The Shadows of Dark Root (Daughters of Dark Root Book 5)

by April Aasheim

  The trio stirred the soup, and soon a picture bubbled up to the surface: Me, staring back.

  “Most souls are free to roam and explore, but some paths are set at birth,” said the cloudy-eyed witch. “Especially for those born with the witch’s mark.”

  “Who are you?” Ruth Anne asked, waving away the steam with her hand to get a better look.

  “You already know,” said the middle one, with a hearty laugh.

  “The Fates!” Ruth Anne declared, and the cauldron answered with a hiss.

  Aunt Dora often had often spoken of the Fates. They were real, she insisted, said to establish the journeys of some souls at the time of birth. Though given free will to navigate the twists and turns, if you were touched by the Fates, there was no way to avoid the ultimate outcome.

  “You know what happens to my son!” I said. “Please tell me!”

  The young one surveyed me, still churning the ladle. “Maggie, your journey does not end in the Netherworld. You have much work to do.”

  “So I get out of here?” I asked. “With Montana?”

  “You will get out of here, yes,” said the middle witch. “Whether with or without your son has yet to be decided.”

  “But you decide!” I objected.

  “No,” said the oldest. “We decide the final destiny, not how one reaches it. Your son will reach his destiny - here, or in the Upper World.”

  “No more games!” I shouted. The cauldron hissed and I yanked the silver ladle from the witches’ clutching hands. The heat scorched my palms, but I didn’t care. “What’s his destiny?” I demanded.

  “If we told you, there would be no point.” They all spoke in unison. With that, the steam from the pot thickened, shielding them from view. When it cleared, they were gone - cauldron, ladle, and all.

  I stared at Ruth Anne. Her bangs were limp and her face was damp. “Worst. Fortune. Ever,” she said.

  “Those Fates were no help at all!” I said, stamping my foot. “They just showed up out of nowhere, screwed with our heads, and then disappeared.”

  “Actually, they were some help, Mags.” We quickened our pace, trying to catch up to the others. “They said this isn’t the end for you. That’s comforting.”

  “But what about Montana fulfilling his destiny, either here or back home? That didn’t sound sinister to you?”

  “True, but they also said he had a destiny. And that sounds like a long life.”

  “Unless his destiny is to be Armand’s Secret Santa gift,” I said bitterly. I stood on my toes, trying to peer over the hedge. There was no sign of Eagle Mountain, and I hoped we were doing the right thing in following this strange king.

  At last, we exited the hedge path, pausing to survey this newest habitat. We were inside a forest, deep, lush and majestic. The height and grandeur of the trees made Dark Root’s woods look like a simple arboretum. The tallest of them stretched up into the clouds. Interspersed between these giants were other trees of every shape and size, some with graceful branches and others with trunks of fur.

  Birds chirped on all sides, their songs as colorful as their feathers. They hopped from limb to limb and danced from tree to tree, watching us with curious eyes. The sun sifted through the leafy canopies as Cernunnos strode forward, telling us of his realm.

  “The souls I call with my flute use this forest as a place of refuge and recovery. Most had a hard life, or bore too many losses. They convalesce here, in this land of beauty. My oasis, if you will.”

  “I dunno,” Ruth Anne said. “Summerland didn’t seem so bad.”

  “That place will soon be overrun with demons,” Cernunnos said. “Seals are breaking everywhere, unleashing them on freer lands. But here… we do not have that problem.”

  “The fewer demons the better,” Eve agreed.

  “I dream of places like this,” Merry said, cooing over each new discovery. Plump bunnies nibbled on carrots, while hummingbirds hovered over blossoming flowers.

  ‘We are in a land of dreams,’ I reminded myself, guarding against accepting this place as reality.

  We arrived at a plush dell, with a dozen small vegetable gardens laid out in three neat rows. Behind the gardens, a stream gurgled. The surrounding trees dripped rich fruit from their limbs. And in the center of the clearing was a circle of mushrooms, tall enough to sit on. Children with hair of silver and gold ran circles around them. They laughed easily, no worry in their faces. But it was their aura that drew my attention –a blue field contouring their bodies, moving as they moved.

