Dolmarehn - Book Two of the Otherworld Trilogy

by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

  I let go of my breath and moved closer to Cade, gently lacing my fingers with the hand resting beside him. He was as cold as ice, but I tried not to let it upset me.

  “Cade,” I breathed, not sure what to say. “I’m going to go back to the mortal world soon, but when you are better, and after I graduate, I’m coming back here to be with you.”

  Now that I knew how he felt about me, my fears seemed to have vanished. I was thrilled and frightened at the same time, thinking about living in the Otherworld, among my own kind, with Cade . . .

  Taking one more deep breath I leaned forward, touching my lips to his. He didn’t return the kiss, of course, but it didn’t matter. I pulled my face away from his and moved in closer so that my mouth came to rest right below his ear.

  “I love you too, Cade,” I whispered, remembering the look in his eyes just before he’d kissed me, “I love you too.”

  I sighed, squeezed his hand once more, and stood to leave. When I reached the door, I glanced over my shoulder. It was probably my imagination, but I could have sworn his color had improved. Smiling, I left the room and joined the Dagda. He led me to the entrance of his home and outside I found his entire guard, mounted on horses, waiting for me.

  I gasped, then spun around and gaped at the Dagda. “This is too much!”

  I turned back and counted thirty men and women, armed to the teeth with weapons and armor. He had said half his guard, not all of them!

  The Dagda took my hands and turned me to face him.

  “No it isn’t. You almost died last night, along with Caedehn. He gave his life for you, and are you to think I’d let you go wandering off, unprotected while the Morrigan may be plotting revenge at this very moment? I think not! They are honored to see you to the dolmarehn.”

  Before I had a chance to protest any further, he whistled and someone came trotting around the hill, leading a beautiful bay mare with one arm and carrying a white bird on the other.

  “Meridian!” I cried.

  She chittered and flew off of the young man’s arm, landing on my shoulder and nibbling affectionately at my hair.

  “Now, I will bid you farewell my lady. Worry not about your Caedehn, he will be safe in my abode.”

  The Dagda grinned and his characteristic merriment returned. His kindness overwhelmed me and before I could stop myself, I threw my arms around his shoulders and gave him a fierce hug.

  He returned the hug just as enthusiastically, chuckling as he did so.

  “That will be enough my dear,” he declared in his mischievous way, setting me back down on the ground. “I do not want to face Cade’s ríastrad once he heals and finds out I’ve been accepting your affections.”

  I blushed, but smiled anyway, warmed by his gentle teasing.

  Taking one last look around, I walked over to the mare and with a little help from Cade’s foster father, I managed to climb into the saddle. I waved goodbye once more and we started out on our journey. The soldiers made me travel in the middle of the group and the large number of them slowed our progress. To my immense relief, we encountered no nasty faelah the entire way and the weather, though not sunny and warm, didn’t get any worse.

  By the time we reached the small dolmarehn that would take me back to the mortal world, back to my family, a late afternoon sun shone down on us. I slipped off my horse, sore but grateful my feet were on solid ground. I thanked the Dagda’s soldiers and told them I would be fine on my own once I stepped through the dolmarehn.

  With one last glance around at the scattered stone pillars and crooked trees, I sighed and approached the cave. Meridian swooped down to sit on my shoulder, and as I moved further into the gateway, I tried not to think of what would be waiting for me on the other side.

  -Twenty-

  Confession

  When I took my next breath, I was already through the portal. I only knew this because the air smelled different here, like eucalyptus and dust. The strange thing was, I never sensed the uncomfortable pull of magic that usually accompanied a trip through one of the stone gateways. Come to think of it, I hadn’t felt anything when we had passed through the other dolmarehn either.

  Sighing, I climbed free of the small cavern and stepped out into the woods. I merely stood still for several minutes, trying to get a hold of my wits while I let the late afternoon light warm my chilled skin.

