Luathara - Book Three of the Otherworld Trilogy

by Johnson, Jenna Elizabeth

  He eyed me again, that glint of mirth in his expression, and I had to bite back a small smile. I took Cade’s hand, wiping as much dirt off as I could before I laced my fingers in his. He didn’t seem to mind. I turned and waved at Birgit and Niall and told them I’d see them later, then Cade and I made our way back to the castle.

  “Did you have a good day?” he asked as we stepped through the archway into the courtyard.

  Everyone seemed to be packing up for the night. The men and women who were rebuilding the crumbling wall climbed down from the scaffolding, and those already on the ground stacked loose stones up in neat piles.

  I sighed, somehow gladdened by the scene. “I had a wonderful day. What time is it?”

  “Five thirty,” Cade answered as we ascended the few stairs that fanned out in front of the castle keep’s main hall.

  I almost tripped over the top step. “Five thirty?! Have I been in the garden that long?”

  “Birgit and her brother and sisters must have made an impression.”

  Cade tugged me forward and we stepped into the hall, now suffused with the wonderful smell of home cooking. My stomach rumbled at the scent.

  “Well,” I said, “I might have spent a lot of time exploring the rooms of the first floor before actually heading out into the garden.”

  Cade smiled again and led me upstairs.

  “I’m afraid there isn’t a shower or tub in your room, but I have both in mine.”

  The thought of a shower after spending hours digging around in the dirt sounded blissful. We reached the top of the stairs and Cade led me down the hall, past the door to the room I had stayed in before, and on to his own. A large, four poster bed occupied the center of the room and a huge glass door stood open on the opposite end. A stone patio, complete with a balustrade, waited invitingly just through those doors.

  “Oh, Cade!”

  I couldn’t help myself. I pulled free of his hand and made my way across the room. The view from this terrace was amazing. I could see the stone courtyard off to the right and the rolling, wooded hills and ponds scattered in the distance. To my left, a set of stairs led down to another small patio, then climbed back up once more onto the great terrace behind the castle. Directly below the low point of the staircase was the garden, its herbs and plants organized in a beautiful maze resembling a Celtic knot.

  Cade stepped up behind me, so quietly he almost startled me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my head.

  “Do you like it?” he whispered.

  I bit my bottom lip and turned around so that I faced him.

  “I love it.”

  He bent down and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and returned his kiss, but he pulled away before I was ready.

  “Dinner soon,” he whispered. “I need to show you how the shower works.”

  I nodded, disappointed but also eager to get clean.

  In Eile, they didn’t have modern plumbing like we did in the mortal world, but they had something close. The shower looked familiar, like something I’d find in a nice house in my hometown. The entire interior was composed of stone and sunken deep into the room so that a shower door or curtain wasn’t necessary.

  “The water is drawn up from a well and kept above the showerhead. All you need to do is release it with this knob,” Cade indicated a lever, “and warm the water with your magic.”

  I turned and blinked at him. “How do I do that?”

  He grinned. “It’s really simple. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much glamour to heat water. All you do is press your hands to these stones and let some of your power loose. The more you release, the warmer the water becomes.”

  He showed me and then I tried. It was simple and I almost got us both wet when I turned the nozzle to check to see if it was working.

  Before leaving, Cade informed me that I could find my bags in my room, then he pointed out the robe and towel neatly folded on the countertop. The distinct click of a closing door informed me that Cade was gone, so I moved forward and began searching the bathroom shelves for soap. After opening and closing two cupboards, I finally discovered what I was looking for. Five minutes later I was standing under the steaming stream of water, thinking about what I’d learned during my exploration earlier. Luathara was a beautiful castle, there was no doubt about it, and Cade seemed to want me here as well. Yet I was still bothered by what Niall had said about calling me ‘Lady MacRoich’. Did he think Cade and I were married? That sent shivers down my spine, despite the hot water. I sighed and worked some liquid soap I'd found in a jar into my hair. The strong scent of lavender suffused the air, helping relax my nerves a little. Cade and I had admitted our feelings for one another, but was he ready to take our relationship to that level? Was I?

