Keeper: Book 3 A Realms of the Otherworld Book (Realms of the Otherworld Book Series)

by Jana LaPelle

  Placing my fork on the table, I look at Ashlinn and everyone sitting around the table. Ashlinn nods for me to continue. “My Lord, we mean no disrespect-“

  “Unlike that wench that visited me just several days ago?! The Morrígan has lost her ever loving mind! It will be a cold day in the Underworld when I give up the location of my son’s burial chamber. I’m not sure what her plans are but they are wicked, and I will not have his final resting place desecrated.” At that moment Lugh slams his fist down on the table and stands, “I will not stand for it! My son was put through hell and back again before his death. I will see to it that he rests in peace!” Lugh begins to pace and Ashlinn, and I stand as a united front, all the while I see the storm clouds gaining momentum around us. I need to calm him but verifying his deepest fears is not what he needs. He needs a gentle hand, and I look down at Ashlinn and encourage her to do what she does best, and I stand back and watch her in action.

  Ashlinn steps forward and engages the angry god before us, “Lugh, you should know that I have the gift of sight. Please… come and sit with us and I will tell you what we saw, Alaric and myself, but I need you to calm down. Please? Please don’t wake the pups, okay? Now come and sit.” Ashlinn leads him back, and she sits beside him his hand in her own. He gives her a questioning look before calming and relaxing in his seat. Ashlinn leans forward and takes both his hands and says with tears in her eyes, “If I could stop this from happening, I would. What The Morrígan is planning will affect many. But it doesn’t work that way. What I have seen will come to pass. I have only seen a fragment of time, and in that fragment, The Morrígan finds Cú Chulainn’s resting place, and many will be sacrificed to bring Lainn back from the dead. The Morrígan will use blood majic, the blood from those bound to her, doomed to do her bidding, along with necromancers. I know that this is difficult to hear, but it’s your right as a parent to know what is going to happen in the very near future. She wants him to be her champion, to lead her army to victory to take over not just The Otherworld but The Mortal Realm as well.”

  Lugh shakes his head, “My Lainn would never bow down to her wishes.”

  Ashlinn leans in, gaining his attention, a sad smile on her face, “Lugh, Lainn has been imprisoned in The Underworld for a very long time. We can’t-“

  Lugh pushes away from the table again, “Why the hell do you believe that my Lainn has been in The Underworld? He was a hero, a prince among men, he-“

  “He was a tortured soul. He believed that he was responsible for his kindred’s death, how much more tortured can you get? Your foster father saw to that. Cú Chulainn didn’t just die on that battlefield; he gave up and in doing so, sealed his fate. He all but committed suicide and Lucifer welcomed him into The Underworld with open arms. Lugh, I can’t stop her from tearing a rift between The Realms when she takes Lainn from Lucifer’s clutches but I can, as the Keeper of Souls, once he is here in one of the mortal realms, offer him redemption. I can show him the way to the light, he never should have been sent to The Underworld, but his tortured soul could not see clearly, and he has been tortured ever since. I just need a few moments to persuade him to switch sides, to not allow that wicked witch to dictate what is right and what is wrong. She will bend him to her will, and I will wager that he will be confused. He will feel indebted, and his sense of right and wrong will be unbalanced. It won’t be his fault.” She concludes her eyes shimmering with tears as she clasps Lugh’s hands in her own, silently begging him to understand as she openly weeps before him.

  I intervene, “Ash, I will not have you this distraught. My Lord, do you doubt her sincerity? Do you doubt that we will do what is right when the time comes? We want what is best for all The Realms and if that means that Cú Chulainn will die again then so be it, but this time his soul will travel to The Overworld where he belongs, and in heaven, he will be tortured no more. He and his kindred will be reunited.”

  The terrace is quiet as Lugh digests all that he has been told. His features are grave before he surrenders to defeat. In a whisper, I can barely hear he utters, “It’s like I’m losing him all over again. I did everything I could, but in the end, it was never in my hands but his. You’re right. He gave up long before he walked out on that battlefield. Manannán broke him when he killed Fandra and placed the blame squarely on my son’s shoulders. He had no feelings for the lass, but he wanted my boy to pay for taking what he claimed as his own. I pray that neither of you have to endure the pain of losing a child. Not like that. He is my only son, my only child and I will have to watch him die not once but twice.” His harsh tone softens as he takes in Ashlinn and her tear-stained face. “Little one, the weight of The Realms falls on your slender shoulders. The Morrígan is in rare form these days, and she is gunning for you and your Guardians.”

