by Ciara Lake
“I have a headache.” She touched her forehead.
“I can get you some pain medication, if you need me to.”
“No, just give me a moment and it should go away.” She rubbed her forehead.
“Do you get headaches often?”
“No. It’s probably because Amuliana and Hecate, in some magical way, visited my dream. It was real, but it wasn’t. I couldn’t wake up, I couldn’t leave, I was stuck with them in my head.” She frowned. “It was a frightening experience.”
“They dream traveled into your mind? They’re unbelievable. I’m sorry they violated you like that. I’ll teach you how to prevent such rape of your mind and dreams.”
“Thank you. I don’t want that to happen again.” She took a bite of the chicken. It was tender and flavored well. “They left me with a killer headache and a lot of questions.” She looked up from her meal and watched him closely.
“Oh?” He cocked his head to the side. “What questions do you have?”
“Did you make a deal with my mother and grandmother before I was born?” She took another bite of her chicken.
“You’re straight to the point.” He smiled.
“Yes, might as well be.”
“You want to know if I made a deal?” A muscle moved in his jaw.
“Yes. Amuliana said that when I turned eighteen Genevieve and Aife were supposed to give me to you? I was told I was exchanged for Aife’s freedom. Is that true?” She stopped eating to watch him.
Aetius looked out the window next to the table. Then he got up from the table and walked to the French doors. “It sure is dark outside to be the middle of the day.”
“Are you going to answer me?”
He nodded. “It’s complicated.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I did make a deal with Genevieve and Aife. It was thirty years ago.”
“That’s not long ago for you.” She played with her potatoes as she decided what to say or ask him next.
“Perhaps.” He walked over to the cupboard and pulled out the whiskey. “You were a mere glimmer in your mother’s eye.” He poured himself a glass.
“Does that excuse you and them for making a deal for my life? For my freedom?” She put her fork down.
“No.” He gulped down the whiskey. “What we did wasn’t appropriate. I realize that, and I regret it and what was negotiated. It was thoughtless.”
“What exactly did you negotiate?” She pushed her plate away from her.
“Aife offered me an arrangement for a second chance. She promised to not abuse the earth ever again. And If I let her go free, she promised to give you to me when you turned eighteen years old. Genevieve was with her when she made the agreement with me. She was complicit, but she was thrown into an untenable situation.”
“What were you planning to do with me?”
“I’m not sure.” He shrugged. “I didn’t think that far ahead. I do know I wanted to see how you would turn out. I had my concerns with Aife and Crexan being your parents. Fortunately, Genevieve gave you to a mortal couple, and despite the hardships of your youth, you turned out to be a good individual.”
“I might have been a good individual even if Genevieve had kept me.”
“Maybe.” He nodded.
“What made you wait until now to come back for me?”
“I’d forgotten about the arrangement. Then when I remembered I wondered how you turned out.”
“You did?” “Yes. I know you don’t like the way this all sounds. I want you to know that as soon as I met you, I fell in love. I knew you reminded me of Goddess Gaia. And more importantly, I realized you were a real woman, and not an arrangement.”
“A real woman?” she repeated. “You hadn’t already realized that?”
“My isolation and my role as the Enforcer makes me forget to think of normal people as I should. I can be insensitive.”
“You’re aware of that issue with your personality then?”
“Yes, I never intended to hurt you in any way. As for Genevieve, she was caught up in her daughter’s desperation for her freedom and made a poor decision. However, she did hide you from Aife and Crexan as well as from me. She was trying to protect you. She wanted you to be free, happy, and not corrupted by Aife and Crexan. She didn’t want me to hurt you either.”
“Should she have been concerned about you?” Terra asked.
“No, I didn’t have any nefarious intentions.”
“Were you planning to turn me into a slave?”
“No, that would be nefarious. I was planning on training you, testing you, managing you, if you needed it. And if you were bad, I was going to imprison you. I was curious to know what type of being you had become, so I searched for you. Dionysus helped me find you.”
“How come the elements didn’t tell you where I was?”
“Genevieve had placed a strong spell on you, hiding you from anyone looking for you,” he explained.
“Why should I believe anything you tell me?”
“Because I love you.”
“Aetius, you withheld information from me. Is that love?”
“I did withhold information from you.” He looked down. “Love can make a person do things that don’t always make sense.” He poured another glass of whiskey. “How was I supposed to tell you? I didn’t know how to tell you. The moment had not presented itself to me.”
“Typically, a person doesn’t have this sort of secret to think about how to tell the person they love.” She pulled out her phone.
“It was uncharted territory for me.” He frowned. “What are you doing with your phone?”
“I’m looking up something,” she answered with a curt tone.
“I would have told you eventually.” He quickly drank the whiskey.
“Why are you drinking? I didn’t think the alcohol could affect you.”
“It can’t. I like the burn when it goes down.”
“How can I be sure you’re telling me the truth?” She searched her phone’s web browser. “You could be manipulating me.”
