Luathara - Book Three of the Otherworld Trilogy

by Johnson, Jenna Elizabeth

  Just outside the gate several torches flickered, casting just enough light to reveal something horrifying, something familiar. I gasped and dropped my bow, covering my mouth with both hands.

  The creature opened its mouth, revealing sharp, rotting teeth and spoke in a voice that conjured up images of deep, dark chasms and skeletons rattling in the wind.

  “Hellooo Meghaaan, spaaawn of Danuaaa,” it hissed, drawing out its words.

  Despite the bravado I’d displayed that night, I reached out to Cade and pulled myself against his body. The horrible thing chilled me to the bone and its fetid stench burned my nostrils.

  “Puca!” someone growled nearby. It sounded more like a curse than a statement.

  So that’s what this particular faelah was called . . . The last time I’d seen this creature I had been running for my life down my street, trying to reach home before it caught up to me. Luckily, that was before I'd broken the geis my mother had placed on me. I’d been terrified then and I was terrified now, especially since it had taken up the gift of speech. The faelah, the puca, resembled a twisted molding of a human and a goat. It had the torso and arms of a man, but the head of a demented goat, complete with burning eyes and long curved horns. The puca made me think of a satyr who'd visited Hades but had managed to somehow escape by swimming across the river Styx.

  The creature lifted one cloven foot and slammed its hoof down while letting out a terrible wail. I gritted my teeth when its call was answered by similar screams from the hills and trees surrounding Luathara.

  “My Queeen wishes to seee you, Meghaaan,” it continued, its eyes burning with dark magic.

  "No!" Cade growled, squaring his shoulders and moving so that he stood more solidly in front of me. “I’ll give you one chance to turn and walk away. You know what I’m capable of puca, and you know I will not hesitate to kill you and any other faelah that come within ten yards of Meghan.”

  For several moments, all I could hear was the whispering of torch flames and the slight noises of the shifting feet of the people around me. The faelah, wherever they had disappeared to, remained eerily quiet. Then the puca started to laugh. It began as a light chuckle and soon grew into an echo that played across the expanse of Luathara. I had never felt so cold in my life.

  “So, you dooo live, after aaalll Caeeedehn MacRoich. There waaasss taaalk you had risennn from the deaaad. My Queeen will waaant to know of thisss. For nooow, Caeeedehn, I shall not haaarm the little Faeloraaah. But youuur mother is ooowed a debt, and sheee’ll be wantiiing payment sooon. There isss nowheeere to hiiide.”

  The puca opened its mouth, the lower jaw dropping further than what would normally be considered possible. A deep, horrifying rumble rose from its throat and a black, swirling cloud poured from its mouth. In one moment the puca was there, gaping as if it meant to swallow us whole, and in the next second the swirling black cloud engulfed it and the nightmare was gone. The magical backlash hit me like a sudden headache, but the pain soon passed. I hadn’t realized how tense I’d been until I collapsed against Cade.

  “Meghan!” he hissed, turning to support me as several others rushed forward to help.

  “It’s okay lass,” a gruff male voice said, “evil magic like that can knock you off your feet if you’re not expecting it.”

  I turned to see a huge bear of a man, black hair and silver eyes regarding me. Despite their fierceness, there was kindness in those eyes. I remembered spotting him working on hot iron when I’d explored the grounds earlier. The local blacksmith maybe? His appearance certainly fit the stereotype.

  “Thank you, Torec,” Cade murmured as I gained my balance.

  “What do you want us to do for the remainder of the night?” the giant called Torec asked.

  Cade’s face grew grim and I wondered what he thought, but the look vanished as he said aloud, “I thank all of you for your help, and I can’t express how sorry I am that you had to fight my mother’s abominations tonight when you should have been heading home to your families.”

  A woman, tall and with the build of a warrior, held up a gloved hand and shook her head. “Lord MacRoich, you have given us a castle and a home to defend once again. We are happy to help you.”

  “I agree with Liadan,” Briant spoke up from further back, “let us set up a guard and keep watch in shifts, just in case the Morrigan’s minions decide to return.”

