The Dagda's Cauldron (The Faeling Sisters Book 1)

by M. C. Cairns

  Brianne held her hands up to stop him. "Okay, okay! Let's start with yes or no questions.” She took a deep breath. “Am I adopted?"

  "Yes, but..."

  "Stick to yes or no for now." She stood up and motioned for Mack to take her spot on the bed.

  "Okay, yes," Mack complied.

  "I guess that explains why dad was able to leave so easily. Do you know my biological family?" Brianne interrogated him as if he committed a crime.

  "Yes."

  "Are they here to take me back?"

  "No."

  "Then why are they here?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

  "That is not a yes or no question."

  "I know. I know. Now you have to tell me everything. Start with who my parents are and go from there." She sat cross-legged on her rolling computer chair.

  Mack took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a moment and began, "Your mother is Mayrianne Cait, adopted daughter of the Queen of the Faeries of the Seelie court. She was born to a faerie of the Unseelie court, fathered by a demon. However, once the Queen of the light faeries saw her, she fell in love with the fiery-haired baby and rescued her from their evil land, taking her in to raise as her own. Your father is a human, of whom we have very little information. When she was young, your mother begged the Queen to transform her so she could go to human college. She was obsessed with humans and wanted to learn as much as possible about them. Persuading the Queen wasn't easy, but she convinced her that it would improve human/faerie relations, which were hanging by a thread at the time. She ended up falling in love with a human male. They ran off and got married, had children, and lived together until he passed away. Having no other place to go, Mayrianne returned to the faerie realm with her daughters and pleaded with the Queen to allow them to stay. The Queen agreed on one condition — Mayrianne's daughters would have their human memories erased and live as true faeries. They lived happily within the confines of the Seelie court for many years."

  Brianne stared at him for a full minute before she stood up and grabbed a shoe and hurled it at him as hard as she could. "You think you're funny? How could you make fun of me like this? You’re such a jerk!" She kept throwing anything she could get her hands on in his direction. "Why would you make something like that up? This is serious! This is my life we are talking about!" She fell to her knees with the last statement, burying her face in her hands, her body shaking with each sobbing breath. She couldn't let him see her like this. Crying was not an option, especially in front of someone she just met. Reaching into her jacket pocket, she grabbed her earbuds and jammed them into her ears, turning the volume on her phone as loud as it would go, allowing the beat of the drums and the cry of the electric guitar to wash over her while she focused on the voice of the lead singer belting out the pain-laced words she knew so well.

  Mack slid off the bed onto his knees, reached out and lightly touched her shoulder, but quickly pulled his hand away when she flinched at his touch. He sat next to her in silence until she tugged on the cord and popped one earbud out. "I would never hurt you," he whispered. "Everything I have told you is true. Your mother is downstairs talking to the legal counsel for the High Court. He was sent here to enforce the contract she signed when you were put in her care. Because of the prophecy, she was to keep you hidden from the faerie realm and protect you, with her life if necessary, until it was determined that you would be safe in our world. I have been waiting for this day for ages!"

  "Unfortunately, that is not why they are here," her mother spoke softly from her open doorway. "It is not good news that they brought with them. Mack, you have said enough. Both of you, please come downstairs and we will tell you the rest of the story."

  3

  The Prophecy

  “A

  LL THEY, WE, WERE TRYING TO DO was protect you and give you a happy life.”

  Mack and Brianne sat on opposite ends of the couch staring speechlessly at Brianne's mother. She was done telling them what she knew about Brianne's adoption. They both turned their attention to Ian, the faerie lawyer, as he emerged from his nearly hidden spot in the corner.

  "So, you see, Brianne, it is imperative that you locate your sisters and warn them of the danger that all of you, and all of the Seelie Court, are facing," Ian stated matter-of-factly.

  Brianne jumped off the couch, planted her hands on her hips and sputtered, "No! No, Mr. Ian, I do not see that it is imperative," miming air quote around Ian's word, "that I put myself in danger for an entire race that I DON'T EVEN KNOW! I don't see that it is imperative," she continued, with air quotes again, "that I find five – you did say five, right? – five girls who have had their memories wiped, and who have been raised in families where they are loved and safe, and flip their lives upside down." She turned her attention to her mother. "How could you lie to me my entire life? How could you keep this from me after Liv died? You knew how much it tore me apart to watch her go through chemo and know that there was nothing I could do! The days I spent lying next to her in that bed, trying to stay strong for her but feeling sorry for myself because I had to stay here without her. I prayed every day, until the day she died, that it could just be me instead of her, and after that, I prayed for her to come back. And now you tell me that I have five sisters who you want me to put in danger because we are supposed to save our "true" family's home! You two," she pointed back and forth at her mother and Ian, "expect me to go and tell them they have been lied to their entire lives? Assuming they would even believe me in the first place, which, if I weren't seeing you two with my own eyes, I wouldn't even believe it, but, assuming they do, I would be the reason they couldn't trust their family, their parents, anymore. No way. Not gonna happen."

