Shaking my head, I tore my attention away from the sudden influx of magic and returned my eyes to the glorious scene before us. The water flooding the meadow was shallow, maybe two to three feet deep at most, and there were several large stepping stones creating a path across the natural moat. As beautiful as the shallow pool was, however, the enormous tree perched dead center on the largest piece of dry land brought me to a sudden stop. I felt my mouth drop open as I gazed upon one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen. Most of the tree's boughs curved downward and several of its roots reached up towards the sky, intertwining with the twigs and branches above them. All around the entire tree, the roots and branches joined together like this, forming a great sphere of woven natural beauty. The leaves were gone from the tree, and I couldn’t tell if it was always supposed to look that way or if this particular species lost its leaves in the summer. This was the Otherworld after all, and anything was possible.
“Meghan,” Enorah said softly, all of her earlier mirth gone from both her voice and her face.
Cade's sister now donned a quiet demeanor of respect, one I was quick to mimic. I glanced down at her arm. She was indicating the pathway of stones that crossed the shallow pool. “All Faelorehn are welcome to enter within the joining of roots and branches of the great Tree of Life.”
I stared at her in surprise, still under the spell of the tree and the magic that thrummed throughout this meadow like the resounding hum of a plucked guitar string. Releasing a great sigh, I looked more closely at the collection of stepping stones stretching out in front of me, my gaze tracing where they led. On the other side of the pool I noted a narrow gap in the tree’s branches; an entrance large enough for someone to pass through.
Then Enorah’s words hit me. “Wait, you want me to go in there?”
It didn’t seem right. Sure, I was technically Faelorehn and the daughter of their queen, but I hadn’t grown up here and it wasn’t as if Danua was welcoming me into her castle with open arms. I knew next to nothing of their ways and although I had come a long way since my internet searches, I still had plenty to learn about my heritage. And Enorah wanted me to walk up to this tree, which looked to be as old as the earth itself and probably contained more magic than all the Celtic gods combined, and . . . do what exactly?
I almost leapt out of my skin when Enorah placed her hands on my shoulders. “The Tree of Life is here to help guide us, to give us wisdom and show us our true selves. And to soothe us when we are distressed. Can you not feel it beckoning you?”
I swallowed, but nodded. Yes, I could feel it beckoning me, almost like the feeling I got before being pulled through a dolmarehn. Only this sensation tugged on my heart, or maybe it was my magic. I couldn’t quite tell, but it was there. Still feeling a bit reluctant, I took the first step towards the tree. After all, I could definitely use some guidance and soothing, even if it came from a giant, magical plant. Slowly but surely, I crossed the shallow moat, barely even noticing the enchanted aura of the meadow anymore.
When I was only a few feet away from the tree, I reached out a hand and carefully touched a knot on one of its roots. Instantly my nerves sizzled, as if icy lightning had struck my hand. I hissed in a breath, but didn’t move my fingers away. Instead, I squared my shoulders and stepped through the gap. Suddenly, the world went quiet and all I could hear and feel were the whispers of hundreds of voices, all trying to speak to me at once in that Otherworldly language that seemed more ancient than time. My small well of magic flared, stronger than ever, and for a moment I thought my heart might burst.
The murmuring voices all came together and suddenly, I could understand them: You have goodness in you Meghan Elam, but you are not meant for mere goodness. You are destined for greatness . . .
The words swirled around in my mind, and although I could see them the way I saw Cade’s thoughts when he used shil-sciar, I could hear these words as well. What did they mean, I was destined for greatness? Me? The nerdy teen from Arroyo Grande? But then again, that wasn’t quite who I was. I was also Meghan of Eile, daughter of Danua the high queen.
