Luathara - Book Three of the Otherworld Trilogy

by Johnson, Jenna Elizabeth

  "Aiden!!"

  My voice tore across the massive space, causing the Cumorrig to jerk to attention once again.

  I ran, just put my numb toes to the floor and ran, tripping over both the thick rugs and my own clumsy feet at least three times. I crashed into the bars, my frozen fingers wrapping around the icy metal, tears streaking down my face.

  "Aiden! Oh, Aiden, can you hear me?"

  "No, he can't. I drugged him, remember? He should be out another hour or so and I wove a spell of silence around him so he can't speak either. So sorry Meghan, but you'll not be able to ask him any annoying questions."

  I gritted my teeth, anger and sorrow boiling up, enticing my own magic and the magic of Cernunnos to flare. Oh yes, now would be a wonderful time to use that magic . . .

  You must visit the lair of the Morrigan before you can use my glamour.

  Cernunnos's words revisited my mind, bypassing my emotions and settling themselves firmly between that wall of magic and the tiny grain of control I currently had over it. My nerves tingled and a rush of adrenalin poured through me. I let the magic build a little, and just before I was about to let my defenses fall and push all that power forth, I hesitated. Aiden was still in that cage and I was still an emotional wreck.

  Wait . . . a tiny voice whispered into my mind. Wait . . .

  Reluctantly, I released the breath I was holding and drew my magic back within me. There was one more thing I had to do before I let all hell break loose, and that was to get to Aiden and make sure he was alright.

  Before any other thoughts could cross my mind, however, the bars I clung to gave way and I stumbled forward. I didn't have to look behind me to know that they'd rematerialized. The Morrigan's cold laughter filled the massive chamber and with a sharp snap of her fingers, the Cumorrig stood and left their beds by the fireplace to lie in front of mine and Aiden's prison.

  "Keep a close eye on those two and if, by some miracle of Eile, they figure out how to open the door, kill them," the goddess snarled as she whipped her skirts around and headed for the exit.

  "I hope you take this time, little Meghan, to think of all the horrible things I'll do to my son once I catch him. Because I don't plan on killing him on that battlefield, oh no, I've got something extra special planned just for you."

  She turned and smiled at me and all I could see across that dark space was the white flash of her teeth and the low, smoldering glow of her crimson eyes. The scene from my dream the night before flashed into my mind, of Cade bound and surrounded by the Cumorrig, of the Morrigan ordering them to attack. The sound of Cade's screams as they tore into his flesh.

  A sob broke free of my throat and echoed throughout the cavern. I shot my hand to my mouth, trying to hide any other sounds, but it was too late. The Morrigan's laughter filled the room as she disappeared down the dark tunnel. The echo of a large stone slamming into place informed me that she was really gone and that Aiden and I were trapped in this hell hole with the hounds to keep us in check. I was distraught, Aiden was unconscious, and we hadn't a hope in the world. For a few brief moments I allowed myself to get lost in my despair, but then I gritted my teeth and shook myself.

  Stop it Meghan, stop it! I told myself. You spent four weeks of intense training with Enorah. Yes, it wasn't nearly enough time to become a glamour-wielding expert, but you can't forget what you learned. You must find a way to use it to your advantage.

  I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths through my nose. Eventually, my volatile mix of magic settled down and I could feel the distant warmth of the fire across the room. I glanced down at Aiden, wondering what the Morrigan had given him to sleep. I nearly gasped when he stirred, lifting his hand up to rub his eyes before curling tighter into a ball.

  "Aiden?" I whispered, my voice mimicking the rasp of sandpaper. She had said the sleeping potion would last another hour. Could her calculations have been wrong? Could Aiden's own potent magic be protecting him?

  My brother wiggled around again and moaned, but still didn't sit up.

  "Aiden!" I hissed, sharper this time.

  The ears of the closest Cumorrig swiveled in our direction but I ignored it.

  "Aiden, it's me, Meggy. Please wake up."

