Faeleahn

by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

  “Since she is so well known now for her role in the war against the Morrigan, and since she, too, discovered her glamour late in life, I thought it would be a good morale booster for those who are feeling as if they don’t measure up.”

  I nodded, my eyes studying the grey-washed landscape before us. The deciduous trees had already started to leaf out, and the forest floor was beginning to turn green. Soon the buds would begin to open, and the birds and animals would bring forth offspring of their own to care for. But right now, this part of the Weald was in the middle of one of its transition periods, neither winter nor spring. The drenching rain would encourage the still-dormant parts of Eile to wake up to spring’s calling.

  “I’m sure she’d be happy to help. Perhaps the rains will taper off by nightfall, and she can speak with them around the dinner fire.”

  Enorah nodded and released a long sigh. She seemed alert enough, but there was also a cloak of exhaustion surrounding her. I imagined she was fighting the aftereffects of her overindulgence from the night before.

  “Meghan asked me to be her Maid of Honor, you know,” my sister finally said, so quietly I almost missed it.

  My mouth curved in a grin.

  She arched an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side. “Your idea?”

  Shaking my head, I said, “No. Hers.”

  Enorah made a sound that was a cross between a snort and a laugh.

  For several long seconds, we were silent. The musical sound of the rain drumming upon the slate roofs and slapping against the broad beech tree leaves above, created its own kind of peace. I wanted to let my mind get lost in the natural magic of Eile, to just close my eyes and drift for a while. My nights had not been as restful as I’d hoped. After defeating the Morrigan before winter, I thought the last lingering threads of her influence over me would have unraveled completely. But I guess that was the problem with bad memories. They aren’t concrete. They cannot be touched or broken into smaller pieces and thrown away. They pass as easily from one state of consciousness to the next, the way smoke filters through fog. I knew the same went for my sister, and for some reason, Meghan’s expression of friendship and respect last night put a hairline crack in that shell she’d built up around herself.

  After a time, I spoke. “The nightmares never really go away, do they, Enorah?”

  She didn’t answer me. She only stared out at the deluge, probably working her way through the same thoughts as me.

  When her silence continued, I said, “Even now that the Morrigan is gone, and her evil magic scattered, the memories linger. I thought finally destroying her would bring some comfort to my mind, but it hasn’t really.”

  “But something must bring you comfort, Caedehn,” Enorah stated softly, in a tone that expressed she knew all too well what I was going through. She shared many of those horrible memories with me, after all.

  “Oh?” I said simply.

  She turned and gave me a soft smile only barely tinged by sadness. “Meghan. You may still be haunted by your past, but she is there to help take up some of the burden. Perhaps the both of you will never be completely healed, but you have one another to make your way through the darkness. You don’t have to face it alone.”

  I didn’t bring up her comment to Meghan. There was no point in doing so. I knew enough of my sister’s past to understand dwelling on it was never a good idea. Since the rain wasn’t letting up anytime soon, and since we had run out of things to say to one another, we both headed for the warm, dry safety of Enorah’s cabin. Inside awaited a wide open space with a kitchen of sorts tucked away in the far corner, a table large enough to seat four comfortably and a staircase pressed against a far wall leading to the upper section of the cottage. A fire blazed within the hearth which occupied one corner, and a kettle suspended from an iron hook screeched and spit steam.

  “Tea?” Enorah asked over her shoulder, making her way to the kettle with a folded dish towel.

  “Tea would be most appreciated, and breakfast, if you have it.”

  “I highly doubt I have enough food in this entire cabin to fill your stomach, brother,” she answered drily, as she added the hot water to a ceramic tea pot.

  Despite her claims, Enorah spent the next several minutes laying out muffins, butter and jam, as well as the tea pot and a few mugs.

