“Totally serious? I’m a demi god Brig, a minor deity. I’ve been searching for you for a very long time and I’m glad I found you first. I wasn’t sure, but I was pulled here to Dunedin, New Zealand. Everything I have done or been, it’s because of the pull I have to you, to The Mother’s glow. I knew that when you stayed out in the sun too long your arm and hand started to discolour into a pattern and I thought that maybe that was enough, but when you said you glowed, well I knew then.”
I remembered telling him, and he did seem to believe me and then he went to Cargill’s Castle with me. He seemed supportive. Maybe he was telling the truth. “Brig, I’m a descendant from Brigid the lady of the flame and my whole purpose has been to find you and keep you safe from the Fomorians.”
“The Fomorians? They're after me?”
“Yip they are and have been for centuries. They'll stop at nothing to defeat Brigid and end her forever. They also feel betrayed that Bres was denounced as king and sent back to the sea. They need their revenge.”
“Well I’ll be damned.” I blurted out. “So, my hand glows because of her light inside me and this light is destined to find its way back to her?”
“Well no, the light needs to continue to glow. It doesn’t necessarily have to find its way back to her. The Danu’s believe that her life force is still present as long as it glows within someone, something. That is enough. The war that would follow after her return would be catastrophic and they don’t want that to happen. They have found peace, they are at peace.”
I was starting to believe him, maybe this was true. Hell, my arm did glow. He always had my back when things got tough, stuck by me no matter what. “So this place that I went to.” It dawned on me as I said it that we hadn’t even talked about that yet, he hadn’t even asked. “There was a man, a gorgeous man that pulled me though the concrete of the castle.” I watched him to see his reaction. He frowned, I continued. “He said some people were after me, which would be the Fomorians right? He made me run through a town towards some oak trees.”
“Did you go through? Did you walk through the oak trees?”
I lied “No, no I couldn’t I was stuck.” I don’t know why I lied but there it was.
He put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. The feeling of betrayal was starting to leave my body and a sense of security replaced it. “The man you are talking about would no doubt be Cichol, also a demi-god, but he's on the side of the Fomorians, the ones that want you dead. What did he say to you?”
“He just said that people were after me and I had to run. He also mentioned something about me being the saviour too… that’s all I got before you pulled me back.”
“Lucky I was there when I was. I’d hate to think what he would have done to you.”
Hayden’s words worried me. I’d never been scared of him in my dreams. “It didn’t feel like that, I didn’t feel like I was in danger. It felt like he was trying to help me.”
“Lies, all lies. Brig, Cichol would do anything to trap you and burn that light out of your body. He managed to get you through his portal to his evil world, he’ll stop at nothing. He cannot be trusted. He's the enemy Brig. He’ll say and do anything for you to believe he's on your side and when you least expect it…” he trailed off as he took a mouthful of eggs.
A shiver went up my spine at his unspoken words. I leaned away from Hayden as my pancakes were served to me. I thanked the waitress and grabbed my fork and started to dig in. As I ate I contemplated what Hayden had said. Was my dream-man my enemy? I didn’t want to believe it, but it was like Hayden said, he’d stop at nothing. At that moment I felt like going to bed and eating loads of ice-cream to heal my broken heart.
“Brig, promise me something.” Hayden asked with his mouthful.
“Yeah what?” I replied with just as big a mouthful as what he had.
“Never go back. Never risk it again. Too much is at stake. I can keep you safe. I know how to keep you safe. The Danu people are happy, they are at peace – let’s just leave it at that.”
CHAPTER 7
I took the shortbread hearts back home to Mum. It was still reasonably early and I still had most of the day ahead of me. Mum was in the kitchen drinking her coffee, enjoying the little bit of sun she’d found poking out from behind the rain.
“Hey Mum.”
“Hey Brig.”
I gave her the paper bag filled with her biscuits. “Yum thanks Brig, love these. How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing, it was Hayden’s shout.”
She raised her eyebrows, “well tell Hayden I’m very grateful.” She opened the bag and broke a bit off. “Yum!” She shoved it into her mouth. “Want some?”
I held my stomach. I was so full. “No thanks. I had a stack of pancakes and I’m full as a bull.”
“Great, more for me” she murmured as she shovelled some more into her mouth.
