“No,” I gritted, my arm draped across the new wound, “just trying to protect my sis-”
My words were cut short as the tail of the third nathadohr lashed out of the dense fog and managed to wrap around the forearm I wasn’t using to guard my injury.
I shouted my anger as the tail tightened, cutting deeper into my arm than the other had done in my leg.
Enorah cursed again, releasing an arrow and quickly going for another. The creature screamed and tightened its tail. I gasped as the barbs cut through flesh and muscle. The agony brought me to my knees.
“Hang on Cade!” Enorah cried, her voice laced with panic as she kept decorating the nathadohr with arrows.
The monster growled, fighting its imminent death as I fought the blackness that threatened to overwhelm me. Finally, after Enorah had used all her arrows and half of mine, the nathadohr loosened its grip and collapsed to the ground.
When I was absolutely sure that the faelah was dead, I sat up and removed its tail from my arm. I grimaced when I saw the damage, more from its appearance than the pain. The bastard had cut almost all the way to the bone.
“Cade!” Enorah whispered, falling to the ground next to me.
“Are you hurt?” I asked, forgetting my injuries for the time being.
She shook her head. “A few grazes here and there, but nothing serious.”
She glanced at my arm and her eyes widened. “Oh no, we need to take care of this.”
I nodded my agreement and Enorah helped me to my feet.
It took us twice as long to get back to the village, since I was limping and she was trying to support my weight. When we arrived, several of the Wildren greeted us with a hot breakfast and clean water and herbs to take care of our wounds. We retold our tale over breakfast, and as the fires crackled around us and as the children listened intently, their eyes wide with awe, the pain of the ordeal seemed to lessen.
Eventually I stood up, ready to leave the Weald behind and return to my castle. I was eager to get some rest and return to the mortal world. Now that the nightmare of dealing with the nathador was over, my thoughts concerning Meghan Elam had resurfaced. It had been a few weeks since she ran from me in the swamp, and it was time for me to try and patch things up between us. Again.
“Cade, before you go,” Enorah called after me, reaching her arms behind her head and untying a string with a wooden bead attached to it. “Take this.”
She tossed it to me and I caught it with my good arm. Arching a brow, I opened my hand and examined the wood. A symbol was burned into it, one that would cast a spell of protection over the person who wore it. I grinned.
“A mistletoe charm? Are you worried about me, dear sister?”
Enorah crossed her arms and snorted. “I’m always worried about you Cade. That’s what big sisters do.”
I smiled, tucking the charm into a pocket.
“I’m sure I’ll find a use for it,” I said, then grinned once more before leaving my sister and her woodland village behind.
* * *
Late morning’s broken sunlight shone through the diamond paned window of my room in Luathara, and it took me a few moments after waking up to gather my thoughts. I was in Eile, not my apartment in the mortal world, and Fergus was curled up on the carpet in front of the fireplace. Late autumn in the Otherworld always promised the kind of cold weather that seeped into your bones, and when I stayed in the castle I needed to keep a fire going at all times. Slowly, I sat up, wincing at the sharp pain in my head and the ache in my arm.
Fergus heard me stirring and sat up abruptly, as if waking from some disturbing dream. He rose to his feet, stretched, then scooped up a piece of parchment that had been lying on the rug in front of him before walking over to me.
“What’s this?” I asked, taking the note from his mouth.
I was afraid to read it. It could be from Enorah, informing me that I hadn’t rounded up all the nasty faelah encroaching the village in the Weald. Or it could be from my foster father, once again wondering why I hadn’t visited lately. I could only explain I was too busy so many times. Or it could be from the Morrigan . . .
It is from the mortal world, Fergus sent to me.
I sucked in a breath and with shaking hands, unfolded the letter as quickly as possible. I blamed the tremor on my recent ordeal with the nathadohr, though to be honest, I’d admit it was a result of my anxiety. Before going to the Weald to help my sister with her faelah problem, I had left a note for Meghan, taping it to the sliding glass door of her room where she’d find it. I had wanted to offer my help without frightening her, but I was afraid my first, and second, impression had only made me look worse. So I had written to her, apologizing for everything that had gone wrong and encouraging her to learn what she could about the ancient Celts.
