by Tara Maya, Elle Casey, J L Bryan, Anthea Sharp, Jenna Elizabeth Johnson, Alexia Purdy (epub)
I wrapped my arms tightly around myself as the dirt path brought me to the outskirts of the swamp. I could see the small bridge of land that crossed its shallowest point just a few yards ahead. Cade had been interested in me, hadn’t he? My anger at him soon turned into anger at myself. Perhaps I had read too much into his actions and words. Perhaps things were done differently in the Otherworld.
“Hello Meghan.”
I screamed at the sound of the unfamiliar voice and only because my thoughts were so lost elsewhere. Turning with wide eyes, I found someone standing in the clearing that had become such a familiar meeting ground for me. As soon as I saw who it was, I gaped in shock. It was the beautiful Faelorehn woman, this time wearing a summer dress and heels. Really? Heels? In the swamp? I snorted. Why was that the thought that came to my mind? This was Cade’s girlfriend; shouldn’t I be more concerned with why she was here, talking to me?
The woman crossed her arms and smiled, her crimson lips and violet eyes making her white skin seem even paler. I shivered, despite the warm spring air. She simply gave me the heebie-jeebies.
After some time, she released a sigh and started examining the fingernails on her right hand.
“So . . .”
She let that word hang in the air for a while. “Cade has told me all about you.”
My stomach dropped. Oh no, was I to be one of those girls who gets attacked by a jealous girlfriend? Would I end up on one of those daytime reality talk shows? I fought the urge to run, though I wanted to do nothing other than bolt up the horse trail and head for my room. But I had the uncomfortable feeling that this woman would be able to catch me, heels or not.
“Um, he did?” I finally managed, my voice feeling raspy.
The woman looked at me and although she smiled, that smile didn’t reach her unusual eyes. She blinked and they went from violet to a different color; chestnut? It was hard to tell from where I was standing.
“Oh yes. He informed me that he had found a lost Faelorehn, and that he was determined to teach you all about the Otherworld so that you could be returned home someday.”
I felt myself relax, but only a tiny bit. What did she want?
“You’re his girlfriend, right?” I blurted. Then I bit my lip. Stupid.
The woman threw her head back and laughed, a genuine laugh this time, and her black, curly hair bounced with the movement. When she recovered and looked back at me, her eyes seemed to sparkle.
“Oh yes, we do have quite an intimate relationship.”
I blushed and tried not to think about just how intimate. Ugh, could my situation get any worse? As if on cue, my eyes started to prick. No! I would not cry in front of her! I managed to resist breaking down, but just barely.
“Well, it was nice meeting you, but I really should get home. My family will be wondering where I am.”
I turned to walk away, clutching the straps of my backpack to keep a hold of my emotions.
“Wouldn’t you like to come see the Otherworld, though? I can take you now if you’d like. Would only take a few minutes.”
I froze. Why did she want to take me to the Otherworld? I turned and arched a brow.
She shrugged sheepishly. “Cade asked me to do him a favor. Said he couldn’t cross over for a while and asked me to bring you to him on the other side. He spoke so fondly of you, like you were a sister to him.”
I winced and felt terrible all over again. He thought of me like a sister? That was worse than him having a girlfriend. But . . . it was tempting. To see Cade again, even if just for a few minutes, and even if he already had a girlfriend. Maybe I could bring closure to my pointless feelings. Maybe if I saw them together as a couple, I could finally move on. It still hurt worse than anything in the world, but at least I would never be left to remain wondering . . .
“Okay,” I sighed.
I began to step towards the woman, but at that second Fergus came trotting out of the willows. I expected him to come stand by me or maybe run up to the woman with his tail wagging. Surely the hound would be familiar with her. Instead, he did something that surprised me, and frightened me a little. He came to stop just in front of me and took on a defensive stance. With hackles raised, he released a low warning growl and locked eyes with the Faelorehn fashion model standing only fifteen feet in front of me.
