by Helen Scott
There was a bone-deep exhaustion within her, as well, so she said, “Ye dinnae have to as long as I get to cuddle ye.”
Alec rolled off her and said, “Cuddle away. It’s one of my favorite things to do with you. Just don’t get mad if I start to snore.”
“I won’t, so long as you don’t get mad if I drool on you.”
He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her as she curled up next to him with her head resting on his chest. Within seconds, his breathing changed and the faintest snore came from her soulmate, which didn’t matter to her because sleep was about to claim her, as well. She was happy to let it since she felt safe and her every need was sated, so when her eyelids became heavy, she let sleep pull her under.
Chapter 25
Ellie and Alec had been attached at the hip in more ways than one for the last few days. The fractures that had been forming in their relationship were healing, and she felt more devoted to him than ever before. So, when she stepped out of her morning shower, she was surprised to find a note on the bed advising her that he’d gone out and that the Morrigan was going to be stopping by. It was unusual for Alec to leave a note instead of just sticking his head in the bathroom and telling her what was going on. What was more worrying, though, was that this seemed to be a pattern that had emerged ever since they’d finally come home.
At first, she thought she’d just been hyper-sensitive from her experiences in Purgatory, plus almost dying, but when he kept ducking out of room to make a phone call, or responding to text messages without telling her what was going on, she couldn’t help but feel as though the fractures that they were trying too hard to heal were more permanent than she’d initially thought. He seemed distracted, unless they were in bed together, and she didn’t just want to be physically intimate with him; she wanted to be the soulmates she knew they were. The thoughts swirled in her head as she dressed and made her way downstairs. There was nothing she could do now since he wasn’t there, but if the behavior kept up, they’d need to have a serious talk about it.
A cool draft came in through the still-broken window, and after putting the kettle on for some tea, she walked over to re-secure the tape that held the cardboard over the gaping hole. Dem had put some plywood over the outside, and they’d filled it with some thick foam, which was squishy when she pressed on it, reminding her of couch cushions. She knew part of what he’d been doing was organizing the supplies to repair the back wall of the kitchen. They hadn’t had time to fix it since the Morrigan had shown up. Hell, they hadn’t had time to do anything, really.
It was almost Christmas, and they’d yet to put up a single decoration. Ellie knew that the decorations were purely for her benefit, but she also knew that Alec enjoyed the cozy feeling that they brought to the house once they were up. Maybe after the Morrigan’s visit, she would have the chance to put some up. She knew they’d only be up for a couple weeks at most, but it was better than not celebrating the holiday at all. Her heart thumped in her chest as she remembered she needed to go back to the shop and get Alec’s Christmas present. Maybe she could persuade Hal or Cin to do it for her? She really did not want to go back to a room with carpet still covered in blood.
Alec and his brothers had adopted the modern tradition of exchanging gifts, which Ellie was thankful for since it would have weirded her out not to do anything around Christmas. She loved all the music and the decorations, not to mention the food. One of the things she’d loved most when she was growing up was the sense of family that always seemed strongest around the holiday.
The whistle of the kettle startled her from her thoughts, and she turned to make a pot of tea, the clear, boiling water turning a rich amber brown as the tea leaves released their tasty goodness. After she settled the cozy over the teapot, she turned back around, only to find the Morrigan watching her intensely. Ellie gasped in surprise.
“Sorry, I was trying not to scare you, and yet it appears I did just that,” the goddess said with a small smile.
Ellie took in the woman before her and was surprised with the transformation. The Morrigan was no longer in her dark ball gown, there was no feather crown in her hair, nor were there the usual shining rings on her fingers or small dagger at her side. Instead, she was in sleek black leggings that she’d paired with a crimson sweater that was large enough to fall off one shoulder, showing the strap of a black tank top she wore underneath. She didn’t want to make the goddess uncomfortable and already felt like she’d been staring at her instead of responding, so she wrenched her eyes away and dipped her head. “My lady, you need not worry. I am easily startled. Would you like some tea?”
“That would be lovely,” she said, inclining her head toward Ellie in gratitude.
Turning back around, Ellie schooled her thoughts and poured them both mugs of tea, setting one on the kitchen table in front of where the Morrigan had positioned herself and clutching one in her hands, letting the warmth seep through the ceramic container into her chilly fingers.
“Just what I needed,” she said with a deep sigh after taking a small sip.
“You look well, my lady,” Ellie said, unsure as to the cause of the Morrigan’s visit.
“Thank you. I believe I am adapting well to your realm. I have been exploring quite a bit, and it is fascinating how quickly your world changes. It only seems to be getting faster over time, as well. You almost appear to have your own form of magic now in all your electronics, but I have been told that there is a reason why everything works and that anyone could control it should they wish to.”
“That’s correct, my lady.”
“Enough with ‘my lady.’ You may call me Morrigan.”
“Yes, my—Morrigan.” Ellie had no clue what was going on. Was she just there for a visit? Did she just want to chat? Or was she building to something bigger?
“How are your ravens?” she asked as she peered out of the section of window that was still intact.