I hoped the letter I held in my hand contained an extension of friendship; Meghan’s willingness to give me another chance. I snorted. Yeah, right. Sure, it’s what I hoped for, but I wasn’t usually that lucky.
My eyes darted over the words, written in a neat, flowing female hand. I smiled warmly. From the little I’d learned from the Faelorehn girl, I could tell this writing reflected her personality well: a young woman with a lot of questions and fear floating around inside her head, but doing her best to remain cool and calm on the outside. My smile only widened when I finished reading it. She wanted to meet with me, after school on Tuesday, and she wanted my help with learning who she was. Maybe my luck was changing after all.
I had no idea when she had left the note in the tree; Fergus must have checked for me while I was napping. It was early Sunday morning, two days before she wanted to meet. I strode over to my desk and took out a quill and some paper, writing a quick note and tucking it into Fergus’s collar.
Deliver that straight to Meghan and then come back here and wake me up. We’ll be going to the mortal world tomorrow.
Fergus turned and trotted out the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I sighed and looked over my shoulder at my bed. I would get as much sleep as possible before leaving for the swamp in the morning. Fighting the nathadohr had almost pushed me over the edge and I could hardly see straight, let alone stand upright. I changed the bandage on my arm, wincing as the gauze pulled away the dried blood, opening the wound again. I applied an ointment and wrapped it up before falling back into bed, anticipating sleep. In the morning I’d head to the mortal world; give myself a day to acclimate to the lack of magic there before meeting with Meghan.
Before drifting off, however, I thought about how I would tell Meghan that she was Faelorehn. A jolt of dread shot through me. How did you tell someone that they were immortal and came from another dimension? Without them suspecting you were crazy? As I finally succumbed to exhaustion, I told myself that this time, whatever it took, I wouldn’t terrify the young girl who had taken up a permanent residence in my mind.
* * *
Traveling through the dolmarehn of Eile never took the same toll on me as traveling through the ones leading to the mortal world did. In fact, using the stone passageways in the Otherworld felt just the same as walking through a door and the only way I could tell I had moved from one place to the other was evident in a slight change of temperature or lighting.
I cast my wayward thoughts aside and ignored the discomfort of leaving my world and entering the mortal one. Once I was on the other side, I began hiking down the small culvert and then through the swamp. It took Fergus and I twenty minutes to get to the garage with the small apartment on the second story. It was a little after noon, but I was exhausted. I had an entire day before I’d meet with Meghan and the old lumpy couch would do just fine.
Drawing the blinds and making sure the door was locked, I lay down and threw an arm over my eyes, ignoring the sound of the junkyard just next door. Within minutes I was fast asleep, ready to stay that way until late the next morning.
* * *
Meghan needs help.
The simple statement, coursing through my
mind and disrupting my sleep, caused me to snort and sit up. I placed a hand to my forehead and blinked back the sudden headache that always came when waking up with a jolt.
Meghan. She needs your help.
I groaned and turned my face towards Fergus. He was sitting and panting calmly by the couch where I had fallen asleep only a few hours before. No wonder I felt so terrible.
I fell back against the cushions and draped my forearm over my eyes. The rough scrape and sterile smell of my bandage brought back more memories. Ugh, I had meant to change it again before falling asleep. . . I opened an eye. Well, at least the blood stains hadn’t worsened. I swallowed, and that act seemed much harder to accomplish than it should have been. My mouth was dry and it felt as if I’d eaten dehydrated faelah the night before. Nice.
What about Meghan? I sent to Fergus, sighing in weariness. I vaguely remembered a note and something about meeting her tomorrow.
She needs help now. Threat.
Sometimes Fergus could sense things before they happened, and for some reason, he was especially sensitive when it came to Meghan. I had asked him about it after he had led her into the swamp that first night, but he couldn’t tell me why he picked up on her emotions more than anyone else’s.
