the den and grabbed the first pup my hands brushed against.  I tucked the wolf under my arm and ran, keeping my glamour bright and strong.  I managed to run half a mile before I slowed down to a swift walking pace.  When I found the trail I had followed into the woods, I breathed a sigh of relief.  I had managed to escape with my wolf pup.

“It wasn’t until I had reached the edge of the woods that I noticed her, the pup’s mother, following me at a safe distance.  Annoyed that she hadn’t stayed behind, I whirled around to face her, the puppy still clutched tightly in my arms.  I was ready to unleash my glamour and get rid of her for good, but then I looked her in the eye, truly looked at her, and that’s when I saw the sorrow and fear there.  Not for herself, but for her pup.  She loved her child so much she had left the others behind to come after me, even knowing I might kill her.”

Cade had so captivated me with his story that I sat frozen, my lips parted, my eyes fixed entirely on him.  My ears were buzzing now with the strange silence that filled the room, the crackle of the fire and the light patter of rain hitting the dark skylights above the only sounds I could detect.

Eventually, Cade drew in a breath and started speaking once more.  “I could have easily hated that wolf pup for having what I didn’t have: a mother who loved it.  For a fraction of a heartbeat, I teetered on that dangerous edge.  I might have kept on going, ignoring the female wolf behind me.  I could have shifted into my riastrad form and killed her, showing her I was the more powerful creature, and if I wanted something, I would take it.  But I didn’t do either of those things.”

“Instead,” the Dagda cut in gently, his voice as soft and soothing as the whispering flames dancing in the fireplace, “he chose to give up his prize.  Not because he understood what it was like to have a mother who loved him so much she would suffer pain and possible death to get him back, but because he knew what it was like not to have that.”

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, my heart overwhelmed by this new revelation.  There was still so much I didn’t know about Cade, and although I was willing to admit a lot of it probably wasn’t pleasant - he had been the Morrigan’s slave for who knows how many centuries, after all - there was so much more that was entirely good.  I only hoped my heart could handle it.

“And that, my dear boy,” the Dagda continued in that same reverent voice, his eyes shining with emotion, “is why you have earned, and why you deserve, Meghan’s love and devotion.”

Cade smiled, his own eyes a bit on the bright side, and said gruffly, “Well played, Dagda.  Well played.”

His foster father gave him a knowing look with a grin to match, and although I didn’t quite understand what had just passed between them, I realized a conversation had occurred earlier and this was only another faction of it.  No matter.  Deciding it was probably best I not know all the details, I looked back over at Cade.

He opened up his arms, and I didn’t need an explanation to know he wanted me to join him on his large chair.  It was a natural instinct for me now, moving toward Cade when he needed me.  I stood up and walked over to him, nestling up against his body so he could drape his arm around me.  I pressed my ear to his chest, just above his heart and closed my eyes.  I could feel him lean his head against the top of mine.  My glamour was wide awake tonight, and I sighed as it unfurled its wings and reached out for Cade’s.  I knew the instant his power brushed against mine, the edges mingling together like pools of red and blue watercolors combining to make violet.  I didn’t think it was possible, but a wave of intense happiness, stronger than the one already coursing through my blood, flooded my heart.

I think we nodded off for a while after that, because the next time I was aware of my surroundings, the fire had dwindled down to coals, and there was a well-worn patchwork quilt draped over us.  The Dagda no longer sat on the couch opposite our chair, and from the way Cade was breathing, I knew he was fast asleep.  I could wake him up, and we could make the arduous trip up to our bedroom, but I really didn’t want to move.  I could already feel fresh waves of exhaustion washing over me again.

Yawning, I snuggled closer to Cade and let my eyelids drift shut.  In my mind, I secretly thanked the Dagda for his story about Cade and the wolf, knowing that retelling the tale in front of me was more for Cade’s benefit than mine.

You will always be worthy of my love, I sent using shil-sciar, knowing Cade wouldn’t hear me.  To my surprise, his glamour pulsed a brilliant blue-white, then settled down once again to rest beside my own.

Chapter Five

Erintara

MEGHAN

When I woke the second time, I found myself lying beneath the warm sheets of the upstairs bedroom Cade and I shared.  The sun filtered in through the windows, the angle of light indicating it was late morning.  Remembering what the Dagda had said about leaving for Erintara just after noon, I shot up in a panic, wondering just how late it was.

I was just about to bolt out of bed and start throwing on clothes when Cade stepped from the bathroom, fully dressed with his hair still damp.  He cast me a curious look, and I asked, “What time is it?”

He smiled.  “Around eleven.  I thought I’d let you sleep for a while longer before waking you.”

Cade crossed the room and came to rest on the edge of the bed, leaning in to give me a kiss.  He smelled of the lavender and sage soap the Dagda’s housekeepers kept in stock, and his damp hair left water stains on my night shirt.  Wait a second ...  If I had fallen asleep in the chair with my day clothes, what was I wearing now?  I edged away from him at the same moment he tried to move in closer to me.  I pulled the fabric of the shirt away from my body and then shot Cade a mildly perturbed look.

“What happened to my clothes?”

He gave me a devilish grin and tried to kiss me again.  I resisted, just barely, by pressing my hand against his chest.

“What?” he asked, his tone all innocence.  “You don’t trust me to get you into the proper attire for bed?”

What he considered ‘proper attire’ was one of his old shirts, the material so worn and threadbare it might as well be translucent.

“Why bother at all, then?” I countered, crossing my arms and arching an eyebrow at him.  There.  Come up with a gentlemanly response to that.

Cade sighed and drew back, realizing I wasn’t going to give in to his charms until he answered my questions.

“Because,” he said carefully, “we are not at home in Luathara, and more importantly,” he grinned again, an emerald spark returning to his eyes.  He leaned in close and grazed his teeth along the edge of my earlobe.

I hissed in a breath and felt my nerves sizzle.

“Because,” he whispered softly, his voice going deep, “I love the way you look in my shirt.”

He moved then, too quick and agile for me to evade him, and ran his fingers through my hair as he pressed me into the mattress.  I should have protested.  The Dagda wanted us all on the road in an hour, and I still had to shower and pack, but I gave in to Cade’s deep kisses and murmured Faelorehn words.

“Mohr faelorah, mohr faeleahn,” he crooned, as his lips moved down my neck.

The unfamiliar word yanked me away from his overwhelming attention, and I came down from that cloud I’d been floating on.

“Faeleahn?” I managed, moving into a sitting position and out of his embrace.

Cade, who had apparently been more invested in the direction our actions were headed than I was, struggled to join me.  Or maybe he just didn’t want to stop.  Nevertheless, he fell back against the pillows and let out a long sigh.  If I didn’t know any better, I would say he was pouting.

“I know the term faelorah, but not faeleahn,” I prompted, stretching out so that I lie next to him.

Cade turned his head and regarded me with gentle eyes.  “It means something close to your term for ‘soul mate’ or ‘eternal lover’.”

I propped my elbow against a pillow so I could get a better look at him.

“Why haven’t you told me about it before?” I wondered aloud.

This time, the look Cade leveled on me was enough to knock the air from my lungs.  “Because I have never felt this close to you before, mohr faeleahn, and it isn’t a term to be ascribed to another lightly.”

My heart swelled at that, so I leaned in even closer, studying his face.  Every time I looked at Cade, I came away astounded at how beautiful he was.  I trailed an index finger down the bridge of his straight nose and over his well-formed lips, then brought both hands up to cup his jaw line.

“Can I call you faeleahn?” I wanted to know.

Cade nodded, his eyes drifting shut as he turned his head into one of my hands, breathing in deeply as he kissed my palm.

“Well, mohr faeleahn,” I tried the endearment out and found that I liked it, “as much as I regret to say it, I fear I must get out of bed and start preparing for our journey to my mother’s castle.”

After that, Cade behaved himself and didn’t try to distract me as I went about getting ready for the final stop in our journey.  By some miracle of the Celtic gods, we were clean, dressed and packed five minutes before midday.

“You two will have to eat on the road,” the Dagda scoffed, eyeing the both of us when we met him out in the large space between the hills.

He was already dressed for travel, along with ten members of his guard, and the horses were saddled and antsy to get moving.  Someone had also taken the time to ready Lasair and Speirling, and the two of them were giving us accusing glares.  I felt myself blush a little when I realized the entire retinue was studying both Cade and myself with a touch of humor on their faces.

I tried not to grind my molars together or think about what they imagined had taken Cade and me so long to get ready.  Why was it that every time I visited the Dagda’s, I ended up embarrassing myself?

Trying my best to shake the curious glances from the Dagda’s guard, I strode over to Lasair and climbed up into the saddle, patting his neck and complimenting him on his patience and loyalty.  The red horse answered me with a cheerful whicker.

“Here,” the Dagda said, passing over a cloth sack.  “Something for you to eat on the road.”

It turned out to be some sort of walnut bread that tasted slightly of pound cake and honey.  I broke it in half and gave a piece to Cade before quickly polishing off my portion.  A water skin was handed back, and I took several long swallows.  It was a nice change from the mead and ale Cade and I had been drinking of late.

Once we cleared the hills and started crossing the rolling farmland, Fergus and Meridian joined us, taking up their usual habit of scouting ahead.  To my great relief, the rainclouds which had been lingering for the past few weeks had finally moved on, giving us the first real look at blue sky in a long time.  The road we took was muddy under the horses’ hooves, and the chain mail of the Dagda’s guard jangled and clinked in an all too familiar rhythm.  As we headed for the dolmarehn which had taken us to Erintara before, I couldn’t help but think of the last time we’d traveled this same road.

Cade and I had just made our relationship official.  Well, as official as it could get, and I’d been struggling against the extra wealth of magic Cernunnos had gifted me.  And we’d been heading into the capital city to convene with my mother and all the other Tuatha De.  It’d been the first time I had ever met them, and we’d gathered together to discuss the impending threat of the Morrigan.  We didn’t have to worry about the Morrigan any longer, but that nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach just wouldn’t go away.  The goddess of war and strife had been destroyed, but was she really gone?

Cade only gave a slight shake of his head when I voiced my concerns aloud.  He put on a warm smile as well, but there was something brewing in his eyes, and I could sense an undercurrent of unease simmering below the surface that matched my own.  As much as he tried to reassure me my worries were unfounded, I couldn’t help but think he felt the same way I did.

“Let’s worry about the immediate for now, Meghan,” he murmured over the snorting and chuffing of the horses’ hooves.

“And that is?” I pressed.

“Informing Danua and her entire court of our wedding plans.”

