“Sweet Mother of all things freaking sexy. This morning was…. I mean. Wow.”
I blushed as the memories played in front of my eyes like a movie. The way Cyn had loved me. The way it had felt to be with him that way, especially after what he’d shared with me. There honestly were no words. Every time I thought this was it, that there was no more love my heart could hold for him, he did something that made me love him even more. He wasn’t real. He couldn’t be… except he was real and completely mine. We were so strong together. Our connection was becoming resilient and more present every day. I loved knowing that I could feel him with me. Always.
My head lifted when the familiar feeling returned. It was like I was being watched. It was not the first time I'd experienced it. It had happened almost every day for a week now. Always when I was alone, mostly when I was here. My eyes searched the trees and the waterfall, confirming what I already knew. There was no one here besides me. I looked over to Tullia's boulder wondering if she was watching over me, but it was empty. She hardly ever appeared unless Cyn needed her.
Sighing, I looked at the journal again and read the enchantment I was attempting before. The magic instantly flowed through me, and I smiled. I lifted my hand two inches above the ground and repeated it out loud.
“Charaid nàdar mar is mise,
cluinn mo leisgeul iriosal,
Thig airson cuideachadh
rium air an latha seo,
Thig agus lean mi”
* * *
"Friend of nature as I am,
Hear my humble plea,
Come to aid me on this day,
Come and follow me."
* * *
My palm instantly warmed, a sign that it was glowing. I opened my eyes and saw the light expand across the grass, like a wave, issuing the calling. My eyes searched the ground eager and expectant. Then I saw them. They skipped on the grass and moved towards me. I grinned as one by one the ants gathered just under my palm.
"Hey, I know you, little guys."
I had read so much about animals and insects during my environmental studies, that I had a pretty vast knowledge. These weren't your typical ants, though. We were in the Amazon after all. I couldn't for the life of me remember their name, but they were large, about the size of my thumb, with bulging brown eyes, and a black skeleton that had a dull velvety sheen. Their antennae were long, and the tips were bright yellow. Their movements were peculiar, jumpy in a way, and the antennae flicked rapidly, in a blur, like wasp's wings. So beautiful yet they looked dangerous, and they were. They had a dreadful bite.
“Dh'èireas”—Rise.
My index finger lifted, guiding them upwards and the ants followed. They stood on each other backs, forming a tower. I smiled. Turning my palm up, I lowered it to the ground.
“Air mo pailme”—On to my palm.
Once again the ants followed my request. The tower disappeared, and they stepped on my palm, gathering on it and filling it instantly. I brought my hand to eye level and stared at them. They tilted their heads as if they were observing me and I chuckled. This was fantastic. Placing my hand on the ground, I inclined it so they could get down but they didn't move.
Oh, do I have to tell them to leave too?
"Thank you for visiting me. You may go now." I thought they wouldn't move since I had spoken in English, but then I saw them move in perfect formation, leaving my hand and skipping their way back on the grass. I stood and wiped my hands on my jeans.
“Ok, let’s see what else I can call to my side.”
I lifted both my hands and took a deep breath. The magic stirred inside me.
“Charaid nàdar mar is mise,
cluinn mo leisgeul iriosal,
Thig airson cuideachadh
rium air an latha seo,
Thig agus lean mi”
* * *
I repeated the spell, facing the trees and the light once again expanded from my hands. I heard their funny shrieks and chuckled. Monkeys, I had called on monkeys. I jumped back, startled as five of them came flying out of the trees and landed near me. I laughed holding my chest and hoping my heart wouldn't burst out. They had scared the bejeebers out of me.
“Sweet mother of all this unexpected.”
Grandpa had been right in hiding this spell. It called on the animals and somehow controlled them. They would do anything that was asked of them. I kneeled and extended my hand to one. They were huge and black with white hair on their head and chest. Their tails were long, and they curled on the ground.
“Tighinn rium”—Come to me.
One of the monkeys came closer and placed her hand in mine. I smiled, caressing her head and realizing she was carrying a baby on her back. I caressed him too. A screech came from the trees, and I fell on my butt as one more monkey, apparently late to the "let's jump on Bri party" landed on me. I laughed holding my chest again. These little jokers were going to give me a heart attack. A melodic laugh reached me from behind, and my head whipped around, looking for the sound. No one. There was no one behind me. My heart slammed against my chest as I stood.
Ok, I’m not just imagining this anymore. Someone is following me
“Crapola.”
I whispered becoming scared. I didn't know enough to defend myself with magic, and I had no means of contacting Cyn. No, I shook my head. I was safe here. This place had been warded by Cyn. I knew that. He wouldn't leave me here if he didn't know I was secure. It was then I noticed the monkeys had formed a protective circle around me and they were making these sounds that were dangerously close to growling.
“Crapola, they are growling and baring their teeth at someone. There is someone here.”
The baby monkey jumped into my arms while the others continue to snarl or whatever the hell they were doing. I gazed down as the mother eyes settled on me, and I held the baby tighter to my chest. He was trembling.
