Taking a deep breath, I dug through my purse again, finally finding the keys. I got into the car, whistling for Meridian before I closed the door. She settled down on my shoulder and soon fell asleep.
Drained, she sent, her psychic voice sounding very weary.
I’ll bet, I returned.
I had no idea a spirit guide could wield so much power, especially one as small as Meridian.
As I drove home, I formulated an explanation for my parents: a deer had leaped onto the road and managed to glance off the side of the car. Yes, that story would work perfectly.
All the lights were off when I got home, so I entered the house in silence and headed to my room, washing off the grit before collapsing onto my bed in exhaustion.
Before falling asleep, I thought about how I needed to be a little more vigilant. I should have known after the demon bat incident at the football game that the Morrigan hadn’t forgotten about me. Now, with tonight’s attack, I knew for sure she was back to her old tricks again.
* * *
I woke the next morning to the sound of my mom shrieking about the huge dent in her car. When I fed her the deer story, she went from livid to concerned in two point five seconds.
“Oh Megan! Were you hurt?”
She quickly started checking me for bruises and cuts and clucked when she found nothing worse than a small scratch from when I had crawled under the car.
“Um, got them last week at school.”
Mom gave me one of those looks she used like tweezers to extract information. I wasn’t about to budge.
“Well, do drive more slowly from now on, especially at night.”
Sighing in relief, I returned to my room and glanced around, marveling at the lack of clutter. The long narrow object wrapped in a towel in the corner caught my eye. My longbow. After last night, I thought some practice couldn’t hurt. I got dressed and threw on some shoes, grabbed my bow and arrows and shouted up the stairs that I was going for a walk.
“Come on Meridian,” I called to the white ball of feathers in the corner, “I need you to keep me company while I practice.”
Most of my winter break passed this way: working on my archery skills when I wasn’t hanging out with my friends or being pestered by my brothers. I had almost forgotten about Cade and the awkward way we had parted, but during those last few days before school started again, Fergus showed up at my door right before dawn.
He led me to the oak tree and inside the knothole I found a note.
Meghan,
I apologize for not contacting you for so long and once again for my inappropriate behavior in the Otherworld. I hope you’ll forgive me. I was wondering if you would like to visit Eilé for a couple of days. There are two people I wish you to meet.
-Cade
My heart fluttered and gave off a pang of hurt. So he still regretted kissing me. I must be terrible at it.
I slumped against the tree and squashed my disappointment. Well Meghan, at least he still wants to be your friend. Yeah, I could live with that. Maybe.
I called Robyn later in the day, hoping she would cover for me, again.
“Oh sure, but you know the price. Details my dear, details,” she crooned over the phone, a hint of malicious glee in her voice.
“If there are any details to spare, then you will have them,” I promised, well aware there would be nothing to tell this time.
I finished the call and wrote a return note to Cade, informing him I’d be available on Tuesday. In the mortal world we would be celebrating New Year’s Eve, so I had a valid excuse to go over to Robyn’s and spend the night.
The next morning I got a response. Cade would meet me at my door once again, before dawn.
On Monday night I had an awful time falling asleep, most likely because I was excited about going to the Otherworld again. Ever since returning from the last trip, a small part of me yearned to go back. Perhaps because my magic now knew where it belonged, or maybe I was nervous about seeing Cade again. Either way, I didn’t drift off until after midnight.
-Ten-
Cauldron
Cade met me the next day in his usual, unobtrusive way. Before stepping through my bedroom door, I grabbed my overnight bag and whistled to Meridian. We made our way silently through the woods of the swamp, the dark morning adding to the general gloom.
Cade didn’t speak to me until we reached the dolmarehn.
“Ready?” he murmured, holding out a gloved hand.
I laced my fingers with his, relishing the slight squeeze he gave my hand as he led me deeper into the small cavern. This time the passage into the Otherworld didn’t make me so dizzy.
