"What about Lasair?" I asked, my joy drying up only to be replaced with fear.
"He returned home with Epona," Cade said. "The faelah hurt him pretty badly, so he needs time to heal among his fellow horses."
I nodded, pained to hear he'd been hurt, but grateful he was alive. Then I asked the next question, somewhat afraid of the answer. "Will I ever see him again?"
Cade put his hand behind my neck and pulled me into a deep kiss. My nerves tingled and my fingers drifted towards his towel, but he escaped my grasp with a quick twitch of his hips, lifting up off of the bed and pulling away from me so that he could dress for the day.
"He told Speirling that once he has returned to full health, he'll be back to serve as your devoted companion."
Despite my disappointment at Cade's escape, the bright smile he sent me, along with the news of Lasair's impending return, kept my thoughts positive.
I started to get out of bed, insisting on a shower. Cade helped me, of course, because I could barely walk. I guess using up almost all of your power in one fell swoop took a while to recover from. Who was I to complain, though? It was better than being dead.
Once I felt clean and was dressed, I asked about Aiden and my mother again.
"Danua sent a message up earlier while you were still asleep. They are waiting for us in the parlor beside her throne room with tea."
I moved to stand up and as my legs crumpled beneath me, Cade stepped in and took charge, lifting me up into his arms.
"As much as I admire the chivalry thing," I grumbled, "I don't need you carrying me from room to room."
"Yes you do," Cade answered cheerfully, maneuvering us through the door.
As we passed down the hallway, people paused and stood aside, bowing and greeting me as if I had grown up here in this very castle. I guess risking my life and taking out their enemy improved my status in their eyes, and against my better judgment, their kind acknowledgment warmed me.
Danua and Aiden were waiting for us when we arrived, my mother in her usual, court dress and Aiden in a pair of fancy clothes that looked personally tailored to fit him. When he saw Cade carrying me in, he jumped up from his chair and came running over.
"Meggy!" he cried out.
Cade set me down just in time for Aiden to slam into me, wrapping his arms around me in a tight grip. Cade held onto my shoulders so I wouldn't fall over, and I reached down and ran my hand over my brother's dark hair. I couldn't help it. I started crying again. Aiden. My autistic brother, talking to me as if he'd done so his entire life.
"The lady says she's our real mother Meggy, is that true?"
Aiden looked up at me with those big eyes of his and I bit my lip, nodding. "Yes Aiden, she's our real mother."
He furrowed his brow and I waited for him to deny it, to break down and insist she was wrong. Instead he gave a little sigh and just leaned into me. "Then that means we're true brother and sister."
I sniffled and pressed my hand against his back.
"Meggy," he said again, looking back up at me. "If she's our real mother, why did she send us away to Mom and Dad?"
Danua had stood up and was moving our way, but upon hearing Aiden's words she froze and gave me a sad look.
I cleared my throat. "Because Aiden," I said, returning my eyes to his face, "she loves us very much and thought that we would be safer if we grew up with Mom and Dad."
Aiden seemed to turn that over in his head for a few moments, but then nodded again and closed his eyes as he rested his cheek against my hip.
I looked back up in time to see Danua approaching me with her arms open. I had to swallow back my surprise when she wrapped all of us, Cade included, into a great hug. Her shoulders shook and when she stepped back, tears streamed down her face.
"I never thought in a thousand years that I'd see the two of you again," she said softly, looking first at me, then Aiden. "And now I have both of you here."
After that, we all sat down to tea. Aiden asked one question after another as we enjoyed our meal, and he got an answer for each of them. I couldn't believe how comfortable he was here, sitting in Danua's castle and talking to us as if he had never had a timid streak at all. But maybe that had never been the case to begin with. Perhaps he had just been awkward about his inability to communicate with others. Whatever it was, I was beyond happy to see him so vibrant.
Cade trailed his hand across my thigh, seeking my fingers. When both our hands were clasped, I looked up at him. He grinned and whispered into my mind, Danua has sent a message to your parents, telling them that you both are well. She has also requested that Aiden start spending his summers here in Erintara.
