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

by D. S. Elstad

  My heart raced as I thought about Bram and Quinn. I fought the pain and jumped to my feet and ran to the area where I’d last seen them. No one was there. They were both gone and so were the Fomorians. I called out but nobody answered. I channeled them both with my mindspeak but nothing came back.

  I stood alone in the moonlight next to the Giant’s Eye and wondered if it all had been some kind of incredible dream. Then I heard it…his voice.

  “Willow! Willow!” Bram came running from the beach and grabbed me, spinning me in circles. He lowered me down and kissed me. My head was spinning, wondering if all was ok, losing myself momentarily in his kiss.

  “Wait, where’s Quinn?” I asked him, praying for the best.

  “Come on,” Bram said, taking hold of my hand and pulling me to the sea.

  When we reached the shore, there off the coast about thirty feet away swam the remarkable pilot whale. He jumped up on his tail and flipped himself back, all the while making his laughing sounds.

  “What happened?” I asked, clearing a tear from the corner of my eye.

  “He was pretty hurt. I thought if I got him to the water maybe he stood a better chance of healing. There’s another ability we didn’t know about, but it seems to have worked. He’s feeling so good now he said he just wants to loosen up and swim.” Bram waved at his friend as he jumped and sped through the water.

  “What about the Fomorians?” I asked looking him squarely in the face so he could read me.

  “We did it, Willow. That last strike you lodged on them shot the knight into the cliffs. That took him far enough away that when Carissa tried to reconnect to him, she couldn’t because she was so weak. Then Quinn came to and he and I joined forces and shot currents into her. She split like an atom and disappeared. Cyril then shot one gigantic bolt at Quinn…I thought he was a goner. I ricocheted off the bolt Cyril had on him and sent it back their way. It hit Corman. When that happened the rest of them disappeared too.”

  He reached over and brushed my hair out of my eyes. “How are you feeling? You were amazing out there.”

  I wrapped my arms around Bram and held on as tight as I could. I listened to his heart and took a deep breath. For the first time in I couldn’t remember how long, I could breathe easy. Then I remembered Cyril’s threat. I looked around at the incredible place that on any other day would be a joy to behold, but right now all I wanted to do was get back to town and see how our families were doing.

  I sent Bram a question, “Do you think it’s really over?”

  He leaned down and kissed the tip of my nose. “It’s over for now and hopefully forever. Let’s get back to town.”

  I watched him eagle shift and soar above the ocean. He dove down and tapped Quinn on the nose. It made me smile. I wolf shifted and held my head to the breeze, happy to be in this form for no other reason than to run and feel free. I was amazed at how the aches and pains of my human self were disappearing in this form. It was like Bram said; healing came faster when we had shapeshifted.

  Looking out to the sea I watched as Quinn disappeared into the distance. I turned to the starry sky and caught sight of my eagle and followed him home to Killarney.

  When we reached the town limits, we shifted human and stood amazed. The devastation was far reaching; many of the quaint little shops and businesses in town were ripped apart. Windows were shattered; roofs lay in pieces on what was left of the streets. The asphalt had cracked apart and created deep crevices. Despite the fact that the rain and snow had stopped, water was still rushing about, pouring into drains and creating pools in awkward places.

  We stepped carefully through the muck and looked about for any activity. Inside a few of the shops we could see people clearing out the debris and beginning the burdensome job of rebuilding their livelihood. Some of the businesses even had their lights on, which meant the power company was slowly reestablishing energy to the townspeople. It was only four a.m. so activity was still pretty limited. Some emergency vehicles were making their way around but no one else was on the streets.

  As we turned the corner and approached Aaron’s office Bram paused and caught his breath when he saw his father’s business. It was bad. A gigantic hole pierced the side of the brick building and a small fire still smoldered inside. Bram rounded the side of the building and stepped over the crumbling brick into what was left of the office space. An inch or so of water covered the tile floor. Overturned furniture was smashed beyond recognition. Bits and pieces of paper floated in the pools of water and the fire was being fed by what must have been a desk, its charred skeleton breaking apart and falling to the ground.