  Slowly, Aiden opened one eye, the one that wasn't covered by his tiny hands. For a few seconds he simply gazed at me as if he wasn't sure he was awake yet. All the while I sat there, still as a statue, holding my breath. But then both of my brother's aqua eyes flew open and he leapt at me, crying out in a muffled voice. I hugged him back, my grip fierce, as tears streaming down my own face.

  "Oh Aiden! I'm so sorry the Morrigan took you! I'm so sorry!"

  He simply clung to me, shaking as his own tears flowed free. When I pulled him away to look at him, I found bright, blue-green eyes staring at me. He sniffled and frowned, pointing to his throat.

  I furrowed my brow then felt a cold prickle trace down my spine. "What did she do to you Aiden?"

  He lowered his eyes as his bottom lip trembled. A moment later a fat tear slid down his cheek.

  With a thick voice, I whispered, "She made it so you can't talk, didn't she? With magic?"

  Aiden glanced up at me, his eyes full of terror. But there was something else there as well. A slow-burning anger. Good. Both Aiden and I had to be strong if we wanted to get out of here.

  I glanced past his shoulder, making sure the hounds were still asleep, then lowered my voice and looked him in the eye. "I have an idea Aiden. I know a trick that might make it possible for us to talk, but you can't be afraid, okay? Cade taught me. You remember Cade, right?"

  Aiden's eyes grew big and he nodded his head, placing his hand on my heart. I smiled, my eyes shimmering with tears again. "Yes, I love him very much. And I love you very much, too. That's why I let the Morrigan capture me and bring me down here."

  Aiden's lower lip started trembling again so I shook my head.

  "No Aiden, shhhh. I have a plan to get us out of here, okay? But I need your help. First, I'm going to teach you something called shil-sciar. I'm going to teach you how to talk inside my head and how to hear me inside of yours."

  Aiden firmed his mouth and nodded.

  "I'll send some thoughts your way, okay? If you can see them in your mind, I want you to try to send something back. It might take a while, but I think you can do it."

  Crossing my fingers, I hoped that the Morrigan had only hindered his ability to speak and that entering the Otherworld really had awakened his magic.

  Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and sent, Aiden? Can you hear me? This is your big sister, Meghan.

  I opened my eyes and found Aiden concentrating. He looked confused, but I gave him a few more moments. Just when I was convinced my words hadn't reached him, his eyes and mouth shot open in surprise. Good. He'd heard my thoughts. I smiled, but before I could say anything else to him my mind was bombarded with words in vibrant, overpowering colors.

  Meghan! She took me! Mom, Dad, Logan, Bradley, Jack and Joey! Are they okay?! She's so mean and her dogs smell bad and they growl at me and I didn't know where we were going and I thought it was a nightmare and it's so cold in here and she made it so I can't talk . . . but when we went through the first tunnel I could talk like you and Bradley and Logan and she understood me and I was so mad she made it so I couldn't talk because I could finally say what I was thinking . . .

  I struggled to sit up, dizzy and overwhelmed by what was happening. Oh, Aiden understood how to use this magic, and he had figured it out really fast. Danua had said he had powerful glamour, but could the Morrigan know just how potent it was? My guess was that she didn't, or hadn't taken the time to check. My skin prickled and I had to swallow against my nerves. Perhaps this crazy, convoluted plan of mine would work after all. I had counted on the Morrigan bringing me here; I knew she couldn't resist my magic. I had also planned on being locked up with Aiden and to somehow find a way to combine our magic to break free. I hadn't counted on his magic being so strong, and as
the realization flooded over me, I tried hard not to let my excitement show.

  Settle down Meghan. You're still a long way away from being on the other side of that long tunnel, my conscience reminded me. Right. I just needed to take a few deep breaths and get my mind back on track. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it go completely go blank.

  . . . And I wanted to see you because I knew you were here somewhere, but that mean lady just told me to be quiet and I wouldn't stop asking so she made it so I couldn't talk and then put me to sleep . . .

  Ah yes, Aiden was still on his nervous rant. Not that I could blame him. I placed a hand on his shoulder and he immediately went quiet.

  Okay Aiden, I sent into his mind, we're going to get out of this, but I'll need your help. We need to use our magic, together, to break the Morrigan's spell on that door. Cade's sister taught me some tricks, but I'll need you to help me.