I blinked in surprise at him. I hadn't thought about where Aiden would live. I'd kind of been too busy trying to rescue him and get rid of the Morrigan. What Cade suggested sounded like a good plan, but I only had one question.
Does Aiden know about this?
Cade nodded. He was present when we discussed it.
And?
He said as long as he got to spend time with his big sister, then it was fine by him.
Smiling like an idiot, I leaned back in my chair so that I pressed up against Cade. It would take me a bit longer to heal, but as soon as I could walk and function like a normal person once again, we would take a little trip to the mortal world and tell my parents everything that had happened.
That evening, my mother hosted a small dinner in my honor. Her entire court attended (along with their new, positive attitudes with regards to me) and when I entered the dining room and found the Dagda and Enorah waiting for me, both dressed in Erintara's finest, I almost fell on my face as I bolted away from Cade's side. I'd forgotten my legs still weren't working properly.
Aiden came in after me, flying away from Danua and latching onto my arm. I introduced him to Enorah and the Dagda, and although he hid behind the folds of my skirts at first, by the time the main course arrived, he was as chatty as he'd been with our mother earlier that morning. I still couldn't believe how much my brother had changed, but it was quickly growing on me.
The next morning, Cade, Aiden and I left for Luathara. I was well enough to travel, and it was long past the time we return Aiden to my parents in the mortal world. Danua came to see us off, her regal, controlled mask back on as she said farewell to a son and daughter she had almost lost.
"I'll come back again," I promised, squeezing her hand, "and hopefully our foster parents will agree to summer visits for Aiden."
Danua smiled, a tiny quirk of her lips, and nodded her head once. I turned to join Cade and my brother, but before I could take one step, Danua pulled me back and gave me a fierce hug.
"I am so sorry for all the pain I caused you before, and I'm proud to call you my daughter."
Sniffling, I hugged her back just as fiercely. "And I am glad to call you mother."
The Dagda and Enorah joined us on our trip back since their destinations were along the way, and by late afternoon we were gazing upon Cade's castle from the wooded hills above Luathara. Speirling, happy to finally be home, let out a cheerful whinny while the borrowed horse Aiden and I rode gave the black stallion a questioning look.
Briant and his family were there to greet us when the horses clattered into the courtyard. In no time we were ushered into the castle and taken directly to the dining hall where the staff who had remained for the evening insisted on hearing every little detail about the great battle against the Morrigan.
It was nearly midnight when we finally clambered up the stairs, Aiden out cold and draped over Cade's shoulder.
"Tomorrow morning we'll cross into the mortal world," Cade murmured closing the door to one of the spare rooms after tucking Aiden into bed.
Nodding my head and yawning, I happily used Cade as a crutch as we headed towards his bedroom. I don't actually remember making it to the bed, but I do know that my dreams were filled with light and joyful things.
I rose early the next morning, rubbing my eyes as I stumbled into the b
athroom to take a shower. Cade was still asleep, so I did my best not to wake him as I fumbled around for a fresh towel and soap. Once I was clean and dressed, I returned to the bedroom to find the bed empty and Cade missing. Assuming he had gone downstairs to get the horses ready for our trip to the dolmarehn, I stepped up to the window, gazing out over the beautiful fields of Luathara. Far below, I could see people getting ready for work and I almost laughed when I recognized two familiar white shapes chasing each other around the courtyard.
A few moments later the door clicked open and shut. Cade stepped up quietly behind me and wrapped his arms around my torso a few seconds later. I leaned my head against his shoulder and drew air deep into my lungs, breathing in his scent. Closing my eyes and smiling, I said, "I could get used to this."
"As much as I'd love to stay here all morning," Cade murmured, "we have a quest to undertake, and I have something to show you first."