I went round to the kitchen and put the jug on. “Want another one Mum?”
“No thanks, I’m good. Look Brig, I’ve been meaning to talk to you, I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t really had a moment to do it.”
This can’t be good I thought to myself. “Yes, what do you want to talk about?” I poured the milk and coffee into my cup and waited for the water to boil.
“Come sit down when you’re ready.”
“Right” I replied. I willed the jug to take it’s time. I’d been up early this morning, doing my adventuring and going through portals and stuff, I was tired. I hoped I wasn’t in any kind of trouble. I racked my brain to see if I could remember anything that I may have done to get me in trouble lately.
The jug boiled to my dismay, I poured it into my cup and stirred it until it was all mixed together. “Right, I’m here, what do you want to talk about?” I sat down beside her.
“I want to know if you’re alright.”
“Yeah, I’m okay.”
“How are you feeling about the other day, the day at Cargill’s Castle? Look, I know how freaked out you were, I think we all were, but I want you to know that we can work through this together.”
I smiled, if only she knew. “Thanks Mum I appreciate it. I was worried about it, but now not so much, it’s all good, just something I have to deal with I suppose.”
“Well you don’t have to deal with it by yourself. Your father and I are always here for you.”
I took a sip of my coffee and felt the familiar warmth make its way down my throat. I wondered if I should tell her. She’d be able to help me, or would she think I was crazy and how would she handle Hayden’s claim about being my protector. I wondered exactly how old Hayden was. Was Hayden even his real name? I felt my heart racing and tried to slow it down. “Thanks Mum. Hey Mum, why did you call me Brigid?” Mum looked at me slightly surprised by the question. She had her long brown hair tied back into a loose bun at the bottom of her neck. Her blue eyes were the same as mine and I saw them widen just slightly with my question.
“Well,” she broke another bit of biscuit off and put it into her mouth. She finished chewing it before she answered. “It was weird, you were originally supposed to be called Veronica but just as I was giving birth to you the name Brigid came to my mind, in fact a lady with a head full of flames came to my drugged fuelled mind repeating the word Brigid over and over again, and it stuck, you were to be called Brigid much to your father’s dismay but I wasn’t budging.” She smiled at me and gently stroked my face with her hand. “I had to call you Brigid, it felt wrong if I didn’t.”
I smiled at her. Little did she know that it probably wasn’t a drug fuelled image, but an actual image of Brigid herself, goddess of the sun. “Well, I like it, thanks Mum and thanks to the drugs that changed your mind from Veronica to Brigid.”
She laughed. “Seriously Brig, do you want to go see a doctor or something?”
I looked at my hand and pulled my sleeve down over it. “No, I think its okay. I’m okay. I have come to terms with it.” I saw the worry in my Mum’s face. “Unless of cou
rse it starts to make me feel unwell or something? Then I can go see a doctor. But I feel good. I’m good Mum.”
The worry was still in her face, but a smile was also there. “I’m always here sweetheart, always.”
“I know Mum, thanks. How was your biscuit?”
“Amazing!” We both laughed at the empty paper bag sitting on her lap. I emptied the rest of my coffee in to the sink and went to leave as I heard the car pull up under the house, which meant Tom was home. I needed solitude at the moment. “Hey Brig, did you know you were born exactly at daybreak?”
I stopped dead in my tracks. My heart sped up. This is all very real, why me? “Wow, that’s amazing Mum, maybe that’s why I’m so awesome!”
“Totally” she replied.
◆◆◆
When I got to my room, I shut the door and opened up my laptop. I had some researching to do. The first thing I goggled was Brigid the Goddess, and wow! She was one busy goddess. She was known as lots of names, Bride, Bridey, Brighid, Brigit, Briggidda, Brigantia, The Great Mother, and Goddess of the Sacred Flame. She was the patroness of healing poetry, smith craft, inner healing, vital energy, light, fire to name a few. They even have a shrine at Kildare, Ireland for her, or should I say the Christian version of her. She was a warrior and a maiden, aligned with fire and water. She even has her very own festival named after her, St Brigid’s Day, something to do with the spring and bringing light after the winter’s darkness. She sounded like she was a bit of everything and represented females everywhere with her spirit, love and honour. How was I supposed to save this amazing person, I mean amazing Goddess. I wasn’t amazing, I was just little old Brigid from Dunedin, New Zealand. I flopped myself on the bed and phoned Kate.
