I found that hard to believe, but then again, I was in the Otherworld. I guess anything was possible. But how was anyone going to survive in Eile now that the Morrigan’s magic was free to create death storms?
“Wait,” I said, as a sudden thought surfaced, “what about the Amsihria?”
Meghan glanced up at me with a question on her face.
“The women who live in the mountains and tame Eile’s weather. That’s where Devlin and I are headed after our stay here, remember?”
Meghan nodded her head slowly. “Cade mentioned them once, but I don’t remember much.”
“Devlin and Enorah told me they keep the weather under control so it won’t grow too deadly.” I inclined my head toward the window again. “Shouldn’t this storm qualify?”
“I guess,” Meghan conceded, “but this might just be more than they can handle. Like trying to swim against a rip tide. These new storms are probably too powerful for them.”
My friend sat back down in her chair, her eyes alight with thought as she considered this new theory. I took a breath to add my own thoughts, but at that moment, something small and white flew through one of the vent holes far above in the wall, screeching like a banshee.
“Holy crap!” I shouted, ducking as the small demon dive-bombed me. “What the hell?!”
Meghan shot up out of her chair again, letting the blanket and throw pillow fall to the floor. She stood absolutely still as the flying beast came to rest on the back of her chair. As soon as it stopped moving, I recognized it. Meridian, Meghan’s spirit guide. She was soaking wet, and her feathers were practically in tatters. Had she been outside? Crazy bird! She could have been pelted to death by the hail or struck by that nasty lightning.
“Meghan! What’s going on?” I insisted, but my friend held up a hand, requesting my silence.
Two seconds later, she turned and looked at me, her face drained of color, her changeable eyes pale with worry.
“Cade,” she whispered harshly, moving like a ghost to the window overlooking the courtyard.
-Chapter Eleven-
Storm
“Meghan,” I prompted, my voice hard with fresh worry.
I moved to my chair and kneeled in it, leaning over the back rest, so I could peer through the window as well. Far below, the courtyard stones were slick with rain and hail. It was hard to see through the moisture-blurred window, but I was just able to make out another white smudge. I squinted. The smudge moved, no, limped forward, a streak of blood down its flank. It turned its head and looked up at us as if expecting us to be watching it. Fergus. Cade’s wolfhound.
Meghan turned and stared at me, her eyes wide and her face even more drawn than before. “Cade,” she said again. “They were ambushed on their way back from Kellston.”
“Wh-what?” I managed.
“Cade and Devlin. They’re under attack. They cannot escape. Too many faelah.”
Before I could even process what I thought about that, Meghan had turned and moved across the room, heading for the door.
“Where are you going?” I called after her, my own heartbeat picking up its pace.
“I’m going to go help them,” she threw over her shoulder. “You stay here.”
“Oh, like hell I will!” I retorted, leaping off the chair and following after her.
I caught up to her in the massive entrance hall. By now, the rest of the castle staff had become aware of the disturbance and had left aside their chores to see why Meghan was so distressed.
“Lady Meghan, what are you doing?”
Cade’s steward stepped from the shadows of the hallway.
“Cade and Devlin are in trouble,” Meghan answered, as she pulled open one of the doors behind the fireplace in the south tower.
She stepped in and banged around a bit before emerging with a long staff and a narrow pouch. A string hung from one end of the staff, and several sticks stuck out of the bag. No. Not a staff and sticks. Her longbow and a quiver full of arrows.
“I’m going to help them,” my friend said, her voice grim. “Briant, you stay here and make sure no one goes outside. The storm out there is fierce. Get some water boiling and gather some healing herbs from the garden if we have none in store. We may need more than what has been put away.”
The man opened his mouth as if to argue, but one harsh glare from Meghan changed his mind. “Yes, Meghan.”
He turned and headed down the hallway, Melvina and their small daughters trailing after him. The steward’s wife had streaks of flour on her face, but it was almost impossible to see them, her skin was so pale.
