Luathara - Book Three of the Otherworld Trilogy

by Johnson, Jenna Elizabeth

  I gritted my teeth. Yes, I was the little Faelorah with the gall to stand up to her without dying, so it was no surprise I was on the top of her 'People Who Must Die' list. I just wish everyone would stop reminding me of that fact.

  "Are you ready?" the shape-shifter asked.

  I nodded, bracing myself.

  He took a step forward and lifted both hands, placing one on my chest just to the right of my heart, and the other on my head, as if I were a child he was blessing. Immediately, I felt my magic shimmer and quiver with life.

  “This may feel strange,” he whispered, “and when it is all over, I will be gone. My gift of magic will be its own separate entity, but it will reside next to your own glamour. Just remember what you promised, and follow your heart. It will tell you when it is time to use this gift.”

  Before I could so much as nod or voice one of the five hundred other questions that sat on the tip of my tongue, a great flash of light pierced the landscape and seared my retinas. I cried out in shock and felt myself falling once again. The candle wick that had once embodied my magic shuddered as a new flame, a much paler shade of blue than mine, flashed and burst forth like a super nova. Just as quickly, the great whirlwind of sensations overwhelming me vanished. The bright light that had accompanied the stag faded and I was left in a world caught between twilight and evening. Eventually I heard Enorah calling out my name and felt someone shaking my shoulders.

  I wanted to keep my eyes shut; keep the world locked out until I figured out what had just happened, if that was even possible, but Enorah’s frantic voice forced me to look in her direction.

  “Meghan! What happened!?”

  “The stag,” I managed, “I mean, the man. I-I don’t know.”

  A wave of painful dizziness swept over me and I felt my head loll to the side. Enorah grabbed me and shook me gently, forcing me to sit up and open my eyes.

  “You stepped through the gap in the branches and sat down for no more than a minute Meghan, then you keeled over into the pool. I dragged you over here and tried to get you to wake up, but you weren’t responding. You were out for a good ten minutes or more.”

  Enorah propped me up against a moss covered stone and looked me in the eye, her own eyes now pale grey and bright with worry. “What happened in there? Why did you black out? What did you see?”

  My mind felt fuzzy and incoherent, as if I was chasing words around in my mind, trying to catch them and string them together to form lucid thoughts. I pressed a hand to my head and tried to think. That only made my head hurt worse, but I was able to recall a fragment of what had happened. Eventually, everything cleared and I licked my lips to answer Enorah’s question.

  “Didn’t you see him? The giant stag?” I blurted, “He was standing right where I left you, then he came over to me and turned into a man, only he had antlers.”

  Had that been real? It seemed so real, but now that I was conscious again it seemed more like a dream than reality. Could I have imagined it all?

  “What?” Enorah breathed in response to my babbling. Her grip on my shoulders tightening.

  I bit my lip as the rest of my conversation with the stranger came flooding back. Tell no one of my gift, it is a secret . . . Oh no. I had sworn an oath and accepted a geis, promising the shape-shifter I wouldn’t tell anyone about my new extra dose of glamour. Had I already broken my geis? I started to panic, but then a soothing voice, nothing more than a breath of wind, crooned, I never said you couldn’t speak about me . . . just don’t tell her about your secret . . .

  I pressed a palm to my forehead and tried to think again, but Enorah pulled my hand away and cupped my face in her hands.

  “Meghan! Do you realize who you saw?”

  I shook my head and frowned, then felt the blood drain from my face. Oh no. Oh Meghan . . . Had my first instincts been right after all? Had I just accepted a geis from one of the Morrigan’s allies? Did I just sign my own death warrant? A sob worked its way up my throat and I nearly choked on it.

  “Meghan? What’s wrong? No, don’t be upset!”

  Enorah gently shook my shoulders, but the tears wouldn’t stop.

  “Meghan! You had a vision is all, a vision of Cernunnos! Don’t be upset, please.”

  She pushed back my tangled hair and gave me a hug, trying to shush me and get me to stop crying.

  “Cernunnos is the Guardian of the Wild, Meghan. He hardly ever comes this close to our village. Many people say that he lives in the farthest reaches of the Weald, where no one dares tread. It is said that his magic is so vast he is the wilderness itself.”