Once on the other side, we moved east instead of north like last time. The air was freezing and the ground covered in frost again. It didn’t take too long to make our way out of the trees, and when we finally crested the top edge of the last hill, I stopped dead in my tracks. A breathtaking scene of rolling land and more forested hills spreading far ahead of us came into view.
“Wow,” I whispered.
Far below us green pastures, frosted with ice, rested in the cold sunlight of a winter morning. Several ponds of various sizes gleamed like shiny black pebbles in the distance, the mist rising from their surfaces reminding me of Yellowstone’s hot springs. A narrow river twined out of the hills opposite us and meandered past the ponds and on through the valley and eastward. I had never seen such a beautiful sight in my life. Even the views from the Mesa in Arroyo Grande didn’t come close.
I sighed again and warmed a bit when Cade took my hand once more.
“We usually have at least a light dusting of snow by now,” he murmured, his breath misting in the air to match the fog. “I hope the frost will suffice.”
I glanced up at him, feeling like I’d just awakened from some fantastic dream and my senses were still somewhere far away.
He smiled and gestured with his other hand.
I turned my head to see what he pointed at. This time I think I made some sound of surprise. I hadn’t noticed it before, what with the mist acting as a screen, but several miles away on the opposite side of the shallow valley and nestled against those other hills, was an old castle like the ones pictured on travel brochures from Scotland or Ireland. The stone fortress looked mostly intact, but I got the impression that the far side might be caved in, for the tower appeared damaged.
I studied the ancient structure and when I narrowed my eyes just enough, I spied some movement behind it . . . A waterfall.
Something tickled my memory but I couldn’t quite grasp it.
“That,” Cade said, his voice holding a great deal of reverence, “is the castle I told you about the last time you were here.”
“Oh, I remember. The one with all the dolmarehn, right?”
Cade grinned and nodded. “Exactly.”
Then his tone took on a more cautious pitch. “We need to get a few things from the castle before we start out.”
I ignored the change in his voice and instead asked, “Start out?”
“We’re going on a journey Meghan.”
I stared at him. “You know I have to be home by tomorrow night, right?”
Cade grinned. “It won’t take us more than half a day to get to where we are going, and we won’t stay too long. We’ll use the dolmarehn.”
I breathed a mental sigh of relief. “So, where are we going?”
“A few places, but first we’ll head east and pay a visit to my foster father.”
I shot Cade a look of horror. “The Dagda? You’re taking me to visit the Dagda?! Are you sure you want him to meet me? I mean, shouldn’t I stay away from all the Celtic gods and goddesses until I at least know how to use my power?”
Cade’s smile turned soft and shook his head.
“Oh no, I very much want you to meet him. Him and someone else.”
Meet the Dagda? I shivered, a reaction to my sudden apprehension, and glanced back at the castle. I judged the distance across the small valley to be
at least five miles, and with all these hills and rocks scattered everywhere, getting there quickly would prove a challenge.
“Won’t it take us forever just to reach the castle?” I wondered aloud.
Cade smirked impishly. “Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered.”
Shrugging, I followed Cade as he started out on a trail leading down into the valley. Within half an hour the land leveled out and we were starting to cross the fields.
A white flash and a cheerful bark announced Fergus’ arrival. He came loping up, panting and wagging his tail.
“Ah, here we go,” Cade said, his attention on something other than his spirit guide.
I jerked my head up and followed his gaze and gaped when I saw the horse standing about a hundred yards away. He was solid black and his coat shimmered and gleamed in the sun. When he spotted Cade he threw back his head and whinnied, pushing himself up onto his hind legs and coming back down like a battering ram, tearing up the earth with his hooves.
I gasped and darted behind Cade. I had been around horses before, but they were the docile and stodgy old mares that people rented out at the dunes for an easy ride to the beach. This horse was a stallion and judging by his appearance, he might not be friendly.
