“I suppose we should do this at Angus’s house, correct?” I asked.
Herne nodded. “Yes. After we take care of this, we’ll see if Rafé’s feeling strong enough to talk. Also, Cernunnos and Morgana want to talk to us about the brotherhood.”
The waitress brought our breakfasts, and we attacked the food. I was desperate for more sleep, but the moment we had the arrow, we’d have to head out. As I swallowed my mocha, the caffeine warming my blood, I decided when we got back home I would take a week off, and do nothing but sleep.
HERNE PAID for our breakfast and we went outside to wait for Cernunnos. We huddled on the edge of the parking lot by a massive snowbank that had been plowed into a jagged embankment. I’d be happy if I never saw snow again. I knew that wasn’t really true—I liked winter—but right now all I wanted was the comfort of gray skies and drizzly rain. Or clear skies and sunshine. I didn’t really care which.
The snow swirled down around us. The Cailleach must have one hell of a grudge against humanity, I thought. But in my heart, I knew that wasn’t true. She was the core and essence of winter, she didn’t care about humans or mortals or gods—all she was focused on was bringing in the cold and the ice. It was her nature. She was winter incarnate.
We’d been standing there for about five minutes when a sound from the forest next to us caught my attention.
“Someone’s coming,” I said.
As we turned, Cernunnos emerged from the forest, followed by a woman who was almost too beautiful to look at.
She was as tall as the Forest God, with hair the color of burnished copper that fell in curls down to her butt. Her skin was pale, peaches and cream, and her eyes glistened like emeralds. She was wearing a long green velvet gown, gathered at the waist with a corset belt made of black leather. Her lips glowed with the blush of fresh peaches, and she wore a golden circlet with a triskelion over her forehead. She glided through the snow, following Cernunnos until they stood before us. Herne knelt, as did Yutani and Viktor. Talia curtsied low, and Angel and I did our best to follow suit.
“You may rise,” Cernunnos said. He really didn’t stand on ceremony from what I had seen of him, but it never hurt to show respect.
As we struggled upright, Herne inclined his head toward the Lady Brighid.
“Exalted One, welcome. We thank you for coming to our need.”
When she spoke, her voice rippled through the air, sounding musical and melodic and yet infinitely powerful. “The Cailleach cannot be allowed to run rampant in the mortal world. She is too strong for both mortalkind and the animals who walk upon the face of the earth. I have warned her before. We have been down this road more than once. I will give you my arrow, dependent on a promise from all of you.”
“Whatever you ask, my lady.” Herne clasped his hands in front of him, waiting patiently.
“Whenever I need your help, you and your friends will attend me. There is a situation that I foresee coming, in which I will need your help.” She glanced at me. “Yours especially, Ember Kearney. Give me your oath that when I call, you will come, and I will give you the arrow along with my blessing.”
My stomach hit the ground. Being singled out by a goddess wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it always led straight into the labyrinth. And the fact that she knew my name was unsettling.
I managed to find my voice. “As long as my Lady Morgana has no objections, I will be at your disposal when you need me.”
Herne echoed my thoughts. “When you need us, the Wild Hunt will be there.”
Brighid nodded. She held out her hand, and an arrow appeared in it. The arrow was golden, and reeked of magic. The air around it rippled, making it look like it was phasing in and out. I caught my breath. The golden shaft was beautiful, and the tip was deadly sharp.
“Herne, son of Cernunnos, may your aim be true. This arrow is for use upon the Cailleach, and the Cailleach only. It will bind her into the stone, providing you have the stone with you.”
“How close does the stone have to be to the Cailleach for us to send her back into it?” Herne asked.
“Within eyesight. If you have the stone, and you can see her, then you can trap her. Now, where is the keeper of the Corryvreckan stone?” Brighid looked around, frowning. “I have some words for him.”
I shivered. She didn’t sound happy, and I felt sorry for Angus, given the scolding he obviously had coming.
Herne pulled out his phone. “I can call him out here. He’s waiting in the hotel.”