  She let go of me and held me at arm's length, smiling brightly. I sniffled, finally forcing myself into a calm state.

  “He’s not a friend of the Morrigan?” I murmured, my relief making my bones feel weak.

  Enorah released a great sigh and then chuckled. “Oh no! Is that why you are so upset? Did you think the Morrigan was sending her minions to terrorize you when you were unconscious? Poor Meghan! I can’t say I blame you, after what happened at Luathara the other night.”

  No. I was thinking I had just made a deal with one of her henchmen and I would soon lose all of my magic.

  I wiped my sleeve across my nose, not caring that it was totally unladylike, and nodded. Hey, I had a secret to keep. It wouldn’t hurt to let Enorah keep believing it was only my fear of the Morrigan that had forced me into hysterics. And the memory of the attack on Cade’s castle helped me keep up the whole 'emotionally disturbed Meg' act.

  “So, are you okay now?”

  Enorah was sitting on her knees, her hands pressed against her thighs.

  Finally, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m fine, really. I’m just a bit tired of being clueless when it comes to the Faelorehn nobility. If another god or goddess pops up and doesn’t bother to tell me who they are, I might just punch them.”

  I could have sworn there was another person laughing along with Enorah, someone with the smooth, rich voice of the forest, but I brushed it aside as she helped me up.

  “Come on, let’s get back to the village,” she said.

  “Good idea. I think I need to go to bed and not wake up until morning.”

  We made our way back through the forest and while we walked in silence I couldn’t help but reach inside of myself to examine my new source of magic. Its wild flare had died down, but I could no longer picture it as a candle flame. Instead, I envisioned a pale sapphire rose, closed up tight as if it was sleeping. Brilliant, electric cerulean tendrils of light glowed between the tight petals, and somehow I knew that this is how I'd always see Cernunnos's gift. And then another thought struck me like a well-placed arrow. What if Cade noticed this new change in me when he returned? After all, he had been able to sense my Faelorehn glamour long before I even knew about it. Would he be able to sense this power too?

  "Meghan, you okay?"

  The weight of Enorah's hand on my shoulder made me jump.

  She pulled her hand back immediately and donned a worried look.

  "Sorry. I'm okay, really. Just thinking about what happened back at the Tree."

  I gave a half-hearted grin, hoping she bought my lie.

  Enorah nodded, then smiled and gave my shoulder a friendly nudge with her fist.

  "Let's get a move on then. If we stick to this pace then we'll get stranded in the forest after dark."

  I sighed, but started walking again. I really wanted to think about more pleasant things as we made our way back to the village, but what had happened with Cernunnos insisted on taking center stage in my mind. It would be hard keeping this knowledge to myself, I knew that for certain, but I also knew that the lives of those I loved (and my own life as well) depended on it. And then, when the time arrived, I would let that bud of power blossom and release its potent, brilliant blue magic and stop the Morrigan in her tracks. I just needed to figure out when that would be.

  As the lingering, magical essence of the enchanted meadow wore off, I pictured t
he Tree of Life in my mind once more. Despite the stressful interaction I'd had with Cernunnos, the whole experience hadn't been all that bad. In fact, I had the itchy feeling that the Tree was pleased with my choice. How I knew this, I couldn't say. I only hoped that I'd made the right decision.

  -Ten-

  Training

  Dusk had begun encroaching upon the village by the time we got back, so Enorah fetched me a quick dinner then left me in one of the small cabins to sleep off my ordeal. Of course, I never told her it had been an ordeal, I simply explained that I was still tired from the night before. Either way, I was left to simmer in the near silence, listening to the children playing outside as I tried to gather my thoughts. So the wild deer man, Cernunnos, had given me an overdose of magic, enough to rank me among the Tuatha De; the gods and goddesses of the Otherworld. And I had to keep it a secret from everyone I knew and I could only use it once. Alright Meghan, I told myself, don’t screw this up. You made the right choice in accepting his help, now you have to figure out how you are going to keep something this big a secret.

