An Immortal Descent

by Kari Edgren

  Ailish scrambled over the side, her feet landing soundlessly in the dirt. Standing, I rubbed the soreness from my back before grabbing the saddlebags and carefully lowering myself to the ground where Fianna swept us with an appraising eye. Satisfied, she turned toward the barn, and I had to hustle to match her stride.

  Near the door, a gray tabby cat bolted across our path. “Good heavens!” I exclaimed, jumping back a step. Neither Ailish nor Fianna seemed surprised by the sudden appearance of the little beast. They continued on, the cat following them into the barn. I came in a split second later to find it rubbing against Ailish’s skirts.

  Fianna set the lamp on a barrel. “That hay will serve for tonight,” she said, indicating a good-sized pile nearest to us.

  The cat meowed, and Ailish squatted on her haunches to scratch its head. She leaned closer, and for a moment it looked as though she were whispering to the creature.

  Fianna barely glanced at the two of them. “There’s a well behind the barn for fresh water. Get yourselves cleaned up, and I’ll send blankets and a plate o’ supper.”

  “Thank you.” I dipped an awkward curtsey. “That’s more than we expected.”

  She gave me a small smile, then ducked back outside, the cat close on her heels.

  We washed quickly, both of us darting nervous glances at the woods that edged the field not far from the well. When we returned, thick wool blankets waited on the hay pile as promised. Atop a nearby barrel sat cups of cider and a plate filled with bread, cheese and two chicken legs. Near starved, we gulped down the meal, cleaning every last speck from the plate. Ailish had hardly spoken a word since learning the truth about Cate, and the silence continued as I scrubbed a rough cloth over my teeth before bedding down a half dozen feet from her.

  I blew out the lamp, and nestled even deeper into the hay. Ailish did the same, the soft rustling noises sounding all the louder in the inky darkness. With a full belly and a soft bed, I felt better than I had all day, though Calhoun seemed to lurk in my every thought. I just hoped the ferry master wouldn’t make a connection if the charlatan came sniffing around the river tonight. To be sure, Ailish and I would put up quite a fight, and the man couldn’t capture what he couldn’t catch.

  The horse snorted in its stall at the far end of the barn. Ailish rolled over, muttered something under her breath. An eternity seemed to have passed since we ran away, and for all the fuss I’d made at the time, I was now grateful for her company. Exhaustion moved over me, dulling my fears of Calhoun, nudging me closer to sleep...

  “Is he very handsome then?”

  Ailish’s young voice jerked me awake. My eyes blinked open as I grasped for some sense in her words. “Who?” I asked, giving up.

  “Henry. Is he handsome?”

  Sleepy-eyed, I pushed to one elbow. “Why do you want to know?”

  From the rustle of hay, Ailish also pushed up, though it was too dark to see anything. “No reason. Just curious is all.”

  Under normal circumstances I would have tempered the truth for the sake of modesty. But her voice held such eagerness, I didn’t have the heart to lie. “He’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen.”

  “I figured so,” she said in that same dreamy tone from earlier. “Is he brave, too?”

  Having started with the truth, I saw no reason to veer from it now. “I’ve never known anyone braver. Not long after we met, someone accused me of witchcraft. Henry faced an entire meeting house full of people to protect me.” Armed with only a pistol and a dagger no less.

  A soft sigh escaped her. “Tell me what else he’s done.”

  My pulse quickened just thinking about him. “Well, two weeks ago he challenged a score of noblemen on my behalf. And not long after that I saw him fight four savage hounds.” I purposefully omitted how the hounds had been sent by Cailleach to kill me as she believed I threatened the balance between our kind in the human world.

  Another sigh floated through the darkness, full of longing. “He gives you the grandest kisses, I suppose.”

  “Ailish!” I said, shocked by so candid a remark.

  “Don’t deny it, Selah. No man can be all that without knowing how to kiss a lady, too.”

  My cheeks grew flushed. “I’ve not much to judge by,” I admitted, “but he does seem to excel in that area.” And undoubtedly many others I had yet to discover.

