Birth of a Goddess (Reincarnation of the Morrigan Book 1)

by Renée Jaggér

  He cut me off with a wave of his hand. “Would you like a drink, Ms. Morgan?”

  This question caught me off-guard, but I did not show it. “No, thank you.”

  McAlpine’s brows rose as he poured himself a glass of whisky. No doubt he wasn’t used to being turned down. His smile faded, and anger returned to his small eyes. His hand tightened around his glass as he fixed me with a long, cold stare. I could feel the fury building inside him. In a frozen voice, he asked, “So, Ms. Morgan, are you in a circle, or are you a free operator?”

  I balked, not able to keep my confusion out of my expression. “What do you mean? I made the group myself, but—”

  McAlpine waved a hand again as if to silence me. It worked, and I wanted to throttle him for that. “Don’t play dumb with me, girl. Just answer the question.”

  I returned his cold tone of voice and bit out, “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “I can feel the power coming off of you. You don’t know how to suppress it, do you? You don’t know how to hide it.”

  I froze. Did he know about the Way of Kings? Did he know what I was becoming?

  “You aren’t going to snatch my territory. You can try, but I always win in the end.”

  He smelled like greed, and I wanted to throw up. I wished I had accepted a drink so I could throw it in his face. I rose. Clearly, this wasn’t going anywhere.

  McAlpine rose as well, glowering at me. “You can keep up your ruse as long as you want, but if you continue to muck about, you’ll find it will become very...expensive quite quickly.” He gave me a wicked smile before tossing his entire glass of whisky into his mouth.

  I started. “Are you asking me to bribe you?”

  At this, he laughed. “That was not what I meant by ‘expensive.’ Think costly. Sacrificial.”

  His last word sent a chill up my spine. I gulped. He watched my every move with predatory intent. I watched his every move, too. With a swiftness I almost didn’t catch, he rose from his seat, walked to the other side of the desk, and snapped his fingers. A second later, the chair he had just vacated was occupied by another figure.

  I stumbled back, unable to contain my gasp. In Mr. Money Man’s chair sat an enormous muscular figure wearing a suit that looked like it was about to burst. At first, it looked like a man but the longer I looked at it, the more certain I became about it not being human. My mouth fell open as my eyes snagged on the bright red fedora on its head. A band of what looked like fiery red hair was wound around it. Beneath the hat burned a pair of gold eyes.

  I stumbled back, nearly spraining my ankle in my new heels.

  I had to get the hell out of here.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “When shall we three meet again?

  In thunder, lightning, or in rain?”

  “When the hurlyburly's done,

  When the battle's lost and won.”

  “That will be ere the set of sun.”

  —William Shakespeare, Macbeth Act I, Scene I.

  I knocked on Douglas Velez’s door hard and rapidly enough to scare the living shit out of him. After some shuffling, the door opened, and he looked at me with wide eyes. “What the hell...” he started, but his words trailed off when he saw my face.

  I stood before him, panting. I had rushed out of that office and demanded Simon return us to the hospital. He had asked, “What happened in there, Ang?” but I told him we needed to hurry and that I needed to see a friend.

  “I’ll explain later!” I called to him as I jumped out of his car and to my own. Fifteen minutes later, and yes, I’ll admit, one run red light, I was at Douglas’ door.

  “What happened?” he asked as he ushered me inside. He closed his door with an urgency that made me wonder if he thought I had been followed. He pulled his curtains closed, and the room grew dim. I sank onto his sofa and kicked off my heels. Douglas scurried to make me a cup of coffee.

  “Thank you,” I muttered as I took it from him. The coffee was the cheap kind. Dregs floated to the top, but I had no time to express my distaste.

  “McAlpine isn’t the redcap, but he...he summoned one. He snapped his fingers and there it was, wearing a red fedora!” I wasn’t playing it cool anymore. Douglas had better have some answers for me.

  He sank into his tattered armchair, eyes wider than they had been when he opened his door to let me in.