  As she got busy frying some eggs over the archaic stove in the kitchen, we chatted about more pleasant things, like what I was wearing to the wedding, if she needed to find a dress and who all would be invited. I grudgingly took part in the conversation, even though I knew Enorah disliked discussing such things about as much as I did. The two of us would much rather be going over the latest faelah I’d killed or the newest defense move Enorah had taught her pupils. Perhaps we clung to this particular topic so stubbornly because it kept our minds away from those memories we worked so hard to forget.

  Our somewhat awkward conversation didn’t last, however. Barely ten minutes in, it was disturbed by a light knock at the door.

  “That’s probably Meghan,” I noted, swallowing the last bit of egg on my plate and taking a quick drink of tea to wash it all down. I stood to get the door and found a bright-eyed Meghan standing on the other side. She was wearing her clothes from the mortal world and had on a rain coat, the persistent precipitation beading on the impermeable material before rolling off.

  “Morning,” she said, with a cautious smile. “Mind if I join you two?”

  “Not at all!” Enorah stated, sliding into one of the chairs. “Help yourself to some muffins. I’d offer you eggs as well, but Cade ate them all.”

  Meghan eyed the sizeable pile of egg shells beside the sink and then turned with raised eyebrows to give me a look of surprise.

  I glared at my sister. “I did not. I only ate three quarters of them. Enorah ate the rest.”

  Meghan snorted a laugh and reached for a muffin. “This is great, thanks.”

  The fragile tension hovering between Enorah and me evaporated after Meghan joined us. In fact, I hadn’t even noticed it was there until she arrived, but I was glad when it was gone. Whatever had been on Enorah’s mind last night must have also vanished to that place where dark recollections remain buried, because for the rest of the day she behaved like her usual, affable self. By noon, the rain had tapered off to nothing more than a drizzle. Although Enorah was still unable to run her practice drills, she talked Meghan into working with the younger children who had yet to discover their glamour.

  We gathered together under the trees with the most leaves to keep the light rain off, and Meghan patiently described to a small crowd of wide-eyed children how her glamour hadn’t shown itself until she was well past childhood. She then gave them a very mild version of her long battle with the Morrigan and how she had had to rely mostly on instinct to get her glamour to aid her. By the end of her lesson, the children seemed more at ease and less forlorn than they had appeared upon first arrival. Meghan beamed at me, thrilled to have been able to make some difference to them.

  That night, we enjoyed a more private dinner in Enorah’s cabin, playing cards and spending quality time together. But like the past few days, the hours moved quickly, and it was soon time to say goodnight.

  “I do wish you could visit Luathara more often, sister,” I said, as Meghan and I stood to seek our own cottage.

  Enorah let out a long breath. “I know. Someday I’ll be able to leave this place for an extended period of time and not feel as if the forest will burn down while I’m gone.”

  She gave me and Meghan a cheeky grin before crossing her arms and growing more serious. “So, I’ll need a dress for this wedding then,” she stated.

  Meghan flinched. Enorah was not, in the least, a dress wearing kind of girl, but she surprised me when she said with a soft smile, “I wouldn’t mind getting dressed up for you two. And some of the older girls here are quite good at mending and sewing. I’ll commission them to make something for me. They will be thrilled.”

  Meghan lunge
d forward and gave my sister a tight hug. Enorah coughed in surprise. “Thank you, Enorah,” she said roughly. “And it doesn’t have to be too fancy.”

  Enorah gently pushed her away just far enough to look her in the eye. “It will be the fanciest dress I own, Meghan.”

  Meghan snorted. “Of course it will be. You have no other dresses to compare it to.”

  She laughed, pleased that Meghan had understood her joke. Enorah bid us goodbye then, claiming she had the night watch and would be going to bed before we left the next morning.

  “Stay safe, the both of you,” she murmured, pulling us into a fierce hug. “And I can’t wait until the bonding ceremony.”

  As Meghan and I walked back to our cabin in the waxing twilight, Meghan linked her arm with mine and leaned in close to me, her face upturned and her eyes shining.

