The Forest of Aisling: Dream of the Shapeshifter (The Willow Series Book 1)

by D. S. Elstad

  I looked into the face of Shannah Whelan, my grandmother, my father’s mother, the woman who held back a force of evil so powerful that, as a rule, would take three people blessed with powers handed down by the Celtic god of light, Lugh himself. And here she did it pretty much alone, with Bram trying to accept and master his own fate and Lucy taking leave of hers.

  Dad was right; she did look peaceful. Along with that she literally had a kind of glow. There was something almost iridescent about her skin, an aura to it, beginning at the surface and rising into the air an inch or so. Looking her over, I became aware of a feeling of calm within my own body. I looked back at Dad, wondering if he was feeling the same sensation.

  “Are you ok, Dad?” I asked, looking into his eyes, seeing such sadness there. I realized that the sense of calm eluded him.

  “Sure,” he answered, still holding onto my shoulders. “Just have so many regrets. I guess I always thought I had time to make things up to her. It broke her heart when I left but I just couldn’t stay anymore.”

  I spun around and wrapped my arms around my father’s waist and held on tightly. The steady, rhythmic beating of his heart echoed in my ear. His pain was almost palpable and I wished I could take some of it away.

  We stood there for minutes, just holding each other in the presence of the woman who not only brought us into this world but kept it safe for us to live in. I finally looked back to her lying on the table and realized I needed to find the pendant… fast. Time was running out.

  I asked Dad if he could please give me some time alone with Shannah to which he immediately replied, “No, not a good idea.” But after a few minutes of reassuring him that I was ok and that this was something I felt I absolutely needed to do, he finally agreed.

  He stepped cautiously to the door and looked at his watch. “You’ve got five minutes, Willow; I’ll be right outside the door.”

  I nodded and felt a twinge run through my body. It wasn’t that I was afraid; being near Grandma and her aura filled me with a sense of calm. It was the thought of it all, the whole morgue thing, my grandmother lying here in front of me, dead for days now and still in the same physical condition as the day she passed away. It reminded me of Sleeping Beauty. And when I looked once more at Shannah’s face, I thought that’s exactly what she was…a Sleeping Beauty.

  Her graying hair was pulled back and part of it draped over her shoulder. Wispy curls covered her forehead with her former auburn color peeking through in random spots. Her skin was like alabaster and, considering her seventy-five years, fairly wrinkle free. She had a rose tint to her cheeks and lips and her dark eyelashes softly brushed her high cheek bones. She truly did appear to be sleeping.

  I reached out and gently touched her left hand, almost fearful that I would wake her. Her skin was cool –not cold and very soft. It felt as though she could reach out and take my hand at any moment. There was nothing creepy or frightening about her, only sadness that I hadn’t had a chance to know her and that she had to endure the terrifying force of the Fomorians alone.

  I shifted my focus from her face to the sheet lying on top of her and gingerly grabbed the corner of it, pulling it down to expose her petite, hospital gown-clad body. She was barely five feet tall, if even that, and very small framed. I shook my head envisioning this tiny woman taking on the horrendous thing in the mist that I’d seen earlier.

  I scanned her body, beginning with the obvious areas where she might have been wearing the pendant, both wrists and ankles…nothing. Taking a deep breath, I ran my fingers under the neck of her hospital gown, hoping to find it there. I came upon the metallic feel of a serpentine chain that lay against her pale skin. I ushered the chain out from under the gown and was disappointed to find only a simple locket at the end of it. I flipped it open to see two pictures. On one side was a picture of Shannah and Conor on their wedding day. The other side held the same family portrait I’d seen at Grandpa’s house, only this picture was complete, unlike the one at Grandpa’s with the torn corner. The little hand resting on Grandpa Conor’s was that of another small boy. He looked like Dad; the similarities were unmistakable. It could only mean one thing…Dad had a brother. I stared at the picture, wondering what had happened to the other little boy and why the big secret. I flipped the locket closed, knowing now was not the time to try and discover what that secret was.