  I could feel my magic stirring, amping up as my body got ready for the fight ahead. Cernunnos's glamour burned right beside my own, but I still held it at bay. I wasn't out of the Morrigan's prison yet, and I was saving that for the last possible minute.

  Aiden calmed and then nodded once, his face set in rigid determination. I took a deep breath and, not sparing another single moment to let my worry, anxiety and fear burrow into my heart, I began to teach him everything Enorah and Cade had taught me. First I showed him how to find his well of magic and how to draw it out and shut it down. Then I taught him how to become invisible and how to make a shield. I trained him how to transfer his magic to me and showed him what to expect when I wanted to give him some of mine. He learned fast, brilliantly, impossibly fast, and I thought for a fleeting second that perhaps the reason he was picking this up so quickly was because he'd been deprived the ability to learn for so long.

  When we were done, I felt shaky and exhausted, but I drew Aiden close to me. We must have been at it for hours, and I feared that we were running out of time. That Cade and Enorah and my mother and all the other gods and goddesses were running out of time. Guilt hit me and stung fiercely. Saving Aiden was only the first part of my plan. We needed to get moving.

  I took a shaky breath and pulled myself to my feet, dragging Aiden up with me. He felt lighter than I remembered and I gritted my teeth in outrage. The Morrigan would pay for her cruel treatment of him.

  "We need to get this gate open," I whispered so as not to wake the snoozing Cumorrig.

  Aiden pulled his hand free of mine and placed the palm to the locking mechanism. I furrowed my brow and bent over to examine it.

  The Morrigan said some strange words to open it, Aiden sent with shil-sciar.

  I felt my shoulders slump. Great. Probably words Aiden hadn't understood.

  Suddenly my mind was flooded with a string of phrases that looked suspiciously like the language I'd heard so often here in Eile. I blinked in total shock.

  What was that? I asked my little brother.

  The words the Morrigan used to open the door.

  He repeated them again, and several more times until I got the hang of them.

  "Um, so how exactly did she do it? Did she just say the words?"

  Aiden shook his head. She placed her hand on the lock and then said the words as her hand glowed.

  No. It couldn't be that easy. She simply said some fancy words and released a stream of magic? Then again, how was she to know Aiden had a memory like a trap. I didn't even know that much. Shrugging, I turned towards the gate. It was worth a shot.

  "Okay," I whispered as I reached around my back to pull out Enorah's knife. I still didn't know how the Morrigan's magic had missed it, but I wasn't about to complain. "The Morrigan said that her hounds would kill us if we broke the charm on the gate, so here's what we're going to do. You're going to stay in here, behind me, and I'll stand just inside the doorway so they can only come at me one at a time."

  I replaced Aiden's hand with my own, gathered my magic at my fingertips, cleared my throat and repeated the phrase.

  When my knees came into contact with the stone floor just on the other side of the bars I knew it had worked. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to celebrate. The ruckus of our escape had woken the hellhounds.

  "Behind me Aiden!" I hissed as I shoved him back and moved to stand in the door-sized gap in our prison.

  He let out a whimper and dug his fingers into my coat.

  I readied the long dagger and adopted a fighting pose.

  The first Cumorrig leapt and I shoved my hand forward, stabbing its rotten heart with the blade. The hound yelped and fell to the ground, smoke pouring from the hole in its chest. I didn't pause to watch its demise. I fell back just behind the doorway and waited for them to come at me again. I managed to kill seven more before one got in a bite. I gasped as the hound's teeth sank into my thigh.

  Meggy! Aiden screamed into my mind, trying to rush forward.

  No! I returned, the pain making me grit my teeth as I shoved him further into the alcove. Stay back! Only five more.

  I managed to cut the remaining hellhounds, but not before getting a few more bites, one on my arm, the other on the same leg as the first one. Once the horrible dogs were on the ground, writhing in pain as the magic of Enorah's blade slowly incinerated them, I limped around the cavern floor, plunging the dagger into the beasts' hearts and watching in macabre satisfaction as they turned to dust.