  “What?” I murmured.

  She shrugged and bit her bottom lip. “Nothing.”

  I narrowed my eyes. I knew that look on her face. There was something she found amusing, and I wanted to know what it was.

  “Tell me,” I demanded, pinning her hands against the small of her back and moving in close.

  Meghan gasped, but not in pain or fear. I gave her a smug look.

  I know you can’t resist my charms, I sent, using shil-sciar.

  In answer, Meghan turned sultry eyes up to mine, and my strength diminished. Suddenly, I wasn’t a Faelorehn warrior ready for battle, but one who stood drained of power in the aftermath.

  Okay, I’ll tell you, but it isn’t all that scintillating. She fluttered her eyelashes, and my mouth went suddenly dry. Good thing our cabin was only a few feet away.

  I’m waiting, I insisted.

  She stood up on her tiptoes, licked her bottom lip and whispered into my ear, “I was just imagining what Enorah might look like in a dress.”

  And just like that, the tantalizing image of Meghan I’d been building up in my head vanished and in its place stood Enorah, tapping her foot and shaking her head at me. She wore a dress, but it was modeled after her usual practice clothes and not at all what a Maid of Honor might wear to a wedding. I should have been disturbed by the whole thing, but Meghan’s response had caught me by surprise. The image of my sister was so comical, I ended up barking out a laugh and releasing Meghan at the same time.

  She laughed as well, taking advantage of her freedom and darting toward the cabin door, pulling it open and running inside.

  “That was cruel, mohr faelorah,” I whispered to the night air, feeling my wild glamour build up to a low smolder once again. I grinned and revisited that image I’d created of Meghan. “And you will pay for your cruelty.”

  Without another thought, I quickly bolted after her, closing the door behind me and daring the world to even try to disturb us for the rest of the night.

  Chapter Four

  Carnogh

  CADE

  We left early the next morning, intent on reaching the Dagda’s before nightfall. Meghan and I couldn’t travel by foot, it was too far a distance, so we, once again, had to return to Luathara to get the horses. Fergus and Meridian joined us a half a mile outside of the village of the Wildren and then loped and flew ahead. They had interesting places to explore and potential enemies to look out for.

  Meghan and I took our time heading back to the dolmarehn above Lake Ohll. To my great relief, and Meghan’s as well, the rain had stopped long enough for us to make our journey. Nevertheless, there were plenty of puddles to avoid, and the trail was one long ribbon of slick mud. On more than one occasion, I had to reach out and steady Meghan, and I had a few close calls myself.

  “I would say that visit went well,” Meghan commented, once we were clear of the forest.

  I nodded my assent. I hadn’t expected Enorah to be unhappy about our engagement, but there was always the possibility of her being somewhat chafed at losing her baby brother to another woman. We had been each other’s only family for so long, I anticipated a little resistance on her part. What I hadn’t expected was her sudden compulsion to open up in front of Meghan the night I had checked the perimeter for her. True, what she’d said was a mere glimpse into the dark well of her past, a well so deep I doubted Meghan got much of a feel for what dwelt at the bottom. Even I wasn’t certain what she had been referring to. Still, it had been enough to nip at the back of my mind for the past day. To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure what I thought of that. What Enorah and I had experienced under the tyranny of the Morrigan, we kept locked away in a place inside our minds no one could reach. Most of those memories, we didn’t even discuss with each other. And those were the sorts of lingering nightmares I would not be repeating to Meghan. She didn’t need to share that particular burden with me. She was too bright and beautiful, and I wouldn’t let that darkness touch her.

  Briant, Melvina and their children were waiting for us when we returned to the castle, and I was forced to leave my dismal thoughts for a later time. Meghan and I stayed for a quick lunch, caving to Melvina’s fussing while catching them all up on the news from the mortal world and the Weald.

  “It was so good to see my parents and brothers,” Meghan said with a smile as she finished up one of Melvina’s hearty sandwiches. “I just wish they could come to the ceremony.”