  The water momentarily became cold and I had to turn and press my hands against the stone again, tainting it with my magic. My bags had been sent to my own room, so I could safely assume that he wanted to take this slowly. I breathed a sigh of relief, despite the tiny pinch of disappointment. I wanted more than anything to be close to Cade, but I also didn’t want to mess things up by moving too fast.

  I finished rinsing away all the stray soap and turned the knob. I dried off using the towel on the edge of the stone basin Cade had said was the tub, and wrapped myself in the robe. I pushed the bedroom door open and checked the hallway, darting to my own room when I realized no one was wandering about on the third floor. I changed into a clean pair of jeans and one of the nicer shirts I'd packed. Dinner might be formal, and the last thing I wanted to do was make a bad first impression.

  -Seven-

  Interruption

  The hall was busier by the time I made it downstairs. Many of the people I had seen working earlier stood around looking less dusty than before. Cade spotted me from the middle of the crowd and walked over to meet me at the bottom of the stairs. He too had cleaned up a little, though he wore the same clothes he had worn that day. The hall grew quiet when the crowd noticed me. I felt odd again, like the time I first met my mother in Erintara.

  “Everyone, this is Meghan Elam. Meghan, these are the people from Kellston who are helping to rebuild Luathara.”

  I smiled, despite my awkwardness, and everyone nodded and murmured something about being honored to meet the daughter of the high queen. To my immense relief, nobody said anything about my being a princess.

  “They’ll be joining us for dinner,” Cade continued, smiling happily as he took my hand and led me down the hall towards the dining room.

  A great rectangular table, loaded down with dishes brimming with a variety of food, greeted us as we entered. I liked the dining room. It was situated on the side of the castle closest to the waterfall and had windows that ran from ceiling to floor all along the outer side. A narrow patio sat just beyond the windows and I was able to get a clear view of the fall in the near distance.

  Cade led me to the far end of the table where two chairs waited. We sat down and I felt a little ridiculous, images of a nobleman and his wife dining before their subjects coming to mind. I winced. Maybe that was a bad analogy, considering what I'd heard in the garden and what had occupied my mind only a half hour ago.

  The image vanished from my mind as everyone started pulling out chairs and taking their seats, casually talking to one another. I soon learned that even though Luathara was a castle, and although Birgit and her family insisted on addressing Cade and I with the proper titles, it was nothing like the formal court at Erintara. Thank goodness. People started passing around bowls and plates, chatting and laughing and sharing gossip. I blinked up at Cade only to find him watching me closely. I smiled and he returned it, but I could tell he was wondering how I was taking all this. I reached down and grabbed his hand under the table, squeezing it to let him know I was doing fine. After that, his composure was much more relaxed.

  I glanced up and spotted Birgit and invited her to come sit in the chair next to me. Never in the mortal world would I be bold enough to
actively seek out new friends, but that was the old Meghan. Besides, I really liked Birgit and I was in desperate need of some friends now that I was starting a new life.

  Birgit’s eyes widened as she made her way gracefully to my side. Before she sat down, I noticed her glancing towards the opposite end of the long dining table. The boy from earlier, Arlen, was watching her carefully. I had to hide a grin as she turned to give me a shy smile.

  Borrowing some courage from thin air, I took a sip of mead and said, “So, tell me about Arlen.”

  Birgit choked on her own drink and I cheerfully patted her back as she regained her composure. When she glanced back up at me, her blue eyes were wide with surprise and her face had grown redder than her hair. I only beamed at her. So that’s how I looked all those times Robyn prodded me about Cade.

  “You don’t have to sit next to me, you know. You can go sit with him if you want.”

  Birgit took a deep breath and shook her head. “That’s alright. My father doesn’t really approve of my spending time with him.”

