Archdruid

by Tiffany Shand

  “Ann?” Xander appeared in a flash of light. “What are you doing?”

  “Xander.” She pulled away from Ed and tried to hug her brother, but her arms passed through him. “Xander, you need to tell me what Urien is planning.”

  “Have you found a way to unbind us?”

  Ann shook her head. “No. Tell me how Urien is breaking through the veil. What’s he doing?”

  “Ann, you need to unbind us. It’s the only way to stop him.”

  “I’m not going to kill you,” she snapped.

  Xander sighed. “He uses magic—power and spells I’ve never seen before. He’s planned something. A meeting of all the leaders from most of the five lands. It’s something big, but he blocks me out to prevent me knowing what. Whatever it is will take place then.”

  “Think, you must have seen him pierce through the veil. Is he going to kill all the leaders?”

  Xander’s form flickered.

  “No, you can’t go.” Ann’s hand flared with power as she tried to grab hold of his spirit.

  “Unbind us. It’s the only way.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Urien.”

  He laughed. “Didn’t think I’d let our traitorous little brother help you so easily, did you, sister? I’ll never give up Xander’s body.” He glared at Edward. “Not unless you give me my own body back.” He vanished in a flash of light.

  Chapter 16

  Ed opened his eyes and found himself back in the temple. His head throbbed, no doubt from being dragged to the other side along with Ann. He looked down to see Ann’s head still resting on his lap. Her eyes were still closed, and he couldn’t hear her heartbeat. “Ann? Ann, wake up.”

  She didn’t respond.

  “Ann.” Ed shook her harder this time. “Wake up.”

  Damn it, had Urien done something to her? His heart pounded in his ears. He had always feared one day she wouldn’t wake up, and the spell meant to protect her from death would no longer work.

  She’d told him to call Ceara if she didn’t wake up, but that would take too long. Checking her neck, he felt no sign of a pulse, nor could he hear her heartbeat.

  Ed opened her mouth and breathed air into her, pressing on her chest to try and get her heart to start working again. “Come on, breathe. I’m not losing you to him.”

  After a few moments, Ann coughed and opened her eyes.

  “Let’s not cross over again any time soon.” Ed slumped back against the wall.

  Ann clutched her head. “Urien used magic to try and trap me there.” She glanced around. “How did you know how to revive me?”

  “I’ve learnt a few things from the Gliss.” He didn’t elaborate on that. All past experiences with the Gliss were best forgotten.

  She sighed as she sat up. “I’m still no closer to finding that vault.” She pushed her hair off her face. “Bugger, for a moment I thought I’d glimpsed it earlier.”

  “I don’t think you should contact Xander again. We have no way of knowing if it’s him or Urien.”

  “But Xander is still alive. He’s trapped in there.” She picked up her coat and wrapped it around herself. “So much for getting answers.”

  “Who says we can’t get more answers? Cast the spell again. If I can find out what that thing was, maybe we can figure out what Urien’s next move is.”

  Ann hesitated. “You’ve just passed over, a spell—”

  “I’ll be fine. The beast makes me stronger.” He lay down, struggling to get into a comfortable position as the cold floor seeped into his back.

  “You are too stubborn for your own good, you big lug.” She smiled down at him, placing her hands on the side of his head.

  Ann said the familiar words of the incantation.

  Let me go deeper, he thought. Come on, beast, you can help me remember.

  The magic dragged him under, and he found himself back surrounded by the blue trees. The air smelled crisp and fresh, the scents of grass and flowers filling his lungs.

  This again.

  Ann appeared beside him. “I’ve never seen trees like these before,” she said. “We must be somewhere in Asral, or maybe Lulrien.”

  Parts of those lands had been cut off for centuries. Years of war had destroyed parts of the continent of Almara and left them cut off. Legend stated those lands had been left uninhabitable, much like the wasteland between Asral and Vala.

  Yet here they appeared in his memory. Why do I keep coming back here? Why is this place so important?

