Truth Seer (Irish Mystic Legends Book 3)

by Jennifer Rose McMahon

  "Wait!" I blasted. "It's the labyrinth's plan. We're being divided. We can’t let it break us apart. We need to stay together! Please!"

  I aimed my headlamp down each individual tunnel, assessing our next moves.

  "My original thought was to go down the middle one," I said. "I think we should stick to that plan. The outer tunnels might all lead to the middle. That's how labyrinths work."

  Paul continued to inch his way closer to Maeve's tunnel, but Rory grabbed hold of him before he had a chance to make a run for it.

  "Come on, man," Rory encouraged Paul. "Isobel's right. We need to keep our heads straight and follow a calculated plan."

  Paul stared into the darkness where Maeve had disappeared and didn't flinch. Then, after a moment, he turned and looked at us with resignation.

  "Okay." He exhaled like he was deflating. "What's our next move?"

  Grateful for Rory's help in redirecting Paul, I gripped his shoulder in relieved thanks.

  "This way." I turned to the opening of the middle tunnel. "Let's get to the center as quickly as possible."

  We moved deeper into the labyrinth. My feet barely touched the ground as the force of gravity weakened. The fathomless interior drew me further in with little effort as we got closer to the power of the inner core. The steady hum from within its depths dulled my senses as I became convinced that the center location was the point where time and space collided.

  The labyrinth led me to the portal of my enemy.

  A deep drone vibrated in my ears and through my skull as we moved closer to the center of the maze. The tunnel snaked and turned back on itself multiple times, disorienting us, but we continued to sense that we were getting closer. The heavy equipment hanging from our belts now floated around our waists, proving a shift in our realm. Through our bewilderment, we kept moving forward.

  Our silent footsteps barely made contact with the stone slabs beneath our feet as we moved in single file through the narrowing tunnel. The guys bent their heads as the top of the passageway compressed us and the sidewalls squeezed in, brushing against our shoulders.

  "It's getting even tighter ahead of us," I called back to them. "I'm not sure we'll be able to go much farther."

  If it was a dead end, we'd need to start again, at a different tunnel. It would take us forever to navigate the twisting, misleading puzzle, again and again.

  At the next turn, I crouched lower and pulled my shoulders in to make it around the bend. And then, ahead of me, a whirl of opalescent light widened my eyes. The rainbow colors spun across my vision like the hues of an oil slick on water, creating a barrier for whatever lay beyond it.

  "Oh my god," I whispered, staring at the beautiful aura.

  The guys pushed around the corner behind me as I moved closer to the swirling colors. We stood tall now, with plenty of space around us.

  "What is it?" Ryan asked, reaching toward the moving wall of liquid-like color.

  "It could be an electromagnetic field of some kind," Paul speculated. "Surrounding whatever’s been drawing the gravitational force to it."

  "It must be the center," I said. “The portal.”

  I stepped closer and ran my fingers along the slick of colors that moved in streaks of purple and blue lines. My fingertips created shimmering streams that moved along the flowing current.

  Then I pressed my hand into the facade and lost sight of it. I moved my entire arm through the forcefield and felt an immediate temperature change within—from the stagnant chill we stood in, to dry heat that warmed the bones in my hand.

  I turned back to the others with a jolt.

  "It's like a different environment in there," I said. "I feel heat and vibrating energy."

  A tingling sensation travelled up my arm and through my body.

  "I'm going in." I stepped right up to it, allowing my toes to enter the colorful shield.

  "Everyone grab hands. Make a chain," Ryan said.

  The four of us clamped our hands together and I stepped into the vortex. As I passed through the whirling color, all sight was lost as if I was being saturated with thick ooze that blocked all my senses. Within a second, I moved to the other side and pulled.

  Ryan came through next, then Paul and Rory.

  The four of us spread out within a massive vaulted chamber, surrounded by the whirling haze that now encapsulated us. Beads of sweat formed across each of their brows as we adjusted to the sudden temperature change.

