Earth's Blood (Earth Reclaimed)

by Ann Gimpel

  She dove behind one of the boulders hiding the cave’s entrance and hunkered on her haunches. Hands raised, she gathered defensive magic. No matter what came after her, she’d blow it to kingdom come. Throat so tight she could barely breathe, she squatted until her muscles screamed in protest. If Perrikus and D’Chel were going to follow her, surely they’d be here by now.

  Aislinn stood and shook out her legs until the pins-and-needles sensation subsided. She dropped her hands and let her magic dissipate. Defensive magic was for use in the now. Holding it in abeyance exhausted her. She shucked her pack, got a drink, and scanned the forest, magic senses on high alert. Nothing. She blew out a relieved breath and then kicked herself.

  “Who am I deluding? They can find me anytime they want,” she muttered. “It’s their world, their home court. My energy sticks out like a sore thumb here.”

  Where were Rune and Fionn? For that fact, where was Dewi? Aislinn supposed they were hunting for her. She could find Rune through the Hunter bond. If she was correct and the dark gods could trace her as easily as a dog locating a long-since-buried bone, projecting her magic wasn’t a risk.

  No. They’ll come for me when they’re good and ready. Not a moment sooner.

  Aislinn slid her pack over her shoulders and walked in a tight circle, hands clasped behind her back. She clicked through what she knew. It had taken a lot of magic to jump and even more to hold a defensive stance as long as she had in front of the cave. If that hadn’t drawn the dark ones to her instantly, perhaps the Hunter magic wouldn’t, either.

  She, Fionn, and Rune were far stronger together than apart. Aislinn paid out Hunter magic. “Rune.”

  “Mistress.” His voice in her mind was so welcome, tears gathered.

  “I am back at the cave.”

  “You must come to us. Fionn is injured.”

  “What? How?”

  “Just come.”

  Aislinn locked the coordinates in her mind, pulled Mage magic, and jumped. She rolled out onto heaps of dead animal bodies.

  Rune jumped nimbly over them and licked her effusively. “Shut the portal,” he growled, “then follow me.”

  Should have secured it off the second I was out. Aislinn closed her casting and sprinted after the wolf. Bones snapped under her boots. She didn’t take time to examine the dead things; it was enough they were no longer a threat.

  Fionn sat propped against a tree bole. Bella clung to his shoulder, her sleek, feathered head leaned against him. Blood streaked his face and hands. “Mo croi. Mo croi. I’ve been working on Healing myself, so we could go after you, but ’tis been slow going.”

  He opened his arms. She dove into them, and they closed weakly around her. Love made her throat thick. She wanted to cling to him and never let go. Tears threatened to spill over, but she squeezed her eyes shut to push them back.

  “I am glad you are here.” Bella sounded far more formal than usual.

  No time for this. Got to move fast before they find us. Aislinn started to ask what happened, but it didn’t matter. Not really. Fionn needed to conserve what little energy he had. The important thing was they were together again. She drew back from his embrace and sent Healing magic into his body. The small bone in his right arm was broken. She instructed the bone ends to knit together and did a quickie patch-up job on the worst of his abrasions while Rune sat guard.

  “It’s amazing they haven’t come after us,” she said.

  “Aye, ’tis the same thing I thought.” Fionn laid a hand on her arm.

  “Where’s Dewi?” Aislinn scanned the sky, which had shaded to a sickly gray. Morning must be coming—finally.

  “That meddling turncoat went after her mate,” Rune growled.

  “She hadn’t seen him for hundreds of years,” Bella protested, defending the dragon.

  “Doona be concerned. We can leave without her, but not without Gwydion and Bran.” Fionn got to his feet. “Thank you, léannan. I feel whole again.”

  “What are these things?” Aislinn kicked at the piles of furred bodies.

  “I doona know what they are called, but they were out to kill us. As ye can see, they wouldna have been much of a challenge had there been but a dozen or so. When they numbered in the hundreds, they were more difficult to deal with.”

  Aislinn turned one over with the toe of her boot. It looked like a large beaver, but with double rows of razor-sharp teeth. “Wonder where they came from? I haven’t seen so much as an insect here.”

