“I know Fergus,” I whispered, keeping my face aimed towards the canopy above, “but what do I have to offer her?”
If Meghan knew what I was, if she knew what I had witnessed in my long life, our fragile friendship would cease to exist and I would have no chance of hoping for anything more than that. The very thought of not ever seeing her again hurt me more than the raking claws and burning poison of the faelah I often battled.
I had no friends, only a sister, a foster father and a spirit guide. What I would give to have just one friend, to keep Meghan . . . But no, if I truly considered her a friend, if I honestly cared about her, I would tell her I could never see her again. I already feared the Morrigan knew too much and it would be better if Meghan severed all ties with me.
I released a heavy sigh and leaned my back against a eucalyptus tree, thinking about all I had been through in the past week; about the Morrigan’s attempt to get information from me. Nausea prickled the back of my throat and my legs felt suddenly weak. As a means of punishment for my insolence, she had forced me to attend another one of her sacrificial ceremonies, and because of my stupid geis all I could do was stand beside her and watch as she brought one victim after another forward, draining them of their glamour and their life force. She had enjoyed every moment of it, absorbing their magic like the parched earth drinking in the first rain of a monsoon. My own anger had burned high and eventually my control failed. The riastrad, the battle fury that resulted from the volatile mix of my anger and my glamour, burst forth. I had raged for hours, killing as many faelah as I could get my hands on.
The Morrigan had laughed in utter joy, enjoying every minute of it.
“Oh Caedehn!” she had crooned, “Isn’t it wonderful? There is nothing like the raw release of violence, now is there?”
I had been sick for days afterwards, and when I met up with Meghan in the swamp a week ago, I was in no shape to visit with her for very long. Not only had I been physically drained of my magic, but the memories of the Morrigan’s sacrifice were too fresh. They haunted me even now. Every one of her sacrifices still did and I had witnessed far too many of them. One of these days she would push me too far, test me one time too many. One of these days I would snap and my so called impertinence would be the least of her worries.
I forced my thoughts to return to the present and ran my hands over my eyes, trying to wipe away the weariness. Focus Cade. You want your wits about you when it comes time to break off your friendship with Meghan . . .
But fate would grant me no moment of peace, after all.
“Well, well, well, fancy meeting you here, Caedehn,” crooned a familiar voice.
In that moment it felt as if a specter ran its frozen, dead finger up my spine. No. She couldn’t be here, not now, not with Meghan’s arrival mere minutes away.
I turned, my blood burning with the realization of who had joined me in the meadow. I gritted my teeth as I eyed the woman standing before me.
“What are you doing here?” I hissed.
Yes, speaking to the Morrigan in such a tone was suicidal, but I didn’t care. She arched a perfect black eyebrow at me, her fae beauty rivaling the ugliness of her soul.
The Morrigan. The one the Celts called their war goddess. She had owned me for years and I had served her loyally, against my will. She had allowed me to protect my sister and the orphans of the Weald, but that was my only allowance. I could not ask for the protection of Meghan without violating my geis, and that is why I had never once mentioned the lost Faelorehn girl to the goddess. I would not let her get her evil hands on Meghan. But apparently my silence had been all for nothing. Her very next words proved that my suspicions had been right all along: she already knew about the girl I wished to protect.
“That’s an interesting young woman you’ve been trailing after of late. Such raw, untapped magic. And from what I’ve gathered on my own, she has no clue about it. Do you realize what a rare gift that is my dear Caedehn? A powerful Faelorehn girl, untrained in her magic. She would be like putty in my hands. I could mold her and shape her to my will as easily as one forms clay.”
My stomach wouldn’t stop churning.
“And I know you’ve known about her Cade, for many months now. Do you not think I am capable of employing adept spies or discovering such magical gems on my own?”
I would not cringe. It would give too much away.
