by Jana LaPelle
I cling to his strong form and sigh, “And I knew in my heart it would be him and so did he.” Shaking my head, I pull away and stiffening my resolve, “When I find that bitch, she had better not have harmed a single hair on his head, and if she has, I will have her head on a pike, I swear it. I need answers. We need to talk to Dagda.”
Chapter 24
(Ashlinn)
As I exit the underground tombs, one soul in particular gains my attention, Jasmine’s charge, “My lady, you should know that she has a weakness. It is up to you to find it. She can be brought down like a house of cards with one well-placed blow, and I relish the thought of it.” Her Anglo-Saxon accent hangs heavy in the air.
“Thank you,” I nod curtly, not knowing what else to say before turning away. I dare not allow my anguish over losing Alaric this night seep into my core. I must hang on to the anger and outrage. My panther is chopping at the bit to be released, to find her mate. I deny her, my intentions are clear. I’m heading to Lugh’s Fortress. I’m done playing nice with her wicked highness. It’s time to let my inner warrior out.
Jasmine places her hand on my forearm stopping my progress, “Ash, we’ll get him back.” Her face is filled with concern. Her crystal blue eyes are luminous with unshed tears.
“Yes, we will. Now take care of your charge, Jasmine, see her safely to The Overworld and then meet me at Lugh’s Fortress if I’m not here when you return. I need answers, and I think he has them. I need to know how she knew exactly where to find the entrance to Lainn’s tomb.” I latch onto my anger and pull the air element to me and rise to the top of this crypt to see that Lexie is still here and she and her druids are tending to the wounded, ours and The Morrígan’s. What a heartless, uncaring witch for leaving her warriors behind, and that only fuels my anger with my nemesis.
“Lexie, you shouldn’t be here. You should have been taken back to Glenndale. You need to get back to Sammy. Come on, I’ll take you before I go to see Lugh.” I forcibly take her by the hand and pull her away from the Fomorian that she is tending to.
She wrenches her hand from mine and stands her ground, “Ash, I know that you’re hurting, but that does not give you the right to treat me like a child. I’m clearly needed here. Not just by the wounded you see before you, but you need me. Sammy’s in good hands, you and I both know it. I’m coming with you.”
“Lexie, I appreciate that you are needed here, but you don’t understand. She took him right from under my nose, and I was helpless to stop her. I lost Alaric tonight! There is no telling what she will do to him, and I can’t even follow my link to him because it feels like he is in constant motion. I will not lose another that I hold dear. Either you go home, or you come with me, but you’re not staying here.”
“Then I’m going with you. Okay? I won’t leave you on your own. Not tonight. Not after what you witnessed down there, not after what you’ve been through. I’m your sister, and I will not allow you to do this on your own.” Lexie pulls me into her arms to comfort me, but I’m becoming numb to my emotions.
Jasmine appears over Lexie’s shoulder and comes over to wrap herself around my back, Tolin makes his way over and pulls us all in, and I whisper, “Please, don’t. Please,” I can’t give into feelings of helplessness. “Please, guys, I appreciate the group hug and all be we need answers, and we’re starting with Lugh. Are you with me?”
Tolin pulls back, “Now you’re talking. I’m with you Little Bit.”
Dray walks over, “My Lady, the dragons are at your service. What are your orders?”
“We fly. It will give me time to think and time for my Guardians to clean up this mess and take our enemies to the dungeon at Glenndale for questioning. They are to be treated for their wounds and given decent accommodations in the dungeon. We are going to need to question them, and I want to be there.”
“As you wish Ashlinn, we are ready when you are.” Dray, ever the gentleman bows curtly before moving away to bring his brethren up to speed.
I turn to see my Guard, family, and friends watching me, “If we are going to find Alaric, then we need answers, you are welcome to join me. I’m going to speak to Lugh and Dagda. Those that want to join me, we ride to his fortress, those that need to head back to Glenndale Loch then we will meet you back there soon.” Looking around I assess the scene before me and feel as if I’m missing something, “Where is everyone else. Did everyone make it through the battle?”