  There was a general murmur of agreement and Cade relaxed a little. I leaned into him and put an arm around his back, hoping to add my own form of comfort. He returned the gesture and nodded.

  The guard was posted in pairs, one couple for each wall of the castle, and four people to stand guard on the tower of the drawbridge, which was now shut tight. The rest of us filtered into the great hall where Melvina used her glamour to get a roaring fire going in the massive fireplace. It shouldn’t have been cold out, since it was still summer, but the faelah had left a nasty chill we couldn’t seem to get out of our bones.

  Once inside, Cade pulled Briant and me into his study. The room was dark, but after lighting some candles, I took note of more bookshelves, an oak desk and thankfully, a window that hadn’t been smashed.

  “We can start cleaning up in the morning, and I’ll send a message to the glazier to start making replacements for the glass that got broken.”

  Cade stepped up behind his desk, placed both hands on its smooth top, and released a deep sigh. I quietly took a seat in one of the stuffed armchairs by the fireplace, waiting to see what Cade had to say.

  He glanced up at me, his eyes sad and his face grim. My heart quickened. I did not like seeing Cade like that, and if it wasn’t for Briant’s presence, I would have walked over to him and done my best to erase that look from his face.

  “We’ll be leaving as soon as possible,” he said quietly, so quietly I almost didn’t hear his words.

  Cade glanced at his steward, and the man merely blinked at him.

  “Meghan and I. We’ll have to forego our stay at the Dagda's and go directly to the Weald, but I’ll need to contact my foster father and the other Tuatha De to find out how much they know.”

  Cade looked at me again. “I didn’t see the damage Meghan caused that night the Morrigan cornered us, but from what my foster father told me, it was something to behold. We should have had more time than this-”

  He cut himself short, his eyes glimmering with worry as his gaze lingered on me.

  “For the Morrigan to be able to bounce back from such an attack so soon . . . it makes me think she is receiving help.”

  Briant gasped. “From who?”

  Cade gritted his teeth and shook his head. “I have my suspicions, but that is all they are, suspicions. Until I know for sure, I need to get Meghan somewhere safe. The rest of you should return home. The Morrigan isn't after any of you and I couldn't bear it if any of you were hurt while her monsters tore the castle apart looking for us.”

  Goose bumps broke out along my skin as Cade's words registered. The Morrigan, getting help from someone else? She was terrifying and volatile enough on her own.

  “Is it safe for you to go now?” Briant murmured.

  Cade stood up and ran both hands through his hair, then dropped them to rest on his hips.

  “The dolmarehn that leads to the Weald is in the caves, and I doubt there will be any faelah waiting for us on the other side. As soon as we’re done here, we’ll pack what we need and go.”

  Briant nodded and I remained quiet, my mind reeling. Just this morning, I had been making cookies with my mom and brothers, looking forward to the Otherworld and seeing the Dagda’s friendly face again. Now Cade and I would be taking off in the middle of the night to go to the Weald, the huge forest that covered much of the western edge of Eile, a place dripping with wild magic. But I knew why Cade had chosen the magic wood, and it wasn’t just because his sister lived there with the wildren, the unwanted children of this world, but because the Weald was the one place in Eile the Morrigan could not reach us. And si
nce I still needed to recharge my magic, it would be the best place for me to be at the moment, especially if the bane of my existence had found someone to nurse her wounds and assist in quickly refurbishing her army of monsters.

  Cade gave his steward a few more directions on how to proceed with Luathara’s construction and what to do with any more faelah that might show up before turning towards me. His eyes were cheerless, but a fierce determination shone through. Briant glanced between Cade and me, then excused himself to give us some privacy.

  The moment the door snapped shut, Cade let loose a deep sigh. “I cannot even begin to apologize Meghan. I hoped to show you the progress here at Luathara before heading to the Dagda’s, but instead you’ve been met with violence and fear.”

  He dropped his gaze and took another rattling breath. Quietly, so much so that I almost didn’t catch it, he added, “I had hoped we would be able to avoid this for a little while longer.”

