Dolmarehn - Book Two of the Otherworld Trilogy

by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

  I sighed and glanced back up at Cade. “I’ll talk to Robyn at school tomorrow and leave a message in the oak.”

  He nodded and headed towards the dolmarehn. I let my mind wander as I walked home. My mother, my real mother. Cade had finally found her, and like he promised, he was going to make sure I would know her as well. Only when my happiness at the whole situation started to wear off did I remember there had been something very wrong with the way Cade had shared his news.

  * * *

  Dad dropped me, my duffle bag and my sleeping bag off at Robyn’s while the sky was still dark.

  “Alright Meggy.” He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “Have a wonderful trip.”

  I grinned and climbed out of his truck, waving goodbye as his tail lights disappeared around the corner. Taking a deep breath, I crept up to the stoop and tapped on her door. Robyn, groggy-eyed and mumbling, cracked the door open and stepped out into the cold morning wearing an old pair of sweats and a bathrobe.

  I eyed her dubiously. “Nice outfit,” I said with a smirk.

  “Watch it sister,” she grumbled, “I didn’t want to get up two hours before everyone else so that you could engage in some week-long tryst with a boy I’m beginning to think is imaginary.”

  I would have been annoyed at her, but one didn’t often get to enjoy observing Robyn out of her element. She clearly wasn’t a morning person. Besides, she was doing me a huge favor.

  Our plan had been a brilliant one and, in my opinion, seemed to be working out beautifully so far. Dad had already driven off, so now I just had to wait for Cade to pick me up before any of the other campers arrived. My parents would think I was in Yosemite for most of the week, a place where cell phone reception sometimes didn’t exist, and Robyn’s mom and dad wouldn’t even know we had made the plans. Since my parents and her parents never spoke to each other, I didn’t have to worry about Mom or Dad asking them if I’d been polite during the trip, either. And Robyn’s demanded payment, though a bit terrifying, was something within my reach.

  “So where’s this lover boy of yours? It’s freezing!” Robyn said through a yawn as she pulled her robe tighter.

  The deep rumble of a car engine broke the morning silence and I smiled as a familiar black Trans Am, almost blending in with the still dark sky, came rolling up the street. I glanced at Robyn, only to laugh at the expression on her face. Her eyes had widened and she stood absolutely rigid.

  The sports car pulled up in front of her driveway and Cade killed the engine. With the supernatural grace I always expected of him, he climbed out of the car and shut the door. He wore what he normally did when in the mortal world: a pair of designer jeans and this time a hooded sweatshirt. On any other guy the look wouldn’t be that flattering. On Cade MacRoich, however . . . And the quiet, strangled sound that left Robyn’s throat only proved my theory correct.

  I turned my head and glanced down at her. I almost burst out laughing. She was standing there like some mushy preteen girl who had just seen her favorite movie star or musician walk by. Robyn. Speechless. The world must have stopped turning. I smirked. I bet she was regretting her bed-head and shabby bath robe right about now.

  Cade stepped up with his hands in his pockets, an easy smile on his face. Robyn’s front porch light provided plenty of illumination to give her a full view.

  “Hello,” he said once he was in front of us. He turned his dark eyes to Robyn, pulling a hand out of his pocket and offering it to my friend. “I’m Cade, you must be Robyn. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Robyn remained motionless a good twenty seconds before taking the hand suspended in front of her. I half expected her to fall down in a faint when Cade’s fingers touched hers.

  “Are these your bags Meghan?” Cade asked while Robyn continued her staring contest with Cade’s chest.

  “Yes,” I answered. My face was beginning to hurt from all the smiling I was doing.

  As soon as Cade walked away carrying my stuff, I felt Robyn’s fingers grab on to my arm with a vice-like grip.

  “Holy crap!” she hissed breathlessly. “Meghan! Where on earth did you find him?! He’s so freaking hot!”

  My grin only widened. Perhaps this had been a good way to pay Robyn for her cover after all.