  I turned over on the lumpy mattress and huffed a breath of frustration. I didn’t think I would have any trouble keeping quiet with Enorah, the Dagda, my mother and any of the other Faelorehn I came into contact with, but how on earth was I going to keep this information from Cade? Especially now that I knew how to talk to him using only my thoughts. Don’t forget Meghan, just because you can communicate mind to mind doesn’t mean you have to tell him everything. Right. I simply wouldn’t speak about it, out loud or internally. But would the guilt eat away at me? We were in a relationship now and the last thing I wanted to do was ruin it because I couldn’t be honest with him.

  Once again, the image of the Morrigan using Cade as a chew toy for her horrible hounds flashed across my mind. I ground my teeth. I would hang onto that image like a leech, despite the pain it caused me. If ever I was tempted to spill my discovery to Cade, the memory of his fight with the Cumorrig would keep me in line.

  Trouble?

  The sudden thought from Meridian made me jolt upright. I sighed and leaned back into the pillow when I realized it was her. She had been scarce all day, so I wondered where she was now. Probably perched in the tree behind my cabin.

  Yes and no, I responded, then paused for a moment. I could tell my spirit guide about my magic, couldn’t I? She didn’t speak with anyone else and spirit guides were the very form of loyalty. And she wasn't a Faelorehn man or woman.

  I drew in a slow breath, deciding it best not to risk anything. Just feel a little odd in this new place, I sent. There, that should be safe.

  Yes, new great magic inside, she said, Bright Flower.

  My eyes widened in surprise, though there was no one to see me.

  You know?

  Of course, she responded, and I could just see her fluffing her feathers smugly. Wild Lord told me.

  Huh. Well, if Cernunnos took the initiative to inform my spirit guide of my secret power, then I guess it was okay to speak with her about it.

  We can’t tell anyone, I whispered into her mind, not even Cade or Fergus.

  No one. Secret.

  I grinned. Yes, I sent as I finally allowed myself to relax, my eyelids fluttering shut as I lay back down. Very secret.

  It wasn't long before sleep crept up on me, but before I lost complete awareness of my surroundings, a cool, inviting voice as old as the earth itself whispered against my mind, so gentle I wondered if I imagined it: Rest now Meghan, for you will meet many trials before you can truly rest again . . .

  * * *

  I woke to the sound of metal clanging and a male voice shouting, “Breakfast!”

  Groaning, I sat up and placed a hand to my forehead. Had I slept straight through the night? Feeling somewhat sheepish, I crawled out of my cot and slipped on my shoes, then pushed the door open onto a scene of rambunctious chaos. Children, young and old, were scattering everywhere. Some squealed in delight, abandoning their morning chores, while others grumbled as they dragged themselves from their cabins, still in their pajamas. I followed the stream of children to the town center where a great fire heated the bottom of a pot-bellied cauldron. It wasn’t as big or ornate as the Dagda’s, but the vessel reminded me of Cade’s foster father anyways. I smiled, a bit ruefully, wishing that the attack on Luathara had never happened. I could be at the Dagda’s house right now, enjoying his company and warm hospitality.

  I stood behind the others, not sure what to do, until a small girl thrust a wooden bowl and spoon into my hand and took off running, giggling as she continued passing out her wares. Small hands, belonging to a gaggle of boys no older than five, gently shoved me forward and I realized that I had somehow joined a line. Eventually I found myself face to face with a boy about my age. He lifted up a large ladle, dipped it into the cauldron, and pulled up a heaping portion of oatmeal. The smell of cinnamon and sweet spices hit my nose, making my stomach growl and my mouth water simultaneously. I blushed a little as I smiled. The boy emptied the thick oatmeal into my bowl and jerked his head to the side. I turned to find a group of young girls offering up baskets of steaming biscuits. I grabbed one from the smallest girl, holding her basket up with all her might as if the fate of the world depended on it.

  “Meghan!” a familiar voice called.

  I turned my head. Enorah was sitting on the great log of a fallen beech tree, surrounded by a few others I'd seen the day before. I side-stepped a few more of the wildren and made my way towards them.

  “Feeling better?” Enorah asked.