The Morrigan released an exasperated breath and studied her fingernails. “So, to answer your original question as to why I am here: to ask you a simple question. Why on Eile did you not tell me about the little Faelorah the moment you saw her? I don’t think I need to remind you that your geis obligates you to inform me of such things, so why did you disobey me and not bring her to the Otherworld?”
I stood still for a long moment, trying to settle my thoughts and come up with an answer to appease the goddess. Careful Cade, I told myself as I forced my face into a mask of indifference, don’t make Meghan more of a target than she already is.
I must have remained silent for too long, because the Morrigan sneered, an expression as familiar to me as my own heartbeat.
“Oh Caedehn, are you pining after this girl? How pathetic! Even if she were worth the trouble, what could she possibly see in you? You are Ehriad, unwanted. You have no titles and no real place in Faelorehn society.”
“Don’t be absurd,” I gritted out. I was used to this, but the last thing I wanted was for her to find out how I felt about Meghan. “I was simply exercising caution. I wanted to make sure she was harmless before introducing her to the Otherworld. For all I know, her magic could blossom and do more damage than good.”
The Morrigan threw her head back and laughed, her thick black hair spilling over her shoulders like a dark cloud. The very sight of her made me ill.
“Cade! Do you think you can fool me? Anyway, it’s too late. I know she’s planning to meet you this afternoon. Why don’t we tell her the truth when she gets here? The truth about us.”
I felt the blood drain from my face. No. It would all be over if she knew the truth . . . Yes, I had decided that cutting Meghan from my life was for the best, but I wanted to do it my way; to let her have at least one nice memory of me. I clenched my teeth and stepped forward, grabbing the Morrigan’s upper arm.
“You’re leaving. Right now. I don’t want you here when Meghan arrives.”
“Oh? And why’s that Cade? Don’t want your little Faelorah to know about the most important woman in your life?”
I froze, my fingers tightening on her arm. She didn’t seem to notice.
“Remember, Cade, who gives the orders around here and what happens when they aren’t followed.”
Her voice was a hiss, her eyes smoldering with the dark red flare of anger and her very own strong glamour. She was holding onto her patience, but only just. I had to get rid of her, but it would cost me.
Taking a deep breath, I loosened my grip slightly and said softly, “If you leave now, I’ll owe you a boon.”
The Morrigan tilted her head, as if considering, then finally said, “Very well. But I will choose what this favor will be some time in the future.”
It was an incredibly unfair offer, but I honestly had no other choice.
“Fine,” I bit out, tightening my grip once more as I proceeded to drag her away from the clearing.
I marched her back to the dolmarehn, her arm still clenched in my hand. She strode along with me, not fighting me but continually reminding me of how foolish I was despite the fact that she had received the better end of the deal we’d made. When we finally reached the cave that led to the Otherworld, she jerked her arm free and released a heavy sigh.
“I will return to Eile for now, but you can’t keep this girl hidden forever. I will get my hands on her somehow, and there is nothing you can do about it.”
I snorted, though her words scared me to death. Trying to fight fear with false bravery, I retorted, “If that’s the case, then you would have taken her by now.�
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The Morrigan’s face changed, only the slightest inclination of irritation wrinkling her perfect features. Oh, what’s this? I crossed my arms and adopted a smug look. Might as well keep the act going . . .
“So, why haven’t you kidnapped her then?”
The Morrigan sighed and dropped her hands to her hips, rolling her eyes up to the sky. Sometimes she acted like a spoiled heiress and not a powerful queen of Eile.
“If you must know,” she said rather boorishly, “the girl has a geis on her.”
I froze, my heartbeat speeding up. If she had a geis, it had been placed on her before she came to the mortal world.
“And what does that geis entail?”
The Morrigan sneered and crossed her arms. “Oh, something about my not being able to touch her. So you see my dear boy, you are worrying for no reason whatsoever. I can’t lay a finger on your damsel in distress.”
I gritted my teeth. “Just because you can’t doesn’t mean your minions won’t. And it doesn’t keep you from speaking to her.”