  My heart began pounding as I grew anxious, unable to find the pendant. Had I been wrong in thinking Grandma had it with her? It had all seemed so logical at the time, but now staring down at her, I felt like an idiot. Of course someone from the funeral home would have removed it, or else it would be on her. How would I ask them about it? Could Grandpa have it? My mind was racing and panic began to overtake me. What were we going to do if we couldn’t find the pendant?

  The door to the room opened and Dad stepped in “Time to go, Wil. They need to get her ready for the pathologist.” He stepped over to the table, took his mother’s hand in his, and, bending down, kissed it lightly. He then leaned over to her left ear and began whispering softly. When he finished he kissed her once again on the forehead, then stepped to the open doorway.

  I bent over and rested my cheek against my grandmothers and silently begged her to help me figure out the pendant’s location. I closed my eyes, praying for an answer. When I opened them, they were immediately drawn to the back of Grandma’s neck and something silver resting there. As I straightened up I brushed her hair aside and saw the tip of the pendant poking out from the neck of the hospital gown. I lifted it and found it attached to the clasp on the back of her necklace.

  “Let’s go, Willow,” Dad said, still standing at the doorway, his back to me.

  I tried to undo the clasp and retrieve the pendant but it wasn’t cooperating. Short of pulling it straight up and off Grandma, there was no way to get it. If Dad saw me doing that he’d think I was completely insane.

  “Dad, please just give me one more minute.” I turned back to look at him and brushed a tear from my cheek, a tear I hadn’t even realized was there.

  He turned and stared at me for a second, then stepped out and closed the door without a word.

  I looked down at my grandma. “Thank you,” I whispered, and then pulled the chain forward and around until I could undo the clasp, releasing the water pendant. I returned the necklace to its place resting under the hospital gown and pulled up the sheet just as it had been before. I leaned down once again and kissed my grandmother’s cheek. “I love you Grandma.”

  As I turned the doorknob to leave the room I looked back at my grandmother for the last time, and what I saw took my breath away. The aura that had been so pronounced on her was rising from her body like a sheer transparent cloud. It hovered there a split second, then completely disappeared. I stepped back over and saw that the radiance that had encompassed her before was now gone. She no longer appeared to be sleeping; she now had the appearance of someone who had passed away. Our assumption that the pendant was somehow preserving her, protecting her, was true.

  “Good-bye Grandma,” I said aloud and felt a sense of peace at her finally being able to rest.

  Clutching the water pendant in my hand, I knew I needed to get to Bram and Aaron as soon as possible. Dad had planned to meet Eagan and spend some time with Grandpa at the hospital, and suggested I join them. I wanted to see Grandpa, but time was of the essence. I was racking my brain for an excuse when Dad turned on the radio.

  There was a news broadcast warning residents of Killarney of a powerful thunderstorm making its way into the area. The situation was serious; the newscaster was advising all residents to seek shelter, that hurricane force winds were expected. Local meteorologists were having a difficult time explaining the odd weather phenomena that had literally “come out of nowhere.” Over the course of less than forty-eight hours two lakes in Northern Ireland had practically dried up, leaving fisherman and marine biologists scrambling, trying to rescue the aquatic life – and here in Killarney torrential rains were cre
ating flash floods in town and surrounding areas.

  “I’ve never heard of anything like this,” Dad said as he adjusted the radio tuner. “Two extreme weather disturbances just miles apart…bizarre.”

  My grip on the pendant tightened while the rain continued, making driving next to impossible.

  “Might be a good idea to head back to the hotel and wait this out,” Dad suggested.

  I nodded while I grabbed my phone and shot Bram a text urging him to meet me at the hotel. A sense of panic was taking over. As Dad fought for visibility I opened my window and tried to help guide him through the storm when suddenly something rear-ended us, spinning us into the other lane. Dad quickly regained control, put the car in park and jumped out, looking for another car. Only thing was, there was no other car, only empty, flooded streets.

  Dad jumped back into the car, drenched, shaking his head. “What the hell was that?”

  I didn’t need to see it or even ask Dad what he saw to know what it was. The Fomorians were becoming bolder and were ready to do whatever it took to prevent us from getting the water pendant to another guardian.