  “These are the Sprightlings,” Cernunnos said. “New souls.”

  “What darlings!” Merry exclaimed, clapping for a girl who clambered on top of a mushroom and began to dance.

  “Yes, they are wonderful,” Cernunnos continued, though his voice sounded weary. “When they come to me their troubles are washed clean. They are given new bodies, and must unlearn all the things that weighed them down. Unfortunately, they are without a teacher at the moment. Our beloved Thelemia has moved on, and I’m unsure how long it will take us to find another.”

  “So they just gotta unlearn stuff?” Ruth Anne asked. “How much does the job pay?”

  The king laughed, putting his hands on his stomach, as if his belly were much larger. “They also learn new things - the nature of darkness and light, of illusion and reality. Of necessity and… waste.” He sneered at this last word, and the tips of his horns seemed to twitch. “There is much for them to learn here and I am not patient enough to teach it. This interruption may delay their development.”

  He crossed his hands behind his back, saying no more. Soon, we arrived at a thriving forest village of small huts built around a communal well. More houses were in the trees, with rope ladders and bridges, operated by a system of complicated pulleys. In front of a large communal house, several women danced around a bubbling pot, as a trio of musicians playing wooden instruments serenaded our arrival.

  “This is the hub of my kingdom!” said Cernunnos. He looked at his flute, his fingers trembling. “You will eat with us tonight. The feast is over once we coronate our honorary crone. Then I will call for someone who can lead you to Eagle Mountain. Deal?” He smiled, and his teeth shone like the sun.

  “Do we have a choice?” Shane asked.

  “There is always a choice,” Cernunnos said. He continued his tour, showing us where the new souls learned and played, until they were ready to move on.

  “Where do they move on to?” Merry asked.

  “Hmm… I never gave it much thought. That is not for me to decide. Now let us revel!”

  Cernunnos smiled at the dancing women with a twinkle in his eye, and sampled the sumptuous foods brought out from the communal kitchen. He used words like delightful, exquisite, and delectable as he popped cherries into his mouth and sampled bites of meat roasting on spits. His mood was only soured when a young female brought out a plate of grapes. “Are these grapes grown in the gutters of Hades? Tear the vineyard down and start again.” He spat a seed back on the platter, emphasizing his disgust.

  Shane pulled me aside. “Can’t we just go now?” he asked, taking off his hat. “Cern seems swell, but we need to get the kid so we can get home and get on with our lives.”

  “Get the kid so we can get on with our lives?” I asked, furious.

  “I didn’t mean it like that, Mags. I’m just getting frustrated.”

  “It sure sounded like you meant it that way.”

  I was already rattled by the ominous words of the Fates, and by this further delay. I knew Shane meant no real harm, but I was tired of others referring to my child as a thing and not a person.

  I walked away from Shane and rejoined the others. Cernunnos was now surrounded by tall children with slender frames and delicate hands. They had pointed chins and noses, and a ruddiness to their complexion. The girls were beautiful and feminine, while the boys were slender and rowdy.

  “Daddy! Daddy!” They cried out, engulfing him. “Did you bring us presents while y
ou were away?”

  Cernunnos laughed heartily. “I brought you the gift of my flute!” he said ceremoniously, lifting the instrument to his lips.

  “Aww…” the kids all groaned, and most scurried away.

  “Kids these days,” he sighed, holstering his flute.

  “Oooh, she’s beautiful.” The village women encircled Merry, lifting the ends of her hair, fingering the fabric of her dress, and brushing her cheek. “Perhaps she can be our new mother,” they said, though many looked far older than Merry.

  “Stop it!’ I ordered, wading into the pack and pointing a finger. A vine sprang out of the ground, wrapping around a plump woman’s ankle. She squealed, and easily broke loose. “Leave my sister alone or I’ll bind you all.”

  “Witch!” they cried, running away. I dusted off Merry’s dress and she stopped me.

  “It’s okay,” Merry said. “I told you, I’m a big girl, remember?”

  “No, it’s not okay. You’re my responsibility and I’m going to keep you safe.”

  “My sister, the benevolent dictator.”

