Sword of Light (The Four Keys Book 1)

by J. C. Lucas

  “Shh, sweet girl. Quiet that heart of yours. The emotions are flowing out in waves. We know little, but he loved you. He did not leave on his own accord and would not have left if it wasn’t for a good reason. None of us could gain knowledge of his whereabouts either.” Aine stroked my hand, trailing her finger over my knuckles.

  “Now, where was I? Oh, yes. He was a powerful and talented Warlock, his powers immeasurable. He tried to save your mother from the Fomori, but something went very wrong. Only he knows, and only he can tell the tale. But now you understand what you are: part-Fae and part-Witch. You have no powers right now because, for your entire life, we all worked hard to suppress them. We couldn’t take a chance that the Fomori would find you. Now, you must go on this quest, and you’ll need all your powers available to you. Since none of us is a Witch, we cannot tell you what those might be, but, once you enter the other realm in search of the Keys, your powers will come to the forefront. Maybe not all at once, and maybe not as soon as we would like, but they will come. You must use them to your advantage. Your Fae magic will become available to you as well. They might not be as strong as your other powers, but they will be needed. Now, time to get started, young lady.”

  She stood up, smoothing out her gown, and stared down at me, sizing me up. I had a hard time picturing the old “Anne.” Power emanated from her as she reached out and grasped my hand, turning it over and pushing up the sleeves of my hoodie to expose my forearm. Resting her hand over it, a slight tingle began, then a quick flash of heat before coolness took the sharp bite of pain away. When she removed her hand, she exposed a delicate black symbol on my arm. Intricate and beautiful.

  “What is this, Aine?” I looked from my arm into her glowing green eyes.

  “It is an Unalome. It will be a symbol of your journey, before and after what will come. It shows you the path isn't always straight, perfect, or even the ‘right’ direction. Your path to awakening will be filled with missteps, lessons to learn, and suffering. This is to remind you,” she said with powerful conviction. She leaned over and touched the Unalome tattoo with her finger, making it glow.

  “Si vis pacem, para bellum,” she said.

  At my questioning look, she explained the words were Latin. If you want peace, prepare for war. Swallowing hard, I stood a little straighter at the fear of the unknown. I knew that I must do this, even if I didn’t think I could.

  She continued, “You will search for the four Keys, and you will know what they are when you find this symbol on them, only this symbol.” She pointed her finger above us, and a soft light appeared in the air. Using her finger to draw, the light transformed. Four intricate Celtic knots appeared. As she finished the last knot, she explained it was the Quaternary Knot, symbolizing the treasures of Tuatha: the Sword, Cauldron, Stone, and Spear. Staring at the symbol in shock, I turned to Aine again.

  “I've seen that before! In a dream after I got here. Something chased me as I ran through the woods. The symbols were on all the trees.” My teeth chattered as I realized my dream hadn’t really been a dream at all, but a kind of premonition.

  “Ahh, you are a Seer then,” Aine stated matter-of-factly. “You can see future events yet to take place. This is a mighty gift bestowed upon you, and you must use it wisely. Never forget the things you’ve seen, and use them to your advantage. But be warned: some visions may seem clear to you but have an entirely different meaning. It is up to you to discern the truth.”

  So, all this time, my nightmares were visions of things that would happen? Could she frighten me any more? The dreams I had were horrific and frightening, and she was telling me they would come true? Yeah, not sure I wanted anything to do with that.

  “Aine, how can I possibly go through those nightmares again? I don’t even know how I’m supposed to fight the creatures that are in them and keep them from killing me,” I whined. “I don’t think I can do this. I’m not who you think I am!”

  Aine wrapped her arm around my shoulders, pulling me into her warm side. “Shh, child. You can do more than you think possible. Soon, you will be more powerful than all of us, and you will cast those demons out of your nightmares. I promise you will not be alone.” She smiled down at me, running her hand over my hair soothingly.

  “Now, it’s time to go. The portal won’t wait forever, and you must be on your way to Finias to find the first key.”

