by Ann Gimpel
Gwydion joined in. When he could talk again, he looked from Fionn to Aislinn. “We need to map out a strategy afore ye leave.”
“Aye.” Bran got up and refilled his mug with tea leaves and hot water. “If ye find willing humans, will ye transport them back here?”
“We’d almost have to,” Aislinn said. “If they’re to fight with us, they need to be here.”
“Not necessarily, lass,” Arawn cut in. “’Tisn’t as if there aren’t Lemurians on the other side of the Irish Sea as well. Once we know with whom we collaborate, we can coordinate telepathically.”
“It’s too far.” She set her spoon down and thought about whether she wanted another helping of breakfast. Deciding in the affirmative, she got to her feet and scooped more into her bowl.
“In the States, ye would be correct.” Fionn held out his bowl to her. She filled it, too, before sitting back down. “Magic is stronger here.”
“That could be convenient.” She bit her lower lip, thinking. “I really haven’t experimented with my own magic since we got here. Otherwise, I might have realized that.”
“Depending on how many willing volunteers we find,” Fionn said around a mouthful of cereal, “our best bet would be to bring some with us, but leave enough there to fight our enemy.”
“That would be the catch,” Gwydion muttered. “Humans have never been especially fond of us.”
“’Tis a safe bet the Old Ones have done their damnedest to capitalize on that distrust,” Bran added.
Aislinn thought about her near brainwashing at the hands of the Lemurians. She nearly pulled her sleeves up to look at the faint remains of tattoos they’d stenciled into her as a tracking device. “It will be easy enough to figure which ones have been corrupted by the Lemurians,” she said. “All we need to do is look for the tattoos.”
Fionn snapped his fingers. “Brilliant, lass. I’d nearly forgotten about them, even though ’twas I who removed them from you.”
“What’s this all about?” Gwydion asked. His spoon clanked against the bottom of his bowl, and he set both aside.
“The Lemurians tattooed the inside of both my arms,” Aislinn explained. “They told me it was a way to focus and strengthen my magic, when it was really a way for them to always know where I was.”
“Hmph.” Bran settled his arms across his chest. “’Tis winter. Mayhap not so easy to see someone’s arms.”
“Not at first,” she agreed. “If we find someone who says they want to ally themselves with us, we can ask about their experiences with the Old Ones, and Rune will be able to smell if they’ve spent time with them.”
Speaking of Rune… “Rune. We need you and Bella in here.”
“On our way.”
The wolf loped in from the far end of the kitchen, followed by Bella. “Quick,” the wolf said. “Close the door. Maybe it will keep them out for a few moments.”
Aislinn shot to her feet, but she was too late. The scrape of claws on tile heralded eight bouncing dragons. Once they were in the kitchen, half of them took wing. She settled back into her chair. “Great. They’ve learned to fly already.”
“Watching them grow is like time-lapse photography.” Bran laughed and held out an arm. One of the green dragons perched on it. Steam billowed from its jaws.
“Like with any babies,” Aislinn said, “we should enjoy them. They won’t stay small—or innocent—for very long.”
“Truer words were never spoken.” Fionn pushed to his feet. “Have ye had enough to eat?”
She nodded and got up. “We probably should go.”
A red dragon landed on her shoulder. “You can’t go. Mother says we need you here.”
“Yes, Dewi would say that. Never fear, little one. We’ll be back before too long.” The dragon huffed steam and flapped about the kitchen.
Aislinn glanced at her feet. “Fionn, do you have something I can patch my boots with?”
He shook his head. “Nay, and mine would be too big for you. We’ll have to hunt you down a pair somewhere. Can’t have ye going barefoot.”
“I doona see why not.” Gwydion spun so he faced away from the table. His perennially bare feet stuck out from beneath his robes.
“You’re used to it. Mine would get cold.” She shouldered her pack and met Fionn’s gaze. “Is your travel pack ready?”
“Aye. Follow me. We’ll leave from the great room.” Bella landed on his shoulder with a whoosh of feathers.
