Ehriad: A Novella of the Otherworld

by Johnson, Jenna Elizabeth

  Well, there is a term for me in Eile. I’m called Ehriad, a Faelorehn man with no true connections and not the best reputation. It’s my job to hunt down renegade faelah and capture or kill them. Oh, and an unfortunate geis binds me to the Morrigan, the Celtic goddess of war and strife.

  Sure, that would go over well. Instead I told her some of the truth, admitting that I was a bounty hunter who took care of the Otherworldly creatures that managed to wander from their home. After all, I was trying to break all of this new information to her gently, so I said nothing about the Morrigan or my geis.

  Next she asked me about how I had found her.

  I detected your magic and followed the trail . . .

  “The internet,” I said instead.

  Someday I’d tell her the truth, but telling her I had been following her around probably wouldn’t be in my best interests right now.

  Unfortunately, her next question forced me to admit some of the details of the first time I’d seen her.

  “But why did you want to learn more about me?”

  I paused before beginning my explanation. Remember Cade, you want to help her discover who she is . . .

  So I told her about Eile, about the dolmarehn in the heart of the swamp behind her house. I told her that I first noticed her when I detected her glamour along the equestrian path. And finally, after taking a long, deep breath and reminding myself it was the right thing to do, I told her that like me, she was Faelorehn, an immortal being from the Otherworld.

  * * *

  Meghan and I stayed on the beach for a long time. She had taken the initial news of her heritage rather well, I thought, and she spent the rest of the afternoon asking me questions about Eile. I answered them all, trying to be honest but not too revealing. Part of me wanted to tell her everything but the more responsible part warned me that right now she seemed fine, yet once it all sunk in it might be too much for her to handle.

  Just give her a little at a time Cade, just the basic facts. You can fill her in with all the details later, my conscience told me.

  This time I took its advice.

  By the time we were on the road again the sun had set. We drove in silence, both of us thinking about what had been said today.

  As I dropped her off in her driveway, I told her I’d be in touch and that I would instruct Fergus to keep an eye on her.

  “Oh, and one more thing,” I said.

  “What, I’m a long lost princess?” she joked.

  I could only smile at that. “No, stay away from the swamp as much as possible.”

  I tried to keep the ice out of my voice but I may have failed. I closed my eyes tight, thinking about what the Morrigan would do if she knew about Meghan.

  I released my breath and said, “The faelah know about you now and I don’t know what they might want with you.”

  Oh, I knew. The Morrigan would be very interested in someone like Meghan, and some of her nasty minions were capable of reporting information back to her. I was obligated by my geis to do the same, but nothing in this world or mine would make me betray her.

  “Here,” I said, reaching into my pocket and pulling out what I found there. It was the small mistletoe charm Enorah had given me after helping her with the nathadohr. She’d probably be horrified if she learned I’d given it away to a girl, but at the moment Meghan needed its protection more than I did.

  “Put it on and keep it on your person at all times.”

  “What is it?”

  “Mistletoe,” I said with a smile. “It wards against Otherworldly evil.”

  She nodded grimly and looped it over her neck, slipping it beneath her shirt to rest against her bare skin. For a delusional second I was jealous of that tiny chunk of wood.

  Before I could do or say anything really stupid, I wished her goodbye, telling her that when I got back from the Otherworld I’d teach her how to defend herself against the faelah.

  I pulled out of her driveway and headed up the road. As I curved around the first small bend, I glanced up in my rearview mirror. A huge smile broke across my face. Meghan was still standing in the driveway, watching me drive away. So, she isn’t terrified of me anymore. If that’s not a good sign, I don’t know what is.

  I whistled an Otherworldly tune as I drove back to the garage, feeling confident for the first time in days.

  Broken Geis

  The sun splayed through the treetops, the spikes of afternoon light driving into my skull like nails. I gritted my teeth and took several deep breaths. Meghan wasn’t due for another thirty minutes or so and I desperately needed to spend that time pulling myself together.