I groaned and let my head fall back.  I had almost forgotten about the special role I played as the high queen’s daughter.  No nice, small wedding ceremony for me.  Danua would insist on having the event in Erintara with every single last citizen of Eile in attendance.  Cade was right, I had other things to worry about right now that I knew for certain would be taking place in the near future.

When Cade asked me what was wrong, I told him.

He chuckled and shook his head, that strange aura from earlier replaced with genuine amusement.  “It is your wedding, Meghan.  And mine.  Danua will just have to accept our wishes.  If you want a small ceremony at Luathara, that is what you’ll get.”

I cast him an annoyed look.  “That’s easy for you to say.”

And then, I thought of something else.  I furrowed my brow, wondering if I had been so self-absorbed the last several weeks I’d forgotten I wasn’t the only one getting married.  A flood of guilt washed over me.

“But, is that what you want, Cade?  I haven’t even considered that maybe you would like a big celebration and that you’ve been keeping quiet for my sake.”

Cade made a face and shook his head.  “Oh no, I’m with you, Meghan.  A small ceremony at Luathara will be perfect.  And that’s what we’ll get.  Don’t worry.”

He picked up my hand and kissed the back of it.  For the next several minutes, Lasair and Speirling walked side by side with the Dagda falling back to join us.  We spoke of frivolous things: the beauty of the countryside in spring, the names of the many villages which dotted the main roads running through Carnogh, the heaping piles of white clouds filling the deep azure sky like mounds of whipped cream.  Eventually, we came upon the giant dolmarehn that would take us to our final destination, passing through as one large group.  The portal spilled our small party out onto a wooded hillside which overlooked Erintara Castle and the lush, green landscape that surrounded it.  Between the trunks of the trees, I could make out the endless blue expanse of Lake Ohll, its shimmering surface reminding me of the Pacific Ocean back home in Arroyo Grande.

“Shall we continue forth?” the Dagda asked, nudging the flanks of his great blond horse.

Already his guard was moving out, taking their places ahead of us with a few falling back to keep an eye out for possible trouble.  Not that we were really expecting any, but the Tuatha De never traveled without a small entourage to discourage any foolhardy outlaws hoping to earn a few easy coins.

The countryside was much different from the last time I had traveled this way, I noticed.  Instead of hosting the earthy golds, russets and crimsons of autumn, the rolling landscape was lush with greens and pastels.  The fruit trees that had boasted scarlet apples before now displayed branches overburdened with blossoms of blush and white.  The fields turned for crops resembled those in the Dagda’s realm, but the hills and vales in the distance were painted with the soft yellow of buttercups, the showy blue of what might be lupins, and a variety of several other shades of pink and crimson.  So many small wildflowers I had yet to learn the names of.  The air was heavy with the scent of blossoms, and a warm breeze carried the lovely melody of songbirds and the fresh rush of the creeks and brooks flowing from the hills.

I took a deep breath, letting it all soak into my senses and breathe life back into my well of glamour.  Lasair danced beneath me, whickering and tossing his head.  I laughed at his antics, reaching down and scratching his neck.  Speirling gave him a curious look, as well as the other horses in the Dagda’s guard, and the jovial Tuatha De himself barked with laughter.

“There is something about springtime in Eile that gets the magic flowing in your veins,” he proclaimed, with a glint to his eye.

When Erintara Castle and its pristine city, standing proud and resplendent atop the tallest hill overlooking Lake Ohll, rose into my immediate view, I sighed, a mixture of emotions welling up in my heart.  I was eager to see my biological mother again, even if we were still working on our somewhat tenuous relationship.  I had hated Danua at first.  Her cold callousness during our initial meetings had discouraged any desire to build a relationship on my part.  Cade had told me the queen needed to put forth such a persona because of who she was, but it had taken me awhile to realize that much of that aloofness had been a shield of sorts.  Danua had been forced to give up her two young children in order to keep them safe.  I hadn’t liked her decisions and hadn’t understood them at first, but I had begun to realize it’d been her only choice at the time and she’d done it out of love.

I heaved a great breath, shaking those thoughts from my head.  At least I didn’t have to worry about her reaction to my engagement to Cade.  According to my husband-to-be, Danua had been the one who suggested it in the first place.  I smiled.  That had been another bone of contention between us.  She had not liked my association with Cade.  Now that the Morrigan was gone, and Cade being a large part of the reason for that particular outcome, she had warmed up a little more toward him.  I hoped the growing bond between the three of us would only strengthen in time.

It was closer to evening than midday when we finally made it through the city and reached the castle proper.  Many well-groomed stable hands greeted us in the courtyard and took the horses, leading them off to be pampered and fed.  Fergus and Meridian, who had been traveling along the outskirts of our party, joined the horses as they headed toward Erintara’s stables.

You know where to find me, I sent to my spirit guide.

Yes.  Castle, she returned, winging her way around the stone walls of the fortress.

The Dagda’s guard parted ways with us as well, joining the queen’s soldiers at the courtyard entrance as they were returning to the barracks after a day spent sparring and keeping the peace in the city below.  Cade, the Dagda and I were led through the massive halls of Erintara as the servants who had greeted us at the doors searched for my mother.  We found Danua in her throne room in the midst of listening to two Faelorehn men arguing over something I suspected had to do with a botched business agreement.  The high queen looked immensely bored, but as soon as she saw us, she sat up straight in that smooth manner of hers and grinned a little.  The gesture, although quite miniscule compared to most smiles, warmed my heart.  She was glad to see me.

“Gentlemen,” she said, her strong voice carrying over the bickering tones of the two men, “your complaints will have to wait.”

They both stopped mid-argument, their faces stunned as they blinked up at her.  I noticed that although they were clearly not part of my mother’s court, they were dressed in the rich style and fabrics of wealthy men.  I had a feeling they were used to being treated on an equal standing with the nobility of Erintara.

“But, your majesty,” one man, the one dressed in red and violet with pale blond hair, began.

Danua held up a hand and cast him a sharp look.  I almost cringed.  I had been on the receiving end of that look before.  The man opened his mouth, saying nothing, then closed it quickly.

“My daughter has just arrived, and she takes precedence over your pointless squabbling.  Gharret,” she snapped shortly, turning to the other, darker-haired man, “you shorted Lochlainn two barrels of barley.  You must make up for it in some other way.”

“Your majesty!” the man named Gharret protested.

But Danua stood up then, her gaze narrowing as the room cooled slightly.

“I have listened to the two of you argue all afternoon, and it has gotten you nowhere.  I have heard enough to make a sound judgment.  If you wish to bring your problems to my attention, then you must accept my decision.  Now, be gone from my sight, so that I might greet my only daughter properly.”

The men lost their bluster then and quickly bowed their way out, casting me, Cade and the Dagda curious, yet irritated, glances as they left the room behind.

“Everyone else,” the queen announced, “is dismissed for the rest of the afternoon.  Dairine, would you ask the kitchen staff to prepare tea for four?  We will be in my study.”

A young lady in waiting curtseyed and disappeared through a side door.  Once the room was cleared, Danua stepped down from her dais and approached us, her arms outstretched.  I was a bit surprised to see her showing this level of welcome, but perhaps the reports from around the realm for the past few months had proven positive.  Or, maybe it was that spring glamour in the air that had improved my mother’s usually icy mood.

“Meghan, it is good to see you, daughter.  How have you fared since I last spoke with you?”

Although I hadn’t seen her since the Solstice celebration she’d held in winter, I had been making it a habit to write to her at least once every few weeks.

I smiled, clasping her fingers as she took my hands in hers.  “Very well.”

My eyes turned toward Cade.  He nodded his head once, knowing what I was asking him with just a look.  Taking a deep breath, I turned back toward my mother and said, “And we have some good news, although I believe you already know what it is.”

She smiled brightly this time, a mischievous glint to her eye.  She darted her gaze to my left wrist and then met my eyes again.  “So, he finally worked up the nerve to ask you.”

It was a statement, not a question.  Danua dropped my hands but took one arm and tucked it into her elbow, leading me away from the entrance of the throne room.  Cade and the Dagda trailed behind us, starting up their own private conversation.

“I wondered how long it would take him after we spoke.  When did he propose, exactly?” she wanted to know.

“Just before Imbolg,” I replied.

She laughed out loud and said, “Eager young man, your Cade.”

That comment warmed me far more than it should have.  Not because my mother recognized Cade’s desire to commit to our relationship, but because of how happy she sounded at the prospect.  I had no doubts about Cade’s loyalty, but knowing my mother was beginning to see that as well meant everything in the world to me.

As we moved through the door leading into her study, I leaned into Danua and rested my head on her shoulder.  She stiffened at first, clearly unsure of how to respond to my sudden display of affection.  “I’m glad you approve of Cade, Mother.  I want us to be a family, and knowing you are happy to include Cade in that family means so much to me.”

Danua made a choked sound, but recovered quickly as she turned and ran her hand down my hair, the way a mother might soothe a young child.  “I am ready to be a family again, Meghan,” she murmured, “and although I wasn’t sure about Cade in the beginning, I’d be proud to call him my son-in-law.”

Before our emotions could get the better of us, Danua pulled away from me and ushered us all into her study.  After that, we had a nice, long conversation, filling one another in on what had been happening in our own parts of Eile during the latter half of winter.  The tea arrived fifteen minutes later, after we managed to spread ourselves out amongst the collection of comfortable chairs in the room.  Starving, since I hadn’t had much to eat that day, I quickly filled up a plate with finger sandwiches and pastries.  Between bites of food and sips of tea, Cade and I relayed some of the highlights from our whirlwind visit to the mortal world and the Weald.

The rest of the evening was spent in this way, the four of us laughing and having an all-around good time.  I had not liked Erintara so much before, but now that my mother wasn’t encompassed in that shell of invisible ice, I felt more comfortable and at ease.

We stayed in Danua’s study long into the evening hours and only sought our own quarters once we had run out of things to talk about.  When the fire finally burned down to coals, Cade and I sought out our room, the same chamber we had shared the other times we’d visited this castle.  We were so weary from the activities of the day that we fell asleep the moment we got settled into bed.

* * *

For the next few days, the Tuatha De trickled into the royal city.  The Dagda had been the first to arrive with Cade and me, then the next day Lugh and Epona made their grand entrance.  The city was abuzz with excitement as the other kings and queens of Eile made their way to Danua’s court.  I recognized everyone from the few meetings the high queen had called before the war with the Morrigan, but I couldn’t remember all their names.  Besides my mother, the Dagda and Lugh, I knew Epona, Goibniu, Nuadu and Cernunnos, of course.

