by Linsey Hall
Together, we climbed the wide steps. The massive wooden doors swung open, revealing the huge entry hall with a soaring ceiling.
Normally, it was a quiet part of the castle, with people passing through on their way to other destinations. This time, however, there were three figures standing in the middle. Two wore long white robes, while the third was dressed in old-fashioned leather armor.
Scratch that.
It wasn’t old-fashioned looking. It was positively ancient. Her red hair was tied on her head in a variety of crazy knots, and the sword at her side had a beautiful twisted iron hilt.
The two who wore the robes were talking a mile a minute at Jude, whose brows were halfway to her hairline.
Bree grabbed my arm, and we stopped stock-still, not wanting to disturb them.
And who were we kidding? We also wanted to eavesdrop.
We tucked ourselves against the door, in plain sight—I wasn’t about to go sneaking around and get myself in trouble—but we were out of the way enough that we wouldn’t disturb them.
“I recognize her,” Bree whispered. “The one with the red hair.”
“Who is it?”
“Maira. She’s a Celt.”
“Whoa.” Could that be a coincidence?
“I met her when I was in the Celtic god Cocidius’s realm. She was a captive.”
“Not anymore.”
“No, I helped free them all.”
I grinned. “’Course you did.” It was just the kind of thing that Bree would do.
I strained my ears to hear what they were saying. Both of the figures in robes were men, and the tallest one was speaking. “I’m telling you, the dark magic is unlike any we’ve ever seen. It’s unrivaled in its devastating nature.”
“And you say that it broke into the Otherworld?”
Otherworld. That was the Celtic afterlife, the realm of the gods and the dead.
“Just yesterday,” the tall figure said. “It broke right through the circle at Caernavon. I don’t know how it managed—it should have been impossible. But it made it through. Now it’s cutting through our realm, leaving a terrible trail of destruction in its wake. It’s destroying Otherworld.”
“And you say you need help tracking it?” Jude asked.
“Yes, precisely. This is where the druidic seers said that we would find the help we need.”
“You’ve come to the right place. We have just the team for the job.”
As if they sensed me, the two robed figures turned and looked right at me. Then they pointed.
“We want her,” they said in unison.
Oh fates.
“Bree?” Jude asked. “She’s new to the Paranormal Investigative Team, but she’s very talented.”
“Not her,” Maira, the warrior, said. “Though she is very talented and I owe her my life. The elders are speaking of The Druid. There’s no doubt that she’s the one meant to help us.”
“Yes,” the tall figure said. “We want The Druid Dragon God.”
Welp—they knew what I was.
I’d been keeping that pretty close to the vest. Only trusted members of the Protectorate knew that I was a Dragon God. They were the only ones who had any reason to know. But Bree was the only one aware that I was The Druid.
Now these random strangers knew?
It had to be because they were Celtic and had some extra insight, but I still didn’t like it.
Jude’s brows jumped all the way to her hairline this time. If they could have, they’d have jumped right off her head. Her starry blue eyes met mine. “The Druid?”
I hadn’t had a chance to tell Jude about my visit to the stone circle. Between sleep and class and popping into the library to do a bit of reading about it, I’d been busy.
This was not how I’d anticipated this going down.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “Last night I learned that I’m The Druid.”
Bree was The Valkyrie. I was the Druid. And I was all kinds of confused.
“That’s new,” Jude said.
I nodded. ”Very.”
“Did you know that some distressed Celts would show up on our doorstep begging for your help?” she asked.
“Nope.” I looked at the Celts. There was reverence in their eyes, or something like it. Well, the two robed ones, at least. Maira just grinned at me and Bree.
To say that I was more comfortable with the grin than I was with the reverence was an understatement.
“Am I interrupting something?” Lachlan’s voice sounded from behind me.
My heart went wild and my brain went on the fritz.
I turned. He met my gaze, and something passed between us. Heat, definitely. I felt like a wire connected us, and someone had just plucked it like a guitar sting. The tension vibrated in the air. Our kiss played through my mind, and I probably looked totally zoned out.
I shook myself. He shot me a small half smile, then looked at Jude.
I sucked in a slow breath, trying not to be a totally awkward dork, and turned from him.
Seriously?
This was his timing?
I was confused as hell and overwhelmed, and the object of my affection/lust chose this moment to show up and add a bit of sexual tension and mild panic to the mix? Last night, we’d just agreed to not ignore our feelings. Apparently, I hadn’t had enough time to chill out about it and become a normal person.
“I think we need to go to the round room,” Jude said. “This qualifies as round-room big-deal discussion material.”
No kidding.
2
I trusted Lachlan, I didn’t object to him coming with us to the Protectorate’s version of a war room. The Celts seemed pleased to be upgraded to the medieval-style room where we discussed the most important issues at hand. They settled in at the big round table as if they visited every day for tea.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have too much else to say about being The Druid and the possible savior that these people were looking for. I’d have liked to have more information about my situation, but I just….didn’t.
The one thing I didn’t mention was that my magic was on the fritz because of the tattoos. I didn’t want to give Jude any reason to think I wasn’t capable of being at the Academy and passing with flying colors. Quickly.
