by Jana LaPelle
Alaric will never let me go if he finds out about my new-found condition and it’s tearing me up inside to keep this from him. I need to talk to my father. I need information, and right now I trust no one else. He is my father, and he is my alpha. Padding quietly back inside on bare feet, I throw on some sleep shorts and a long snug scoop neck tee and quietly make my way barefoot downstairs to the library to see if anyone is still up. The wall sconces are dimly lit at this time of night, casting long shadows on the walls. My slim shadow reveals nothing of the secret that I possess, of a pregnancy that will soon come to light. I see that the library is dark, and I sigh as I realize that I may have to wait to speak with my father till in the morning. Usually, he prowls the night, and I'm beginning to understand that it’s in our nature. Changing course, I make my way back to the kitchen. I might as well get a snack or two while I'm up. As I walk in, I see that Maith has a three-layer chocolate cake with that amazing fudge frosting sitting on the counter under a glass dome, waiting just for me. OMG, I do love me some of Maith’s chocolate cake. I grab a glass of ice cold milk, and I slice a piece of cake as I take a seat at the island in the middle of the large kitchen. Just as I’m about to take my first bite of my midnight snack, my father strolls in.
“Ashlinn, what are you doing up? Besides the obvious," he says with a smile and goes about making himself a snack. The turkey leg that he selects for his snack looks rather tasty. He sits down to join me in the dimly lit kitchen.
"I couldn't sleep, and I didn't want to wake Alaric. He has been going at it for the last seventy-two hours. He needs his rest." I say as I take a rather large bite of my cake. Oh, how I love Maith's confectionary concoction as I moan around the huge mouthful of yummy goodness. "I'm going to miss her cake," I murmur around the mouthful of chocolatey goodness, my statement sounding a little garbled.
“Ashlinn, I know you’re worried, but maybe it won't come to that. We’re still working on a way to counteract the blood contract." He says as he takes my hand in his squeezing it gently.
He brings up the bane of my existence. The blood contract that my mother, Danu, signed before my birth effectively striking a bargain with Tarron, a Fomorian dark prince, basically signing me over to him and now everything is about to go to hell in a handbasket as that blood contract is about to go into play. I think on my words before I say, “It will. I have seen it. I know it sounds crazy, but I can just sense that this is my path for now. Father, if you don’t mind, I need to talk to you about something, but would rather have this conversation outside. Do you have time to take a walk with me?” I ask.
Rhespen looks at me questioningly before nodding. We finish our late-night snacks, and we both scrape our plates clean and rinse them in the sink before making our way out toward the lake under the dimly lit nighttime sky. It's such a quiet and tranquil night, and I hesitate to ask the questions of which I need answers. Instead, I look up into the star filled sky and admire the beautiful sight before me.
"It's really beautiful here. I love that there is so much more color here than back home, everything is so very vibrant, but I still miss everything I left behind. Don't get me wrong; I know now that I honestly belong here, but there was a certain appeal to being in the dark to everything that I have learned since my awakening." I say with a heavy sigh.
Rhespen is studying me as he asks, "Daughter, what has you so worried? Something is weighing heavily on you. I mean other than the whole situation with the dark prince. I can tell that something else is bothering you."
I study the face of my handsome father for a moment before I blurt out, “I don’t know how else to ask this, so I’m going to cut straight to the chase. How long are shifter pregnancies compared to elven pregnancies?” I ask biting down on my lower lip harshly, bruising my lip and tasting blood.
"Well, that all depends. Most are probably looking at seven months. Maybe a little longer.” He says, “Why do you ask?”
I groan in frustration as I say, “Since the accident, I haven’t been able to catch a break and once again time is not on my side.”
“Ashlinn, what are you saying? Are you? You’re…” Rhespen leans in to inhale my scent before he sputters and gives me a look of astonishment. Then he pulls me into a tight hug and kissing me on the top of my head. Pulling away and looking down at me, he says, “I'm going to be a grandfather before I'm allowed the chance to become comfortable in my role as a father." He says with a smile. "Don't get me wrong, I'm overjoyed at the news, but I thought you had decided not to start working on a family so soon.”
"Well, it would seem that The Tree of Life has other thoughts on the matter," I say, frustration evident in my voice. “The Dagda assured us that the charm would work so there’s no other way that this could’ve happened, we were taking precautions. I believe that, for whatever reason, we received her blessing. Just so we’re clear, no one can know. No one, not even Mother. I’m putting my trust in you to keep this a well-guarded secret until the time is right. If Alaric finds out, he will lock me up and throw away the key. For reasons unknown to me, I have this insane feeling that this leg of the journey is important. I need to do this so that we can move on to the next phase.” I pause before I continue, “Promise me that you will put a deadline of a month and no longer on the extraction phase of your planning. I’m officially on a deadline now. We need to wrap all of this up in the next three to four months. We know that war with The Morrígan is inevitable. That’s only a matter of time. Not that I think that Alaric will allow me out of his sight once he finds out about my little secret. You have to promise me that you will keep him in check while I’m gone, especially once he finds out. As the blood contract goes into effect, I will be vulnerable, and the barrier that I have erected may slip. For now, I can temper our link, but I'm not sure that I will be able to do so once I'm hit with everything else. I worry about how well he's going to deal with all of this, to be quite honest.” I implore of my father.