“Bye, everyone.” Her mouth twitched into a smile. “Hold down the fort. There’s nothing wrong with making Dewi and Nidhogg parent their brood.” She clucked to Rune and followed Fionn out of the kitchen, up the stairs, and into the manor’s main room.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
It was such a short distance, the jump was over within minutes. Aislinn started through the portal, but Fionn grabbed her arm.
“Wait. I need to see if it’s safe.” He fanned magic about and held his breath. Travel to any location hadn’t been truly safe for years—not since the dark gods had kicked open the gates between the worlds. Though Fionn hadn’t realized it at the time, the dark ones’ alliance with the Lemurians had been the leading edge of the demise of modern life.
About all Fionn had done in the intervening time was shuttle from the U.S. to his country estate, so he knew woefully little about how the rest of Ireland, England, and Scotland had fared. The Celts didn’t pay much attention to humans, but he wasn’t about to spell that out for Aislinn. No doubt, she’d already figured it out herself without him tossing it in her face.
Fionn sent his enhanced senses twirling along the paths his magic had opened. Nothing overt bounced back at him, and he sheathed his power. No point in drawing undue attention to them. “All right, lass.”
She walked out onto a grassy swale. The skies were gray and it was raining. She swung her head from side to side, taking in the ruins of Penrith Castle. While far from the best-preserved castle in the area, most of its primary walls were still partially standing. She turned to face him with Rune by her side. The wolf’s ears were pricked forward; his tail swished.
“What now?” she asked.
“Sidhe used to live in the barrows beneath this castle, but I canna sense them.”
“There is nothing living close by,” Rune confirmed. “Nothing human, anyway. I smell game and birds.”
Aislinn’s eyes narrowed. “How long since you were here?”
“Before the world turned upside down,” he admitted.
“Hmph. That explains what happened to your friends.” She pulled her jacket hood up. “What we need is shelter so we can try to find out who’s here now. How about over there?” She pointed across a wide swath of asphalt with large cracks in it to a brick building.
“It might work. That used to be the train station.”
“For whatever reason, it’s still standing. Let’s go.” She jogged across the street, zigzagging to avoid the worst of the potholes.
Fionn wanted to tell her to stand back and let him go first. Instead, he clung to her like a shadow, damned if he’d let anything happen to her.
“Crap.” She rattled a padlocked chain on the front door.
He snorted. “Ye dinna believe ’twould be sitting wide open just for us.” He focused magic on the four banks of numbers. They twirled and the metal hasp snapped open.
Aislinn stared at him. “That’s rather convenient. You’ll have to teach it to me.”
“Aye, and I’m just full of interesting tricks.” He quirked a brow and mock bowed. “After you.”
She pulled the length of chain out of the door handles and went inside. Surprised families of mice scattered in every direction. Rune pounced on one fleeing rodent. Bella snapped another up in her beak.
Something harried the edge of his attention. It felt wrong, like shielded power. Fionn dragged Aislinn behind him.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Hush, leannán. We’re not alone.”
Magic senses on ful
l alert, he tapped into earth power and felt Aislinn do the same. Good. They’d need to defend themselves—and damned soon—or his instincts weren’t worth a crap. Aislinn called to Rune in mind speech. The wolf shot to her side, growling low. Bella flew to Fionn’s shoulder.
He thought about asking if the wolf or raven sensed anything, but didn’t want to divert his attention. A rustling susurrus from the far end of the station stood the fine hairs on the back of his neck on end. He twirled to face the sound and repositioned Aislinn.
She moved to his side. “I can’t fight from behind you. Do you know what—?”
A resounding crack nearly deafened him. The floor splintered in half a dozen places, and Bal’ta poured out. Minions of the dark, they stood between five and six feet tall. With their sloping foreheads, matted hair, and ropy muscles, they looked like apes, except for their eyes, which glowed an unholy orange. Fionn pulled lethal magic and chucked blow after blow at them. He wasn’t too worried about killing them—so long as there weren’t an endless number. That they’d been able to cloak their presence until the last possible moment was a huge concern, though. I canna think about that now.