  All of a sudden, all the fun of talking with her about her crush left the room. I frowned. “Why?”

  She shrugged. “He thinks Arlen isn’t interested in more than what he sees.”

  Birgit blushed again and I nodded. I wondered if that was the truth or if Briant was just being a typical father. I wished to find out more, but I didn’t want to spend the evening talking about a sore subject between father and daughter, so instead I asked Birgit about growing up in Eile. Any thoughts regarding Arlen soon left our minds as my new friend answered all of my questions. The meal lasted long into the night, and as the dinner plates were exchanged for dessert, I turned to Birgit once more.

  “Do you see many faelah around here?”

  Birgit finished a bite of pie before turning to me to answer. Unfortunately, I never got a chance to hear what she had to say because the distinct sound of breaking glass cut through the dining room like a gunshot.

  I jerked back only to catch sight of something pushing its way through the window twenty feet up. People started shouting and screaming and moving out of the way as another window shattered.

  I stood, almost knocking my chair over, but before I could so much as duck under the table, strong arms grabbed my shoulders and a large body folded over me. Cade. The sound of shattering glass continued to permeate the room, so I pulled my head free of Cade's arm and glanced upwards. Dark creatures were struggling to crawl through the broken windows, their shapes almost impossible to trace because they matched the black sky outside.

  “Briant!” Cade shouted over my ear, “Gather those with fighting experience and go get some weapons from the arms room, then spread out. It looks like they’ve got us surrounded!”

  Briant’s strong voice cut over the panicked ones and I caught a glimpse of several people trailing him out of the dining room to follow Cade’s orders. Birgit had left my side to join her father and I wondered whether she was seeking to find a safe place to hide or if she was going to help fight off the creatures.

  Cade pulled away from me just enough to grab my hand.

  “My sword is in my room,” he said as he half-dragged, half-led me into the main hall. “And your bow and arrows are in yours.”

  I stopped my stumbling and gained my feet but didn’t let go of his hand. My heart pounded and I could feel my magic stirring. At first I thought it was fear, but to my surprise and delight, I realized what I was feeling was excitement. I was getting another chance to test out my archery skills on some of the Morrigan’s monstrosities and I was looking forward to it. I didn’t know if I should be proud of myself or shocked.

  Cade let go of my hand at the top of the stairs and I sprinted to my door as he headed for his. I flew into my room, not bothering to pause, and walked into chaos. My window had been broken and Meridian, who I had let in before dinner, was flying around in the dark, screeching.

  Meridian! I sent.

  Angry! she returned, Kill creature!

  A quick, blinding flash and a sharp screech informed me that Meridian had zapped whatever faelah had managed to invade. I shuffled over to the corner where my bow had been earlier, relying on touch since the room was so dark. The acrid smell of scorched death greeted my nose and I had to fight back the urge to be sick.

  Meridian, shoulder, I demanded, and in the next moment I felt my spirit guide’s talons digging into my skin. Her overly tight hold told me she wasn’t happy about the rude awakening.

  I came back out into the hallway in time to meet Cade, brandishing his sword before him. Something black covered half the blade and I had a feeling his room had been broken into as well.

  “Are you alright Meghan? I shouldn’t have let you go into your room without checking it first.”

  “I’m fine,” I breathed, “Meridian zapped whatever managed to get in.”

  Together, we ran down the stairs, Cade holding his sword in front of him while I slung the quiver on my back and readied an arrow in my bow.

  The main hall was deserted, only a few torches and lamps burning to lend us light.

  “Where is everyone?” I asked, my voice panicked. Could the faelah have hurt them?

  “Most likely outside,” Cade answered.

  Something flashed in the corner of my eye and I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized it was only Fergus. He crept up close to us, a silent ghost with his hackles raised. Cade paused for a moment and then the wolfhound shot off ahead of us and through the open doors of the hall. I assumed he’d given his spirit guide instructions to wreak havoc on the Morrigan's creations.