  “It doesna matter—” Fionn’s head snapped up; he inhaled sharply. “Damn it! Aislinn, behind me.” He spun, hands raised to call power.

  Rune faded from sight. The dark gods’ trickery pummeled her. She couldn’t see them, but they had to be close. Aislinn drew magic and readied herself to fight. She wanted to talk with Fionn about their child, but now wasn’t the time.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Fionn glanced to see if Aislinn had followed his directions. Not exactly. She was off to one side. He could shield her more effectively if her body was behind him. He set his jaw in a determined line. The odds weren’t good if Perrikus and D’Chel both showed up, particularly since D’Chel had tried to claim Aislinn for his.

  We’re not so different as all that. He sees her as his. I see her as mine. Were it just the two of us, ’twould be a fairer fight.

  Bella’s claws dug into his shoulder. The bird was frightened, but she’d lay her life on the line for him. She’d done it before. He wanted to comfort her, but couldn’t divert his attention. The air fairly crackled with dark magic. It made the fine hairs on his arms stand on end.

  “Ye must do what I tell you,” he said.

  “Who are you talking to?” Aislinn’s voice held a definite edge.

  “All of you. Where’s Rune?”

  “He can take care of himself. He has this thing he does where he can hide—”

  “Sssssht. Enough,” Fionn hissed. “Stand ready. They will be upon us verra soon.”

  “There they are.” Perrikus’s musical baritone boomed from behind Fionn. He whipped about and raced forward so his body was still between Aislinn and the dark gods.

  “And just as stupid as they ever were.” D’Chel flickered into view. “Squandering power on mind speech. Tch. Tch. As if we couldn’t locate alien magic on our own world.”

  Fionn bit his tongue and locked his gaze onto the two dark gods. Arrogant and overconfident as usual. There had to be a way to use their conceit to his advantage.

  Perrikus strode forward. “A bit on the quiet side today, Celt. Something bothering you?”

  Fionn spat into the dirt. “This whole world bothers me. Ye’ve managed to kill it. Last time I was here, at least a tree or two still lived.”

  “Really?” Perrikus shrugged. “I hadn’t noticed.”

  “Ye will once there’s nothing left to breathe. The air’s already depleted.”

  “No concern of yours. There are other worlds if I choose to abandon this one.”

  Fionn shifted from foot to foot. Perrikus was up to something. It wasn’t like him to engage in idle conversation. He pushed against the dark god’s mind, not surprised to find it shuttered.

  The god’s green eyes blazed. “Do not anger me, Celt. You will regret it. The only reason you yet stand is because I—rather we”—he gestured toward D’Chel—“offer you a bargain.”

  Fionn drew himself up and squared his shoulders. He had a feeling he knew what Perrikus had in mind. He hoped Aislinn had the sense to ward herself, but didn’t want to chance mind speech. “I doona bargain with evil.”

  D’Chel barked a wicked laugh and glanced at Perrikus. “I told you this would be a waste of time. The lot of them are too stubborn to recognize when to stand down.” He moved next to his fellow god. “Let us get this over with so we can see which ship will leave port.”

  Fionn’s lips curled into a sneer. “Let me guess. The offer is Gwydion and Bran in exchange for Aislinn.”

  “Now that you mention it”—D’Chel rub
bed his hands together—“that is exactly what we had in mind. Simple, elegant. No blood. No one gets hurt—”

  “Bullshit.” Aislinn’s clear voice rang out. “I will die before I spend another second with you.”

  “You liked me well enough when I had my cock out in the cave.” D’Chel grinned and licked his finely chiseled lips. “Couldn’t tear your eyes away, as I recall.” He shifted his attention to Fionn. “Why, she was so excited watching me, she even came. She smells so sweet. I can hardly wait to—”

  Pressure built inside Fionn’s chest until he could scarcely breathe. The thought of Aislinn engaged in any sort of intimacy with that monster was intolerable. Magic flew from his fingers and bounced off D’Chel and Perrikus.

