Luathara - Book Three of the Otherworld Trilogy

by Johnson, Jenna Elizabeth

  "And what of Donn?"

  I froze where I stood, eager to hear what was said next and trying to remember who Donn was. I knew the other names; they were all key figures in the battle of Maige Tuired, the famous conflict that was the dominant subject of one of my Celtic mythology books.

  "I fear he may be the one aiding the Morrigan."

  The Dagda swore and once again silence greeted me.

  "The goddess of war and strife and the god of death and the afterlife," he murmured after a while. "I was hoping it wasn't one of the Tuatha De, but I can't say I'm surprised. We have much to discuss and prepare for then. Now I regret the planned celebration later this evening. We should be discussing strategy, not drinking mead and laughing over the slaughter of a handful of the Morrigan's mindless minions. Donn may keep to himself most of the time, but his power is vast and he'll show no pity when it comes down to the final hour."

  A heavy sigh worked its way through the thick wood of the door before the Dagda continued, "I'll leave you now. You and your Meghan need to get some rest."

  Cade was silent for a while and I was so tempted to knock on the door and demand to know every detail of what had just passed between them. But something stopped me, a whispering voice against my conscious and the tiny, but sharp bite of my new magic. A warning. It was a warning from Cernunnos. I closed my eyes and let some of the tension ease out of my shoulders. The strange forest god may have insinuated I was on my own when it came to deciding the time to use his gift of magic, but this wasn't the first time he'd offered a hint. I wasn't about to ignore these small offerings.

  "Very well," Cade's voice drifted through the door. "But don't regret the celebration, Dagda. A party would do us some good; help get our minds off of negative thoughts. Besides," he continued, his voice taking on a lighter air, "it is the eve of Lughnasadh, and if Lugh were to learn we neglected to observe his holiday we might have his wrath to contend with as well."

  I listened as the Dagda moved towards the door, his heavy footfalls causing the boards in the floor to creak. When the distinct click of a shutting door echoed in the circular hallway, I pushed away from the wall and crawled back into bed.

  For fifteen minutes I waited for Cade to slip into my room and join me, but only bitter disappointment hit as exhaustion took over. Before I fell asleep, I registered the quiet sounds of him climbing into his own bed through the door that separated us. My wandering thoughts from earlier revisited me and again I wondered at his strange mood just after the battle. Was he angry with me? I bit my cheek and pushed against that idea. Now was the absolute worst time to create a rift in our relationship. With my recent epiphany about the fragility of life, I longed more than ever to have Cade close to me. If we were going to war against the Morrigan and another powerful god, then I wanted every moment to count.

  Stop it Meghan, you're going to work yourself up into an emotional frenzy and then you won't be able to function at all. For once, my subconscious was giving me some good advice. I was tired of thinking; tired of analyzing and worrying. And I was tired of the comfortable, proper distance Cade and I had been so careful to keep between us. He had died for me and I would die for him if I had to, I was certain of it. Growling into my pillow, I fell asleep telling myself that before the night was out, I would make sure Cade and I were okay.

  * * *

  When I woke up again it was dark out. The fire in the hearth had died down to bright coals and I could hear the distant muffled hum of voices and laughter. I climbed out of bed only to find a beautiful dress, in the style of the Otherworld, spread out over a chair. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I padded over and reached out to touch the raspberry colored material. It was soft and cool; not too formal but not casual either. Sticking out of one of the folds was a note. Curious, I picked it up and started reading.

  Meghan,

  The Dagda has been saving this dress for you and would like you to wear it to tonight's celebration. Sleep for as long as you need to, we had a harrowing afternoon and you deserve the rest. I will meet you downstairs when you are ready.

  Love,

  Cade

  Crinkling the note in my hands, I pressed it to my heart and glanced back at the dress, smirking. I wondered when the Dagda had commissioned the dress for me and had a suspicious feeling that the wardrobe in the corner held all manner of clothing that happened to be just my size.