  “When I get to London, I’ll find someone like Henry.” The hay shifted as she dropped from her arm and resettled for the night. “He’ll be brave and handsome, and cover me in kisses. And he’ll kill Calhoun if’n he tries to get me again.”

  She sounded so determined, I couldn’t tell her that Henry Fitzalan had no equal. “Goodnight, Ailish,” I said instead.

  “Sleep tight, Selah, and don’t worry about Calhoun. We won’t be caught unaware tonight.”

  This seemed an overconfident statement, as our awareness was currently limited to the inside of the barn. For all we knew, the man was already circling, ready to swoop in at just the right moment...”How can you be so sure?”

  She yawned. “A friend be watching out for us. We’ll get plenty o’ warning if’n Calhoun comes near.”

  “Do you mean Seamus?”

  “He’d be helpful too, I suppose.” The last of her words trailed to a sleepy slur.

  My heart skipped a beat. “Who else?”

  Silence answered.

  “Ailish,” I called, a bit annoyed.

  Her breathing turned to the faintest snores.

  I darted a nervous glance around the barn. There was nothing to see through the darkness, and with a frustrated grunt, I tugged the blanket to my chin. A friend indeed! Nestling back into the hay, I forced my eyelids shut but kept an ear toward the door for the first sound of trouble.

  Chapter Twelve

  Signs of Evil

  Something batted my nose. Swatting it away, I received a series of sharp pokes on the back of my hand.

  “Ouch!”

  My eyes flew open and I sat up, dazed. Heavily shadowed light filtered from above, giving partial shape to the immediate surroundings. Blinking the sleep away, I gazed at rough wood walls, farming tools and hay...

  Last night came rushing back. “The MacCabes’ barn,” I breathed in relief.

  Warm fur brushed against my sore hand, the tabby cat from last night nudging for attention. Tilting a look upward, it meowed at me.

  “Well, good morning to you, too.” I scratched behind its ears.

  Encouraged, it stepped into my lap and padded the woolen blanket. I ran a hand along its length, feeling the lithe back arch contentedly beneath my touch.

  “You’ve some cheek demanding a rub after scratching me like that.” I brought my hand closer for a better look. Four red marks stood out on the skin.

  The cat jumped out of my lap.

  I sighed. “Seems we both have other things to do today.” Like walk the remaining twenty miles to Wexford.

  Meowing again, the cat scratched at the door. “Be patient or find another way out,” I told it. A barn like this would offer more than one place for the tabby to come and go as it pleased. Pushing the blanket aside, I reached for my boots. “Wake up, Ailish. We need to leave.”

  The boots felt even tighter today, and I winced from the starts of blisters. Perhaps another Good Samaritan would offer a ride, or I’d be hobbling before long. Four hours by cart...seven by foot, not accounting for rest... We definitely needed a ride.

  I stood and brushed the hay from my skirts. More hay fell from my hair as I combed my fingers through the unruly curls, replacing several loose pins.

  “Ailish,” I called again, turning toward her. “We need to—”

  The hay was empty, showing only a slight indentation from where she’d slept. The burlap sack rested beside the pile, but he
r boots were gone.

  A meow came from the door as though in answer. “Of course she went out,” I huffed. “But why didn’t she wake me?” Good thing the sack remained, or I would have suspected that she’d run off alone.

  The cat scratched at the door with growing impatience. “Yes, I’m coming.”

  Crossing the few steps, I pushed the door open. The cat dashed out, nearly tripping me in its haste. By the dimness of the light, the sun had yet to fully crest the horizon. Mist hung in the air, and a light dusting of hoarfrost covered the ground. Smoke rose from the cottage’s sole chimney, though from the looks of it no one had yet to stray out of doors.

  I shivered, my breath showing in a puff of white. The cat stopped at the barn’s edge and meowed at me. I trudged after it toward the well.

  The wooden bucket sat on the stone rim, the outside wet from recent use. But still no sign of Ailish. I turned a full circle, my eyes coming to a rest on the woods at the field’s edge. The cat ran ahead, only to stop a few feet short of the tree line to glance back at me. Meowing, it waited expectantly.

