Scars (Map of Scars Book 1)

by A. S. Koutso

  “But Cillian, it’s the curse that is forcing you to love me. Don’t you see that?”

  “No, I loved you long before I was cursed, and I will love you long after we break it.”

  “One thing doesn’t make sense to me. A new Fae soul hasn’t been created in well over three hundred years, so why did they choose to induct yours?”

  “I can’t remember everything that has happened, but I do recall you begging your mother for my salvation. Unable to break the curse she thought of the next best thing.”

  “Recreate your soul as Fae. That is something she would do.”

  He smiled at me with his cheeks still pink from crying.

  “I am free Aisling. You see that now, don’t you?”

  I smiled back

  “It’s Ash now, remember?”

  A tear rolled down his cheek and he collapsed on top of me.

  Hours passed but it felt like minutes. Peace cloaked my soul, but I knew it would not last. The war was not won, and I still had Orla to deal with. A thought occurred to me.

  “The king is your father.” I shouted, jumping up from my bed.

  “Yes.” He muttered, lying beside me half asleep.

  “Cillian get up. We need to hurry, he is in danger.”

  “My sister is away in chains Ash, my father will be fine.”

  “Orla is not your sister, her father is Odhran. Where do you think she got the malicious intent against the Fae, he raised her under the control of the church. Odhran is in the castle with the king.”

  My words sank in and he hopped out of bed.

  “Quickly, you need to see the doctor.”

  “My wings can wait.” I responded

  “No, we will need them to get back to Dunamase.”

  I put on the robe that was hanging on the bed post and ran out of the room. Finding the man that was once strapped to a chair half naked now cooking in his kitchen.

  “I see you’re feeling better.” He said without turning to me.

  “I am yes, thank you for saving me.”

  “You saved me first. I should be thanking you.”

  “I’m sorry that I put you in this situation, but once again I need your help.”

  “They can fell your presence. Do you not feel theirs?” he asked still staring into the pot above the fire.

  “I do.”

  “Then go get them. They have been waiting a very long time.”

  “Will you be able to reattach them?”

  He chuckled and turned to me

  “A fairies wings will always come back to them. Go on then, bring them to me and I will show you how to mend your broken bone.” He smiled, pointing toward a door.

  I opened it to find stairs leading to a cellar. It was dark so I took the lantern that hung next to the entrance. I snapped my fingers to create the spark, a flame engulfed the wick lighting the path a head of me.

  There were shelves along the walls hold jars and liquid and body parts. I followed the scent of my wings to what looked like two dried up bones, the energy radiating from them was purple and white. They had to be mine. I brought them up to the doctor and place them on the table beside him.

  “This will be painful. Once you speak the words there will be no going back. Are you sure you have the energy?”

  “I don’t have a choice, please just tell me what to do.”

  “Alright then, its simple. Your mother had me take these from you so all you must do is tell her you’re ready for them. Repeat after me,

  In the name of my mother, the creator of the Fairies. Goddess Danu hear my plea. Make me whole again, return to me what you had once taken. I am ready to accept your gift.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Yes, but remember it will hurt.”

  Cillian entered the room behind me, I turned to see him smiling back at me. I know I had to save the king, painful or not it had to be done.

  I took a deep breath and recited the words.

  “In the name of my mother, the creator of the Fairies. Goddess Danu hear my plea. Make me whole again, return to me what you had once taken. I am ready to accept your gift.”

  A voice echoed in my head

  “Welcome back my Aisling”

  The scars on my back tore open, the bones on the table began to glow and deep red.

  Cillian rushed to my side, supporting me as my legs grew weak. My body arched forward in agony, I screamed in terror as my skin ripped open, pushing my bones out of my back. As I twisted in pain the doctor ran over to hold me still.

  “Please child, stay calm. Your bones need to reattach straight or you will never be able to fly.”

  I looked up at him in hatred, I knew the only way I could bear this pain is to allow my body to be taken over by rage. Thoughts of Orla flashed in my mind. My vines crawled up my cheek and down my arm. Gaining ten times the strength I stood up straight. Cillian held my hand as I gripped tightly, pushing my nails down into him. I saw the bones on the table start to rise. I knew what came next would be more excruciating than before, so I closed my eyes in anticipation. With a deep breath I felt the bones in my back grow, a cracking sound resonated through the room. Shivers crawled down my spine and the bones meld. Hoping the pain was over I released Cillian’s hand, I looked back at the doctor as he shook his head.

  “Sit child.” He whispered

  Before I had the chance, my body fell to the ground. Lying face first on the wooden floor I twisted and turned as my wings grew. The small bones that I brought up from the cellar grew into large wings.

  Long feathers sprouted from the skin. The pain stopped abruptly, and the doctor rushed to examine me.

  “Is it done?” Cillian shouted at the man

  “I believe so.”

  “You believe? That pain would have killed her had she not been blessed with laoch.”

  “The goddess knew she could handle it. Had her wings been taken in Tír na nÓg there would have been no pain when they were reattached, but that was not the case. She was born here so we had no choice.”