“Hey girl, how are ya?”
I gave an exaggerated sigh “Okay I guess. What are you up to? I’ve had a full on day. Wanna go do something?” I needed some Kate time to cheer me up.
“Yeah absolutely, what did you have in mind and why so morbid?”
“No real reason, just tired I guess. Wanna meet me at school and do some archery practice, blow off some steam.”
“Yeah totally keen. You okay? It’s the school holidays, you should be on a school free high. I know I am.”
“Yeah I am, I’m just… tired or need some exercise or something. Meet you there in thirty minutes?”
“Sweet, see you soon.” Kate had the key to the gym thanks to her Mum being the president of the school PTA Board.
◆◆◆
I took a deep breath and slowed my heart rate down as I pulled the bow string to my anchor, the side of the mouth. I looked at the target and released. Bullseye.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you Brig.” Kate said as she pulled her bow string back to make her shot. I didn’t answer her, I didn’t want to stuff up her shot. She hit just out of the bullseye. “Bugger!”
“That’s still good Kate, I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“Brig, you’ve only been doing this for a couple of years, and what’s worse, I taught you. You’re now officially better than me.” Kate pouted.
In all fairness I was getting better than her, but I wasn’t about to admit it to her face. What sort of friend would that make me? I shot the rest of my arrows, most got within the first yellow circle, with one getting in the second. Not bad, I thought to myself. “There’s something so relaxing about shooting an arrow.” I said to Kate after she shot her last arrow.
“I know, I love it - It’s good for the soul. There’s nothing better than the sound of your arrow slicing into the target.”
“Totally! Want to go again? I might push mine back further.”
Kate nodded her approval. We grabbed our arrows and pushed back our targets and lined up to do it again.
“Do you believe in God?” I blurted out.
“What? God?”
“Yeah, but not Jesus Christ God, but the old gods like Zeus and Thor and stuff?”
“I don’t know, I’ve never really thought about it. Do you?”
“Not sure.” That kind of was the truth. I wasn’t certain that the gods definitely existed, I’d never seen any, but I was on the verge of believing, what with my glowing arm and stuff. That’s pretty good evidence that something existed that was beyond belief.
“Well Brig, I don’t know for sure if they exist but I do know something. Normally myths are based on some sort of truth, a true story that’s been exaggerated so much that it’s too wild to believe.”
“Yeah I suppose you’re right.”
“Do you think vampires are real?” Kate asked with her eyes wide open.
We both sniggered. “No” I answered. “Definitely not.” Doubt filled me though, jeez if Goddess’s were actually real, could vampires or werewolves be real too? I hoped not.
“Nah vampires aren’t real.”
We both jumped and put our hands on our hearts. Mine was pumping. “Hayden!” I yelled, “Don’t scare us like that, jeez.”
“Hayden seriously, don't surprise a girl that's just about to shoot an arrow.” Kate mumbled as she pointed the bow and arrow at him.
Thank god, I secretly thought to myself with relief. If anyone knew if vampires existed it would be Hayden and I was happy they didn’t. One less thing to worry about.
He laughed and gently pushed it away. “Sorry ladies, I didn’t mean to scare you, just wanted to join the conversation and for arguments sake, vampires are not real.”
“We know that Hayden.” I rolled my eyes as I prepared myself to shoot my arrow. I slowed my breath and imagined the arrow hitting the point of the target I was aiming for and released.
“Getting good Brig,” Hayden said.
“Yeah she’s been hitting bullseyes all day.” Kate said as she released her arrow. “Bugger” she said as she watched her arrow hit the outer circle. “Hayden you’re putting me off.”
“Ha, not my problem you can’t aim straight.”
Kate punched him in the arm.
I ignored them both and took aim again. I had two arrows left and then I’d call it a day. I breathed slowly looking at the target. My breath caught in my throat as I felt a rush of air fly past my face. I looked at the arrow splitting my arrow down the middle. I turned to Hayden with my mouth wide open.
He gave the bow back to a stunned Kate and smirked. “What?” he laughed as he shrugged his shoulders.
