Terran Realm Vol 1-6

by Dee, Bonnie

  He smiled in anticipation, lost in a world where he had ultimate power. The phone’s shrill ring roused him from his dreams.

  “Yes? Gabe. I was just about to… She’s been found? Who? Professor Clark. He found her hiding in the Warrior Cave, you say? She can’t remember a thing that happened to her? Really? I’d love to have you both come as my guests for dinner this evening to celebrate. Still in shock? Let me send my personal physician… No need? Why of course. No thanks necessary. A brief visit? Naturally you don’t wish to leave your lovely wife alone too long. I’ll expect you at one. And yes, it surely is a miracle. Until then.”

  Nolen hung up the phone carefully when what he really felt like doing was smashing it against the wall. Being found in Dagda’s Cave explained why Dubhanam hadn’t sensed her essence; the cave could have masked it. He supposed she might have found some niche and passed out. Less likely was her not remembering her abduction by the warriors. He knew they were involved. People didn’t just wander away and lose their memory. There was no way to disprove anything the American had told him and no reason that he would lie. Still, when he arrived later on, he would use his Speaker abilities and interrogate him.

  Nolen frowned. Things were not going as planned.

  * * * *

  “He accepted my coming to the manor.” Gabe shook his head. “I don’t think he believed our story, Bridge.”

  He sat by the phone in the parlor, his hand lingering on the receiver. Through the open bedroom door he saw Brigid sitting on the side of the bed, still wearing the gown given to her by Dagda. They’d arrived back at the cottage and for the few hours before dawn, they had tried to relax.

  He wanted to make love with her, but when he attempted to hold her, she lay unyielding in his arms. Finally, she relaxed. Her eyes closed and her body sagged with fatigue. He lay awake, his eyes staring, unseeing as he tried to come to grips with everything that had happened so far.

  Now, she slipped off her sandals and he watched as she rubbed her slim feet and flexed her ankles. She moved barefoot to the door.

  “He can’t refute it, though. Not if he doesn’t want to give himself away.”

  Gabe nodded. “I’ll call Macklin and tell him you’ve been found and can’t remember anything.”

  “Good idea. I wonder how he’ll take the news.” Brigid went back into the bedroom and examined her gown. She wrinkled her nose then called back to Gabe. “I think I’ll take a shower and change into some regular clothes. Just in case we get any unexpected visitors.”

  Gabe put down the receiver, sauntered into the bedroom and hesitated at the door. “Bridge, about last night. We didn’t talk about…”

  “And we won’t. Gabe, I love you. You’re my husband. That hasn’t changed. That’s all that matters. We have other more important concerns to talk about.”

  And Gabe knew that would be it.

  He fixed his gaze on her as she stripped off her gown, tossing it onto the bed and revealing the blood circle that gleamed on her skin. “Bridge, what is that design between your breasts?”

  “It’s in memory of the twelve Protectors in the cave. I won’t wash it off until I avenge their deaths. Go ahead and call Macklin. I won’t be long.”

  The bathroom door shut and Gabe heard the lock click. He sighed. Brigid would never have locked the door before all this. Things had changed. Would they ever return to the way they used to be? He shrugged. Living as long as he had, patience was mandatory. For now, there were tasks needing to be done. He closed the bedroom door firmly, picked up the phone and got the desk to connect him to an outside line.

  Time to set Sergeant Macklin’s mind at ease.

  * * * *

  Brigid let the water sluice over her back. The blood design wouldn’t come off if she was careful. She closed her eyes and tipped back her head. She ran soapy hands over her breasts and thought of other hands caressing her—Ethan’s hands. His gentle, callused fingers kneading her flesh. Her fingers touched the mark Gabe had left on her neck and her heart ached. She loved him.

  She loved Ethan. Each time she thought of him, spoke to him, touched him, she wanted him. She could feel his very mouth on her breasts, suckling them. His fingers plucked her nipple like they plucked the strings of his harp. Her breasts ached for his touch.

  Her breasts.

  She touched the marks between her breasts again, reminded of her vows. She couldn’t deal with her feelings now. She stepped out of the shower.

