I felt my jaw go slack with horror. Enorah only met me with neutral eyes. Damn. Talk about a no-nonsense answer to my question. Lifting my other arm, I finally managed to place my palm against my forehead. It still hurt, and I cringed at the raw marks on my wrist, but at least I could give myself the illusion of shooing away my headache. It also gave me a chance to play Enorah’s words over again in my mind. Mikael and his sister had tried to sacrifice me. They had kidnapped me and brought me to.
My hand dropped and the blood drained from my face. Had Enorah said earlier that I was in the Weald? Wasn’t that the forest in the Otherworld where Devlin lived?
Enorah must have become aware of my confusion because she sat up straighter, her expression adopting a look of patience.
“The Weald?” I squeaked. “Did you say I was in the Weald, the one in the Otherworld? As in Eile, the place mortals can’t visit?”
Enorah seemed amused because all she did was smile and nod.
Holy. Crap. I flounced back against my pillows as the shock washed over me.
“Well, if that’s true then I must be…”
I let my words trail off.
“Of Faelorehn descent, yes, but we believe you are most likely Lorehnin. Not full-blooded Faelorehn, yet with enough of our blood in your veins that you can cross into our world.”
“Like Devlin,” I murmured, trying to encourage all of my simmering emotions to settle down. I had been nearly murdered, had been sure I was dead, and was just now learning that I was Lorehnin. It was almost too much for even me to deal with.
“I wouldn’t say that,” Enorah added with some humor. “But yes, you most likely had one Faelorehn parent and one human parent.”
Silence descended upon us for several moments, and I had to give Enorah credit. She understood the astonishment I was experiencing and was kind enough to let me deal with it on my own.
After a while, a memory of my ordeal surfaced, a recollection of numb fingers and an odd, violet light surrounding me. The same sensation that had zapped me the night the faelah attacked and the time Mikael had kissed me.
“So that strange, purple electricity I saw when Mikael―”
“Yes,” Enorah said quickly, cutting me short. “I believe that was your own glamour. That’s what the two of them were after.”
I blinked stupidly at her. I conjured up an image of Devlin’s own power, soft and yellow and non-violent, the opposite of what mine seemed to be. Clearing my throat, I asked, “Do any other Lorehnin men and women have glamour like that?”
Now the light, friendly look on Enorah’s face faded, and she glanced at me with hooded eyes. “Not that I’m aware of,” she admitted. “And I’m guessing this is why Devlin didn’t recognize you for what you were when you first met. That and the fact that your glamour was so faded after spending years in the mortal world.”
Wonderful. Another mystery to keep my mind on that hamster wheel. But at least it explained Devlin’s failure to properly place my magic. And then the scene from the time I’d spent between life and death popped into my head.
“My mother,” I whispered, more to myself than anyone else.
“Pardon?” Enorah queried, sitting up straighter in the chair and leaning closer.
I blinked up at her, my eyes suddenly feeling misty.
“I saw my mother, when I was…” I swallowed hard, finding it difficult to put into words what had been a reality not too long ago. “When I was dying,” I managed. “She was Faelorehn, wasn’t she?”
Enorah’s eyes held sympathy but she shook her head. “I don’t know. We are just now learning about this, along with you.”
I nodded and lowered my head, a sudden twinge in the knife wound in my chest giving protest.
“I have a feeling she was. She had a tattoo, just like mine.”
I stretched my arm out for Enorah to see.
“Ah, yes, Devlin spoke about it the last time he was here. He said it looked familiar and I have to agree with him now that I see it.”
“But you’re not sure where you’ve seen it,” I offered.
The tall woman shook her head. “It will come to me eventually. What is important now is that you are safe and free of the Daramorr’s clutches.”
A shiver of dread coursed over me.
“Is that where Devlin is?”
“No.”
Enorah adopted a strange look, one that made me focus on her more intently.
“He had to report to the queen. Let her know that the Daramorr and his sister got away.”