“Garrik and Ferg are with Dorlan, the pup is not faring well. He was badly injured.”
“No… not Dorlan, he’s so young. I should go to him. He’s one of my own.”
“He has been taken back to the Keep, don’t worry Ashlinn, you forget how resilient we are, he’s in good hands. He’ll be right as rain in a couple of days. It should be just a matter of moments before everything is tied up here. I suggest that we make our way back to speak with Lugh.” Tolin says while assessing me, “Are you okay?”
“What do you think? I’m not getting much from our link. Not since the trace trail closed. What I am getting I’m not sure what to do with it. I don’t know how to help him or how to find him. Normally, all I would have to do is follow the pull to Alaric, but right now, it’s like I’m being pulled in every direction at once, and if I were being honest, I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to endure it. Hell, I don’t even know what happened. Apparently, he stepped between us blocking her attempt at getting to me, but I have no clue otherwise as to what took place. I should have been more vigilant as to what was going on around me, this is on me. He’s gone because of me.”
“No Ash, he was taken by The Morrígan, this is not your fault. How can you even think that?” Lexie asks as she steps forward taking my hand trying to reassure me.
My anger is quickly being replaced with self-doubt as I replay the events of the night, starting from the moment we arrived and I can only come to one conclusion, “I played right into her hands. The whole evening she had thoroughly planned out. Somehow she knew, but how? And now she has Alaric, she’s going to use him to throw me off, or worse yet as leverage to keep me from coming after her in hopes that she can conquer The Realm without going to war. Come on, we need to go.”
Jasmine takes my hand, “I’ll ride with you. Cam is going to finish up here and meet us back at Lugh’s. We can use the time in flight to talk about my last charge and what she imparted to you. If you don’t mind I will take my pixie form, it makes me nervous to ride the dragons without Camoryn.”
I smile in spite of my mood, “Come, Jaz,” I sigh, “I welcome your company in any form that you choose to accompany me. Yes, we need to discuss her cryptic message. Lexie, will you and Declan follow?”
“Right behind you Ash, we’ll get all of this evening sorted, and we’ll get him back. Follow your instincts, they have been right so far, you’ve got this.” Lexie pulls me in for a quick hug before making her way with Declan over to their winged escort. Declan was so worried about Lexie, but it was Alaric that I should have protected.
Suddenly, I feel vulnerable, and Alaric’s absence is a gaping chasm in my soul. I have become dependent on him. I’ve come to rely on him to be my buffer to give me strength in times of need. Well, suck it up, buttercup. You’re on your own until you can get him back. No other outcome is acceptable. We mount Dray, and he roars into the night sky signaling our departure as he leaps into the air, dragon wings beating down fiercely, and with each downward beat, we are lifted higher into the dark night. I look back down at the remnants of a battle won at the highest cost to me and to The Realms. Without Alaric, I’m lost.
I shake my head, “This is just as bad, if not worse than the blood contract Jaz. I…” Everything hits me at once. The feeling of being completely on my own, isolated from Alaric, our connection all but muted. My hand in what went down tonight. Everything hinges on me and what I do next. What if I fail him? “What am I supposed to do now?”
“Suck it up, Ash. He needs you now.”
“I know you�
�re right, but after tonight, I’m questioning all my decisions, my reactions, my instincts. All of it. It’s like questioning whether or not the sky is blue or the grass is green, in this realm or The Mortal Realm at least. So far I’ve been able to trust my instincts up until just an hour ago. Jaz, he’s gone because I followed my gut. Alaric is in the hands of my worst enemy because of my decisions tonight.” As the words leave my lips, a sob wracks through me and tears threaten to fall.
“You listen to me Ashlinn Ryllae Faerondarl, you did nothing wrong tonight. You did what you promised you would do, you were there in enough time to call Nimue’s sister’s souls to you. You gave them hope and tethered them to you until your Keepers got to you. Those souls would have been bound to hell for an eternity if not for you. You were there for those innocent children, and Alaric did what he had to do to keep you safe so you could accomplish what needed to be done tonight. Get out of your head Ashlinn! Stop with the pity party and get yourself together. We’re more than halfway to Lugh’s. Put on your game face. We need answers.” The pixie on my shoulder reminds me of what hangs in the balance while clinging to my hair as the wind buffers us both at our high altitude. Silly little pixie, at least she has wings.
