Chosen: Book 2 A Realms of the Otherworld Book

by Jana LaPelle

  My dreams are plagued with loud menacing crows as they circle about me. Their constant caw, caw, caw, echo’s in my head. Their wings are beating frantically about as I’m caught up in the vortex they create around me. I spin around, desperate to find an exit or way to be rid of these disturbing winged creatures that are a representation of my enemy. Realization dawns on me, The Morrígan is gaining power, and as her strength continues to grow, she is able to break through my wards that Lexie and Morgwais have placed on me, and I feel myself begin to breathe heavily as fear blossoms in my chest.

  Suddenly, as if having been transported from one location to another the scenery changes. Gone are the black as night crows. I look around at the next images my dreams present to me, to see a strange but fascinatingly beautiful twilight realm that I’m not familiar with, but feels like home. This place I have seen before in my dreams. It feels as if this realm is situated at the center of the universe. I look around to see the Tree of Life or what appears to be this realm’s representation of her and think, how odd. The sky is filled with an amazing array of celestial bodies, and in the distance, I see a castle like structure and start walking in that direction, and I take in everything around me. As I approach, I see that there is a table laden with food and I can’t help but think that evidently, I’m hungry at four in the morning. That thought is the catalyst to my waking from my dreamlike wanderings. As I fully wake up, I gently untangle myself from Alaric’s hold and the bedsheets, and I slip out of bed, I walk through the open doors of the balcony to stand under an enormous full moon high in the midnight sky. Here in Avalon, the moon is much larger than in The Mortal Realm, and I’m drawn to the balcony as I walk unabashed in my nakedness to stand under the rays of the magnificent celestial body. I feel the need to bask in the light of the moon as I stand bare before her. I greedily soak up the energy that she willingly gives. Since my awakening, I continue to be drawn to the twilight hours and the moon like never before, and I ponder why that could be. I feel more at peace during the twilight hours than any other time of the day.

  I reflect on my dreams and wonder about the twilight realm and what it means before remembering my earlier mood and know that I’m stewing over what is to come. The burden of what has been placed on my shoulders at the tender age of eighteen has become a heavy weight to bear. My fears of the future are almost too much for me to handle. As if sensing my fear and unease the twins shift, and I can feel their fluttering movement within me as I place a calming hand on my children and gently rub my belly, pushing all my love to the two little ones that are quickly becoming my main priority. My need to protect them is strong and fierce, for a moment I feel my panther stir, I miss her as she remains dormant allowing the twins their time to grow and thrive. They will be vulnerable to anything that may stand in my path, vulnerable to my enemies, not just now, not just after they are born, but for a very long time to come and again I have to wonder what The Tree of Life was thinking when doling out this blessing.

  Suddenly, my entire being is flooded with a love so pure and light that I’m surprised to realize that the love I feel is coming from Lillie and Lachlan. As realization dawns on me, I open my link to Alaric so he can feel what I’m experiencing. Tears of joy trace down my face as I connect with my children. Alaric is behind me in an instant, and I feel him lean down to wrap his strong, beautifully defined masculine arms around us. All four of us are connected as I realize that the twins have become self-aware. I sense their strength and majic mingle with mine and I’m in awe. I remember my conversation with Morgwais, and I now understand her meaning. My somber mood begins to lighten as I realize that, in the trials to come, we are a family unit.

  Alaric whispers in my ear, “Thank you, mo grá. You and these babes are my heart, mo chroí. You should know, I will protect mo chroí with my life, always and forever.” He kisses my cheek while holding us close.

  I tip my head up and back to pepper his stubble covered jaw with gentle kisses before making my way to his lush lips. I turn into his hold as I gently kiss his mouth before the kiss begins to deepen. Running the tip of my tongue along the crease of his lips, he opens for me, and I become lost in the moment and the sensation of just kissing my man, my Elf-Man before we are interrupted by one the twins giving a swift kick or punch that I know Alaric could feel.

  Laughing, he pulls back and says, “I think that was our cue to get you fed.”

