And we lost ourselves in a place where only the two of us existed. Where I couldn’t feel the anger or the all-consuming anguish that were always with me.
There was only him.
The rays of sun filtering through the hay roof illuminated the corner of the hut as my eyes opened. A new day had arrived. I could feel the warmth of Cyn's body surrounding me, and I clung to it. His arms wrapped around my waist and he kissed my neck.
“Blessed morning, my Goddess.”
I smiled, closing my eyes and enjoying the feeling of his skin against my back.
My hands caressed the length of his arm, and for one second I forgot where we were, and what my life had become. I loved having Cyn next to me, in my bed. I couldn't think of anything better than waking up next to him. I turned my body, so I was facing him and opened my eyes again. His smile was as brilliant as the sunlight that seeped through. His delectable dimples greeted me, and I planted a kiss on each. He chuckled and kissed my lips.
“I love waking up like this.”
My fingers slipped through his hair, stroking it and his eyes closed briefly.
I grinned. I loved caressing him, kissing him and a few other things.
“We should rise and start the day, my Goddess. You are fully rested."
Hadn't this man ever heard of staying in bed only because you could? "Do we have to?" I asked, knowing the second we left this bed reality would fall on me like chilled water. "There is nothing I have to do other than study. I can practice my spells from right here." I said, snuggling closer. My eyes followed the path of the floating items around the room, and I smiled. Some were as high as the roof. When our energies combined, the effect intensified. While I was alone, only small items levitated, but when we were together, anything was fair game. Sometimes the chairs and even the massive trunk floated. Then there was that time we had caused the bed to lift several feet from the ground, while we were also in the air... but that was a story for another time.
“Bheith arís mar a bhí sé aon uair amháin”— Be again as it once was.
I whispered, reciting the words Cyn had taught me, and one by one the sisterhood of the traveling knickknacks made their way back down. Some settled on the table, others on the floor. Everything returned to where it had been. “See?” I pointed towards the place where his boots had just been in the air. "My accent is still a bit rough, but I can handle myself."
His eyes twinkled with humor. “You are still coming to the lecture. There is much you must learn still, my Goddess."
I narrowed my eyes at him, and he winked then kissed my nose. His warmth left me as he turned around and sat up. He reached for his linen pants and stood, putting them on. My head lifted from the pillow, and my eyes roamed the room. His haze was gone, and I could almost see the sadness that hung in the air. I took a deep breath and sat up too, pressing the sheets to my bare skin. My gaze shifted to Cyn, and I patiently waited as he dressed. He put on his new long-sleeve cotton shirt and tucked it into his usual pants. I remained silent until he had laced the very last section of his boots and tied them. He stood in front of me and smiled.
“How do I look?”
He asked almost proud of his accomplishment. He had been trying to get used to the "offensive modern garments" for me. He had made it a routine to wear at least one piece of modern clothing each day, and so far he was doing great.
My right eyebrow lifted and I smirked. “You forgot the underwear.”
"Daingead!"
I couldn't help but burst out laughing as he reached for the boxer-briefs that lay on top of the trunk and sat down to untie his boots.
“It serves you right, for making me go out there today,” I said, getting out of bed and walking passed him. He chuckled. I stood by my dresser, removed a pair of jeans, a white tank top, and began to get dressed.
Art had taken it upon himself to bring a few things from "the outside world," as Cyn called it, for Lia and me to Blessed Oak Groves. Art said having something familiar here, would make it easier for us. My bed and dresser had been here when I first arrived. He had also brought all my dresses and a few other things I had forgotten to pack back then, given what I had been through. It was incredibly sweet of him. I was thankful he had done it. It had made a difference.
* * *
Once I finished, I pulled my hair up in a ponytail and reached for the medallions that clung from the edge of Cyn’s mirror. Closing my eyes, I breathed deeply and placed them on my neck. The softness of Cyn's skin brushed my hand and settled over it, bringing my attention back to him. He was fully dressed, once again, and sitting on the bed. I gave him a small smile and let him pull me towards him. I sat next to him and felt the peace travel through me with his touch. He briefly kissed my lips, and his gaze dropped to his lap. It was then I realized that he was holding Grandpa’s Spioradálta Iris.