  I had been gone for two whole days. I hadn’t come home Saturday morning and I had missed prom. My friends and family were going to kill me. Where the Morrigan had failed once again, they would most definitely succeed. All of my worry had been used up on Cade, but now that I knew he was safe and healing, a new anxiety pierced my heart.

  I took a deep breath and stumbled up the trail. I was beyond sore and my emotions were still raw from the events of the day before.

  When I reached the house, I noticed it was uncommonly quiet. I paused before continuing. All I wanted to do was sneak into my room, collapse on my bed and pretend this was all a dream. But it wasn’t a dream.

  I put off entering the house for as long as possible before making my way around to the front porch. I tried the door, cringing when I discovered it was unlocked. What I found when I stepped into the living room made my heart sink. Dad sat on the couch, his arms around Mom. Clearly she’d been crying. My two oldest brothers rested on the floor, staring at the carpet as if a favorite pet had died. The twins were too young to understand why everyone was upset, so all they did was tug on my mom’s shirt, trying to figure out what was wrong.

  Aiden noticed me first. He stood apart from everyone, watching the door as if he sensed I’d be returning home soon. How odd, especially since, between all of them, he had the weakest grasp on reality. Perhaps that is why he didn’t seem worried. “Meggy!” he cried in his young voice.

  He darted across the floor, his arms pumping, and flung himself around my legs.

  My parents darted up off the couch, their worried faces melting in surprise before contorting with fury.

  “Where on earth have you been?! We called Robyn’s parents and we had to practically strangle that girl to get her to tell us you’d run off with some boy. Meghan! What were you thinking!?”

  My mom. Never, ever, had I seen her so angry, or so upset. Just last night I witnessed the death of the boy I loved and somehow managed to deflect the ire of a powerful goddess. I’d survived a close brush with an unpleasant death at the hands of the Morrigan, but the rage and pain rolling off of my mom almost brought me to my knees.

  I didn’t cry. I should have, for the guilt churning in my stomach ate at me, but I needed to do something first, something that would require bravery, patience and an enormous deal of self control. I couldn’t wait for graduation, and now was, in its own perverse way, the perfect time.

  “Mom, Dad,” I looked them both in the eye, noting how my dad flinched when he took in my haggard appearance and strange clothes, “Logan, Bradley, Jack, Joey.”

  I glanced down at Aiden. He gazed up at me with his pale blue-green eyes and I sensed his love tugging at my heartstrings.

  I took a deep breath and lifted my gaze once again.

  Courage, Meghan. You faced down the Morrigan. You can do this . . .

  “I have to tell you something. Something you need to know about me, about where I came from . . .”

  So I told them everything. Well, maybe not everything, but as much as I thought they should know. I explained to them how I met Cade two years ago, how he’d told me, and showed me, who I was. How I could see creatures from the Otherworld and how I had visited Eilé several times. I told them I was Faelorehn, the daughter of Danua and a Fomorian soldier. And I told them that after I graduated from high school I would return to the world where I belonged. I didn’t have a future in this world, among the mortals. What happened between me and the Morrigan I kept mostly to myself, only giving them the basic picture without all the gory details. I didn’t want them to worry more than necessary.

  When I finished talking, I bent dow
n and picked up Aiden. He was getting so big, but I could still hold him, still needed to hold him, especially now. He comforted me in his own quiet way as I waited for the accusations to start.

  “Have you been doing drugs?” I expected to hear from my dad.

  “Perhaps we should find another psychiatrist.” I waited for Mom to say.

  Only silence followed, a long, terrifying silence. So I decided to prove it to them. I wasn’t sure if my newfound magic would work so soon after being violently unleashed, but I had to try. I set Aiden down and focused on the little pinprick of glamour and willed my power to rise. The magic grew and spread throughout my body, pleasantly warm and thrillingly cold at the same time. My eyes were closed but a soft brush of wind tangled with my hair. When the rustling of paper and the surprised exclamations of my family members met my ears, I knew I had done enough to prove I was telling the truth.

