Stone of Destiny (The Danaan Trilogy)

by Laura Howard

  The air is filled with the sound of low chanting. The strange rhythmic singing causes goose bumps to cover my arms. Up ahead flames and smoke swirl toward the inky sky.

  I woke up to fingers of pale light spreading across the ceiling of my bedroom. The air was already thick with humidity and if I didn’t force myself out of bed now, I would never get a run in.

  I changed out of my pajamas and put on jogging shorts and a light tank top. I stretched my arms above my head, the chanting from my dream still vibrating deep in my bones.

  For most of my life I’ve had dreams that felt like they were somehow more than just dreams. I learned from Saoirse, the queen, that there’s a small amount of magic in my blood. She said they’re called True Dreams, which was a diluted version of The Sight. Some Danaans have visions of the future or the past, but when a human has the ability it’s called The Sight. The queen was a strong seer, but with the gift bestowed on all Danaan queens, Danu’s Basin, a magical well in Tír na n’Óg, she sees every possible way the future can play out at will.

  The house was quiet as I slipped out the front door. Our road was on the outskirts of Stoneville, so even in the middle of the day we didn’t see much traffic. I cherished my morning run almost more than a hot fudge sundae with extra whipped cream. Something about the wind in my face and the pumping of my heart recharged me. I could make sense of almost any situation as long as my feet were carrying me forward and I had the peace of the open road.

  The memory of Aoife’s icy blue eyes was in the forefront of my thoughts. I wondered why she was so obsessed with my father. I felt a little bit guilty for having that thought, but what was it about Liam that made her so ruthless? The truth was I really didn’t know anything about Aoife or Niamh, or any of the Danaans really. To keep my mother safe, I needed to learn more about what I was dealing with. From what I knew, we weren’t in any immediate danger from Aoife. Aodhan wouldn’t be so calm if that were the case.

  As I jogged past my father’s house on my way back home, a familiar blonde leaned casually on Liam’s front fence post. Niamh stood gracefully, and I stopped when she met my eyes.

  Good morning, Allison.

  Niamh was a telepath. She could read my thoughts, and project her thoughts into my mind. It unnerved me and she knew it.

  She actually looked apologetic, having picked my discomfort out of my thoughts. “I sometimes forget how that bothers you.”

  “No big deal. What’s up?” I said as I bent down to stretch.

  “I wanted to speak with you, but Liam stopped me. He told me your morning run is important to you.”

  I laughed to myself a little imagining Liam telling her what to do. Niamh was one of the good guys, as far as Danaans went. Even though she had technically kidnapped my mother and hidden her in Tír na n’Óg, it was for her own protection. Saoirse had foreseen that Aoife’s adviser, Breanh, was planning to kidnap my mother. He would hold her hostage until Niamh and Liam let Aoife go.

  Breanh was a telepath too, and if Niamh had told me that she was hiding my mother, Breanh would have read it in my thoughts. According to Saoirse, Breanh would have found another way to bargain for Aoife’s release. In the end he did find another way, by kidnapping Ethan. But at least Niamh’s intentions were good.

  I raised my eyebrows at Niamh who was staring at me. She tossed her golden hair over one shoulder and looked up at the sky before she spoke.

  “We haven’t had the chance to speak since we came back, have we?” She glanced back at Liam’s house with what I thought might be a nervous expression. She turned back to me and started leading me toward my grandparents’ house. “I thought you might tell me a bit more about what happened with Breanh.”

  I frowned as I walked with her. I’d told this story several times and most of those times Niamh had been there.

  “You’re right, of course,” she said in response to my thoughts. “But I can’t help feeling you’re having a hard time talking about it with all of those men. I understand that. They are intimidating aren’t they?”

  Niamh was one of the most self-possessed people I’d ever met. The idea of her being intimidated by anyone was bizarre. The only time I’d seen her control waver was when Aodhan was around. Their history was complicated. That probably explained why she was sitting on my front steps rather than Liam’s. Aodhan had been staying at Liam’s since we’d come back from Tír na n’Óg.

