Absolute Magic

by Stephany Wallace

  I chuckled. I couldn’t imagine Grandpa among royals. He had been the humblest person I had ever met; just like Cyn and the rest of my people. “So we play the game too?”

  He nodded. “In a way, yes.”

  I sighed. I guess my next training was going to be “Monarchy politics and affairs.”

  "Aaah!" I squealed as Cyn jumped on me and we fell backwards on the bed. He laughed at my reaction, and began kissing my neck.

  “What on earth has gotten into you?”

  His chest rumbled against mine with his laughter. Resting his forearms on both sides of my head, he stared down at me and fixed his body on mine. Emerald green eyes twinkled as they looked at me earnestly.

  "I am happy," he said simply. His gaze intensified reaching the hidden depths of my soul. "Despite all of my efforts, I cannot recall a moment in time where I have experienced what you make me feel. Your mere presence brings light to a part of me, which had succumbed to darkness, overshadowing it. The anguish is gone. The guilt and pain have vanished because of you, as though they never existed. You are more than the other half of me, Brina. You are my light, my essence, my redemption… my all."

  Cyn's lips crashed against mine, claiming me, and brought with them an onslaught of emotions that for the first time in my life I was ready to receive and appreciate. His hands moved on my body as the waves of his passion rolled through our connection, overwhelming me, and urging me to surrender to him… to his love. There was no need. I was already his. His lips danced with mine as our clothes fell aside and our bodies became one. The way Cyn felt inside me was something nothing in life would be able to surpass, and it wasn’t the physical connection I craved, it was the spiritual one.

  I clung to him, our ragged breaths mixing while our hearts beat in unison. Breathless moans became one as our bodies caressed the other, and the new versions of ourselves took over, shedding whatever was left of the past…

  * * *

  “Are you certain you want to leave me, my Goddess?” Cyn whispered in my ear while we remained intertwined under the sheets. “Will you not crave my body against yours this way while you are gone?”

  “Stop it,” I said, kissing his dimple and pulling away. “It’s only a week, you are not going to die without me, and it will make the wedding night even more special.”

  “How can you assure that?” I frowned. “That I will not die without you.”

  “Sweet mother of all things dramatic…” I rolled my eyes while he laughed.

  Sitting up, I rested my back against the pillow, he followed, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me to his chest. My fingertips lazily traced the perfect little squares of his abs while his hands traveled up and down my back.

  "It will be fun to have some girl time with Lia. We’ve barely seen each other and so much has happened since we first came to the village. I feel like we need this, you know? We need to talk, reconnect, plan for our futures." I lifted my gaze to Cyn, and he smiled, nodding. I was pleased to see that he agreed with me. My cheek returned to his chest as his hand lifted, caressing my hair. "There are still so many things she'll need to figure out. I mean, with her powers and now that she is with Art… she's one of us. She can't leave us, but I'm not sure if she's even stopped to think about it. I want to be there for her too.”

  "I think the best place for her is with us." His voice became serious, and once again I lifted my gaze to his. "The ability Lia possesses is a rare one. In the modern world it can easily overwhelm her, but here she has a destiny, a purpose.”

  Cyn's words suddenly reminded of something. "Lia can read the Ogham." He frowned. "I think that something changed in her after you awoke her ability. She has Elion’s journal—which Cathair gifted to her—and she can read it. She suggested something I hadn't thought about."

  “What is it, my Goddess?”

  "What if you do the same to me? If her ability had to be awakened for it to work in fully, maybe there is something hidden within me that is waiting for you to awaken it."

  An inquisitive gleam entered his eyes, but he shook his head slowly. "It makes no sense. My powers were always there. I was born w…” His words disappeared as the look in his eyes changed.

  “What happened?”

  He stared at me as amazement filled his gaze. “When I was thirteen years old, I had a dream. It was a short one, nothing but a blur in my memory, yet I could distinguish mo meantóir’s face accompanied by a feeling of energy running through me…" He trailed off again, yet this time I could almost hear the wheels turning in his mind. "The Coire Soís…”

  “Okay, can you finish at least one sentence?”

  He chuckled, still astounded. “It was not a dream. The Mòr Sagart awoke the last of the abilities within me.”