“You insist that Ana is the only one who can help?” Jude said.
The three of them nodded.
“She’s the reason we came here,” Maira said.
“Isn’t the timing a bit weird?” I asked. “I just discovered that I’m The Druid, and now you’re here, needing my help.”
“You were fated for this,” the shorter man said. “I am Owyn, and I am an elder druid. Not The Druid, like you. But I have visions and prophecy. I can see this.”
Vision and prophecy.
Just like I had.
I’d wondered where that new magic had come from, but apparently it was a druid thing.
“What are druids, exactly?” I asked. I’d gotten a definition in the library, but it’d been vague.
“We perform a number of functions, but primarily we are the knowledge holders of the Celts. We can act as lore-keepers, seers, religious leaders, healers, and legal authorities. We also protect the magic of the Celts,” Owyn said.
Healers. The white light that had helped heal me.
That new power was starting to make sense, too.
These guys definitely had answers for me. I knew almost nothing about the Celts, and I certainly knew almost nothing about my new magic. Info in the library had been sparse on this subject, primarily because the Celts had utilized an oral method for passing down history and information.
If you wanted knowledge about them, you had to go to the source.
And these guys were the source.
“I want to help.” I looked straight at Jude. “I can do this.”
Her gaze moved between the druids and me. A thousand thoughts flashed in her mind, clearly.
“You aren’t fully trained,” she said.
/> “Neither was Bree when she set off to the Norse realm to learn about her magic,” I said.
Bree nodded. “True story.”
“I know,” Jude said. “That was dangerous, but necessary. So is this. The other division heads have been chafing at the idea of new recruits being given so much freedom—it’s one of the reasons I’ve been harder on you, Ana. Our rules have kept us safe and alive for hundreds of years. But I agree that this is important. And it’s a double standard to let Bree go but deny you.”
“And we need her help,” Owyn said. “Desperately.”
“And I want to learn more about what I am,” I said. “They can teach me.”
“We will,” Owyn said. “There are things she can gain in Otherworld. Things she must gain. It’s only natural that she go. She can help us with our problem while learning about what she is. The fates have decreed that it must be done.” His voice rang with passion.
“You have more magic than you did when you came here,” Jude said. “That will help protect you.”
I kept my face blank as I nodded. Bree didn’t breathe a word, and fortunately Angus and Lavender weren’t there to report on my dismal performance back at Madame Mystical’s.
“I’ll go,” Lachlan said. “As backup.”
Next to him, Owyn grinned, delighted. The old druid liked something about this.
Jude’s eyes moved toward him. “Um, all right?” She leaned forward. “You don’t work for us, you know.”
A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Damn, that was sexy. He looked like such a rake. I’d borrowed a few of Caro’s old romance novels the other week, and he fit the definition perfectly. Just looking at him made my heart race.
“I’m aware,” Lachlan said. “But I’d like to help with this.”
Jude’s gaze moved from me to Lachlan, understanding clearly dawning. “Ah, right. Well, it’s not my place to say no. You’re powerful and she could use the help. The protection.”
“I can protect myself.” I frowned.
Jude grinned. “Good. I know that. It’s why you’re here. You’re tough, Ana. I don’t doubt you. But it’s always good to have backup. And Lachlan is good backup.”
That was the truth.
Owyn leaned forward. “He has a role to play, actually. An important one. So this is perfect.”
“I do?” Lachlan asked.
Owyn nodded. “Indeed. There will be a battle for you alone.”
He grinned. “Perfect. Any hints?”
“Unfortunately, no. But I have seen in the fire that a large and powerful shifter mage must accompany the Druid. That must be you.”
Lachlan nodded.
“It’s settled, then,” Jude said. “Ana, you’ll be going to Otherworld to help them with the dark magic. I’ll run interference with the other departments. They’ll be annoyed, but they’ll have to deal.”
“Thank you.” I turned to the druids. “Let’s go kick some dark magic butt.”
Lachlan and I departed almost immediately, following the Celts back toward the front entry of the castle.
Maira, who clearly acted as the Druid’s bodyguard, walked alongside Bree, catching up. I stuck close to Lachlan, leaning in to whisper, “Thank you for coming.”
“I wouldn’t miss it.” He squeezed my hand, and a shiver raced up my arm. I hadn’t seen him since last night, when we’d agreed to not pretend there was nothing between us. I didn’t know where it would go from here, but I wanted to find out.
Not to mention, I wanted to find out his reason for denying the attraction and using the lame excuse of “we work together.” I’d asked him, but he’d sidestepped the question.
We stepped through the main doors of the castle and out into the early morning air. It was late winter, brisk and cool with snow scattering the ground. It must have fallen while we were in the round room. I sucked in a deep breath, enjoying the icy sea scent of the air.
Bree, who’d been in front of us, turned and hurried to me, catching my eye. “Be careful, okay.”
“You know me.”
“Yeah, Miss Plan A, B, and C. But oftentimes, those plans involve you throwing yourself into danger.”