  I cleared my throat and decided to speak for the first time since entering the room. “I knew the Otherworld would be more dangerous than the mortal one, so you don’t need to make apologies, Cade.” I leveled my eyes with his. “I made the choice to come here with you, and despite what happened tonight, I won’t change my mind.”

  I smiled, despite my rattled nerves. The encounter with the puca and the other faelah had been terrifying, but I couldn't help but admit, the pulse of my magic mixing with adrenaline as I helped defend the castle had been intoxicating. It felt good to finally have the means to fight back.

  “Are you up to traveling to the Weald tonight?”

  I shrugged. “Sure. Besides, if we stick around here that puca might come back.”

  The very thought froze my blood, and although wandering into the caves and then through the dark trees of the Weald was just as daunting, it was better than listening to that demented goat-man speak to me about the Morrigan’s hatred again.

  Cade nodded, his eyes softening a little.

  “Very well, let’s go pack and be on our way before my mother's servants have a chance to tell her where you are.”

  I was out of the chair and through the door before Cade even finished speaking. Apparently, it didn’t take much to motivate me when I though the Morrigan might be arriving at any moment.

  -Eight-

  Departure

  The caves were dark, darker even than the night sky we had just left behind, so I had to rely on Cade’s guidance to lead me to the dolmarehn. It had only taken me fifteen minutes to pack since most of my stuff was still in the suitcases I'd brought along. The short time it took us to cross the space between the third floor doorway and the cavern's mouth seemed minutes longer than usual. I kept waiting for the faelah to return and overwhelm us. Meridian clung to my shoulder, as usual, and Fergus remained a silent guardian at our sides. Didn't matter. I was still jumpy after what had happened earlier that night.

  Cade led me by the hand through the caves and I had to trust that he knew his way in the darkness. Eventually, he stopped and pulled me closer.

  "Ready?" His voice was a rasp against the rough, damp cavern walls.

  I swallowed hard and nodded, then remembered he couldn't see me.

  "Yes," I whispered back.

  I felt a small tug as the dolmarehn pulled me into its depths. When the magic spit us out on the other side, the black, towering beast that was the Weald loomed before us. The air was cool and held the sharp smells of a summer night. Thankfully, there were no corpse hounds with glowing eyes or other zombies waiting to ambush us. We didn’t linger long, quickly making our way to the edge of the Weald and finding the trail that would take us to the village where the wildren lived. Cade had borrowed a torch from Luathara and sacrificed a few minutes to light it, so at least we weren’t tripping around in the dark.

  Fergus led us, always moving at an easy lope and staying well ahead. Meridian clutched my shoulder, grumbling in her avian mind about traveling at night. I spotted many eyes, flashing in the shadows as we passed. My bow was in my hand, an arrow ready just in case, but I drew closer to Cade when the eyes started following us. He had told me before that the Weald was safe from the Morrigan’s henchmen, but it was clear my nerves were suffering hearing loss.

  When I crashed into Cade for the fifth or sixth time in the same number of minutes, he held up the torch so I could see who the eyes belonged to. I smiled with relief when I recognized the twig people through the flickering light, the twigrins, trying to spy on us from the trees. Their tiny arms and legs were covered in lush, green leaves. I looked back at Cade, who was just a step ahead of me. His mouth curved in a small smile, his eyes lighting up and making the night seem less dark.

  At Spring Solstice, I’ll bring you back and you can see them when they’re in bloom.

  My smile chased away any lingering, dismal thoughts. He knew what I was thinking without even asking me.

  Our nocturnal trek eventually brought us to the edge of a small community, and we were greeted by some of the older wildren standing guard. Cade quickly explained to the young man and woman that he needed to see his sister immediately. The woman left to wake Enorah, and Cade and I joined the other guard around a small campfire. By the time Enorah came marching up in all her determined glory, several of the cabins closest to us had started showing signs of life. Despite the early hour, it looked like word had spread about our arrival.