  “Da!” Bram yelled, then looked to me and Quinn. “Is he answering?”

  We both paused, listening hard to the sounds of the desolated building, but heard nothing other than the crackling of the fire and dripping water.

  “DAAADDD!” he yelled again, this time panic shooting through his voice. I grabbed his arm and turned his face to me.

  “Let me see if I can reach him.” I used mindspeak, “Aaron, Aaron, where are you?”

  Bram’s eyes burned into mine. I prayed for a response and held his gaze, repeating, “Aaron, please, can you hear me?”

  “Where was the safe room, Bram?” Quinn asked, kicking aside the clutter.

  Bram stepped over to an area that was now completely covered by pieces of the collapsed roof and wall. “The door was here,” he motioned waving his hand, “behind all this.” His voice cracked as he grabbed hold of a chunk of plaster and threw it aside. Quinn began grabbing pieces and throwing them out the broken window.

  I tried my mindspeak again but got no response from Aaron. I joined Bram and Quinn and desperately we sifted through the remnants of the ravaged building. Finally, the frame of a door appeared, with the door miraculously still in one piece. Bram turned the handle but it was locked. He stepped back and slammed his shoulder against it. It didn’t budge. Quinn and I threw ourselves into it, too, and after a third attempt the entrance finally swung open. The three of us went tumbling down the staircase that led to another door at the bottom of the stairs.

  “Blimey mate, you might have warned us!” Quinn signed, frowning as he stood up, dusting himself off. He reached a hand down and pulled me up.

  Bram stood and rubbed the side of his head where he had come in contact with the door at the bottom of the stairs. “I didn’t know! I’ve never been down here, didn’t even know that doorway led down to these stairs!”

  As we stood there discussing the door and the stairs, suddenly the bottom door opened and there stood Aaron. He grabbed Bram and held him tight. He then pushed him back, holding his shoulders and stared at him with tears in his eyes.

  “I was worried, son. I’ve never been so worried in all my life.” He grabbed hold of Bram again and signed frantically to him. The two hugged again; then Aaron took hold of Quinn and me.

  “Thank God you’re all ok.” He pulled us both close and kissed me on the cheek and Quinn on the forehead. “Is everything ok, with the Fomorians, that is?”

  Bram nodded, “Aye, we’ve a lot to tell you.”

  “You can tell me all the details later. I’ll bet you’re all exhausted. Go on in,” he ordered, stepping aside so we could enter the room. Once inside we stood staring, dumbfounded at the condition of the space. There was no damage whatsoever. The room itself was no more than a ten-by-ten space, but its walls appeared to be concrete. There was a small cot in the corner, a safe in another corner, a sink, a toilet, a small fridge and a bookcase loaded with all sorts of books, and a table and chairs.

  “What is all this, Da?” Bram asked, obviously surprised at the set up of the room.

  “It’s the safe room,” Aaron replied nonchalantly. “I told you about it.”

  “Yeah well, I never pictured it as a bunker,” Bram replied, studying the books on the shelf.

  “I asked you to come see it many times. You never wanted to,” Aaron responded.

  “Yeah, ‘cause I thought i
t was just a safe in a room, not a safe room!” Bram answered. “But thank God it is. Have you seen the damage upstairs, Da?”

  “No, I didn’t want to risk it. I could hear explosions, decided to stay put. The blasts stopped a few hours ago. I guess I fell asleep. I just now woke up when I heard a crash against the door.”

  “That explains why you didn’t answer when I spoke to you,” I said, tapping my forehead, sitting down at the table.

  “Hmm, I didn’t hear you, sorry.”

  “It’s a mess up there, Da,” Bram said joining me at the table.

  “I don’t doubt it, son. I’m just happy that you’re all ok, that’s all that matters.”

  Quinn was shuffling back and forth when Aaron looked over at him. “I bet you’re anxious to get home.”

  “Yeah, I want to make sure everything’s ok.” Quinn ran his hand through his hair, dislodging bits of plaster that floated to the concrete floor.

  “Let’s go see if we can get a car started and get you two back to your families,” Aaron said, leading us to the door.