  I glanced all around and moved toward the center of the chamber. At first there seemed to be only open space. I'd expected an altar of some form but there was nothing. Moving to the middle, I slowed my pace as a slight current wobbled in front of me, like a wall of rippling motion the size of a large door.

  "There's something here," I called back them.

  Paul came closer, while Rory and Ryan continued to patrol the perimeter. He leaned in closer to the wobbling vibration.

  "It could be the portal," he said.

  I stared into the rippling light and my heart pounded out of control. The temptation to step right into it overwhelmed me.

  “Yes.” I nodded. "I’m certain it is."

  His concerned eyes met mine while he held his hand out as if to pause me, but I turned my gaze away without any doubt of my next move. Somehow, I wasn't afraid.

  This was the gateway to my worst fears. To the ancient Druids who planned to end us and everything we knew. This was their way to gain access to us. To me.

  But I wasn't afraid.

  "We need to figure out how to shut it down." Paul's eyes moved around the chamber searching for ideas.

  "No," I stated.

  Shutting down the portal was the furthest thing from my mind. Using it was now my priority.

  Facing them on their turf.

  A surprise attack.

  I turned to all of them as my plan exploded within me.

  "I'm going through."

  Chapter 14

  Passing through the portal could take me to the time of the ancient Druids. The discovery was exactly what we’d been searching for. I was sure of it.

  The element of surprise was always the best approach when confronting an enemy, and this time, I was prepared.

  My riot gear and various weapons were only the beginning. It was the force that welled up within me, one of courage and tenacity, that empowered my plan of attack.

  But how would I stop them? Even on their own turf, I would need to overpower them somehow. I prayed my wits would stay with me when confronting my mortal enemy.

  "We're going with you." Ryan's voice interrupted my internal dialogue of personal survival.

  My head jolted toward him in shock. Then I looked to Rory and Paul. They all nodded in agreement.

  "We end this now," Ryan added.

  My heart rate quadrupled.

  "It will be dangerous," I said. "There's no guarantee we'll be able to get back."

  I glanced at Paul and Rory and fear gurgled in my gut. They didn't have the gifts that Ryan, Maeve, and I had. It may not even be possible for them to travel in this way.

  My jaw tightened.

  I would need someone on this side. Someone to help pull me back through if needed.

  As I considered the options, my attention was pulled to the far side of the spinning forcefield. A small section of it shimmied and the colors mixed and whirled together. In a sudden burst of dark colors, a form blasted through it and landed with a light thump on the stone floor.

  Avoiding the edges of the portal, we ran over to the slumped figure and stared in stunned silence. She pushed herself up onto her elbows and lifted her face to us.

  "Jayne!" I cried. I dropped to my knees and helped her sit up. Her exhausted body shook with the effort but when she gazed into my eyes, her face lit up.

  I stared at her and gasped.

  She radiated a life-force that I'd never seen in her before.

  "Jayne. You're okay?" I begged.

  She nodded. "I'm good," she said with a slight
smile.

  And I knew she had won.

  She’d reclaimed her soul and was truly alive again.

  I threw my arms around her and wept. "Oh my god, Jayne," I whimpered. "Oh my god."

  I looked up to the boys and caught them staring in pure bewilderment and awe.

  Jayne was reborn.

  "It's a miracle," Ryan whispered.

  He had been the first to recognize that Jayne was without a soul, walking through life disconnected from her true essence, trapped in limbo. Undead.

  Her attacker had tried to kill her, but her will was too strong. She refused to let go and instead wandered in a lost haze, waiting for the opportunity to find her soul again.

  And it was as if her soul sought her as well. Unready to leave this world, it waited for her.

  I squeezed her with all my might. She trembled and looked into my eyes with a glimmer of enlightenment.

  "All will be revealed," she stated. "In due time."

  My eyebrows pulled together in puzzlement. Just as I was about to ask for clarification, though, a blast tore my attention away from her and my gaze jolted to the other side of the forcefield.