“You know I can handle it.” I hugged her.
“I know,” she muttered against my hair. “But I also know what happened when I visited the Norse realm, and it wasn’t pretty. I can’t imagine the Celtic one will be any better. So be careful.”
I pulled back and met her gaze. “I will. Promise. And take care of Rowan.”
“Always.” She smacked a kiss on my cheek, then hurried back into the castle.
Maira turned to us. “We’ll take a transportation charm back to the portal at the stone circle. We’ll use that to enter Otherworld.”
I nodded, excitement welling in me.
These were my people.
Or at least, I was one of them. There was a difference, somehow. Because I already had my people. Bree, Rowan, and the Protectorate. But that didn’t mean I didn’t want to know about these folks as well. To become part of something that was tied to my past and my present.
Maira dug into a leather pouch attached to her waist and withdrew a transport stone. She hurled it to the ground, where it exploded in a cloud of silvery dust.
She held out her arm. “After you.”
The two Druids led the way, and I followed, letting the ether suck me in. It pulled me through space, making my head spin, and finally spat me out in a wide, open field. The air was bitter cold here, but there was no snow on the ground. I turned, feeling magic that tugged at my chest.
When I spotted a huge stone circle, I stopped.
Bingo.
The source of the magic. And the portal to Otherworld.
Excitement shivered across my skin as I looked at it.
I’m really going there.
The Druids were watching me with a combo of interest, awe, and skepticism—which was pretty weird. I turned from them, spotting Lachlan as he stepped through the portal. I was glad he was here—not just as backup, but as moral support, too.
Finally, Maira appeared, and we started toward the stone circle.
She sidled up next to me, which was good. I’d rather ask her my questions than the other two. I might be The Druid and these two guys might be druids, but the warrior Maira was more on my level.
“So, stone circles act as portals to Otherworld?” I asked.
“Sometimes, along with other things. The Celts didn’t build the circles—they were here long before we were. But we use them for different purposes. Other things can be portals too. But usually it’s symbolic places like this.”
Symbolic was right. The majesty of the stones that towered toward the sky took my breath way. No wonder the Celts had reused the stone circles. They were amazing. I’d been entranced by the one back at the castle, but this one was even bigger.
“This one leads to an entrance close to our Oppidum,” she said. “But there are many others that lead to different places in Otherworld. It’s huge.”
“What’s an Oppidum?” I asked.
“Walled city.” She grinned. “You’ll see.”
Magic pricked against my skin as we neared the stones. They were jagged, uneven things, very tall but skinny. I could almost see the power sparking on the air.
“Just step in,” Maira said. “You’re a Celt, so it will recognize you and allow you entrance to Otherworld. If you hold Lachlan’s hand, he can go, too.”
I reached for Lachlan’s hand, unable to stop my smile when his large palm closed around my own. The druids stepped between the stones and disappeared right into thin air. Maira waited, no doubt for us, so I followed, Lachlan at my side.
Just like with a normal portal, the ether sucked me in and threw me across space. Except there was a little something extra here—a tugging that I felt deep in my middle as my head spun. When I appeared on the other side, I stumbled, gripping Lachlan’s hand tightly.
We stood in the middle of an identical
field, but in the distance, a black stain spread across the land. It looked like tar or oil.
The scent wafted toward me, reeking of garbage and despair. I wrinkled my nose.
Maira appeared next to me. Her gaze went immediately to the black stain. “That is what you are here to stop.”
“And you have no idea what it is?” It stretched for miles, like a snake that slithered off into the distance, poisoning everything it touched.
“No idea what it is. Just that it reeks of evil and is killing anything it touches. It goes farther and farther. We assume it is following whatever intruder is making their way through Otherworld.”
“I’ll stop them.” Anger and determination heated my chest. This was my home, in a sense. Nothing would hurt my home.
I turned from the stain, unable to look at it any longer, and spotted a hill that rose toward the sky. Three circular shaped walls surrounded the top of the hill. Each ring of wall was on a different level of the hill, gradually rising upward.
“That’s the Oppidum,” Maira said.
“Who are you defending against? Isn’t this the Celtic Otherworld? You shouldn’t have enemies here.” That was the problem—the invaders that I was here to hunt were the only enemies.
“The walls aren’t for defense,” Maira said. “Though they could serve as that in a pinch. They’re more of a status symbol. They help us control trade and maintain power.”
“Cool.” I let go of Lachlan’s hand and started toward them, desperate to see inside.
The druids followed behind, silent. They gave off the air that I’d always associated with monks. Quiet contemplation and power in knowledge. Maira led us to the city.
I couldn’t help but think of my mother, who’d arrived in the stone circle to stop me from discovering this information. She’d said it was deadly—to me.
Maybe that was so, but I was desperate to learn about who I was. I’d never turned back from a challenge. And these people needed me.
We reached the hill, which soared high above, and began to climb, passing one ring of wall and then another. The first two gates had been left open for us, and there were no guards at the towers on either side.
As we neared the main gate at the top, I began to hear the noises of a city. Voices, animals, the sound of cart wheels creaking.
