by Cara E Holt
Lorcen steps forward and opens the portal. Drustan takes the lead going through and we all follow behind. The cool air of the Irish night hits me and I rub my arms in an attempt to get some warmth in me. Lorcen wraps his arms around my waist giving me the warmth of his chest against my back. Once again my magical friends all use magic to light the area around us.
“So where do we start?” I ask eager to keep moving in the hope of stopping the cold settling in my bones.
Drustan gestures out around us. “We go where you feel drawn to go to.” Like the other night, everyone looks to me expectantly.
“Okay no pressure.” I say out loud. I close my eyes and take a calming breath and try to clear my mind of all the thoughts currently whizzing around in there. For a minute I feel nothing but then my magic starts to tingle deep inside me. My eyes are drawn to my right and I begin to walk in that direction towards the sound of water. As we get nearer I realise we are by a stream. I close my eyes again and when I feel warmer air on my face I open them. I look around me and gasp when I realise I am smack bang in the middle of a battle field. Swords clash and blasts of magic fly past my head. The scent of death fills the air and, sure enough, dead bodies are strewn all over the field around me. Another blast of magic flies past me and narrowly misses my ear. I crouch down in fear. In amongst the many Fae soldiers I spot a large god-like creature who is brandishing a spear in his hands. The spear glows silver and I can sense that the magic coming from the spear is very powerful. I have watched many an epic battle on television but being in the middle of one is more terrifying than you could ever imagine. It was both amazing and terrifying at the same time. The god-like man with the spear aims it high in the air and bellows the words ‘Ibor Yew.’ In response the glowing spear hurtles through the air and lands dead centre in the chest of a large warrior and pins him to the large stone behind him. The owner of the spear holds his hand out and open and shouts ‘Athibar’. The spear that is held in the dead man’s chest glows brighter but does not move. He shouts again only this time louder and more forcefully ‘Athibar!’and this time the spear leaves the man’s chests and hurtles backwards back into the palm of its master.
“The spear of Lugh.” I whisper to myself in amazement. At the sound of my voice the holder of the spear turns and his eyes lock onto mine. How he heard me across a noisy battle field I have no idea.
“Mo Fuil. What you seek is not here.” He tells me from across the field. Before I can respond to him the wind whips around me and the air changes and I realise I am back in the present time. My eyes look to the stone structure over to my left and I walk up to it and bend to examine it. Sure enough there is a dent in the stone right about where the spear would have impaled the doomed warrior.
“What does ‘Mo Fuil’ mean?”
“It means my blood.” Lorcen says from behind me.
I look up over at Drustan from where I am crouched down. “It isn’t here. None of the treasures are here anymore.” In response Drustan simply nods and walks back down the field to where the portal waits for us.
“You okay love?” Lorcen asks me touching my shoulder.
I nod and smile. “I saw Lugh with his spear. How freaking cool is that?”
“We are looking at this wrong.” Drustan announces as he strokes his beard and looks deep in thought.
“How many more possible sites do we have to explore yet?” Blaine asks him sounding a frustrated as the rest of us all feel.
“One maybe two.”
Chapter Six.
I wake early the next day with my dreams playing on my mind. He was in my dreams again last night. The demon with the intense dark eyes and all his strange tattoos. In the dream last night I was in a meadow of wild flowers. Flowers of every colour filled the area. A flower appeared at the side of my face as he leaned into my ear from behind me and spoke in his dark and hypnotic voice.
“A flower for my little flower.”
“I’m not your flower.” I tell him shakily not turning around to meet his dark eyes.
“We’ll see.” He replies confidently and he walks around to stand before me. He is wearing an expensive black suit and a crisp white shirt with the top two buttons undone giving a glimpse of the tattoos on his chest. He oozes power and dominance. “Tell me your name flower.”
He offers me the pretty yellow flower and I take it from him carefully and try and avoid any skin on skin contact.
“Grace.” I tell him and it isn’t a complete lie. Grace is my middle name. “You shouldn’t be in my dreams.”