I turned and arched a brow, but Cade had already pulled away, taking me by the hand and leading me towards the bedroom door. I followed, my curiosity getting the better of me, and soon we were out in the courtyard and heading towards the garden gate. The sun was just peeking above the horizon and those helping with the castle's ongoing renovation were just arriving. We maneuvered around the neatly trimmed herbs and made our way through another archway that opened up into a smaller, secluded garden. A tiny section in the wall had been removed so that water from the stream could trickle into a pool, and a continuous stone bench wrapped around the four walls. Above, the branches of oak and ivy, bare of leaves this late in the season, intertwined to form a natural lattice. Once we were both tucked safely inside, Cade stopped and turned towards me, his face bright with a wide smile.
"Um, why'd you bring me out here?" I tried to make my voice sound curious and not accusatory. I think I might have failed.
"Look," he said, his voice barely above a whisper as he inclined his head upward.
I glanced up again, but this time I saw something that hadn't been there before, or maybe I just hadn't seen them. Looking down at me with big, kind eyes, their limbs interweaving and blending in with the branches above, were at least a dozen twigrins. I gasped in delight, pulling my hands free of Cade's so I could cover my mouth.
"I had Enorah bring some from the Weald to live here in our garden. For your birthday," he said smugly.
"My-" I began, but then stopped short. "Wait, what's the date?"
Cade's smile only widened. I groaned and buried my face in my hands again. Had I really lost track of that much time?
"What kind of a girl forgets her own birthday?!" I complained.
Laughing, Cade pulled me close, but sobered up the second our eyes met. He brushed back a loose strand of my hair and said in a quiet voice, "The kind that is too busy saving our world."
I sighed and succumbed to his embrace. For once, everything in my life seemed to be perfect. I had finally found my place in this world, and it was a very pleasant place indeed. I no longer had to worry about the Morrigan, for a long while at least, and my mother had finally opened up to me. I had so many new, wonderful friends and I had a brother who, assuming my mortal parents agreed, would be visiting me every summer. And I had Cade. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought my life would end up here, standing in an enchanted garden with the young man I loved beyond all reason and who loved me back just as fiercely.
As the bright rays of the early morning sun streamed in through the branches above, I felt my magic rise to meet up with Cade's, enveloping us in a mantle of contentment no amount of words could describe.
Epilogue
-Imbolg-
The sun dipped low on the horizon, painting the fields of pure white with its golden light. I wrapped my cloak more tightly around myself and watched as my breath made small clouds in the frozen air. The waterfall at the edge of the patio was nothing more than a trickle this time of year, but I welcomed its simple melody as I let my mind wander. Nearly three months had passed since the Tuatha De had won their battle against the Morrigan; three months since I'd torn myself free from her wrath. Luathara's castle was nearly complete, but with the approach of winter the masons and construction workers had to postpone until spring's first thaw. I didn't mind. The interior of the castle was finished, so we were able to stay warm and protected from winter's wrath.
Today, though, had been pleasant. No snow had fallen and the sun had shown all day. I only hoped this trend continued through tomorrow for our Imbolg celebration, a holiday to mark the end of winter. I grinned as I rubbed my hands together. For some reason, thinking of Imbolg and the arrival of spring brought to mind the Solstice party my mother had hosted a month and a half ago. All the Tuatha De had attended and I had been so pleased to see them once again, even Cernunnos. I only hoped that our own small bonfire and festival would prove as joyful.
Sighing, I cast my eyes back over the fields and rolling hills of Erintara, wondering when Cade would be back from his outing. Once a month he insisted on taking a few days to ride Speirling throughout his property to make sure any stray faelah hadn't moved in. Sometimes I went with him, especially now that Lasair had returned from his stay with Epona's herd. The memory of his arrival flashed across my mind, and I allowed myself another small smile. He had just shown up one day, a red flame standing on the hilltop, and I had run to him while Meridian swooped down and chattered happily.