  “If I knew that what meant, I’d probably be pissed,” I said.

  “You would,” Ruth Anne agreed.

  Cernunnos ushered us to a lavish banquet table. It was overflowing with jams, pies, and soups. There was more meat than even Ruth Anne could put away, and the aroma of fresh bread filled the air. There were puddings and popcorn and something that resembled cotton candy billowing from a large bowl. And then there was the wine. Jugs were crammed into every available nook on every available table. And each place setting offered two goblets on either side of the enormous plate.

  “I don’t think we can stay for all this,” I said, eyeing our decadent table.

  “I think we can stay a little while, maybe,” Merry pressed.

  “Merry, we…”

  Cernunnos cut me off. “Enough! There is no squabbling on Feast Night.”

  “That is the first rule of Feast Night,” Ruth Anne said with a smirk.

  A well-built man emerged from the forest. He wore fine clothes and his long white hair handsomely contrasted with his coal-black eyes. His skin was ruddy, though he lacked the more pointed features of the locals. He and Cernunnos greeted one another like two old friends, patting each other on the back. He appeared younger than the forest king, though there was an aura of wisdom about him, as if he had seen many, many things.

  “This is my cousin, Hades” Cernunnos said. “He owns an impressive amount of land, and his empire grows by the day.”

  “Hades?!” Ruth Anne asked.

  “You’ve heard of me?” Hades raised an eyebrow. “As for my empire, I got lucky. I bought in when it was all just marshland. Later, much of it was gentrified. We’ve been working on things but there are still a few areas I wouldn’t even go in after dark.”

  “You’re too modest! Look at what you’ve done!” Cernunnos boasted. “The music! The women! The alcohol! And those food courts!”

  “There is more to my holdings than that. If you’d just visit a little longer…”

  “Bah!” Cernunnos cut him off. “Why see more when I’ve already seen the best?”

  Hades face reddened then, though he smiled. Like Cernunnos, he possessed a palpable sexiness that my body responded to. As the cousins spoke, I couldn’t help but notice the way his muscular arms moved, or the smooth line of his chest partially hidden beneath his loose-fitting jacket. I ached to touch him.

  He caught me staring and turned to me. “Are you as fiery as your hair?” he asked, approvingly.

  “Much worse,” Ruth Anne said.

  “Indeed?” He lifted my hands to his lips and kissed it. If it had been any other man, I would have resisted. But with Hades, there was only need. His eyes flickered to Eve, then Merry, then Ruth Anne. One by one, we inwardly crumbled.

  He turned his attention directly to Eve. “I have seen you in a movie.”

  Eve shook her head quickly, probably embarrassed that though she possessed the looks of an actress, she never got much work.

  “Too bad you are a married man!” Cernunnos jumped in, patting Hades on the back. “Our guests are indeed very beautiful.”

  “Yes,” Hades agreed. “But that has never stopped you. How is Thelemia, by the way?”

  “Bah! She is gone. And she was to be our crone!”

  “If you stopped referring to them as crones once they got their first white hair, perhaps they’d stay longer,” Hades said.

  “I suppose you should know. Persephone hasn’t left you, and you’re grayer than the Asphodel Fields these days.”

  Hades reached inside his jacket and produced a corked bottle. “I am on my way to a meeting and wanted to bring this by. It is from my vineyard.”

  “Why, thank you, cousin! But where are you off to in such a hurry that you cannot stay and enjoy the feast?”

  “They say there is an enraged demon on the loose. I haven’t made my quota this month. If I can catch this one…” he rubbed his hands together and his black eyes gleamed.

  “I find it’s best to avoid demons altogether,” Cernunnos said. “Nasty unpredictable creatures without a love for the finer things. Cousin, if you finish before the moon dies, please join us for the Crowning of the Crone. Bring Persephone if you wish.”

  Hades buttoned his jacket up to the neck. “I’d love to, but there’s another deal I’m working on, that’s even more important.”

  “Oh, what deal is this? And why are you holding out? You know how I love to be in on the action.”

  “It’s nothing you’d be interested in. There’s a hotshot entrepreneur who will be coming into vast resources soon, if the cards play out the way I think they will. We are going to discuss him purchasing land. I’m looking to unload some real estate in Slozthozia and I think I can work a good deal.”