  We all jumped as another figure plummeted through the color stream and landed within the chamber with a thump.

  The five of us moved with caution toward the huddled figure on the ground. Paul was the first to react.

  "Maeve!" he cried.

  Her head lifted in slow fatigue and she locked eyes with him with a powerful hold.

  He dropped to his knees and helped her sit up. "I thought I'd lost you again." He pulled her into his chest.

  His harrowing words sent chills through me. I knew he loved her with every ounce of his being. But her connection to Rí was a powerful force that held her heart hostage. Maeve had run through the tunnel calling for Rí and still, Paul's love for her didn't waver.

  His shoulders trembled as he held her. She lifted her gaze to his and reached her hand to his face.

  "I'm so sorry to have caused you so much pain.” She dropped her face into his chest. “I needed to say a final goodbye to him.” She fell silent for a moment, then looked into Paul’s hopeful eyes. “I’m here now," she said. "To stay."

  Paul dropped his head into her shoulder and cradled her in his hold.

  A lump tightened in my throat as I watched the two reconnect in a way I never thought possible. It was as if they blurred into one and accepted each other for exactly who they were in that moment.

  Maeve had somehow made peace with her past with Rí. Something profound had shifted, and she had been able to say goodbye to her past and embrace her new life in the present. The hope of such a gift made my heart swell. I prayed for it to be true.

  The power of the labyrinth was actually helping us. Maeve and Jayne were whole again. Their lives now held the possibility for hopeful futures. Maybe it could be the same for the rest of us.

  I glanced toward Rory, cautiously checking on his condition, sorely aware that he would be stung by Maeve’s display of affection toward Paul. He had loved Maeve too and there was no telling what this might do to him.

  But as I gazed at Rory, I saw that his attention had turned elsewhere.

  It was settled, rock-steady, on Jayne.

  He watched her with deep concern, soaking in her every feature, his pupils large as saucers.

  I allowed my head to fall back in satisfaction. The terror of the labyrinth had temporarily subsided and for the moment, I felt complete, surrounded by the people who meant the world to me.

  But it didn’t take long for the focus of our quest to return to the forefront of my mind.

  I turned my gaze back to the wobbling ripples of the portal.

  It was time.

  Within a few minutes, Jayne and Maeve were standing tall with renewed vigor, ready to reengage in our mission. The six of us banded together with the giddy energy of a newborn army and planned our next moves.

  "Our goal is to stop the Druids from coming through the portal,” I stated. “Basically, intercept them before the final stages of the curse are complete."

  Ryan stepped forward. "But now, I can’t help but think that if you interrupt the process and mess with the prophecies, anything could happen. It might close the portal. Permanently. And then what?" He huffed. "We'll be trapped there. In the past."

  "Forever," Maeve added.

  I inhaled deeply.

  He was right. It was impossible to know what the correct approach was. At first, interrupting the prophecies was our obvious goal, in hopes of it ending the process of the curse. But now, what if that goal was just as lethal as the curse itself. We could be lost forever. And even through all of our efforts, the curse would find its way around our sabotage.

  There was too much unknown.

  "I know. It's a huge risk," I said. "That’s why I think I should go alone. I can’t risk everyone’s safety.”

  “Not an option,” Ryan interrupted. “I’m just saying, we need to be cautious and think everything through. You can sometimes be impulsive, Isobel. No offense.”

  My blood boiled, reddening my face. “I’m not being…” My voice drained to a low mumble.

  He was right.

  I was racing toward something I didn’t understand. But I couldn’t help it. It felt so close.

  “Okay,” I said. “You’re right. But please, just let me go alone. I know I can make it back. I’ve done it before.”

  Ryan stepped inches from my face, nostrils flaring, and stared me down. His anger nearly scorched me.

  “You’re not going alone.” He huffed. “I’d never do that to you.” His eyes held mine and his concern for my safety rushed through me.