  “Bit of a short fuse, eh?” Perrikus nudged D’Chel, who laughed. He chucked his auburn hair over his shoulders and turned to Fionn. “This is why we offered a bargain. We could stand here for hours trading pot shots. Eventually, D’Chel and I would prevail because we are stronger, but why waste the energy?”

  “I’d much rather save it for the woman.” D’Chel winked lewdly at a point behind Fionn’s shoulder.

  “What about the dragon?” Fionn shifted gears. He needed to buy time so he could think. Perrikus was partially correct. A pitched battle would last for a long time and end in a stalemate at best.

  “What dragon?” Perrikus asked. “The one you brought with you won’t be a problem quite soon.”

  “Nay, the one ye’ve held prisoner these long years.”

  “Ah.” D’Chel nodded. “He means that dragon. No, he is not part of the bargain.”

  Truth hit home. “You’ve been draining his energy to maintain yourselves here.” Fionn sent a faint prayer Dewi’s way. Mayhap she’d been wise to go after Nidhogg after all. If she was successful, his absence would weaken the dark ones’ toehold on this world.

  “Would ye consider adding him to the deal?”

  Aislinn’s energy burned behind him. He wished he could reassure her he was engaging in a stalling tactic, but her hot temper beat him to it. “If you all think I’m just going to stand here while you haggle over me like some sort of tethered piece of meat, think again,” she bellowed.

  The air currents canted crazily. Aislinn was about to engage the dark ones in a full-out war. “No!” Fionn screamed. “Doona—”

  “For all the help you’ve been, you can damn well shut the fuck up,” she snarled. Killing blows flew from her hands. One missed him by an uncomfortably narrow margin.

  Fionn dropped back to her side. The die was cast. There was no going back. He’d stand by Aislinn’s side until they won. Or until the two of us are dead. He joined his magic to hers, grateful she didn’t waste power shutting him out. Aislinn’s temper was a thing to be reckoned with.

  Dark magic sizzled against his wards, and he strengthened Aislinn’s. “Don’t bother,” she panted. “Both of them can penetrate my wards. Besides, they want to fuck me, not kill me. Save your magic to defeat those bastards.” Light erupted from her hands. “Earth magic is weak here. Quick. What do I do?”

  “Use air. Blend in fire.” Fionn experimented with different proportions to see which would be strongest. No matter what he hurled at Perrikus and D’Chel, it bounced off their wards. It was as if nothing constructed from materials on this world could injure them.

  Fionn maneuvered Aislinn and himself a few yards away so the dead forest was at their backs. He wondered again what had become of the wolf. Bella hadn’t left his shoulder, which was good. Enough magic boomeranged through the air to kill her if she left the protection of his wards.

  “This isn’t working.” Aislinn heaved more magic. “We’ll be worn out, and they’ll still be standing there grinning at us like a couple of gargoyles.”

  “Not necessarily—”

  “I’m going to try something while I still can,” she said. Fionn clamped a hand around her wrist. “Don’t you dare get in my way.” She twirled away from him, her golden eyes on fire.

  He wiped blood off his forehead. A trickle of the dark gods’ magic had seeped through his wards. It was only a matter of time until the four of them dropped their shielding and got down to the business of annihilating one another.

  Aislinn pranced to one side. What the hell did the lass have in mind? She smiled coquettishly at D’Chel. “Come on, sweetie.” She crooked a finger at him. “Want to have a little fun?”

  The dark god’s features clouded with confusion. He must have suspected Aislinn was up to something, but his arrogance got the better of him. He swaggered forward. “Come to your senses, have you, human?”

  “Maybe. Not much point in slugging it out until all of us are trashed.”

  D’Chel stopped a foot from Aislinn. “Seems I pointed that out quite a while ago. Does this mean you’re ready to come with me?”

  “What about the bargain you offered?” Aislinn edged closer.

  Fionn’s attention was glued to her, so he nearly missed a huge blast of magic that would have decimated his wards. He jumped to the side just as Perrikus’s destructive power cut a swath two feet wide through dead trees. The racket nearly deafened him as they crashed against one another.