  I called my magic back and opened my eyes. The expressions on their faces broke my heart. Fear. Pure fear.

  The tears swimming behind my eyes broke loose. I began to shake, reaching out for the back of Dad’s recliner because I didn’t think I’d be able to stand much longer. Everything I’d been holding in and trying to avoid since the Morrigan lured me and Cade into her trap was finally breaking free.

  Before my hand met the recliner, I felt myself being pulled into a fierce hug.

  “Oh Meghan!”

  Mom . . .

  Soon Dad wrapped the both of us in his arms. I cried, letting everything out, all the lies, all the fear, all the anxiety. We probably stood together like that a good fifteen minutes, however long it took me to purge myself of everything that had been holding me back. Eventually, Dad loosened his grip and stood back and Mom did the same. They held me at arms’ length and looked me in the eye.

  “I find it very hard to believe what you just told us,” Dad said, his voice raw with emotion, “but I’ve always wondered about those visions of yours, and your eyes. And whatever you did just now to bring a small tornado into the living room wasn’t anything earthly.”

  He gave me a sad smile. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat.

  “Will, will you at least come visit us?” Mom said, sniffing back her own tears. “And if you are to run off with some young man, at least have the decency to introduce him to us.”

  I nearly collapsed. Had I misjudged the fear in their eyes? Then it dawned upon me: they weren’t afraid of me, they were afraid for me.

  A choked sound escaped my throat, both a sob and a laugh. I grabbed them both into a hug once again.

  “I’m so glad you finally know!” I cried.

  I felt my dad sigh and my mom sniffle again. “Oh Meghan, after everything we put you through when you were younger . . .”

  Mom trailed off, averting her eyes.

  I shook my head and glanced between both of them. “No, you didn’t know Mom, Dad. It’s not your fault.”

  A few moments passed where we all simply stood around gazing at one another. Logan and Bradley remained uncharacteristically quiet, the twins kept babbling about making the room windy again and Aiden was giving me the strangest look.

  “So, where is this Cade you’ve told us about?” Mom asked in a lighter tone, breaking the subdued moment. “I’m assuming he is the same boy who was supposed to escort you to your senior prom last night.”

  My face must have drained of color, because she lost the little bit of cheer that glowed in her eyes and frowned. “Meg?”

  “He’s extremely sick Mom. He had to stay in Eilé to recover. When he’s better I’ll bring him back here so you can meet him.”

  She seemed worried, but I gave a faltering smile and said, “He’s in good hands.”

  Things settled down a little after that. Mom got to work making dinner while Dad called the police department to tell them I had just been delayed and my cell phone battery had died.

  The hot prickle of threatening tears gathered in the corners of my eyes as guilt washed over me again. I dashed them away, reminding myself if I’d been capable of coherent thought the night before, I would have sent a message.

  The next day I stayed home from school; Mom insisted I rest. Apparently I resembled someone who’d been lost in the forest for weeks, living on nothing but pinecones and the condensation collected off of leaves. Gee, I looked that great, huh?

  I slept in, relieved when I woke up and remembered no nightmares. The scratching at my door reminded me Meridian had been left out all night. She flew in, scolding me as she landed on her perch in the corner.

  I spent the rest of the day tidying my room and finishing the homework I had planned to do on Sunday after I got back from the Otherworld. I shook my head, banishing those memories to the back of my mind. Homework seemed futile at this point, but the work helped to distract me. At least for a little while.

  After an hour of fighting with my history book, I tossed it on my bed and stood up. I desperately wanted to go back to Eilé and make the journey to the Dagda’s house to check on Cade. Despite the fact that my parents now knew who and what I was and that I could come and go from the Otherworld, I didn’t think they’d let me leave. Not until I regained my health and they came to terms with my little revelation from the night before. I frowned and forced myself to try a different section of homework.

  Later that afternoon I got a call from Tully, followed by one from Will and Thomas. They were all happy to learn I was okay and couldn’t wait to see me at school tomorrow. Another dose of guilt hit me when they told me how they spent their prom night trying to help my parents and the police figure out where I might be.