  I mumbled into the floorboards.

  “What was that?” Cillian asked

  I turned my head to the side.

  “Get me up.” I repeated

  He jumped up and helped me stand.

  Brushing the hair from my face, I spread my wings to make sure I had full control. My body shivered in response, still not used to the wind under my feather.

  “So, who were my parents then?” I asked the doctor still staring behind me at the beautiful white and gold feathers.

  “They were killed by the church on the day of your birth, you were brought to me by the banshee who predicted your parents’ demise. I believe they too were fairies.”

  “And Cara?” I asked

  “She picked you up after the surgery, the elders sent her here.”

  I looked at him with suspicion.

  “Your human. Why help us?”

  “My wife is Fae, she stayed back after the war to help the injured who couldn’t make it to Tír na nÓg. When we met, she was living alone sick and secluded in the forest. I brought her back here and treated her illness, she taught me a lot of different healing techniques.”

  “And where is she now?”

  “She moved back into the forest when she was fully recovered, however I go up to see her when I can. She has lived a long and lonely life and prefers to not interact with humans.”

  “And the Tuatha de Danann allowed this?”

  “It was a fight, but once they saw how helpful I could be they started to trust me.”

  “Why live in a town ruled by the church?” I continued my interrogation.

  “I can’t leave. If anyone finds her, they will report her to the church. I need to stay here and keep them away from that part of the forest.”

  “And how do you do that?”

  “I have spread rumours of a diseased plant that will poison who ever goes near it.”

  “I see.”

  Cillian grabbed my hand.
<
br />   “We need to get going. I know you are weak, but we must make our way back to Laois. We will ride for while then once you have your strength back you can fly ahead.” He whispered in my ear

  I nodded in agreeance.

  “You can take my horse.” The doctor said, clearly eavesdropping on our conversation.

  “Are you sure?” I asked

  “Yes, but please send him home when you are ready to fly. He knows his way back.”

  We made our way to the stable behind his house. I placed a blanket on the horses back and Cillian helped me on.

  “I will fetch my horse and meet you in the front of the town. Please stick to the forest, if anyone sees your wings, they will send guards after you.” He explained walking toward the front of the house.

  Grabbing his black mane, I kicked the horse gently on the side, and into the forest we went. Exhausted I tried my best to keep my body on the galloping horse.

  “You sure you can ride?” Cillian asked meeting me at the entrance of town.

  “No, but I’ll manage.” I replied with a wink.

  He shook his head and kicked his horse. I followed close behind.

  Hours had passed but I could feel my body falling.

  “I need to rest.” I shouted over the wind

  We stopped moments later in a clearing.

  “I’ll fetch some water and something to eat.” He said dismounting

  I slid off the side of my horse and leaned against a tree

  “I’m sorry, I really need to sleep a bit. I’m physically and mentally exhausted.”

  He said nothing, instead responded with a simple smile. I placed my bag next to me and lied my head down. Within seconds I was asleep.

  I woke to the sound of heavy breathing and a sloppy wet tongue chewing at my hair. Cillian at my side still fast asleep, I did not want to wake him, but my mouth was dry. I needed water. His arms wrapped tightly around me; I lifted his fingers one by one. He began to whimper in his sleep.

  “Don’t go.” He mumbled

  I kissed his forehead and replaced my body with my bag. He pulled it into his chest cuddling it with a smile. I looked around to see if he had brought back some water and sure enough there was a jug filled on the boulder where his horse stood. I took a sip and grabbed an apple. Clearly the horse was hungry if he was eating my hair, so I held out my hand and he wrapped his tongue around the fruit. I pet his head as he chewed his food. What a gentle giant I thought to myself.

  Trying to be as quiet as possible I walked into the forest to hunt for supper. Forgetting about my new extensions, my wings got tangled in the tree branches. The ruffling woke Cillian.

  “And where are you off too?” He asked stretching out his arms

  “I wanted to get some food on the fire, so that when you woke, we could eat.”

  “Well luckily for you I’m up and it just so happens I already thought of that.” He said coming to my aid

  He untangled my wings and brought me deeper into the woods where he had set a trap. He caught a rabbit; I took my dagger out and prepared it for the fire.

  “I’ll get some wood.” He said, as we walked back to the camp.

  Making our separate ways bothered me. I finally got him back and could not lose him again, I hope this feeling never goes away.

  We finished eating and decided to continue to Laois.

  “We will ride for a little while longer, I’m feeling much better but don’t want to be drained from flying by the time I get to the castle. Who knows what we will be waiting for?” I explained

  “You haven’t flown in a long time, maybe you should practice before taking on a long journey.” He suggested

  “I’ve flown recently, don’t worry about that.”

  “How?” He asked confused

  “In my dreams.” I said pulling myself onto the black beast

  “I was able to take control of my old body a couple of times.”

  “Good, that means your gaining your strength.”

  “While we were “hiding” from you, we stopped in the Slieve bloom mountains to train.”

  “So that’s where you were all this time.”