Blinking in surprise, I took my eyes off of Fergus and looked up at the woman. She looked . . . nervous? Annoyed? Both maybe? I couldn’t tell, but it was obvious she wasn’t going to get anywhere near Fergus. That was odd.
“It’s okay Fergus,” I said, “she’s going to take me to Cade.”
Had Cade somehow asked his spirit guide not to let me go to the Otherworld? So he wouldn’t have to deal with me anymore? No, that didn’t seem right. He may have broken my heart, but Cade had always been a gentleman. Then what was wrong?
“Oh, silly Fergus. He does that sometimes,” the woman trilled. “I think he’s jealous of me.”
Giving that cool smile, she strode forward, her gate as smooth as a swan’s. Fergus lunged and snapped, barking and snarling.
I stepped back in shock. The only time I had ever seen him act out in aggression was when those Cumorrig attacked, and when the goat-man came after me.
I looked up at Cade’s girlfriend. Yep. She was definitely irritated. Her eyes flashed dangerously and her beautiful mouth curved down in a frown. But she didn’t try to move any closer.
I placed my hand on Fergus’s neck, shushing him and speaking quietly. “Calm down Fergus, don’t you recognize her?”
The hound glanced back at me and something crossed over his eyes. A memory came to mind, a memory of a conversation with Cade. And then I could have sworn I heard his voice in my head.
“Don’t trust anyone who claims to be Faelorehn.”
I glanced back up at the woman standing before me. Sure, she hadn’t claimed to be Faelorehn, but it was pretty obvious. And if she was Cade’s girlfriend, shouldn’t she be trustworthy?
Fergus’s sudden growl told me no. But could I just walk away nonchalantly after agreeing to go to the Otherworld with her? Time to think fast Meghan.
“You know what, maybe I should wait on going to the Otherworld. Fergus seems a bit upset and I don’t want him to attack either of us. Besides, my parents expect me to check in after school before I go out. Can I take a rain check?”
I put on my best smile, all the while clinging to Fergus’s rough fur. It made me think of the little girl I’d been on the streets of L.A., using the white hound as my anchor.
At first, the woman looked as if she was seconds away from throwing a major tantrum, but then she closed her eyes slowly and took a few deep breaths. When she opened them, they were once again a cool violet color. She put on a smile, this one looking genuine, and shrugged her shoulders.
“Very well. I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble. However,” she paused. Suddenly the light in her eyes faded and she choked back a sob.
I blinked in surprise.
“I didn’t want to say anything,” she whispered, tears streaming down her face. She looked up at me with imploring eyes. “But, I’m afraid Cade’s in a lot of trouble. The last job he took on, well, I think it was too much for him. You have no idea what power the faelah wield in our world.”
Oh, I had an idea, if I was judging by Cade’s haggard appearance the last few times I had seen him. But her obvious fear and the information she had just given me sent a pang to my heart. Cade was in trouble.
“And he’s certain that you have some hidden power that will awaken in the Otherworld and help him defeat these monsters. But, oh, he told me not to say anything to you.” She choked back another sob. “He thought it was possible you could help him, but he doesn’t want to risk you getting hurt. Oh Meghan,” she looked up at me with wide, frightened eyes, “I promised I wouldn’t tell you any of this, but I’m so worried that he won’t survive the fight this time unless someone can help him. If it is true, what he told me about you, that you are de
scended from a Fomorian and a Tuatha De, then you could be the only one who can save him.”
I felt my fingers tighten even more in Fergus’s fur. Had Cade been trying to protect me all along? Was he now on the verge of death, simply to keep me safe? All of a sudden, all of my anger, all of my sorrow fled with the wind. A warm contentment filled me, but soon it was replaced by fear. Cade needed my help.
Fergus growled again, but I ignored him.
“I’ll come,” I said, my voice harsh with determination, “but I have to go home first and tell my parents I’m going out for the night.”
Cade’s girlfriend heaved a great sigh of relief. “Thank you,” she breathed, looking slightly haggard herself. “I must go now, to see if I can aid him until you get there. Do you know where the dolmarehn is, to get to the Otherworld?”