  We made our way back up the stairs and carefully stepped over the debris. Aaron went to a wall where keys were still hanging. He grabbed a handful, then headed outside. A car lot sat in back of the building with about a dozen cars. Most were destroyed by fallen trees but, incredibly, there was one small compact VW that had somehow managed to avoid getting crushed.

  Aaron opened the door and fumbled with the keys, finally picking the one that turned over the engine. Quinn and I climbed in back and Bram jumped in the front seat beside his father.

  When we pulled up to Quinn’s house we all breathed a sigh of relief. The place looked relatively unharmed in comparison with most of the town. Tree branches were scattered across the lawn and a couple of the front windows were cracked. Mini lakes had formed in and around the yard, but other than that, no damage was visible. I looked over at Quinn, who was craning his neck, checking out his home.

  “Looks good, right?” he asked, turning his head to me.

  I nodded and smiled patting him on the back, “Looks great.”

  Bram stepped out of the car and walked Quinn to the front of the house. Quinn stood at his side and the two chatted for a few seconds non-verbally. Quinn clasped hold of Bram for a quick hug then lowered himself to look through the car’s windshield. He waved and smiled. “Thanks, Aaron. See you soon.”

  He signed “Later” to me, then stepped up to the front door. He barely had his hand on the knob when the door swung open, slammed against him and almost knocked him down. Out bounced Kelleigh. She took hold of Quinn and held onto him for dear life. Quinn rested his head on his sister’s shoulder. Kelleigh’s mouth was moving a mile a minute, which made me smile; I could just imagine all the things she was saying. Soon they were joined by his parents, who took their son and put him in the center of their hug. My heart began aching for Dad.

  “Thank you!” Kelleigh yelled. Aaron stuck his hand out the window and waved. Quinn’s parents nodded their heads toward the car then pulled their son and daughter back into the house, all four of them still wrapped up in each other’s arms.

  I asked Aaron to take me to the hospital, thinking that was the last place I had seen Dad; I felt sure he was still there. Aaron insisted on waiting while I went in through the hospitals entrance. “Just to make sure your dad is still here,” he offered.

  I went into the crowded lobby and was surprised by all the activity. People were standing all around the main desk. Some were in their robes, some in hospital uniforms, and others were dressed in plain clothes. They were all discussing the storm and the damage done by it. I rushed past the crowd, took the elevator to the third floor and headed towards Grandpa’s room. As I walked, my heart began racing, I was so anxious to see Dad and Grandpa.

  I went to Conor’s room and quietly opened the door. I was taken aback when I entered and saw Grandpa’s empty bed with the sheets and blankets all tucked in. I looked around the room and rested my eyes on the corner built-in cabinet that had held all of Grandpa’s get well cards; they were gone. His slippers weren’t beside his bed and his robe no longer hung from the hook on the back of the door. Everything was gone. I thought he must have been moved to another room and headed out the door, bumping into a nurse on her way in.

  “Hi, I’m looking for Conor Whelan. He was in this room. I’m his granddaughter.”

  The nurse stepped past me and laid some blankets on the bed. “Ah, hello, you must be Willow.”

  I nodded my head.

  A concerned look swept across her face as she took hold of my hand. “Your father left here an hour ago, after the storm lightened up. I believe he was heading back to your hotel. Do you have a way to get there?” she asked, sympathy oozing from her voice.

  My throat tightened at her tone. Something had happened, something bad. “Where’s my grandfather? I’d like to see him while I’m here,” I answered, pulling my hand away, suddenly feeling distressed.

  She looked to the bed then back at me. “You should be with your father. Can I help you find a ride?” she asked again, taking hold of my shoulders.

  I stared into her hazel eyes and saw my own reflection there, distorted and blurry. I quickly pulled away and ran to the elevator, pressing the down button as I swallowed hard. Thoughts were racing through my head as I felt the abrupt stop, signaling I had reached the lobby. I raced out past the crowd and stood at the entrance looking to the parking lot, past the downed trees and power lines. My eyes finally caught sight of the little blue VW. It started up and was at the curb in seconds. I jumped in the back seat and rested my head in my hands. Bram reached back to me and took hold of my wrist.

