The Dominion Pulse

by Brad A. LaMar

Tannus laughed. “Camulos, are we going to kill this worm?”

  Camulos shook his head. “No, I want him to witness the failure of his friend.” Camulos smirked as he stared Ken in the eyes. “Your friend will die trying to save you all, and then you and everyone else on this waste of a planet will follow him into oblivion.”

  …

  The hot springs of Lull was a favorite spot of Arawn. The bubbling water eased the tension from his muscles and made his stress melt away. The water probably had healing powers, but he didn’t really know for certain.

  He held his breath and dropped beneath the surface of the water, allowing the heat to invade his pores and cleanse his skin. He reemerged and swiped his hair straight back and out of his face. Arawn was trying to relax his body so he could concentrate his energies and make contact with Nuada.

  “Nuada?” Arawn whispered as steam hovered over the water and around his head. “Are you there?”

  Arawn couldn’t sense the silver god at all. It had been a long time since he had spoken with him, but he had always been able to reach him when he needed to.

  “Nuada, has Elathan returned to Otherworld?” he asked, pressing on.

  Silence was the only reply and that was not a good sign. Arawn jumped out of the spring, got dressed, mounted his horse, and dashed back to his castle. If Dewi was right, then he needed to be prepared.

  …

  The bracelet sat idle on Dorian’s table, bronze and beautiful and very tempting to try on. She had already walked past it several times and it always drew her attention. Was it an object that could help them?

  Finally, temptation got the best of her and she picked up the bracelet, placing it on her left wrist. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but when nothing happened she was a little disappointed. The Leprechaun Queen held her wrist out and examined the jewelry closer.

  “What are you doing?” Biddy asked as she entered Dorian’s house.

  “Just seeing what the bracelet is all about,” Dorian answered. “It doesn’t seem to be much more than a bracelet.”

  “Really? That’s a bit disappointing,” Biddy said. She climbed up to the top of the table and reached out to touch the bracelet on Dorian’s wrist.

  Instantly, the bracelet began to shine and Biddy pulled her hand back quickly. “Janie Mack! Dorian, you’ve got yourself some wings!”

  “What?” Dorian turned her head to the side and glanced over her back; sure enough she had a pair of bright orange wings just like Biddy’s when she used the rainbow’s magic. “This is bonkers!” Dorian looked back down at the bracelet and then at Biddy and then back at her new wings. “I think we found out what the power of the bracelet is.”

  “While you’ve got them, do you want to go for a flight?” Biddy asked with a sly grin.

  Dorian pulled the bracelet off and placed it on the table. Her wings faded away. She picked the bracelet up again and put it back on her wrist and looked back to where her wings should be, but she remained wingless. The Leprechauns exchanged curious looks before Dorian reached out and touched Biddy’s arm. The orange wings sprang out of her back again. She concentrated on them and spread them out, nearly knocking a glass off the counter.

  “Whoa now! Careful,” Biddy warned. “Learning to use them can take a bit.”

  “I think the things Oscar has found over the years may be able to help us, Bid,” Dorian said.

  “We’re going to need all the help we can get,” Biddy answered.

  …

  Toren stood over Nuada—like he had for the last several days—keeping vigil over the benevolent god who was resting on his bed. He was sweaty and having trouble breathing. Nuada sure wasn’t in any condition to send Toren to Brendan or anyone else, so the only news he could gather was through Nuada’s windows to the Earth and Otherworld.

  Nuada whimpered and twitched, an extremely depressing sight for Toren who had only known Nuada as a vibrant and lively god.

  “What’s happening, Nuada?” Toren whispered.

  The silver god shot up to a sitting position and whispered a single word before he collapsed back onto the bed and continued his haggard breathing.

  Toren tried to place the word, but he couldn’t recall having ever heard it before. “Who or what is Lir?”

  …

  “Here I go again,” Brendan said with a shake of his head. “Where am I?”