I groaned and sat up. Now wasn’t the time to contemplate my spirit guide’s supernatural gifts.
What do you mean, threat? More faelah?
I pulled out the note she had sent me and smoothed the wrinkled paper over my thigh. I was supposed to meet Meghan tomorrow, and I had every intention to respect her need for caution when it came to me, but if she was in danger nothing would stop me from helping her.
No, Fergus panted, pawing at my leg, enemies at school.
How do you know? Were you watching over her?
No. Felt magic.
My skin tingled with goose pimples. Magic? Had Meghan somehow used Otherworldly magic? But how? She’d been in this world for a long time, almost her whole life from what I’d gathered, so how could she have any magic to use?
I shook my head and gritted my teeth at the pain it caused. Blindly, I reached for my car keys and grabbed a soda from the fridge, hoping the caffeine would help with my headache.
“Fergus, stay here,” I grumbled as I clambered down the steps to the garage.
Very well, he sent, taking my place on the couch and huffing a discontented grunt.
I ignored him and jogged down the stairs, hoping that whatever was bothering Meghan wasn’t anything worse than a school bully. In my current shape, I don’t think I could even swat an Otherworldly mosquito without falling over.
* * *
The drive to Meghan’s school helped wake me up a little, but as I slowed to pull into the parking lot, I caught a glimpse of something that made my blood boil.
Meghan stood on the side of the road, her hands clasping the straps of her backpack as she frantically glanced between the bus schedule and what appeared to be a gang of boys headed in her direction. It was clear she was uneasy, and even more clear that the boys meant to do her harm.
Despite my exhaustion, anger swelled within me, fierce and hot and demanding to take over. Oh no, not here. I don’t need your help here . . .
I got a hold of my emotions, and my glamour. Instead of turning into the parking lot, I let the Trans Am glide smoothly up to Meghan’s side. She didn’t notice me at first, far too concerned with the boys who were stalking her.
“Meghan,” I said to get her attention.
She turned and saw me, her expression one of surprise. Her heart fluttered in her throat and her eyes flashed with fear, then appreciative relief. I could have smiled, but there were more pressing matters at hand than my wallowing in flattery at her reaction. Really, Cade, you’d think she was the first girl you’ve ever interacted with.
I cast aside my distracting thoughts and leaned across the passenger seat, pushing the door open. “Get in.”
Meghan hesitated, perhaps not sure she should trust me. She’d only just met me, after all, and I was a day early. She glanced at the approaching boys one more time before removing her backpack and slipping into the seat next to me.
Over the growl of my car’s idling engine and the drone of traffic speeding by on the highway, an angry voice shouted out, “Listen you little slu-”
Before the pathetic whelp could finish his insult, I’d thrown the door open to stand with my back facing traffic, putting the car between me and the vile young man. Oh, if only we were in Eile and I could use my glamour unhindered . . .
Suddenly wide awake, I growled, “You no longer have any dealings with Meghan. If you ever insult her again, I’ll be paying you a special visit at your earliest inconvenience.”
It took every ounce of self-control I possessed to keep from digging my fingers into the frame of my car. And at the moment, my glamour was more than willing to lend me the strength to do it.
The idiot must have noticed because he took one look at me, the blood draining from his face, before he turned and marched off, taking his friends with him. My magic fought to take over, but as much as I wanted to tear Meghan’s tormentors to shreds, it would not help me win her over in the least. In fact, I’m pretty certain it would be the final nail in my coffin with regards to our current, shaky relationship.
The cars whizzed by on the road behind me, but I merely stood there for several seconds taking deep breaths and willing the anger and its influence on my glamour to dissipate.
When I felt like I had my magic under control, I climbed back into the car and buckled my seatbelt, instructing Meghan to do the same. The tension pouring off of her was strong, but my irritation towards her classmates still lingered. I’d have to work hard not to damage the steering wheel.