  The doorway creaked open, emitting a soft, warm glow from inside. The outline of Balwyn and Eira as they stood off to the side of the door, waiting, was clear. I looked around uncertainly. Surely someone would stop me, say it was all a joke. But the fairies just smiled in encouragement. Some nodding at me, some waving, a few blowing kisses.

  Aine was stoic as she watched me, her eyes bold and confident that I wouldn’t fail her. Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself for the unknown. Faking confidence I didn’t feel, I nodded at them all and then stepped through the doorway.

  A commotion broke out behind me, and I turned back. Eira landed on my shoulder, and Balwyn stood silently beside me. The fairies pointed, turning excitedly to each other as a figure emerged from the woods, crashing through the brambles. Light brown hair glinted in the moonlight as he looked at me from across the clearing. Teagan! What was he doing here?

  Before I processed it, more crashing came from the opposite side, and another figure emerged directly across from him. Whoever or whatever it was, I couldn’t make out more than two glowing eyes in the darkness. The eyes danced closer to us, and Teagan didn’t move from his position. He glared at the figure moving ever closer to the light, while the fairies were delighted.

  A dark boot stepped into the glow, with the rest of the shadowy figure following to reveal the one and only... Hunter. What were they doing here, surrounded by fairies? I watched as they stalked toward each other to meet in the middle of the clearing, eyes locked, hatred oozing from every pore.

  Toe-to-toe, they continued their stupid male stare-off as I watched, exasperated and desperate for someone to explain to me what the heck was going on. Why were they here?

  Instead of killing each other, as I suspected they wanted to do, they nodded to each other, turning as one to approach Aine, all animosity gone without a trace. Stopping in front of her, they bowed low. The gesture told me they weren’t just regular schoolkids.

  Oh no. They had to be a part of all of this too.

  Chapter Eight

  “I see you got my summons,” Aine said. “I wasn’t sure if you would come, knowing you would have to work together, but we need you.”

  After speaking with Aine quietly, they both looked over at me as I silently stood in the doorway. Teagan’s expression was grave and concerned; Hunter’s was the total opposite. He was carefree, with a grin on his face as he looked me up and down causing tingles to run over my spine. Smoothly, as one, they strode forward to stand in front of me.

  “Andie,” Teagan mumbled before he placed his hand over his heart and bowed. The gesture was confusing, but before I had a chance to say anything, Hunter grabbed my hand. Instead of bowing, he lifted it to his lips and placed a soft kiss on my knuckles. His dark eyes never left mine. My eyes widened, and I gulped as the tingle started again, spreading like wildfire up my arm from his touch. Pulling my hand back, I tucked them both in the pockets of my hoodie and looked away from his eyes that seemed to see right into my soul. This apparently made Teagan happy as he gave a little laugh while Hunter scowled back at him.

  “I’m sure you’re wondering why we’re both here. You must have a million questions. As you can see, we’re not who you have thought we were, and I’m sorry for that. We were both sent here to watch over you by Celeste. With the upcoming journey, Queen Aine has requested both of us to assist you,” Teagan stated.

  Of course Celeste sent them too. I wondered if everyone in my life was someone that had been orchestrated by the Moon Goddess. Too bad she wasn’t my fairy godmother and could bring back my family. I had so many questions, but before I could ask any of them,
Hunter cut me off.

  “We’re losing time here chatting. We can tell you everything along the way. All you need to know is we are basically your bodyguards. We’re here to keep you safe and out of trouble.” He looked at Teagan. “Right? Right. Let’s go.” Impatiently, he gestured to the door, silently shooing me out of the way.

  Am I seriously going to have to deal with his attitude this whole time? Oh, this will be SO much fun. I grimaced and backed into the room, allowing them both to step in. That’s when I realized what they were wearing.

  Teagan wore a black leather suit that reminded me of a ninja. Tight-fitting, with high-tech body armor underneath the suit. He had a ton of weapons strapped to his chest and both legs; they were small but looked deadly. Hunter was wearing something similar, but there were breaks in his suit where velcro held it together. I couldn’t imagine why the suit was made that way, but like he said, I would have plenty of time for questions later.