The god of the Wild was the last to arrive, and I made an effort to keep my distance from him.  Cade was still concerned Cernunnos’s glamour might seduce me, and I already had a strange history with the antlered god.  Before the war with the Morrigan, he’d given me all his glamour to help defeat our common enemy, but it had been wrapped up in a geis, and I had not been able to speak about it with anyone.  Fortunately, it all worked out in the end.  Still, I gave him a wide berth, only nodding and smiling politely and speaking to him if common courtesy required it.  Someday, I hoped, Cernunnos and I would be able to look back on our strange alliance and laugh, but not today.  The memories of that terrible ordeal were still too fresh.

The evening after everyone arrived, we gathered together in the great dining hall.  The Dagda explained that since this was just a general meeting to report how the other realms of Eile were faring after the Morrigan’s fall, a formal assembly wasn’t necessary.

“Most of us will be leaving in the morning,” he commented, as we headed toward the dining hall, “but I’m guessing you’d like to stay an extra day or two?”

I glanced up at Cade, a question in my eyes.  He merely shrugged.  “It’s up to you, Meghan.  And we do not need you to escort us, Dagda, if you wish to return home.”

The Dagda grumbled something about taking care of his foster son and soon-to-be foster daughter no matter how long we wished to stay in this overly-clean city of stone and insufferable formal manners.  As always with this particular Tuatha De, I laughed.

Two of the castle staff opened the tall doors for us, and we were shown to our seats.  As before, the three of us sat near the head of the table with Danua.  I spotted Nuadu’s son, Bowen, at the other end of the great room.  I waved across the table with a smile, and he returned the gesture.  Cade lifted a brow at me, a bemused look on his face.

“What?” I asked, feeling somewhat chastened.

“Nothing,” he said, lacing his fingers with mine and planting a kiss on the top of my head.  “Glad to see you consider Bowen a friend, even if it might prick a little at my pride.”

I snorted and shoved at him playfully.  “Caedehn MacRoich, you fool.  Don’t you know I fell in love with you the moment I saw you?”

His eyes sparked, and he sat up a little straighter, a smug smile on his face.  “Really?”

I tilted my head to the side and quirked my lips, thinking about it for a moment.  “Well, maybe not immediately after I saw you, but definitely after you rescued me in your Trans Am.”

I smiled sweetly at him, and he laughed, drawing my mother’s attention.  Fortunately, the tension of an impending war was not looming on the horizon, and she took our antics with nothing more than a curious look and a slight quirk to her mouth.

The meal was a very pleasant affair with all the Tuatha De reporting to the high queen that their realms appeared peaceful and free of any dark influence.  Although there were occasional faelah sightings, the evil creatures were easily and swiftly dispatched, and their occurrences seemed to be diminishing.  Cade and I also made an official announcement regarding our upcoming bonding ceremony, in which all the Tuatha De present cheered and wished us their congratulations and their hopes to make it to the wedding come May.

Despite this positive news, however, I couldn’t help but feel a dark undercurrent permeating the room, growing farther outward the longer we sat there.  Glancing up from my meal, I quickly cast my eyes over the entire hall.  Everyone appeared to be in good spirits, laughing and conversing and enjoying the delicious food and drinking mead freely from their goblets.  If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this was a joyful dinner party to celebrate an ongoing peace and the upcoming union of the high queen’s daughter and her husband-to-be.  But that was just on the surface.  Beneath it all, that dark vibe hummed like an underground chorus of deep voices.  As subtly as I could, I sent my awareness out, trying to discover if this unspoken feeling resonated with Cade.  To my relief, it didn’t.  If there was any tension in him or his glamour at all, it was in reaction to my careful consideration.

Cade turned to regard me, his body inching closer to mine.  A look of concern shadowed his features, and I gave him a bright smile, not wanting to worry him.  He studied my face carefully for a few moments, and I banished what little unease remained.  Eventually, he returned his attention to his soup, and I breathed a mental sigh of relief.  A few moments later, I tried to sense that undercurrent again, but it had become so diluted, I could barely feel it.

Taking that as a positive sign, I got back to my dinner and told myself for what had to be the umpteenth time that I worried too much about imagined things.  Only problem was, the last time I’d given myself that advice, it turned out I’d been right all along.

CADE

The dinner didn’t last as long as I had anticipated, but then again, since all the Tuatha De had nothing but positive things to report, we had no reason to linger.  When the meal was finished, everyone rose to retire to their rooms.  The Tuatha De nobles had their own lands to attend to, after all, and most of them would be leaving before sunup.

As we bid those around us a good night and a safe journey home, I turned to Meghan.  Before I could so much as speak her name, however, Danua said, “Caedehn, I was wondering if I could have a word with you?”

I froze and turned toward the high queen.  Her face was smooth and impassive, not a line of worry or anger, or any emotion for that matter, anywhere in her expression.

“Yes, your majesty,” I answered.

Meghan’s eyes held concern when I turned back toward her.  I smiled.

What’s this about? she sent, using shil-sciar.

I have no idea, I returned, kissing her on the forehead.

“I’ll meet you in our chamber when I’m done speaking with your mother,” I said aloud.

Meghan furrowed her brow and leaned to the side to glance around me.  Trying to read her mother’s expression, I guessed.  Whatever she saw there must have given her some reassurance because she sighed and said, “Don’t be too long.”

After that, she stepped through the door, and I was alone in the dining room with Danua.  I had thought I’d grown used to my sovereign’s overpowering presence.  I thought, since I was now engaged to her daughter, I would feel more comfortable around her.  I was wrong.  Although Danua wasn’t as cold and distant as she had been before, she was still immensely powerful.  Even now, with her glamour toned down, she seemed to encompass the entire room.

“Let us return to my study for this conversation,” Danua said, heading toward one of the doors at the end of the room.

I followed the queen through the door, then down a side passage and through a few more doors and hallways before spilling into her study.  It was dark now, the fireplace a collection of dying coals.  With a wave of her hand, Danua used her glamour to light a few candles, then took a seat in one of the stuffed chairs, motioning for me to take the chair opposite her.  I did, remaining silent the entire time and wondering what in Eile she needed to deliberate about that required retiring to her dark study.

“What I wish to discuss with you must not leave this room,” she said, her voice stern and clear.  “You cannot repeat it to anyone, not even Meghan.”

I glanced up at her then, looking her in the eye.  Her gaze was hard as ice again, the way it had been before the war with the Morrigan.  Cold dread pricked at the back of my neck and traveled to the pit of my stomach.  I thought of the strange aura Meghan had been giving off at the end of the dinner, and of the antsy feeling I had pushed aside the morning we left Luathara to visit the mortal world.

“And what is so important that you ask me to keep it from your daughter?” I managed, my tone low and dangerous.

Danua smiled coolly, regarding me with hooded eyes.  She leaned back in her chair, her eyelids lowered and her demeanor oozing unquestionable authority.

“And are you telling me, Caedehn, that you don’t keep secrets from Meghan?  Am I to believe you have told her everything about yourself, every little dark, disturbing detail?”

I felt my nerves tighten, and my wild glamour stir and growl, flashing its teeth and testing its restraints.  Had I really believed Danua was starting to warm up toward me?

“There are certain things I’ve neglected to tell her, but not to deceive her.  I keep the worst things to myself because it does no good burdening her with them.”

Danua nodded once, that coldness about her melting away a little.  “And that is why I want this kept between me and you.  We are allies now, Caedehn MacRoich, and I will be needing your help in the coming months and years.  It is true what the Tuatha De have reported.  The biggest threat they have noticed so far is the stray faelah or two, but they are busy people and have realms to run.  They do not have time to look more closely at our world.”

I arched an eyebrow and folded my arms over my chest, mimicking her as I leaned back into my own chair.  “And you, the high queen of Eile, do have that spare time?”

She smiled again.  “Of course not.  But being the high queen has its perks.  I don’t have time, but I have spies.  Those I send out to take a closer look at the details my brethren have missed.”

She held up a hand when I opened my mouth to speak.  “I am not saying they are neglecting their duties.  Not at all.  What I am saying is that there is more than the occasional faelah attack going on in Eile.”

Again, my nerves began to prickle, and I sat up straighter.  “What do you mean?  What have your spies discovered?”

She sighed, looking suddenly weary.  The joy from earlier, the happiness she had been so willing to show her daughter, faded, and the burdened queen beneath the relaxed façade shone through once again.  “I can’t say for sure.  My spies report back with news of hooded men and women meeting in secret, of a force or presence they can feel more than see.  Like a giant bell struck with a hammer.  The peel gradually tapers off, but you can sense the reverberation lingering far longer than the actual sound itself.”

“Surely, you have some ideas,” I murmured, the tension in my nerves moving again to my stomach and causing my dinner to churn there.

Danua lifted her stormy eyes to mine, their tone changing so quickly, I couldn’t name the colors.

“Yes, I do.  And the only reason I am sharing this with you at all, and not the other Tuatha De, is because you are the only other Faelorehn I know of who might have the answers I need.”

My jaw clenched at her words.  I had feared this moment.  Ever since I watched Meghan destroy the Morrigan on that hilltop, witnessing my hag of a mother disintegrate and become lost to the wind, a tiny part of me still clung to the possibility that none of it had been real.

“I suspect that even though the Morrigan is defeated, her magic and her followers have managed to live on.  From what my spies tell me, her dark influence continues to linger in our world, keeping to the shadows and waiting out our paranoia until a time arises when they can join together once again and attempt to succeed where their mistress failed.”

I let out a mild curse and drove my fingers through my hair.  This was exactly what I had feared these past several months.  And I understood why Danua wouldn’t want Meghan to know.  She would only blame herself; convince herself that if she had tried harder, been more careful, maybe she could have erased the Morrigan’s magic instead of just focusing on destroying her physical form.  The high queen was right.  Meghan couldn’t know any of this.  At least not now, not until she had to.

“You need me to keep a lookout for signs of her particular brand of evil, don’t you?”

Danua nodded grimly, her fingers wrapped around the edges of the armrests of her chair.

“Do you think you can do this, Cade?  Without tipping Meghan off?”

“I can try, but she will have to be told eventually, if what you say is true and if the many factions loyal to my mother grow in power.  She will notice if that happens, and I want to keep as little from her as possible.”

The high queen nodded.  “That is fair.  I am in this with you, Cade.  I want to protect my daughter as much as you do.”

“I know,” I answered tiredly.