Rune darted forward, intent on launching himself at one of the creatures. Fionn took care to direct his magic elsewhere. Bella pecked out eyes. It was one of her favorite tricks. Blind opponents were no longer a threat. He heard Aislinn panting beside him. The wolf buried his teeth in a carotid artery. Blood geysered several feet in the air. Satisfied he’d disabled his opponent, Rune moved to another.
Fionn’s blood pumped hot and fast. Adrenaline hummed along his nerve endings. He’d always liked the whine of battle, with its coppery blood smell and the dying screams of his enemies. He frowned and heaved more magic. Three Bal’ta keeled over. If he weren’t so worried about Aislinn, he’d almost be having a good time. The ape-like enemy had no magic of their own, so they had to kill the old-fashioned way, up close and personal. He nimbly sidestepped a flail one of them chucked at him. The studded ball grazed his cheek, but didn’t hurt.
“Look sharp,” he told Aislinn.
She ducked, narrowly avoiding a cudgel. “I’ve fought them before.” It sounded as if her jaws were clenched together.
He lost count of bodies and time, but the light slanting through the glass station doors was fading. Finally, no more Bal’ta emerged from beneath the abandoned railway station. Fionn straightened, but didn’t drop his guard. Rune’s fur and Bella’s feathers were coated in blood. He glanced at Aislinn. Her hair hung around her torso. She’d had it in a braid, but most of it had escaped. There were smudges beneath her eyes, and her face held a haunted look. Her hands were still raised in front of her.
“I think ’tis all of them, lass, at least for now. One thing is certain: we canna remain here. Their masters will be along to tally up the dead.”
“Fine.” Though she tried to hide it, her lips trembled. “Get us out of here.”
He whistled. Rune and Bella came as fast as they could. Fionn opened a gateway and jumped them to Loch Lomond in Scotland. It was a common enough location; he hoped it would be one of the last places the dark—or the Old Ones—would hunt for them. At least they could wash the blood off, breathe a bit, and figure out their next move.
Night was falling as they stepped through the portal onto the overgrown shores of the loch. He scanned the bank for problems and then reminded himself it had been wasted effort in Penrith. Either the Old Ones or the dark gods—it didn’t really matter which—had hidden the Bal’ta so effectively, he hadn’t been able to sense them until he was right on top of them. That didn’t bode well.
“Do you think it’s safe?” Aislinn hung back.
“Aye. Safe as anywhere. Come on through. We must stop somewhere to regroup, rest, and eat. If we canna do it here, we may as well give this up for a lost cause and return to Inishowen.”
Rune jumped into the loch. Bella clung to a large branch that overhung it and dipped her plumage to clean it. Aislinn shucked her rucksack, fished out a water bottle, and took a long drink. Fionn did the same, wishing he’d thought to bring a bottle of mead. “That was damned unsettling.” He wiped water off his chin.
“The worst of it was I had no idea they were there until the floor cracked open. It’s like my magic was on strike.” She shuddered. “I don’t think we can afford to lollygag around. Let’s deploy Seer magic and see who we can find.”
Fionn didn’t agree with her. The last thing he wanted to do was use a large amount of magic. The dark had spies everywhere. He blew out a tense breath. They’d come across the Irish Sea with a purpose. Aislinn was right that they wouldn’t accomplish it sitting on the shores of the loch.
“Look…” Her voice was soft. “I understand it’s a risk, but I don’t see any other way. It’s either that or go home.”
“Hmph. We’re beginning to think alike. I’d come to the same conclusion. If nothing else, your Seer gift may tell us what’s happened here. Turn your pack over and sit on it.” He patted a flattish area on the lakeshore. Once she was settled, he did the same and sat next to her. “Ready?”
She nodded. He linked to her mind and guided her fledgling talent. Aislinn had only discovered she had Seer magic quite recently. It was the hardest of the five human magics to direct and control. Visions pummeled him. Most notably, a large group of humans was on the far side of the loch. Having established that, he molded Aislinn’s magic to give them information about the past few months. It didn’t take long to get more than he needed. Fionn cut the flow of their combined power and gathered her shaking body into his arms.