  “This place must be important,” Ann mused. “Perhaps you used to live near here, or it was somewhere you came to regularly.”

  “I’m not going to even ask how you heard that,” he said.

  “We’re connected by the spell, silly.” She gave him a nudge.

  “Right, then how did I end up being dragged over to the other side with you?” Ed raised a brow.

  She shrugged. “You and I have a bond after everything we’ve been through. I’m the one who found you when you washed up on Trin.”

  Yes, they did have a bond that went much deeper than mere friendship. He knew her better than he knew himself at times.

  “Nothing is happening,” he observed.

  “You’re still trying too hard.” She smirked.

  Ed rolled his eyes. “Why did I forget all this? It makes no sense. I was old enough to have memories when I landed on Trin.”

  “Could be trauma from almost drowning, or maybe something bad happened to you,” Ann said. “It’s hard for the mind to keep reliving bad things. Believe me, I know.”

  “Yeah, but you dealt with it.” He squeezed her hand.

  The trees blurred as he moved through the woods. The image of them became less focused, and he could no longer smell the scents he had before.

  What was that thing that chased me? Come on, I need to remember.

  “Relax,” Ann said. “Close your eyes.”

  “We’re inside my mind. What good will that do here?”

  “Just do it, you big lug.”

  He did so. Images flashed in front of him. People and faces that felt familiar, yet he had no recollection of who they were, or how they were related to him. Who were they? His brow creased in concentration. The harder he tried to focus on the faces, the dimmer the images became. “I used to play here and climbed trees. The beast…” Ed frowned. “It was part of me. It doesn’t feel like a separate entity.”

  “Did you have any family?”

  Ed shook his head. “I don’t think so.” Every time he thought of family, images of Flo, Ann, Jax, and the rest of the Black came to mind.

  “Okay, maybe you’re focusing on too many things at once. Just focus on the events before you jumped into the sea,” she suggested. “What were you running from?”

  Ed found himself back running through the forest. Branches caught at his shirt and trousers.

  Light blurred behind, he could almost make out the silhouette of a person but couldn’t make out if they were male or female.

  “Why are they chasing you?”

  Ed’s brow creased in confusion.

  Ann? Ed? Jax’s voice echoed around them. Ann, we need you.

  Ed opened his eyes and pulled himself away from the memory. What’s wrong, Jax?

  There are Gliss on their way to the village. Did you find what you were looking for?

  Not exactly, he replied.

  We’re on our way, Ann said, scrambling up and grabbing her coat. She yanked it back on.

  “I can get us back there faster if I carry you,” Ed suggested.

  “Alright.” She wrapped her arms around his neck as he picked her up.

  They reappeared back at the village a few moments later. “Whoa, I think I preferred that more when I had a concussion.” Ann swayed a little as he set her down on her feet. “I don’t see Urien or Xander here.”

  “Since when does he ever fight his own battles?” Ed spotted a Gliss coming toward them. He pulled Ann out of the way as a throwing knife came at them.


  Ann drew her own knives. And so the fun begins.

  Ed felt his beast at the edge of his mind, clawing to get out and take control.

  Ed snarled as a Gliss lunged at him. When will they ever learn? He blocked the Gliss’s blow and sent her flying as the beast took over. All at once, the world around him changed. Everything seemed to become brighter, louder, more vivid than before.

  Another Gliss threw a knife. It hissed through the air. Ed dodged it before it had a chance to come near him.

  The other druid warriors all stood trying to fight off more Gliss as they came swarming through.

  Jax appeared, swinging his staff and slicing into two Gliss as they came at him.

  Ed growled as a Gliss jumped him from behind, prodding a metal rod into his neck. Static jolted through him, the pain barely registered. He spun around, grabbed the weapon, and crushed it as his fingers curled around it.

  Ed, keep one of them alive for me, Ann called.

  He turned to stare at her in disbelief. The Gliss took the advantage of the distraction and jabbed the rod against the side of his head.