  Smiling, I stripped out of the clothes I'd slept in and slipped into the dress. To my great relief, I didn't require any extra help with buttons or ties. For a small moment I simply stared into the mirror across the room, strangely reminded of the last time I'd been in this situation, dressing up for one of the Dagda's famous parties. Shivering, I cast those thoughts aside. I hoped that this night didn't end with Cade and I racing across the countryside to face down an evil goddess. Fortunately, the faint sound of music decided to drift up the stairs at that moment and I quickly finished making myself presentable, taming my hair into something other than a tangled mass of dark curls. I quickly slipped into a beautiful pair of fuchsia shoes, then scooped up the string of pink topaz gemstones with matching earrings that had been left next to them. Suddenly I didn't feel so morose anymore.

  Thirty minutes after waking up, I was weaving my way through party guests as I headed down the long hallway towards the dance hall. Men and women alike were moving freely through the Dagda's house, laughing and wishing each other a good Lughnasadh as they toasted the successful battle against the faelah with various tankards of mead. I ducked under most of them, smiling and returning their cheer as I searched for Cade.

  The dance hall was even more crowded with people, and the murmur of lively voices and the joyous tempo of music mingled together in harmony. A sudden burst of laughter drew my attention away from my general surveying and I grinned when I spotted the Dagda, hands on his hips and head thrown back as someone spoke animatedly to him. He wore his finest, a beautiful green vest embroidered in gold, his beard braided in an intricate pattern that must have taken him (or more likely, some of the women of the house) the entire afternoon to complete.

  The Dagda was standing closer to the far wall, but centered in the great dance hall. And next to him stood Cade. I paused where I was and just took a few minutes to drink him in. Dressed in pale cream pants and black knee-length boots that accentuated his athletic figure, he was very hard to miss amidst the Dagda's guests. His dark auburn hair was brushed back neatly and his face was clean shaven. A dark mulberry hued vest, made of the same kind of material as my dress, only made him look even more regal than he usually did. The effect hit my senses like a sledgehammer, and I had to grab hold of the wall to keep from falling over.

  A raucous bout of laughter snapped me out of my daze and I shot my eyes towards the noise, sucking in a breath of annoyance as I did. Standing in the corner closest to the refreshment table was a familiar face. Dark hair and grey eyes brought back the memories from the night the Morrigan tricked us, but I couldn't remember the vile boy's name.

  "Drustan!" a girl with dark hair shrieked. "You promised a dance with me."

  Ah. That's right. Drustan. The little jerk who was too good to be within the same vicinity as me.

  With a toss of her curls, the owner of the shrill voice marched over, shoving her way between the other young men and women gathered around the table, and grabbed Drustan's hand. It was in that same moment that he glanced up and caught me watching him. At first he started in surprise, then a sly smile curled at the corner of his lips.

  He pulled the girl's ear up to his mouth and whispered something, then let go of her hand and headed in my direction. Oh, wonderful, he'd found his source of amusement for the evening.

  I straightened and crossed my arms, a look of disgust taking up residence on my face. Bring it on, pretty boy.

  The couple in front of me moved to the side and Drustan, in all his conceited glory, leaned an arm above my head, rocking forward so that he came uncomfortably close.

  "Well, well,
well. If it isn't the princess. Nice fighting this afternoon, but did you happen to see me out there? Took out ten faelah on my own."

  He leered at me and I blinked up in surprise. Had he completely forgotten how he'd treated me the last time I was here? Or was this some sort of trap? Get the clueless little Meghan to gush and swoon at the attention so he can make a spectacle of her on the dance floor.

  Oh, I don't think so . . .

  "What do you want?" I snapped, crossing my arms and trying to lean away from him.

  "I was hoping for a dance, then maybe afterwards we can find a nice little alcove and get comfortable. What do you say?"

  Ewww! Not going to happen pal.

  I gaped at him. "Have you lost your mind? You hate me, remember? Practically had a meltdown because you'd touched me."