“Do so, now,” Brighid said.
Herne put in a call to Angus, and luckily—or unluckily, as the case may be—Angus answered. “Get your ass out front to the parking lot now,” Herne said. He hung up before Angus could reply.
Cernunnos motioned to me. “Walk with me for a moment while we wait,” he said.
I glanced at Herne, and he gave me a nod. Nervously, I fell in stride with Cernunnos as we headed toward the street. I wondered if anybody passing by could guess that they were driving past a god. Everyone knew the gods existed, but few people ever had any interactions with them, and there were a few who clung to their outdated beliefs that the gods were demons walking freely in the world. If they ever met a real demon, though, I had the feeling they’d change their tune mighty fast. Demons existed, and far worse creatures as well.
As we wandered away from the rest of the party, Cernunnos glanced down at me. He was massive, his muscles had muscles, and his dreads fell down to his lower back. He was wearing a windbreaker over a pair of jeans, and motorcycle boots, and though he was without his headdress, he still felt every inch the god to me.
“How are you finding life after the Cruharach? Are you at peace with your Leannan Sidhe heritage and your Autumn’s Bane bloodline?”
I shrugged. “I’m getting used to both. Sometimes it’s hard, because while I can tell they were always there, they weren’t nearly so noticeable. They’re both predatory, which is a little scary…but given I’ve only known the specifics a few months, I think I’m doing fairly well.”
Cernunnos gave me a short nod. “Your father and mother had difficulties accepting their predator selves as well. That’s partly why they’re dead. I won’t disparage them, they were good-hearted people, and they were loyal to Morgana and me, but they weren’t survivors. And you, Ember, are a survivor.”
“I suppose I am,” I said.
“That’s a good thing. You need to be a survivor to make it in this world, especially when you bear the lineage that you do. Don’t hesitate to use your powers as you need them, but use them wisely. You don’t want to end up like your grandfather, who looked to abuse his abilities.”
I wasn’t sure what to say.
“Cat got your tongue?” he asked with a grin.
Shrugging, I said, “It seems so. Is Brighid going to punish Angus?”
“She would be within her right to do so, given how careless he was. But I think losing his wife will be punishment enough.”
“Fiona’s lost, then?” I let out a soft sigh. I had been hoping we could save her.
“I’m afraid she probably is. And the sad fact is that this wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t been so stubborn. I’m not entirely sure what happened—and no one will ever be—but removing the stone from Scotland was folly.”
“What will Brighid do to him?”
“She’ll give him a good talking-to, and he will return to Scotland. That’s the thing, Ember. Destiny doesn’t always take into account our wants and dislikes when doling out fate. That’s true of the gods as well as mortals. Sometimes, we’re called upon to do things we don’t want to. Or we’re called upon to carry out a duty that goes against our nature. And sometimes, we’re just prevented from doing what we want. But not everyone gets to choose their lot in life.”
“That seems unfair.”
“Life isn’t fair. Though I’ve seen that when this happens, the next time around on the wheel seems to offer an easier path. There are some situations where you cannot see t
he whole until you are off the wheel of life and looking at it from the outside. Things have a way of balancing out in The Eternal Return, even if you don’t realize it at the time.”
We stopped next to the road. Cernunnos watched the cars pass by as the snow swirled around them.
I turned to him. “What do you see, when you look at our world? When you visit here?”
He paused. For a moment, I thought he wasn’t going to answer, but then he said, “I see forgetfulness. I see people who’ve lost their way, I see people who forget to look at the beauty around them. And then,” he said, looking at me, “I see others who are striving to be the best they can be. Who are making the best lives they can for themselves. The world of Annwn is not so different from your world.” He glanced over my shoulder and I followed his look. Angus was coming out of the hotel, walking slowly toward Brighid.
Cernunnos turned to me, giving me a slight grin. “Well, shall we go back and witness the fireworks?”
I shuddered, thinking I’d rather not, but instead I turned and followed him back to where the others were standing.