“The rest of you, be prepared to deal with wounded men. I don’t know how many people we’ll be bringing back. There may have been others with them, and it is our duty to see them well.”
While all this was going on, I could only stand there, gaping at my friend. Wow. Way to go, Meg!
Everyone dispersed, heading in various directions to do as Meghan asked them. As the room cleared, my friend turned to me, her expression drawn and serious.
“Robyn, I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
I blinked a few times at her. “Did you forget that I was going with you?” I managed.
“No. You’re new to the Otherworld, and your glamour isn’t strong yet. I’ll get Lasair and go after them. We’ll be fine,” she muttered, as she headed for the door.
Without a second thought, I started after her, moving fast as I stepped in front of her before she could escape through the door. Meghan stopped and blinked at me.
“What?” I said, forcing that fear I felt into the sarcasm and spunk I was so famous for. “Do you really think you can boss me around? Daughter of the high queen, and lady of the manor you may be, but you’re still Meghan from Arroyo Grande to me. Besides, it isn’t just your husband who is in danger, but my boyfriend as well. I’m not letting you go by yourself.”
“Robyn,” Meghan gritted out, “that is an Otherworldly lightning storm out there, and the things Cade and Devlin are facing aren’t disgruntled raccoons digging through the garbage. The faelah in Eile are dangerous, even more so than the ones that pestered us in the mortal world. Remember our camping trip to Lopez Lake? Those faelah were tame compared to the ones that have been sprouting up as of late.”
I shuddered. I did remember that trip. But, I also remembered those nasty Otherworldly things Devlin and I had faced in my own backyard. Not to mention dealing with the Daramorr and his sister.
“Look,” I said, using the bossiest tone I could muster. “We’re wasting time arguing, and you know I’m way more stubborn than you. Besides, if Devlin and Cade have been incapacitated in any way, you are going to need an extra person to drag them onto the horses. Devlin outweighs me by at least eighty pounds, if not more.”
I released a great sigh and fought back the images that were now rushing through my brain. “Please. Let me help. I promise I’m not as inexperienced with Otherworldly things as you think. I’m a great shot with a crossbow, as you well know. Let me get Venom, and I can target practice from a distance while you move in and zap whatever I can’t kill with crossbow bolts.”
I smiled and lifted one eyebrow at her.
Meghan gave it some thought for about two seconds.
“Fine,” she grumbled, then sniffed. “But, there will be no ‘zapping’. How are you at riding horses?”
Haven’t ridden since I was ten. “Pretty good,” I lied.
Telling the truth would only cause more delay, and if I admitted I wasn’t good at riding, she might leave me behind after all.
“Alright. You go get your crossbow and meet me in the stables.”
I bolted back up the stairs as Meghan headed out into the storm. It took me no more than two minutes to grab Venom and my spare bolts and make it back down the stairs. I shot out of the door and sprinted across the courtyard. The rain had lightened, but the black clouds hovering in the distance promised more.
Almost immediately after leaving the castle, I could feel
the charge in the air, and the smell was something I had never experienced before. Metallic, but sweet at the same time. It was very strange and unsettling, and the hair on my arms stood on end. Fabulous. I hoped that didn’t mean I was about to get struck by lightning. I glanced down at my hand. It had started tingling again, but this time a pale violet ripple of light crawled across my skin. It reminded me so much of the night I was nearly murdered, when this same electric-like glow flowed up my arms.
Ignoring the sudden life of my glamour, I picked up my pace, crossing under the portcullis and flying across the wide field. With each breath I took, I prayed the lightning wouldn’t strike me. The strange tingling in my arm spread, crawling up my shoulder and poking its sharp fingers closer to my heart. No, no, no ... not now. I couldn’t afford to be overwhelmed by it now. I had a terrible feeling that if my glamour decided to suddenly wake up, it would be catastrophic enough to knock me out for a good hour. Devlin and Cade needed my help. I had no time for passing out right now.