  After finishing with them, I took the initiative to call Robyn. I wasn’t sure what threats and punishments she had received from her strict parents on my account, but I had to make amends. My lies had gotten her into trouble, after all. Her father answered the phone, and only after he gave me a long moral lecture on what was proper behavior between a young man and a young woman, did he let me talk with Robyn, but only to apologize since Robyn was grounded for a month.

  To my immense relief, Robyn sounded happier to hear my voice than angry. I told her at least a dozen times about how sorry I was. She brushed it all off, saying she was only concerned when I didn’t show up the next day and when my parents called the police. She said all would be forgiven if I gave her every last detail of my time spent with Cade. I blew a strand of dark, curly hair out of my face. Looks like I’d be spending the rest of the day fabricating a believable story with enough juicy tidbits to satisfy my inquisitive friend. Or maybe, like with my family, I could just my friends the truth. Okay, perhaps not tomorrow, but it might be a good idea to consider doing so in the future. It would make my life a whole lot easier and would help when it came time for me to leave for Eilé.

  Tully picked me up the next day and after giving me a bone-crushing hug, we headed to school. To my great chagrin, I discovered a whole new truckload of colorful rumors had been spread throughout the school about my being MIA. Not only did I get plenty of knowing glances from my fellow classmates, but a few of them took the liberty of telling me exactly what they thought.

  “Word on the street is you’re shacking up with some homeless guy, Meghan. I had no idea you were so desperate.”

  Michaela West. Surprise, surprise. She had managed to stay out of my hair all year, but I guess she had some last-minute insults to throw in my direction before we parted ways for good.

  Tully tensed next to me and Robyn opened her mouth to provide some of her own acidic comments, but before they could do anything, I conjured up some of my power and concentrated very hard on Michaela’s perfect ponytail. I grinned and released my glamour in what I hoped was one, precise burst.

  The scream that met my ears as we continued walking past Michaela and her stuck-up friends was like a balm to my heart.

  “My hair!” she screeched.

  Tully gasped and Robyn snorted. I couldn’t help it. I turned to see what sort of damage I’d done and laughed
out loud. Michaela had dropped her books and her hands were now frantically trying to tame her wild hair. The ponytail had vanished and every perfectly ironed strand stood on end. Oh, I was going to love this new magic of mine, I could already tell.

  * * *

  The final weeks of my senior year passed by in a haze of graduation preparations, final exams and parties. I put on a good face for my friends, acting as if I felt sorry to be done so soon and that I’d miss them when we all went off to college. And I would miss them and I did feel a bit sad, but not to the same degree as the rest of them and not for the same reasons.

  I still hadn’t conjured up the gumption to tell them what I had told my family: that I wasn’t human and I’d be moving to the Otherworld to hopefully patch things up with my birth mother and figure out how I was going to thwart the Morrigan when she decided to come after me again. Because she would be coming after me, one of these days.

  None of it seemed real to me yet, so on the day of my graduation, as I stood on the bleachers with the rest of my class, I let my mind wander a little. Two years ago the thought of graduating high school terrified me. Me, out in the real world, attending college, getting a job and trying to balance tough classes all at the same time. Yes, I had been afraid of moving on with my life the way a normal human being my age might.

  I chuckled harshly as our valedictorian finished her speech and everyone cheered. I wouldn’t be going to college, or getting a job or facing down difficult exams. Oh no. I’d be going to the Otherworld, to Eilé, where I’d start my new life. The life I should have had from the beginning. Instead of finding employment at the student bookstore or a campus café, I’d be fighting off dangerous and terrifying monsters, and a vindictive goddess. No college homework for me. Nope, I’d be studying my long lost heritage, trying to fit into the society of the Otherworld and figuring out what I had to do to get my mother to see me as the daughter she wanted. Yes, it was daunting, but I would have Cade by my side.