  “If you can sell him that, tell him I have a tree-bridge in the Barrenlands I’d like to talk to him about.”

  The two laughed. Cernunnos thanked him for his wine, and they shook hands.

  “Farewell beautiful mortal women,” Hades said, sighing wistfully. As he strode off, our eyes couldn’t help but follow.

  Paul, who had been hovering close by, hastily rejoined us. “Was that the real Hades?”

  “The one and only,” Ruth Anne said.

  “Hades? Isn’t Hades the devil?” I asked, wondering if this was who my father was bartering for my son with.

  “Not traditionally,” Ruth Anne said. “Only in later lore. Originally, he was just an heir to the Netherworld.”

  “He still governs a good portion of it,” Cernunnos added, “but he sold most of it off a long time ago.”

  “Whoever, or whatever, Armand is trying to trade Montana for, is probably much more evil and powerful than that joker,” Ruth Anne whispered in my ear.

  “Some boyfriend you are,” Eve said to Paul. “Merry’s owl was more jealous than you were.”

  “You want me to be jealous?”

  “I want you to be… I don’t know.”

  “Worshipful,” Cernunnos answered. “That is what all women secretly want of their men. But those same women will run when they are worshipped too much.” He sighed deeply, eyeing Merry. “Why aren’t women as easy to understand as gardens?”

  “Uh, you may not be tilling them right,” Ruth Anne offered, and I elbowed her in the ribs.

  Cernunnos snapped his fingers, and was instantly dressed in a velvet hunter-green tunic with gold embroidery. His thick auburn hair was tied in a ponytail, and he now looked more like a lion than a tree. “Merry, please be my guest at the head of the table. With Thelemia gone, I am quite lonely.”

  With that, he lifted a cornucopia brimming with fruits and vegetables. He dumped them into an empty bowl and blew the horn. Its triumphant thunder filled the air, echoing back from somewhere far away. He seemed pleased with the sound and blew it again. “The feast commences! Soon, my children, we shall all have a new crone! You’ve known her for ages, and will not be disappo
inted.”

  The villagers took their seats at the table. The band began a lively tune and I couldn’t help but tap my foot to the rhythm. Women in long dresses and headscarves danced joyously, throwing food, leaves and even stones into the cauldron. They all sang:

  When the longest day of the year arrives

  And day replaces night.

  We feast and dance our cares away

  Our hearts and toes, both light.

  For a new Crone takes her place

  To rule by our king’s side.

  She’ll be beloved until the day

  He finds another bride.

  While Merry joined Cernunnos at the head of the table, the rest of us found seats along the bench of the harvest table. I looked around for Shane, hoping to sit beside him, but he was nowhere in sight. I noticed Starlight hopping along a nearby branch, making friends with some of the local birds. As I scanned the trees, I thought I saw an enormous black owl, but when I blinked it was gone

  I quietly checked my ankh and my hourglass, hoping to see the ankh glowing and the hourglass unmoving. But the timepiece had lost considerably more sand and the ankh was unresponsive. I hope Cernunnos keeps his promise to get us to Eagle Mountain. I fingered The Star card in my pocket, as if it might help.

  The food was replaced as soon as it was eaten. I poked at it, wondering where Shane was as I stared at his untouched plate.

  As twilight fell upon us, the band’s lively music calmed to more serious tunes. The trees came alive with blinking eyes and twinkling lights. Cernunnos excused himself from the table and stepped up onto a raised wooden platform.

  “Greetings friends, old and new.” He smiled at his audience, lingering on Merry. Fireflies glowed obediently around him, creating a spotlight. “Tonight is a night of feast and fortune. A night of celebration. A night to pay homage to those who came before, showing us the ways of magick. Tonight is the Feast of the Crone!”

  Applause erupted all around, and we joined in.

  “Before I make an official announcement, it has come to my attention that the beautiful and talented Demi, ‘Mother to All and Betrayer of None but Those Most Wretched,’ has asked to recite an original poem. Demi, my beautiful angel, please come up here.”