I felt my jaw fall open, and I stared at her. No way. How could Mikael and Moira have gotten away? They had been on some power high during that strange ritual and were so intensely focused on ending me that a kindergartener could have taken them out. How could Devlin have let them get away?
“But, he can still track them, right?” I rasped.
Enorah shook her head once more. “Not with the amount of glamour they were able to pull from you. They are probably a thousand or more miles away, perhaps in some other realm besides Eile or the mortal world. They will not show their faces again for a long time, I’m afraid. Whatever special element your glamour possesses will help them hide and fight off anyone or anything that tries to capture them, even Devlin.”
I groaned and rubbed my face, hissing when my wound reminded me of my helplessness.
“This is my fault,” I moaned. “I should have been more careful. I should have left as soon as I dropped Devlin off at the dolmarehn. Had I just stayed in the car, Mikael and Moira might not have moved in to take me.”
“Robyn,” Enorah said, her voice sharper than it had been earlier. “You are not to blame. If you had driven home, they just would have gone to your apartment. They were ready to act, and nothing you could have done would have prevented them from doing so.”
I swallowed back my misery and asked the question I was afraid to ask.
“Did Devlin lose his castle then?”
Enorah’s slight grimace was answer enough. I released a deep sigh and contemplated disappearing for a hundred years or so.
I was so lost in my guilt that Enorah’s hand on my shoulder startled me.
“Robyn, look at me.”
I didn’t want to. Like the stubborn little girl from my memory, I was determined to wallow in my melancholy by myself. No help needed from anyone else.
“Robyn,” Enorah pressed, her tone firm.
Dang it. I couldn’t resist a Faelorehn warrior woman demanding my attention, no matter how headstrong I was.
When I glanced up, kind green eyes met mine. She smiled, her expression a little sad, but pleasant as well.
“There is nothing Devlin did that he wouldn’t do again. He knew that barging in on their ritual could mean losing them, but he did it anyway. You are far more important to him than a run-down castle.”
I wanted to deny it, to tell her that she was wrong. “What about his brother?” I whispered.
Enorah sat back at that, her eyes now wide.
“Rhyne? What about him?”
I took a heavy breath and released it. “Devlin said his brother needed a distraction to keep him out of trouble. He worked so hard for the both of them, and to lose it all in the blink of an eye?”
Enorah barked out a laugh, and I furrowed my brow at her. I didn’t see what was so funny.
“Oh, Rhyne is a big boy, and he can take care of himself. Besides, both of them will always have a home here in the Weald if they want it.”
“Still doesn’t mean he should have made that sacrifice,” I grumbled. Having a miniature, subdued hissy fit after almost dying was totally acceptable for a woman of my age.
Enorah sobered right away. “Do you regret his decision? Would you rather now be dead?”
I gave her an acerbic look. Of course I didn’t regret his decision, I only felt terrible that it had meant pulling out of the race only inches away from the finish line.
Enorah sat and studied me for a few moments as I tried my
best to seem insignificant. The trauma of my near-death experience was dominating my consciousness, but there was so much more to consider as well: learning I was Lorehnin; waking up in the Otherworld with some Amazon warrior to keep me company and explain everything that had happened to me; sorting out my feelings concerning Devlin. It was going to take me awhile to process everything.
Enorah must have known of my internal struggle because she leaned in again, her elbows resting on her knees. Without looking at me she said in a soft voice, “That’s not all that Devlin sacrificed.”
That got my attention. I looked at her, practically holding my breath as I waited for her to continue.
“I’m telling you this now because I know Devlin never will and because I think he has come to mean something to you.”
She paused and looked up, making sure I was following her.
“A few years back Devlin, my brother and I, along with Devlin’s brother and one other, were called to the east to deal with a threat. Cernunnos asked us specifically and promised us each a favor should we complete our task to his satisfaction. A favor from someone like Cernunnos is a once-in-a-lifetime gift and not to be wasted on anything trivial.”