The idea of the Morrigan having a chat with Meghan made my skin crawl. The evil woman could convince a fish to abandon its pond to keep from drowning.
She bared her teeth in a grimace, but said nothing for a few moments. She took a step towards the hidden dolmarehn and swept a curtain of tree roots out of her way before glancing over her shoulder at me.
“Oh, have no fear. I have a plan. Enjoy your private time while it lasts. If you have any ideas to thwart me, however, do take into consideration that anything you do to help the poor girl will result in a full breaking of your geis.” Her eyes glinted in malicious delight, flashing to red before returning to a violet-gray color. “And you know what the penalty for a broken geis is . . .”
She let her sentence trail off as she disappeared into the dark. A cool breath of air and the thrum of ancient magic told me she was gone, but the chill it brought to my skin wouldn’t leave. I didn’t want to think about what would happen if I broke my geis, but I had no doubt that sooner than later I’d be suffering the consequences. No, I wouldn’t feel those consequences right away, but they would catch up to me eventually.
If I broke my geis to protect Meghan, then I would destroy the powerful spell of magic that came with it. Yes, I had to serve the Morrigan, but every geis came with a price, and the price she had paid when she placed the geis on me had been a spell of protection. As long as my geis remained intact, she could never kill me. If she found a way to hurt Meghan, and I stood in the way, then I basically opened myself up to become the Morrigan’s next potential sacrifice. For now I was useful to her, so even if I did do something to help Meghan, I might be safe for a while. I hoped.
I pushed away from the cave entrance and began walking back to the meadow where I was to meet Meghan. Fergus, who had been hiding for the last fifteen minutes, joined me, silent and morose as a lost spirit.
Conflict? He sent.
I squeezed my eyes shut and ground the heels of my hands into their sockets.
You have no idea, I sent back.
* * *
I waited another hour for Meghan. I paced for most of that time, anxiety eating away at me like a poison. Why hadn’t Meghan shown up? Had the Morrigan lied to me and done something to her?
She’s home, in her room, Fergus told me eventually.
I paused, my unease lessening but not disappearing entirely.
Why didn’t she meet me? I tried to squash the disappointment, but it bled through regardless.
Fergus cocked his head in canine confusion. Then he sent me a simple thought: Sorrow.
My disappointment fled and I took a slow breath. Why was Meghan upset? Had something happened at school? At home? Had something hurt her? One of the Morrigan’s faelah?
“I need to go check on her,” I said, almost as an afterthought.
I took a few steps towards the equestrian path, but Fergus whined behind me. I arched a brow at him and he sent, Asleep.
I clenched my fists and felt the muscles contract in my neck and shoulders. Every instinct told me to go check on Meghan; to protect her. But if she was sleeping then she was safe, for now.
“Alright, I want you to stand guard at her door and make sure nothing tries to harm her. I’m going back to Eile. I have a feeling that I’m going to need the full power of my glamour very soon.”
* * *
Fergus’s sharp barks woke me from a dead sleep. I bolted upright out of bed, a searing, white-hot pain crackling through my brain.
I pressed a hand against my forehead, gasping in slight shock.
“Fergus!” I growled as I climbed out of bed.
I grabbed a pair of pants and pulled them on but didn’t bother with a shirt. My skin was still hot from the fever that often plagued me after using my magic to its full extent.
“Why didn’t you send me an unspoken message?” I demanded of my spirit guide, now yipping and scratching at the bedroom door.
I did. You would not respond. Too deep in sleep.
I contemplated his silent words and lowered my hand. So why this need to wake me? How long have I been asleep?
Many days. Meghan is in trouble. The Morrigan has lured her into the Otherworld.
I cursed, bringing the sharp pain in my head back to a nearly unbearable level. Pushing the discomfort aside, I frantically began to pull on my shoes. How could I have been out that long without waking? And how could Fergus fail to reach me? He’d always been able to reach me. It’s as if I’d been drugged . . .