  I picked up my small backpack and turned to head over to the passenger side door, kindly being held open by Cade. Before I took a single step, however, I twisted around and gave Robyn an impish grin.

  “Actually Robyn,” I said with a burst of smugness, “he found me.”

  And with those final words, I slipped into my seat. As we turned the car around in the cul-de-sac and headed back towards the Mesa, I imagined Robyn standing on her front porch, staring off into the early morning darkness like a ghost stuck in some other dimension.

  “You’re friend isn’t much of a conversationalist, is she?”

  Despite the growl of the Trans Am’s engine, I caught the slight humor in Cade’s voice.

  “Actually, that’s the first time in my life I’ve ever seen her docile.”

  “Huh, I wonder why.”

  Oh, I know why . . . I thought while Cade downshifted as we pulled out onto the highway. Best to keep that little tidbit to myself, though.

  The warm, fuzzy delight of basking in Robyn’s shock soon faded when I gave my companion a sidelong glance. His voice had held a little more of his usual easy humor this morning, but something still seemed off about his stance; a slight dullness to his eyes and a hint of sadness to his smile. The anxiety tugged at my stomach like an angler’s fishhook. What was wrong with him?

  We drove until we reached the last road leading down into the swamp. Cade pulled off onto the wide, dirt shoulder and turned the key in the ignition. I took a deep, shuddering breath as he got out of the car and walked over to open my door. I had forgotten our purpose for visiting Eilé this time, what with Robyn’s reaction and Cade’s odd behavior taking up most of the space in my mind, but now it hit me: I was going to Eilé to meet my mother. I had so many questions for her, questions I needed to know the answers to, questions I considered too terrifying to ask. Why had she sent me to the mortal world so long ago? Was it because she didn’t want me? Because I was flawed? Did she cast me aside in order to protect me? And if that was the case, why had she not tried to find me herself after all these years? Why was Cade the one to set this all up?

  I almost twisted my ankle on my climb out of the car. Luckily Cade managed to catch me.

  “Are you alright?” he asked as he lifted me up by the elbow.

  “Yeah, sorry,” I grumbled, “just thinking.”

  “A dangerous activity, apparently.”

  I glared at him, but his grin warmed me and some of the rigidness finally left him.

  Nevertheless, I crossed my arms and scowled. “It is when your thoughts are focused on meeting your real mother for the first time in your life.”

  Cade’s grin faded, his eyes returning to a distant place once again.

  He sighed and said in a voice almost too low for me to hear, “At least you haven’t had the time to learn your only value to her is that of a tool to be used and disposed of.”

  “What?” I asked, losing a bit of my chagrin.

  Cade cast me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry Meghan, don’t pay any attention to me.”

  I took a breath. “Your mother has disappointed you?”

  Ah, so this explained his behavior. I had never truly asked him about his real parents because the one time they’d been brought up in the Weald, Cade and his sister had clammed up and I didn’t want to pry. Now I wondered if I should have asked him about his real parents long ago. In fact, I suddenly felt pretty selfish. Despite his perpetual silence on the matter, perhaps what he really needed was someone to talk to.

  Cade took a deep breath, then his eyes darkened and his face adopted a frightening expression. I took a small step back.

  “Yes. My mother’s disappointed me on many occasions.”

  I forgot the sl
ight fear his sudden dark mood created in me and, gathering up my courage, reached out to take his hand. He didn’t pull away, but he didn’t look up either. Cade didn’t want to talk about it, not yet at least, so I smiled and squeezed the hand I held. He squeezed back with less enthusiasm than usual. My questions could wait for another day.

  Cade released my hand and gave me a reassuring grin before he got my bags out of the trunk. We descended into the swamp, turning right when we found the wide dirt path leading to the dolmarehn. The sky gradually turned gray with dawn, but a thick blanket of fog kept everything relatively quiet.

  As we approached the small crevasse, I sent a mental call out to Meridian. I had let her out earlier, before Dad took me to Robyn’s. Fergus waited for us at the cave’s entrance, panting contentedly and giving us his usual canine grin.