Fergus must have run ahead of us, because Meghan was hovering over him by the time I reached the stables. I hitched over the moment I stepped under the cover of the roof, my breath coming in sharp gasps as I set my will against a stitch in my side. While I caught my breath, I watched Meghan kneel down beside the huge dog to examine his shoulder where the blood stain started.
“Fergus!” she hissed. “Are you hurt?”
After a short moment, she breathed a sigh of relief. “Just a small gash. Can you lead us to Cade and Devlin?”
The dog gave a small bark, and she stood up to call for Cormac. The stable master appeared from the back of the building leading Meghan’s brilliant chestnut stallion.
“Lasair is ready to go,” he said, his face grim.
“Good. What about a horse for Robyn?”
Cormac looked pained. “The only horse fit for riding at the moment is Spiora.”
Meghan blanched but nodded. “She’ll have to do.”
My mind ticked the name over in my head. My friend had introduced me to all the horses earlier that morning. The name stood out amongst the half dozen or so she had mentioned earlier, but I couldn’t remember which one it was. Spiora, Spiora ...
The stable master nodded and headed toward the stall near the end of the building. “Easy girl,” he said, as he entered the stall.
Clearly, the horse wasn’t too thrilled about him entering her domain, because I could hear her puffing and nickering in agitation. And then, I remembered. The spirited filly who I had wanted to steer clear of earlier. I turned and gave Meghan a disbelieving look. Her face was tight with anxiety. Obviously, she wanted to get moving.
The stable master cursed and what sounded like a hoof punching into wood greeted my ears. Oh, yay! That’s what I got for lying about my equestrian skills. I should have just been honest. Too late now. I’d just have to do my best.
A clap of thunder, loud enough to rattle a few stone shingles loose from the unfinished roof, resounded overhead. The heavy stone slabs fell at our feet, forcing Fergus to jump up from where he was resting. One quick glance outside and I caught a glimpse of pale pink lightning coursing across the sky, its many fingers splitting and forking like a great spider web. At least fifty separate points of electricity shot toward the ground behind the hills.
“Holy crap!” I hissed quietly. Meghan had told me what to expect, but imagining it and seeing it were two very different animals.
I glanced over at my friend, my eyes wide. Meghan only nodded grimly and tightened her grip on Lasair’s halter. The red horse, however, seemed unperturbed by the danger outside. Did he even realize where Meghan planned to take him? Or did he not care? Maybe this horse was made of a stronger fiber than his companions.
A ruckus at the end of the stable drew my attention in that direction. Cormac was leading another horse from its stall. Spiora. Earlier, I’d been too busy trying to move away from the agitated mare, so I never got a chance to actually look at her. She seemed a bit calmer, now that she was out of her stable stall, but she still resisted Cormac’s pull on the lead rope. The horse master kept his tone soft and patient, encouraging the mare to step forward. She was a beautiful animal, I couldn’t help but notice. A dark chocolate brown in color, with a pale golden mane and tail. Her ears were pressed flat against her skull, a gesture that even I knew was a sign of irritation. But as soon as she looked at me, those dark ears flicked forward, and she stopped resisting the stable master.
I glanced quickly over my shoulder, thinking maybe she was happy to see Lasair or Meghan, but before I could return my attention to the feisty mare, a soft, velvety nose pressed up against my cheek. I squeaked and jumped back a step, my heart racing. Meghan actually laughed.
“Figures she likes you. Think you can handle her, Robyn? I don’t want to wait any longer.”
Steeling myself, I nodded. Meghan was right. We had to get moving. We’d wasted enough time already. As gracefully as I could, I climbed into the saddle with Cormac’s help and prayed that I didn’t get kicked off or struck by lightning, then turned the mare toward the stable exit.
“That’s a good girl,” I crooned, trying to remember the few things I’d learned from the summer of horseback lessons I had taken as a kid.
“Her name is Spiora,” Cormac reminded me as we trotted through the stable, “and since she likes you, you should have no problem asking her for help.”