I gritted my teeth and let the meaning of the words sink in. Could I really be destined for greatness? I snorted. Sure, why not? I had gone from being the most unpopular girl at my high school to being an immortal Faelorehn princess with a powerful arch enemy and a hot, faelah bounty hunter as a boyfriend. My world of possibilities had gone from ‘Not a chance in hell’ to ‘Anything could, and would, happen’ in just a few months. And that’s when it hit me, like the first icy drop of a winter storm, insignificant but shocking at the same time. I wasn’t Meghan Elam of California, nor was I the daughter of a Celtic goddess queen. I was just me, but unfortunately I hadn’t quite figured out who that person was yet. I mean, I had a pretty good idea, but I was still in the process of becoming who I was supposed to be. Maybe that is what the voices, the Tree of Life, meant. I was destined for greatness because I still hadn’t discovered my true calling yet.
And just like that, my magic, which had been swirling around inside of me like a freight train tearing down a mountain side, died back down to the candle flame I always saw it as.
You are well on your way, Child of Eile . . .
The voices whispered in unison one last time, dissipating as my heart rate slowed back into a normal pace.
Feeling suddenly drained, I plopped down on the bed of soft moss surrounding the base of the tree and rested my back against its gnarled trunk. I just needed a few moments to regain my composure, then I’d return to Enorah. I think I was at my limit when it came to powerful Otherworldly things for the day and I needed to clear my head to sort out the ‘words of wisdom’ the Tree had shared with me.
Taking deep breaths, I glanced around, sighing at the beautiful knot work weave of the interlinking branches and roots once again. Nothing in the mortal world ever grew like that, unless diligently trained by a gardener, and even then it didn’t come close. I was so distracted with tracing the pattern with my fingers that I didn’t notice the pale blue light slowly growing and overtaking the marshy glen. Eventually it caught my attention and I whipped my head around, expecting to see Enorah performing some tricks with her glamour in order to pass the time while I recovered.
What I saw instead took my breath away. A great stag, closer in size to an elk than a deer, stood stoically on the other side of the shallow pool. The numbing silence that had surrounded me melted away and the enchanting music of the forest played softly across the glen. As I tried to blink the incredible image of the stag from my vision, he took several soundless steps, moving gracefully through the water as if he were composed only of spirit. I stayed absolutely still, afraid that I might scare him away. Where had he come from? And where was Enorah?
And then something even stranger happened. That pale magic dancing around the Tree gathered behind the stag and he started melting into something different, something more familiar. By the time he reached the opening in the Tree, he had taken on the shape of a man with only his great antlers remaining. And all I could do was stare up at his impressive figure like an idiot.
He smiled and tossed a lock of earth brown hair out of eyes the same color and extended a hand out to me. I swallowed and continued my staring contest, trying for the life of me to figure out who he was. He wore leather hunting pants and simple moccasins, and his bare chest revealed toned muscles hidden only slightly by a deerskin vest. Around his throat was a torque, similar to Cade’s and mine, only this one portrayed the heads of deer instead of hounds. Not too surprising, considering he had been one only a few moments ago.
“Don’t be afraid Meghan,” he said gently, his voice so in tune with the sounds of the forest.
“Wh-Who are you?” I croaked, still staying put on the ground.
He smiled again, his face lighting up and his gentle brown eyes flashing gold.
“A friend,” he answered.
Feeling that I was trapped in this spherical nest of branches and roots, I took my chances
and let him pull me up and out onto the stepping stones.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, brushing off mud and leaf litter while at the same time casting quick glances in his direction.
He now stood with his arms crossed, studying me openly. He didn’t feel threatening, but that didn’t mean anything. He was tall and those antlers made him appear even taller. What was with that anyways? Obviously he was some sort of shape-shifter, but why wouldn’t he get rid of the antlers after taking on his human form?
I tried to get a better sense of who he might be, but before I could ask any more questions, he sighed and said, “I’ve come to be of some help to you, Meghan.”
"How do you know my name?" I whispered.
The strange man smiled. "The spirits of the forest told me."
Uh, okay . . .
“I know about your troubles with the Morrigan as well.”