  “There’s not much more to tell,” I said. No matter how much I wanted to tell her the truth about Aoife, I couldn’t. As soon as I thought it, Niamh’s eyes widened just the tiniest bit, but it was enough to let me know she heard it in my mind.

  I closed my eyes and the memory of Aoife killing Breanh played out in my mind. Aoife used mind control to keep me quiet, but could Niamh really see this? I never realized there was a loophole.

  She nodded and cocked her head to the side, thinking. “Aoife wasn’t there when Aodhan found you. She must have snuck back through the portal. She didn’t say where she planned to go?”

  I shook my head. One minute Aoife was standing in front of me and the next, I heard the sound of Aodhan’s boots from the corridor. I looked to see who was coming and when I turned back, Aoife was gone.

  “Where does her portal lead to?” I asked.

  “The only place I know for certain is an old castle outside of Dublin.” Niamh tapped her finger on her lower lip for a second and turned to me. “I believe she created a portal somewhere near Thunder Bay. That’s where all the trouble from her guards has been. My mother will know the exact location.”

  I stretched my legs out in front of me on the steps. “Aodhan mentioned more reports of murders in Thunder Bay, even after your guards killed Aengus, the one who stabbed Liam.”

  Niamh sighed. “I hope if my sister is there she’ll put an end to that. If only because she doesn’t want the unnecessary attention.”

  “Why does Aoife use magic that’s supposed to be forbidden, anyway?” I asked.

  It was several seconds before Niamh answered. “Aoife hasn’t always been so troublesome,” she said. “I was nearly full-grown when she was born. She followed me around, always curious about what I was doing. When she was just a halfling, which is about the same as a ten year old human child, I brought Aodhan to Tír na n’Óg.”

  I couldn’t believe Niamh was being so open with me, so I kept quiet hoping she’d continue. She chuckled quietly, hearing that thought.

  “Aoife was fond of Aodhan. At that time, he adored her as well. It was impossible not to be enraptured by her big blue eyes and thick black curls. As she got older, Aoife grew jealous of the relationship between Aodhan and me. Few Danaans experience love.” Niamh paused and looked down at her hands before meeting my gaze. “I consider myself lucky to have been loved by Aodhan once. I know you’ve wondered about that...”

  I nodded. I had wondered about the relationship between Niamh and Aodhan, only knowing that Niamh had rescued Aodhan after he’d been shot by English soldiers in 1602.

  “When Aoife met your father, she thought she’d found a love of her own, similar to Aodhan and me. Unfortunately for her, Liam was merely enthralled by her. When that wore off he wasn’t in love with her at all. She still hasn’t accepted that and probably never will. She tries to rationalize what she’s done to him by believing his love for your mother is a passing fancy. When you have all the time in the world, as we do, a human life span seems rather insignificant.” She smiled vaguely.

  “So she thinks he’ll get over it and come back to her someday?”

  “Yes. But we are a vain people, I admit. Aoife doesn’t understand why Liam would love your mother when he could have someone such as herself.”

  A breeze ruffled the hair that came loose from my ponytail. When I looked up, Deaghlan was right beside me, resting his arm on the porch railing.

  “So jealous of a human—I’ll never understand,” he said. But when he looked down at me his eyes smoldered. I laced my fingers together around my knees
to keep from doing something I’d probably regret.

  “Good morning, Father.” Niamh shot me an amused look.

  “Speaking of humans, Allison, how have things been going between you and your human friend? What was his name—Ethan?”

  I glared up at him, making the mistake of meeting his dazzling blue eyes. He wore a snug light blue V-neck shirt that brought the color out even more. I blinked and shook my head, trying to remember what his question was.

  “Ethan? He’s been…busy. I guess. I haven’t seen much of him.”

  “Hmm, too bad. He seemed like such an interesting boy.” Deaghlan’s eyebrow quirked up. He seemed pleased with himself.

  Don’t let him get to you. He’s just trying to get a reaction.

  Taking Niamh’s silent warning, I looked down at the ground, pressing my lips together.