At the moment, however, he was most likely snoozing in the stables while I rested from my long day of preparation. Yes, the reason for my staying behind this time. I had to make sure everything was perfect for all of our guests tomorrow. Cade and I had invited the entire town of Kellston, as well as the Dagda and Enorah and several of the other Tuatha De. My mother received an invitation as well, but we weren't surprised when she politely declined. She was the high queen, after all, and could not leave Erintara at the moment.
Thinking of Danua made me think of Aiden, of course. I had wanted to invite my little brother to the Imbolg celebration, but Cade had made a good point. Aiden needed as much time to get over the shock of his kidnapping and the following trauma he'd been through. Even though he seemed like a changed boy, exuberant and cheerful just after our ordeal, the evil that had surrounded him for those few days had to be dealt with, and the best way to help him heal was to let him soak in the normalcy he'd been so used to in the mortal world.
Four more months Meghan, I told myself as I rubbed my hands together and blew into them, four more months and he'll be here for the summer.
I grinned, remembering how grateful I was to my mortal parents for understanding Aiden's need to get to know his mother and the world he'd come from. Although, telling them about how Danua had deceived them was hard. They had taken their time to grieve the loss of the child they never knew while at the same time rejoicing in the fact that they'd had me and Aiden for so long. I don't know how they could show such strength after all they'd been through, and I only hoped that someday I might show that same courage.
A distant whinny followed by sharp barking snapped my attention away from my reminiscing. Far below, a black smudge interrupted the perfect, snowy landscape and my face broke into a wide smile. Cade was back with Speirling and Fergus. Several minutes later they entered the courtyard, and Cade sent me a few words using shil-sciar.
Where are you?
Look up, I said.
He glanced up to find me gazing down at him from our patio. I waved and sent, Come join me, the sunset is beautiful.
Ten minutes later, the great wooden door leading into the third floor hallway creaked open and Cade stepped out onto the frost-encrusted terrace. I turned to study him, drawing in a deep breath of admiration. He looked resplendent in his dark green riding cloak, his hair tousled from the wind and his cheeks slightly flushed from the cold. With boots crunching against the thin layer of snow, Cade closed the distance between us and took me in his arms. I sighed and simply leaned into his solid warmth, closing my eyes and pressing my cheek against h
is shoulder. The day had been long and busy and I was ready for a break.
"I missed you. You were gone longer than usual," I breathed quietly as Cade rocked me gently in our very own slow dance.
“Yes, I had a few extra stops to make this time around,” Cade murmured, his lips pressed against my ear and dispersing my wayward thoughts. “You see, I've been doing some thinking . . .”
I grinned and looked up at him, his arms still encircling me. “Have you now?”
He nodded, and then dipped his head as he fished something out of his pocket.
“I have,” he continued, lifting his hand, his closed fist hiding something.
I blinked in confusion. With his other hand, Cade pulled my left arm from his waist and proceeded to wrap what looked like a gold string around my wrist. What on earth . . . ?
“I was hoping that you might want to make our current arrangement a little more, well, permanent.”
I lifted my arm and stared at the armlet, stunned. It was absolutely beautiful, a long, thin thread of gold bedecked with tiny chips of pale green, blue and topaz jewels, woven into an intricate knot work pattern to form a bracelet. It looked strangely familiar, as if I had seen it before.
And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I had seen this before, on the people of Eile. On men and women alike. It was symbolic, a token of love. A representation of a bond made when two people wished to live and love one another forever. Cade had just wrapped an engagement ring, uh, bracelet, around my wrist. And when I glanced at his own arm, I could see he too was wearing a similar one, the gold thread of his a bit more masculine and the jewels a shade darker than my own.
I felt my mouth fall open in shock and tried desperately to say something, anything. Before the words would form, however, Cade took my face in his hands and tilted my eyes up to meet his.
“Marry me, Meghan," he whispered, his voice soft and sincere. "Bind your spirit to mine. Give your heart over to my keeping, just as I have already given mine over to yours.”
I said something, but I have no idea what it was and I think it might not have even been an actual word. Oh, very romantic Meghan . . .
Luathara - Book Three of the Otherworld Trilogy Page 35