  Ashlinn grimaces at the remark, and I place a hand on her shoulder, hoping to calm her turbulent thoughts and ask, “So Lugh, what side of this war will you back? Will you side with The Morrígan? Knowing that she intends to unnaturally raise Cú Chulainn from the Underworld using dark blood majic or will you side with the light?”

  Lugh looks from me to Ashlinn and asks, “You promise to do what you can to usher my son’s soul to The Overworld?”

  “Yes, Lugh, I promise, but like you said before, his fate will be his own to decide. He will be a pawn in The Morrígan’s plan to rule the realms of the living, and we can only pray that his time in The Underworld has not changed him fundamentally. If you side with us, you may be facing your son in battle. Are you prepared for that? I would certainly understand if that is not something you would consider.” Ashlinn stares directly at him as she waits expectantly for his answer. Her tears are long gone and she is all business now.

  “Ashlinn, as daunting as that sounds, you have my pledge to stand with you and your army against The Morrígan. Let’s turn her wicked intentions into a blessing for my son and save The Realms from the phantom queen and her dark dominion in the process.”

  Ashlinn’s smile is sad, and I wrap my arms around her, and we follow Lugh to the edge of the terrace as he looks out over the lands below him, and I speak my thoughts aloud, “Lugh, are you ready to leave your domain? It’s time that you give up your self-imposed seclusion. It’s time to join the rest of us in Faerie as we gather our forces together. Dagda will be happy to see you.”

  Ashlinn leans into me and says, “As beautiful as this view is and as lovely as your castle is, it must be lonely here. Come with us back to Glenndale Loch. Fenwick is welcome as well. There we can gather everyone together and discuss our plans moving forward.”

  Lugh nods, “You’re right, I can’t help Lainn if I’m holed up in this fortress. He has to see me. He has to see who his father is siding with. Maybe it will give him pause. It is early yet, you should head back to your children. Spend the day with them. Fenwick and I will make ready to meet you at Glenndale Loch this evening.”

  “We will be expecting you for our evening meal, and Lugh, thank you. We will do everything in our power to turn this unfortunate situation around.” He inclines his head and nods before walking back into the castle, Fenwick on his tail. Turning to our group of traveling companions I announce, “As fun as this trip has been, not to mention enlightening, I think it’s time to go home.”

  Chapter 18

  (Ashlinn)

  It didn’t take us long to get our things together and trace back to Glenndale Loch. Alaric and I, each with a fox pup in our arms. We decided to keep the twins little secret just between those of us that went into the Badlands for now. We alert everyone about the need to make the Keep ready for our guest this evening and by that time it’s close to noon, and the day is getting away from us. We not only need to get to the twins but we need to get Millie and Maith back from our Twilight Realm so that they can head up the preparations for this evenings meal, we want to ensure that Lugh feels welcome but not overwhelmed. As important as it is to welcome Lugh back into the realm, it’s more important to get to my children.


  Through our link I get Alaric’s attention, “It’s past time Elf-Man. Everything else can wait.”

  “You’re right, Millie and Maith can handle the rest of the preparations. Let’s go wake the twins.” Hand in hand we trace to the entrance hall of our home in The Twilight Realm, and we make our way upstairs. Khatar greets us with a nod and a smile and opens the door as we approach to allow us entrance to the nursery.

  I don’t miss the questioning look that crosses his features, and I say, “It’s a long story, Khatar. Thank you for being here for Lillie and Lachlan, we’ll take it from here.” I reach up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek, “It means the world to me that you were here for them.” I swear that my affectionate gesture has the dark elf blushing, but instead of a rosy hue to his cheeks, it’s more of a gray to his pale complexion. Khatar is quite the contrast of light and dark, but my favorite attribute of his, are those electric pale blue eyes that have an unnatural glow. Set in his pale face, they are quite stunning.

  “It was my pleasure, Ashlinn. You know we’ll do just about anything for those two wee bairns.”