For several minutes, we simply sat there, absorbed in our own thoughts.  Danua seemed less tense now, as if by telling me and knowing at least one other person besides herself and her spies had this information, eased her in some way.  That made sense.  And she was right.  I was the best candidate, besides maybe Enorah, for recognizing my mother’s dark magic.

“Well,” Danua finally said, rising from her chair.  “I should probably bid you goodnight.  I will walk you to your room.”

I rose as well, feeling more anxious than I’d like to.  I wanted to go to my chamber, take Meghan in my arms and simply hold her until the feeling went away.  This was supposed to have ended with the Morrigan, this nagging shadow of doubt and fear that had crawled into my mind and latched on like a leech since meeting Meghan three years ago.  We had fought for our lives, both of us losing them in one way or another.  We had made sacrifices and had survived the worst the world had thrown at us, and in the end, we had persevered.  Now, Danua was telling me perhaps we had lit the celebratory bonfire a little too early.  We had reveled in our joy and relief while the things of evil stuck to the shadows cast by the flames, gathering around in the dark as we celebrated on, oblivious to the danger.

When I finally made it back to my room, I’d managed to calm my glamour down to a low, smoldering simmer.  Meghan had picked up on whatever subtle hint of worry Danua had been giving off earlier that evening, her behavior had suggested as much.  If I were to step into our chamber radiating agitation, anger and fear, she would know for certain something was wrong.  I opened the heavy oak door slowly, and it moved on well-oiled hinges.

To my surprise, the apartment was steeped in darkness, only the soft red glow of coals radiating from the hearth lending any light to the room.  Meghan, I soon discovered, was in bed, fast asleep.  Part of me was relieved.  Despite my own assurance that my glamour was under control, I wasn’t so sure Meghan would believe me when I told her everything was well as I held her close.  Another part of me, perhaps an even bigger part, was painfully disappointed.

Selfish man that I was, I longed for her touch and warmth.  Deciding that sleeping next to her was as close to that comfort as I was going to get, I quickly stripped out of my clothes and slipped under the sheets beside her.  My weight made the mattress sag, and Meghan stirred, mumbling in her sleep and rolling over so that she curled up next to me.  I angled myself just right, so her head came to rest against my chest and her smooth skin came into contact with mine.  Smiling, I pressed my face into her hair and breathed deeply, her scent and calm glamour settling my own tumultuous magic, transforming the roaring lion into a contented, sleepy kitten.

As I lay there in the dark, listening to Meghan’s deep breaths and running my fingers delicately through her hair, I thought about my discussion with Danua and all the prospects the future held for us.  It was very possible another war loomed on the horizon, one which promised just as much danger and sacrifice as the last one.  But maybe, just maybe, we would catch this new, burgeoning threat before it had the chance to bloom into something much worse.

As of right now, Danua only had suspicions, and those suspicions could simply be the side effects of lingering fear.  Nevertheless, I would remain vigilant and do as she asked.  I would pay attention to every misfortune that befell Luathara from this day forward.  Every accident, every report of foul play, no matter how miniscule.  There would be much work for me in the future, but if that meant keeping Meghan and the people of Eile safe, then I wouldn’t mind putting in the extra hours.  I knew what it was to taste the paralyzing fear of believing the one you loved the most had been taken from you.  I would not let myself feel that again.

Taking a deep breath, I trailed my hand down Meghan’s bare back, thrilling in the soft sounds of contentment escaping her parted lips.  Time to turn my thoughts toward a more pleasing subject.  Meghan and I had a wedding to plan, one that would be taking place at Luathara in a matter of weeks.  I sighed once more, a small smile playing on my lips.  Never in my wildest dreams had I ever hoped for such happiness.  Not only had I been granted the gift of Meghan, with all her beauty, strength and courage, but I had been given the chance at a new, wonderful life with her.  I would not take that for granted, and I would do everything in my power to bring her all the happiness and joy she deserved.

As the coals in the fireplace burned down to ash, I simply lay there next to my faeleahn, my eternal lover, and drifted slowly, blissfully, off to sleep.

Epilogue

Wedding

MEGHAN

A quick, efficient knock at my bedroom door snapped me out of my reflection.  I was standing in front of the tall mirror in the corner, the late afternoon light of May flooding the chamber with its cheer and warmth.  It took me a while to remember what I had been thinking about.  Oh yes, the dress.  I simply could not stop staring at myself in it.  I was by no means a vain person, but the gown I wore now, my wedding gown, was unlike anything I had ever seen in my entire life.  Although clearly a garment of the Otherworld, this dress had been inspired by those found in both Eile and the mortal world.  The cobalt bodice was form-fitting and strapless, and sewn into the fabric were thousands of tiny, multi-faceted sapphires, their rich blue color burning like azure fire when I stepped into the light.  The skirt flared from my hips in elaborate folds and pleats; a waterfall of rich, vibrant ultramarine.  I swayed like a bell, grinning brightly as the priceless fabric rippled in perfect unison with my movements.

Danua had insisted on helping me choose a dress, since I had insisted on having the ceremony at Luathara Castle. The day before Cade and I left Erintara for home, she had dragged me to one shop after another, never pleased with any of the gowns the seamstresses brought forth.  I followed along as patiently as I could, claiming I didn’t care what dress I wore just as long as it fit me.  It wasn’t until the very end of the day when Danua spotted the sapphire silk and taffeta gown.  We had both gazed at it in stupefied wonder.  The seamstress had taken my measurements and promised my mother she would begin alterations right away.  Three weeks ago, the finished product had arrived at Luathara, and it fit like a glove.

Now, I stood entranced before my mirror, wondering how the odd girl from Arroyo Grande had become the elegant princess staring back at herself in stunned disbelief.  I reached up a hand and touched my jewelry, still expecting to awaken from this wonderful dream.  Diamond teardrop earrings hung from my earlobes, and a matching necklace adorned my throat, falling just below the torque Cade had given me back when I still lived in the mortal world.  My hair had been pinned up elegantly, and just the right amount of makeup brought some color to my pale face.

I blinked at my reflection, my Faelorehn eyes shifting from one color to the next.  I tried to get them to settle on a blue shade to go with my dress, but my nerves were too wired.  In less than an hour, I would be Mrs. Caedehn MacRoich, Lady of Castle Luathara.  During that hectic stretch of days, when Cade and I had traipsed about the countryside, spreading the word of our upcoming wedding, I didn’t have a nervous bone in my body.  Now that the day had finally arrived, I was ready to fall to pieces.

That insistent knock sounded again, pulling me from my reverie a second time.

“Come in,” I breathed, my voice weak and wistful.

The door cracked open, and someone wearing a dress in regal tones of silver and dove grey slipped inside.

“You look absolutely beautiful, Meghan.”

I jumped and whirled around.  My mother stood across the room regarding me with appreciative eyes.

“Danua,” I said, “Mother.”

I tried on a smile.  We hadn’t seen one another since Cade and I visited Erintara in mid-March, and I thought she looked a little more strained now than she had then.  Maybe she, too, was nervous about the upcoming ceremony.  I was her only daughter, after all.  Or, perhaps, it was something else.  Either way, I hoped she would take a break from being the Otherworld’s sovereign for one night and enjoy herself.

She started moving forward, her arms outstretched.  Knowing this was her way of showing affection, I took her hands and leaned in for a delicate hug.

When we broke apart, she stood regarding me for a while.

“Are you nervous?”

I nodded, then stopped myself.  The last thing I needed was for my hair to fall out.

“I just saw Cade,” Danua said, with a small smile.  “He is as jittery as a newly penned stallion.  But as handsome as ever.”

I beamed at her then.  It was good to know I wasn’t the only one about to lose control of my senses.  She indicated the bed, and we both walked over and sat down.

“I just wanted to come up here and see you before the ceremony begins.  To make sure there wasn’t anything you needed.”

I swallowed and shook my head.  “No, I’m fine.  Just a little anxious, but I’m hoping that will pass.”

Danua reached out and squeezed my arm in a motherly way, I suppose.  I couldn’t tell with her half the time.  She tried very hard to act the part of a loving mother, but she had groomed herself for so long to be the domineering queen that I think sometimes she struggled with the small stuff.  Nevertheless, I appreciated her efforts.

“And, I wanted to give you this.”

She reached into a deep pocket in her skirts and pulled out something silver dangling from a long glittery chain.

“Open your hand.”

I obeyed without question.  She lowered the item into my palm and withdrew her hands.  I gave her a quick look, but her expression was blank.  Curious, I considered the object.  It was oval in shape, and a beautiful Celtic knot work pattern was worked into its surface.

“What is it?” I asked, feeling a bit foolish and worried I might offend her.

“A locket.  I have a similar one,” she responded.

Danua reached up and pulled on a chain resting against her neck.  A silver oval, almost identical to mine, emerged from her bodice.

“Open it,” she insisted.

I did as I was told, carefully unsnapping the tiny clasp and letting the two halves of the locket swing open.  On one side, there was a tiny portrait of sorts.  It looked almost like a photograph, but it could have also been a very well done painting.  The image sat beneath a smooth piece of glass.  I ran my fingers over the cool surface and smiled.

“This is you,” I said, without looking up.

“I thought it might be nice for you to have my picture.  Look.”

I glanced up.  Danua had opened her locket as well and was showing me a picture of two people, one a young woman and the other a small boy.  Me and Aiden.

I shot my eyes up to hers, and she gave me a warm smile.  She had been trying those on of late.  I liked them much better than the frosty quirk of her mouth she often displayed for people she found particularly stupid or tiresome.

“I keep the people I hold most dear close to my heart,” she murmured, snapping the locket shut before I could get a closer look at the image on the opposite side.  She slipped the necklace back down the front of her bodice where it had been before.

Since I hadn’t finished examining my own locket, I dropped my eyes once more and tilted it to the side so I could get a better look at the picture opposite my mother’s.  I felt my forehead crease as I studied the unfamiliar face.  It was the image of a young man, a handsome young man with blond hair and fierce blue-green eyes whose corners tilted up ever so slightly.  There was something I recognized about him, a subtle familiarity that resided in his bone structure or in the way his hair fell across his forehead.  I studied his angular jaw line and felt my eyes widen a little in surprise when I noticed his ears.  Pointed at their tips, like one of the mythical elves in all the fantasy books I had read back in the mortal world.  I returned my scrutiny to his eyes, and that’s when it dawned upon me.

I shot my gaze up at my mother.  In a wistful voice I asked, “This is my father, isn’t it?”

She nodded.  “His name is Taerinth.  I don’t think I ever told you that.”