  “Much,” I responded as I dipped my spoon into my breakfast. I took a bite and my eyes grew wide as the sweet, crisp flavors of late summer filled my mouth.

  I quickly dug in, hardly noticing Enorah’s dancing eyes as she watched me.

  “Were you not feeling well last night?” one of the boys asked me.

  I glanced up, my mouth closed over the spoon, and thought of an answer. He was tall, but looked a little younger than me. He had the natural beauty and grace I had come to expect from the people of this world, something that would have caused me to gawk a year ago. Being around Cade had raised my standards, apparently.

  Enorah swallowed a mouthful of oatmeal, then waved her spoon around like the drunken conductor of a band.

  “She isn’t sick. She simply had a run in with Cernunnos when we visited the Tree of Life.”

  The comment had been nonchalant, but by the way everyone’s eyes widened, I could tell my so-called run in wasn’t something that happened every day.

  I glanced up at Enorah. She merely grinned and winked. At the time of the incident, she had been rather floored herself. Obviously she’d had time to let the surprise wear off.

  Eventually everyone got back to their breakfast, and by the time I was scraping the last bits out of the bottom of my bowl, it had grown brighter.

  A flurry of small children scurried through the scattered diners, collecting dirty bowls. They were quick, too. One minute my bowl was in my hand, the next it was gone. I blinked as a young girl disappeared into the darkness like a twilight sprite.

  “So, are you ready to start using that magic of yours?” Enorah asked, planting her hands on the trunk of the beech as she shoved herself back down to earth.

  I froze, and for a split second I thought she was talking about the new magic Cernunnos had gifted me. Fortunately, my brain jumpstarted itself and I remembered Cade had left his sister with the responsibility of training me.

  "Yes," I said, relaxing a bit, "I'm so ready to learn about my glamour."

  "Excellent," Enorah piped. "Why don't you go back to your cabin and change and meet me back here."

  I nodded, pushing away from the giant log and headed back towards the small cottage that had become my new, temporary home. I quickly pulled on a pair of pants, a clean shirt and a different sweatshirt than the one I'd been wearing the day before. I considered the small pile of dirty clothes before me and wondered if there was a way to get them clean. />
  I hope so, I thought, because I only had a few more spare sets with me.

  Grabbing my longbow and quiver, just in case we met up with anything creepy, I pushed open the door and stepped out into the early morning light. Meridian, who'd made herself scarce the past several hours, dropped from the treetops somewhere and landed on my shoulder.

  Hunt? she sent.

  Not planning on it. Magic practice, I returned.

  Meridian grumbled her contentment and tucked her head under her wing for a snooze. Sometimes I thought I must have the laziest spirit guide in Eile.

  * * *

  “Now I hope Caedehn has at least taught you how to find your magic,” Enorah cast over her shoulder as she came to a stop at the top of a hill.

  We'd left the wildren's village about a half hour ago, taking one of the many paths trailing off into the forest. The day was sunny and pleasantly warm, just as any mid-summer day should be. Enorah led the way, her stride strong and confident, reminding me so much of her brother. I bit my lip as a pang of longing hit me, but just as quickly I shook the thought from my head. Honestly Meghan, he's been gone two days . . .

  Readjusting the quiver of arrows on my back, I tried not to think about it anymore. If I dwelled too long on what could be happening with Cade, then I was certain to drive myself crazy. Instead, I tried to remember what Enorah had just asked me. Oh yeah, if Cade had taught me how to find my magic. Taking a breath, I answered her, “Yes, he has.”

  I felt slightly winded from climbing the hill, but then the land leveled out. Enorah nodded towards a small clearing and started setting her own gear next to a large stone. She gestured for me to join her in the meadow, and once we were standing opposite each other, she crossed her arms and studied me for a moment.

  “We’ll start with just getting used to the feel of your magic and how it works," she said. "I want you to locate the source of your glamour, then let it expand to its furthest limits. Don’t go too fast; you want it to suffuse your blood slowly.”

  I nodded and closed my eyes, picturing the small flame burning next to my heart. I almost gasped when the image of a pale blue rose jumped into my mind with it, but then I remembered that the extra magic had taken up residence next to mine.