Ah, wonderful. First I had the spirits of the forest and a sacred tree telling strangers my name and informing me I was ‘destined for greatness’, and now I had some antlered shape-shifter I'd never met before telling me he knew about my biggest problem. Did everyone know everyone’s business in Eile? Or was it just because I was the clueless newbie? Or worse, was he here to escort me back to the mortal world? Sorry Meg, we can’t have you stirring up trouble in the Otherworld so you'll have to leave . . .
“I also know who your mother is and that you are capable of producing great magic.”
For some reason, that sparked enough anger in me to burn away my trepidation. “Oh? And did she send you? To try and talk sense into me?”
The last time I’d seen Danua, my mother, she had insisted I give up my friendship with Cade and move into the castle at Erintara with her to take on my proper role as her daughter. I had refused and she hadn’t been too happy about it. Oh well. I hadn’t cared at the time and I didn’t care now. If she wanted me in her life, then she needed to make an effort to get to know me and not try to mold me into something I wasn’t.
The strange deer man must have felt my irritation, but all he did was smile. It was a bit disarming because, after all, he had the same beauty about him that all the Faelorehn had.
“No, she didn’t. I came on my own,” he finally said. “As soon as you entered my realm I could sense your glamour. You have great potential to become very strong, but not strong enough to defeat your enemies. I am here to offer you a gift, a gift no other Faelorehn has ever been granted.”
I opened my mouth to share a few more terse words with him, but choked on whatever it was I was about to say. Instead I offered a garbled, “Huh?”
“I am the Guardian of the Weald, Meghan, and all the wild things of Eile. I know of the threat that looms over our world, and I know that you are a central player. The fight to overcome the Morrigan will not be an easy one, and since you are her main target, I thought you might benefit from a little extra magic.”
I stared at him again and this time it wasn’t because I found his antlers a bit disconcerting. How did he know all of this?
“Are you serious?” I finally managed, placing a hand behind me as I groped for something to keep me steady. A rough root or branch finally gave me some support.
“Would you like to have as much magic as one of the Celtic gods?”
I shook my head to clear it of my disbelief. If what he was telling me was true, then perhaps I stood a chance against the Morrigan after all. But a prickle of doubt pierced through me and I hesitated. What if this was a trick? I didn't know who this person was. Sure, he had emerged from the woods in the shape of a giant deer, the magic of Eile clinging to him like a cloak woven from starlight, but I was in the Otherworld now. I really had no idea who was on my side.
Taking a deep breath, I opened my mouth to tell him I wasn't interested, but then an old memory played across my mind. It was an image of Cade, standing in the middle of a bloody battlefield, looking at me one last time before collapsing to the ground. The reminder of what the Morrigan was capable of made my chest hurt, and I had to grit my teeth and squeeze my eyes shut until the nightmare passed. Suddenly, I wasn't so certain of turning the shape-shifter's offer down any longer, and something, intuition or some deep instinct, made me think that this chance might not come my way again. I steeled myself, then looked the antlered man in the eye.
“Yes,” I said, hoping I was making the right choice. It was so hard to think straight with so much magic saturating the air. “I would appreciate your help.”
The stranger stepped forward and showed me his palm. “I’ll have to touch you to make it work,” he explained. “One hand I must place over the spot where your magic sleeps, the other I will place on your forehead. Is that alright?”
I bit my cheek, but nodded.
“Now, this might feel strange and it may even make you unaware of your surroundings for a while, but it will have no lasting effects, other than creating another pocket of magic next to your own. However, I must warn you,” he paused, giving me a look that didn’t reflect his general kindness, “this gift comes with a price.”
I felt my stomach sink and a raw bitterness gnawed at my heart. Of course. I knew it must be too good to be true.
I swallowed my disappointment and whispered, “And what price is that?”
“A geis,” he murmured.
I cringed and pulled away from him. In my experience, nothing good ever came from being pinned down with a geis. Would I be willing to pay the price? To have a taboo hovering over me in order to gain the power of a god? I thought about what I intended to do with that power once I got it: defeat the Morrigan so that she could no longer hurt me, my friends or my family. Yes, that was worth the price of a geis. But I still wanted to know what it was going to cost me.