  I’m not ready to let my kindred go so I pull him back to me with a wicked little smirk, as I say, “You should know that I will not allow our children to come between us in our alone time Alaric. We will make time for you and me. I know that from this point forward that our time together will not just be you and me, but I tend to be a little selfish when it comes to you, Elf-Man.”

  He chuckles pulling me close and whispers against my lips, “I will always find time to be with you mo grá. We will find balance between everything in our lives. I love you Ashlinn and this family that we are starting.” Before he pulls away, the kiss we share could melt the polar ice caps, and I’m left breathless as he says, “Let’s get dressed and head down to the majic cupboard. I can’t wait to see what it prepares for you this morning. Your stomach has been grumbling for going on an hour now.”

  We quickly dress, and I pull on a short sleeve scoop neck tee-shirt that hugs all of me as the material stretches around me and another pair of what Alaric has come to coin my majic leather pants. As I continue to grow into this pregnancy, I’m going to have to at some point move to different types of clothing. I strap on my knives, daggers, and short sword across my back and slip into my black leather combat-style boots and before I can even struggle with tying them, Alaric is down on one knee taking care of that little problem that I’ve been having over the course of the last few days.

  “You know, by the time these two are ready to be born, I’m going to be as big as a house. You know that right?” Worry etched in my voice.

  Alaric’s growl is possessive as he wraps his arm around me, “Ashlinn, you have nothing to fear. You have never looked more beautiful to me. It is taking all my restraint to keep my hands off of you right now. So no more worrying about your figure, every day I find you more and more beautiful.”

  Once again Alaric knows exactly what I need to calm my fears. As we exit our rooms, we find that Nym has taken up his post outside. I greet my Cerberus protector with a hug and kiss on the cheek. The three of us make our way downstairs to the kitchen and make quick work of breakfast. My hunger satisfied, I tell them about my dreams as we try to figure out what they mean. We are in agreement that once again The Morrígan is attempting to get to me through my subconscious when I sleep and that she is growing in power. The twilight realm, Alaric has never heard of it, and neither of us knows what to make of it.

  “I don’t know what it means, but for some reason, I remember longing to be there, as if it is a place that I know or will know. I can’t explain the tug that I felt to be there. I also got the impression that it is always twilight there. It was almost as if it were a plane of existence in space but not actually a planet. I don’t know how to explain it. The stars were brilliantly lit in the twilight sky like twinkling diamonds, I could see a brightly lit nebula in the distance, and there were three moons. I get the feeling that I have not seen the last of that realm.” I say as the others come into the kitchen to grab breakfast. “Good morning everyone, grab something to eat and come join us.”

  Jasmine smiles and says, “Welcome back my broody friend. Thank the goddess you were here last night Alaric, or I fear that Ashlinn may have locked herself away for three whole days like before. Boy, was she ripe before she came back to the living.”

  “Jasmine, really? Somethings are best left unsaid.” I say in a mockingly scolding fashion.

  “What? I speak the truth. Even you agreed that you stunk.” She says teasingly, while Camoryn smiles and dotes over her, making sure that she has something to eat and pulls her chair out for her. I knew they would make an awesome cou
ple. Whatever happens moving forward, I know that Jasmine and Camoryn are building a solid foundation. If Darius ever comes, I fear that he will be left to ponder what he missed out on.

  Alaric gives me a questioning look before he says to the rest of the group, “First and foremost, there is something amiss here in this castle. It should be teaming with people, but it’s not. There is something that does not sit right with me as to the absence of people here in Avalon. We need to keep that in mind as we go about our quest. Now we have a crown to recover today, a crown that is being guarded by a dragon. Does anyone know anything about dragons? It’s my understanding that they retreated to their own territories years ago. The only things I know are that of legend.”

  Tarron speaks up, and I notice that his eyes are glowing ever so slightly and I have to wonder where he found his meal. “I, like you have only heard tales of legend, but I remember that they are supposed to be fiercely loyal and like to hoard shiny things. If memory serves, dragons are shifters and can shift to a human form. Uther Pendragon, Arthur’s father, was descendant from dragons but his lineage was too far removed to allow his dragon to take shape. I’m assuming that is why Myrddin commission Drayiel to guard Arthur’s tomb.”

