by Jana LaPelle
Lugh inclines his head and gives me a sad smile, “Noted and well said.”
The room grows quiet, and I can hear the crickets and frogs outside. Their serenade is one I love to listen to, it calms and soothes my soul and reminds me that with everything else that is going on, at the end of the day there are the most basic of things in the world to rely on to bring us comfort. Alaric has joined me and takes my hand, his words break the silence of the room, “Lugh, know that we will do what we can for Lainn, but we must first see if we can thwart The Morrígan in her endeavor to use Lainn once the resurrection takes place. We just need to know where to find his resting place.”
Lugh assesses us both before nodding, “His place of rest will reveal itself under the light of a blood moon. The entrance to his underground crypt can be found on the Isle of Deora, the Isle of Tears within the ruins there. The isle can be found in the Sea of Hope. In fact, it is not far from my territory. I wanted to lay him to rest in a place that was remote, and one that was special to him. We visited it once when he was just a boy, and he fell in love with it, and we played there the whole day. He had such an imagination as a child. So now you know where to find my son’s resting place, what is your next step?”
Before either of us can speak up Lexie and Declan, both say, “The next blood moon is in two night’s time.” They look at one another and smile before turning serious.
“That doesn’t give us much time. We will need to notify Nimue and Myrddin so that they can prepare to receive the children. Alaric, how will we get there? I have no idea where that even is. Will we have enough time to prepare?” Now that the information we have been seeking has been imparted, my anxiety over our next encounter with The Morrígan has just skyrocketed.
“Come mo grá, I can show you so you can get a better understanding of where we are and where we need to go.” He pulls me over to the large map on the wall. I’ve noticed it many times but have never actually studied it. I will have to rectify that. This is my homeworld, and I should have a better understanding of it. Alaric begins to point, “See here, this is where we are, or thereabout. Now here is where we were when we went into the Badlands and here is the Sea of Hope, it’s not far from where we were. I have never been there so we will have to travel via dragon-back if they are willing. Your Keepers will be drawn to you and the souls that will become their charges so there will be no need to transport them all there, they will arrive when they are needed. We just need to figure out who all will need to go with us and then what we are going to do once we get there.”
“Alright, then let’s get started,” I turn to everyone in the room, “We have twenty-four hours to come up with a game plan. Let’s get busy.” Turning to Lugh, I smile and say, “Thank you. We will do what we can to bring Lainn home. You’re welcome to join us.”
“I do believe that it’s time that I retire, thank you all for such a warm welcome. I’ll have Dagda brief me in the morning. Today has been a pleasant reprieve from my life of isolation. I will check in with Fenwick before I retire.”
Dagda stands to join Lugh and pulls him into an embrace and claps him on the back soundly, “It was good seeing you, my old friend. Don’t be a stranger any longer. I have missed you as have many of our brethren.”
Lugh nods and smiles and then vanishes as he traces back to his fortress, signaling that it’s time that we get to work hammering out the details. Turning to everyone I ask, “Is a blood moon what I think it is?”
Nemus grunts before explaining, “In The Mortal Realm, the color of the eclipsed moon can appear to have a reddish color. A blood moon is one of four total lunar eclipses back to back. We are to experience the first of the lunar tetrad in two night’s time. The blood moon will look like nothing you have ever seen before in The Mortal Realm. It will bathe the night with its brilliant red glow. It is an ill-fated omen of things to come.”
A shiver races through me as his words settle over me, my skin crawls as gooseflesh appears on my arms. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. Nemus has just confirmed my fears of what is to come. I don’t have the luxury of time to prepare for every contingency that may take place in our attempt to thwart the phantom queen. I swallow thickly, and Alaric pulls me into his arms, and I hold him close, comforted by his touch.