  I knew what the problem was, even though I didn’t want to admit it to myself. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Yes, there was a really good chance that one of her parents was Fomorian, a race the Faelorehn had been enemies with for centuries. Despite what that might entail, I didn’t care. Even my foster father had warned me of the repercussions of growing too close to someone who was half-Fae and half-Fomore. I just couldn’t imagine Meghan ever causing any harm. But that was only part of the problem. It was who, and what, I was as well that made me reconsider growing too close to Meghan.

  Fergus whined next to me and I placed my hands on my hips and threw my head back, closing my eyes and letting the afternoon sunlight warm my skin.

  “I know Fergus,” I whispered, keeping my face aimed towards the canopy above, “but what do I have to offer her?”

  If Meghan knew what I was, if she knew what I had witnessed in my long life, our fragile friendship would cease to exist and I would have no chance of hoping for anything more than that. The very thought of not ever seeing her again hurt me more than the raking claws and burning poison of the faelah I often battled.

  I had no friends, only a sister, a foster father and a spirit guide. What I would give to have just one friend, to keep Meghan . . . But no, if I truly considered her a friend, if I honestly cared about her, I would tell her I could never see her again. I already feared the Morrigan knew too much and it would be better if Meghan severed all ties with me.

  I released a heavy sigh and leaned my back against a eucalyptus tree, thinking about all I had been through in the past week; about the Morrigan’s attempt to get information from me. Nausea prickled the back of my throat and my legs felt suddenly weak. As a means of punishment for my insolence, she had forced me to attend another one of her sacrificial ceremonies, and because of my stupid geis all I could do was stand beside her and watch as she brought one victim after another forward, draining them of their glamour and their life force. She had enjoyed every moment of it, absorbing their magic like the parched earth drinking in the first rain of a monsoon. My own anger had burned high and eventually my control failed. The riastrad, the battle fury that resulted from the volatile mix of my anger and my glamour, burst forth. I had raged for hours, killing as many faelah as I could get my hands on.

  The Morrigan had laughed in utter joy, enjoying every minute of it.

  “Oh Caedehn!” she had crooned, “Isn’t it wonderful? There is nothing like the raw release of violence, now is there?”

  I had been sick for days afterwards, and when I met up with Meghan in the swamp a week ago, I was in no shape to visit with her for very long. Not only had I been physically drained of my magic, but the memories of the Morrigan’s sacrifice were too fresh. They haunted me even now. Every one of her sacrifices still did and I had witnessed far too many of them. One of these days she would push me too far, test me one time too many. One of these days I would snap and my so called impertinence would be the least of her worries.

  I forced my thoughts to return to the present and ran my hands over my eyes, trying to wipe away the weariness. Focus Cade. You want your wits about you when it comes time to break off your friendship with Meghan . . .

  But fate would grant me no moment of peace, after all.

  “Well, well, well, fancy meeting you here, Caedehn,” crooned a familiar voice.

  In
that moment it felt as if a specter ran its frozen, dead finger up my spine. No. She couldn’t be here, not now, not with Meghan’s arrival mere minutes away.

  I turned, my blood burning with the realization of who had joined me in the meadow. I gritted my teeth as I eyed the woman standing before me.

  “What are you doing here?” I hissed.

  Yes, speaking to the Morrigan in such a tone was suicidal, but I didn’t care. She arched a perfect black eyebrow at me, her fae beauty rivaling the ugliness of her soul.

  The Morrigan. The one the Celts called their war goddess. She had owned me for years and I had served her loyally, against my will. She had allowed me to protect my sister and the orphans of the Weald, but that was my only allowance. I could not ask for the protection of Meghan without violating my geis, and that is why I had never once mentioned the lost Faelorehn girl to the goddess. I would not let her get her evil hands on Meghan. But apparently my silence had been all for nothing. Her very next words proved that my suspicions had been right all along: she already knew about the girl I wished to protect.