“Ashlinn, do you think it’s wise to keep this information from your mate?” My father asks quietly.
“No, I don't. But what choice do I have? If he knows, he will never let me go alone. It's not like I will have an option in the matter and I now believe this is something that I have to do. No matter how scared I am of what may come.” I confide in him as a thought comes to me. “Father, my panther, since my realization has been rather, I don’t know, dormant? Why is that?” I ask my father.
"In order to protect the young, she will not allow the shift. It confuses the child you carry. You will be on your own; you may partially shift your hands and your mouth to accommodate your canines, but that will be it. No more shifting until the babe is born.” He says solemnly.
Got it, no more shifting. I sigh heavily as that may pose a problem. That just leaves me more vulnerable than I already will be. “Father, can you sit with me? I want to try something that will require someone to watch over me. I’m going to visit The Tree of Life.”
“Ashlinn are you sure you want to do this out here? You would be better protected indoors.” He voices his concern.
“I don’t know… Being close to nature just feels right to me. I’ll try not to be too long.” I say as I walk up to the terrace outside of the library. Choosing a seat, I lay back on one of the chaise lounges. “Maybe she will have answers for me, for all the questions that I have. Thank you, Father, for being here for me.” I say as I close my eyes and feel my father place a gentle kiss on my forehead. My mind drifts, and I think about the sacred meadow, a virtual Garden of Eden. Then it hits me, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that the sacred meadow is the Garden of Eden. This knowledge just increases the questions that I have for Her.
I'm amazed at how easy dream walking has become now, and for the second time tonight I leave my body as I seek the sacred meadow. When I open my eyes, I find myself in the oddly quiet meadow. My tether to my body is taut but gives within a few moments. Every other time that I have
been here, it has been a buzz of activity. Then I see it; there is quite the crowd gathered around Her in the middle of the lake, and I make my way to where everyone has congregated. As I approach, I see that there are more leaves on the ground. Still not enough to be overly concerned, but since this has never happened before I sense that everyone is worried and are rallying support for The Tree of Life. For the first time, I see a gnome peek from around the tree in a bashful attempt to see what is happening. He is rather cute and shy; he’s maybe a foot and a half tall, and yes they really do wear pointy hats. The sprites and dryads all make way for me to pass as I go to kneel down in front of Her. Wildlife gathers around me and the tree before I seek to speak with Her. There are wombats, rabbits, white foxes with large pointy ears, and in the distance, I see a white stag with a large rack of antlers. Their presence comforts me.
Gently I lay my hands on her trunk and lean forward and press my forehead to The Tree of Life and ask, “This meadow and everything in it, this is the Garden of Eden, isn’t it?”
All is quiet for a moment before she responds in my head in a soft but distant voice, “Yes.”
Thinking back to all I know of the story of Adam and Eve I have to ask, “Once Adam and Eve were cast out of your garden, Cherubim were stationed to guard you and the garden, to keep you safe. What happened to your guardians? Why have you been left unprotected?”
“That was eons ago. God’s garden was moved to a place between The Realms, connecting all The Realms together. The Creator then called his Cherubim home, to the Overworld before closing the portals between the Realms of the living and The Realms of the afterlife.” She says.
“But you were left unprotected.” I protest.
"For a time guardians were appointed, and the Cherubim gifted these guardians the Sword of Light. The same sword that they used in their station as a sentinel, as time wore on the station of sentinel to the garden was thought to be obsolete, and as the last guardian passed into the afterlife, the position remained vacant.” She pauses before continuing, “Until now." She says softly, her meaning unclear to me.
Enraptured by Her accounting of the past, I ask, “What happened to the sword? That seems pretty significant. An angel fire sword is something that should not be misplaced.”
“The Sword of Light is also known as Claíomh Solais and is one of the Four Jewels of the Tuatha Dé Danann. It has been lost now for many a millennium. It must be found.” She implores of me.
“You said before, until now. What did you mean by that?” I ask softly.
Once again she is quiet for a moment, before she replies, “I can no longer survive alone. I have been neglected for far too long. I will need a line of guardians. And that line starts with you.” She says vaguely.”
"But once we overthrow The Morrígan and reverse the curse then everything should go back to as it was before," I say not understanding.
“It will not be enough.” She says vaguely.
"I'm sorry, but I don't understand. Why now? Why would you bestow this blessing on us now? This child will be in great danger before it is even born.” I say as tears feel my eyes. “Why now?” I ask again.
“Because. It is time. You must find the sword and fulfill your destiny.” She says cryptically, and her presence fades to the background letting me know that there will be no more answers forthcoming tonight. I pull away from Her and sit back on my heels and try to steady my turbulent emotions while I stroke the bark beneath my fingers. The frogs serenade us as I tune into all the nighttime sounds. Her bark is thick and rough, and there are deep grooves in it as I feel the texture of the tree beneath my hands, and think on her words. I still don’t understand why now and I continue to puzzle over our conversation.