  He looked around at the wide-open landscape and gasped. Scotland, where he had just been, was very beautiful, but what he was looking at now was hard to comprehend. It was night and the heavens were littered with stars and a bright full moon. Instead of the white moon with the dark, broad patches he saw a yellow moon with multicolored speckles all over it, reminding him of the rubber balls he used to get at the grocery store for fifty cents. This moon’s appearance didn’t surprise Brendan. As soon as he opened his eyes he understood that he wasn’t on Earth any longer.

  Brendan walked up the hill past elegant trees with fragrant flowers and found himself looking out at a sprawling city in the distance. It was miles away but that didn’t diminish the view at all. The city was an odd mix of futuristic and ancient features. Gargantuan skyscrapers with slick metal and stone façades supporting glossy windows, balconies, and connecting walkways between the architectural giants stood side-by-side with pristine versions of Celtic and old world creations. This place was definitely an influence on human designs.

  The city was so far away; Brendan was not looking forward to the walk. He didn’t get very far before he heard a pair of voices. He couldn’t place where they were coming from, but whoever was in conversation seemed to be having a hard time controlling their volume. Brendan, being on the far outskirts of the city couldn’t imagine that he would be able to hear anything from there, so he wandered around the hill until he spotted a pair of powerful looking individuals standing near a bend in a slow-moving river. They were staring angrily at each other.

  He approached the pair and stood close enough to hear them, but not close enough for them to notice him. Even when present only in a vision, he had been seen and engaged on a couple of occasions, but Brendan didn’t want that to happen with the likes of these two powerful looking men. Both men were large and intimidating, but oddly enough, one of their faces remained blurry to Brendan.

  “Listen to reason, Nuada,” pleaded the other man, exasperation clearly the emotion of the moment.

  “Lir, don’t be a fool!” shouted Nuada, his fist clenched and lit with a soft silver glow.

  “Fool?” Lir shook his head, bewildered. “Elathan is too much for you to handle, old friend. He’s smarter, younger, and more driven.”

  “He’s a danger to everyone on Earth, Lir. He’s… ”

  “Enough about Earth, Nuada!” Lir exclaimed, interrupting the silver god. “Do you hear yourself? All you ever talk about is that planet and it’s barbaric humans! What about Otherworld? What about all of us?”

  Nuada stood silently and looked out at the water. Brendan tried to study every detail about Nuada. He was, after all, the benefactor of Brendan’s powers, and it was the first time that he had actually been able to see the god. Nuada was as chiseled as one would envision a god to be and sported wavy salt-and-peppered hair. He was a large being who exuded power. Brendan could feel it radiating from him. It felt familiar and comfortable, like a favorite piece of clothing or a child’s blanket. Brendan felt like he knew Nuada even if he couldn’t see his face.

  Brendan glanced over at the water and saw what he guessed was a group of Selkies swimming downstream, their odd heads popping out of the water like seals. Nuada didn’t seem to notice them.

  “You can no longer split your attention, Nuada, and I for one can no longer align myself with you.” Lir stared straight into Nuada’s face.

  Nuada turned on Lir sharply. “Then you are a traitor to justice and morality!”

  “Those are creations of the mind in a savage world, Nuada. Survival is the only thing that matters.” Lir turned on his heels and marched awa
y.

  Nuada stood proudly, defiantly, against the accusation. “No,” he whispered to the shrinking image of his former friend marching away. “Those are the ideals that separate us from the beasts.”

  …

  Rohl jammed a twig between his teeth and dug at a bit of raw fish that had wedged itself tightly. He looked up at Brendan who was still standing in the middle of the wooded path, frozen like a statue, although he was finally blinking again.

  “There we are, back again,” Rohl said, flinging his twig away. He got behind Brendan and started pushing on his legs to lead him over to a tree stump. “Take a seat for a minute.”

  Brendan shook his head. “I had no idea who he was until now.”

  “Oh, I get it. You’re a header, you know, crazy,” the Púca said with an understanding laugh. “Join the club, bucko.”

  “No, I’m not crazy,” Brendan said, although the verdict was still probably out on that one. “I have these visions where I can go into other people’s memories. I finally had one where I got to see Nuada.”