  We waited for Meridian, and when she arrived we all stepped through the dolmarehn. I had one last thought before becoming swept up by the magic of the Otherworld: What will I do if my mother is disappointed in me?

  * * *

  Once in Eilé, we made our way to the castle to gather Speirling, and this time a brown mare for me, before we headed out. Cade led the way over the drawbridge, turning south on the road leading towards the ponds I had spied from the hills those few months ago. The land remained dormant, but the snow had gone and the weather seemed a bit warmer, as if spring was only waiting for the right signal before stepping forth.

  “There is a dolmarehn in Kellston, a small town located on a lakeshore beyond these hills. It will take us almost directly to Erintara,” he said.

  “Erintara?” I asked as I nudged my mare forward. She had a sweet temperament and behaved rather well for a horse, thank goodness.

  He nodded, not catching my eye. “The place where your mother lives.”

  “Oh, is it a town?”

  That grin again, this time accompanied by a glint in his green eyes. “It’s a town of sorts, I suppose.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean?”

  Cade turned his face towards me. “You will see.”

  With those final words, he kicked Speirling into a quicker pace.

  Grumbling, I encouraged the mare to do the same. Why did everything have to be such a big secret with him?

  About forty minutes later, Kellston came sprawling into view. The town’s residents bustled about, finishing up morning chores and reminding me a little of the bees who visited the lavender in our front yard. I couldn’t help but smile at the scene. The only other gathering of people I’d observed in Eilé had been the Wildren of the Weald.

  We led the horses down the main road that parted the center of town, and as we passed I noticed several booths draped in colorful fabrics and ribbons.

  Cade must have sensed my curiosity because he leaned over and whispered next to my ear, “They are preparing for their spring festival. The event usually takes place midway between Imbolg and Beltaine.”

  Thanks to Robyn’s obsession and my spending half of last summer pouring over the information I’d found on the Celts, I had a decent knowledge of the four major Celtic holidays: Imbolg, Beltaine, Lughnasadh and of course, Samhain.

  “The spring fair is a time for young men to show off their skills in order to impress the young ladies.”

  Cade grinned and pointed over towards the lakeshore where a group of boys competed in a contest: discovering who could throw giant rocks the furthest, from what I could tell. Several girls stood around watching, clapping and giggling as the young men either cheered on their friends or teased them for their lack of skill.

  I grinned. Not too different from high school in the mortal world, apparently.

  “It’s also the time for lovers to take part in the bonding ceremony.”

  I glanced in the opposite direction now and spotted a young man and woman in their best clothes standing side by side, a ring of friends and family gathering around them and singing a pleasant song. The participants performed a simple, woven dance around the couple and little girls wearing garlands streaming with ribbons threw flower petals.

  A bonding ceremony? Ah yes, a wedding. An Otherworldly wedding. I followed the ritual for a few moments longer, smiling at the happy participants and arching a brow in interest when the bride and groom exchanged what appeared to be decorative bracelets instead of rings.

  “And,” Cade continued, his voice growing amused and taking on a slightly deeper tone, “if a young man should have the luck of having a beautiful lady by his side, he is obligated to be a good sport.”

  I choked on a gasp of surprise as Cade laced his fingers with mine, loosening my grip on the mare’s reins. He lifted my arm up for all the curious eyes to view and drew my hand to his lips. The crowd gave a boisterous cheer, waving colorful ribbons and banners and brilliant bouquets of flowers. After kissing my hand, Cade continued to hold it as the shouts and suggestive whistles continued to follow us down the road.

  I was mortified. Thrilled and mortified. What had Cade been trying to prove to these people when he had kissed my hand? Was he simply being a good sport as he claimed, or might his actions mean something else entirely?

  I bit my cheek to keep from grinning like an idiot. Stop Meghan, he only wanted to show the townspeople his appreciation for the holiday. Yet, I couldn’t help but wonder: might I be more than just friend to him?