"It's ok, I got him." His mother turned her gaze back to the other side of the waterfall. "Crapola." I really had no idea what to do. "Lia?" I called out hoping it was her but quickly remembered no one knew about this place. This was Cyn's hidden waterfall. Not even Art had been here, only me. "Tullia!" I called, hoping she could hear me. I would have called my spirit animal, but Aine was, well, a spirit and couldn't really help me right now. At least Tullia could take a nice chunk out of someone. I looked to the boulders and saw her slowly saunter towards it. She laid on it and looked at me lazily as if I had woken her up.
“Great, just great. Lazy Jaguar.”
Something moved between the trees across from me, stirring the bushes, and I caught a glimpse of a black form. My eyes went to the Journal, and I rushed to it. The baby monkey moved to my back wrapping his legs and arms around me. I flipped the pages frantically looking for a protection spell. "Yes!" I squealed when I found it. It was the blue fire spell that Cyn had used to trap Felix back at the lake. I picked up the book and backed away. The blur of black was closer now. I had a spell to defend myself but I need her to stop moving to freaking use it. What if she launched at me?
“Ok, Bri. You need to calm down. Freaking out is not going to help you.”
Suddenly, the monkeys stopped hissing and sat on the ground as if nothing had happened. The baby monkey jumped from my back, into his mother's arms again. I lifted my hand towards the trees, and felt the magic rushing through me. My hand glowed as I prepared myself to use the spell.
“It is all right. I shall not hurt you.”
Her voice reached me, first. She had a beautiful Irish accent and a sweet melodic voice. My eyes looked frantically through the trees across the pool, but I couldn't see her. "Come out then."
My eyes stopped searching when a woman in a long, black hooded cloak walked out of the shadows. The cloak was fully closed around her, and the hood covered her face with darkness. She took a step forward, and a sort of familiar feeling settled over me. Except, I didn't know her.
“You need not fear me, Brina. I have come to help.”
&nbs
p; CHAPTER 6. STRANGER
BRIANA
* * *
“If you are not here to hurt me then why are you hiding in the shadows?”
I tried to make my voice sound confident but my heart was slamming against my chest, and I was pretty sure my knees were shaking. My eyes briefly looked towards Tullia, and found her laying on the rock like it was Sunday afternoon and she was watching Game of Thrones or something. All she needed was the popcorn. She had this strange look on her face that I had no idea what it meant, but she was calm which said this woman, whoever she was didn't mean to hurt me.
“I have come to aid you, Brina,” the woman said, taking a step towards me and I panicked.
“Phrìosan teine”—Prison of fire.
A ring of blue fire instantly surrounded her, and she squealed gripping the edges of the cloak she wore and pressing them to her body. I noticed the robe went all the way to the ground. It even covered her feet.
"Please, I beg of you. Do not hurt me. I mean you no harm." Her voice wavered, and I realized she was scared. She was scared of me? Good. She should be.
“Why are you following me? You have been following me for a while now. Haven’t you?”
She nodded, and the hood slid back a little, revealing a soft cream-colored skin. I could see the refined tip of her nose and plump heart-shaped lips. I also noticed she was younger than she sounded. I still couldn't see much of her face, but if she were here to hurt me, Tullia would have sensed it.
“Please...” She begged, looking at the fire around her. I felt so bad for the young girl. She was really scared.
“If I take the fire away, will you tell me why you have been following me?”
She nodded, still looking at the fire. "I have only come to help."
“So you keep saying.” I sighed and lifted my hand.
“Sìoladh”— recede.
The fire disappeared, and she visibly relaxed. Her hand went to her heart while she sat on the nearest boulder. She mumbled something, but I couldn't hear her clearly.
“Why are you here?”
“I have to come to offer you aid.”
“How do you know me?”
“I cannot say.” Her hands lifted and she pulled her hood, covering her face again.
“How did you know where to find me?”
“I cannot say.”
“How do you know that name? How did you know to call me Brina? Do you know me?”
“I shall not say.”
I sighed, exasperated. "Then what can you say? You said you would answer my questions yet I'm getting nothing from you." I lifted my hand again, and she squealed.
“Wait! Please.” She mumbled something else I couldn’t quite hear and stood.
“I am a friend, an Ovate. That should answer all your questions.”
My forehead wrinkled as I forced myself to remember what that title meant. Wide eyed I looked at her once I remembered. She was a Prophet, a Seer of Prophecies Cyn called it. Eisha's mother had been one. Venetia had been one of the most powerful the clan had ever seen, and she had prophesized that I would be born and Cyn and I would lead our people. Ovates could see anything they wanted. Places, people, events, depending on how powerful and how well trained they were. That explained quite a bit actually.
“You are a Druid too.”
"Yes, High Priestess." She bowed her head.
I frowned. "You didn't kneel," I said confused. People usually kneeled and touched their hearts. No matter how many times I told them not to, that it wasn't necessary, they still did it. It was what Cyn called it an act of utmost respect towards the High Priest. He had explained it after I had complained about it for like the trillionth time. He said it was an important tradition and I should allow it.