  From behind Tarron, I hear, “And you would be correct, future ruler to The Horde. I quite like that term for the dark fae. Who coined the name?” Myrddin asks as he and Nimue walk into the room arm in arm. Evidently, they have squared things away between them. It’s only about time.

  Speaking up, I say, “Myrddin, nice to see you outside of your oak tree. Good morning to you both. Actually, if I recall, Lexie and I both started referring to the dark fae under Tarron as his dark horde and then I had a vision of Tarron being named The Horde King. It all sort of clicked together at that point. Tarron will be a fair and just ruler of The Horde and is already establishing his reign. The Stone of Fál will not only solidify his reign but will also disavow The Morrígan’s claim to the throne over the Fomorians. The Fomorians fall under the dark fae from this point further as part of The Horde. After the war that is to come has been fought and the accords are put into place each ruler of The Otherworld will have to subject themselves to The Stone of Fál to confirm their right to rule. I believe that this will bring change to The Otherworld that is desperately needed.”

  Myrddin cocks his head as he assesses me and says, “Your mother is High Queen of The Realm. Will she also stand before The Realm to affirm her right to rule? And will you?”

  “I assure you, Myrddin I have no desire to rule. I am, but a simple person and I have enough to worry about than to be named a queen. I will leave that to my mother.”

  Alaric speaks up, “Myrddin, we simply need to complete this task before we can go back to The Otherworld. We have two other relics to find, and before long Ashlinn will be delivering the twins. I think it is safe to say that the war that is coming will not be fought in a day, a week, or maybe even a year. Instinct is telling me that something significant will happen shortly that will cause The Morrígan to have to regroup, and that will delay the war within The Realms,” he says as he takes my hand in his.

  Smiling at my kindred, I say to Myrddin, “We could use someone of your talents Myrddin. You and Nimue, would you consider joining us in our fight against The Morrígan? There is a particularly nasty curse that The Druids and Morgwais and her witch coven are trying to reverse. I fear that when The Morrígan and her sisters suffer a setback, they may unleash this unholy curse on others.” I pause before continuing and notice that Nimue looks unsettled by my revelation. “But that is something to think about for later. Alaric and I have given this a great deal of consideration. We are a team, as are all those that are here with me on this quest. We will face your guard dragon together. You are welcome to come with us as I feel that he will be loyal to you and may let us pass if you give your blessing.”

  “We intend to come with you child, after much discussion Nimue and I will do what we can to get you passed Drayiel. He is going to be furious with me. He was supposed to be relieved of his duty many years ago. So, I will be the first to speak with him. If you all are ready, then we will head that way, Arthur’s resting place is not far.”

  Chapter 28

  (Ashlinn)

  Horses are waiting for us to mount as we exit the main doors of the castle. Lexie and I ride with our kindred, and everyone else takes to their mounts with the exception of Camoryn and Jasmine. Camoryn’s powerful legs are able to keep up with our mounts and Jasmine has returned to her sprite size as she flutters along beside her chosen. We arrive outside the entrance to the mouth of an enormous cave at the base of what looks like a lone mountain. It’s relatively camouflaged by vegetation and looks as if it has been left undisturbed for a very long time. Alaric dismounts and helps me down. He stands steadfastly by my side and steadies me as I gain my balance beside him. Everyone has gathered around the opening to the cave, and we quietly follow Myrddin and Nimue’s lead.

  As we make our way down into what feels like the bowels of the earth, I begin to feel a little claustrophobic as the path narrows, and we have to walk in single file, I have never been in a cave before, and I feel as if the walls are pressing in on me. Alaric is in front of me, and Cam is behind with Jasmine on his shoulder. I stumble again, and I start to hyperventilate as my fear and claustrophobia takes over. I bend at the waist placing my hands on my knees as I gasp for breath. Alaric turns back to me and is instantly down on his knees in front of me.

  “Άliann, look at me. Come on beautiful, look at me. Ashlinn, stay with me.”