  “That’s an interesting young woman you’ve been trailing after of late. Such raw, untapped magic. And from what I’ve gathered on my own, she has no clue about it. Do you realize what a rare gift that is my dear Caedehn? A powerful Faelorehn girl, untrained in her magic. She would be like putty in my hands. I could mold her and shape her to my will as easily as one forms clay.”

  My stomach wouldn’t stop churning.

  “And I know you’ve known about her Cade, for many months now. Do you not think I am capable of employing adept spies or discovering such magical gems on my own?”

  I would not cringe. It would give too much away.

  The Morrigan released an exasperated breath and studied her fingernails. “So, to answer your original question as to why I am here: to ask you a simple question. Why on Eile did you not tell me about the little Faelorah the moment you saw her? I don’t think I need to remind you that your geis obligates you to inform me of such things, so why did you disobey me and not bring her to the Otherworld?”

  I stood still for a long moment, trying to settle my thoughts and come up with an answer to appease the goddess. Careful Cade, I told myself as I forced my face into a mask of indifference, don’t make Meghan more of a target than she already is.

  I must have remained silent for too long, because the Morrigan sneered, an expression as familiar to me as my own heartbeat.

  “Oh Caedehn, are you pining after this girl? How pathetic! Even if she were worth the trouble, what could she possibly see in you? You are Ehriad, unwanted. You have no titles and no real place in Faelorehn society.”

  “Don’t be absurd,” I gritted out. I was used to this, but the last thing I wanted was for her to find out how I felt about Meghan. “I was simply exercising caution. I wanted to make sure she was harmless before introducing her to the Otherworld. For all I know, her magic could blossom and do more damage than good.”

  The Morrigan threw her head back and laughed, her thick black hair spilling over her shoulders like a dark cloud. The very sight of her made me ill.

  “Cade! Do you think you can fool me? Anyway, it’s too late. I know she’s planning to meet you this afternoon. Why don’t we tell her the truth when she gets here? The truth about us.”

  I felt the blood drain from my face. No. It would all be over if she knew the truth . . . Yes, I had decided that cutting Meghan from my life was for the best, but I wanted to do it my way; to let her have at least one nice memory of me. I clenched my teeth and stepped forward, grabbing the Morrigan’s upper arm.

  “You’re leaving. Right now. I don’t want you here when Meghan arrives.”

  “Oh? And why’s that Cade? Don’t want your little Faelorah to know about the most important woman in your life?”

  I froze, my fingers tightening on her arm. She didn’t seem to notice.

  “Remember, Cade, who gives the orders around here and what happens when they aren’t followed.”

  Her voice was a hiss, her eyes smoldering with the dark red flare of anger and her very own strong glamour. She was holding onto her patience, but only just. I had to get rid of her, but it would cost me.

  Taking a deep breath, I loosened my grip slightly and said softly, “If you leave now, I’ll owe you a boon.”

  The Morrigan tilted her head, as if considering, then finally said, “Very well. But I will choose what this favor will be some time in the future.”

  It was an incredibly unfair offer, but I honestly had no other choice.

  “Fine,” I bit out, tightening my grip once more as I proceeded to drag her away from the clearing.

  I marched her back to the dolmarehn, her arm still clenched in my hand. She strode along with me, not fighting me but continually reminding me of how foolish I was despite the fact that she had received the better end of the deal we’d made. When we finally reached the cave that led to the Otherworld, she jerked her arm free and released a heavy sigh.

  “I will return to Eile for now, but you can’t keep this girl hidden forever. I will get my hands on her somehow, and there is nothing you can do about it.”

  I snorted, though her words scared me to death. Trying to fight fear with false bravery, I retorted, “If that’s the case, then you would have taken her by now.”

  The Morrigan’s face changed, only the slightest inclination of irritation wrinkling her perfect features. Oh, what’s this? I crossed my arms and adopted a smug look. Might as well keep the act going . . .