  Time to face the music.

  * * * *

  “There’s all the paperwork, Macklin. We’ll just load the body and take it from here.” Gortham thrust out the clipboard holding several blank pages for the sergeant’s signature.

  “Let’s see now. Where should I sign?”

  “Here.” Gortham pointed to the bottom of the top blank sheet, then flipped several pages and indicated the middle of another plain piece of paper. “And here.” He separated a few sheets and offered them to the garda officer. “There we are. For your records.”

  “Do you need any help with the body?”

  “No, no. We should be able to handle it. Good day to you.”

  With a finger salute to his cap, Gortham turned to the wheeled stretcher and, guided by Mrs. Scathan, pulled it to the estate van. In a matter of moments they were loaded up and on their way. As they pulled away from the station, Gortham and Mrs. Scathan smiled at each other. The spell had worked perfectly. Macklin was none the wiser and the Grove would be fed.

  *

  The phone was ringing as Macklin entered the station. He dived for it, almost knocking the cordless phone off its cradle and onto the floor.

  “Mr. Kawsantower? No! Where did Lord Nolen find her? He didn’t? Professor Clark did. Why that’s wonderful news, wonderful! And the men who abducted her, what happened to them? She can’t remember? Amnesia? Too bad. It will be difficult to find them without a description. Why don’t I come around and see if I can jog her memory a bit? Around eleven? Fine, See you then.”

  Macklin hung up the phone, a pleased smile on his face. Well, there was a happy ending. At least the woman was safe. Perhaps she’d remember something after he talked with her.

  He wondered if Lord Nolen knew? Perhaps he’d better call.

  He was sure he’d be pleased.

  * * * *

  Gabe turned to Brigid and sighed. “Do you really think it’s safe for Macklin to speak with you, Bridge?”

  “I don’t think there’ll be any problem. He’s expecting an average, female American tourist. I’ll just act the part. When he sees that my head contains nothing but air, he’ll be on his way fast.”

  Gabe nodded. “When Macklin leaves, I’ll go on to Nolen’s home and snoop while you and Ethan explore the property.” He paused and grasped her hands. “Be careful.”

  “I’ll be fine. Remember, I’m a Terran.”

  “Yeah, and Nolen’s a Speaker and a powerful Destroyer.”

  “Ethan will be with me. He’s stronger than Nolen.”

  Gabe frowned. “Just don’t get cocky. You’re both still learning how to use your abilities.”

  “Let’s take care of Macklin first and see if he’ll believe my story.”

  * * * *

  Sergeant Macklin sat at the parlor table gingerly sipping the glass of lemonade Brigid had poured for him. It had been an interesting hour.

  His happiness at seeing her alive and well had been unfeigned. But he was now on his third glass of lemonade and seemingly content to sit and ogle Brigid each time she reached to pour another glass.

  Gabe cleared his throat for the third time. “Er, who’s holding down the fort?”

  “Holding down… Oh, the station? Brady, my second in command.” Macklin looked at his watch in surprise. “Oh, my, ‘tis late.” He rose. “Well, Brigid, as long as you say you’re all right…”

  “Oh, I’m fine. Just a little bump. Next time I’ll remember to take my cell phone with me.”

  Macklin nodded. “Wonderful things,
cell phones.” He placed his garda cap on his head and positioned it with care. “Stay safe and have a grand time.”

  He about-faced with military precision and left the cottage.

  “There, he’s finally gone.” Brigid shook her head. “He sure has the gift of the blarney.”

  “You mean he talks a blue streak.”

  “That, too.”

  An awkward silence fell between them, like nothing they’d experienced before. Brigid broke it first. “You have to leave now.”

  “I know. Brigid, please be careful.”

  “I told you, I will. You take care, too.” She paused. “We’ll meet back here and then go to the campsite.”

  “Right.” He chuckled. “Shall we synchronize our watches?”

  Brigid giggled, then sobered. “Whoever gets back first will just have to wait.” She paused. “Stay safe, Gabe.”

  “And you, darling.”