  The dry grassland before him erupted in sparks. Aislinn had done something. D’Chel grappled with his throat as if he couldn’t breathe. Rune raced from somewhere and knocked the dark god to the ground. Aislinn stood over him, hands raised, shrieking words in Gaelic.

  Her accent was off. It took Fionn a moment to understand she was exhorting something to burst. Och aye, she’s doing the same thing she did to Slototh, trying to burst a blood vessel.

  Perrikus raced to the pair. A well-aimed kick sent Rune flying. Before Fionn could react, the auburn-haired god gripped Aislinn’s shoulder and shook her hard. She dropped to the packed earth like a stone. Rune whined and crept toward Aislinn on his belly. He laid his body atop hers and snarled at the dark gods.

  “If ye’ve killed her,” Fionn screamed, “I’ll not rest until ye’re dead.”

  Perrikus sneered at him, bent, and laid a hand on D’Chel’s head. The other dark god scrambled to his feet. “Stupid of me.” Hate radiated from his copper eyes. He rubbed the side of his neck. “Bitch nearly had me.”

  “Yes, she did.” Perrikus steadied D’Chel with a hand. “We killed her father. I remember the smell of his blood. It was the night we claimed Earth for our own.”

  “Interesting.” D’Chel smirked. “We’ve expended far too much time on this little project. I say kill them now and be done with it. I don’t need the woman. She’s too much trouble.”

  Aislinn hadn’t stirred. Fionn sent magic spinning toward her. Thank bloody Christ, she’s alive! Inexpressible relief and a fierce protectiveness thrummed through him. He threw his body between her and the dark gods. By all that was sacred, he’d fight them with every resource he had. Danu avoided the border worlds, but he called on her for help anyway. There was always a chance she’d hear him and come to his aid. Power flashed from his hands. D’Chel wasn’t warded. His body vibrated from the impact; he swayed, but didn’t fall.

  Perrikus growled something in a guttural language. D’Chel pulled magic to shield himself.

  Fionn heaved more power at them. For every blow he landed, two hit his wards. Sweat ran into his eyes and down his sides. The harsh sound of his breath was loud in his ears. Two against one was not good odds. Doona think about that. Just fight. He longed to go to Aislinn, to hold her close, but he couldn’t drop his guard. “Take care of her,” he told Rune.

  “Should I drag her into the forest?”

  Fionn considered it. “Nay. We doona know how badly she is injured. ’Tis best not to move her until we know more.”

  “Damn it.” Perrikus’s head swiveled. He gazed into the distance.

  Fionn chucked power, dialing up the intensity. Maybe, if he could catch the dark one unguarded… Perrikus chanted in a language Fionn didn’t know. A fiery portal opened. The dark god jumped through. As quickly as they’d a
ppeared, the flames winked out. Fionn inhaled sharply and wished the air in this world were cleaner. His lungs felt dirty and constricted.

  D’Chel eyed Fionn. “Looks like it will be just the two of us for a bit. Cozy, eh?”

  “Why?” Fionn had a feeling he knew, but he needed a breather. Engaging D’Chel in conversation would kill two birds with one stone.

  “My, um, colleague has gone to address a different problem. It would appear your Celtic dragon didn’t cooperate with our plan.”

  Yesssss! Fionn was exultant. He sent a silent prayer for Dewi’s success. She was more than a match for Perrikus. “Really?” Fionn quirked a brow. “She doesna confide in me. I had no idea where she was.”

  “Lies,” D’Chel hissed. “More lies. We”—he tapped his breastbone—“are supposed to be the cheats and liars, but we’re slackers compared with you Celts.”

  “Hmph. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  Rune whined. Bella flew to him and bent her dark head over Aislinn.

  “Is she worse?” Fionn asked.

  “I don’t know. It’s hard to tell. Finish this, Fionn, so you can take her home.” Anguish ran beneath the wolf’s words.

  A blast of sorcery grazed the side of his head, catching him by surprise. Fionn tried to pour power into his ward, but quickly realized he didn’t have enough to both fight back and shield himself. In a split-second decision, he dropped his warding and went after D’Chel, magic running wide open.