Her smile wasn’t entirely sad this time.  A hint of remembered happiness gathered around the edges of it and sparkled faintly in her eyes.

“Taerinth,” I said, trying it out.  I felt my own mouth curl into a grin.  I liked it.  “He looks like Aiden,” I added, as I studied his features more closely.  “I mean, they don’t have the same hair color, and his features are a little sharper, but I can see a resemblance.”

I took my index finger and traced his ear, laughing a little.  “Like an elf.  But Aiden and I have ears like the Faelorehn.”

I looked up at my mother, and she shook her head.  “That particular trait is recessive.  Only those who are of pure Fomorian blood will have pointed ears.”

For a few moments, I held my mother’s gaze.  There was something in the strength of her spirit, in the way her eyes didn’t falter, that made me realize something.

“You think he’s still alive, don’t you?” I asked, my voice a mere whisper.

Danua jerked her head once in a nod.  “I must not lose hope, Meghan.  I will never lose hope.”

There were a thousand more questions I wanted to ask her, all fluttering around in my mind like a cloud of butterflies, but I couldn’t grasp a single one.  Turns out they would have to wait because at that moment Enorah stepped into the room, not bothering to knock.  I snapped the locket shut and looped the chain over my head, being careful not to mess up my hair.

“Are you ready?” she breathed, eyeing my mother dubiously.

Enorah looked beautiful in her dress, the deep green color a perfect complement to her skin and golden-brown hair.  It was still difficult to grasp, though.  I was so used to seeing her in her forest huntress garb that I caught myself holding back a small snicker as she stepped farther into the room.  Either she was completely oblivious to my reaction, or she was ignoring me.  I would put my money on the latter.  I shook my head slightly and cast a sideways glance at my mother.

Taking a deep breath through my nose, I reached out and gave her hand a quick squeeze.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Danua turned to join the rest of the guests waiting outside on the terrace, but before she left the room, I took her hand once again.

“Thank you,” I said fervently, touching my fingers to the silver oval hanging from the chain around my neck, “for the locket.  I will treasure it.”

“I’m sorry your father cannot be here to walk you down the aisle, Meghan,” Danua said.  “He would be so proud of you.  I thought having his portrait, although it isn’t nearly the same, would help.”  She smiled, her eyes shining.  “But I guess in a way, he will be walking with you down the aisle.”

She reached out and brushed her fingers over the silver oval.

I was tempted to burst into tears, but I couldn’t.  I wanted to look my best for Cade and all our friends.  I could hold it together for a bit longer.

Danua left me with Enorah then, stepping through the doorway so she could head out onto the back terrace where Cade and all of our wedding guests awaited my arrival.

“Here,” Enorah said softly, handing me a beautiful bouquet of peach and deep blue colored flowers.

She reached out and clasped my free hand, tears glinting in her eyes as she smiled at me.  “I am so very happy, Meghan.  And it’s not even my wedding.”

I gave a slightly strangled laugh, still trying to fight back my own tears.

In the distance, I heard the musicians begin playing the beautiful melody heard at Otherworldly bonding ceremonies.  Enorah’s eyes grew huge, and her grip tightened.

“This is it!” she hissed, beaming.

I drew in a deep breath through my nose, praying to whatever gods or goddesses were listening that I wouldn’t trip over my own skirts.

We left the room behind and started walking, heading for the tall doors at the end of the hallway.  Birgit and her sisters waited there, the young girls clutching baskets full of blush and cream colored petals, the former in a beautiful butter colored dress.

“Oh, Meghan!” she exclaimed softly, pressing her hands to her cheeks, “You are so beautiful!”

I grinned, and blushed, trying very hard to keep hold of my nerves.  “Thank you, Birgit.”

She took her place behind her sisters, their heads swiveling back to catch glimpses of my dress, their eyes going wide at all the sapphires sewn into it.  Birgit kept snapping directions at them to be alert since their job was very important.

Enorah moved in front of me, giving me a smile and a wink.

I didn’t even notice the Dagda, dressed in his absolute best, until he stepped from the shadows of the circular alcove and reached out an elbow.  I blinked up at him to find his pale blue eyes alit with mirth.

“Well, Meghan girl, are you ready to forever bind yourself to that foster son of mine?”

His voice was raspy with emotion and, not for the first time that afternoon, I was ready to give in to my own.  Instead, I fought back the tears and said in as haughty a voice as I could muster, “I’ve been ready since the night he told me he loved me.”

The Dagda beamed and patted the hand I had clasped to his elbow.  “Aye, Lass, he is clearly getting the better end of the deal with you.”

He leaned down and kissed my cheek, then whispered in my ear, “And don’t you ever let him forget that.”

As we waited for the ushers to open the doors that spilled onto Luathara’s back terrace, my mind swept through so many memories at once, some from my childhood, some from my earlier teenage years.  Many of those recollections covered the time period from when I first met Cade up until this very afternoon.  I had regrets, of course I did.  Who went through life entirely free of regrets?  I didn’t think that was possible.  Right in that suspended moment, however, the only one that stood out was the fact that my mortal family and friends couldn’t be here to share this with me.  I gave a mental snort.  If that was the biggest regret I had, then I was truly blessed.

Without warning, the great oak doors swung open in smooth unison, and the golden light of afternoon flooded into the hallway.  I had to squint until my eyes adjusted, and then the splendor of the enchanted scene displayed before me took my breath away.  The stone terrace, stretching several yards until it met up with the hillside and its rushing waterfall, was decorated like a dream.  Trestle tables covered in clean linens and topped with floral arrangements in peach, pink, blue and ivory took up the back half of the patio, while pale wooden chairs adorned with great blue bows sat in neat rows in front of them.  Thin, white ropes fanned out from the corniced rooftop above like spider silk, the opposite ends tied neatly to posts set on the far edge of the terrace.  Tin lanterns punched with delicate Celtic designs housed unlit candles, and streams of gauzy fabric clung to makeshift columns set up along the edge of the terrace, the material reminding me of wispy clouds.

One of the musicians hit a flurry of happy notes on his or her flute, and Oriana and Wynne began walking down a path of dark blue material, scattering petals as they went.  Birgit soon followed, her attention almost entirely on her sisters.  And then, Enorah was casting me one last encouraging look before leaving me alone with the Dagda.  I took in a shaky breath and realized I was trembling.

“You’ve got this, Meghan,” he whispered, out of the side of his mouth as he took the first step, gently tugging me along.

He was right.  I had accomplished so much in my life so far.  I had defeated the Morrigan and lived to face another day, several in fact.  I could walk down the aisle and pledge my eternal life to Cade.  No problem.

“Look up, my dear girl!” he chuckled lightly.  “Look at your young man waiting for you.”

I did as he said, jerking my head up ... and my breath caught again.  The music faded away, the large gathering of guests with their bright smiles and colorful wedding clothes melting from my mind like sugar stirred into a cup of hot tea.  The beautiful decorations fled my vision, and the Dagda’s strong, supportive touch was gone.  Even Lugh, the golden god of the Celts, standing beneath the wedding arbor and waiting to perform the ceremony, and the dark, good-looking Bowen acting as Best Man, were not bold enough to stand out.  Suddenly, there was nothing else in the world but me and Cade.  He stood there, watching me.  Tall, strong, unshakable, exuding that familiar masculine pride and confidence I had come to expect from him.  Gone was the lingering aura of uncertainty and aggression he had carried around before the fall of the Morrigan.  Cade, the real Caedehn MacRoich, was burning bright this evening, and he was burning bright for me.

His hair was neatly slicked back, and he was clean shaven, his face a chiseled display of Faelorehn perfection.  He wore a fine cream colored shirt covered by a deep blue, close-fitting jacket which emphasized his athletic build.  The kilt he wore contained threads of green, gold, grey and a dark blue to match my dress.  A pair of polished black shoes and knee-length hose completed the outfit.  He looked like a Highland warrior out of one of the romance novels my mom sometimes read, and if he had been wearing this the night I met him, I probably would have followed him into the forest without a second thought.

Swallowing back my dumbstruck awe, I lifted my eyes to his and felt my knees go weak again.  His eyes never left my face, and his irises glimmered a brilliant green I had never seen in them before.

“Breathe, Meghan, we are almost there,” the Dagda encouraged.

I sucked in a breath, then another, and before I knew it, I was standing by Cade’s side.  The Dagda kissed my cheek once again and gave Cade a rib-crushing hug, then took his seat next to Danua.  I hadn’t even noticed her as I’d walked up the aisle.  She flashed me a brilliant smile, and I returned it.

Birgit and Enorah found their places to my left, and Cade took my right hand, lifting it to his mouth to give it a kiss.  An electric current seemed to course through me, and I felt my glamour swell in a rush of heat and power.  I searched his eyes and wondered if he, too, was fighting the urge to cry.  The thought made me smile.

Lugh quickly took over from there, introducing us to our guests and speaking about the joy and happiness brought about during a bonding ceremony.  I had a hard time following him.  I was far too conscious of Cade’s strong, warm fingers laced with mine.

“You stand before your loved ones, friends, family, fellow Faelorehn of the Otherworld and promise to bond your spirits, one to the other, for the remainder of your immortal lives.  Are you, Caedehn MacRoich and Meghan Elam, ready to pledge your love, loyalty and lives to one another before these people and the ever-present Spirit of Eile?”

Lugh eyed us both, his blue eyes flashing with serious intent and bright elation.

“Yes,” I rasped, the same moment Cade did.

“Then,” Lugh boomed, his voice strong and reassuring, “as one of the royal members of the Tuatha De Danann, and with the blessings of our queen, the mother of the bride, and the Dagda, foster father of the groom, I declare you both to be bound together and recognized as the new Lord and Lady MacRoich of Luathara.  You may now seal your binding with a kiss.”

Cade reached for me and pulled me forward before Lugh was even finished speaking, kissing me for several long seconds while our guests shouted and whistled their approval.  When Cade finally pulled away, he placed his hands at my waist and lifted me up, spinning me around to the continued cheers of the crowd.  We both laughed, and I pushed my fingers through his hair, burying my face in his neck.

The ceremony was quickly followed by a feast the likes of which Luathara had never seen.  Cade and I found our places at the head table and took turns feeding each other savory bits of roast beef and perfectly seasoned potatoes and vegetables, another masterpiece organized by the talented Melvina.  People ventured over to our table every now and then to wish us happiness and joy before returning to their own places, and I made it a point to speak a little with all of them.  By the time the plates were cleared, my face hurt from all the smiling, but I didn’t complain, nor did I care.