  As the bucket was still half full, I ignored the cat and ladled a drink. My teeth and throat ached from the sudden coldness. I swished more water in my mouth, rinsing away the remaining sleep.

  The cat meowed again, louder this time.

  “Very well.” Nature called, and I wasn’t opposed to the companionship, even of the four-legged variety.

  Grabbing a fistful of skirts, I followed after the cat, sure Ailish had gone into the woods to answer a similar call. The cat trotted ahead, bringing me to what appeared to be the start of a path. I bent down to pat its head. “Aren’t you smart.” And James doubted I had a way with animals. If only he could see this.

  The cat tensed under my hand, its ears twitching from side-to-side. “What is it?” I whispered, squinting into the shadows.

  Most likely Ailish was somewhere nearby. To be polite, I needed to give warning of my presence so as not to come upon her unaware. Her name formed on my tongue when the cat’s ears suddenly flattened against its head. A low growl came from deep in its throat, raising the small hairs at my nape.

  The cat wiggled free from my hand and moved cautiously forward.

  “What are you doing?” I whispered. The creature was obviously agitated about something in the woods, so why go farther?

  It looked back at me, waiting.

  My eyes widened with understanding. I am not going in there now. The prudent choice was to fetch Seamus from the cottage. To be sure, any delay would be negligible compared to the obvious benefit of his company.

  The cat took a few more steps, looked back and hissed.

  Gooseflesh prickled over my back and arms. What did all this mean? All I could think was that Ailish had to be in serious trouble.

  The cat hissed once more. “Fine!” I hissed back. Keeping to a low crouch, I moved to join the creature. The cat stayed at my side this time, belly pressed to the ground, tail twitching over a layer of wet leaves.

  Now what?

  I looked to the cat for further instruction. It looked at me, blinked its yellow eyes as though suddenly devoid of answers. And then I heard a scream.

  Ailish!

  I bolted forward, each step muffled to a dull thud by wet leaves and dirt. The path curved sharply to the right. Partway around, a flash of amber brought me to an abrupt stop.

  My teeth came together hard at the sight of Calhoun. Ailish faced him, breathing hard, skin pale as death. Their voices rose and fell in what seemed to be a heated argument. I inched closer, at a loss what to do.

  Blast! I had to help, but what if he was Cailleach’s descendant? I couldn’t very well attack him without a sense of the possible consequences.

  “Where is she?” Calhoun said, his voice growing louder with anger.

  “Told you I don’t know,” Ailish answered, surly as ever.

  Calhoun slapped her, and she stumbled to the side before regaining her balance. “You lying whore! The ferry master saw you two cross together. Told me just where to find you at the weaver’s place.”

  Ailish jutted out her chin, a large red mark showing on her cheek. “We did cross together like you heard, but we got tired o’ each other’s company and parted ways last night. She hitched a ride with some farmer headed to Dublin.”

  There was a long pause. Ailish kept her gaze steady though she had just lied through her teeth for me. Lifting my skirts, I silently crept forward, stopping behind a large tree less than a stone’s throw from Calhoun.

  “You best be telling me the truth, lass, or I’ll skin you alive, I will.”

  Ailish snorted. “Do you see her hiding in the woods with me? I tell you, the girl’s gone.”

  “All right then, Miss Kilbrid might be for Dublin like you said, but it’s Wexford she wants, and I promised Deri to keep her away if’n I had to kill her to do it.” He grabbed a handful of Ailish’s cape, tugging her like a rag doll. “Get moving. We’ve heavy riding to do.”

  I froze, my stomach clenched tight. Damn that little wretch, Deri!

  Ailish pulled back, and the cape fell free. “You don’t own me, Calhoun. I’m done with doing your bidding.” Her voice trembled over the words.

  “You stupid trotter!” He pushed a meaty finger in her face. “I own you, I do, body and soul.”

  “Do not!” she yelled. “You’re not even me real family.”

  “I’m not, huh?” Calhoun jeered. “Paid for you in blood, I did, the night I sliced your da’s throat.”