  My hyperventilating has left me dizzy, and I drop to my knees as I look up desperately to Alaric. I feel as if I can’t get enough breath into my lungs. I hear Lexie from what sounds like a million miles away yell, “Let me through! Now, let me get to Ash!” In the narrow tunnel, Lexie pushes her way to me and says, “Look at me, Ash. You’ve got this with a little help from me.” She latches on to my talisman and begins to chant as I clutch Alaric’s and her hands. Jasmine has landed on my shoulder and is lending me her silent support as I struggle to catch my breath.

  “I had no… idea… that I was… claustrophobic…” I say once I’m able to catch my breath for the first time in several minutes. “Thank you, Lexie. What did you do?” Slowly I stand and take stock of myself and the twins and realize they are no worse for wear.

  “Ash, I don’t think you even remember, but when we were really little, you had a similar reaction to tight, enclosed spaces. I’m not sure why but you are definitely claustrophobic, so I just weaved an enchantment to ease your fears of tight spaces. It should also work in any other non-live threatening situations as well. I guess you didn’t grow out of your fear.” Lexie pulls me into a hug that I readily return.

  I take several deep breaths before saying, “Thank you, Lexie. I’m glad you were here. Well now, that was really embarrassing. So everyone knows that I’m claustrophobic now.”

  “Well we can’t all be perfect, now can we mo solas?” Tarron says in a teasing tone from the back of the group.

  “Like you are, Tarron?” I throw back as I feel myself coming around. Alaric sweep me up off my feet holding me gently in his arms.

  I hear Tarron snort as he says, “I’m far from perfect, princess. You of all people should know that.”

  “I’ve got you mo grá,” Alaric says in my ear.

  I whisper back, “It will be seen as a weakness.”

  “Nonsense, you are mine to protect, and you are vulnerable now with the twins, the lighting is not good, and you can’t see your footing as the rest of us can. No wonder you were vulnerable to your claustrophobia. No one will see you as weak. You are merely in a more compromising position than the rest of us. That’s why am here.” He smiles down at me.

  My emotions are all over the place, and I try to calm myself as I take a deep breath and say, “I’m sorry for the delay. Let’s continue. Some chosen I make. I have a fear of heights, and now I find out that I’m claustrophobic. ” I mutte
r burrowing into Alaric’s shoulder as the enchantment that Lexie weaved takes control easing my fear. I allow my kindred bond with Alaric to continue to bolster me.

  Jaz stays near and buzzes close to me to say, “Ash, you should have seen me when Alaric asked me to ride back to Glenndale Loch with him on Tempest. It was quite the freak out moment for me. I actually asked to ride with him in his pocket.”

  We have continued our trek as the winding tunnel continues downward and the lighting is dim as I look at my tiny friend and try to imagine what that could have been like for her as a chuckle escapes me, “You never told me that Jaz. Tempest can be rather intimidating.”

  Before Jasmine can respond, Alaric says, “How do you think I felt riding up to the Keep as I dismount Tempest only to have a pixie exit my pocket? You should have seen the looks the guys gave me.”

  Jasmine huffs, “You could have cared less at that moment. You were a man on a mission to get to Ash. I for one am glad that I came along for the ride.” She smiles at me and waves as she heads back over Alaric’s shoulder to continue our trek with Camoryn.

  Her proclamation has me in tears. I mutter to no one in particular, “I love that damn sprite.”

  Alaric leans down and whispers in my ear, “She is rather likable, but I will deny that I said that so keep it to yourself, mo grá. Are you feeling better?”

  “A little. I’m afraid that T will never let me hear the end of it.” I say as a sigh escapes me.

  I notice that the tunnel has begun to level out and widen, so Alaric sets me on my feet but has wrapped his arm around my back and pulled me into his side and we continue to follow Myrddin and Nimue as we enter a vast underground cavern. I look up to see that we are actually standing at the bottom of what looks like a dormant volcano as the sun overhead lights the cavern. There’s a waterfall in the far back corner of the cavern and a large pool of water, large enough to be considered a small lake. There’s all sorts of vegetation growing around the lake. If it weren’t underground, I would consider it a small piece of paradise.