  Breathing in deeply, Brianne took a quick step back and raised her arm to stop her mother when she stepped forward to hug her. She wasn't ready for that yet. She was still processing all the information they gave her. Stealing a quick glance at Mack, she could tell he was still trying to sort through it all, too. He was pacing behind the couch, running his fingers through his thick hair, and talking to himself, stopping every few steps and ticking off points to himself on his fingers.

  "Mack!" she called out, snapping him back to reality, "What are you talking to yourself about?"

  Mack stared at her blankly for a moment, shook his head, and then responded, "That prophecy. History has shown us that prophecies can be interpreted a million different ways and usually people get it wrong the first time. We need to compare what we know to what it says. There's a good possibility it means something different than what everyone thinks. Read it again, Ian."

  "Born to the demon brought to the light,

  six maidens shall lead the fight.

  Hidden from their foe's view,

  they will discover what they once knew:

  They may choose to turn away

  from the war among the fae,

  but if they are to prevail,

  they must all go, without fail.

  Battling in dual is the key

  To the treasure and their destiny."

  “Okay, the first line is obviously about your mother,” Mack began, “and the second line is you and your sisters, but there is no way your mother or grandmother are going to allow you to ‘lead the fight.’ The Queen would put herself in danger before offering up you and your sisters.”

  Brianne scowled. Yeah, right. The queen is going to put herself in danger before a bunch of half human girls. That is as likely to happen as dad saying he wanted to come back and make things work. Adults always put themselves first.

  Her mother joined the conversation, “The next two lines, ‘Hidden from their foe’s view, they will discover what they once knew,’ are pretty clear as well. You were hidden from the faerie world to protect you from the dark faeries and now you are finding out about your past.”

  “Our past and our future,” Brianne added with a smug look on her face. “It says we ‘may choose to turn away.’ Which means we aren’t destined to be in t
his fight. It is our choice to make, one way or the other.” That was her favorite part of the prophecy. It wasn’t set in stone. She was not required to join this fight, and since she didn’t really know anyone involved in it, she was pretty sure she had already made her decision. If she refused to fight, then her sisters would never have to know anything about it. They could live their lives happily with their human families.

  “You are correct, Brianne,” Ian answered, “but it also says, ‘if they are to prevail, they must all go, without fail.’ Which means that if you decide not to fight, but your sisters choose to go into battle, then they will ultimately be defeated, possibly killed, or enslaved to the dark faeries.”

  Throwing her hands in the air, Brianne shouted back at him, "Why would you even tell the other girls if I say no? Can't you just let them live in peace? It makes no sense to ask them to join a fight they can't win. Let your people lose it on their own and leave us alone!"

  "I am simply following the Queen's orders, but, if I were given the freedom to question her motives, I would say she wants all of you to be informed to ensure you all join the cause. It is easy for you to tell me no, but if your five younger sisters were standing in front of you, determined to go to war, and asked you to join them to ensure they are safe and victorious, then it would be nearly impossible for you to deny them," reasoned Ian. "If there is one thing you will learn about the faeries, and most especially their queen, they will always find a way to get what they want."

  "Even if it means putting her granddaughters in danger?" Brianne asked. "How selfish is she that getting what she wants is more important than her family's safety? Yeah, that's a grandma I’m dying to meet. Does she even have the right to find us? What about our biological mother? She should be the only one who can legally contact us. It was her parental rights that she signed over to our adoptive parents. Does she feel the same as the Queen? Is it more important to her to throw us into some war or to keep us safe?"

  Her mother grabbed her hand and sat her down on the couch. She continued to hold her hand and took a deep breath before she began, "Brianne, your mother did not sign away her rights. It doesn't work that way with the faeries. She entrusted you into mine and your father's care to keep you safe. Ian and the faerie council ensured all of the human legalities, like your birth certificate, were in order so there wouldn’t be any questions."

  "I guess Dad decided to opt out of that, huh?"

  "And your mother is unaware of this assignment." Ian held one hand up and the other over his heart. "I was sworn to secrecy by the Queen, as she knows your mother would start a war of her own if she knew we were coming to get you. But I assure you, as legal counsel to Her Lady Mab, Queen of the Seelie Court, that the Queen is well within her rights to sanction this mission."

  That’s what I figured. The Queen has no problems throwing us into her war, as long as it serves her purpose, Brianne thought, gritting her teeth. She doesn't care if we live or die, so I guess I'm going to have to find my sisters and convince them not to fight. That's the only way I can protect them.

  Mack distracted her from her thoughts when he asked Ian, “What do these last two lines mean? ‘Battling in dual is the key to the treasure and their destiny.’ Is that like, “take three paces, turn and shoot”? Why would they have to do something so old-fashioned?”

  “No, it says dual, like d-u-a-l, not d-u-e-l,” Brianne corrected him. “Dual as in two? That contradicts the part that says all six of us have to fight, doesn’t it? And what ‘treasure’ is it talking about? Some kind of reward for winning?”

  "You are half right," Ian answered her. "Dual is referring to two, as you said. You and your sisters have distinct talents that are essential for victory. Each of you has a connection to one of the divisions of magic – Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Life, and Death. You will learn how to use your magic over time, and even though you are able to perform magic individually, you will need to pair with your complementary element to complete your quests. When your magic is combined, it will be the most powerful force ever known in any realm."