“I would like to show you something.”
His voice sounded both excited and confused. I frowned looking at the journal as he whispered on to it.
“Mhàin airson an airidh”— Only for the worthy.
The journal shimmered gold and opened, just like it had the first time I had seen it. My heart constricted as I looked at the words that Grandpa had once written. I still had a lot to study to be able to fully read Ogham scripture, but I was learning. Cyn's hand moved above the journal, and suddenly the pages moved. One after another they swiftly flipped as though he was looking for something, except he hadn't done anything other than raise his hand. I looked at him to see if it was intentional, but his gaze was fixed on the book, he looked both expectant and confused about what the book was doing.
Ok, I’m going to go out on a limb and say it hasn’t done this before.
In that instant the book stopped, settling on an empty page. My frown deepened, it was completely blank, but the last time I had seen the book, it had been full of Grandpa's spells and prayers. Cyn remained silent, looking at me as though waiting for me to give him the answer.
"Don't look at me. I haven't done anything to the journal. I promise."
He frowned, “What do you see?”
"Nothing, just an empty page." He sighed disappointedly, like he was hoping I would be able to see the writing. "Is it empty for you too?" He nodded and closed the book. Looking into my eyes, he handed it to me. I touched it, and it opened. Placing my hand above it just like he had done, I saw the pages once again go crazy, shimmering and rapidly flipping until they settled on a blank page. Except this wasn't the same place, where it had stopped before. The one Cyn had discovered had been along the middle of the book; this one was almost at the end. My eyes suddenly widened.
"Sweet mother of all things weird, are the words getting erased?" I asked, in alarm. Scared that I was losing one of the few things I had left from Grandpa. Was the book somehow tied to his life and now that he was gone the traces of him were disappearing? I flipped the pages as dread filled me. It couldn't be. This book was one of the few things I had left of him. It had been in his life long before I was born and it meant so much for me to have it. Learning from its pages felt like I was discovering a new side of him. A side I needed now, more than ever.
"No, my Goddess. You need not fear." Cyn said placing a calmed hand on mine, and squeezing it reassuringly. "His prayers and spells are there. Just as they have been for centuries, and where they shall always remain."
“How do you know? How do you know I’m not losing what’s left of him?”
He smiled at me tenderly and caressed my cheek. "I am certain because the most cherished part of him is in a place where it can never be lost or erased."
He raised his hand bringing mine with it and rested them on top of my heart. My eyes watered at his words, and I blinked back the tears. He smiled again, and his lips briefly brushed mine. He then looked at the journal. His hand gently caressed the thin parchment paper.
"Each of these words has been engraved in my mind as it is in these pages. For many centuries I sought guidance from them. I know wha
t it feels like to regard the Spioradálta Iris as the one thing left from the Ard Sagart." He took a deep breath and looked into my eyes. "I searched through the journal last night after you fell asleep. All his prayers are there; all his spells remain. It appears as though new pages are materializing.”
My eyes widened. “But how is that possible? Has that ever happened before?”
“Not in the past two thousand years.”
“When did you first notice it?”
“The day before yesterday. I perceived a light coming from within it and realized the magic had begun flowing through the Journal on its own. It felt as though it was calling to me. I opened it, and in each instance, it landed on a different place. A blank page that did not previously exist.”
Still taken aback by what the journal was doing, I placed my fingers on the paper and saw it shimmer gold. Swirls appeared right under my fingertips for a few seconds, then disappeared.
What did this mean?
“I hope you are decent because I’m coming in!” Lia announced swinging the door open without even waiting for a response.
Cyn chuckled, and turned around. He closed the journal and placed it inside the trunk again.