  “Yes, and even though Orla tried to kill me, she was a really good teacher. The king taught her well.”

  “I still don’t understand her motives behind training you, she could have simply killed you while you were sleeping.”

  “I haven’t figured that one out myself, but speaking of Orla.” I said looking over at him

  “Where is she?”

  He giggled

  “Still in the doctor’s cellar. Tied up. He told me he will look after her until I get back.”

  I smacked my face

  “This poor man, he has done so much to help us, and you leave him with the woman that tried to kill him.” I chuckled in response, shaking my head.

  “I’m sure once this is all over, he will be happy to finally be able to live in peace with his wife.”

  I looked over at him knowing it was not the doctor he was talking about. I tapped the side of my horse and clicked my cheek. A trot turned to a gallop, the wind hit my feathers and sent chills down my spine forcing me to tuck my wings in closer, I leaned forward to gain speed. Looking back to see Cillian still far behind I let out a laugh. I shouldn’t be relaxed just yet; we still have a lot of work ahead of us but for once in this life I felt free.

  Chapter 19

  Strands of his hair hung down tickling my face, his piercing green eyes glistened in the firelight. The smell of burning wood and fallen leaves emanated from his skin. His soft lips turned from passion to lust with each kiss. I felt every muscle in his body grow tense as I slid my hand down his leg. He pulled up to look at me, my eyes closed but I could feel his gaze, I sat up beneath him.

  “Should I stop?” I asked pulling my hand back

  He grabbed it in response, without a word placing it back onto his now firm appendage. He moaned, laying his head on my shoulder

  I could feel his heart racing as I tightened my fingers, pulling up slowly I felt a liquid drip down my hand. I lay my body under his, waiting in anticipation. My wings spread out beneath me. He poured his body into mine with a single thrust. Ecstasy took over, Cillian’s hands slid onto my breasts and squeezed firmly at my nipples. I grew hungry, yearning for more.

  I opened my eyes to watch him, our gaze met, and he continued to lunge his now pulsating shaft into me. My wings fluttered and my script began to activate.

  The wind around us blew harder with every thrust, the vines crept up my cheek, and I could feel a pool of moisture fill inside. The closer I grew to climaxing the harder the winds howled. His hands gripped tightly around my thighs, closing his eyes he pushed harder. I could feel his body release as he fell limp on top of me. The winds quieted and my vines began to disappear.

  We lied in silence, his body still on top of mine. Our hearts slowed and his breathing calmed. I couldn’t help but think how much I loved him; it had been a lifetime since we were together, yet it felt like yesterday. My memories had not fully returned and somehow that didn’t bother me as I knew he was the only one I cared about.

  He rolled over and pulled the blanket from his bag, placing it on top of me.

  “You’ll catch a cold.” He muttered, walking off toward the woods behind us.

  “Where are you going?” I asked turning onto my stomach, watching him leave.

  “We need more wood; don’t worry I’ll be right back.” He said with a smile

  Moments later he returned with enough wood to last us days.

  “I think I got carried away.” He chuckled placing the logs beside the dying fire.

  I shook my head and pat the ground beside me, he restarted the fire then joined me.

  “Are you alright” He asked without making eye contact

  “Why would you ask that?”

  “Your script activated; I just want to make sure I didn’t hurt you.” He replied still staring off into the fire

  I giggled in
response and placed my head on his shoulder.

  “It was quite the opposite actually.”

  A sigh slid through his lips, he turned to me with a smile.

  “We should get some sleep then.”

  I nodded and lied back down.

  Morning came quicker than expected, the birds were chirping before the sunrise. Cillian was still asleep beside me, I wanted to let him rest but today was too important to have a late start. I got up and dressed myself. Luckily, the doctor took my blouse to the local tailor while I was recovering. It was practically brand new. I brought the horses some food and water then decided it was time to send mine home, I was finally strong enough to fly. I went over to wake him up but was surprised when he pulled me down on top of him.

  He smiled at me and started frantically kissing my face.

  “Stop it!” I giggled, trying to escape his grasp

  He released me and I got up.

  “Come on, it’s time to get going.”

  “You’re no fun this morning.” He pouted

  “We can have more fun tonight, after we save your father.”

  He jumped up to look for the horses.

  “Are you sure?” He asked surprised

  “Today is as good as any, and the faster we get there the safer he will be. Who knows if Odhran has already figured out what’s going on?”

  “True.” He said pulling his shirt over his bare chest.

  “I will meet you at the servant’s entrance. I’ll try and get some information on the kings so called advisor before you get there.” I said strapping my dagger to my leg.

  I spread my wings and picked up my sword.

  “Can you bring this for me? I don’t think I’ll need it and it will only slow me down.”

  “Sure, but please be safe.” He said grabbing my blade

  I nodded and took off.

  While soaring high above the clouds I calculated his estimated arrival, we had camped out on the Laois side of the mountains so it should only take him a few hours to get back to the castle. In that time, I will try and find where Odhran is and if possible, warn the king.