“Angus Lesley, you have abandoned your post, and as a result you have allowed the Cailleach to be freed. What have you to say for yourself?” Brighid was saying to Angus, who was kneeling in front of her.
“I am so sorry, milady. I didn’t realize this was going to happen. We’ve been over here for over forty years, and nothing like this has happened before.”
“You are one of the magic-born. Forty years is a drop in your lifetime. You should know better. Didn’t your father school you on what your duties were?” Brighid’s voice was harsh, though she didn’t look all that angry. More, she looked disappointed.
“My father did warn me. I accept responsibility for this. It’s my fault, and I’ll do whatever I have to do to correct it.” Angus stared at the pavement, still kneeling. His voice was contrite, and he looked shaken.
Brighid folded her arms across her chest. “These are things you cannot undo, these things that have been done. This is not my doing, but your own. The Cailleach has taken over Fiona, and the two are permanently entwined at this point. Because of your actions, you will lose your wife.”
Angus let out a cry, covering his face.
“This is not my doing, Angus. It’s the direct result of your carelessness. I’ve given Herne one of my Fiery Arrows so he’ll be able to capture the Cailleach back into her stone. After he’s done this, you will return to Scotland with the stone and resume your duties. Your daughter will join you there to learn the ways of the keeper of the stone of Corryvreckan. It is her duty to follow in your footsteps, so you would do well to make her aware of just how serious this position is. Your family was entrusted with it from the beginning, and so it shall remain. As your daughter will become the keeper of the stone, so will her firstborn.”
Angus bent over, resting his head on the snowy pavement in front of him. “Please, Lady, isn’t there any way to save my Fiona?”
“If there were, I would help you,” Brighid said. “But I can see no untangling the situation. Fiona has merged with the Cailleach. They are one. So, no, there is no return for her. She is part of the storm, part of winter. Her magic has been bound up in ice and snow and mist and wind. You are not being punished, but this is simply the result of what path you have chosen.”
Angus began to sob, his shoulders heaving. Herne knelt beside him, glancing up at Brighid as he placed his hand on Angus’s shoulder.
“I think he understands the severity of what he did.” Herne’s voice was soft, and in his expression I caught a plea for leniency.
Brighid uncrossed her arms and knelt in front of Angus. “If I could help her, I would. Truly, I would. But the gods are not omnipotent, nor are we omniscient. And we cannot undo everything that has been done. There are many ways we can help, but over some things we have no power. And the great Forces of Nature are beyond even us. So arise, Angus Lesley, and do what you must. Let your heart rest easier, for Fiona is in no pain nor discomfort, that much I will guarantee you. And neither will she be when she joins the Cailleach in the stone.”
Angus looked up, his face streaked with tears. Herne stood and offered his hand to the man, helping him to his feet.
He coughed, trying to wipe his eyes. “And there’s no hope that she’ll ever be free of the Cailleach?”
Brighid let out a great sigh, and then shrugged. “We can always keep hope alive. I would tell you no, but I am no prognosticator, and who knows what the future may bring? As you keep watch over the stone, you will be watching over Fiona as well. That is the best I can tell you.” She turned to Cernunnos. “It is time we left this place. I have things to do.”
As she began to walk back into the forest, Cernunnos glanced back at us.
“I will speak with you in a day or two about the Tuathan Brotherhood. They’re not going anywhere, so another day or so won’t matter. I’m afraid that this is a far more complex issue than we first thought, and it’s going to take some time to dig through the barriers they’ve erected between themselves and the rest of the world. Herne, call me when you get back to Seattle. And use Brighid’s gift wisely.” And with that, the Lord of the Forest followed Brighid back into the woods.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
L eaving Talia, Raven, and Angel at the hotel, we gathered our gear to head out to Angus’s house. I was still chilled from being up on Hurricane Ridge, but at least we were within driving distance of our beds this time. I made certain that I was armed with my bow and dagger, and that everything was in good working order. I thought about asking Raven if I could borrow her blade again, but decided that poison probably wouldn’t affect a Luo’henkah. As I suited up, Angel watched me. I had told her what it gone down between Angus and Brighid, and she seemed taken aback.