“You can trust me, Terra.” He returned to the chair across from her. “I didn’t want you to be hurt. That’s why I said nothing. When I made the deal with Aife and Genevieve, you were an embryo. You weren’t real to me. Now you are, and I love you. I believe our love was fated to be. Everything has happened for a reason. What we did was because the fates set us on a path to meet and fall in love.”
“That sounds romantic.” Terra stood up. “It also sounds like an excuse.”
“It’s romantic.”
“I have to think.” She walked to the living room.
“Okay.” He nodded.
“I need to be alone to think.”
“I’ll not bother you. I can go do something for a while, leave you here.”
“No, I’m going to go someplace to think. I’m going away from here.”
“Where?”
“I’m not sure.” She looked away from him. “Somewhere I can think about things, without you messing with my mind.”
“I don’t mess with your mind.”
“Not literally. But you do interfere with my thinking.”
“I see. Don’t be foolish and put yourself at risk. Hecate and Amuliana will be pissed when they find out Emaline is dead. They may look for you. Please don’t go rushing off. Not now.” He started to walk toward her. “It would devastate me if something happened to you.”
“I need to go.”
She closed her eyes and visualized the picture of the forest on her phone. The world swirled around her, and she nearly lost her balance. When she opened her eyes, she was standing in the middle of a dense forest. Everything was green and dripping with a fresh rain. She tripped over her own feet and a tree branch came out of nowhere to give her something to grab onto.
“Thanks.” She held onto the branch as she stabilized herself.
Terra had never flash traveled on her own for further than a few feet, from one room to the next. She e
specially had never flash traveled to a location she’d never been. What she’d done had been risky.
Her hands shook with nervousness from her daring behavior. “Calm down, I’m okay.”
She inhaled shakily, then she examined her environment. The scent of the forest was soothing. The vegetation and the earth were damp from recent rain. It was humid but still a cool, spring day. She shivered and hugged herself. She thought of the blanket she had back at Aetius’s house and it appeared in her hand. She giggled softly at her magical achievement. She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders.
It was dim under the trees’ canopy. Several animals’ eyes watched her. They had been interrupted in their foraging for food. “Go back to what you were doing.” She waved her hand to encourage them to go about their business.
The forest was clear of undergrowth, making it easy to walk under the tall and nicely spaced trees. Terra strolled through the woods, investigating its beauty. In this environment, she was able to free her mind of interference, to think. The forest relaxed her, and it healed her negative emotions.
On an impulse, she stopped and held up her hands. “Elements of the earth. I call on wind, water, air, fire, and the aether, please allow me to be here without your master knowing where I am. Give me some privacy from Aetius, who has eyes and ears wherever the elements are. I ask, powerful elements, to keep my whereabouts secret from your Master Elemental.” She searched for any sign of an answer, and there was none. “Oh well, I tried.” She continued to walk.
After walking for nearly an hour, her feet started to tire, so she searched for a place to rest where she could quietly observe nature. She came upon several logs arranged around what was once a campfire, and she sat down to consider her future.
“Great-grandfather Cernunnos, please come and talk to me? I’m in need of parental guidance. I ask for your wisdom this day.”
Nothing happened, so she leaned back against a tree trunk. A tree vine wrapped itself around her arm; it became more vibrant green as it touched her.
She caressed the leaves. “I’m glad I know where I stand with you.” She sighed.
Terra glanced up to see a stag grazing about twenty feet from her. He was munching on acorns and leaves. He watched her out of the side of his eye. After a few moments, the stag started to approach her. As the magnificent stag sauntered toward her, he began to transform into a man she recognized.
“Great-grandfather, thank you for coming.” Terra stood to greet him.
Cernunnos was completely transformed, but he still proudly wore his antlers. He was shirtless and wearing dark green trousers.
“Please remain seated, my child.” He came closer and sat down on the log across from her. “Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of your summoning?”
“I hope you don’t mind me summoning you?”
“Of course not. I’m pleased. If I minded, I wouldn’t have come.” He smiled. “It’s good to get to know you better. Is there something troubling you?”
“Yes.” She suddenly wanted to cry, and her eyes misted.
He waved his hand in the direction of the old campfire, and new flames erupted. “The fire should soothe you, my dear. Tell me what concerns you.”
“Aetius.” Her eyes grew blurry due to tears.
“Aetius?” he repeated. “The Master Elemental loves you. He loves you with all his heart. My god talents allow me to see his love clearly. What is wrong that love can’t heal?”
“He hasn’t been honest with me.” She gazed down at her hands.
“Tell me all about it.” Cernunnos smiled.
Terra explained the arrangement Aetius had made with Aife. She told him of Genevieve’s role in the plan. How she had placed a spell to hide her. Terra told him about Aetius’s explanations of his actions. Cernunnos listened patiently. He made Terra feel comfortable as she recited her fears and concerns.
When she was finished telling him all she wanted him to know, Cernunnos leaned forward and asked, “You seek my advice in this? Or are you merely telling me your woes?”
“I want your advice.”
His bright green eyes sparkled like jewels as he watched her. She trusted and respected him. “Terra, no man is perfect. Not even a god. However, Aetius is nearly flawless in many ways. Nevertheless, he can make a mistake.”