  “Well?” I pushed him.

  “He’s human, yes, but not the redcap if he was able to summon one, which means...” His voice trailed off as if it were too hard to utter the last of his thought.

  “He’s higher than the redcap,” I finished for him. “Right?”

  Douglas nodded, folded his hands, and gave me a look of concern. “Explain everything.”

  I took a deep breath and dove in. I probably spent too much time explaining how long we had to wait and how charming McAlpine tried to be, but I eventually got to the part where he’d wanted me alone. I stumbled over my words as I explained to Douglas that McAlpine could feel the power in me.

  Douglas’ brows shot up, and he nodded to himself. “I see.”

  My heart thundered. It might be time to tell him the truth. Douglas started it for me. “I’ve always known you were more than what you let on.” He spoke to me in a soft voice as if to coax the truth from me. “Who are you?”

  I gulped and stared into my coffee mug. I was more enthused about counting the floating dregs than telling my friend I was a human with goddess powers. He will listen. He’s more likely to believe you than most, I told myself. I took another deep breath and began, “Have you heard of the Morrigan?”

  A light appeared in Douglas’ eyes, and a slow smile curled on his lips. A look of glee entered his expression. “I keep that research separate, so I didn’t give it to you, but yes. Tell me everything.”

  I started with Gran and ended with how I had found him online, thought he could be helpful, and tracked him down. Douglas nodded along as I told my story. It was hard to believe all of this started only a few weeks ago.

  When I finished, Douglas sat back and stroked his chin. He did not make any immediate comments about who I was and what power I carried. “McAlpine is most likely a modern druid, though perhaps a free one since he asked if you were in a circle. If he is concerned about you ‘snatching his territory,’ I am inclined to believe he is not in a circle himself.”

  “What do you mean by a circle?”

  “Many druids work together in a circle. If McAlpine was in one, he would have threatened you with it. Circles of druids have powers over specific areas or territories, but a single druid does not. If he were in a circle, he would have reminded you of the territorial rules and used his power against you.”

  “But he went with intimidation and threats instead,” I mused. It had worked, as much as I hated to admit it. I remembered the first time I saw the wolf and how I’d told myself not to back down. I had done the same with the phouka. I would not stop for a druid.

  Douglas sighed. “You are fortunate he is a free druid since it means his fellow druids won’t come after you. But the fact that he commands the service of his own personal redcap points to a concerning amount of power.”

  My stomach churned as I soaked in his words. “Great.”

  Douglas crossed the room to a desk covered with stacks of paper. “While you were sleuthing in person, I’ve been doing my own digging.”

  My interest was piqued.

  Douglas sat beside me on the sofa. “I spent some time online. I might have done a little hacking, but that’s nothing you need to share with anyone else.”

  I grinned. I wasn’t going to tell anyone about anything.

  Douglas continued, “McAlpine not only has investments in medical supply companies, but he also has interests in real estate development.”

  “Tell me more.”

  “Through my digging, I’ve been able to detect a pattern. McAlpine picks an area to direct his philanthropic trust toward, and then he spoils it with his phouka thu
gs. They wreak havoc, and he reaps the benefits of an area in need of financial aid on the medical front. He bleeds the community dry to funnel money into his medical supply investments by sending the trust money to those companies. Because the areas he sends his thugs into become hellholes, the government clears them out and slates them for urban renewal.”

  My eyes widened as I caught onto what Douglas was getting at. “Then the real estate companies he has shares in come into play.”

  Douglas nodded. “He can go in and fix up a council flats building for next to nothing. An all-around money-making machine for him.”

  Rage simmered within me. “At the expense of thousands of people and their well-being.”

  Douglas’ expression was grave as he affirmed my words. “I’ve wondered how he’s been getting away with it for so long, but if he has magical abilities, it makes sense. A charm here and a curse there can go a long way and ensure he can do it forever. Unless...” His voice trailed off and he glanced at me.

  “What?” I asked, but I had a strong idea about what he was going to say.