“What are you thinking about?” I asked.
“Fate or destiny, call it whatever you will. There’s really no mercy in it, is there?”
“You’re thinking about Fiona and Angus, aren’t you?”
She nodded. “It just seems so harsh that he’s lost her forever because of this.”
“The Cailleach doesn’t care. The Luo’henkah are much like elementals, only even more so. She is the core in the heart of winter, of the snow and ice and mist. There’s no humanity in that, merely one of the great forces that makes up this world.” I paused, glancing at her. “I feel bad for him, too. I feel incredibly sorry for him and for Fiona. But Brighid was right when she said that he caused this. Maybe he didn’t know what would happen. But he was in charge of a great artifact, and he decided willy-nilly to lump it all and carry it off to a different land against instructions. Now, he has to live with the results of his decision.”
“What was Brighid like?” Angel asked.
“She scared me almost more than Cernunnos. He may be Lord of the Forest but she’s the Fiery Arrow. And now that I’ve met her, I see why she bears that title. There’s something about her that goes beyond our understanding. I can’t explain it, but I think I’d be more comfortable having a beer with Cernunnos than a glass of wine with Brighid.”
“Do you have everything you need?” Angel asked. “You need to borrow my gloves? I see you misplaced yours.”
She was right. In all the confusion and chaos at the headquarters of the Tuathan Brotherhood, I had somehow lost my gloves.
“If you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it. I have no idea where mine went to.” I was also wearing Raven’s jacket, and I showed Angel the material. “She charmed it so that it retains heat. Pretty nifty, huh?”
“I want one!” Angel clapped her hands. “That really is amazing. I didn’t know she could do things like that.”
“I have a feeling there’s a lot we don’t know about Raven. You should’ve seen her take on that giant spider. She wields some pretty powerful magic. I sure wouldn’t want to be on her bad side.” I brushed my hair into a ponytail and shoved a hat down over my ears to keep them warm. Angel handed me her gloves, and I slid my fing
ers into them, making sure that I could still grab my dagger easily enough. I slung my crossbow over my shoulder and strapped a quiver of bolts on my belt. Finally, I looked around and let out a sigh.
“I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I’m not looking forward to this, I’ll tell you that. The Cailleach is deadly—and she’s crafty. But even more than that, I just want to sit by a warm fire and pet Mr. Rumblebutt.”
“We’ll take some time off when we get home. Go get the Cailleach and then we can leave this place. I’m going to go visit Rafé while you’re out, see if he’s woken up yet.” She hugged me, holding me tight. “Come back, Ember. Every time you go out there I’m afraid that—”
“I know. Every time I head out to a battle, I’m afraid it may be my last too. But I’ll be back. Herne has Brighid’s arrow, and he has a deadly aim. You can’t beat that combination.”
As I headed out, I stopped in to say good-bye to Talia and Raven, and to thank Raven for the jacket. Raj was staring out the window, looking hopeful, and I caught Talia and Raven in the middle of watching the Fae Housewives of New York.
As I left, I called out, “I’m not letting you live this one down.”
Their laughter lifted my spirits better than any hug could.
HERNE, Angus, and I rode in Herne’s SUV, while Viktor and Yutani followed in Viktor’s rental. As we approached Angus’s house, the snow was almost too deep to drive through. The road he lived on wasn’t on the snowplow route, and we were lucky to get through.
“I’m usually the one who plows the road when we get snow,” Angus said. He’d managed to recover from the traumatic talk with Brighid, but he was somber in a way that spoke miles to his sorrow. He seemed resigned to his fate, but I had a suspicion that he had a whole lot of grieving to do over the next few years.
“You have the stone?” Herne asked.
The Silver Mist: A Wild Hunt Novel, Book 6 Page 20