  “You know, Niamh, you really should be spending more time learning about Allison’s abilities,” Deaghlan said, his eyes eager with curiosity. “Her mind shields are practically non-existent. Rather than worrying about what Aoife is doing, don’t you think you’d be better off teaching Allison how to see through glamour?”

  “I’m still here, you know.” I said, annoyed.

  “I was actually planning on going home.” Niamh said. “I’d like to speak with Mother about a few things.”

  Deaghlan waved his hand. He obviously didn’t think anything Aoife did was wrong. To him we were just like Niamh said, insignificant.

  I’d had my share of Deaghlan for the morning and excused myself, practically tasting the incredulity coming off of Deaghlan as the screen door shut behind me.

  I walked down the hall, past the stairs into the living room. My grandparents and mother sat at the little round table that separated the living room from the kitchen. Like most mornings, my grandfather was eating a bowl of cereal while talking with my grandmother. I grabbed a cup of coffee before joining them.

  I took the first sip before I realized what my mother was doing. She had a mostly blank piece of sheet music in front of her. Her brow was furrowed as she filled in notes on the page. Without saying anything I met my grandmother’s gaze and widened my eyes, wondering if she was seeing what I was seeing. Her answering smile told me she was.

  My mother was a musical prodigy from the time she was old enough to hold a fiddle under her chin. She’d taken private lessons and traveled across the country to perform with a handful of other talented young musicians called the Fiddle Kids. She not only had talent, but a magical stage presence that drove the audiences wild. My grandparents had some old videos of my mom at eleven, playing while my Aunt Jessie, age nine, danced a traditional Irish jig. They made it look as easy as breathing, which I’d learned through my own lessons was certainly not the case.

  I never saw my mother write music before. She wrote a few pieces in college, but her days of composing ended after she met my father. To see her even attempting to put notes together was incredible. So much happened since I’d met my father and I couldn’t help wondering what had changed with her. Was she better when he was near? Could it be that time was erasing the thrall she was under?

  A buzz and a series of beeps announced a new message on my phone, so I got up and grabbed it off the side table by the hall.

  The text was from my cousin, Nicole.

  I’m coming over. You better be awake!

  I put my phone back as the front door banged open. Nicole sashayed to where I stood, her eyes bright. She squeezed my upper arms and flounced toward the table where my family still sat.

  “I have some news,” she said as she kissed the top of my mother’s head. My grandparents chuckled at her as she breezed toward the coffee.

  “Well, don’t let us stop you from having your coffee,” Pop said, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

  I sat back down and watched Nicole heap sugar into her cup

  Without turning she said, “Jeff took me to Boston last night, as you all know.” She spun around and leaned back on the counter as she took a long sip of coffee. She drew out the moment before placing the cup on the counter. “He asked me to marry him.” Her voice was nearly a shriek as she held out her bejeweled finger in front of her.

  “Oh my word, sweetheart,” Gram said and stood to wrap her arms around Nicole. “Congratulations.”

  “Congrats, Nic,” I said with a wink. “I was wondering what he was waiting for.”

  “Well, it’s not in my nature to make you wait, is it?” Nicole asked me sweetly. A little too sweetly. “Allison, will you please be my maid of honor?”

  Everyone laughed as she came over and took my hands in hers. The sheer joy on her face was enough to keep me from ruining her moment with sarcasm.

  “Of course I will,” I said and pulled my hands out of hers so I could hug her. “I’m so happy for you, both of you.”

  When she met my eyes, I could see tears welling in hers and I looked away. Seeing someone else cry always made tears burn the back of my own eyes.

  “Did you talk about a date yet, small fry?” Pop asked before taking the last bite of his cereal.

  Nicole straightened and put her hand on her chin. “Well, I’ve always wanted a traditional June wedding. That will give us nine months, plenty of time to plan, right Al?”

  I groaned in mock horror. “Not nearly enough,” I muttered, but I grinned at her.

  The semester didn’t begin for another four days, so I went into work at the store for noon. I said hello to my grandfather’s other employee, Lenny, and let him know I was there to take over.