“Hayden you totally need to come to Nationals with us,” Kate squeaked. “We would win for sure!” She started jumping up and down clapping her hands. He just smirked at her. He had no intention of going to Nationals with us.
I on the other hand was fuming. He’d split my arrow in half. “Hayden, you split my arrow.”
“Oh, you saw that.” He joked.
I shoved him, “and you gave me a fright you big oaf.”
He laughed as he pulled me into a tight hug. He swayed me gently to and fro and giggled. I couldn’t help it and started laughing myself.
“Seriously Hayden, you are good, we need you” Kate pleaded.
He just laughed.
Kate pouted. “Fine, but if we lose I’m blaming it on you.”
Hayden held his arm out for Kate too. “Come on, bring it in. You need a hug too.”
She smiled and didn’t resist as Hayden pulled her in to the group hug. I could smell his aftershave and Kate’s conditioner in her hair. I smiled. I loved these two.
CHAPTER 8
I’d just finished dinner and made my way upstairs to my room with a cup full of unsalted mixed nuts. I put the cup down on my white study desk. I threw myself on my bed and pulled the comforter up. It was still light outside even though it was 8.00pm at night. I loved summer. If this was winter it would have been dark by now. I was pooped. It had been a big day. I replayed the day in my head. 1 – Went to another world and found my dream man there. 2 – Got sucked away from my dream man by my best friend. 3 – My best friend tells me he is my protector because I have the light of a goddess in my body. 4 – I did so
me archery training with Kate. 5 – the most important one… I’m supposed to be some sort of saviour and my dream man is out to kill me. What a day. I closed my eyes as I felt my heart slowing. I needed to sleep and I hoped that my dreams would be happy ones and that my dream man would not make an appearance, especially if he wanted me dead. All this excitement has made me tired.
◆◆◆
I stretched as I slowly woke up. It was dark outside. I grabbed my phone and checked the time. 10.00pm. I licked my lips and went on a hunt for my bottle of water. I found it on the floor at the end of my bed. I took a big sip as I looked out at the moon shining through my window. It was a full bright moon tonight. It was beautiful. I wondered if there’s a moon goddess. If there was a sun goddess, there must be a moon goddess. I wondered if they would be sisters or at least friends. Maybe they are enemies. I shook my head, I didn’t care whether they were friends or even if there was a moon goddess, I wanted those mixed nuts I’d left on the study desk beside my bed, I was hungry.
“What!” I looked down at my cup of nuts. It was tipped over and most of the nuts were gone. I straightened the cup up. “Tom,” I whispered under my breath, “you little weasel stole my nuts.” I whizzed out of my room to confront him. All the lights were out in the house and no light was coming from his room. Everyone was asleep. This can wait until the morning I thought to myself or I can get some revenge I smiled to myself mischievously. What could I do? Ah, who was I kidding, I’d just talk to him tomorrow about it, I wasn’t that adventurous, or I could hide his PlayStation. I smiled again to myself, he would hate that.
I made my way back to my room and got changed into my pyjamas. They were my favourite. Big white pyjamas with lots of different coloured hearts on them. There was a silk draw string at the waist of the pants and I tied them up loosely. I sat at the end of the bed looking at the empty cup of nuts. I really wanted them, Tom was such a pain. I noticed a pile of nut crumbs up on my lower shelf which sat above my desk. It housed my smaller novel books. I stood up and touched the crumbs. I grabbed some between my fingers and brought them up to my nose and sniffed. Yip it was definitely nut crumbs. I looked up at the next shelf up. The same thing. Why would Tom leave a trail of nut crumbs on my shelves? Why didn’t he just take the whole cup? That’s what I would have done. The trail stopped at that top shelf. I opened my jewellery box that lived up there. It used to make music as the ballerina spun around but that’s been broken for a long time now. Nothing except for my little trinkets I normally leave in there. I moved some of my books that were also up there. I didn’t know what I expected to find. It’s all too weird. I pushed it to the back of my mind and grabbed my book and settled back into my bed to a long reading marathon. I settled down and turned to the page I’d folded over to mark my place the previous night. I don’t know how long I’d been reading for but my eyes were starting to get tired. I turned my head towards my study desk.
The Sun Goddess of Cargills Castle Page 4