  Brianne, her mother, and Mack stared at Ian. Mack was the first to regain his voice, "Okay, slow down. Everyone knew they probably had some magical ability, like all faeries, but we all thought it was a watered-down version, like the other halflings. How is it possible that they have been gifted with the Supreme Magic when their father is human?"

  "Their mother is half dark faerie, half demon by blood, but was bestowed with the powers of the light faeries when queen Mab declared her a daughter of the Seelie Court. With the powers of both Mab and Mora, she held the yin and the yang within her. When her daughters were born, the magic was split among them, each daughter with light magic being matched with a daughter possessing dark magic, therefore creating the Supreme Magic between them," Ian explained.

  "Supreme Magic? Mab and Mora? Yin and yang?" Brianne's eyes flitted back and forth between Ian and Mack, who seemed to forget she was still in the room with them. "Hello? Over here. Remember me? You are going to have to break it down for me because I have no idea what you are talking about."

  Ian exchanged a look with Mack and nodded toward the couch. After Mack situated himself on the arm, Ian began to explain, "Queen Mab is the queen of the Seelie Court, or the light faeries, and her sister, Mora, is the queen of the Unseelie Court, or the dark faeries. As you know, your mother was born to a dark faerie and a demon, which means dark magic is passed down to her from her parents. When Mab brought her to the Seelie Court and claimed her as a light faerie, the Council of Magic was tasked with extracting all dark magic from her and replacing it with light magic. After many failed attempts, the council deemed the task to be impossible, so instead, they bound her dark magic and granted her light magic." He paused and searched her face to see if she understood.

  Brianne nodded. "Okay, that makes sense. Mab and Mora are opposites, which is why you called it the yin and the yang."

  "Not necessarily opposite," Mack interrupted, "it's more like they are parts of a whole. Their magic is complementary. It works together to create the ultimate magic. The Supreme Magic."

  "And my sisters and I have this Supreme Magic?" Brianne asked doubtfully.

  Ian took a seat in the paisley wingback chair across from her. "Together you do. Each of you holds a piece. In pairs, you have complementary magic that is stronger than most magic you will encounter. The combination of all six of your magical talents is what creates the Supreme Magic. It is unbeatable and the reason all of you must fight together."

  Brianne stood up and began pacing as she sifted through all the information they had given her. Stopping mid-step, she dropped her hands to the back of the couch and asked, "What about the treasure in the prophecy? Are you saying that if all six of us work together we will receive some sort of treasure? Like a bunch of money or something?"

  Ian snorted, "No. You will not receive 'a bunch of money or something'. The prophecy is talking about the treasure of the Tuatha dé Danann, or the great fairy gods of Ireland, led by our goddess Dana. These treasures were from the four island cities, Murias, Failias, Findias, and Goirias, and were also known as ‘The Four Jewels.’ Our ancestors traveled through the mist to find these islands and study the arts of druidry, prophecy and magic. When the Sidhe, which is another name for our people, were forced into hiding by the Gaels, they brought with them four magical treasures: The Dagda's Cauldron, the Stone of Fál, the Spear of Lugh, and the Sword of Nuada. The treasures have rested at the corners of our kingdom for centuries, protecting us from enemies of all kind, including Queen Mora and the dark faeries. As long as they are in their proper place, our borders cannot be crossed by anyone other than those belonging to the kingdom. If they are removed, which can only be accomplished by a light faerie, then we are no longer protected from our enemies. This is why I have been sent to find you and your sisters. One of our treasures has been stolen. And only the descendants of the light demon, you and your sisters, can retrieve it and save our kingdom."
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  4

  The Plan

  W

  HAT DID THEY EXPECT? I would drop everything and put myself in mortal danger to protect a bunch of faeries? Why would I even consider it? One more year of high school and I’m out of here. Hopefully to California. The closer to the city, the better. No more small towns, where everyone knows everything about me and looks at me with pity in their eyes every time they see me. Surprise! These hicks don't know anything about me; they just think they do.

  Of course, she didn't know anything about herself either, apparently, and Ian's way of explaining things was not helping her understand anything about being a faerie. Even though she was skeptical, she felt an unmistakable connection to the faerie world. That didn't mean she wanted to put her life on the line for it, though. Her faerie mother obviously did not want her or her sisters to get involved or she wouldn't have hidden them among the humans, and she wouldn't be opposed to her mother, "The Queen", sending someone to find them and recruit them for the war. At least someone cared what happened to them. Why did it make Brianne feel so guilty to say no, then?

  She punched the letters on the keyboard a little too hard as she turned her attention to the computer screen. She felt smart for asking everyone for some time alone to get her thoughts straight. It had also been a stroke of genius when she asked Ian to write down the words Tuatha dé Danann and Sidhe, because she would never have spelled them right. Sifting through article after article, she searched deep into the depths of the internet to find a way out of this. If she could find one thing that contradicted what Ian told her, then she would feel better about turning away. Unfortunately, most of what she read confirmed what he told her, and the ones that didn't were clearly written by fanatics or kooks.