  “The silver god? Of course you did,” Rohl replied with a wink.

  “Look, whatever, man. Let’s just keep moving.”

  “Great.” Rohl transformed his body into a lean, black horse again. “Saddle up, cowboy.”

  Brendan shook his head. “No way. I’m not riding you.”

  “We’ll be crossing through towns and it would look a bit strange to see me, don’t you think?”

  “Fine, but take it nice and slow. I’ve never been on a horse before.”

  “Really?” the Púca asked with a sly grin.

  “A griffin, yes, but a horse, no.”

  Rohl deflated a bit as Brendan climbed onto his back. “Hang on tight; I’ll show you what a race horse can do.” He dashed away as fast as he could, leaving Brendan to hang on for dear life.

  …

  “Do you know the history of this cave, Seeker?” Conchar asked the ever-silent human. “This is where Elathan began his journey to greatness, and you are going to further his cause. Find the dominion pulse of Brugh.”

  Oscar teetered near the large lake, which was twinkling with the tiniest blue sparkles he had ever seen. They were distracting, but not distracting enough to take his thoughts away from his desired treasure.

  Lub-dub. Lub-dub.

  Chapter 8

  Behind Enemy Lines

  Della sat nervously on a treetop scouting the area for Arawn, her senses on full alert. She fretted obsessively over the day that the Celtic warrior would discover her and her deeds for the captive gods. Truth be told, she hated being their messenger. Dewi, Lir, Argona, and Warnach were hateful and vengeful beings, the exact opposite of Della, but what could she do? How could she ever refuse the will of the gods?

  The area around Argona’s prison was clear and crisp, completely absent of Arawn’s scent. The Puck leapt from her perch and spread her cloak out, snagging the wind just so, and directed her descent right to the edge of the trilithons.

  “So?” Argona snapped at her little frightened messenger as she landed. “Any sign of the golden god?”

  Della shook her head. “No, my lady. Lord Elathan has not yet arrived in Ann wn.”

  “Stop using that name!” Argona shouted. “It’s a slander against all that’s just, Della. Arawn does not deserve the honor of an entire realm when he himself lacks honor.”

  Della hesitated before she spoke, but her curiosity was getting the best of her. “Lady Argona, why do you hate Arawn so much?”

  Argona’s eyes shot daggers at the Puck for the briefest of seconds before she began to look despondent. The war goddess looked away and ambled back to her resting place to lie down.

  “I can answer that,” a deep voice replied from behind Della.

  The Puck spun around quickly and looked up into the face of pure evil. The golden god sneered at Argona from the free side of the cage, ignoring the Puck for the most part.

  “You see, servant, our vicious goddess of war is still in love with him.” Elathan walked closer to the trilithons and glared at her through the invisible shield that imprisoned her. “That shouldn’t interfere with your servitude, should it, Argona?”

  Argona dropped to one knee and placed her fist diagonal across her chest. “No, my lord.” She wanted to argue that she hated Arawn more than anything in Otherworld, but it didn’t matter to Elathan. He didn’t care about Argona’s thoughts and struggles.

  “Remember, you swore your allegiance to me, and I will not hesitate to kill you or anyone else who dares oppose me,” he growled.

  “Of course, Lord Elathan,” Argona said, bowing her head. “I will serve you well. All of us have been waiting for your return. I hope you sensed that in our communications, my lord.”

  “Many are eager when the time gap seems insurmountable, but it has come at last. My plans are almost complete, and I will need strong, loyal followers to see my desires through to the end.”

  Argona glanced at Della who was frozen with fear. “I ask only for the opportunity to kill Arawn myself, my liege.”

  “After all of your adventures together? After all of the love you shared? Even after Caoranach?” A subtle smirk traced itself across Elathan’s lips as Argona hung her head.

  Elathan put a leather-like glove on and pulled a small blue pebble from his pocket, holding it out for Argona and Della to see. He tossed the small crystal towards the invisible shield, in between the trilithons. The crystal flipped end over end until one of the pointed sides jabbed straight into the shield and stopped in midair, stuck to the barrier like a dart. Pulses of blue energy radiated out of the contact point in waves traversing the entire perimeter of the trilithons and their encasements. The energy surged over and over again until the entirety of the prison carried a soft blue glow in between the structures.