“I realize that.”
“Good. Because he carries many burdens in his long life. He’s had much grief.”
“I know he lost his sister in a horrendous way.”
“Yes, but regardless, he always remained a decent man. He’s never allowed bitterness to change him for the worse. How many men as powerful as Aetius would be as good as him? I’ll answer that.” He paused for effect. “Few.” He shook his head. “It’s hard for the gods and powerful immortals, or even influential mortals, to be beyond corruption. There are too many temptations to be evil. Evil is easy and usually feels good. Most powerful men are afflicted with negative attributes. Assuredly, Aetius made a mistake as far as you’re concerned, but it wasn’t a malicious one. It was a miscalculation. An absence of thinking it through. But no matter what or why, we now know he loves you with all his heart. True love can conquer a lot of things. So, ask yourself, do you love him?”
“Yes. Very much.” Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Terra scooted closer to the fire. She gazed across the flames at the man who was her ancestor. He was wise and sincere in his advice. “Thank you, great-grandfather. I appreciate your insight. I love Aetius, and I do forgive him. I thank you for helping me arrive at this conclusion swiftly.” She smiled and stood up.
Cernunnos got up off the log he was sitting on. “I think it’s about to rain again. Come.” He held out his hand for her, and she accepted it. “Let me show you where there’s a pleasant cave to spend time. It’s a place I often visit when I’m in this wood. You can comfortably rest there.” He put his arm on her shoulder and hugged her close to him. “It’s this way.”
“Is this the Tay Forest?”
He stopped and looked at her. “No, my dear, this is the Black Forest. We’re in Germany. You’re a good distance from the Tay Forest in Scotland.”
“I was in Scotland when I flashed here. I thought I was flashing to the Tay Forest.” She put her hand over her mouth. “How could I have traveled here instead?” She shook her head. “It’s a good thing I didn’t send myself to someplace dangerous.”
“You would have survived. But flashing can be unpredictable for inexperienced immortals. Especially when you flash places you’ve never been. You can easily end up in a completely unexpected destination. If you desire to flash to a forest and you’re not specific enough, the Black Forest is often the one you’ll end up in. For the mortal realm, it’s a very magical place. Supernatural beings gravitate here.”
“Yes, I realize flash traveling can be dangerous for the inexperienced.” She looked down. “I was desperate to prove my independence and to be on my own.”
“It’s good nothing happened to you.” He smiled. “But remember, when you walk through this forest, because you’re a supernatural being, you may slip in and out of the mortal world. The Black Forest is full of entrances to the Fey realms and to other magical realms. Some aren’t pleasant. Some of the realms have bad immortals, full of mischief. Other realms are like paradise. So beware.”
“Thank you for telling me. I’ll be careful.” She paused and kissed him on the cheek.
Cernunnos smiled and kissed her in return. “The cave’s right around this huge tree.” He led her around the ancient oak. Terra saw a large, open-mouthed cave. Vines and other vegetation covered the rocks that formed the cave. “Come inside.”
When she walked past the tree she experienced a sensation that was similar to the one she’d had in Peru. “I walked through a boundary.” She stopped and looked behind her. “I walked through into another realm.” She examined the area next to the oak tree.
“Yes, this is another realm. Only the supernatural can see the cave from the mor
tal side.”
“Is this place safe?” Terra glanced around with slight apprehension.
“Certainly. I wouldn’t take you anywhere dangerous. This is Celtrix. The realm where the Celtic pantheon of gods typically reside or spend time. This was where I was when I heard you call to me.”
“This entrance took you to the Black Forest? I would think it would be somewhere on the British Isles.”
“My dear, where you entered is to one possible location. There are many destinations the portal can take you to. If you were to retrace your steps, on the other side of the boundary is now Scotland or Ireland. Really anyplace which is on your mind as you step through.”
“Is every boundary or portal like this one?”
“No, some only take you to one place. This one is a multi-portal.” He led Terra into the cave. It was modestly furnished with a sleeping pallet, several chairs, and a cook area. “Have a seat.” He gestured to one of the chairs. “I spend a lot of time here. Would you like some water?”
“No, I’m fine.” She sat down.
“I think you should go back to your man. He’s probably worried about you.” Cernunnos’s expression was one of concern.
Terra noticed a bush outside of the cave begin to move. The entire bush shook as it transformed into a woman dressed in an ornate green gown. She wore a crown of ivy upon her head, making her look like a queen. Her eyes were vivid green to match her ivy crown and clothing. She slowly strolled toward them.
“Who is she?” Terra pointed toward the woman approaching them.
Cernunnos looked up. “It’s Goddess Airmid, the goddess of spring, among other things. She heals and renews the sick and injured. Airmid is a friend of mine.” He walked to the entrance of the cave. “Airmid, come and meet my great-granddaughter. She’s the one I was telling you about. The one who’s marrying the Master Elemental Aetius.”
The beautiful goddess smiled. Terra got up out of her chair to stand next to her great-grandfather.
“Yes, I saw you together, and I’ve come to meet this lovely, young lady. Welcome to Celtrix.”