“You’re right, we need answers, and I don’t think that any of us are going to like the answers we get. Rest Jaz, we will be there soon enough.”
“Ash? I know you’re hurting, but you are anything but alone. Okay?” Jasmine snuggles into my neck, and I smile, thankful for her presence and nod. Not yet ready to discuss the cryptic words of the soul that Jasmine cared for tonight, so we ride in silence the rest of the way to the mountaintop fortress.
(Ashlinn)
It doesn’t take long for us to reach Lugh’s Fortress. It’s a blaze of light in the early morning hours, so I know that he is expecting us. If my suspicions are confirmed, then there is every reason for him to be up. As Dray touches down in the courtyard, I slide down his side with Jasmine clinging to my hair. Once my feet hit the ground, I’m off and running. Jasmine transforms in front of me. “Wait, Ash, everyone needs to be here just so no one needs to repeat themselves. Just a couple of more minutes.”
I’m eager to be done with this. The longer I ponder, the more assured I am that Lugh had something to do with what happened tonight. I wait just long enough for the last dragon to land and then I’m off. Marching through the halls with a purpose and I know precisely where the sky god can be found. I can pick up on his nervous energy as I climb the stairs and make my way to the large room that overlooks the enormous balcony. As I enter, I notice that Lugh is not alone. Dagda is sitting by his side, brandy in hand. I cock my head to the side as I take in the cozy scene before me, ready to unleash my wrath. I storm into the room with my supporters behind me.
“What did you do?” I demand, my anger is palpable, flames licking up my hands and arms and my hair stands on end as the air around me picks it up and tosses it about.
Lugh has the decency to look taken aback but not surprised, “Dare I ask what happened, little keeper?”
“Don’t you little keeper me, you know exactly what happened because you had something to do with it.” I swing my gaze to Dagda, “What role did you play in this? Tell me!”
Dagda looks around the room, concern written on his face, “Where is Alaric, ceann beag?”
I look at him in disbelief, “Where do you think he is? He certainly is not here! Not where he belongs! I will ask again, what role did you play in this deception?!”
Dagda looks from me to Lugh and back again before addressing Lugh, his eyes narrowed, “What did you do?”
Lugh has the decency to look down, his face guilt-ridden before addressing us all, “What any father would do.”
“You gave her exact coordinates. Didn’t you? You left us guessing so that we would be several steps behind her. Didn’t you?!”
Lugh stood and walked toward the roaring fire in the fireplace, his back to all of us, “I listened to both of your pleas.” He pauses, “Do you know how long I blamed myself for my son’s demise? Too damn long! In less than one week’s time, I have a visit from two very prominent figures in The Realms, both inquiring about my son. Ashlinn, forgive me. I still want and need to fight for your cause, but my son’s redemption was at stake. I told The Morrígan where to find the entrance to his tomb. She needed to raise him from the Underworld in order for you to have a chance to redeem his soul, so yes I gave her specific directions. I did what I needed to do so that my son would have a fighting chance, a chance to be reunited with his kindred, and a chance to find happiness in The Overworld. I did it so that you, Ashlinn could influence his soul, I never wanted Alaric to be taken. I never saw that as an outcome. I’m truly sorry.” He turns back to me, his face drawn.
“I will not forget what you have done. You have broken my trust, and that is not something that will be easily regained. How dare you?”
“Ashlinn…,” Dagda breaks in.
“Don’t.” I swing my angry gaze to the ancient god before, “Don’t, make excuses for him. I don’t want excuses, I want my kindred back, damn it!”
Dagda holds his hands up in front of him in a submissive gesture, “Ashlinn, I merely want to talk this out, to determine exactly what happened.” Turning toward Lugh, he asks, “Why would you not give us full disclosure? We could have worked with that? Alaric and Ashlinn could have come up with a plan for that as a contingency.”