  Meridian, I sent, do you think you can help Fergus?

  Yes, she replied eagerly, attack!

  Meridian took off from my shoulder the moment we stepped through the door and into the courtyard. What greeted us was nothing short of pandemonium. The people of Luathara had spread out, all brandishing swords, spears, bows and clubs. Several torches had been lit and placed in iron sconces hanging along the walls, and someone had started a fire in a stone pit in the center of the courtyard. I almost wished they hadn’t, for the flames cast a plume of bright light over the army of faelah. Odd, winged atrocities that resembled mummified possums crawled along the castle walls. Dark, rotten dog-like creatures snapped and snarled at someone with a battle axe, and some of the demon bats I remembered from the football game last fall swooped down at us, screaming and trying to whip people with their barbed tails.

  “Meghan,” Cade growled, “see if you can’t take out some of the faelah crawling up the wall. I’ll help with the others.”

  I nodded, my mouth going dry. My blood felt chilled and my heart pounded in fear, but this was my life now. I had a feeling that I’d never get away from the Morrigan's minions, so I would have to fight them instead.

  Cade moved to leave, but before he leapt off the stairs, he grabbed me and pulled me close. The air whooshed out of my lungs and I hardly had time to take a breath before his mouth pressed hard against mine. The cold blood in my veins caught fire and I almost forgot about the monsters and the sounds of battle around us. Before I could really enjoy it, however, the kiss was over and Cade released me.

  “Be careful,” he whispered harshly before stepping away.

  It took a few moments for my knees to grow solid again, but once they did I took a deep breath and jogged down into the courtyard and joined a group of people with bows. I allowed myself a split second of delight when I found Birgit among them, her serene face cut in anger and concentration as she let loose an arrow, piercing one of the creatures crawling up the castle's side. It shrieked and fell from the wall, slamming against the stone below with a sickening crunch.

  I came to a stop several feet away from her and breathed, “Nice shot!” before readying an arrow and letting it go. To my relief, I caught one of the faelah in the wing, not killing it but bringing it down so that someone else could finish it off. It would have been mortifying to miss on my first attempt.

  The battle cries
of the Faelorehn combining in the air with the angry baying and howling of the faelah brought back memories I'd rather not revisit, but I tried my best to block the noise out. The small group of archers I’d joined managed to pick off most of the creatures climbing the walls, so they turned their attention, and their arrows, towards the faelah that were still airborne. When I noticed no more black shadows crawling towards the upper windows, I paused to see if I might be able to help those on the ground. What little glamour I'd soaked up since arriving in Eile this morning burned in my chest, recognizing its homeland and clawing to be set free. I ignored it for the time being, remembering what Cade had said about using too much. I was still untrained, and the last thing I wanted to do was kill myself by letting my magic lose control. Besides, I might hurt the people who were on my side. It was frustrating, not being able to use my magic, especially knowing what it was capable of, but I simply clenched my teeth and focused on the battle.

  I can’t say how long we fought the faelah, but it couldn’t have been very long. Cade and Briant and everyone else wielding swords and spears seemed to be driving the remaining creatures out of the courtyard, and only a few demon bats were diving at us now. I jogged to reach Cade’s side just as he thrust his sword into one of the half-dead dogs I’d seen before. Not a Cumorrig, to my utter relief.

  I kept my bow in my hand, an arrow ready just in case. We drew closer to the open drawbridge, pushing the monsters out so that we could close the gates, but then something bizarre happened. The handful of faelah who were still fighting us simultaneously froze. A heartbeat or two later they turned and darted under the newly built portcullis, over the drawbridge, and then disappeared into the night. I stopped and let my arm drop. What the hell? It was as if someone had broadcasted a silent command, telling them all to flee in unison. Luathara’s defenders, covered in sweat and some sporting bloody cuts, lowered their weapons to their sides and grew still. I glanced around Cade's large form and caught sight of what had silenced the monsters.