I nodded.
“Good. Just pass through the cave and I will meet you on the other side. From there, we can find Cade and hopefully, if it’s not too late, save his life.”
I turned to go. I had to get back to the house as quickly as possible and let my parents know I’d be out for a while. I could have gone with her right then and there, but Mom and Dad would worry and I didn’t want to put them through that.
“Meghan?”
I turned to see the beautiful woman gazing at me, her face a mask of worry.
“Thank you.”
I nodded at her, then turned and sprinted up the horse trail that would bring me home. I didn’t know how much time Cade had, but I was determined to get there before it was too late.
-Nineteen-
Eile
Cade had once told me never to go into the cave that led to the Otherworld unless I had no other choice. Well, at the moment I really didn’t have any other choice. The Faelorehn woman (ugh, why hadn’t I asked her name?) had told me Cade was in trouble. In my book a friend in trouble required me to call upon desperate measures, especially since I couldn’t do anything as simple as call the police. Of course, I could be walking straight into a hostile environment, but I was beyond caring for the time being.
A fog had blown in towards the end of the day, as if it knew what I was up to and was only helping to set the mood. Mom and Dad hadn’t been home yet when I made it back to the house, so I left them a note about going out with friends and that I would be back very late. I hoped whatever it was I was supposed to do to help Cade didn’t take all night. I made sure to have my cell phone on me, but I had a feeling that I wouldn’t get service in the Otherworld.
I shook my head and took a deep breath, puffing a little as I walked up the trail that would eventually plunge back down into the culvert where the dolmarehn was located. I was so fixated on going through with this; of walking into that cave and crossing over into the Otherworld, that I hadn’t noticed the sudden silence of the woods or the eyes that watched me from the overgrowth. I was so busy trying to ignore the warning voice in my head that told me I was acting too rashly, that I hadn’t thought this through, that I didn’t see the great black raven watching me with fire in its eyes.
Taking one more deep breath and pulling my thin jacket over my shoulders, I stepped over the broken branches and pushed aside the tree roots hanging in front of the cave like a screen. Shutting my wayward thoughts out of my mind, I stepped out of the white fog and into the blackness of nothingness.
My first impression of the cave to the Otherworld was total darkness. I blinked a few times, stretching my arms out tentatively in front of me. I nearly screamed when my trembling fingers brushed against something soft and stringy. After a few seconds of consideration, I realized it was only more roots hanging from the cave ceiling. It was a small space, after all, only just big enough for a normal sized adult to pass through without much trouble. Cade must have had to duck and make himself as small as he could whenever he passed this way.
The sudden thought of Cade rubbed painfully against my raw emotions. Some of my anger towards him started to fade away and my more compassionate side kicked in. Maybe he hadn’t wondered about my missed meeting because he had been in trouble. I hadn’t thought of that before. My stupid, selfish teenage heart was only concerned about its own welfare. Now I was beginning to worry. I picked up my pace, keeping my fingers crossed there weren’t any really big spiders in here or sudden drops that might result in a sprained ankle.
As I felt my way through the cave, using the wall to my right as a guide, I breathed deeply to keep my heartbeat at a normal pace. The air smelled and tasted like dust, mildew and eucalyptus oil at first, but after several minutes the temperature dropped dramatically and a cool, moist breath of air slithered past my face and caused the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. The scent of rain and wet stone and something that just felt ancient flooded my nose, and the darkness around me seemed to grow blacker. I started to shiver and I wanted to wrap my arms tightly around myself, but I was afraid to take my fingers from the earthen wall. I imagined that just a few small steps ahead of me there lay a great abyss, deeper than the earth itself, ready to swallow me whole.
I should have turned around then and there and gone straight home to think this whole hare-brained idea over again. After all, the only information I had to go on had been delivered by a Faelorehn woman I’d never met before. How did I know she wasn’t trying to make a fool out of me? Go home Meg, I told myself, go home and think about this. Cade may need your help, but at least go back home and get your bow and arrows.