  Drustan shrugged. "That was several months ago. I've grown up a lot since then. And besides," he trailed his eyes over me, from head to toe, "my tastes have changed."

  Suppressing a shudder, I opened my mouth to tell him off, but a hard voice broke through the music and did it for me.

  "She's already spoken for."

  Drustan's eyes grew huge and he jumped away from me, almost bumping into Cade. I froze when I saw the look on his face. That aggressive vibe was back, and Cade looked like he was ready to tear Drustan's throat out.

  "Sorry Drustan, but my boyfriend's right." I smiled up at Cade, hoping to diffuse the situation. "He promised me the first dance."

  I walked forward and linked my arm in Cade's. Holy crap he was tense!

  Drustan swallowed and bobbed his head in a nod. "Uh, yeah, sorry. Didn't know."

  As he scurried away, I placed a hand on Cade's chest and turned my face towards his.

  "Thanks, but you don't need to look so fierce. I could have handl-"

  Cade cut off my words as he pulled me into a ferocious kiss. My nerve endings fired and I lost complete control of my knees. Luckily, he had me wrapped up pretty tight in his arms, so I didn't collapse to the floor. The music, the happy chatter, the aromas of spiced apples and roasting pork fled from my mind and all I could sense was Cade. Man, if Drustan had any doubts as to who had a claim on my heart, he'd know for sure now.

  Slowly, Cade drew back, his lips moving more gently against mine.

  "Sorry," he mumbled huskily, "didn't mean to attack you like that."

  I smiled up at him, my eyes half-closed. The tension in him earlier had drained and I just made myself comfortable in his arms.

  "No need to apologize. And you got rid of Drustan, which just made my whole evening."

  Cade smiled back, his eyes flashing from green to brown and back again.

  The music, which had been rather upbeat and joyful, transformed into a more languid, smooth tempo.

  "Would you care to dance my lady?" Cade asked, still pressed firmly against me.

  He was already leading me in a slow rhythm when I answered, "Yes, I would like to dance. I'd like to dance with you all evening long."

  * * *

  It was well past midnight when I decided I'd had enough of the party. Cade had stepped away from me for a moment to talk with one of the Dagda's soldiers about the fight with the faelah, and I found myself yearning to head upstairs. I wasn't ready to go to bed, but the stuffiness of the dance hall was finally getting to me, and I wanted to move away from all the people. If I simply stepped out into the courtyard, I'd only run into more revelers, and maybe Drustan and his friends, so casting a look over my shoulder, I headed down the hallway and up the stairs that led to mine and Cade's rooms.

  Instead of going into my room, however, I pushed open the heavy wooden doors at the top of the staircase and stepped out into the cold, crisp night. The wooden balcony was larger and wider than I'd imagined, and a section of it even extended further away from the hill. I spotted a bench and went to sit down, sighing as my aching feet thanked me. I sat still and listened to the sounds of the Dagda's guests standing and chatting around a bonfire below me, and the music floating through the open front door was a soft accompaniment to the still, moon-lit night. Now I was alone, and now my mind returned to the thoughts I'd managed to banish earlier.

  Sighing, I leaned forward and sought out my well of glamour. There, that little blue flame dancing strongly next to my heart. I decided to practice with it, pushing it out until the magic suffused my every cell. I grinned as I held the power at my fingertips and the small rose next to it remained tightly shut. I'd come a long way since that first lesson with Enorah in the Weald.

  A slight rustle behind me indicated that I was no longer alone. I stood up and turned before presenting a wide smile. Cade walked towards me, looking resplendent in his simple but elegant clothes. His face appeared shuttered, uncertain even, as he quietly moved towards me and I wondered if that odd aggressiveness was back. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out what had caused it. I wrapped my arms more tightly around myself and shivered.

  “Are you cold?” he asked as he moved closer.

  Yes and no, but not for the reasons you might think, I mused. I shook my head.