  As I reached under the counter to grab my O’Malley Hardware apron, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I glanced up to see if anyone was around, then froze when I saw Ethan standing at the back of the store by the ladders. His eyes were locked on mine, an unruly dark curl fell over his forehead as he tilted his head. I waved and swallowed hard. While tying the apron around my waist, I still felt his eyes on me.

  I told Lenny goodbye and got to work unpacking a box of key-rings for the counter display. I chanced a look and Ethan was two aisles back, trailing his fingers over a stack of clotheslines, watching me. A rush of heat ignited my skin. He smirked and walked slowly to the register.

  “Allison,” Ethan said, a mischievous grin forming on his lips. It had been so long since I’d seen him smile, my heart skipped a beat.

  I raised my eyebrows, remembering the cruel way he laughed at me just yesterday when I had a flat tire. “Hey Ethan, how are things?” I tried to keep my tone light, wincing when my voice came out shaky.

  “Not too bad,” he said. The way he was looking at me was doing funny things to my pulse and I wiped my clammy hands on my pants before hanging the keyrings on the little metal rack. The more he stared, the harder it was to keep my breathing under control. Why was he doing this to me?

  He started laughing, but it sounded all wrong. My eyes flew up to meet his and in a flash, his body rippled and transformed into the body of Deaghlan. My breath caught and I grabbed the countertop with one hand as the other flew up to my mouth.

  “Deaghlan, what the hell?” I said. My brain was still trying to catch up with the fact that Deaghlan stood in front of me, staring at me with an unsettling grin.

  His expression remained amused as he ran one long finger over the counter. “Sorry to disappoint, Allison. Tell me, what do you find so irresistible about Ethan?”

  I blinked at him and shook my head. Deaghlan, a king, a man more powerful than I could probably fathom, was playing tricks on me like we were in second grade.

  “You’re crazy,” I said, peeling my eyes away from his impossibly high cheekbones and blazing blue eyes. I would be lost forever if I allowed myself to fall under Deaghlan’s thrall. The only explanation I could imagine for his relentless attention was that I provided him with a diversion from the boredom that came with immortality.

  “Undoubtedly,” he agreed.

  “I was planning on seducing you in that guise.” He shrugged, his eyes roaming around t
he store. “But the amount of iron in this building is so distracting. How can you stand it?”

  Iron didn’t exist in Tír na n’Óg. Close proximity in the human realm weakened them unless they used a bit of elemental magic, even though it was supposedly forbidden. They wore arm bands and necklaces made from a mineral from their world called fháillan, carved with runes, to ward off the effects of iron.

  I turned to straighten the workspace that held the credit card machines. With my back to him I said, “I’m just a human Deaghlan, remember? Iron doesn’t bother me.”

  “No, you’ve a fair amount of magic in your blood Allison. Your ancestors, not just Liam, have had dalliances with the Danaan, I think. You’re much too attractive to be fully human. Not only that but you’re incredibly intriguing.”

  I turned my head and spoke over my shoulder. “I’m not your shiny new toy.”

  Before I could regret speaking so harshly, his body was pressed against my side, his cool breath tickling my ear. “Aren’t you, though?”

  And then he was gone, the only sound the jingling of the door bells.

  I finished the rest of my shift without incident. I was able to complete several mundane tasks to keep my mind off the helpless feeling Deaghlan had left me with.

  Once I’d closed the store for the night, I headed to Liam’s house. When I pulled into his long, unpaved driveway and parked, the garage door was open. Aodhan sat in front of a bench with his back to me. He was working rigorously on something, his shoulders hunched in concentration.

  When I pulled up the stool beside him he placed a small tin flute on the workbench. He treated it with the same care and reverence as he did a knife or sword.

  “Good evening, Allison.”

  I smiled, the image of him playing the little instrument at odds with his hulking figure. Aodhan was the son of an Irish chieftain. During our time together he’d told me a few stories of the battles he’d fought and also his love for music.

  “Is Liam inside?” I asked, nodding toward the door that led into the house.