Ever since Ellie had returned from Purgatory, ravens and crows in the real world had been visiting her and leaving her little treasures. It was to the point that she’d insisted that Alec go buy bird food because they’d started leaving some animal remains around. If she’d learned anything in Purgatory, it was that ravens would eat anything and weren’t afraid of teamwork to take down some prey. They were incredible creatures; she just wasn’t sure why they were still visiting her now that she’d left Purgatory.
“They seem to be enjoying the meal worms that Alec got for them, and one pair has even brought me some presents.” Ellie nodded to the shiny rocks on the counter.
“Interesting. You seem to attract them readily. They care for you.”
“Why? I know when I discovered the power within myself, the ravens and crows were a part of it, but how do they know in the real world?”
“Because you are one of my descendants. You even bear my markings more prominently than any have done in centuries.”
Ellie ran a hand over one shoulder and down her bicep, as though she could feel the wings that now resided on her skin. It was strange—as soon as she’d seen them on her skin, it was like they’d always been there. It wasn’t like getting a haircut when her hair felt a million times shorter in the shower when she went to wash it and she felt that moment of shock that part of it was missing. It was the opposite.
The markings felt right, and she didn’t need time to adjust. There was no catching them in the mirror and thinking there was something strange on her skin, just the knowledge that her power had finally shown her who she was and where she came from in a deeper sense than she’d ever known before. She knew her strengths and weaknesses on a gut level now and was more excited than scared to see how far she could push herself. Finally, Ellie said, “So does that mean we are officially related?”
“As related as we can be, yes.” The Morrigan smiled and sipped her tea.
Ellie stood and reached for the packet of chocolate and vanilla cookies that the Morrigan enjoyed so much, setting it betwee
n them. The goddess smiled wide and plucked one of the round cookies from the package, biting into it with joy. Without thinking, she asked, “Would you like to help me decorate the house for Christmas?”
The Morrigan paused and looked at her before glancing down at a watch that Ellie hadn’t noticed before. “Maybe for an hour or so, yes, that would be nice.”
Ellie grinned at the goddess, surprised about the watch and her agreement to help. “I’ll go and get the supplies. Please have as many as you want,” she said, gesturing to the cookies.
The other woman did something completely unexpected then . . . she giggled. It made Ellie laugh in turn, and her heart felt light with happiness as she walked out of the kitchen.
It was just over an hour later when the delicate silver watch the Morrigan was wearing started to beep. They’d been able to put up the stockings and the lights, as well as other holiday knickknacks that she’d collected over the years. The only thing truly missing was the tree, but she wanted to see if Alec would cut down a real one for that instead of busting out the wiry fake one that she’d had for over a decade. It wasn’t looking so great anymore, and if he wanted to do a fake tree this year, then she’d be getting a new one, but that meant going to the store, or waiting for it to be delivered to the shop, neither of which were easily accessible for her. Either way, she needed to wait until Alec came home from wherever he’d disappeared to.
“I just need to pop out for a moment. I’ll be right back.”
Ellie smiled and nodded at the goddess. It seemed like everyone was acting stranger than usual, which had to mean that there was something off with her, because there couldn’t be something wrong with everyone.
As the Morrigan vanished in front of her eyes, Ellie reached into the box and withdrew one of her favorite ornaments. It was one she’d had since childhood, and it clearly showed the love and use that it had seen over the years. The bright red and white of the Father Christmas figure was faded, and the brown wood around the edges showed, while the glitter that had once adorned the figure was all but gone.
She sighed as she set it aside to hang on the tree and began digging for something other than tree ornaments. When she didn’t immediately find anything, she straightened with a sigh, settling her hands on her hips. A sound above her caught her attention. It shouldn’t have been there. She was in the house alone, and as old as the house was, it didn’t make noises by itself just yet. At least, not that she’d heard.
She removed the garland of tinsel that she’d strung around her neck to better see what was in the box, and headed toward the stairs. Before she could get to the bottom step, a voice sounded behind her.
“Ellie?”
The voice made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as she spun around. “Brigid?” she whispered. Something had to be very wrong to bring both Brigid and the Morrigan to the mortal realm on the same day. “What’s wrong?”
Her face glowed with warmth and her eyes sparkled, just like they had in Tír na nÓg. The beautiful green gown she wore highlighted her soft red hair and brought out the green in her eyes, which were, in that moment, smiling at her, along with the rest of the goddess’s face. When the Morrigan appeared next to her, Ellie had to sit down.
“Please, just tell me what’s wrong. I can take knowing, but I can’t take the suspense.”
“Child, there is nothing wrong. We are simply here as your family to help you celebrate,” the Morrigan said.
“Celebrate? But Christmas is a few days away yet, so you’re a little early. Not that there’s anything wrong with that; I’m thrilled you’re both here,” Ellie said in a rush of words.
Brigid walked forward and squeezed her shoulder. “We’re not here for Yule, silly. We’re here for your wedding.”
“My wedding? But—”
“I think it’s best that we show you,” the Morrigan said as she began to walk toward the stairs.