  My throat felt dry and my heart pounded. Suddenly the reality of what lay before us hit me hard and left me breathless and dazed. The vibration in my hand from my phone brought me back as I read,

  “I’m here Willow.”

  I exhaled a long breath and closed my eyes, trying to focus on Bram’s face. Something about it calmed me and I felt relief as we pulled into the hotel parking lot. Running for the lobby Dad and I held onto each other, splashing and drenching ourselves in the puddles that had formed.

  Once inside I shook the droplets of rain from my hair and wiped my face with my soaked jacket sleeve. Bram joined us at the doorway. There was a look of urgency on his face which I immediately understood. The connection between us transcended words or even signs. An unspoken language seemed to be passing through us.

  Dad suggested Bram join us in our room while we all took a few minutes to dry off. Bram and I texted, sharing our experiences. Bram told me that something had sideswiped his car as well while he was on his way to the hotel. He saw the mist quickly disappear after it made contact.

  Dad got on the phone and called Eagan, asking about Grandpa and if they were ok. I took advantage of his conversation and reached over to Bram taking hold of his hand and turning it palm up, I placed the pendant between his hand and mine, holding tight. After a few seconds I let go. He looked down at the pendant. “Brilliant,” he said under his breath, smiling.

  Quickly, the storm started to subside. I stepped out onto the balcony and shook my head at the amount of damage that had occurred in less than an hour. Trees were stripped of their fall foliage and branches lay all around the hotel grounds. Looking farther out I saw traces of blue on the horizon. Bram joined me as Dad continued his conversation with Eagan inside.

  “We need to get this to my da,” Bram urged, “before they get stronger and launch another attack.” I nodded as he took my hand and returned the pendant.

  Dad was agreeable to my leaving with Bram. He wanted to connect with Eagan and get his take on things, and also to see if he had heard anything from the forensic pathologist. After a hug and plans to meet back in the room in a few hours, Dad jumped into his car and I left with Bram.

  Pulling up to Aaron’s house reiterated in visible and frightening terms the need for speed as we faced the whole pendant challenge. The beautiful chestnut tree in the front yard had an enormous severed branch wedged between the house and the tree itself. The branch left several deep scratches along the side of the beige stone building, just missing the large picture window.

  Bram jumped out of the car and ran up to the tree, examining the breaking point with his fingers. He tugged at the fifteen-foot branch but was unable to budge it. I stepped over to his side and tried to help him. It was wedged so tightly that the only way it was going to be moved was by cutting it down into smaller, manageable sections.

  The rest of the area looked as though a tornado had gone through it. Trees were stripped of the reddish-orange leaves that had graced their branches just hours earlier. Sticks and smaller branches were strewn about, along with upturned patio furniture and the random, out-of-place trash can.

  The strangest part was that their neighbor’s house, which sat nearby, was virtually untouched, other than dampness from the rain. Their trees were still loaded with autumn leaves and the lawn was simply damp and unblemished.

  “It’s hitting a bit too close to home. They’re targeting us in a big way now,” Bram said.

  I began picking up some of the litter lying around when Bram grabbed my hand. “We don’t have time for that; let’s go find Da.”

  Aaron was sitting on the floor of his living room surrounded by books and sheets of paper. He looked up as the door slammed shut and weakly smiled at us.

  “I needed to spread these things out…much easier to look at it all,” he signed to Bram, motioning to the pile of information. “I’ll deal with that mess outside later.”

  “What is all this, Da?” Bram asked, crouching down beside his father on the floor.

  “More research. These are some of the documents that had been locked up. After our last talk with Willow, I had to check over a few things. You both brought up some good questions so I took the opportunity to try and come up with some answers. The weather disturbances are a sure sign of the Fomorians rising,” Aaron stated, shuffling papers aside before signing to his son.

  I sat down on the floor beside Aaron. “So, are the Fomorians Cyclops?”