  “If you are truly loyal to me, Argona, you will be able to pass through the barrier, but if you are not, then you will cease to exist, and I mean in the most painful of ways.” Elathan stared at the war goddess with indifference.

  Argona got to her feet and cautiously walked toward the barrier. Della could see the sweat beginning to form on the goddess’s forehead and was feeling a mixture of emotions. One part of her wanted Argona to die for making her a slave to evil, but the other side of her never wanted to see anyone suffer. Either way, she could only watch.

  Argona stepped right up to the barrier and took a deep breath. “I am loyal to you, Lord Elathan.” She stepped into the barrier and her body was overcome with blue energy as she took the three steps through to freedom.

  Elathan offered no praise. He tossed a small leather purse down to Della. “You saw how I used the crystal. Go and free Dewi, Warnach, and Lir.”

  Della sprinted away as fast as she could. She did not look back, fearing that it would be the last action she would ever perform.

  “What is your bidding?” Argona asked with her eyes cast down to the ground.

  Elathan raised an eyebrow. “You are going to bring me my army.”

  “Sire?” Argona asked, puzzled.

  Elathan spared a rare grin. “Find me Caoranach.”

  Her eyes widened, a mix of fear and surprise evident in her expression since she had not uttered that name for centuries, let alone desired to find her again. Not even Arawn would say the name when he found his way to her cell.

  “Problem?” Elathan pressed.

  “No,” Argona muttered after she found her voice. “I will find her.”

  …

  Ken bounded down the stairs at the call of one of his CHH housemates. Apparently he had a visitor. When he got to the door, he wished he had pretended not to be home.

  “Good to see you again, Ken,” Detective Simmons greeted from the doorway.

  Ken put on his best fake smile. “Hello, Detective. Always a pleasure.”

  “I heard that you got roughed up a little by a couple of guys, and it got me wondering if Brendan O’Neal was back in town.”

  Ken shook h
is head. “Nope, sorry, I haven’t seen him in a while and to be honest about it, I don’t expect to, either.”

  “Why is that? I thought you were buddies,” Simmons replied.

  “Look, I only met him this summer, it’s not like we’re pen pals or anything.”

  “I gotta admit, Ken, I’m getting a little more frustrated by the day with this whole situation.” Simmons scratched his head with his pen. “I’m getting a lot of heat from local authorities, the media, and the vanished students’ families on this one. They want answers, Ken, and I’m starting to think that you were in on it with Brendan and Meghan from the start.”

  “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ken said in surprise.

  “I think that even if you weren’t there, you at least have knowledge of it and if you do, then you can be brought in on interfering with a police investigation. You’ll be seeing me again.” Detective Simmons stormed away, tucking his notepad into his back pocket.

  Ken stepped onto the porch at a loss for words. Wanda and Patty popped out of the bushes and whistled for his attention.

  “I don’t like that man,” Wanda said, her arms crossed in protest.

  “Me neither,” added Patty. “He needs to keep his business to himself.”

  “Awww man, what should I do? Should I call Brendan?”

  “Take a seat, honey. Don’t you remember that Brendan’s not carrying his phone because of that cop? You’re gonna need to text Dorian instead,” Wanda suggested.

  “She’s right. Just make Dorian aware because you know Brendan’s dealing with some serious things,” Patty chimed in.

  “I know, but those two jerks are coming after him, too. We gotta let him know.” Ken pulled out his phone and sent Dorian a message.

  …

  2 big magicks roughed me up, asked about Brendan & sword, they r coming 4 him. Cop won’t leave me alone.

  A red circle popped up on his cell phone over the messages icon, drawing the detective’s attention. Simmons studied the message with interest and confusion. It was one of the weirdest texts he had ever read from a monitored subject. Magicks? A sword? What had Brendan gotten himself into?