  He grabbed the car keys and left through the front door while Brigid shoved her phone in her jeans pocket, picked up her bow and quiver and headed out the back.

  Ethan was waiting, leaning negligently against one of the birches near the back door.

  She smiled in welcome. “You’re right on time. Gabe just left.”

  She moved toward him, her hands outstretched. He grasped them, twining his fingers with hers. He took in her jeans and sky-blue T-shirt. And the bow and quiver slung over her back. “I see you ditched the gown.”

  “Too grungy. And difficult to maneuver in. Are you ready?”

  “Yes.” Gabe dropped her hands and shoved his in his pockets, away from temptation.

  “It will take us a while to hike to Nolen’s property.” Brigid bent and retied a sneaker that didn’t need tying, trying to tamp down her reaction just from holding Ethan’s hands.

  “There’s an easier way, you know. You can simply transform into motes of sun. And I can become the whisper of the wind. I’ve dredged up memories of us doing this.”

  Brigid looked uncertainly at him. “Can I do that? Would I need to be…” She gestured to her clothes.

  “Naked? Unclothed? Sky clad?”

  She smiled at his teasing.

  “My sweet love, it’s not necessary. Whatever touches your satin-smooth skin will be affected by the transformation. Not that I wouldn’t relish the opportunity to see you naked again.” He grinned mischievously. “After all, it’s been over three thousand years.”

  Brigid sighed. “I thought we weren’t going to talk about…”

  Ethan’s mouth thinned. “Right.”

  He slipped Ceol Mhor off his shoulder, drew it from its case and strummed seven notes. The air shifted around him and his form thinned out. As he faded from view, he urged her on. “Your turn.”

  “Fine. Leave me on my own to come up with a way to do this.”

  She concentrated on the sunbeams dancing in the morning air. “Little shafts of sun,” she murmured. “Little shafts of sun. That’s it.” She shimmered as she intoned a simple spell. “Little shafts of sun. My power I will become.”

  It was the oddest experience. She visualized the transporter on the Star Trek shows and the sparkles that flared and “grabbed” the sunbeams. She knew instinctively that if the day had been overcast, she wouldn’t have had enough power to change. But now…

  The sunbeam danced with the gentle breeze.

  As they moved farther away from town, the forest changed. The very air seemed heavier. The tree limbs grew closer together, almost blocking out the light, forcing Brigid to materialize, Ethan following on her heels.

  “Do you feel it?” She shuddered. “There’s an aura of evil here. We must be very near Nolen’s property.”

  “Aye. We can go the rest of the way on foot. Stay close by me.”

  They moved between the birches. The closer they came to the Destroyer’s land, the more evil the scenery became. The branches grabbed at their legs and arms. A myriad of thin, red scratches covered their bare flesh.

  “I’m grateful we could wear our clothes. We’d be slashed in some very vulnerable places otherwise.” Ethan spoke lightly, drawing a smile from Brigid.

  “So we would.” She sighed. “You know, I find whenever I’m with you more of my past life returns to me. Is it the same for you?”

  “Yes. Ceol Mhor has become more alive to me and it’s a comfort to have her guard my back.” He glanced at his watch and whistled softly. “It’s getting late. Come, let’s get a move on.”

  The ground gradually rose higher. Oak trees took the place of the slender birches and grew thick and tall. Their freedom of movement became more hampered and sweat poured from Ethan’s brow. Brigid’s skin glistened with moisture.

  The evil atmosphere increased.

  At last, they reached the tree line. Boulders edged the open area. Ethan and Brigid peered over the stone wall and gasped. A huge field, almost as big as a major league ballpark, lay before their eyes. Arranged in a circle were sixty-four standing stones, each about the height of a man. In the center of the circle a tumulus—a burial mound—stood in stark solitude. As if a veil had lifted from their memories, they recognized the scene before them.

  “By God, it’s the stone men of Ba’al!” Ethan shivered with dread. “So this is where they were sent.”

  “Where’s Ba’al’s cock? It’s said that he placed it near his men to guard them.” Brigid’s eyes darted around the circle, frantically seeking the massive shaft. Her flesh crawled as she noted the way the shadows cast by the stones seemed to caper and jig.