Cade’s laughter in the next breath managed to keep my fingernails from digging into his shoulders. He broke away from me and I cried out, thinking he planned on abandoning me. As I watched him, my mouth hung open in surprise. He ran right at the animal, crouched down as if he were playing a game of hide-and-seek with a child.
“Cade!” I hissed. “He’ll kill you!”
The horse stopped twitching and held perfectly still. He faced away from Cade, but his ears flicked to the side, as if listening for an ambush. Cade quietly walked up behind him and to my utter horror, shoved him hard on the rump and then went tearing off across the field.
The stallion reacted almost simultaneously, turning sharply and taking off after Cade.
I cried out again, torn between chasing after him and fleeing back towards the hills to make myself less of a target.
The black stallion caught up with Cade and just as I was sure he was going to kick out with his front legs and knock Cade to the ground, he jumped in front of him and pressed his forehead against Cade’s chest.
I waited for him to fall over, to scream in pain from the blow, but all he did was laugh. I blinked in confusion, shaking my head as I stared at them again. The horse had stopped moving, and Cade had hooked one arm over his thick neck.
“You caught me boy! I think that’s a new record, huh?”
If my eyes grew any wider, I’m sure they’d fall right out of my head. What the hell just happened? Cade had enticed that demon of a horse to chase him, and had been moments from being trampled to death. Now he was petting the stallion like some enormous puppy seeking attention.
Cade finally glanced in my direction, the carefree smile on his face fading to a warm grin as he turned to the black stallion to whisper something in his ear. The animal shook out his mane and blew out a huff of breath, but walked alongside Cade as he came towards me. My first instinct told me to bolt. Sure, the horse liked him, but what if he didn’t like me?
Unfortunately, Cade caught my eyes with his and something about their color warned me not to run away. They came to stand right in front of me, and it took every ounce of energy I had to keep still. The horse was even bigger close up, his shoulder level with my head. He was all strong, lean muscles and high-strung tension. I wouldn’t be surprised if he suddenly burst into flame and singed us both. It must be the magic of this place that makes him seem so powerful, I thought to myself.
“Meghan.”
Cade’s voice nearly made me jump. “I want you to meet Speirling, my horse.”
Ah, his horse. Of course.
“Um, hello, uh, Speirling.”
I kept my hands clasped behind my back and my shoulders slumped forward. I hoped my stance exuded the aura of a docile prey animal.
Speirling blew out a hot breath and leaned his nose into my hair. I squealed in surprise, but he only smelled me. When he started to nibble at a loose strand I forgot about acting like a weakling and stepped back.
“Hey!”
Cade’s laughter split through the air and Speirling eyed me curiously. If I didn’t know any better, I’d have sworn the horse showed hurt feelings in those dark brown eyes of his.
“He’s quite harmless, I assure you. Besides, he likes you, and that’s high praise indeed.”
I allowed myself to relax. The huge horse still made me feel uneasy, but if Cade said he wasn’t dangerous, then I would trust him.
A bark and a shrill screech announced the return of our spirit guides.
“Now that introductions are over, I think we should be on our way.”
I nodded and waited for Cade’s next instruction. He turned his back to me and, grabbing a hold of Speirling’s mane, launched himself onto the horse’s back with one quick, agile move.
I gaped again. I was doing far too much of that today. Did he expect me to walk?
Once settled, Cade reached down and offered a hand to me. I only stared. He wasn’t suggesting what I thought he was suggesting, was he?
“We’ll make better time if we ride.”
“What?” My question came out as a croak.
“Come on Meghan, I’ll help you up safely.”
“There’s no saddle!”
“We don’t need one.”
“What am I going to hold on to?!”
Cade grinned and pulled back his arm, lifting the tuft of mane he had gripped in his other hand. He inclined his head downward and nodded at his knees. Okay, so I needed to cling on to a wild stallion using only my hands and legs? A sudden, sick image of all those poor little kids who get talked into riding sheep at the rodeo flashed across my mind. At least with the sheep they had loads of wool to hang on to. I was doomed if I got on Cade’s horse.