  “Unless someone stops him. Someone with power too.”

  I gulped. “I’m beginning to think I’m in over my head.”

  Douglas’ brows furrowed. “I understand, but don’t think you’re alone.” He shuffled his papers together. “With the information I’ve collected, I believe we have more than enough to bring before Reginald Houndsinn. He’s the billionaire who owns the majority of the shares in the companies McAlpine sends funding to.”

  I nodded. I had heard of him. Reginald Houndsinn was not only wealthy but charismatic and easy to look at.

  “The one problem is that McAlpine no doubt has the kind of magic where he can easily manipulate things and people.” Douglas gave his evidence a rueful look. “You see, druid magic isn’t flashy. There normally aren’t lightning bolts and fireballs, though those things have appeared. Their magic can be very potent for swaying or even controlling the minds and emotions of others, especially humans.”

  He looked at me, concern in his eyes once again. For a moment, he appeared bereaved as if his words weighed on him heavily. “You mentioned having the Way of Kings about you.” He gave me a weak smile. “I didn’t believe it was real until I met you. I must say, I’m paranoid about how much influence you hold over me.”

  “I understand,” I told him, “but the only power I’ve used on you is what I cannot control. Yes, I used it willingly on the phouka, but I am still learning how to control it.”

  Douglas nodded. “In time. The druids have a similar kind of magic. The ones of old often helped kings rally armies with their influence.”

  My eyes widened. How much of history had been caused by the magic of such creatures? I asked, “Are all druids bad?”

  Douglas shook his head. “I don’t think so, but I’ve only come across ones who are too greedy for their own good.” He straightened. “Saint Patrick of Ireland once said, ‘Avarice is a deadly sin.’ Do you know what avarice is?”

  “It refers to extreme greed for wealth or material possessions.”

  “Yes, and Saint Patrick was right. The greed of men such as McAlpine has caused harm, pain, and even death.”

  An ache bloomed in my chest as I recalled the appearance of the girl from the council flats building. Many of the people found there had been near death. You got there just in time, I assured myself. I told Douglas, “I don’t think McAlpine and I going head-to-head with our powers is a good idea. The people of our community, billionaire or not, don’t deserve to have magical beings fighting for control over their minds and emotions.” I stood up. “We’ll tear our community to pieces if we do that.”

  Douglas nodded in agreement. “There is one more thing. We can try to find McAlpine’s ogham tree.”

  I sat back down. “What?”

  I watched Douglas fight off frustration. “You really should have read up on druids by now, Ang.”

  I smiled at the use of my shortened name. He acted like a grumpy old uncle who was more than concerned for my welfare.

  “A druid who does not belong to a circle cannot anchor his magic with other druids, so he has to anchor it to a tree. The ogham is simply a magic-based alphabet. A druid will carve the ogham letters into a living tree. He will write his name, spells, deeds, and more. His true name is never the human name he goes by,” Douglas explained.

  “So, just to be clear, a druid needs a tree to keep a record of what he’s doing?”

  Douglas nodded. “He is magicless without one or without a circle of other druids.”

  “The Morrigan doesn’t need that, right?”

  “Not that I know of. I would think your Gran would have told you if you did.” Douglas sighed. “If we can find his tree and destroy it, McAlpine will be rendered magicless. At that point, we can take everything I’ve gathered to Houndsinn. McAlpine could be replaced or even thrown in prison.”

  I agreed with Douglas, but I knew it wasn’t going to be that simple. “How the hell do I find an ogham tree?” I wasn’t very keen on checking every tree in England for fancy ancient lettering. If the tree was even in England.

  “If the redcap you saw is bound to McAlpine, he will have McAlpine’s true name inscribed on a tree. If we can convince the redcap to give the tree up, we can destroy it.” It seemed to me that Douglas spoke too casually about the whole thing.

  I folded my arms across my chest. “So, to be clear, I need to catch McAlpine’s redcap?”