  Enorah, taller than me by a few inches, her softly curling brown hair pulled back in a neat braid, stopped a few feet in front of us and drew herself into a domineering pose. She wore an outfit similar to the one she'd been wearing the last time I saw her: leather pants and vest, an old worn cotton shirt, and knee-length boots. The string of her longbow cut diagonally across her torso and I suspected that that was the hilt of a sword peeking over her shoulder. If I hadn’t met her before, I’d be shaking and cowering behind Cade. I had half a mind to do so anyway. Enorah pursed her lips, her sharp eyes running over the two of us like a wolf assessing a possible threat.

  “So, you’ve come to visit again have you? And at such a horrendous hour.”

  Her voice sounded casual, but I could tell she was suppressing her joy at seeing her brother.

  Cade smiled and strode over, scooping her up in a bear hug. Enorah actually squeaked and spluttered, surprised at her brother’s show of affection.

  Eventually, Cade put her down and she punched him. “What is wrong with you?!”

  Cade only smiled as he rubbed his arm. “Glad to see you too, sis.”

  At that moment, she glanced at me, her look of irritation disappearing. “Meghan! Have you no sense girl? What are you still doing hanging around my oaf of a brother?”

  She strode over and gave me a hug, though not as powerful as Cade’s. I returned it, truly glad to see her despite our relatively new friendship. A moment slipped by and she held me at arm's length. I almost gasped at the look on her face. Her grey-green eyes were swimming with unshed tears.

  “Thank you,” she whispered harshly, “for bringing Caedehn back to the Cauldron.”

  Ah. I had been so swiftly swept back to the mortal world after taking Cade to the Dagda that I had forgotten there were people who cared about him in the Otherworld. And with everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours, I was sure it wouldn’t be the only thing that slipped my mind.

  I smiled tentatively and grasped her elbow with one hand. “You don’t need to thank me,” I glanced over at Cade. He had his arms crossed and was watching us closely in the bright light of the campfire. “I would do it again in a heartbeat.” I took a breath and carefully added, “Your brother means a great deal to me.”

  Enorah blinked, her tears fading away as her eyes grew wide with joy. “Did the idiot finally admit that he’s crazy about you?”

  I bit my lip, trying not to smile, and nodded once.

  Enorah snorted and threw an arm around my shoulders. “It’s about time! Oh, we shall be like sisters now!”

  Out of the corner of my
eye, I saw Cade stiffen. Uh, this could be disastrous if not handled properly.

  “Well,” I said, clearing my throat and pulling away from Enorah. I methodically hooked my hair behind my ears as I fished for something to say. “We’ve just-”

  Just what Meghan? my conscience asked me. Started dating? Did the Faelorehn date? Okay, he had just started courting me. Eww, no, that sounded lame. Uh . . .

  “Oh, calm down you two! I’m just teasing. Now, do tell me, what on Eile possessed you to come stumbling into our village before dawn?”

  I released a great breath, feeling intensely better. I braved a glance at Cade and was pleased to see he had relaxed again as well. Despite my relief, something must have been bothering me about the whole exchange because I could feel a little prickle of pain in my heart. What could I be upset about? It was the truth. Cade and I may have admitted we loved one another, but it wasn’t like we were a serious couple. It wasn’t like we were . . . engaged.

  The very word sent prickles of fear and joy through my nerves. Whoa Meghan, you’re only eighteen. Way too young to think about marriage. But why did it make me feel so giddy to imagine myself engaged to Cade?

  I glanced up at him once more and noticed the shadows in his eyes.

  “The Morrigan has decided she doesn’t want to wait," he said in a glum tone. "A contingency of faelah attacked Luathara several hours ago and a puca gifted with the power of speech threatened Meghan.”

  The joy that had lit up Enorah’s face vanished and her smile disappeared.

  “Oh no,” she murmured. “But how, Cade?”

  She darted her eyes in my direction before returning her gaze to her brother. “I thought Meghan’s release of power put a nice dent in the Morrigan's armor.”

  Cade nodded, his own face grim. “I think she has recruited help.”

  Enorah flinched, her crossed arms tightening about her. “Who? The Fir Bolg? Fomorians?”