Cade reached out his hand again. I hesitated.
“Trust me.” His voice was calm, quiet.
And because I had no other choice, but more so because I was beyond smitten and my common sense fled whenever Cade stepped into the picture, I gripped his fingers and let him guide me up to sit in front of him.
“Oh, I forgot one other thing,” he whispered into my ear. “I’ll hold on to you as well.”
Before my brain had a chance to over-analyze what he meant, Cade’s free arm wrapped itself around my waist and he urged his horse into an easy trot, forcing me to forget about everything except keeping myself from falling off.
Cade didn’t slow Speirling until we were just outside the entrance of the castle. The ancient fortress nestled neatly into a narrow canyon, and the creek running from the base of the waterfall circled around it like a moat. An old drawbridge lay open and Speirling’s hooves thudded against the old wood as we crossed over the stream.
Once within the spacious stone courtyard, Cade slid off and helped me down. Fergus and Meridian followed after us and I spun around in order to admire the architecture. I had been correct in assuming part of the building was damaged, but not to a degree where the tower might crumble to pieces any time soon.
“Stay here Meghan, I’ll be right back.”
Before I could protest, Cade took off up some stairs and through a massive door. I wanted so badly to explore, but I didn’t want to get lost either. He returned within ten minutes, carrying a couple of bags designed to be draped over a horse’s back.
“Ready?” he asked with a grin.
I let the soft rumble of the waterfall fill the silence for a few moments. “I guess so.”
Cade furrowed his brow. “You sound disappointed.”
I winced. I hadn’t meant to sound dismayed. “Well, I hoped to see more of the castle.”
He smiled. “I haven’t forgotten the promise I made to you last time. Today we go to the Dagda’s and this afternoon we’ll come back here to spend the night.”
My eyes grew wide
. “Really?”
“I promise,” Cade vowed.
Once the bags were on Speirling’s back, Cade climbed atop him and then helped me up again. As we crossed back over the drawbridge, I caught sight of the sun pulling free of the hills in the east. We were making great time.
Cade kicked his horse into an easy trot, and we started meandering our way up the hills behind the castle. The land lay dormant now, since it was still the dead of winter, but the bare branches of trees and shrubs promised to display leaves and flowers in only a few short months.
I closed my eyes and tried to imagine this beautiful place in the springtime. Grinning, I leaned back into Cade’s comfortable embrace, but bolted upright when he released a small sigh, his arm tightening a bit.
My cheeks started to burn. That had been stupid. The only reason he’d been holding me was so I wouldn’t fall off his horse.
I cleared my throat, deciding a conversation would help ease the awkward moment. “So, um, when will I be able to use my magic?”
Cade tensed as I regaled to him the incident with the faelah the other night and how Meridian had come to my rescue. Only after I assured him I hadn’t been hurt did Cade relax.
“It’s different for different people, and those with less magic than others sometimes can’t ever properly use their glamour. But if you truly are half Fomorian like I believe, you will have more power than you’ll know what to do with, when it’s ready to be wielded.”
His response only encouraged me to ask another question, one that had been fluttering around in the recesses of my mind since the beginning of summer.
“Cade,” I said warily, “you told me, after the Morrigan attacked me last year, that you thought you knew who my parents were.”
A long silence ensued and for a moment I wondered if I had asked the wrong question.
“Yes, I remember,” Cade finally answered, his grip on me tightening again. “Unfortunately, I’ve been kept busy these past months, but I promise you Meghan, when I am entirely convinced of the truth, I will tell you.”
I clenched my fists, fighting the odd desire to scream in irritation. It was perfectly clear he was withholding something from me, but frustrated as I may be, I didn’t think I should press him. Taking a deep breath, I told myself to practice some patience and reminded myself that he would tell me. Some day.
Dolmarehn - Book Two of the Otherworld Trilogy Page 10