  A light tug at my back made me turn around. Aiden gazed up at me with wide eyes, his skin looking slightly grey. Despite the pain in my arm and leg, I reached down and lifted him up, smoothing out his dark hair as I murmured in his ear.

  "We're getting out of here now Aiden," I said, leaning my head against his, "but this isn't over yet. Outside we're going to find a war, and the Morrigan will not be happy that we got out. I need you to be strong and to do everything I tell you, okay?"

  He nodded. Will Cade be there? he asked me as his arms encircled my neck.

  I swallowed back a lump in my throat and kissed my brother's forehead.

  Yes, I responded, he'll be there.

  Aiden sighed. Good. Cade will help us, won't he Meggy?

  Yes, but this time I hope to help him.

  Although it was a struggle, what with my bum leg and Aiden's weight, I climbed the stairs, leaving the beautifully morbid cavern behind and making my way back down the tunnel. I had no idea what awaited me on the edge of the Morrigan's territory, but as I limped along, something began burning deep in my chest, and I had a feeling it was more than just my magic and Cernunnos's combined. It was the burn of vengeance, the demanding need to protect all those I loved.

  No longer was I the naive Faelorehn girl who quaked in the presence of the almighty goddess of war and strife. Oh no, I was a warrior, my instincts honed to a fine point, a point I planned on driving straight into the heartless soul of my enemy. I almost laughed and I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my body. I had so much to lose, but I was through with being afraid. Win or lose, live or die, the Morrigan would grow to rue the day she ever thought to cross me.

  -Twenty-Three-

  Conflict

  The moment I drew my first breath of air on the other side of the stone doorway, a single, frantic word bombarded my mind.

  MEGHAN!

  The brilliant letters actually seared my eyes and forced a hiss from my mouth. I fell to the ground, my knees digging into the sharp rock shards that littered the dead canyon leading from the Morrigan's underground fortress.

  Meggy! another internal voice cried out.

  Oh, right. Aiden's. He reached for my elbow, trying to help me up.

  I'm okay, I sent to him, pressing my hand against my pounding head.

  Meghan! For Eile's sake, where are you?!

  I gritted my teeth and took another sharp breath. Looks like I'd let my shield of magic fail. Not that I was surprised, what with all that had just happened in the Morrigan's cavern. Drawing on some of my glamour, I quickly protected my mind again before I was tempted to answer Cade.r />
  Aiden and I moved as swiftly as we could to get out of that canyon. I had a sense from my short connection with Cade that the battle had either begun or was mere minutes away from commencing, and we were several miles from the dolmarehn. I could only hope that the Morrigan's army moved at a very slow pace. Regardless of the fact that there was no way we were going to make it to the edge of her territory in a hurry, I held out hope for a miracle. After all, I had come this far and I was still alive. Perhaps Fate had one more use for me.

  Once clear of the imposing granite walls of the ravine, Aiden and I paused a few moments to catch our breath.

  Where are we going now Meggy? he asked me, his words, though not spoken, quiet nonetheless.

  There was no point in lying to my brother. He had been exposed to enough horror already; it wouldn't hurt to tell him the truth.

  We're going to fight.

  The Morrigan?

  Yes.

  Good. She is evil.

  That she is Aiden. But we're going to try and be careful.

  Is that where Cade is?

  My heart took another plunge and I fought against the panic and sorrow that tried to take over me.

  Yes Aiden. He is fighting with all the kings and queens of Eile, of the Otherworld, and with our mo-

  I was about to say, 'and with our mother', but I wasn't sure how much Aiden had been told about our birth mother. Best not to shock him as well as scare him.

  I took a deep breath. And the high queen of the Otherworld is with him as well.

  Aiden squeezed my hand. The Morrigan has lots of monsters, and that scary dark man as well.

  Scary, dark man . . ? Oh, Donn. I found it odd that the god of the underworld was so silent and complacent with regards to the Morrigan. Then again, his part in all this was to lord over the lost souls of the underworld whereas the Morrigan's job was to stir the pot that sent them there. She would be the more violent one, naturally. Didn't mean Donn didn't scare the crap out of me, though.