Darkness settled in, and some of the men and women moved the tables away while others lit the hanging lanterns and candles placed along the terrace wall.  The band regrouped in the corner and took up their instruments, signaling the start of the dancing portion of the night with a quick, spirited Celtic tune.  Bowen asked me to dance, and I gladly accepted as Cade joined hands with Birgit.  We spent the next several minutes switching partners or gathering together in a large group as we kicked up our heels to the rhythm of the music.  At some point in time, I joined forces with the Dagda while my mother accepted a dance from Cade.  I had to laugh at the sight of my new husband trying to lead Danua around without accidentally stepping on her toes.  I didn’t want to think of what she would do should that happen.

Finally, the musicians slowed their tempo, and Lugh called out for everyone to clear the dance floor.  Cade searched me out in the small crowd.  He offered me his hand, and I allowed him to pull me to the center of the patio.  As we enjoyed our first dance as a married couple, the rest of our guests gathered around, whispering and crooning in hushed tones.  I picked up some of their words, compliments on my dress and Cade’s kilt, joyful comments mentioning what a happy, handsome couple we made, a few sniffled phrases about how our wedding was such a nice close to all the hardship Eile had suffered through in the past several months.

Some of those gathered tried climbing onto the flower beds and the few remaining tables so they could get a better look at us.  Many of our friends and family realized that the best view could be achieved from the far edge of the patio where the stone met the hillside, and an even smaller number climbed over the barrier to make use of the trees and hill itself as viewing locations.  I didn’t care one bit whether they could see us or not.  I was far too happy and comfortable in the arms of my husband to be concerned about anyone else.

Cade leaned in and pressed his lips to mine, his kiss close and intimate.  When he drew away, it was just far enough to allow him to speak.

“Do you think you can, Meghan?” he asked, his voice husky.  “Love me for all eternity, that is?”

I gently nipped at his lower lip, reveling in the soft groan that escaped his throat at my act.  What a ridiculous question!

“Oh, for that long and much, much longer, Caedehn MacRoich.”

He hugged me close for several heartbeats, whispering endearments into my ear in the language of Eile.  When he stepped away from me, there was an entirely mischievous grin on his face.

“What?” I asked, suspicion rising in my own tone.

“Look.”  He indicated the wide terrace surrounding us.

I glanced over my shoulder and felt both my eyebrows rise.  The vast patio was entirely devoid of people.  Trestle tables, with their white linens flowing gently in the light breeze like skirts, stood empty.  The flames of the torches and assorted candelabra set in sconces and perched on the edges of the flowerbeds flickered from side to side, and the petals of the floral arrangements broke loose and tumbled away like pale blush and creamy white autumn leaves.

“Everyone’s gone!” I said, in surprise.

Had Cade and I been so absorbed in one another we’d completely missed the evacuation of our guests?  How much time had passed?

I turned to look at him and that rakish smile was still there.  I bit my lip, feeling myself go a little red.  Honestly, we had been living as husband and wife for months now, and here I was on my wedding night, behaving like this would be the first evening the two of us ever spent alone together.

Cade stepped farther away from me but took me by the hand.  “Come along,” he said softly.

I resisted at first.  “Where are we going?”

His green eyes flashed and then darkened.  “You’ll see.”

I continued to stare at him for a moment, trying to read his thoughts.

“Don’t you trust me?” he murmured, the tiniest flicker of hurt in his tone.

“Of course, I do,” I responded, “but you have that look on your face.”

Cade’s eyebrows lifted.  “What look?”

“The look that says you are up to something.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” he countered, that wicked light dancing in his irises again.

I narrowed my eyes, but I had already given in.  “Sometimes.”

“Well, since you are having such a hard time deciding whether you should trust me at the moment, I think it best I take charge and make the decision for you.”

Before I could respond to that, he reached down and scooped me up in his arms.  I gasped, breathless for more reasons than one, and smacked him on the shoulder.  There was laughter in my voice when I hissed, “Cade!”

He started toward the far end of the patio.

“Where are we going!?” I insisted again.

And once more, he didn’t answer.  When he veered toward the stairs that led down into the caverns, I felt my smile fade a little as I ducked away from the fine mist cast by the waterfall.

We entered the darkness of the caves, and my skin began to prickle against the damp cold.  For a few minutes we traveled, deeper and farther than we had ever gone before.

“Cade?!” I said, starting to worry, “Should I have gone back to our room to change?”  I didn’t want to ruin my beautiful dress.

“Hang on, Meghan,” he answered, yanking me close and pulling us both into a dolmarehn.

When we stepped out on the other side, I nearly gasped in shock.  A deep alcove, a little larger than the grand entrance hall at Luathara, loomed before us.  Smooth, dark rock rose on one side, a waterfall streaming over the stone and making it gleam like obsidian.  Tall, spindly birch and aspen trees stood in a thick grove to the left, their spade-shaped leaves fluttering in the gentle breeze like tiny, deep green wings against a dark sky.  Thin ropes, similar to the ones decorating the terrace behind Luathara, made a loose spider web pattern between the tree branches and the ledge where the waterfall began.  More soft, golden lights hung suspended from the ropes, making the alcove appear to be filled with warm, sparkling starlight.

I took a step forward and felt my foot sink a few inches.  I looked down and sighed in wonder.  The earth was carpeted with thick, spongy moss.  Wanting to feel it against my bare feet, I reached down and removed my shoes, reveling in the cool comfort of the natural floor.  In my opinion, walking over moss was as enjoyable as walking barefoot on the beach, if not more so.

“Oh, Cade, you have to try this!”

He laughed and complied, reaching down to remove his shoes and socks.  Once he had joined me, I gathered my senses enough to turn around and study the most interesting feature of all.  In the center of the moss field there rose four tall saplings, and between them was an enormous pile of down pillows and cushions.  Blankets and sheets in cream and gold tones lay piled neatly to the side, and between the small trees someone had strung wide streamers of sheer white fabric.  The combination of cushions and diaphanous curtains created a four-poster bed fit for a faerie king and queen.  It was the most beautiful setting I had laid my eyes upon.

“What is all this, Cade?” I breathed, coming to a stop so I could just take everything in without making myself dizzy.

“Do you like it?” he asked.

I nodded, unable to speak.

“It is my gift to you.  Our own secluded corner of the Weald, far away from all of our wedding guests.”  He moved in close to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pulling me back against his chest.  “Somewhere for us to be alone, if only for tonight.”

I leaned against him, still not speaking.  I just wanted to breathe in the beautiful perfumes of wild magic and enchanted forest surrounding me.  And that unmistakable scent that was unique to Cade and would forever bring me peace.

Sighing, I turned in his loose embrace and tilted my eyes up to his, wondering what I could have possibly done in my short life to deserve him.

He lifted a hand to my cheek, brushing his fingers over my skin in a tender caress.  “What is it?  What’s wrong?”

Oh, he knew me too well.

I huffed out a breath that was more laughter than anything else.  “Again, you have given me everything, and I have nothing for you in return.  This,” I indicated the enchanted alcove and the soft pile of pillows and blankets and ethereal lace draped along the oak limbs stretching over our bower, “is far more than I expected.”

“Oh, Meghan,” he said softly, in that tone he used when he thought I was being silly.  He clucked his tongue and shook his head slightly, smiling at me with his green eyes darkening to deep jade.  Cade bent down and pressed his lips to mine, gentle and with the ease of someone who knew he could take his time because he had forever ahead of him.  “When are you going to learn?” he continued, his mouth brushing against mine.  “I already have everything I could possibly want.”

I smiled, my guilt easing a little.  It was hard to regret my shortcomings with regards to gift-giving when he spoke to me in those tones.

“Oh?” I teased, “And what is that?”

Cade pushed his fingers through my hair, gently removing the pins and letting my dark curls fall free.  He moved one hand to the spot behind my shoulder, then trailed his fingers to the edge of the fabric of my dress and carefully started unhooking the clasps that ran down my back.  I gasped as he bent to kiss my neck, the heat of his mouth searing my skin and sending my glamour dancing.

“Your heart,” he murmured, getting the last hasp unhooked, so the top half of my dress fell to my waist.

Cade moved his hand and placed it over my heart, lifting his gaze back to mine.  His eyes were so dark, but they burned with an intensity I liked to think had only ever been seen by me.

“Your soul,” he continued, moving his hands to my hips and pushing my dress down even farther.

I didn’t like the feel of fabric against my bare skin, so I followed his lead, unbuttoning his jacket and then pulling the hem of his shirt from the waistband of his kilt.  Cade helped by stepping back an inch, so I could free him completely of his coat, then the shirt.

As soon as both were gone, I moved back toward him, eager to feel his hot skin against mine.  I could have stood there all night pressed against him like that, tracing my fingers over the ridges of his muscles and following the lines of his tattoos, but there was so much more to do, to feel, to enjoy.  This was by no means a new experience for the two of us, but there was something different about tonight: the low hum of magic surrounding us, the soft white and gold glow of fae lights, the gentle melody of flowing water, the wonderful fragrance of the Weald’s wildflowers in full bloom ... All those things added to the mood, of course, but the truth of it was, I had found my soul mate, my faeleahn, and we were sharing our first night together as a bonded couple, as husband and wife.

I grinned like an idiot as Cade, who had suddenly become single-minded in his actions, slid the rest of my dress down my legs, so it gathered around my feet like a sapphire pool of silk.  For a few moments, I stood there unashamed and glowing as Cade raked his eyes over me.  Never, in all my life, did I feel so beautiful except for when Cade looked at me like that.  I studied him in return, his face with its perfect, masculine lines, his green, changeable eyes, his dark chestnut hair, his well-conditioned arms and chest.  I let my eyes linger on the scars he had received throughout his life, taking extra care to admire his intricate tattoos as I had wanted to do only moments before. I even spent time regarding the one on his pectoral muscle that branded him as the Morrigan’s slave.  Former slave, I reminded myself.  He never had to be that person again.  I could have stood there and soaked in the sight of him in that kilt all night, but there was more I wanted to see.  So much more.

Stepping forward with a boldness I never knew I possessed before meeting this Faelorehn man, I reached out and loosened the clasps on his kilt.  Cade was just as eager as I was, helping me with the stubborn buttons until we were both completely free of any more restrictions, like two wild nymphs of the forest.

Cade moved quickly, bending to scoop me up into his arms.  I squealed and started laughing, trying to get him to put me down.  He complied, toppling us both over onto the pile of pillows below our makeshift bower.  I sighed when he settled his weight over me, stretching both our arms above my head.