  Ethan pointed in the distance. “Look toward the west. There’s a ring of sacred trees. Where the circles touch I can make out another standing stone.”

  “Let’s take a closer look.” Brigid’s good sense urged her to flee the evil that hung over the area, but she had to know more.

  “You’re tempting fate.” Ethan’s voice sharpened with concern.

  “We need to make sure if it is Ba’al’s great prick. Come on.”

  Gathering their courage, they circled the stone perimeter until they reached the sacred grove and the great stone that guarded the entrance to the circle.

  “You can almost taste it. The place reeks with blood and death and agony.”

  Ethan nodded. “The air hums with power. The gate between our world and the demon world is thin here. The stone is drenched with the blood of sacrifice and so are the smaller stones at its base. This must be where Nolen will conduct his spell. We’ve seen enough. Let’s get back to the cottage.”

  Brigid nodded, then placed a restraining hand on his arm as he set off to retrace their steps. “It’s getting late. Let’s take a shortcut across the circle. It will save time.”

  “And perhaps bring us to that bastard’s attention.”

  “I know it might be foolhardy, but this could be our best and last chance to explore the place. Besides, he’s busy with Gabe. I want to take a closer look at the burial mound in the center. There’s something about it…”

  “Quickly then. Ceol Mhor is nearly humming with agitation.”

  Clambering over the wall, they cut across the dirt plain between the standing stones. They seemed to lean in toward them as they hurried across the huge expanse.

  At last they reached the raised mound with the small, stone cairn at one end. Brigid halted. She felt as if she were viewing a different scene from the one that lay before them.

  “There are bodies within the mound, piled one on top of the other. They wear no burial raiment and they face the ground, not the sky. Their spirits cry out to me, but their voices are not the strongest.” Brigid pointed to the cairn. “Help me tear it down.”

  Ethan didn’t question her request. “I hear it, too; the call echoing from the cairn. A faint despairing plea.”

  The top stones were laid aside and Brigid and Ethan peered into the shadowed recess.

  “There’s something in here. Let me reach in…” Ethan’s long arm delved in the cairn’s interior. With great care, he pulled up a bloodstain
ed leather sack by its tightly tied leather cords. His nimble fingers untied the strings, searched inside and drew out a man’s severed hand.

  Brigid pressed her fist against her mouth trying to quell a cry of anguish. “It’s Alaran’s. I recognize his broken pinkie. This is where Nolen hid the hands of the twelve Protectors.”

  “There are other sacks in there.” Ethan searched further. “Here.”

  Soon, three more sacks joined the first.

  Ethan picked up one of the stones. “Quickly, let’s rebuild the cairn so it looks undisturbed. We have to take the remains to Dagda. Those brave men deserve to be whole. It was their spirits that called us.”

  Kneeling in the dirt, they replaced the stones. Dirt clung to their hands and crept under their fingernails.

  Brigid stood, brushing off her hands. “Let’s go. The sooner we get away from here the better.”

  They divided the sacks between them and hurried toward the wall, Brigid resisting the urge to look back.

  They had defied both Nolen and Ba’al now. They sped across the circle and clambered over the wall. As soon as they felt the air lighten and the sun filter through the trees, they transformed once more into the sun’s life-giving rays and the soothing breeze and returned to the cottage’s transient sanctuary.

  * * * *

  “Well, Gabe, I so appreciate your coming in person to thank me, but I hardly did anything. After all, I didn’t find your lovely wife.”

  “But you tried and offered your assistance freely. We both appreciate that.” Gabe sat in the well-cushioned armchair in the library, an untouched cup of tea before him on the antique side table. He let his gaze wander about the room, noting the wealth of first edition books, paintings and artifacts. He considered his options. Perhaps an overt frontal assault would be best.

  “You’ve quite a collection of rare art objects here, Lord Nolen. Do you mind if I take a closer look?”

  “Why, not at all. I’ve gathered them over many years. Feel free to ask any questions; some of the items are quite … unique.”