Chapter 22
(Ashlinn)
The witching hour… That’s when the moon will be totally eclipsed. Of course, it would happen at midnight a little more than twenty-four hours from now. I can’t sleep. I’ve been tossing and turning for most of the evening. It’s just before midnight, and my thoughts are all over the place. The twins have been asleep for a couple of hours now, they have started sleeping through most of the night. I’m not used to their new routine yet, and I can’t help but get up several times throughout the night to check on them. Just to make sure that they’re all okay, including the pups, which we named Cara which is friend and Bán which means white, together they are Cara Bán or White Friend. It seemed fitting because they, like the twins, are a set.
That does it. My thoughts are all over the place. I slide out of bed and land lightly on the warm wooden floors. The windows are open, and except for the moon and the stars that litter the night sky like brightly shining diamonds, that is the only light that filters into our room from outside. I’ve never really thought of it until now but where Glenndale Loch is located the weather is always mild. I haven’t even missed air conditioning. I pull the covers back up so that Alaric doesn’t get a chill and I pad quietly to the foot of the bed to don my dressing gown. I finger the sheer lace. It’s beautiful. I would never have bought something like this for myself if I were back home, but Claire has a way about her, she loves to design clothing for Lexie and me. Every day I find something new that she has left for me. The negligees are beautiful and revealing, and Alaric can’t get enough of them. My lips twitch at the thought of his reaction to the last one I modeled for him. Quietly, I pull on the black sheer lace and silk robe, smiling I realize that it may cover my body, but it leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination. Lifting my hair up off the nape of my neck I shake it out and run my fingers through it to untangle the thick mane. It hangs heavy down my back past my waist. I expressed a thought about cutting it and I thought my Elf-Man was going to come unglued, he wants me to let it grow as long as it will grow and if it makes him happy to be mated to his very own Rapunzel then so be it. I will just have to figure out what is the best way to wear it in battle when the time comes, and there it is. The sole reason why my mind refuses to shut down.
With a heavy sigh, I open the doors that lead to our large balcony. I step out to bask under the rays of the waxing gibbous moon. She is so large tonight that she demands that I pay homage to her celestial beauty. Tonight she brings me comfort, and I lift my face to soak in her ethereal presence. I fear that tomorrow night she will not bring me comfort or ease my worry. Tomorrow she will become an omen of what is to come. In a way, it’s fitting. Tomorrow night she will reflect the massacre that will take place in the crypt of a long-dead demigod. She will be washed in the blood that will be spilled. If only we could stop that from ever happening. I close my eyes as a lone tear slips from my eye to travel down my face. So much violence, so much blood will be shed. Why? Why does she want so much? Why can’t she be happy with being immortal, with being a goddess? Why, why, why?!
In a whisper, I ask, “Why give me a vision of what is to come if I can’t change the future? Father, why can’t I save them?” My quiet voice waivers as I wait for an answer that I’m sure will not come. I bow my head and let the tears fall. I watch as the light of the moon glistens on their beaded surface.
“My dear child, don’t you see? You will save them. You and your Keepers will be there to lead them the way home.” A soft baritone voice says from behind me, and I turn to see my heavenly father. He is once again dressed casually in faded jeans and black V-neck t-shirt and his signature bare feet. I rush into his open arms, wetting his shirt with my tears of mourning for those who have y
et to leave this world.
“Why are you here?”
“Because, Ashlinn, you needed me. Come, I want to pop in on your children.” In an instant, we are beside the twins’ crib, and my heavenly Father leans into trace their faces with his finger. One by one they wake and smile up at him before drifting back off to sleep again and then once more we are on the balcony. “Ashlinn, they’re getting so big. Their gifts are developing nicely, don’t you think? Now, my child, I don’t like seeing you fret and if you had of chosen to receive your memories from before I believe that this task to come would be easier for you. Don’t get me wrong, I understand why you chose as you did. Know this, you are stronger than you know and soon you will tap into your inner strength. The gift of your visions is to prepare your kind and tender heart for what is to come and also to reassure you in times of doubt. Decisions have been made, and the course is set. You may not be able to stop The Morrígan from taking lives tomorrow, but you will be there for those that perish at her hand and for their children. That is the most important thing that will come out of your encounter tomorrow. Keep the faith Ashlinn and know that I will always be with you. You will be tested in the days to come.”