  My hand flew to my mouth. Merciful saints.

  Ailish swayed under the weight of the revelation. “I don’t believe you.”

  “Swear it on Balor’s eye. Had to be done, or your gift would have gone to waste.”

  She shook her head. He reached for her again, but she moved too quickly. “Get away! I hate your bloody guts!”

  Calhoun edged closer. “Paddy’s waiting on the road for us. Come with me now, and I won’t have to hurt you.”

  “The devil take you, Calhoun. I’ll not be going anywhere with you ever again.”

  “Is that so?”

  She took another step back. “You’ll have to kill me first.”

  No! Don’t say that.

  “Oh, I think there be another way.” His hand moved to his face. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  “Please, no—”Ailish screamed.

  He lifted the patch and her entire body went rigid. Both eyes rolled into her head and she shook as though struck by a convulsion. Air wheezed back and forth over her throat.

  All reason fled me. In its place, Brigid’s fire seared a path to my hands, snapped between my fingertips. I charged Calhoun, my only thought to stop him from hurting Ailish.

  She screamed again, and I lunged at him, pressing both hands into his back. Power flowed from me, sped on a lightning course through thick layers of muscle and fat as it raced toward his skull. No ice met my hands...no corresponding heat echoed in my own body.

  Cailleach’s blood, my foot.

  Emboldened by the discovery, I stunned the optical nerve of the offending eye before diving headfirst into the gelatinous mass of the vitreous humor. Once there I released a burst of fire.

  Calhoun cried out and twisted toward me, his arms flailing in pain. Blood dripped from his eye, and he growled like a wild animal, spittle spraying from his lips. “You’ll pay for that!”

  I pushed my hands against his chest this time, grabbing his waistcoat to maintain physical contact. Focusing on his wandering nerve, I started to draw more power when a prickling sensation scratched at my core.

  Oh, not now...

  Calhoun reached for my neck, a savage sneer contorting his bloodstained face. In a fit of panic, I forced more fire to the surface, gasping as the prickling grew to
searing nails. His sneer deepened, then turned to surprise the same moment a rush of cold jarred my hands. I tried to fight it, but a river of ice poured into my arms, drenching me from head to toe. Shocked beyond thought, I sucked in a hard breath just before I flew backward and slammed into the ground.

  A burst of frigid air exploded from my lungs. Nails pricked at my core. Icicles pierced each temple, and I gripped my head hard between both hands to keep it from bursting.

  Blast and curses! How many more times would I have to be injured or near frozen to death before this was all done?

  I leaned forward and rocked back and forth, my eyes pulled tight against the pain. Every last nerve cried out. Blood moved sluggishly through my veins, and a small groan escaped me. At that moment, Calhoun could well have trussed me like a pig, I was incapable of any movement other than the slight rocking motion.

  Long minutes passed before the worst of the nails and ice began to recede, leaving behind a residual queasiness. Someone moved nearby. I peeked through the narrow slits between my eyelids.

  A large stone stood in the same place where Calhoun had been. All around it, the trees undulated in an eerie dance. I pressed my eyes shut again, and drew several slow breaths to help steady my vision. Feeling somewhat better, I opened my eyes once more to see a wash of green wool skirts.

  “We best go,” Ailish said. “Paddy’s near, and there’ll be hell to pay when he sees what we’ve done.”

  “Where’s Calhoun?” I managed, though just barely.

  Ailish stepped aside and the stone came back into view. “That be him.”

  Oh, merciful heavens. Was it possible? Had we really turned him to stone?

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “I grabbed him after you did, and gave him a fair dose o’ Cailleach’s power to stop him from hurting you. The ice and fire mixed inside him, and he be pushed to the very edge o’ life, same as the grass under our boots yesterday. “ She shifted back, and Calhoun vanished again behind the wall of green skirts. “Get up, Selah. We need to go.”

  The slow thaw had left my mind heavy. Even so, I knew she was right. We had to leave before Paddy discovered what we’d done. Then there’d be hell to pay, and I was in no state to engage in another fight.