  He stepped in behind me and wrapped me in his arms. Even though I wasn't all that tired, I wanted to fall asleep just standing there like that. The moon was bright above us, basking the rolling land in silver light. I took a deep breath, allowing the warmth of the mead from the party and Cade’s closeness to fill my senses. I wanted to stay in this happy place forever and forget that an impending war was trying to force itself upon the Otherworld.

  I took a deep breath and released it slowly. No more dismal thoughts Meghan. Now's the time for living, remember?

  I turned in Cade's arms and rested my cheek against his broad chest, breathing in his scent and letting it flood over me.

  Gently, Cade took a step back and lifted my face so that he could look me in the eye.

  "What's wrong?" he asked, is own eyes dark with concern.

  I shrugged, unwilling to burden Cade with all my worries.

  "I can sense it Meghan, tell me."

  Sighing, I decided to give in a little. "I hate that your world is facing down a war because of me. I feel this is my fault, no matter what you or Enorah or the Dagda says. If I hadn't stepped through that dolmarehn so many months ago, the Morrigan may never have decided to build up her army so that she could get at my glamour. If I had just accepted my life as it was, then your world might not be in danger now."

  "Do you regret coming after me?"

  There was no playfulness to his voice, no flirtatious glint to his eyes. He was dead serious.

  "No," I breathed, "I don't regret it one bit. If I hadn't crossed over into Eile, the course of my life may have taken a different turn and I might not be standing here with you now."

  “Then why can't you see it, Meghan?” His voice became suddenly quiet and seductive. “This isn’t my world; it is our world. And nothing, in all of Eile, matters more to me than you.”

  He kissed me then, one that did not, in any way, hide what he felt. I returned the kiss with equal fervor, my heart racing and my mind losing control of rational thought as my magic flared to encompass us both.

  Cade broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against mine. His breath was ragged and he was wound so tight I thought he might break.

  "Meghan," he said roughly, "I've been so careful for so long, but I don't know how much longer my control will last. If we keep going like this, I might not be able to stop. I'm afraid-"

  I pressed a finger against his lips and looked him in the eye. My heart was racing and I was terrified, for many reasons, but I whispered the truth that sang from my heart, "I don't want to stop Cade."

  He searched my eyes then whispered softly, "Are you sure Meghan?"

  I bit my lip and nodded, then admitted my other great fear. "We could both die when the Morrigan unleashes her fury. I don't want to miss anything. I don't want to have any regrets."

  "I won't let the Morrigan hurt you Meghan," he whispered desperately against my mouth.

/>   Then, without another word, Cade bent over and put an arm behind my knees. In one swift movement, he swept me up against his chest and carried me back to his room and for a while the both of us forgot about the Morrigan. We forgot about the possibility of an unstoppable army of faelah destroying everyone and everything we knew. That night, we forgot about all our worries and fears and simply lived.

  -Fourteen-

  Onward

  I woke to the warmth of the morning sun on my face. Stretching, but not opening my eyes, I basked in the heat of the sun and the glow of my own happiness. I turned onto my side and cracked my eyes open. Cade lay next to me, his elbow propped to support his head as he watched me intently. My eyes met his and he grinned. I felt my cheeks flush as the memories of the night before bubbled to the surface.

  Cade reached out a hand and brushed my cheek, his silent words blooming across my mind, I love this.

  What?

  Your blush.

  Of course, that only made me blush harder. Guess my great epiphany about an early death had only scared my old self into hiding. Easily embarrassed Meghan was back in full force.

  Cade dipped his head and kissed my arm where the faelah had scratched me. I had almost forgotten about it.

  How are you this morning? I didn’t hurt you last night, did I?

  His words were tinged with the pale orange color of concern.

  I smiled. I knew he wasn't talking about my arm. No, you didn’t hurt me and I couldn't be happier.

  Cade’s answering smile melted my heart. He pulled me close and pressed his lips to my temple.

  Do you know how long I've dreamed about this moment?

  No, tell me.

  Since the night you were attacked by the Cumorrig, the first time we met, when you sat in the dirt, your nightgown bunched up around your waist, giving me a wonderful view of your long legs.