I hear a quiet, tiny voice beside me ask, “Is it true, Ash?”
Startled I turn to see Jasmine hovering in front of me and my eyes go wide as I gasp, “What did you hear?”
Jasmine looks at me and says gravely, “Only your words, Ash. None of what She divulged to you. Is it true?”
“No one must know, Jasmine. Especially not Alaric! My short term path is clear to me now, and this next leg of my journey will be made on my own, for a time. Promise me that you will keep my secret.” I plead with my little friend.
“I promise.” She pauses before continuing, “But I’m coming with you, and I don’t want to hear any excuses. We will make it happen. I go with you when the time comes. I know that Garrik is now on the inside, but that will not be enough. Now, more than ever, you will need a friend with you. You don’t get to say no, Ashlinn.” She says in her most determined voice as she flutters in front of me.
I now know how uncertain I am of what the future holds, now that I’m making decisions for two and I reluctantly agree, “Okay Jaz, I think you’re right. I could use a friend with me.”
She beams at me as she flitters about, “Ash you won’t be disappointed in your decision. I just need to know the time and the place.”
“Two nights time, under a waxing moon. Wait for me at the entrance to the forest. No one knows that I know the day that the blood contract goes into effect, so keep that little bit of information to yourself as well. I know that I’m asking a lot but if Alaric finds out about any of this…” I trail off, as I try to think about how to categorize the storm that Alaric would become. It would be like a category five hurricane wreaking havoc on everything in its wake. It will be epic, and I hate that I will be the catalyst.
"I get it, Ash. Mum’s the word." She says and then whispers, “Okay. So…What do we do about everyone else that heard your lopsided conversation with the Tree of Life?”
“Oh snap.” I panic as I look around to see everyone closely engaged in our conversation. “No, no, no. This can’t be happening. No one can know!”
“My Lady, you can trust us. We are humbly at your service. No one here will breathe a word of what we have heard here this night. We understand what is at stake. You are the High Princess to all The Realm and have been granted favor with The Tree of Life. We are at your service. My name is Jade, I’m a dryad, and I will assure you that your secret is safe with us, until the time that you deem to share your news with all The Realm. Just so you know, it is indeed something to celebrate. Do not fret. All will be as it should be.” The dryad before me drops a curtsy and then begins to usher everyone away.
"Thank you, Jade. I will not forget your kindness." I say. “Jasmine, will I see you before our set rendezvous?”
“If you want me to keep this to myself, not a good idea, you know how I like to run my mouth. I will remain detained until our rendezvous. I hope that is okay with you? If you need me to be there, then I will be in a heartbeat.” My little pixie friend says.
“Jaz, I will miss seeing you every day, but I think in order to keep everything under wraps your plan is the best course of action. Thank you for doing this for me. I’m really not sure what we are going to walk into; you’re probably better prepared for that than I am. Okay then, I've been gone long enough, and I need to get back before Alaric misses me. I’ll see you soon.” I say before I step away and allow myself to travel back to the Keep, to travel home and back to Alaric.
Chapter 2
(Ashlinn)
Brilliant blue eyes are intently staring down at me when I open my own. Startled, I jerk upright in a start knocking heads with my kindred before sputtering, “Ouch… What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be asleep. Where’s my father?” I ask rubbing my aching forehead.
“By the goddess woman, that hurt! I relieved your father of his watch about fifteen minutes ago. What’s going on with you? What are you keeping from me Ashlinn? That’s the more important question.” He narrows his eyes at me as he continues. “When I came down looking for you, he said you were looking for answers. Answers to what? Don’t you think that I feel how you are tempering our link? You’ve been very quiet for the last few days. What’s going on?�
�� He asks again, as those intense blue eyes bore into me.
“I just…” Sighing, I shake my head and try to calm my rattled nerves. “I didn’t want to worry you. You’ve been working night and day to formulate how to tackle this crisis. You need your rest. I thought that maybe if I visited The Tree of Life that she would be able to answer some questions, but she was very cryptic, and I have come away with more questions than answers. It doesn’t matter now. Alaric, you’ve barely rested in the last few days, come on, let’s go back to bed.” I say. Taking his hand in mine, I stand and pull him inside toward the stairs.
“I’m not letting you off that easy, love. I want you to open up to me in more ways than one.” He says, all the while boring holes in my carefully blank façade.
I look up at my lover, my soul mate and ask solemnly, "I need you to trust me. Can you do that? I know it's hard, and I know you want, no… need to protect me. But here’s the thing. You need to know the path that I must walk will take me away from you but only for a short time because I belong to you. You are my strength, my love, my life, and you hold my very soul in your hands. I trust that you will take care of it while I'm away. I love you, and as much as it pains me, this is something that I must do. I need you to be strong and to come for me because I may not be able to come back to you of my own accord.” I say as tears fill my eyes.
His large but gentle hands come up to frame my face, “Mo grá, I will always come for you. Nothing will keep me from you. Nothing. For what it’s worth you are the strongest woman I know, and we will weather this storm. I know that you’re still keeping something from me. Whatever it is you can trust me." He says earnestly, and it breaks my heart to keep this secret from him.