  Douglas nodded. “I would get a meeting with Houndsinn first so that you can go to him right after you’ve destroyed the tree.”

  I stood and nodded. “I have to go in to work, so can we see about that tomorrow?”

  Douglas stood as well. “See you tomorrow, Morrigan.”

  I turned to leave.

  “Angelica.” Douglas’ saying my name stopped me. He gave me a reassuring smile. “I am loyal to you. Your secret is safe with me.”

  The next day, I dialed the number of Reginald Houndsinn’s office and tried to not shake as I did so.

  You’ve encountered a wolf on multiple occasions. You’ve fought your fair share of goblin creatures. Why the hell can’t you just make a call to a local billionaire’s office? I asked myself.

  Douglas sat beside me. I was surprised when he agreed to come to my flat. He had arrived looking as though he hadn’t gone anywhere in many years.

  “Hello, yes, I am calling to see what Mr. Houndsinn’s availability for a meeting with a local community activist is,” I told the secretary who answered.

  I could sense the woman on the other end was fighting a sigh of irritation. No doubt Mr. Money Man Two received numerous calls from “concerned citizens” daily. Time to use my newfound fame while I can, I decided.

  “My name is Angelica Morgan. Some people call me Crow Lady. I was in the news for—”

  The secretary’s gasp on the other end interrupted me. “Oh, yes! I remember reading about that. You know, Reginald is very concerned about the welfare of certain areas, like the one you so bravely went into! Is that what you want to meet with him about?”

  Oh, I'm sure he is, was my rueful thought. To the secretary, I said, “I would love a meeting with the man who is pouring so much money into the community. I want to express my appreciation for what he has done while also bringing to his attention some issues and concerns I have as someone who is on the front lines every day.”

  I heard the scratch of a pen on the other end. The secretary paused her note-taking. “I am certain Reginald would love to meet with you, but he is a very busy man. I have just looked at his calendar, and he won’t be available until early next week. Does that work for you?”

  I glanced at Douglas, who nodded. More time for me to find the redcap. “Yes, that should work.”

  “Great!” The secretary gave me a list of times, and after selecting one, she said goodbye and hung up.

  I sat back and released a deep sigh of relief.

  “That wasn’t so bad,”
Douglas muttered. He smirked. “Looks like being Crow Lady helps you a lot.” He sat back and folded his arms. “You know, it was the crows that made me wonder about you. It takes a person with a certain kind of power to summon that many birds to her.”

  “I didn’t summon them, though,” I told Douglas. “They just appeared out of nowhere.”

  Douglas nodded. “Soon you’ll be able to summon them. I’ve brought my research on the Morrigan. There isn’t a lot, but you might find it helpful.”

  I thanked him for the research and the moral support before walking him to the door. After I closed it, I leaned against it and thought, Great. Now all I’ve got to do is sort out a bunch of monsters in a dark alley. Easy-peasy.

  Even though I hated the Stilettos Nightclub, it might be a good spot to find a phouka and be led to the redcap. “We’re going into battle tonight,” I muttered to myself.

  Mary Anne Ghen

  England, 1944

  Mary Anne Ghen glared at the two men who had just started a brawl in the pub. She tipped back her tankard and took a long drink. This night couldn’t be over soon enough. This night also couldn’t last long enough. She wanted to go home and go to bed as soon as possible, but she also didn’t want to dream. She didn’t want to see bombed cities in her sleep. She didn’t want to see blood or crows or wolves or any of it.

  I just want this all to be over with, she thought. The war had been raging for five years, with no sign of slowing down.

  It’s been almost a year since the battle of Stalingrad ended, she thought. Today was January 31st. The battle ended on February 2nd of last year. Almost a year ago, she had killed a German leader in her wolf body.

  Mary straightened, wanting to shift into her wolf form now just to scare the living shit out of the two men throwing punches at the other end of the pub. That should quiet them down. She decided against it, however, since she had come here to rest, not work. Besides, the barman was making his way over, threatening to throw them both out if they didn’t shut the hell up.