“Tested?”
He smiles serenely and strokes my jaw, “By the way Ash, I like the dressing gown. It does highlight your best assets.” He leans down to kiss my forehead before tracing away, no doubt to oversee some catastrophic event somewhere in the vast universe.
Looking down at my attire, I feel my cheeks warm, and a flush creeps over not only my cheeks but the rest of me as well, “Well snap! I totally forgot what I was wearing,” I mutter. As my embarrassment subsides, his last words echo in my mind. Keep the faith, and you will be tested. As thankful as I am for his appearance, I’m now more worried than ever. I need to see more of what is to happen tomorrow night. I don’t have enough information to work with, but if I haven’t seen it by now, I’m not going to, no matter how much I will myself to have a vision. It just doesn’t work that way. I’m distracted from my internal ponderings as a shadow passes over the moon and I look up to see a dragon gliding through the midnight sky. In fact, there is more than one. It would appear that on the morrow we will have several more dragon shifters to add to our ranks, which is a good thing but it has had an unsettling effect on me.
“Gah, who am I kidding? Everything tonight has me unsettled.” I offer up to the night sky.
Strong arms wrap around me from behind like steel bands pulling me into him, the one person who has the ability to settle my jangled nerves. Alaric is like a warm blanket for my soul. I melt into his solid chest, and with our link to one another open, he sighs, “Mo grá, you worry too much. Whatever happens tomorrow we will deal with it, no matter what comes our way.”
Turning into his embrace, I wrap my arms around his waist and pull him close before voicing my fears, whispering, “I don’t want you to go into that chamber tomorrow night. I’m begging you Alaric. You can direct our team from above. Please don’t come after me. I’ll be okay. I still don’t know why I’m alone when I first arrive, but I’ll be fine.”
“Ashlinn, I’m your kindred, your mate, your guardian, I’m the other half of your soul, and I absolutely will not allow you to face your nemesis alone. Not because I don’t think that you can handle it but because my duty to you does not stop just because you fear the outcome of tomorrow’s encounter. I am your Guardian, and I will keep you safe while you do your duty as Keeper of Souls. You know as well as I do that we have a higher calling. Your focus will be on the Nimue’s sisterhood and their tortured spirits, not on what is going on around you. I will be there to protect you Ashlinn, it is my duty, and it is my honor.” I’m shaking my head no into his chest, knowing that I cannot change his mind. Gently, my Elf-Man hooks his index finger under my chin. He lifts my tear-stained face to his own beautiful countenance bathed in the silver light of the moon, and the dazzling stars overhead. “Ash, if we are separated we will find our way back to one another. I’m sure of it.”
Reaching up to cup his face in my hands, I run my thumb over his lower lip before biting down on my own. “If she gets her hands on you Alaric, she will hurt you in order to get to me. She will inflict as much pain on you as she can in order to get under my skin. You know that right?”
“I will heal, and I will survive, no matter what she throws at me because I have you and the twins to come back to. Besides, we really have no idea who will be pulled back through her trace trail. It could have been anyone of the team. Everyone is abreast of the situation and what little we know. We are all prepared. Come Ashlinn, let’s go back to bed. I will never ever be able to sleep in that big bed alone again, not after having you in it with me. It’s empty and lonely.”
“I can’t sleep, Alaric, I’m too wound up.”
“Then let me unwind you. I promise to do so slowly, over and over again. Let me love you tonight mo ghrá álainn, let me take away your worries. I need you mo grá.” His sapphire blue eyes look almost black in their intensity. They’re hooded as he studies me before leaning in to press a soft, gentle kiss to my lips. My thirst for him has just awakened, and I throw my arms around his neck pulling him closer to me and deepening our kiss, and I open for him. Our tongues brushing against one another and my need for him intensifies, my need for him to be inside me is all I can think about as I press into this handsome, selfless male that is all mine.