  Nym is just inside the door, and I watch as he leans in and kisses the forehead of our two little treasures before standing and making his way toward Khatar, “Ashlinn, Alaric, they are just as you left them.”

  Alaric claps Nym on the back, “Thank you Nym, we knew that the two of you would keep them safe. If you would, we need for you and Khatar to find Millie and Maith and trace them back to the Keep. We have a very important visitor coming for our evening meal. No doubt our meal will turn into a strategizing session once Lugh arrives. He is the key to our next steps. We have much to plan for.”

  “We’re on it.”

  Nym and Khatar turn to make their way back down the hall, and we’re left alone with Lillie and Lachlan and the fox pups in our arms. Anxious to see my children we make our way over to the cradle where the two are sleeping, just like when we left them. Looking down at the pups they look back at us with knowing eyes, Alaric says, “It’s time to let go. Your dream-walk has come to an end, little ones. You are back where you need to be. So what do you say?” We both kiss the pups on the head and carefully place them in the cradle. We watch as they walk over to lie down and rest their furry little faces on the feet of our children and close their eyes as if they’re going to sleep.

  “Let’s wake them up, Ash.” Alaric’s eyes are glinting, hinting at his anticipation of having our two most precious little gifts back with us in their own bodies. Not one thought lingers on our sleepless nights the first couple of months after they were born or the fact that we rarely have even five minutes of alone time together now. The fact that they came looking for us in the only way they could tells me everything I need to know. Not one of us in this family unit is truly home unless we are together. I can’t wait to have them in my arms again. Leaning in we simultaneously kiss the forehead of each of our children.

  Stepping back Alaric gathers me in his arms, and we watch as the two begin to stir. The fox pups open their eyes and appear dazed, they stand and shake their heads as if clearing the cobwebs before each of them goes to lay by the twins sandwiching them all together. For an instant, I’m worried as I watch the pups nuzzle in only to give their furry little kisses to the twins cheeks. They both wake at the same moment and considering their long sleep, they look surprisingly wide awake. Both look up at us, their little blue eyes sparkling with mischief and each begins to kick and squirm, batting their arms in the air begging for us to pick them up. I love the sounds they make, and for a moment, I’m rooted to the spot. We move to pick up the two, and for once I gravitate toward Lillie, much to Lachlan’s dismay. I pull my daughter in and kiss her on the temple and whisper in her ear, “I’m so very proud of you, Lillie Joanna. You knew exactly what your brother needed. Mommy has missed you both so very much.” For a moment I just hold her close and take in the smell of my daughter and the feel of her in my arms before Alaric leans in and places Lachlan in my arms and he snuggles in wrapping my hair in his tiny fist. Alaric wraps his arms around us and for a few minutes in time we stand together as a family, reunited once more. This is my home. It doesn’t matter what realm we are in, or what type of structure we live in, as long as our family unit is together and complete.

  Alaric pulls back and kisses my forehead before stepping over to fold their blankets and put them away in their travel bag along with a few odd stuffed animals and then he retrieves the pups, and they go in the bag as well, their noses and ears poking out of the opening before shouldering it and taking my hand. We trace back to our rooms for some alone time with our children.

  (Ashlinn)

  Sometime later, there is a knocking on the outer chamber doors, even though we have been home for a couple of hours I have been unable to let my two children out of my sight. Alaric is dosing in our giant size bed while Lillie and Lachlan root around him, their mobility is limited to rolling over and pushing up on their elbows but I swear that they are trying desperately to figure out how to get their legs under them. I’ve never seen them so active. I guess that we have their dream-walk to thank for that. I’m thinking they’re going to be crawling and walking really early.

  “Alaric, wake up. We have visitors. I’m going to get the door. Keep an eye on them, okay?” His grunt is the only response I get, and without even opening his eyes, he scoops the two up and cradles them close on his chest as they continue to squirm. I hear his low chuckle as I go to answer the door.

  I swing the door open to a disgruntled Lexie, “So you’ve been back for hours and have not even come to see me. Wow, Ash, I’m hurt.” She pauses for dramatic effect while I cock my head at her and just stare, knowing that she will let this farce go quickly. She can’t stand it when I don’t say anything. “Alright, alright, so I’m not hurt, but I have a surprise for you all. Everyone in the Keep has chipped in to help plan the perfect afternoon. I also know that you haven’t been eating as you should over the last several days.” She pauses and eyes me critically.