  “Willow, what is it?” he asked worriedly.

  I wasn’t able to look up at him. I held onto my head and asked Aaron to take me to the hotel. Bram jumped in the back seat of the car and grabbed hold of me. I felt myself collapse into his arms and closed my eyes against his chest.

  Bram walked me up the pathway and through the doors of the darkened hotel lobby. A security guard at the front desk shouted hello and waved us ahead to the staircase, explaining the elevator was out.

  Bram had his arm around my waist and I felt comforted by his closeness. Without a word we climbed to the fourth floor and stepped out onto the landing. I walked past the ice machine and flashed for a brief second on the incident that had happened there with the mist. I cleared my head and came back to the present and felt an ache in my stomach. As we approached the door I stopped and grabbed hold of Bram’s arm. He swung around to look me in the face and tilted his head.

  “I’m so worried, Bram,” I sent in mindspeak. “I have a terrible feeling that something has happened to Grandpa.” I felt tears welling up in my eyes. “I think he may have passed away.”

  He furrowed his brow and tightened his lips, empathy washing over him. “Ah, Willow,” he said aloud, pulling me close. I held on, letting myself get lost in the sheer comfort of his arms. After a few minutes I took a deep breath and turned, grasping hold of the doorknob to our room and opened it.

  Bram entered with me and waited at the threshold while I approached the sliding glass doors of the balcony. There, sitting alone, in the coldness of the early morning was my father. He turned his head as he heard the door open and was standing in an instant, facing me. The look on his face spoke more to me than any words could have. I had never seen such sadness in his eyes, such torment. His brow was creased with lines and his cheeks damp from tears. He tilted his head to the side and frowned, the way he would when he was unable to find the right words. It broke my heart.

  I flung myself at him and felt us collapse in each other’s arms. His tears began to flow freely and were washing down my face with a mix of my own. A quiet sobbing arose from my dad as he laid his head on my shoulder. I heard the door close from the other room and glanced back to see that Bram had left us alone. I held onto my father and joined him in his muffled sobs.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

&nbs
p; My eyes opened slowly onto brilliant shades of green and blue as I blinked into focus the rolling hills and azure skies of the Irish landscape. A deep breath filled my nostrils with hypnotic scents ranging from lavender to roses and even to the briny smell of the sea. The sound of crashing waves drew my attention behind me where a cliff jutted out of the Atlantic Ocean’s white-capped grasp. I marveled at the awakening of my senses. No other sound, sight, or smell had ever been quite so intense or magnificent.

  As I returned my attention to the hillside I observed a chestnut-colored mare grazing in the distance. I watched her lower her head and nibble at the long grass growing freely around her. She rose up and looked in my direction. She took a few steps towards me, then stopped and began to eat again. Locked in the calming feel of the scene I stared, hypnotized by the horse and its surroundings.

  I then noticed a person climbing over the hill, approaching the mare. The first thing I saw was the top of a straw hat as it made its way up the rise. When the figure drew closer I saw it was a woman wearing riding pants, a plaid shirt, and a vest. She held her head low, with her hat shading her face, and in her left hand she carried a bucket.

  The breeze danced the soft sound of her voice my way as she spoke to the horse. She pulled a brush out of the bucket and began smoothing the mare’s mane, all the while speaking in a velvety tone. I gazed at the two feeling an inexplicable peacefulness in watching their interaction.

  Soon a man made his way over the hill. He carried a saddle and also wore a straw hat which hid his face. He joined the woman and the horse, and placed the saddle on the horse’s back. He leaned in and kissed the woman, and the two drew closer together in an embrace. Laughter floated through the air. The man held onto the saddle as the woman slid her foot into the stirrup and pulled herself up. The man looked back behind him and whistled. Within a few seconds a young boy dressed in a t-shirt and overalls bounded over the hill, singing to the adults. They all laughed. The man lifted the boy onto the horse, placing him in front of the woman. She wrapped her arms around the boy and kissed the top of his head. The boy looked up to the woman and she then kissed his nose. His laughter filled the air.