Cursing silently to myself for being so scatter-brained that I’d forgotten the very weapon I could use to fight the faelah, I started to turn and head back out the way I had come. I didn’t even get the chance to see the light pouring from the mouth of the cave several feet away. Something caught me and refused to let go. It wasn’t anything physical; it was as if some sixth sense inside of me had magnetic qualities and that another magnet, located in that great void I was sure stood gaping in front of me, had sensed its presence and was pulling it forward.
The sensation grew stronger and soon I felt myself being dragged forward. I grasped at the wall with my hands but it was no use. With a great cry and a rush of fear, the cold air intensified and swallowed me whole. To my great relief, I blacked out before I could experience anything else.
* * *
I can’t say how long I was out, nor can I describe the strange and terrifying dreams that haunted me while I lay unconscious. All I can say is that some undeterminable amount of time after being sucked into that black, cold void inside the cave, I woke up gasping for air as if I had stopped breathing altogether.
My head was killing me, I felt like I was going to throw up, and if I hadn’t known any better, I would have sworn I’d been in a horrible car accident. Every bone in my body hurt. I had no idea human beings had so many bones. Oh wait, scratch that, I wasn’t a human being.
Groaning, I tried to sit up. I still hadn’t opened my eyes. My eyelids were too tired to lift. Thick, damp, soft moss or grass gave under the pressure of my hand and a cool mist caressed my skin like a chilly blanket. I managed to push myself back a little, my shoulders coming into contact with what felt like a great granite gravestone. My stomach lurched again and fear shivered down my spine. If I was in a graveyard, I think I might just faint.
Finally, I managed to crack my eyes open, then blinked in surprise at what I saw. The sky was thick with heavy mist, but all around me, in a large circle, were tall, natural pillars of granite.
At first I had the ridiculous notion that the dolmarehn I had entered had thrown me onto the Salisbury Plain and smack center within Stonehenge, but as my senses returned I realized that that couldn’t be right and for a few reasons. First, I could almost see the tops of these stones and the monoliths at Stonehenge were much taller. Second, the circle couldn’t be more than fifteen feet in diameter. Third, and this was when that fear started clenching my stomach again, there was a gateway directly across the circle from me.
I knew it was a gateway because it had to be where I’d come
from. It looked like those stone dolmens you see on the covers of photography books featuring Ireland; two large slabs of rock topped with a third, creating a doorway. This doorway was pressed into the side of a small hill and yawned black and menacing, as if the stones were merely outlining some deep cave. Above it, on the hilltop, stood an old gnarled oak tree.
Glancing around, I noticed more oak trees. I came to the conclusion that this gateway to the Otherworld sat on the highest point in the middle of a small oak grove, for the quiet trees stood all around, their eerie silhouettes scattered about in the fog.
I took a deep breath and scooted myself further up into a sitting position, using the closest stone as a backrest. It dawned upon me then that maybe I had been launched out of the dolmarehn and slammed up against this rock. That would explain the full-body ache. But why was I here . . . ? Oh right, Cade.
A quiet rustling soon drew my attention away from everything else. I squinted into the fog, my heart pounding as I wondered what might have caused the sound. Out of the mist, a black shape swooped down from the oak tree above the Otherworldly gate and came to rest atop one of the stone monoliths. It bent its neck and let out a long, mournful caw, sending goose bumps up my arms. It was the raven that had been stalking me for the past several months, I was certain.
In the next breath, the bird swooped down to join me and as it descended the strangest thing happened. Its feathers melted away and its legs grew longer. It was morphing into a figure before my very eyes, and by the time it landed on the ground it had become a woman dressed all in black. Her transformation from bird to woman had been so smooth and flawless that all I could do was gape. Yet, that wasn’t the only reason I was gaping. As she approached I got a good look at her face. Pale white, flawless skin, obsidian black hair, blood-red lips and violet eyes. It was the Faelorehn woman who had begged for my help: Cade’s girlfriend.