  “So, why haven’t you kidnapped her then?”

  The Morrigan sighed and dropped her hands to her hips, rolling her eyes up to the sky. Sometimes she acted like a spoiled heiress and not a powerful queen of Eile.

  “If you must know,” she said rather boorishly, “the girl has a geis on her.”

  I froze, my heartbeat speeding up. If she had a geis, it had been placed on her before she came to the mortal world.

  “And what does that geis entail?”

  The Morrigan sneered and crossed her arms. “Oh, something about my not being able to touch her. So you see my dear boy, you are worrying for no reason whatsoever. I can’t lay a finger on your damsel in distress.”

  I gritted my teeth. “Just because you can’t doesn’t mean your minions won’t. And it doesn’t keep you from speaking to her.”

  The idea of the Morrigan having a chat with Meghan made my skin crawl. The evil woman could convince a fish to abandon its pond to keep from drowning.

  She bared her teeth in a grimace, but said nothing for a few moments. She took a step towards the hidden dolmarehn and swept a curtain of tree roots out of her way before glancing over her shoulder at me.

  “Oh, have no fear. I have a plan. Enjoy your private time while it lasts. If you have any ideas to thwart me, however, do take into consideration that anything you do to help the poor girl will result in a full breaking of your geis.” Her eyes glinted in malicious delight, flashing to red before returning to a violet-gray color. “And you know what the penalty for a broken geis is . . .”

  She let her sentence trail off as she disappeared into the dark. A cool breath of air and the thrum of ancient magic told me she was gone, but the chill it brought to my skin wouldn’t leave. I didn’t want to think about what would happen if I broke my geis, but I had no doubt that sooner than later I’d be suffering the consequences. No, I wouldn’t feel those consequences right away, but they would catch up to me eventually.

  If I broke my geis to protect Meghan, then I would destroy the powerful spell of magic that came with it. Yes, I had to serve the Morrigan, but every geis came with a price, and the price she had paid when she placed the geis on me had been a spell of protection. As long as my geis remained intact, she could never kill me. If she found a way to hurt Meghan, and I stood in the way, then I basically opened myself up to become the Morrigan’s next potential sacrifice. For now I was useful to her, so even if I did do something to help Meghan, I mig
ht be safe for a while. I hoped.

  I pushed away from the cave entrance and began walking back to the meadow where I was to meet Meghan. Fergus, who had been hiding for the last fifteen minutes, joined me, silent and morose as a lost spirit.

  Conflict? He sent.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and ground the heels of my hands into their sockets.

  You have no idea, I sent back.

  * * *

  I waited another hour for Meghan. I paced for most of that time, anxiety eating away at me like a poison. Why hadn’t Meghan shown up? Had the Morrigan lied to me and done something to her?

  She’s home, in her room, Fergus told me eventually.

  I paused, my unease lessening but not disappearing entirely.

  Why didn’t she meet me? I tried to squash the disappointment, but it bled through regardless.

  Fergus cocked his head in canine confusion. Then he sent me a simple thought: Sorrow.

  My disappointment fled and I took a slow breath. Why was Meghan upset? Had something happened at school? At home? Had something hurt her? One of the Morrigan’s faelah?

  “I need to go check on her,” I said, almost as an afterthought.

  I took a few steps towards the equestrian path, but Fergus whined behind me. I arched a brow at him and he sent, Asleep.

  I clenched my fists and felt the muscles contract in my neck and shoulders. Every instinct told me to go check on Meghan; to protect her. But if she was sleeping then she was safe, for now.

  “Alright, I want you to stand guard at her door and make sure nothing tries to harm her. I’m going back to Eile. I have a feeling that I’m going to need the full power of my glamour very soon.”

  * * *

  Fergus’s sharp barks woke me from a dead sleep. I bolted upright out of bed, a searing, white-hot pain crackling through my brain.