  I allowed it to fill my heart, and then pushed back with it. “And I’d never do that to you,” I whispered.

  Paul stepped forward and broke our dead-lock with his calm voice. “We’re going, Isobel,” he stated. “It’s been decided.” He turned to Maeve and she nodded her agreement.

  “Together,” Jayne stated.

  “Right,” Rory said.

  Their support overwhelmed me. I knew I held their lives in my hands, and I would protect them with everything I had. Everything I was.

  I stroked the coarse fabric of my shawl as it hung from my belt. Trying to remember my past, I strained to connect with who I once was. Who my parents were. There was more to the story than I remembered. The shawl was my reminder of that. But somehow, in my previous journey through the portal, my memories had been wiped out, replaced with only vague feelings.

  But I was willing to make the leap through the portal again, now knowing it wouldn't be my first time.

  The ancient shawl. The medieval dress. The frightful images of the deviant brown-cloaked Druids. They were all from my prior life. My life before this one.

  "You guys," I started. "We all know I have a connection, somehow, to this portal, from when I was a little girl." I lifted the shawl as a reminder. "Well, I'm not little anymore. And I'm prepared to shock the shit out of the ones who sent me through that portal long ago. They had no right to do that to me. I'm ready to face them." My voice grew louder and more fierce with each passing syllable.

  I hadn't felt the deep resentment in my bones until this very moment. Speaking the bitter words of my vexation made the feelings rise to the surface, and raw tears stung at my eyes.

  Who could have been callous enough to send a child through the abyss of time? A child, to bear witness to the finale of a dreaded curse. Only to then return with news of its apocalyptic success.

  Could my parents have been that cold-hearted? Evil and unloving? Asking me to sacrifice my own life to be certain their curse was fully realized?

  Or was it the fanatical Druids who sent me? Had they tricked me in one of their sacred rituals, without my parent’s knowledge?

  And why me?

  My blood boiled at the cowardice of such a choice. The decision to use a child for their own deviance.

  But now as the truth seer, I understood m
y connection to the mystical ways of the Druids. Not the rogue, maniacal Druids, but the true, virtuous Druids. They honored time, worshipped it even. They didn’t try to steal it and control it, and I wouldn’t either.

  Upholding the true essence of the noble Druids was in my blood, moving with the rhythms of the earth and using my gifts for good. With this belief, I would confront those who twisted the sacred order into something evil.

  "I'm going through," I stated. "But you’re right. I need help.” I glanced at each of my friends. “Ryan, I need your strength and enlightenment in your newly initiated state of Druidry. And your gift of sight.” He stepped closer by my side. “And Maeve, I need your powerful gifts too and your knowledge of the past."

  I had to be smart about my strategic planning on how to best utilize my army. Taking everyone was far too dangerous. Each one of them was committed to standing by me by travelling through the portal, but having no one back on this side was far too dangerous. We might need someone to be here, to pull us back through.

  I continued, "And I need some to stay behind, in case anything goes wrong." I scanned their faces and watched them fire up in agitated response.

  "I'm going," Paul stated, moving to Maeve’s side. “We’re not to be parted ever again.” He reached for her hand.

  Maeve stared into his eyes, unblinking as a protective veil slid off her, allowing him closer. Her fingers twitched. Then she reached for his hand too and the power of their connection sent chills through me.

  There was no stopping him now.

  But in a way, I was glad. His knowledge of historical events and ancient rituals was always useful and I was sure this time would be no different.

  I glanced to Rory and Jayne. They’d been left behind once before, when we first explored the hidden chamber, and I knew Rory’s ego would take a hit the second time around.

  But his eyes remained fixed on Jayne. His protective nature oozed from him as he stood taller, watching for her response.

  She lifted her gaze to his and worry lines creased her brow.

  Rory turned back to us. “I know,” he sneered. “Ya need me to stay. In case I need to save all yer sorry arses.” He huffed and stepped closer to Jayne. “We’ll be the rescue party, I reckon.”