“Well, Lady MacRoich,” he growled softly, “how shall we start the rest of our lives?”

He lay still above me, not moving an inch, while he waited for my reply.

Trying not to laugh and ruin the moment, I bit my lip and contemplated his question.  I could have answered that in a number of ways, but at the moment, I thought the less time we spent talking, the better.  After all, he had only guaranteed one night alone, and I was ready to make good use of what time we had left.

“How about like this?” I asked.

Cade waited for me to continue, his gaze growing puzzled when I didn’t respond right away.  I took advantage of his moment of uncertainty and moved, shoving against him just enough to push him over.  Now I leaned above him, his hands pinned back by mine, my hair falling in a curtain of dark curls.

“I believe,” I purred, pouring as much seduction into my voice as I could, “it’s my turn to take charge, don’t you think?”

I leaned down and kissed him, nipping his bottom lip on the way back up.  The fire in his eyes was enough to make my bones melt.  Without trying to free his arms, he looked up at me and gave a lazy smile.

“Now that, Lady MacRoich,” he practically crooned, his voice deep and sensual, “is a most marvelous idea.”

After that, the night blended into an endless series of one breathtaking sensation after another.  Cade and I were no longer two people with separate hearts, souls and spirits.  We molded our bodies together, fused our spirits and knitted our souls so completely, I wasn’t sure we would ever be able to move without the other being pulled along.  As the stars wheeled above our heads, we reveled in each other’s company, counting all of our blessings and vowing, again and again, that no matter what came our way down the road, we would face it together.

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to Monica Castagnasso, my editor, for all that you do to help polish my paragraphs, wax my words and streamline my sentences.  I would also like to thank my Faeleahn beta readers: Stephanie Brady, Katrina Curry, Becky Dillingham, Melanie Kucharik, Jodi Moore and Kim Nidiffer, for always making time in your busy schedules to give me important feedback regarding my novels and novellas.  And, as always, a resounding Thank You to my readers.  Without your support I would not be where I am today.  May the wild Spirit of Eile always send blessings your way.

About the Author

Jenna Elizabeth Johnson grew up and still resides on the Central Coast of California, the very location that has become the set of her novel, Faelorehn, and the inspiration for her other series, The Legend of Oescienne.

Miss Johnson has a degree in Art Practice with an emphasis in Celtic Studies from the University of California at Berkeley.  She now draws much of her insight from the myths and legends of ancient Ireland to help set the theme for her books.

Besides writing and drawing, Miss Johnson enjoys reading, gardening, camping and hiking.  In her free time (the time not dedicated to writing), she also practices the art of long sword combat and traditional archery.

For contact information, visit the author’s website at:

www.jennaelizabethjohnson.com

Other books by this author:

The Legend of Oescienne Series

The Finding (Book One)

The Beginning (Book Two)

The Awakening (Book Three)

The Ascending (Book Four)

Tales of Oescienne - A Short Story Collection

*Read excerpts of these books here*

The Otherworld Series

Meghan’s POV

Faelorehn (Book One)

Dolmarehn (Book Two)

Luathara (Book Three)

Cade’s POV

Ehriad - A Novella of the Otherworld (Book Four)

Ghalien – A Novel of the Otherworld (Book Five)

Robyn’s POV

Lorehnin – A Novel of the Otherworld (Book Six)

Caelihn – A Novel of the Otherworld (Book Seven)

Meghan’s and Cade’s POV

Faeleahn - A Novella of the Otherworld (Book Eight)

Standalone Novel

Faeborne - A Novel of the Otherworld (Book Nine)

Aiden’s POV

Faebound - A Novella of the Otherworld (Book Ten)

The Morrigan’s POV

Faescorned - A Tale of the Otherworld (available in the Once Upon A Curse anthology)

*Read excerpts of these books here*

Connect with Me Online:

Twitter: @AuthorJEJohnson

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjejohnson

My Website: http://www.jennaelizabethjohnson.com/

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/authorjejohnson/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/authorjejohnson

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/authorjejohnson

*For news regarding book releases, giveaways and author appearances, be sure to sign up for my newsletter HERE*

Now read an excerpt from the first book in the Otherworld Trilogy, Faelorehn:

From Chapter Six – Encounter ...

Eventually the movie ended and our night came to a close.  Tully and Robyn were gone by midnight and I went straight to bed.  I remembered falling instantly to sleep and waking up on the dirty streets of Los Angeles.  Wonderful.  That annoying dream of my past again.  It was essentially the same as always, but something was different this time.  I looked down at my feet.  Yup, they were still bare, but for some reason the distance from my eyes to my toes seemed greater.  I held my hands out in front of me.  Not a child’s hands, but a young woman’s.  That was odd; I was always a toddler in this dream.  At least I had my pajamas on this time.

Suddenly, without warning, the scenery changed and I was standing in my back yard.  The moon was nearly full so its silver light cast long reaching shadows as it splintered through the silent trees.

I heard the near quiet huff of an exhaled breath and I glanced up from my self-examination.  A great white dog was standing on the edge of my backyard, his ears perked forward and his black eyes watching me.  He was as still as the night but somehow I knew he was beckoning me.  I moved toward him and he turned and descended down the steep slope that led into the swamp below.

I knew I should have stayed put, but it was only a dream and I had absolutely no control of myself.  I followed him without a second thought.

The leaves and branches crunched beneath my feet as I tried to keep up with the specter-like dog.  Thank goodness he was so huge or else I might have lost him.  Had it been a moonless night, he’d be easy to spot, but his pale color nearly blended in with the white pools of light.

He led me farther along a trail, one I was familiar with; the same one where I was chased by a pack of warty gnomes just the day before.  We walked for five or ten minutes, my spirit dog always staying twenty feet ahead and never looking back.  Finally, the slowly descending trail ended and the dog took a sudden left, cutting across the small land bridge that split the lowest part of the bog.  I followed him, eyeing the willows and oaks forming a dark, leafy bower overhead.

I ended up on the other side of the marsh, very close to the place where my friends and I had had our Samhain gathering the night before.  A tall mix of eucalyptus and oak trees spread off to my right and the other section of the swamp continued far into the distance.  Just off the main trail I spotted the small clearing where we had gathered.  In the center of the clearing sat the dog, right where our bonfire had been, waiting silently for me to approach.  I moved forward, my hand outstretched.  Even sitting down, his shoulders came up to my waist.

Just as I placed my hand on his scraggly head, I woke up.

I was standing, in my nightgown, in the middle of the swamp behind my house. At first I was confused.  Was this another part of my dream?  But the sharp itch of a mosquito taking advantage of my bare arm brought me to my senses.  I slapped the insect away, but my confusion was quickly being replaced by panic.  Did I really sleepwalk from my room down into the swamp?  I must have, how else could I have gotten here, barefoot, without a jacket, and standing upright no less?

I pulled my arms close to fight the chill and quickly darted my eyes from side to side.  There is nobody here, I told myself, stay calm Meghan.  But it didn’t help.  I tried to tell myself that the moonlight was bright enough to light my way home, and that the only thing in the swamp that I should fear were the mosquitoes.  Unfortunately, I had seen some weird things in this swamp during the last few days, and I had a feeling that it wouldn’t be any better at night.

I took a tentative step forward and felt the sharp bite of a stick.  Chewing my lip and cursing silently, I tried another, gentler step.

A low growling sound in the bushes behind me caught my attention.  I stiffened and felt my blood freeze.  It didn’t sound like any dog I’d ever heard and I knew that we occasionally got black bears in the swamp.  I tried hard to put that thought out of my mind.  Unfortunately, in order to do that my memory decided right then and there to conjure up the images of the gnomes again.  Would I be able to see them in the moonlight if they started coming after me?

The growling intensified and the snapping of twigs and rustle of leaves told me that there was more than one of whatever it was I was hearing.  I cursed for real this time, something I rarely did.  I glanced over my shoulder, back into the thick brush that lined the far edge of the wetlands.  That was when I completely lost it.  I knew animal eyes tended to glow orange or green if they were caught by your headlights or a flashlight, but only when the light hit them.  Within the dark bushes I spotted several pairs of eyes, glowing continuously in the strangest shade of violet I had ever seen.  I blinked to clear my eyes, hoping it was a result of my delirium from sleepwalking and the strange silvery light of the moon.  I was wrong, as usual.  There really were violet eyes staring back at me, at least five pairs.

Swallowing hard, I took a careful step backwards, seeking the soft, sandy trail that I had unconsciously followed down into the swamp.  If I could only get back onto that path at least my bare feet would have a fighting chance.  The animals noticed my movement and decided to leave their hiding places.  Oh, how I wished the moon wasn’t so bright.

The first one pushed its way past the undergrowth and stepped into the clearing.  I tried desperately to convince myself I was still dreaming.  I had to be; there was no way that what I was seeing was real.  A monstrous beast, black in color and about the same size as the white dog I had followed here, stood crouched before me.  The smell coming off it made my stomach turn, and that putrid odor mixed with the nervous fear that held tight to me made me nearly sick.  It was horrible, as if the corpse of some giant wolf had decided to rise from the dead.  From what I could see in the moonlight, great pieces of fur were missing and its muzzle looked almost skeletal.  I would have given anything to have those little warty goblins back instead of these things.

The corpse dog snarled and released a long, mournful bay, a sound that made my already icy skin prickle with goose bumps. Two more monsters joined it from the brush, then two more after that.  I was far too terrified to move and because of that they quickly had me surrounded, their violet eyes and rancid stench bringing me closer and closer to fainting.  I fought it with all my might, knowing that if I did faint, these zombie wolves would most likely tear me to shreds.

I was trapped, terrified, praying that I was simply having a nightmare and that I would wake from it at any second.  But the cold night air seeped into my skin and the gravel and twigs cut into my feet.  The rotting stench of the corpse dogs assaulted me and the eerie silvery light of the moon only enhanced the hollows between their ribs; outlined the ridges of their spines.  One of them opened its mouth and started panting, its throat glowing like a furnace, its breath pouring out in curls of black smoke.

I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around my body, even though I knew I should have been running or fighting.  I waited for them to launch themselves at me, wondering what was holding them back as they snarled and growled and glared at me, always moving in a slow circle.

A second passed, then another.  But I kept my eyes shut, muttering nonsense to myself and waiting to feel the dull pain of their teeth.

The time dragged on and suddenly there was another fierce howl, more alive than the dismal baying of the death hounds.  My eyes flew open of their own volition and there, fifty feet away, stood the great white hound from my childhood dream.  He threw his head back and howled again, then charged the mass of demons surrounding me.  The dogs turned and faced the new threat, snapping and growling and crying in that bone-deep, mournful way they’d done just minutes before.