That was odd, asking an animal for help. But then again, she was an Otherworldly horse. I lifted an eyebrow at him, and he only smiled. Could he tell I wasn’t a seasoned rider? Shaking off my nerves, I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I had survived the Daramorr’s attack because of Devlin, and now it was my turn to return the favor.
Leaning forward, I whispered into the horse’s ear, “Okay Spiora, I need you to keep up with Meghan and Lasair, so we can help Cade and Devlin.”
The mare whickered softly and tossed her head, almost smacking me in the face as she did so. She dug her hooves into the dry earth of the stable and jolted forward, almost throwing me from the saddle.
Okay, so she was a very smart horse. So long as I could stay on her back, I wouldn’t have to worry about anything else. Except maybe the tendrils of lightning hovering overhead. Not too far ahead of us, Meghan galloped down the sodden road, Lasair moving like a flash of fire against the grey and green landscape. Even farther ahead of them was Fergus, the white hound, eager to return to his master. From the trees behind Luathara Castle, a tiny white flash streaked across the black sky and drew even with Meghan. It took me less time to identify it this time: Meridian, Meghan’s spirit guide merlin, there to lend her own aid.
I loosened my grip on the reins, and Spiora picked up the pace. I held on as best I could with my knees, expecting to be dumped overboard every time she rocked forward. More lightning in various shades of pastel, forked across the sky, creating a larger net of powerful electricity and bringing that sickly sweet metallic scent with it. Every time the lightning lit the sky, the skin on my arms would prickle, and my fingers would grow almost numb. It was as if the lightning and the strange sensation awakening under my skin were connected, and each time the lightning flared, my own glamour answered it. I only hoped that whatever I felt brewing within me would be able to help, and not hinder, me when we reached Devlin and Cade.
Eventually, we caught up to Meghan and Lasair. By then, I had grown used to Spiora’s gait. Another web of lightning lit the sky, and my fear amplified. Against my better judgment, I started to think about Devlin and Cade once again. What if they were struck? Would it kill them outright? And what about the creatures they were fighting? What if the lightning incapacitated them enough that the faelah could move in and kill them?
A stray tendril of yellow lightning broke from the net above and hit an oak tree off to the side of the road, forcing Lasair and Spiora to start in alarm. I barely managed to hold on, and would have fallen, if I hadn’t grabbed a handful of the mare’s mane. My heart jumped into my thro
at, blocking the scream that had tried to break free. I flexed my fingers and winced. I couldn’t even feel my hands anymore, they were so numb. I glanced down and tried not to panic. Spider webs of pale violet rolled over my skin. Great. Three months in the Weald, doing everything I could think of to get my glamour to join the party, and it decided to show up now.
“Robyn! Are you alright?” Meghan screamed, over the rumble of thunder.
“Yes!” I answered back, righting myself in the saddle.
Just then, the sky opened up, and it started to pour. The racket of the rain pelting the ground drowned out all other sounds and made visibility a little more difficult. Well, at least it isn’t hailing, I thought to myself, trying to stay positive.
Meghan waved a hand, and we got the horses moving once again. We had been riding for nearly twenty minutes now. Surely, we had to be close to wherever Cade and Devlin had been ambushed. Again, that terror clutched at my heart. What if they had been dragged into the woods by the faelah, and we never found them?
We rounded another corner where the road curved around a hill, and a lake, its water black beneath the gloomy sky, stretched out far ahead of us. A clustering of stone and thatch-roofed houses, looking like sheep huddled together against the storm, rested along the shore closest to us.
“Kellston!” Meghan threw over her shoulder. “Just a few more miles!”
Fergus barked and picked up his pace, pulling away from Meghan and Lasair. He bounded off to the left, crossing a wide field with a line of trees at the far end. Meghan kicked Lasair in the ribs, and he bolted forward, chasing after the hound. I followed suit, hoping Spiora didn’t mind running over the uneven turf.
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