I couldn’t quite see where this was going, but I nodded when Enorah gave me a look of inquiry.
She took a deep breath before continuing. “Devlin tracked you to that cave, alone, because he didn’t have time to return to the Weald and ask for help. He went in knowing that he was going to face the Daramorr and his equally powerful sister. But he knew that if he didn’t, you would die.”
I opened my mouth to say something, not quite sure what, but she held up a hand and kept talking.
“When Mikael’s knife dropped and pierced your skin, Devlin was sure you were dead, or would soon be so, and there was enough raw glamour swirling around the cavern to knock out a large horse. Somehow he managed to make it to your side and get you free.”
“And just how did he do that? With Mikael and Moira, and their spirit guides, standing by?”
I needed to say something because listening to this story was making me antsy. Besides, there were so many questions I had, and Devlin wasn’t here to answer them for me.
Enorah looked up at me, the green in her eyes fading to grey, and smiled.
“There is a phenomenon that happens with people of the Otherworld sometimes. When emotions run high, our glamour can amplify, and oftentimes we can pour our own magic into others. I’ve seen it happen before. I think this is what happened with Devlin. Seeing you in the state you were in, imagining you had drawn your last breath, sent him over the edge. He may be Lorehnin, but his glamour is strong.”
“Yet they got away,” I said in a dejected voice. They got away and Devlin lost his castle.
“Well, not that easily,” Enorah admitted. “Mikael and Moira resisted at first, and Devlin managed to do a little damage before the two of them escaped.”
I regarded her with a raised eyebrow.
“From what I understand, he was attempting to behead Mikael when his sister shoved him out of the way, taking the brunt of the strike. Nearly took off her ear and left a nice deep cut across her face. That’s about when Mikael released a torrent of glamour that threw Devlin against the wall.”
I opened my mouth to ask if he was okay, but paused when Enorah held up a hand.
“He’s fine, but that’s why the fight ended there and why the Daramorr and his sister were able to slink away. Devlin and I suspect Mikael may have used a good portion of your stolen glamour to create that blast.”
I shook my head in disgust. “All that energy and senseless waste of life, just to let go of all that they had worked for.”
Enorah shrugged. “The Daramorr and his sister haven’t grown so powerful by being stupid. They knew what would happen should Devlin forget about his fear for you and notice them, and they have grown accustomed to waiting for what they want. Besides, I have no way of telling if it was your glamour or his own that he used against Devlin. I wasn’t there, and Devlin was too distracted to take the time to look closely at it.”
I released a heavy sigh and turned my head to the side. Okay, that didn’t hurt as bad as I expected. There was a window set in the wall across the room, and I tried to peer through it. The curtains were sheer so I could still see the trees beyond. The Otherworld. Eile. For a moment, I forgot about Devlin and his foolish sacrifice and thought about everything Enorah had told me. I was Lorehnin, born of one Faelorehn parent and one mortal parent. And I could pass into the Otherworld. A bubble of happiness welled up, and I wanted so badly to let it consume me, but too many bad memories and thoughts still occupied my mind. When I get over this ordeal, I’m going to explore every inch of this place, I thought. Oh, if only the high school version of myself had known what was in store for my future.
Only when Enorah began speaking again did I realize she’d never finished her story.
“And so after that sloppy confrontation, Devlin had you, but you were bleeding badly, and he had no idea how much time you had left. If Rhyne had been with him, he might have been able to save you. Rhyne’s glamour can heal people, even those gravely wounded. But Devlin was alone. Fortunately, the cavern where the Daramorr had taken you was right on the edge of the Weald, and he knew a few shortcuts to the Tree of Life.”
“The Tree of Life?” I interrupted, turning my attention back on the Faelorehn woman. “You mean the Celtic Tree of Life, the one in all of the myths?”
Enorah smiled softly and nodded her head.
“The very one. Cernunnos can sometimes be summoned if you visit the place where the tree grows, so Devlin headed in that direction. It took him over an hour to get there. He never stopped to rest, so by then, he was mentally and physically exhausted.”