  Before we broke free of the town, a boy and a girl, both wearing crowns of flowers and ivy, skipped up to us and presented us with garlands of our own. Cade accepted them, smiling down at the children. First, he set the ivy crown on his own head, then reached across the space between our two horses and placed the floral garland on my own.

  I sat still, knowing the townspeople continued to scrutinize us. Cade took his time to settle the wreath, pulling the ribbons free of my hair. Once all the leaves and ribbons were to his liking, he lowered his hand but allowed his fingers to rest against my cheek. I suddenly found the act of breathing to be a challenge, and the sounds of Kellston faded from my hearing.

  His hand lingered for several moments more, and when I worked up the nerve to meet his eyes, what I discovered there astounded me. His irises had changed again, but this time some gray shone through the green, as well as something else, something far beyond color alone . . . Sadness? Desire? Regret? And then it dawned upon me, what emotion lingered in those haunted eyes.

  I knew that look, had seen and felt that look before, long ago when I was young. Bradley, Logan and I had been playing in the backyard when the neighbor’s cat came strolling over, a newly hatched baby bird in his mouth. We managed to get the bird away from him and spent the day cleaning it up. We made a nest in an old shoe box and quickly fell in love with the hatchling. When Dad got home he told us the baby bird belonged with its mother, so he helped us find the nest and got the ladder out. My brothers and I watched as he gently placed the bird back in the nest. All three of us had a sad glimmer in our eyes by the time he climbed back down. It was as if our hearts had been torn out.

  Eventually, my surroundings became real again and I could hear the people of Kellston getting back to their preparations. The noise seemed louder, the smells stronger, and the colors brighter.

  “Come on Meghan,” Cade said softly, his voice stiff as he let his hand drift from my face. “Let’s get you to your mother.”

  Almost the exact words my dad had spoken those many years ago. The irony was so cold I actually shivered.

  * * *

  The dolmarehn acting as the gateway to Erintara lay at the base of the foothills across the tip of the lake. The trip from Kellston to the dolmarehn had only taken thirty minutes, but it seemed like hours. Cade remained silent the entire time, his shoulders tight and his seat in the saddle stiff. I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth. I couldn’t be that baby bird to him. Yet, if I was, why did it mean he had to give me up? Would my mother, whoever she might be, take me in and not let me go again? I never considered that to be a possible scenario, but the longer I reflected on it
the more nervous I became. Or perhaps I was reading too much into everything.

  The dolmarehn on the far end of the lake was big enough for the horses to pass through, but Cade waited for me to catch up nonetheless.

  The cold silence grated at me, and finally I had to say something if only to shatter the strained atmosphere. “Cade, who is my mother?”

  He turned and gave me a haunted look again, yet remained silent.

  Speirling stepped closer to the dolmarehn.

  “You could at least tell me her name!” I shouted, allowing my irritation to pour free. I was tired of being left in the dark. Exactly what game did he play? Lead the poor, ignorant Fae strayling on a wild goose chase like a donkey chasing after a dangling carrot?

  Cade and his horse disappeared beneath the shadow of the stone gateway and I entertained the thought of riding my mare back to the mortal world where I could brood in my anger and fear. Only when I registered Cade’s voice whispering back an answer to my demand did I change my mind.

  “Danua,” he said. “Your mother’s name is, Danua. The high queen of Eilé.”

  -Thirteen-

  Danua

  No. He was lying. My birth mother couldn’t be a queen, let alone a high queen.

  I sat motionless while a heavy dose of shock numbed my nerves. The brown mare cropped grass as I continued to stare into the stone portal set into the hillside, just like the one linking Eilé to the mortal world. No! If my mother was a queen, like Cade claimed, she would’ve found a way to keep me, unless she honestly didn’t want me.

  Taking a deep, shuddering breath, I nudged the mare forward. I’d come this far, I might as well go the entire way and get the answers I wanted, despite my frustration with Cade.