Lugh scans the room and takes everyone in before choosing to address only me, “Ashlinn, it’s my understanding that you have the sight, but you only see fragments. Did you see this as a possibility?”
I scrutinize the sky god before grudgingly admitting, “Yes, but I did not see who was taken. I only knew that someone would be taken.”
“Then you know how your premonitions work, you cannot change what is going to happen, you can only make yourself and others ready for what will happen. At this point, we are dealing with destiny. Our creator allows you to see snippets of the future to prepare you, to steady you, and to give you perspective. I am sorry for the role that I played in Alaric being taken, but I’m not sorry for the role that I played that enabled Morríganna to raise my son from The Underworld. You knew it would happen, hell, it was destined to happen. For us its destiny but for our creator, it is in the very fabric that he weaves. He already knows the outcome. Ashlinn, you’re a mother now. What would you do if one of your children found themselves in a similar predicament as my Lainn? What would you be willing to do to give him a second chance?”
Tolin and Camoryn both swear behind me, and I hear Tolin mutter, “That’s a low blow.”
Inwardly, I’m fuming that he would dare to even go there before he continues, “Yes, Tolin, that was a low blow, but I would hazard a guess that if it meant saving one of her precious, beautiful babes from certain disaster, Ashlinn would do what she must. Including selling her soul to Lucifer himself, the Lord of The Underworld,” He switches his focus back to me, “Ashlinn, what would you have done, faced with the opportunity to give your son a second chance not at life in The Realms of the living, but a chance to change the hand he was dealt, a chance for him to be happy in the afterlife with his kindred, something that was denied him in this realm. What would you do to see the star-crossed lovers happy for all eternity in The Overworld?”
Closing my eyes, I let out a weary sigh, “Tolin’s right, Lugh. You fight dirty, playing on my heartstrings like that.” Leveling my steely glare on the sky god, “I understand why you did what you did, that’s not why I’m here. What I don’t understand is why you did not come clean with us. Your actions have cost us dearly this night. Normally, I can sense Alaric, and where he is, I only have to follow my link to him, but all I sense is that he is alive. Our link to one another is intact, but I cannot get a read on where he is. Something is interfering, and whatever it is, it is not allowing me to determine what direction I need to search for him. That and I cannot communicate with him, even though I’m confident that he is sti
ll in this realm. I don’t know what kind of wickedness is afoot, but rest assured, The Morrígan is delighting in her new found treasure, that treasure being Alaric!”
Dagda and Lugh regard one another before Dagda says, “She has bound Alaric in iron forged in angel fire, the fire from which angels are born. It is the only thing strong enough to curb our abilities. How was he captured?”
“She wielded a whip. He stepped between us, and she all but lassoed him around the neck. He could not trace, or he would have. I saw it the moment that he realized that he could not get away, right before she pulled him with her through her trace trail.”
Again the two gods carry on a conversation with just each other, “I thought that her whip had been destroyed.” Lugh pins Dagda with a look that I can’t read. I’m still pissed at him.
Dagda’s reply is swift, “So did I, it doesn’t really matter if it’s her old reliable weapon of choice or if it’s a newly crafted whip, the result is the same.”
“I beg to differ if it’s newly crafted, how is she getting her hands on iron forged in angel fire? The next question would be who is talented enough to craft a whip of that caliber?”
“Stop! Both of you. Backup. Are you telling me that there is a substance that can nullify a god’s abilities? Why have I not heard about this in my training, Dagda?” I demand. My outrage is renewed.
“Forgive me Ashlinn, it is so rare at this point that I did not even think about it until you were describing your link to Alaric. Most iron forged in angel fire was dismantled in the last war. I’m not sure if she meant to play this hand so early in the game, but now that we know what she has in her arsenal, it’s huge.”
At this point I’m exasperated, and I can barely contain my inner beast, and the growl that emits from me has everyone turning to look at me. “What does all of this mean?” I hiss.