I lowered my eyes and carefully crossed my arms over my chest, noticing exactly what I was wearing for the first time. Some old-fashioned nightgown or shirt, like the ones Devlin wore from the Otherworld. At least I’m not still naked, I mused.
“This story sounds a little embellished,” I grumbled, returning to the conversation.
“It’s not,” Enorah insisted. “Well, not much at least.”
I snorted a small laugh and gave her a wry grin.
Ignoring my doubt, she picked up her tale once again. “After he made it to his destination, Devlin began shouting at the top of his lungs, begging for an audience with the god of the wild. You understand, Cernunnos is one of the Tuatha De. His glamour is much more vast than that which we common Faelorehn possess.”
I suddenly remembered a detail she had shared earlier, and I sucked in a breath of astonishment. Finally, it was beginning to make sense. In a quiet voice, I murmured, “And he owed Devlin a favor.”
For several bone-tingling seconds I was speechless, my mind trying to wrap itself around everything Enorah had said. I had been god knows how close to death, perhaps I even had been dead, but Devlin had used his favor to keep me alive. My throat tightened, and I felt tears form in my eyes. Ah, hell, I was going to cry in front of Enorah. Wouldn’t that be lovely? Me, who as of a few months ago never showed my softer side, was going to break down right here, in this strange place, in this ridiculous nightshirt.
Sniffling back my emotion, I glanced up at the other woman. Enorah didn’t look at me with pity or shame or humor. No, that was some other sentiment lingering in her eyes. Fascination? Pride? Wonder? Ha! Yes, because a small, bristly, barely alive college girl, who was moments away from bursting into tears, was the kind of person you looked up to.
“Yes,” she finally said, her voice soft, “Cernunnos owed Devlin a favor, and he claimed it that night by asking the god of the wild to restore your life.”
I had come to that conclusion already but hearing it from Enorah only made it more real. Somehow, I managed to keep my composure, but just barely.
“So you see, Devlin does not think you are unworthy, Robyn Dunbarre. The fact that he used his favor to save your life is very telling. And the fact that
you have been the one to move him in such a way should be so as well.”
I dropped my gaze but said, “He’s always come off that way to me. At least in the short time I’ve known him. The first time we met, he was taking a stand against a group of men who were harassing me.”
I gave her a smirk, my old, spunky self surfacing once again. “I like to think I would have been able to handle the situation on my own, but it was still kind of charming having him show up in all his Otherworldly glory. In fact, my first thought was that he was a lunatic. He scared me more than those men did.”
Enorah surprised me by laughing out loud. “Have you told him this?”
I shook my head, the tears finally subsiding for good, and I beamed at her. “Wouldn’t want to dent his pride.”
She chuckled and dropped her head before standing up.
“Well, I’ve said enough for one day. I’ll leave you to think on my words, and if you’re feeling up to it, I can have someone escort you home either today or tomorrow. Unfortunately, Devlin will likely be gone for a week or more while dealing with the queen, or else I’d invite you to stay longer. I’m sure you have a life waiting for you back in the mortal world … and some explaining to do concerning your sudden absence.”
I flinched at that. Yes, having been gone for two days without leaving word, especially since my car was probably still parked on the side of the road near the hiking trail, would draw notice. Oh boy. At least I still had another day or so before I was due for my next shift at work.
“Then I’d better leave right now,” I said.
Pressing my hands beside me, I moved to stand up, gasping and falling back into the bed as soon as I did so. Ow. My knife wound was deeper than I’d thought.
Enorah was at my side in an instant. “Be careful! Rhyne has done what he could with you, but you need rest.”
Gritting my teeth, I spat out, “If I don’t get home as soon as possible and prove to my friends that I’m not lying murdered in a ditch somewhere, there could be some serious repercussions. It will be hard enough hiding the knife wound and the abrasions on my wrists.”
Lorehnin: A Novel of the Otherworld Page 27