Ellie felt like someone had smacked her over the head and sent everything spinning. Nothing that they were saying made sense. She’d invited them both to the mortal realm before, but neither of them took her up on it, until now, apparently. They both disappeared up the stairs, leaving her standing there like a dolt. When she heard Brigid call to her from upstairs, her brain kicked back into gear and she scrambled after them.
The Morrigan was waiting for her at the top of the stairs with an envelope in hand. She took it and slid her index finger between the flap and the rest of the envelope, causing it to rip open. Thick brown cardstock lay within, and as she pulled it out, she saw white silhouettes of pine trees, along with white dots of snow that started heavy at the top of the card and faded as they came to the writing.
Her heart just about stopped when she read the words.
Eilidh MacLeod, you are cordially invited to join Alec Cantio in a ceremony to join your two souls for all time. The celebrations begin at 3 p.m., December 21st.
Something caught at her finger as she squeezed the card tightly between her fingers. She flipped the card over to find a sticky note on the back in Alec’s small slanted handwriting.
My love,
I know this has been a hard day for us to come to and even harder for you to plan, especially with the passing of MacLeod, so I hope you don’t mind, but I planned it for you. Everything is ready to go, and all you have to do is show up. You can wear the dress in our bedroom or not—it’s up to you. If you don’t come, I won’t be offended. After all, we didn’t exactly discuss this. With all that being said, the only point of today is for me to show you how much I love you. I hope I see you at three.
All my love, A
The words all began to sink in at the same time, and she glanced up at the Morrigan, who had a small mischievous smile on her face. “He . . . You . . . What?”
Brigid popped out from behind the Morrigan, her smile like sunlight on a warm summer day. She clapped her hands together and bobbed up and down on her toes, squealing, “You’re getting married!”
All the blood rushed from Ellie’s head, and the world swam in front of her eyes as Brigid and the Morrigan stepped into the bedroom she and Alec shared. Light streamed in through the windows, and suddenly, she felt like she was in a dream version of her life. There, hung in the center of the room, was a white woven dress bag with the name of the bridal salon she’d gone to with Aster, Cin, and Robin written on the front in gold scripted letters. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest at the sight, and she couldn’t tell whether it was from excitement or trepidation.
Chapter 26
Ellie didn’t know what to do with herself. Everything was buzzing. It seemed like there was noise all around her, but she knew it was just the Morrigan and Brigid. She could see their mouths moving but couldn’t hear the words over the ringing in her ears. Finally, Brigid forcefully moved her and sat her down on the edge of the bed, pushing her head down between her knees.
When the buzzing started to subside, their voices came back into focus with astonishing clarity. Brigid’s voice was first, that musical sound that seemed to ring through every word she spoke. “Ellie, can you hear me?”
“Aye, I can hear ye,” she said with her head still between her knees.
“Oh, good. Are you feeling better?”
“I think so. The world doesnae seem to be spinnin’ anymore.”
“Good. Do you want to sit up?”
Slowly, Ellie brought her head up until she was level with the green and amber eyes in front of her. She blinked a few times as she took in the creases on Brigid’s forehead and her pursed lips.
“I’m okay. Promise. It was just a shock is all. I hadnae even thought about the weddin’ since I came back, so I’d forgotten about it, for the most part.”
“That’s partially why we are here,” the Morrigan’s powerful voice said, drawing her gaze up and to the right where the warrior goddess was standing. “Alec knew you were struggling with this and wanted to help, so he asked us to step in since we are technically family.”
; The thought sent a cold chill over her skin. What she’d wanted was her grandfather and grandmother and, although she’d never admit it, her parents, but that could never happen. She knew that as intimately as she knew how to make lightning flow from her hands. Still, she wished there was some way for them to be there, to wish her happiness on this next great journey. One hug, one smile, one photo of them all together, any of that would have been enough.
As though she could see the thoughts running through Ellie’s mind, the Morrigan came and knelt in front of Ellie. “They are still with you, you know that. You’ve experienced it in a way that few ever will.”
Ellie thought of her time in Purgatory and seeing her grandparents and parents again. In some ways, it made it hurt all the more because it had been so recent, and yet, she knew that what she saw had just been a construct in her head, so the pain almost didn’t seem real. If they were just made up, then she hadn’t really spoken with them, hadn’t really spent months with her mother learning how to survive in the wilderness of her mind.
Brigid stepped forward. “They loved you, and they still love you from wherever they are. I’m sure that they will watch today with the most joy that their hearts can hold at the sight of their daughter getting married, especially to someone as decent and honorable as Alec. I know we aren’t the same thing, but we are more than happy to be here with you. You might not be my child, but I healed you, spent weeks taking care of you. Ellie, you are loved and cared for by people outside of the siren brothers. If you weren’t, my queen and I wouldn’t be here.”
The fire-haired goddess’s eyes filled as she spoke, as though she understood the acute pain being happy while grieving at the same time caused. She squeezed Ellie’s knee and smiled before softly continuing, “If you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to. We are here to help with whatever you need. If you want to make a run for it, we can help with that. If you want to eat cake and play in the snow, we can help with that, and if you want to marry your soulmate, then we can help with that too.”