  Ed fell to his knees as pain tore through his skull. It made his head feel like it would explode.

  Ann ran over, spun and kicked the Gliss, sending the other woman stumbling.

  Ignoring the agony, Ed leapt up, grabbed the Gliss by the throat and snapped her neck.

  “Thanks,” he muttered. But why the fuck would you want to keep a Gliss alive? Isn’t having one Gliss supposedly on our side enough?

  Because— Ann got cut off as two Gliss lunged at them.

  Ed blocked the next blow and proceeded to kill the next Gliss who tried to put him down.

  The four of them fought together, taking each Gliss down one by one.

  Ed watched Ann knock down the last Gliss. “Keep this one alive,” she told them.

  The Gliss shot up, coming at Ann with a knife.

  Ceara threw her own knife, hitting the other Gliss in the throat.

  “I told you to keep her alive,” Ann snapped.

  “The only good Gliss is a dead one,” Ceara replied. “Why would you want one anyway?”

  “For information. We still don’t know where Urien’s meeting will be held.” Ann sighed and pushed her long hair off her face.

  “You’ll never be able to break a Gliss,” Ed pointed out.

  “I could,” Ceara retorted. “But it would take time. If you really want to get to Urien, there is another way of doing it.”

  Chapter 17

  Ann stood at the centre of the standing stones. Their power vibrated unharmed against her skin. Their energy still felt strong, but not strong as it could be. Every few decades, the archdruid had to reset their power. Darius had shown her how to do it, but she’d never attempted the spell before now. She’d never needed to.

  Strange. Back then, Ann had thought Darius would be around forever. She thought it would be years before she’d have to do this. But now Ann would have to reinforce the magic. It’d be the only way to ensure the druids’ survival.

  Ann took a deep breath then sensed someone coming toward her.

  Jerome.

  She turned around as he came over.

  “It’s good being back here, isn’t it?” he asked. “We’ve been so long without the power of the archdruid.”

  She flinched at that. “You know I won’t stay here forever. I never stay in one place too long. It’s safer that way.”

  “But you could be safe here. This is where you belong, Rhiannon.”

  Ann shook her head. “A lot has changed over the past few years,” she pointed out. “Rhiannon died that night, too.”

  “But why can’t you stay? You’d be safe here. With the stones and strength of our people…it would be enough to keep you and everyone here safe.” Jerome took her hand.

  It felt strange to hold hands with anyone except for Edward. She and Ed had been holding hands since they were children, so it felt natural with him.

  “Because I’m still accused of murdering my parents. I am a so-called traitor and wanted fugitive throughout the five lands. If I stay, people would only keep trying to come for me.” She pulled her hand away. “I’m sorry. Believe me, I wish things could be different.”

  “We could help keep you safe like your guards do. And like that Gliss.”

  She laughed. “Ed and Jax haven’t been my guards for a long time. They’re my friends.”

  “Edward is just a friend?”

  Ann frowned. “Why do you keep asking me that? I never understood why you never liked head. He’s a good man.”

  “He was with you almost all the time when we were a couple.”

  “That was his job as one of the Black.” She tapped her foot, impatient to get this conversation over with.

  “I guess I wanted you all to myself. I loved you very much. Those feelings have never gone away.”

  “Ed is my best friend, my partner. More than that. I doubt I would have got through the past few years without him,” Ann admitted. “There’s nothing romantic between us. Nor can I promise you a real relationship. My life is too complicated for that.”

  “Then I guess we’d better enjoy whatever time we have left together.”

  “While you’re here, maybe you can help me reinforce the power of the stones.” She held out her hand for him and he took it. Having the power of another druid with her would help.

  Energy sizzled between them as the power of his own earth affinity combined with her firepower.

  Ann chanted words of power, the spell that would restore the stones and replenish their strength. “Na clocha a athbhunú agus a neartú.”

  Light flared around the circle for a moment then vanished.

  Her frown deepened. “That’s not supposed to happen.”