I clenched my fingers into fists. “Very well,” I said rather boldly, “what would the terms of this geis be?”
The antlered man studied me for a long while, then gently nodded his head before saying, “The power I lend you can be used only once, so you must use it wisely. It is also a secret and may not be shared with any other Faelorehn man or woman until after you've used it.”
I blanched and gave him a look of horror. What!? I had to keep this a secret?
“Why can't I tell anyone about it?”
A flash of gold crackled in his brown eyes, and for a split second he lost his smile. Pressing his fingertips together he gave a slight nod, “It is just one of the conditions of your geis.”
I gritted my teeth in frustration. What kind of an answer was that? Huffing a breath of annoyance, I asked, “So, what happens if I violate this geis?”
Hey, I needed to know all the details, right? Would be foolish to swear an oath without knowing all the consequences.
The man’s humor vanished once again and his brown eyes darkened, taking on a somber aura. “If you share any details of this gift before you've made proper use of it, then you will lose all of your magic, never to gain it back again. You will become mortal; unable to live in Eile.”
I’m pretty sure my knees buckled, because one minute I was standing there, trying to look tough in front of this weird guy with antlers, and in the next moment I was sitting down in the shallow pool. The shape-shifter tried to help me up, but I really didn’t care if I got soaked or not. I could lose my magic. All of it. Not that it was something I was terribly attached to. Heck, I hadn’t known it existed most of my life. But if I had no magic, I wouldn’t be able to protect myself from the Morrigan. Sure, she wouldn’t want to make me her own personal, glamour cash cow any more, but after the fight I’d given her the last time we met, she would most definitely kill me simply out of spite.
Eventually, I allowed myself to be helped up. I had a decision to make. A life-changing, possibly life-ending, decision. The deer man must have known this because he stood patiently as if allowing me to think. Okay, he was offering to give me a lot more magic to be used only once, the kind of magic the Morrigan and my mother could wield. Enough to possibly defeat the Morrigan, someone who
threatened everyone I loved. I had no reason to trust the validity of what he said, but something about the power that emanated from him and something maybe more instinctual, told me he wasn’t lying. His offer was very generous, and tempting, but that was one heck of a gamble to take on a future I had no way of predicting. And even then, would it be enough? Could it stop the Morrigan for good?
Then I thought of Enorah and the wildren, and Danua and the Dagda. I thought of my family back in the mortal world. And finally, I thought of Cade. I loved them all, in one way or another, and the Morrigan was a threat to all of them. Yes, the Dagda and my mother were immensely powerful, and even Cade and I had our fair share of glamour. But what if the Morrigan had even more? Especially now that she had an ally. And who knows what other unknown advantages she had hidden up her sleeves. If I knew the Morrigan, she was no fool. She would have planned for everything and she would never take on her Tuatha De brethren if she didn’t think she could win.
I took a long, deep breath and closed my eyes, trying to ease the ache in my chest. When I opened my eyes again, I found the strange man exactly where I had left him, standing only a few feet in front of me. His mouth cut a grim line across his face, his eyes studying me closely once again.
“I will accept your offer,” I heard myself say over the fierce pounding of my heart.
I reached out my hand and he took it carefully, shaking to seal the deal. A jolt of magic coursed up my arm and joined the flame of my own glamour, sizzling and sparking for a brief moment before becoming that docile little flicker once again.
“Wait,” I said suddenly, jerking my hand back. “Why me? Why offer this gift to me?”
The antlered man grinned and his eyes glinted. He may have been a deer, but that look was all predator.
“The Morrigan presumes too much; she takes things too far and thinks we’ll sit back and allow her to do so. She is wrong. Besides, you’re the one she wants the most. You need this magic more than anyone else.”
Luathara - Book Three of the Otherworld Trilogy Page 12