He smiles a wickedly beautiful smile. “And yet here I am.”
Folding my arms I frown at him. “Why are you here?”
He rubs his chin with his hand as if contemplating my question. He takes a step closer invading my personal space and I feel his dark eyes upon me. “You intrigue me. I want you.” His honesty throws me off.
“Well I’m not available.” I tell him attempting to make my voice sound firm but I know it sounds anything but.
He laughs then. “Neither am I gorgeous. I am betrothed to someone I have never met.”
I snigger. “Betrothed. What century are you from?”
His eyes darken but then he smiles, one eyebrow raised. “And she mocks me.” He seems to be saying this more to himself than to me.
He looks over his shoulder and sighs. “Duty calls flower.” He starts to walk backwards keeping his eyes on mine. “I’ll be seeing you soon.” His voice is thick with promise.
Arms snake around my waist pulling me from my thoughts and I turn in Lorcen’s arms and face him.
“Morning gorgeous.”
Lorcen has sexy bed hair and sleepy eyes. He’s so damn beautiful and here I am sharing my dreams with a male stranger. I wrap my arms around his neck and inhale his scent.
“Promise me nothing will ever take away what we have.”
Lorcen pulls back slightly to look at my face. “You okay?”
“Just promise me please.” I plead.
He leans in. “I.” He drops a kiss on my lips. “Promise.” He drops another kiss there making me smile.
“Can we spend the day together, you know do something fun?”
Lorcen twists a lock of my hair around his finger. “You know you can tell me anything Ebs, right?”
“I know.”
“So what would my girl like to do today?” He rolls us over so I am lying on top of him.
I bite my lip while I think. “Take me somewhere that is important to you.”
Lorcen gives me a big smile. “I know just the place.”
An hour later after we have eaten and showered and dressed we stand before the portal in our home.
“So are you going to tell me where we are going?”
He grins in response and shakes his head. “You’ll find out soon enough.” Lorcen takes my hand in his and leads us into the portal. On the other side we are standing in a green field and around us are nothing but hills and grass. Flowers of every colour bloom and the trees are green and tall.
“Welcome Ebony.” Voices whisper and I gasp and look around me but fail to see anyone.
“Who said that?” I ask out loud. “Someone said welcome to me.”
Lorcen grins and points to the flowers. “I forget sometimes that you have all the four elements of magic. The flowers are greeting you.”
I look around me in wonder and then remember when I was with Blaine in the seelie court and I had learnt that I could hear the flowers talk. I was struck dumb then and still am now. “Try it, say hello.” Lorcen suggests encouragingly.
So feeling a bit of an idiot I do. “Erm, hello flowers.”
“We welcome you here princess.” They reply and their voices are like a melodic whisper in the wind.
“Wow.” I state. “I am talking to the fucking flowers, how crazy is that!”
Lorcen gestures over to the trees. “They can hear and talk with you to.”
I look at him eyebrows raised. “Seriously?” He nods. “This
is just the coolest thing ever. I feel like I’m in Narnia. Please tell me there are no talking lions round here.”
Lorcen laughs and takes my hand in his. “Come on. I have someone very special I want you to meet.”
We walk through the meadow and a beautiful large Georgian style house comes into view. It is painted a sage green colour and cute wooden shutters frame all the windows.
“Why isn’t it snowing here?” I ask as I suddenly realise that if we were in the unseelie court then surely the ground should be thick with snow. This is the autumn land, part of the unseelie court.
I look at him in amazement. “You mean it is always autumn here?” and I get a nod in reply. “I Love autumn.”
As we near the house the main door opens and a plump lady stands there. Her hair is pulled back into a bun and she smiles excitedly. “Well, well if it isn’t my favourite prince. Come on hurry over and let me get a look at you boy.”
Lorcen releases my hand and rushes over to her and lifts her up and swings her around in his arms. “Have you missed me Effie?”