My eyes settled on Lia while she walked towards me, cooling herself with a paper fan. I chuckled too. “Well if we weren’t you would have gotten an eye full. Haven’t you heard of knocking?”
She rolled her eyes. “Ugh, you sound just like Chewie. Don’t enter without knocking, don’t open the door when I’m changing, don’t look over the partition when I’m bathing. Is there anything I can do? I mean seriously, he's such a dictator!”
Cyn laughed. She winked at me. I shook my head smiling.
"I fail to comprehend how you have not killed one another yet," Cyn said, walking closer to us and kissing Lia's cheek. I smiled, he was getting more comfortable with some of our "modern ways" as he called it. "Living with my brother is not the easiest of tasks. I have but the utmost respect for the patience you show him." Lia shrugged. Cyn’s gaze became apologetic. “I am sincerely sorry we were unable to find you better accommodations. Our village was settled with the precise quantity of huts needed to shelter our brothers and sisters. The rest are built by Art, and the Warriors as the families grow. It never occurred to us that one day we would have guests. Aside from Eisha’s hut, Art’s is the only other one vast enough for guest accommodations."
Lia's eyes went to mine. My heart tugged at the mention of Eisha's name, and she knew why. Cyn's lips gently kissed the skin on my hand.
“It’s ok. I totally understand. I know Eisha has had a hard time dealing with what happened at the battle of the Huachuca Lake, and her friend that passed away. It's fine I promise. No biggie. No need to apologize anymore." Lia kissed Cyn's cheek and turned. "Ok let's go because I'm starving. Art sent me to find you; breakfast should be ready by now."
My eyes settled on the window as I mentally prepared myself to step out of the hut. I could see the villagers that had already arrived, through the half-opened shutters.
“It’s now or never.”
I linked arms with Lia and walked out the hut, following Cyn.
The warmth of the sunlight touched my skin the second I stepped outside.
“Mmm, I missed the sun.”
Gasps and murmurs followed when the villagers realized I stood in front of them.
Well actually, I am standing behind Cyn, and holding on to Lia for dear life, but yeah, I am kind of in front of them.
I straightened, instantly feeling the pressure brought on by every pair of eyes that fell on me. Taking a settling breath, I tried to smile at the woman that stood right in front of me. Cyn had stopped walking to perform the blessings, but as far as the others were concerned, he didn't exist. Their attention was on me.
The woman was older, she seemed around seventy-years-old, but I knew better than to believe in appearances. These people had been alive for centuries. Even in her old age, she was beautiful. The wrinkles on her skin complemented her look. Her eyes were kind and big. Her gaze was deep, full of wonder and knowledge. Still, she looked a bit… nervous.
Am I making her nervous? How the heck?
She took a tentative step towards me, lowering her eyes from mine, and slightly bowing her head. It was as though she didn't want to hold my gaze for too long. Her eyes returned to mine for about a second as she took another step and kneeled at my feet. Her hand rested over her heart, and she bowed her head fully, showing me the respect given only to the Àrd-shagart. My heart constricted.
“Beannaichte gu robh an latha.”
Her whispered words danced in my mind as I tried to translate them with what I had learned so far. My eyes found Cyn’s and the smile on his face was both stunning and kind. I smiled back as the lady’s words finally became clear. “Blessed be the day.” She had blessed this day because she got to see me. Nothing could be more humbling than that. Cyn nodded encouragingly, once again reading my thoughts. My eyes returned to the woman's, and I searched my mind for a response.
“Deep sìth riut, piuthar.”—Deep peace to you, Sister.” My words were slow, and I was sure my accent was nothing like Cyn's. It wasn't soft or melodic, but I hoped she understood. It was one of the sentences Cyn had taught me, and I was glad I had memorized them. I needed them more than I thought.
Her smile returned. “Cuiribh beannaich mi, Àrd-shagart.”
My chest tightened at the same time that I felt panic begin to rise. I hadn’t completely understood what she said, but I was ninety-nine percent sure that she wanted me to bless her.