I froze, but just long enough to feel the cool rush of dread coursing through me. Of course. The Morrigan had done something to keep me asleep for so long. I don’t know how, but I was certain of it. She knew that I would do whatever I could to help Meghan. She knew I would break my geis. Which meant she also knew what Meghan meant to me . . .
“Where are they Fergus?” I asked as I tore through the door, taking the steps down into the great entrance hall two at a time.
The stone circle, just on this side of the dolmarehn leading into the mortal world.
I took a deep breath and broke into a full run. As soon as I made it over the bridge and into the fields, I called out for Speirling, my stallion, using the same method I used to speak with Fergus.
The black horse must have sensed my urgency because he trotted up a few minutes after my call.
“To the wooded hills Speirling, as fast as you can!” I shouted as I nudged him towards the west.
We flew across the fields, Fergus close on our heels. The wind cooled my hot skin but it did nothing to calm my agitation. I was so angry, but worry and terror dominated every other emotion. If the Morrigan got what she wanted before I arrived, Meghan might not live to see another day.
* * *
I urged Speirling up the narrow path between the hills, risking the chance that he might trip and injure both of us. When he couldn’t make it any further because of the thick brush and rough terrain, I leapt from his back and hit the ground running. I cut across the thick woods, leaving the trail behind, and headed directly towards the dolmarehn. I would most likely have several new bruises and scratches from the times I ran into branches and tripped over rocks, but a more direct route would get me there in half the time. My exhaustion pulled at me and my breath came in quick pants, but I pushed myself ever forward, hoping beyond hope that Meghan was still alive.
I burst through a final thicket of dead bushes and stumbled upon a horrible scene. The fog was thicker here, brought on by the Morrigan’s magic. I darted my eyes around, taking in the image of the goddess in her battle garb: a black dress that mimicked a dark cloud of evil. Various faelah, all of them rather small, gathered around the stone circle, half-covered in the earth they had just emerged from. The chant filling the air was a familiar one; one I had heard many times at the Morrigan’s rituals of sacrifice.
Suddenly, a sharp cry drew my attention downward. Every last nerve in my body went numb. There, lying on the damp ground and pressed
up against one of the tall stones was Meghan, covered in blood and surrounded by almost a dozen of the Morrigan’s hellhounds.
“Meghan! No!”
I didn’t even try to fight my magic as it surged forth, taking only a few moments to overwhelm me. I had been through this process recently, and it wasn’t safe to go into my battle fury again so soon, but Meghan’s life depended on it. My unique gift, the strange power my glamour gave me, something I had inherited from my father, rippled over my skin and for a few agonizing seconds, I was trapped in a world of pain. When the agony stopped, I blinked a few times and glanced at Meghan. I couldn’t tell if she was still conscious; I couldn’t tell if she was still alive. Pure, raw fury took control. I eyed the closest Cumorrig, still trying to tear her apart, and roared, a sound that was more animal than anything else.
In my current state the Morrigan’s hounds were easy to kill. I grabbed one after another, tearing them apart with my bare hands or throwing them against the stones circling the entrance to the dolmarehn. At some point in time, the Morrigan fled in her raven form, but I ignored her. I killed one hellhound after another, and when they were all destroyed I turned to the faelah that had arrived to take part in the massacre. I can’t say how long I fought them, but when there were none left my battle fury slowly dissipated and I almost collapsed to the ground.
My head was pounding and my muscles felt like they’d been through a shredder. I fell to my knees and squeezed my eyes shut until some of the pain went away. I took several deep breaths, my heart rate slowing with each one.
A tiny sound drew my attention away from my own personal ordeal and I looked up to see Meghan. My heart nearly stopped. She was covered in several lacerations and purple bruises were forming all over her exposed skin. She coughed once, a horrible wet sound, as if she was choking on her own blood.
I scrambled over to her side and, as carefully as I could, scooped her up into my arms.
Faery Realms: Ten Magical Titles: Multi-Author Bundle of Novels & Novellas Page 99