I gasped as two of them leapt forward, biting into the white dog as he slammed into them with full force.  The three that still stood around me were distracted for the moment, so I took advantage and turned to run away, only to trip over a fallen log I hadn’t seen before.  I hit the ground hard, losing my breath and destroying any chance of escaping.

The corpse dogs not fighting with the white hound lunged.  I threw up my arm to protect my face, my heart racing faster than ever before, and screamed.  A great yelp cut through the air, followed by a crashing sound.  Then another yelp followed, and another.  I lowered my arm and sat up, then nearly fell back down in shock.

Someone was there in that clearing with me.  Someone tall and wearing what looked like a hooded trench coat.  As I sat in the dirt, my mind and my heart racing with everything that had happened that night, I watched my rescuer, hardly believing he was there.  Where had he come from?  Wasn’t he worried the dogs would attack him?

The monsters rose up from wherever they had been thrown, growling and looking angrier than before.  I realized that the man in the trench coat had somehow knocked them back.  How he had managed to do so, I couldn’t say.  The dogs had to weigh well over a hundred pounds and the man didn’t have so much as a stick to fend them off with.  Turns out, I didn’t have to wait much longer to learn about his methods.

One of the dogs lunged, the speed in which it did so impossible for any living thing to accomplish.  I shouted some unintelligible warning, but apparently it wasn’t necessary.  The man was ready for the attack, and just as quickly as the dog had moved, he swung his arms around and grabbed it, throwing it so hard against a nearby sapling that the tree broke in half.

I blinked and felt my jaw go slack.  There was no way any of this was real.  True, none of my visions or delusions had ever been this realistic, but this simply could not be happening in reality.  A dream, like I had told myself before, it was just a dream and all I had to do was wait for it to wear itself out and I would wake up, safe and sound in my own bed.

My superhuman savior quickly took care of the remaining dogs as I sat and played air hockey with my own conscience.  But before I knew it the demon dogs were gone and I was sitting alone in the middle of a clearing with a stranger who could move like a comic book hero.

The silence seemed strange, after all of the growling and yowling that had filled the air earlier.  The moon shone down just as brightly as before and a slight breeze rustled through the willows growing on the edge of the swamp.  I was too frightened and astounded to move, and I had no idea what to say.  The man stood fifteen feet from me, gazing off into the woods that spread out beyond the clearing.  He didn’t make a sound.  It wasn’t until I heard the soft panting behind me that I realized I had forgotten about the white hound who had led me here to begin with.

I turned to look at him, standing above me, his tongue lolling out.  I had never really gotten a good look at him before, in those dreams I had where he acted as a guardian of sorts to my very young self.  He was solid white, except for his ears.  I couldn’t tell their exact color in the moonlight, but my guess was that they were light brown or even rusty colored.  Or maybe that was blood from the fight.  Of course, upon further inspection, I saw no other dark marks on him.

The dog huffed out a breath and then lay down next to me.  I wanted to pet him, let him know I was thankful for his help, but some movement out of the corner of my eye distracted me.

The man in the trench coat had pulled his eyes away from the trees and moved closer.  I panicked, kicking at the ground in an attempt to scoot farther away, but the dog kept me still, looking at me with curious eyes.

“Who-who are you?” I asked.  My voice sounded weak and harsh.

The man didn’t answer, but dropped into a sudden crouch, his elbows resting on his knees.

I squeaked and pulled away, afraid he might be one of the crazy people my mom had thought lived down here.  What if he had a knife?  What if he was a serial killer?  All of a sudden, those zombie dogs didn’t seem so frightening after all.

The man sat back on his feet, then hunched his shoulders over.  His hood was still up and I couldn’t see his face, but something in his stance was familiar.

“Hobo Bob?” I blurted.

I immediately cringed.  I had never liked that nickname but that was the first inane thought that popped into my head, and honestly, I was a bit traumatized at the moment.  I had just sleepwalked into the woods in the middle of the night only to be attacked by monsters.  I think I was allowed a little slip of the brain for the next few hours.  Or days.

“Sorry, I mean,” I fumbled my words, worrying that I had offended the poor man.  What was he doing here?  Is this where he lived when he wasn’t perched on the outskirts of the school campus?  And furthermore, how on earth had he moved like that?  The homeless man who had been hanging out around my school for the past few weeks was old and arthritic.

I was surprised when the man laughed.  A light, easy sound that suggested youth.  “Is that the title you have awarded me?”

I started in surprise.  That wasn’t the voice of a crazy old man.  There was a strange accent to it, Irish or Scottish, and like his laughter, it was the voice of a much younger man.  I tried to remember if I had ever heard Hobo Bob speak before, but I couldn’t say for sure that I had.

And like the brilliant teenager that I was for the time being, my answer to him was a bland, “Huh?”

He laughed again, straightening up once more to his full height.  I glanced up and gaped.  He had to be close to six and a half feet tall, maybe taller.

“I often heard the spoken insults of the young people attending your school, but I never paid them much attention.”

It was at that moment he decided to lower the hood of his coat.  I felt my jaw drop again.  Luckily, he was glancing off to the side, so he didn’t notice my sudden gawking stupor.  From what light the full moon provided, I could gather that my rescuer was a very good looking young man and all the names of the boys Tully, Robyn and I had listed off earlier that night seemed like ugly ducklings in comparison.  His hair was dark and his face well-sculpted.  I couldn’t see the color of his eyes, but I could tell that they were dark, calculating even as he considered a stray stone on the ground beside his foot.

The light wind from earlier picked up once again and my body felt suddenly chilly.  I looked down, only to discover that my night gown was hiked practically up to my waist, showing off my pink, polka-dot underwear.  Flushing with embarrassment, I quickly pulled it down and wrapped my arms around my torso once again.  I suddenly felt very vulnerable.

My movements caught the young man’s attention and he glanced back at me.  His sudden gaze made me blush even more.  I hoped he couldn’t see my red face in the moonlight.

“Forgive me,” he said in a serious tone, “you must be very cold.”

Before I could so much as blink, he had unbuttoned his trench coat and had thrown it over my shoulders, pulling it closed in front of me.  His touch was light and careful, the opposite of what I had seen him do with those dogs.  Despite the awkwardness of the situation, I tried to study him a bit more now that he was closer, but all I could make out in the moonlight was what he was wearing: jeans, a designer t-shirt, and what looked like utility boots, the kind my dad often wore to work, the ones with steel toes.

After draping his coat over me, he backed away.  I caught a glimpse of something metallic around his neck, but it was only a glimpse.  I had no idea what it might be.  For a while, I simply breathed and enjoyed the warmth of his coat.  It smelled strange, not in a bad way, but like something vaguely familiar that I hadn’t smelled in years.  I read somewhere once that scent was one of the strongest senses in recalling memory, but for now I couldn’t place those memories.  I only wrinkled my nose, thinking of these woods after a rainstorm.

At some point in time I managed to find my voice again.  Clearing my throat, I said, “What were those things, those dogs?”

The young man grimaced and glanced off into the trees again.  “Cumorrig,” he answered, “hounds of the Morrigan.”

“What?”  The Morrigan?  Like the Celtic goddess Robyn had dressed as for Halloween?

He ignored my question.  “Most modern day folklorists would call them hellhounds.”

“Hellhounds?”  I’d heard of those before.  In one of my literature classes last year we had read some stories of mythology.  I vaguely remembered a mention of hellhounds but I couldn’t describe them.  Guess I didn’t really need to anymore.

I looked back up at the tall stranger, and feeling one of us needed to say something, I took a breath and said, “Thank you for helping me, and I am very grateful, but who exactly are you?”

He smiled, forcing the corners of his eyes to crinkle.  I had to look away.  Why couldn’t the boys at school be this attractive?  It might make their taunts more bearable.

“You were right in guessing who I was earlier,” he said, standing up once again.

I had to crane my neck to keep an eye on his face. Even though he had the charm of a well-versed movie star, there was no way I was going to trust him.  To wake up from a dream and find myself in the middle of the forest, surrounded by the living corpses of dogs, then to have him appear out of nowhere and chase them off with superhuman speed?  Yeah, that was normal.  Right.

He took a deep breath then ran both hands through his thick hair.  I watched him carefully, not sure what his next move would be.

“Meghan, I’m afraid we’ve met under unsavory circumstances.”

He glanced down at me with those dark eyes.  “Our first meeting wasn’t supposed to go this way.  Those hounds,” he paused and grimaced, “let’s just say it was my job to take care of them earlier, and they slipped past me.”

I blinked, feeling myself return to my previous stupor.  What was he talking about?  He knew about those horrible dogs?  It was his job to take care of them?  What did that mean?  And most importantly, how did he know my name?

I felt ill, as if I were going to throw up.  I tried to stand, letting the trench coat slip off of me.  All of a sudden it felt like a net meant to trap me like a bird.

“Meghan,” he said, reaching out.

But I cringed away from him, and offered him his coat with a shaky hand.

“Thank you again, but I really should get back home.”

“Not on your own Meghan, not with those hounds still lurking around these trees somewhere.”

His voice had deepened and that only made my stomach churn more.

“Please,” I whispered, feeling the first prickle of tears at the corners of my eyes, “please, I just want to get home.”

Suddenly he stiffened and his gaze intensified.  “You are afraid of me.”

It was a statement, not a question.  I knew I was doomed then.  Wasn’t it true that if a victim revealed to her attacker just how terrified she was, then she had already lost the game?  Sure, he had chased off those dogs, but maybe only to keep me whole so he could take me off to some bomb shelter somewhere to torture me slowly.  I shivered both from the return of the autumn cold and from the knowledge that I was completely at his mercy at this point.

The man merely sighed deeply and said, “I fouled this up completely, but I’ll make it up to you somehow.  Right now, however, I think it is best if you forget most of this.”

He held up his right arm, palm out, as if he was planning to hit me with some kung fu move.

“What are you doing?” The panic in my voice matched the racing of my heart.

“Tomorrow, this will seem like a dream, but in a week’s time I will send Fergus to you.  Follow him, and I will introduce myself properly, at a more reasonable time of day.  Then I’ll explain everything.”

I stared at his hand as he moved closer, wondering if I should try and fight him off if he reached for me.  My mind seemed to grow fuzzy, my vision blurred.

Just before I passed out, I managed a barely audible, “Who are you?”

“You can call me Cade, but you won’t remember this, so it doesn’t matter.”

And then I was swallowed by darkness.