  Why hadn’t it worked? Darius had made sure she learned the important spells by heart. She’d practiced them for days at a time.

  Darius had made this spell look easy. The last time he’d reinforced the stones’ power she’d been around him. It had been fifteen years since then, and their energy had remained strong.

  “I don’t understand why it wouldn’t work,” she said, more to herself than Jerome.

  Jerome wrapped an arm around her. “Maybe you need all of us. You should perform a circle tonight and you can reinforce the circle and your bond with our people.”

  “A circle?” Her eyes widened.

  Her father rarely performed circles with the other druids. He said he’d never seen the need. But then Darius had been different from other archdruids of the past. Far removed from the druid people.

  Ann had never performed a joint circle with other druids. Only ever with her father or close family members.

  Most druids preferred to cast their own circles alone.

  “Yes, it’s a perfect opportunity to do it. Tonight is the full moon, after all.” Jerome smiled. “Perhaps afterwards we can spend time together tonight.”

  “Maybe,” she agreed.

  “I think a circle is the perfect idea,” Sage remarked as Ann sat in Sage’s new house. It hadn’t taken Sage long to get her own lodging and make it home; they had only been in Trewa for a couple of weeks.

  “But I’ve never led a circle, and I’m not their—I’m not the archdruid they want me to be.” She sighed and sipped her tea. “Blaise has been their leader for years. I feel like an outsider.”

  “It’s going to take more than a few days to adjust to life here.” Sage patted her hand.

  “Jerome thinks I should stay here.”

  “Do you want to?” Sage poured herself some tea and sipped it.

  “I don’t know. I’ve moved around so much since my parents died.” She shook her head. “I guess I’ve grown used to it. Besides, how is staying a possibility? Nothing’s changed. I’m still a rogue—a fugitive. As are the others. I don’t want to put innocent lives at risk.”

  “If you restore the stones to their full strength, I don’t see why you couldn’t stay,” Sage repli
ed. “I’d be glad to have you, as would Blaise.”

  “I doubt that. He’s made his feelings clear.”

  “Give Blaise some time. He and Darius had a difficult relationship.”

  Ann sipped her tea, wishing for something stronger. The idea of settling and having a real home again still seemed impossible.

  “You should be careful with Jerome too,” Sage added.

  “Why? He hasn’t done anything to make me not trust him.” The thought of them spending the night together still made her stomach flutter.

  “I meant with his feelings. That man loved you.”

  Ann waved a hand. “We were only together a few weeks. Besides, I don’t believe in romance. How can you vow to love someone for the rest of your life?” She scoffed. “Nothing lasts forever. Certainly not romantic love.”

  “Flora and I were together for thirty years. I fell in love with her the moment I saw her.” Sage smiled, eyes glistening. “Sometimes things will be hard, and you have to fight for it. But love can and does last.” Sage brushed away a tear. “I meant you should be careful with Jerome because of Edward.”

  Ann rolled her eyes. “Why does everyone think we’re a couple? We’re not. He’s my partner, my person. Now that’s a love that will last forever. It has nothing to do with romance.” She gulped down the rest of her tea.

  “I know your father wasn’t faithful to anyone. You shouldn’t let that stop you from finding happiness.”

  “Sage, I don’t have time for romance. I have to save my brother and the five lands.” She stood up. “See you at the circle. I still don’t understand why the spell didn’t work.”

  “There can be many reasons why a spell doesn’t work. Usually it has to do with the one casting it.”

  “I accept my role as archdruid, even if I don’t like it. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t work.” She moved around the table and touched Sage’s shoulder. “See you later. No doubt you’ll be there to make sure I don’t screw up tonight.”

  Ann fumbled with her long white robe. Sage had somehow found one for her and insisted she wear it that night. The robe proved to be more of a dress, it had a long neckline and a black underskirt with slits that ran up to her thighs. It even had a hood—which was good, since she missed her coat. She felt naked and exposed in this outfit. Nothing like herself. The straps of her leather corset showed, so she pulled the dress up to cover them.