"Sweet mother of all things..." nope, there was no adjective for that. I looked at Cyn not quite knowing what to do. He chuckled, and my eyes widened.
Is he laughing at me? Oh, he is so dead.
He took a step closer as though ready to intervene, but I had already decided to ignore him. My attention returned to the woman as her skin touched mine. Her fingers wrapped around my wrist and she kissed my hand. I didn’t know what to say. I felt like such a failure. She was only asking for one thing from me, and I couldn’t even give her that.
“Tha mi duilich,” I said slowly, apologizing. “Agam fhathast tòrr ri ionnsachadh.”—I still have much to learn.
“Eumaidh tu seo a dhèanamh. Feumaidh tu feuchainn”—You must do this. You must try.
Her words had barely registered when she lifted my hand and placed it on her head. I didn’t dare to look at Cyn. There had to be something I could do for her. I had magic in me, after all. My left hand trembled as I gently placed it on her shoulder. Taking a deep breath I closed my eyes. “You must do this. You must try.” Her words still danced in my head as I struggled to slow my heart. It was slamming against my chest. I strained to remember what Cyn did when he blessed them. For three months I had seen him through the window while he blessed his people. So many times I had watched him. Surely I could try. Nothing happened. My eyes opened, and over twenty people were now looking at me, expectant. My mind raced as I pushed myself to remember the words Cyn used to bless them. He stepped closer, but I shook my head. I should be able to do something for her. I had magic damn it!
Magic! That’s it. I have Magic!
I closed my eyes again and thought about the first time Cyn, and I touched. The magic inside us had awakened, connecting us and making a never-ending stream of peace flow through us. We still experienced it every time we touched. It became stronger every day. The question remained, could I do it without him? Was it even possible for me to "pass it on?" I concentrated on the energy that ran through me, on the magic inside me, and the way it felt as the peace flooded every cell in my body. Warmth instantly radiated from my palms, and when I looked, they were glowing. Encouraged, I closed my eyes again and visualized the peace rushing through me and into her. The exchange wasn't long, but I felt it in my heart, just like with Cyn it moved me.
When my eyes returned to the woman, her smile became brilliant, and for an instant, I could almost see pride in her eyes. The
emotion disappeared before I could confirm it. She bowed and silently walked away.
I had no words.
The experience had floored me.
A younger woman, maybe in her thirties knelt in front of me and kissed my hand. She was holding the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. My eyes teared up as she requested "Peace" from me. It was so strange; they had all somehow understood what I had done for the older woman. Even though I couldn't bless them, it didn't matter to them. They wanted peace from me, the last person in the world they should be asking it of. Yet, at that moment there was no pain inside me, no all-consuming rage, no anguish, or need for justice. There was only one feeling. Peace.
I closed my eyes and silently put my hands on her. One on her head, and the other on her shoulder just like before. The warmth once again graced my skin, and I felt the peace flowing into her. With tears in her eyes, she placed the baby girl in my arms, and I watched the baby's bright honey eyes sparkle as the peace enveloped her like a soft blanket. Her rosy lips stretched in a yawn, her eyes lazily closed and she fell asleep in my embrace. I smiled, and a tear escaped my eyes. I was overwhelmed. Giving her a soft kiss on the forehead I placed the baby in her mother's arms and wiped the tear away as a man knelt before me. It was then I realized Cyn was standing next to me, his hands glowing as he blessed a boy. The villagers were approaching slowly for Cyn to bless them.
“Sìth.”—Peace.
The man in front of me said, gently kissing my fingers. My hands glowed in response, and before I thought about the act, the energy was flowing through me and into him. He stood, bowing once more and the boy took the man’s place. Someone else took his. The minutes passed as one by one the villagers knelt before Cyn for his blessing and turned to me for peace.
I still had no idea how I was doing this, but maybe there was a place for me in their world after all.
CHAPTER 2. DESTINED
Renewed Magic (The Ancient Magic Series Book 2) Page 2