“Perrikus was here. Who was the other one? It had to be another of the dark gods. He looked a lot like D’Chel, except for his eyes.”
“Aye, lass, ’twas Tokhots.”
“He’s the trickster, isn’t he?”
He held her against him. “Um-hum. At least that explains the shielding at the train station. I dinna believe the Lemurians were capable of something that sophisticated. Watch out for Tokhots. Doona let his blood, or saliva, or anything from him get anywhere near you.”
“Why? I understand the dark gods are dangerous, but—”
“His blood is deadly poison. So is Majestron Zalia’s, if she should happen to show up.”
“That’s Perrikus’s mother, isn’t it?” she asked.
Fionn nodded tersely.
Aislinn moved out of his embrace. Her lips were set in a thin line, and she looked grim. “Let’s pay a visit to those humans we saw on the far side of the lake.”
He opened his mouth to ask if she were certain she was rested enough, but shut it with a clack. She wouldn’t appreciate mollycoddling. What he wanted to do was take all of them back to his estate. That would be prudent, but…
“We’re not going back.”
“I dinna say aught—”
“You didn’t have to. I can see it in your mind. If I called up my mage light, no doubt I’d see it written all over your face as well.” She got to her feet and slid her pack over her shoulders. “Ready.”
Fionn grabbed a handy branch and hauled himself upright. He grabbed his pack. Rune and Bella understood and gathered close. Aislinn shot Fionn an odd look when he reached for his magic and said, “They’re just on the far side of the lake—or I guess it’s a loch. I thought we’d walk.”
“Dinna ye wish to get there soon? ’Tis a large loch. It would take hours to walk to the far side. Mayhap two. More if the lakeside track is washed out.”
“Oh.” She wove her magic with his. “Let’s go.”
Fionn brought them out about half a mile from where they’d sensed the settlement. He hoped it would be far enough away that they’d at least have the element of surprise. Goddess only knew what the Lemurians had done on this side of the Atlantic. Christ! He hadn’t even known they were here until recently.
He felt Aislinn throw wards up and did the same. They walked through thick underbrush, making as little noise as possible. He pulled a bit more magic to muffle the s
ounds of cracking branches and sucking mud. He felt Rune’s energy, and Bella’s, too, but couldn’t see either animal.
“Halt!”
A light shone so brightly that Fionn shielded his hands with his eyes.
“I feel your ward. Show yourself.” The voice had such a strong Scottish burr, it took Fionn a moment to make out the words.
Before he could stop her, Aislinn took a few steps forward and dropped her warding. She held out both hands, fingers spread wide in a self-deprecating gesture.
“You’re human.” The figure behind the light sounded surprised.
“What did you expect?’ She squared her shoulders. “Now, if you’d lower that light, or shutter it somehow, maybe we could talk.”
“Someone is with you. I must see them also.”
Aislinn looked over one shoulder. Her expression spoke volumes. It told him to either get with the program or go back to Inishowen. With a great deal of misgiving, Fionn loosed his ward.
A long hissing sigh came from the lantern-bearer. “Celt. You’ve got a hell of a nerve to show up here. Where were you when we needed you, eh?”
“Fionn came with me to help you,” Aislinn said. “We wish to speak with as many of you as we can.”
“We don’t wish to talk with him. If it were you alone, maybe. The Celts didn’t lift a finger to help us when the Old Ones mowed through our ranks like so much crabgrass.”
Aislinn half-turned. “Is that true?”
Fionn shrugged uncomfortably and said in perfect American English, “I don’t know for certain. Remember, I’ve been in the States for the past few hundred years.” He could tell from the line of her jaw that he hadn’t heard the last of his pathetic attempt to sidestep responsibility for his kin.
“What magics do you hold, human?” The light moved off to one side, but Fionn still couldn’t see behind it. He considered focusing magic, but the human would feel it, and he didn’t want to do anything to annoy the man further.
Aislinn sucked in a breath. “All of them.”