  “We can always have a second one in the mortal world,” I pointed out.

  Meghan grinned and shook her head. “Not now. Maybe later, when I’m older and my friends aren’t all away at school.”

  I nodded and got to work finishing up my own meal. An hour later we were riding Lasair and Speirling toward the massive dolmarehn that would drop us on the outskirts of the Dagda’s vast realm. Even though we had made good time, the late afternoon sun bathed the towering hills surrounding my foster father’s home in golden light.

  The Dagda, in his usual fashion, greeted us with great cheer and a large helping of fanfare.

  “Caedehn! Meghan! I received your letter just the other day saying you planned on stopping by on your way to Erintara. Is everything well with you and the high queen, Meghan?”

  The Dagda turned his kind blue eyes onto Meghan, and she only beamed. “Oh, there is nothing the matter, as far as I know. We just wanted to drop by here first because we have some good news.”

  The jovial god’s pale red eyebrows shot into his hairline.

  “What sort of good news?” he insisted.

  Meghan removed one of her hands from his and reached it out to clasp mine. “Cade has asked me to marry him.”

  A sudden outcry of feminine voices swept through the grand entrance hall, all of the Celtic god’s female companions unable to hold back their excitement. The Dagda, looking almost frantic, waved an arm to shush them, then turned wide eyes back onto Meghan.

  “And how did you answer him?” he demanded, his face tight with anticipation.

  “Dagda!” Meghan gasped in mock outrage, smacking him playfully on the shoulder. “I said yes, of course!”

  His bearded face split in a huge grin, and he scooped Meghan up, hugging her close and doing a little dance.

  “That’s enough,” I chastised warmly, trying to get her free from his constricting hold.

  That was a mistake. My foster father set Meghan down and greeted me in the same fashion. I tried very hard to keep my pride intact as he twirled around, holding me tight the way a young girl holds a doll she adores. When the Dagda put me down, both Meghan and I were swarmed by the women who had gathered around. They fussed over Meghan, asking her what color dress she would wear, if we planned on getting married at Erintara, where we were going on our honeymoon ... Meghan answered them each patiently and with good humor. When Alannah offered to prepare a bath for her upstairs, Meghan cast me a pleading look.

  I smiled and pulled her in for a quick kiss. “Go, enjoy your bath. The Dagda and I will meet you afterward for dinner.”

  “Just come and fetch us from my study when you are done!” my foster father called out as Alannah and the others herded her up the stairs.


  With Meghan gone, the Dagda turned and regarded me with sparkling eyes.

  “Alright, out with it,” I demanded, crossing my arms and drawing up to my full height. This particular Tuatha De Danann happened to be taller than me.

  “Out with what?” he responded, with an air of innocence.

  “I know you have something to say about this news. I’m ready to hear it. I told you so, What took you so long? You are the luckiest Faelorehn man in Eile, and so on and so forth.”

  “You are the luckiest Faelorehn man in Eile,” he agreed. “And although all those other things are true, there is no point in saying them. The fact is you finally got your head out of your arse and proposed.”

  The Dagda clapped me on both shoulders with his massive hands, making my teeth clatter together.

  “But enough of this bandying about in the hallway. Let’s retreat to my study where we won’t be disturbed.”

  Nodding, I followed after him, feeling oddly nervous for some reason. The Dagda had been the only father figure I had ever known, after all. His approval and acceptance meant the world to me, and although he loved Meghan dearly, he also knew what being her mother’s daughter entailed. Meghan wasn’t just any Faelorehn young woman, she was a princess, the high queen’s eldest child. Thinking of Danua, and remembering Erintara was the next and final stop on our list, made my stomach turn. Although Danua had come to be more accepting of me, there was still a rift between us. I was hoping to fix that, somehow and some way, in a day or two when we left the Dagda’s abode for Eile’s capital city.