She straightened as though caught off guard by my statement. "I am sincerely sorry, High Priestess." She picked up her cloak to kneel, but I stopped her.
"No. It was just an observation. Not a reprimand."
“I apologize. I am not from around here.”
I nodded. That much was clear. "How did you know to find me here? How did you make it through the wards?"
“The protection spells in the ward are designed to keep at bay people that wish to harm you.” She looked towards Tullia. “I have been here before, High Priestess.” The smile was evident in her voice.
“Why did you call me Brina before?”
“I did not mean to disrespect you, High Priestess. I merely wanted to portray that I could be trusted.”
I hugged the journal to my chest and sighed. This wasn’t really clearing things up for me.
“You said you are not from around here. Where do you come from? Cyn thinks all other clans were extinct.”
"I cannot say. I should not be here. My presence here could cause serious ramifications, but these are crucial times and I can help you. I have broken many rules to come to your aid. Please allow me to be of service. It is my only wish."
The urgency in her voice both convinced me and scared me. What was going to happen that she would go against the rules to help me? An icy feeling settled in my chest.
“No, High Priestess, you need not worry. As I said, I am here to aid you. It will be all right.”
“I should contact, Cyn.” I thought out loud. Immediately wishing there was a freaking cellphone here or a way for me to do it.
“No. Please. The High Priest must not know I am here. No one but you must be aware of my presence. It is the only way I can help you. Do not use the staff, I beg of you.”
“The staff? I asked perplexed. “What on earth are you taking about?”
“Oh,” She said, looking around her then her eyes settled on the journal. "I must have come too early." She mumbled. Her gaze went to mine. “You have not discovered the staff yet?”
“What?” I shook my head.
“I can prove that I can help you. There are secrets within the Spioradail Iris,
waiting to be uncovered. Secrets left there by the Mòr Sagart for you and only you. To prepare and guide you."
I looked at the journal in my hands, shocked. I was close to hyperventilating. How did she know that? How did she know so much about the journal and me?
She whipped around and looked towards the boulders at the hidden entrance. “He is coming. I must go at once.”
I turned to the boulders and then looked at her. “Who’s coming?”
“The High Priest.” She answered, looking at her forearm, and I realized there were glowing lines on her skin. It was a map like the one Cyn had on his. “Talk to the journal, and it will guide you. I shall be here tomorrow at the same time. Come alone, and I will show you.” Her fingers reached for her neck, and I saw a stone necklace on her. The stones glowed with soft blue light the second she touched it. “Till mi dhachaigh,” she said, and suddenly the air shifted around her and blurred. She disappeared before my eyes.
“Sweet mother of all things spooky.” I stumbled back. How the heck had she done that? How…
“My Goddess.”
"Aaah!" I screeched and turned around. Cyn was standing behind me.
“It is all right.” He said holding me. “Why have I scared you? What happened?”
I looked towards the other end of the pool to where she had been standing just a second ago. Then I looked at Cyn. He must have seen something in my eyes because the next second he was standing in front me and his bow and arrow were materializing in his hand. He took a defensive stance and loaded the Bow.
Crapola. Had he felt the remnants of her presence here?
“Has someone been here?” He asked as he looked around us, his arrow ready to fly. I thought about telling him, but her voice stopped me.
“The High Priest must not know I am here…. It is the only way I can help you…”
“No baby, why are you acting so weird? No one has been here.”
He turned to look at me, and searched my eyes. I prayed he couldn't see the lie in them. I felt terrible lying to him, but I needed to find o
ut more about her before I could determine what to do. I searched my mind quickly for something to say.
“You scared me because I was with my friends and didn’t hear you coming.”
“Your friends?”
I nodded and smiled remembering the spell I had discovered. “Yeah. Sit down. I have something to show you.” He looked around us again, like he was still sensing something and then relaxed. He placed his bow and arrow on his quiver and they instantly disappeared.
We sat on the ground, and I lifted my hands towards the trees. Closing my eyes, I felt the rush of magic and visualized my new friends, the monkeys. I suddenly remembered I hadn't really memorized the spell yet and reached for the journal. Cyn chuckled. I shushed him and began to read.
“Charaid nàdar mar is mise,
Cluinn mo leisgeul iriosal,
Thig airson cuideachadh
Rium air an latha seo,
Thig agus lean mi”
* * *
Like before, the screeches reached me first. Then they busted through the trees and jumped on us. The baby settled in my arms and her mother on my lap. Cyn laughed as one climbed on his back and began to pick his hair.
“I want you to meet my friends. The monkeys.”
He grinned and pulled the one on his back to the front. It sat on his lap. “Hello, friends. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance.”
“It is a spell I found today. It calls on the animals and controls them somehow.”
“Controls them?”
I nodded, caressing the baby monkey in my arms. He was sucking his thumb. I smiled and looked at his mother. “Up the tree,” I said, pointing at the tree to my left. Swiftly, she turned and climbed to one of the highest branches.
“Jump down!” Her jump was magnificent, she landed effortlessly in front of us, and I held her hand. “Thank you, that was amazing.”
Renewed Magic (The Ancient Magic Series Book 2) Page 10