She looks at him tenderly and pats his cheek. “Silly question my boy. Of course we have.”
Her eyes land on me then and her smile widens. Lorcen sets her down on her feet and steps to the side so she can get a good look at me. I blush and smile. “Hi.”
“Well come here my dear. Let’s get a good look at you sweetie.” I move nearer and she pulls me into a hug. I give Lorcen a questioning look, dying to know who this larger than life woman is to him.
“Ebony this is Effie. Effie was my nanny as a child.”
She claps her hands together. “I never thought I’d see the day. My little Lorcen’s mate.” She looks me over, the smile never leaving her face. “You got yourself a beauty here boy and a good soul too, I can feel it.”
“Is she home?” Lorcen asks her and gestures with his head towards the inside of the house.
Effie nods and wipes her hands on her apron. “She is indeed. She’s in her study.”
I follow Lorcen inside and the house is as lovely and welcoming on the inside as it is on the outside. The walls are painted in light airy colours and painted furniture adorns the hallway. Lorcen leads us into a room off the hallway and the first thing I note is the books stacked upon shelf after shelf. Sitting at a large desk is an older lady with plaited silver hair that falls down her body to her waist. She looks up from her writing and two astute eyes rest on us.
“I wondered when you two would come to visit.” She holds out her arms. “Well come on then.”
Lorcen moves round the side of the desk and leans down and lets her cuddle him. “Hello Grand mammy.”
“You’re looking well my boy.” She tells him as she holds his face in her hands. “I have no doubt this young lady has something to do with it.”
Lorcen smiles and then winks at me. “You’d be right there grand mammy.”
“Well.” She says beckoning me forward. “Come closer, I won’t bite. Let me get a good look at you.”
I blush and move forward and she take my hand and pulls me so that I am bent with my face before hers. “Beautiful eyes.” She comments as she shrewdly takes in my features. “Descended from the ancients too.” She turns my face from side to side. “You’ll give my boy here fine sons and daughters.”
Lorcen laughs from behind us. “Grand mammy! She’s not a brood mare.”
She tuts in response. “I know that. Has she lost her tongue?”
“Hi.” I say shyly.
“Ah there we go. Hello young lady.” She pats my cheek and then releases my arm letting me stand straight. Lorcen pulls out a chair for me on the other side of the desk and I take the seat and he sits beside me.
She is immaculately dressed, wearing a purple velvet dress that frames her petite figure. She wags a finger at Lorcen. “You’ve been neglecting your grand mammy boy. It’s been at least two months since you last visited.”
Lorcen winks at her. “I know. I’m sorry but there has been a lot going on.”
She tuts in response. “Yes, I have heard all about what that brother of yours has been up to. Mark my words, if I get my hands on him, he’ll wish he’d never been born.” She shakes a fist in the air and although she may be old I sure wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of her. “I always said there was something odd with that boy. He always had a look on his face like he was plotting something.”
I like this woman. She is feisty and I can tell she takes no nonsense. What you see is what you get with this lady.
“So young lady tell me why you have my grandson living in the human realm?” she leans closer over the desk waiting for my answer and I open my mouth to reply but close it when I realise I don’t know how to answer. “I erm, well I want to finish school.”
She ponders my answer and then smiles. “Well education is important. We can’t have a fool on the throne beside my grandson.”
Lorcen coughs. “Be nice grand mammy.” He tells her and give my hand a squeeze of reassurance.
She smiles. “I’ve been on this soil over two hundred and fifty years and I will say what I think.” My mouth falls open at her age. “Close her mouth Lorcen. She’ll end up swallowing a fire fly.”
At this I snap my mouth closed and look at Lorcen. “How long do Fae live exactly?”
“Most live around three hundred to three hundred and thirty years.”
“Well I’ll be damned.” I say in amazement. I frown as a thought hits me. “Will I live that long though? I am not full fae.”
From the look on Lorcen’s face I can tell he hasn’t, like me, considered this question before now. Lorcen’s grandma laughs making us both look at her. “Well with your blood line my dear you will be immortal. Both demons and Tuatha are immortal beings.”