I pulled the car back onto the highway with the intention of heading somewhere where we could talk and where I could calm down. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Meghan studying me, but I only drove on, keeping silent so she wouldn’t be alarmed. I wondered what she saw when she looked in my direction. A friend? A potential enemy? The monster that lurked just beneath the surface, the one I was trying very hard not to unleash . . . ?
“Forgive me Meghan,” I said finally, “I’m early for our meeting.” I took a deep breath through my nose and continued, “And I shouldn’t have been so short with you earlier. I wasn’t angry at you. I’d just finished work earlier and those young men didn’t help improve my mood any.”
Okay, so I hadn’t just finished work but it was part of the reason for my foul mood. Albeit, a very tiny part.
Meghan was quiet for a few moments, then she took a breath and told me not to worry. I wanted to laugh, but I remained still. How could I not worry after what I’d seen in those boys’ eyes? And just like that, my anger flared once more. I gripped the steering wheel more fiercely and pressed my teeth together, forcing an ache to start in my jaw. Breathe Cade, breathe . . . Meghan is safe.
Eventually she asked, “Why were you early?”
Because Fergus sensed that you were in trouble and that you needed my help . . .
Instead I simply shrugged and said, “I had a feeling you were in trouble.”
“Something to do with your Otherworldly senses?” she asked quietly.
A chill ran down my spine and my grip on the steering wheel tightened even further. Perhaps she was more perceptive than I had previously thought. Or maybe she had taken my advice and had done a little research . . .
Deciding to play it safe I answered, “You could say that.”
We drove for a while longer, turning left at a traffic light and leaving the Mesa behind as we traveled west towards the beach. Meghan asked about our destination and I muttered something about going to Shell Beach. I needed the ocean’s soothing presence to help me through what I planned on telling her. From her quiet, tense demeanor I could tell she was preparing herself to ask me some difficult questions. I intended to answer her honestly, and if she was the type to panic then I wanted to be someplace where the control over
my glamour wouldn’t snap. Meghan Elam was about to learn she wasn’t human; that she was immortal and came from a world where gods and goddesses ruled and magic was as much a part of the landscape as the trees and hills. Yes, there was a good chance that she might not take such information well . . .
I glanced over at Meghan to find her gazing out the window, her fingers fretting with the cuffs of her sweatshirt. I allowed my mouth to curve in a smile. In all honesty, I was afraid to tell her the truth; afraid to frighten her. But if I didn’t, there would not be a chance to get to know her better and that possibility, more than anything else, was well worth the risk.
I let out a deep sigh as we left the last edges of town behind, driving along a small road that hugged the rugged coast. A few minutes later I pulled my car off to the side of the street and turned off the engine. Meghan took out her cell phone to call home and tell her family that she’d be coming home later than planned. As she spoke I focused on her face. She really was a striking girl, something that wasn’t immediately obvious until one studied her further. Her hair, reminding me so much of dark chocolate, curled around her face in soft waves and her skin was smooth and almost too pale, like most of the Faelorehn, but dusted with freckles around her nose. I glanced at her mouth next, her lips curved in a slight smile as she finished up on the phone. Suddenly, I pictured my hand reaching out to her, my fingers running through her soft hair, my mouth pressing gently against hers . . .
“What’s wrong?”
Meghan’s voice snapped me out of my daydream. What in Eile was wrong with me? I released a deep sigh, hoping it would take my frustration with it. I really needed to take this attraction I felt and bury it in a deep, dark hole.
I shoved my hands in my pockets and said simply, “Nothing, let’s walk.”
We made our way down to the beach, taking off our shoes so we could walk barefoot in the rough sand. I closed my eyes and sighed. There were few things in life as blissful as walking barefoot on the beach.
We strolled along for a few minutes, allowing the salt water to soak our feet. Meghan noticed my bandage and I hoped she didn’t catch my grimace. I should have changed it again before leaving, but it would have cost me precious time. I had barely made it in time to chase off those boys as it was. I informed her the injury was a result of my occupation, and of course she then asked me about my job.
Ehriad: A Novella of the Otherworld Page 5