  Yes, I know that I’ve lost weight making the girls look much larger than they really are, or so I hope. I still haven’t spoken a word, and I’m struggling to keep a smile off my face. Lexie begins to look concerned, so I have mercy on her and pull her in for a long hug. Sighing, I say, “I’ve missed you. How is Sammy? What sort of surprise do you have for us?” I can’t help but ask. My smile is wide, and I wait for her response.

  “Sammy is amazing. He seems to grow a little every single day. The love I feel for him grows daily, I never understood until now why Mom was so overprotective, I get it now. But you can see him for yourself. Meet me in the library, just outside on the terrace. Bring the whole brood, including those little desert foxes you picked up on the way. Yes, I know about them. If they are going to be around for the long haul, they need to get to know everyone. Fifteen minutes is all you get to drag your ass down there for your surprise. I promise it will be worth it.” Lexie leans in and says in a whisper, “I was so worried about you. I’m glad you’re back.” Pulling away she smiles before rushing out of the room, her long fiery red hair trailing behind her as she calls over her shoulder, “Don’t keep me waiting, Ash.” How the two of us ever thought for one moment that we fit in, in The Mortal Realm is beyond me. The gown she’s wearing fits her like a glove, and she looked right at home as if she has belonged here her whole life.

  Spinning on my heels, I march into our sleeping quarters and announce, “We have fifteen minutes to make our way to the library. Lexie has planned a surprise, and I will not disappoint her by not showing up. Chop, chop, Alaric, let’s get a move on.” He sits upright with the twins clutched to his bare chest as he tries to shake the sleep from his fuzzy brain. The two fox pups are at his side, and I know this is going to be our new norm. He looks utterly adorable and sexy all at the same time. His hair is tousled, he has a sinful five o’clock shadow, his eyes are heavily lidded, his bare chest is just begging to receive some attention from yours truly, and I have never
loved him more. They really should look into photo shoots utilizing totally hot dads with their kids for calendar shoots in The Mortal Realm because the sight of him, bare-chested with the twins has just melted my heart. My kindred is smoking hot and doesn’t even know it, and that is one of the many reasons why I adore him.

  “Okay, I’m up.” He lays our two little wiggle worms down, they have been going non-stop since we woke them and I can’t help but smile at their antics. I pull on a lightweight ivory-colored day dress that is more like a gown, it hugs my curves in all the right places, and Alaric switches out his silk sleeping pants for a pair of his leather pants and forgoes his vest, and I couldn’t agree more. I sidle up next him peppering his chest with kisses, “You keep this up, and we may not make it to the library for Lexie’s surprise.”

  “What happened to the woman on a mission to not disappoint Lexie? Don’t get me wrong, I’m totally down for spending the rest of this afternoon with you and the twins. Once we put them down for a nap, I’ll have you all to myself, just the way I like you, naked and pressed up against me moaning my name as we -“

  “Alaric, stop it,” my body trembles with my need for him. His body is pressed to my backside as he lifts my long heavy hair away from my back and neck to expose it to his lush lips to trail kisses along my shoulder and neck. The moan that escapes my lips is entirely involuntary, and for a moment I revel in his touch.

  The pup’s yipping stirs me from my stupor to see that somehow Lachlan has managed to make his way all the way over to the edge of the bed. Alaric is quick as lightning and has him snatch up in an instant, handing him off to me and just like that, our stolen moment has come to an end. Lachlan’s hungry and is tenacious in his quest to find what he seeks. Sighing, I know we’re going to be late for Lexie’s little surprise as I slide the top of my ivory dress aside to allow Lachlan access and he latches on vigorously. I suck in a breath. The first pull never fails to elicit the same response. Before I know it, Alaric has me comfortably seated and places Lillie in my arms. I’m always amazed at my body’s reaction to the pure and simple act of nourishing my children. I never thought that I would have missed this as much as I did and I wasn’t even gone a week. I may be rethinking the timeline that Alaric wants me to wean them. This is much more than the twins filling their bellies, this is our renewing our bond as mother and child. They missed this just as much as I did. Even though that was not what we intended when the sleeping charm was cast. Best laid plans and all.