My mouth falls open again, which seems to be happening a lot lately. “So wait, you’re telling me I won’t die or age?” She nods in response. My face falls then as I look at Lorcen and a realisation hits me sharp in the chest. I will never age but he will. He will eventually grow old and die and I won’t. I see this realisation cross his mind as his smile drops. Tears form in my eyes. I’ll have to watch the boy I love, grow old and die and leave me behind. “You’ll age and I won’t.” My voice is thick with devastation.
“Ah take that sad look off your face my dear.” She tells me firmly. “By bonding to you my boy here has become immortal too.”
My eyes shoot up and meet hers and a flicker of hope burns inside me. I see Lorcen sit up straighter from the corner of my eye. “Come again grand mammy?”
His grand mammy sighs and flicks her finger causing a book to float down from one of the top shelves and land on the desk before her. She uses her magic to flick through the pages until she finds the page she was looking for and then moves the book over to us.
“Read there, top of that page. It tells you that anyone who marries a Tuatha took on their immortality at the point of the bonding ceremony.” Lorcen looks at me in amazement.
“So we’ll both live together forever?” I laugh under my breath and they both look at me, so I feel I need to explain. “I’m sure that is a song lyric.”
Lorcen grand mammy smiles. “Yes so let’s hope you never get sick of each other hey!” She claps her hands. “Effie! Fetch in some tea and saffron cakes.”
“No saffron cakes.” Lorcen tells her smiling and shaking his head. “Ebony hasn’t had them before.”
His grand mammy chuckles. “Then she doesn’t know what she is missing. You need to taste these little delights my dear.” She winks. “They give you a bit of a kick, shall we say.”
Lorcen laughs heartily. “Grand mammy are you trying to corrupt my mate?”
She grins and winks at me. Her green eyes twinkle with humour. “Indeed I am.” I return her smile. I really do like this woman.
An hour later my belly is full from the cakes and sore from the laughter. I’d had two saffron cakes and well I knew what she meant about them giving a ‘kick’. I was feeling
very awake and giddy. Lorcen’s grand mammy had delighted me with tales of her life, from the time she had fought with her future mate during a royal ball to when she duelled with a troll. I was sad when Lorcen announced it was time for us to leave. His grand mammy pulled me in for a hug.
“I like you my girl. You’ll keep him on his toes and that’s what he needs. Much nicer than that sour faced viper that used to dig her claws in him. What was her name again? Nersy?” I laugh as I realise who she is talking about and Lorcen can’t help but grin.
“Nerys.”
“Nerys.” She scowls as she says her name. “Even her name sounds like a nasty fae disease.” I can’t help but laugh out loud at this and hold my belly laughing. “You come and see me again soon you hear. Ebony come on your own next time and I’ll tell you lots of fun stories about this one here.” She winks and gestures to Lorcen who groans and hold his head in his hands.
“What have I done bringing you two together.”
She pulls me in for a hug. “I’ve had a great time today. Thank you for the tea and those cakes.”
She hugs me tighter and leans into my ear. “I’ve had Effie put a few of those cakes in your bag.” She taps her nose as if to let me know it’s our secret and I grin and wink in response.
We portal back home to Weston and make an appearance at my parent’s home so that Scott doesn’t get suspicious as to why I am not around very often. As we walk into the kitchen I pause in my steps, causing Lorcen to bang into my back. Blaine sits there, with Nicole sitting beside him at the kitchen island. I’m also surprised but delighted to see Taylor is here too. Scott looks up and smiles when he sees us. “Hey Ebs. You were up and out early today.”
I nod and rest my elbows on the island. Lorcen comes up beside me and sits down. “Lorcen took me to meet his grandma today.”
Scott looks surprised and looks at Lorcen. “Taking her to meet the family huh. Must be serious.” I cough and give Scott a warning look. My brother has always taken great joy in embarrassing me in front of boys.