He sweeps me up into his arms and carries me inside only to toss me on the bed and crawl over me as his panther stalks his mate and for a moment I indulge in their predatory game. Time slows as I lift my eyes to his and take his face in my hands to still the beast that is clawing toward the surface. “Love me Elf-Man. Love me slow and gentle, love me like it’s the first time and the last.”
“Your wish is my command. But know this, I plan on loving you until the end of time, and even that will never be long enough to have you by my side, you and our family.”
“You’re such the romantic. Don’t ever change Elf-man.” My voice is husky and tempered with lust. Lust for the one and only male that has stolen my heart and soul. I belong to him, and he belongs to me.
We spend the rest of the night showing each other just how much we love the other. Exploring and re-exploring each other in our desperate attempt to satisfy our craving for one another. By the time dawn rolls around, I’m exhausted. The dark skies of night blend to the light of the morning sunrise. Wrapped in Alaric’s arms, I sigh as I finally let myself slip away and fall toward my dark slumber.
From a distance I hear Alaric whisper, “I’ve got you mo grá. Always and forever, we have the rest of the day together, rest easy love.”
(Ashlinn)
“The rest of the day,” His words echo around my slumbering mind. What did he mean? His words strike a chord in me that ping-pong around my subconscious for an eternity before I’m able to pull myself out of my deep sleep. His words are on repeat and are enough to cause alarm. My eyes snap open winning the battle over exhaustion. My worry for tonight has just increased two-fold. His words can only mean that he fears that he will be taken by my nemesis. Sitting up, alone in our over large bed, I look around as my brain begins to wake up. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I see the curtains have been pulled over the windows and balcony doors to block the sunlight from streaming in as I blink away the sleep that fogs my brain. No wonder I had no idea as to the time of day.
The nursery is far from quiet, and I hear tinkling laughter from the other room and one sour puss, my handsome little man is hungry. Alaric’s baritone voice carries through the door, his words are encouraging, and through our link, I sense his utter happiness at spending time with his children. I can’t help the smile that blossoms across my face as I listen to my family in the next room. My family, the family that Alaric and I have created. Wow… how my life has changed in such a short period of time. I can’t imagine my life without them. They are part of the very fabric of my being. Every soul in that room is part of my big beautif
ul family. Through the door, I can hear that Lachlan is being obstinate and Lillie is being her beautiful self. Sliding out of bed, I take a moment to don some sleep shorts and a cami before walking in to check on Alaric and the twins.
In comparison to our darkened chambers, the nursery is bright with the light of the morning sun and holds a pleasant welcoming. I blink rapidly as my eyes become accustomed to the bright light. The sight of the five of them, and yes I’m including the pups, brings me up short. Both of my children are on the floor in the middle of the nursery. The rug is soft and cushioned, and I see that they have managed to get their arms and legs under them and are rocking in an attempt to crawl. Alaric is sitting cross-legged in front of them encouraging them to move toward him. Silently, I watch from the doorway and stalk my children. Hoping that today will be the day that they figure it out. Alaric glances my way a huge grin on his face, and he motions me to join them.
“Good morning, mo grá. I hope you don’t mind me letting you sleep. You needed your rest, and no, you haven’t missed them crawl. This is as far as they have gotten. I think it will be a couple of days yet before they are able to take it to the next level but it’s fun to watch their progress and encourage them.”
Smiling, I cop a squad next to Alaric and take his hand, “I don’t think that there was anything that could have woken me before just a couple of minutes ago. I’m still trying to shake the cobwebs from my weary brain.” Leaning in I brush my lips across his before pulling away to turn my attention to my two precious babes I see that Lillie is smiling up at me on trembling arms and Cara is right there nudging her gently with her dark brown nose before she topples over. Lillie’s squeals of laughter echo around the room when Cara begins lapping at her chubby little cheeks. She grabs the fox pup by the face, and for an instant, I tense unsure of how Cara will react. My reaction is unfounded. Cara lies down by Lillie and licks at her cheeks and nuzzles into her neck. The two are attached to one another.