  The guys looked around in amazement at the interior of the tree after we filed in. The door clicked closed behind us, and I imagined the looks on their faces were similar to what mine looked like the first time I stepped inside. Balwyn marched up to me with a brown paper package wrapped with twine in his small arms.

  “For ya, Miss Andie. Celeste sent these with Eira earlier taday, said you’d be needin’ em. They’ve been magicked to keep you safe from other magic that may be used against ya while in Finias.”

  He held the package out for me to take. Baffled that there was such a thing as magic clothes, I grasped the package to my chest as I walked over to a small table to unwrap it.

  Inside there was a bodysuit, like Teagan’s, but instead of black, mine was deep plum. Long pockets lined both legs where I could stash away anything I might need, and the armor inside was lightweight. I wondered what the fabric was made from as I ran my hands over the silky material, and Eira flew around my head.

  “Do you want me to put the suit on you, Andie?”

  “Um, no offense, Eira, but I can dress myself. I just need a room to change in, please.”

  She giggled like I had told the funniest joke. “Really, Andie, you’ve got a lot to learn. Okay, stand still, please.”

  Before I had a chance to react, she was twirling her finger at the outfit that lay on the table. Sparks of light flew through the air as the suit lifted off the table, and she pointed her finger at me, whispering something before flicking her finger again. A cold, prickly sensation covered my body, and then just as quickly it went away.

  “Oh, it fits like a dream! Celeste must have found the best Witchstress around!” Eira breathed as she circled around me, her hands clasped together in front of her, a dreamy look on her face. Looking down, the gorgeous plum bodysuit had replaced my hoodie and jeans.

  Wow!

  “Dang, Eira! That is so cool! You need to teach me how to do that. Do you realize how much extra sleep I would get in the morning before school if I whipped up some magic like that to put my clothes on? So awesome!” I raved, utterly impressed.

  Hunter snorted behind me.

  Turning my head to glare at him, he shook his head, smirking. Obviously, he was amused by my excitement. Did I care? Nope! This was just crazy! Teagan sat quietly in a chair watching me, thoughtful as he looked me over. The bodysuit fit perfectly, light and soft, and as I moved to test the flexibility, there was no hindrance to my motions.

  “Your suit was designed to repel fire, water, and magic. Any exposed skin isn’t safeguarded, though. You need to remember that. Teagan and Hunter will protect what you cannot. Besides being able to fight off anyone attacking you, they will also help you learn how to harness your Fae and Witch powers and teach you how to fight,” Eira said as she sat on Teagan’s shoulder, playing with a lock of his hair.

  Man, these fairies sure liked hair.

  “Guys, I’m a little nervous about how I’m going to learn all of this so fast. I mean, I want to learn, but how will I when we’ve got to start on this mission now?” I asked as I spied Balwyn gathering up packs and placing them on a nearby table. I could only assume they had food and water in them to sustain us on our journey.

  Teagan walked over and placed his hand on my shoulder, looking into my eyes. “Most of what you need to learn will come to you once we arrive in Finias. When you cross over, your latent powers will awaken. The knowledge of your Fae powers will be there as if you’ve always had them in your mind. They were imprinted in you the moment you were born, and only the spell your mom and grandmother cast on you kept them from activating. Your witch powers are a different story. They will activate, but it will take practice to cast spells and learn to fight with your magic. That’s where I come in. As a Warlock, I will guide you.”

  My heart stopped. He was a Warlock. Just like my father. My breath came in fast, and I wasn’t getting enough air. This information had caught me off guard and made me excited all at once. I wondered if he knew who my dad was, but Hunter was quick to interrupt as he shoved Teagan’s arm off me, inserting himself between us, causing Teagan to move out of the way, frustration wrinkling his brow.

  “And I will teach you to fight,” he rasped, his eyes glowing like they had in the woods. Growling, sharp canine teeth poked out from the sides of his mouth, and long black nails grew from his fingertips. Swallowing hard, I bumped into the table behind me as I tried to back away. His hands balled into fists, and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to gain control of the transformation. The nails and teeth retracted, shaking his head, his hair softly flew back, before he opened his eyes again, gauging my reaction. I held my breath but slowly let it out in relief.