  “Well, Balor was the leader of the Fomorians and he was a Cyclops, but their race takes many shapes. They can be giants, sea creatures, and other forms. They’re a vicious breed. They feed off of wars and friction and long ago took it upon themselves to drive out any other races trying to inhabit Ireland. The Tuatha fought with them and eventually, with the help of Lugh and his spear, defeated Balor and drove the remaining Fomorians into...well, I’m not exactly sure where. All I know is that they were banished.”

  Aaron reached down and handed me a book, aged and dusty. It was opened to a page written in an ancient language with several small pictures of the one-eyed Balor and the race of Fomorians. It was so contradictory because some of the Fomorians were very attractive people who almost seemed like royalty. The others were like Balor, one-eyed and hideous, like the creature of the mist that attacked me. The last group of Fomorians pictured looked almost like sea creatures, with long whale tails and human-like upper torsos. They reminded me of mermaids.

  “Fomorians take many shapes, as you can see. They were notorious for creating chaos and bringing about disturbances in nature. Their weapons of choice are storms, fog, and snow, anything within nature that can be used to destroy or compromise humanity. And as I explained before, they draw their power from those forces of nature. It’s all quite extraordinary.”

  I had to smile as I listened to Aaron go on about the Fomorians. He reminded me of a little kid, fascinated with dinosaurs. I wondered how this man became a car salesman instead of a professor. As he talked, I found myself trying to picture the creatures creating the weird weather we had just experienced, when I suddenly remembered: “Wait, wasn’t Lugh the grandson of Balor?”

  “Aye,” Bram answered, handing me another book with a rendering of Lugh, regal looking and very handsome. “He was half Fomorian but had none of the qualities of his grandfather. If it weren’t for Lugh setting up the power of the Triquetra, and the guardians, well, who knows where we’d be.”

  Aaron began straightening his piles of notes and books and stood up, stretching out his back. “The main concern right now is the water pendant,” he added.

  I stood up and reached into my pocket, grabbing hold of the pendant. I held it out for his inspection. He took hold of it and held it to his heart. “Thank God,” he whispered.

  “Now, we have a chance. I have to admit, I was worried. There’s nothing in this wealth of information about the
loss of a piece of the Triquetra,” he said, spreading his arm out over the stacks of books and papers. “Granted, I’ve only been able to translate a fraction of it so we can’t assume it hasn’t happened before. But, I’ve found several documents that spell out the next step we need to take. We best return these to safety,” he added as he began stacking the books.

  Bram and I helped Aaron pick up his ancient library and carefully placed the oldest books and manuscripts in the airtight waterproof cases he had for them. The rest we put into his files folders. The whole thing consisted of about a dozen books and at least ten folders. We made our way into the basement where Aaron had a safe embedded into the concrete wall.

  After we deposited the irreplaceable stack of documents into the safe, Aaron pulled the heavy iron door shut, slammed down the handle and spun the combination lock. He then reached alongside the wall, pulled out a metallic face plate, and carefully fit it into place over the safe door. He covered the plate with one of Van Gogh’s sunflower paintings. After fidgeting with the painting for a few minutes he stepped back. “I’ve always loved Van Gogh,” he said, tilting his head and admiring the work of art.

  Aaron turned to Bram and me. “We best be going. We’ve a lot of things to discuss. Number one being, who is going to become the water guardian?” Aaron raced up the stairs while Bram and I stared at each other, wondering just who that would be.

  We piled into the car waiting outside. Aaron sped out of the driveway, almost running head-on into a passing van. He frowned and mumbled a few choice words before apologizing, then continued onto the highway.

  “Where are we off to?” Bram asked.

  “You’ll see,” he answered, looking at Bram, then pressed his foot on the accelerator.

  After about twenty speechless minutes we pulled into the Killarney Park gates. Aaron took a sharp turn and headed away from the area we had gone the few times I’d been there before. The twisty road ascended above the forest area and came to a clearing which overlooked a lake. The landscape was breathtaking. Blue-gray water reflected the passing storm clouds and surrounding horizon. Trees were scattered about sporadically, nothing like the dense forest of the lower elevation. This area was all about the lake and the rolling hillside encompassing it. Surprisingly, it didn’t have any damage from the storm that had hit town, aside from a few small puddles here and there.