  “Wow... Please don’t tell me that’s gonna happen to me too,” I half-jokingly said to him. He rolled his eyes at me.

  “Yes, Andie, you will become a Were shifter...”

  At my look of horror, he laughed loudly.

  “Don’t be stupid. Of course you won’t. Only awesome people are shifters.” He winked at me as he brushed by, flipping a piece of my hair with his finger.

  Inwardly, I sighed. I wasn’t feeling the whole changing into a monster thing. I was perfectly fine with being half-Fae, half-Witch.

  So many questions for Hunter and Teagan circled around in my head. I wanted to ask about what they are and what they do. Bouncing on my toes to contain them, I watched the guys head over to the table and sling their packs over their shoulders. Eira and Balwyn waited at the foot of the stairs for us to follow. Everyone turned to me with a questioning look.

  I grabbed my pack and followed them up four flights of the winding stairs. I tried to be cool, but as we climbed higher, there were more and more things I had never seen before. The second floor was full of books reaching as high as the ceilings on every wall. Tables bore glass bottles with strange embalmed creatures that only existed in nightmares. The third floor was even more bizarre. In the middle of one large wall surrounded by books was a huge aquarium. Something swam around a big rock, and from this distance, it looked like a mermaid! The graceful silhouette came closer to the glass, and long blonde hair billowed out obscuring its face. An iridescent green tail swished back and forth and was mesmerizing. Its hands pressed up against the glass, sharp fingernails scratching against it. As we rounded up to the fourth floor, the creature swiped its hair out of the way, and a long, hideous face, mouth wide open in a silent scream, showing rows of ghastly sharp teeth.

  Yelping, I jumped up the final step to the fourth floor, putting the creature out of my line of vision. I couldn’t imagine what the other levels of this place hid. Stunned, I knew I may encounter worse things on the journey ahead. At least that one couldn’t get to me.

  “Don't pay the water wraith any mind, Andie. She’s locked in there with magic and won’t escape anytime soon.” Teagan tried to ease my mind as we followed Balwyn over to a large table in the middle of the room. The fourth floor was thankfully a plain room that looked like a library. All I saw were books and tables.

  “G-good to know,” I stuttered. />
  Everyone gathered around a table where a large book with strange leather-like binding rested. Weird letters covered the book. Maybe Greek? It looked to be centuries old, sewn together in patches with strange material. Leaning closer, I realized what the binding was made from, and I gagged.

  “Uh... please tell me that isn’t made from skin?” I asked with distaste. All of them stared at me like I had asked the most idiotic thing ever. “Oh, come on, I’m new to all of this. Cut me some slack. But skin? Really?”

  Eira giggled again, and Hunter tried to hide his grin, while Balwyn and Teagan ignored us. Teagan whispered something in another language, and as his hands hovered over the book, the letters glowed, and the book expanded to five times its size.

  “Time ta hold hands, all of ya,” Balwyn said calmly, gesturing to the three of us.

  Teagan stood confidently between Hunter and me, his shoulder brushing mine, extending his hands for us to take. Looking down, Hunter scowled and slapped his hand away before walking around to stand on the other side of me, just as close as Teagan was. I glanced up at him once he was in place and saw the half-smirk playing on his face. He was so hot and cold, flipping his emotions from one extreme to the next. I frowned at him, but he only smiled wider. He grabbed my hand roughly as Teagan gently took my other.

  “Ready?” he asked Hunter and me. We both agreed, and I gulped steeling myself for the unknown. “Remember: don’t let go until I tell you,” he warned. Closing his eyes and concentrating, he grasped my hand tighter as he shouted at the top of his lungs.

  “Finias oscailte!”

  The pressure built around us and the book was flung open, light pouring out into the room. It felt like gravity had increased tenfold, and as I gripped the guys’ hands harder, my vision swam so I squeezed my eyes shut tight. A tugging sensation came next, my body was being pulled forward, and I no longer felt my feet on the floor. Snapping my eyes open wide when a loud clap like thunder boomed all around us, I looked around. The air was thick and musty, and there was nothing but darkness before we were spat out of the portal. Hitting the ground hard, our hands tore apart from the impact, and the breath was knocked from my chest.