  “Okay, but what does the Coire Soís have to do with that?”

  “Do you remember everything I taught you about the Three Cauldrons of The Self?”

  I nodded. It had been part of my initial training as a Druid. The Coire Goriath was The Cauldron of Warming. This one developed within our essence after we pledged our lives to The Order of The Druids and began our service and training. The cauldron presented in an upright position, ready to be filled by our spiritual journey. The Coire Earmae was The Cauldron of Movement. This one was born inside us tilted, marking out progress and development during our preparation. Finally the Coire Soís, The Cauldron of Knowledge. This cauldron developed in an inverted position, signifying the dissemination of knowledge and confirming our achievement of full spiritual growth. The absolute, and divine maturity of a Druid.

  “What about them?”

  “The Coire Soís was born inside me after that dream. I remember this overflowing of awareness and information rushing through me, almost overwhelming me. It was as though all the teachings I had received from mo meantóir had etched themselves in my mind. They magnified until I could perceive every little detail, know every word of our history almost as if I had lived it. All the knowledge mo meantóir had received and instilled in me became a thriving, living and overflowing archive, connecting my essence and mind. Furthermore, there was a humming inside me, a connection to the Life Force around us, to the universe itself, its energy and the magic rushing throughout it, which I had never felt before. Not in that manner.”

  Sparkling green eyes gazed deeply into mine, as Cyn’s hand cradled my cheek.

  “That day I completed my training as a Druid. You have already achieved the Coire Goriath, and the Coire Earmae, and I know you are ready for the Coire Soís, but I have yet to feel it inside you. Now I understand why, it is waiting for me to awaken the rest of your gift.”

  Whoa. A rush of excitement and nerves traveled through me at the thought.

  “It is time, my Goddess.”

  Cyn's hands moved to my arms, and he guided me to lay down on the bed once again.

  “Cyn...”

  His lips cut up my words as he claimed mine. Every inch of his warm skin touched me as he settled over me, deepening the kiss. Cyn’s hand traveled down my chest slowly, sensually grazing my breast as it moved. The action made me wonder if he planned to awaken my magic or make love to me again, but I didn’t dare ask. I moaned into his lips as his hips settled on mine. Damn, I loved this man. I was melting in his hands, and as far as I was concerned, he could do whatever he wanted to me. I trusted him implicitly.

  I was gasping for air when his lips finally left mine and created a trail down my neck. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer, needing more.

  “Cyn…” his name left my lips as our bodies intertwined.

  Cyn's left hand settled between my breasts, over the center of my essence, as the connection between our souls pulsed and hummed, urging to be used. His lips brushed against mine, and I forced my lids to lift. His emerald green eyes sparkled as an eerie glow encircled his irises. They glowed in a tone I had never seen before. Gold.

  "My essence is demanding of me to connect to you in every way possible. Procla
iming I need to experience this with you."

  Cyn’s other arm sneaked along my back pressing me impossibly closer to him. Our bodies flushed together, and I was sure not an ounce of air could slip between us. He kissed me.

  "I love you," Cyn whispered on my lips.

  The energy buzzed in his palm as it pushed against my chest. My vision instantly acquired a soft golden hue, and I knew that like his, my eyes were glowing. The warmth of Cyn's hand increased as his skin glowed; radiating pure heat into my body—heat that could have easily burned a mortal. Except, I wasn't a mere human, I was a magic being. We both were. The light intensified, until it became so bright, it lit the hut.

  “Dúisigh”—Awaken.

  His arm pulled back, and the next second his palm slapped the center of my chest—just like he had done with Lia. Gold light burst out of him and into me. I gasped as ribbons of energy rushed through my body, stimulating every inch of me. Cyn's body shivered with mine as we felt it. Our gazes locked and something exploded, pulling us both into the mayhem. I clung to him as everything around us disappeared, and we suddenly floated in an infinite, and all-encompassing sea of stars.

  A galaxy of knowledge, spiritual awareness, and magic.

  Symbols glowed in front of my eyes—Celtic Runes—every word I've ever read, every spell I've ever practiced, along with everything Cyn had ever learned mixed, becoming a universe of knowledge inside my mind… no in our minds. Grandpa's journal floated above us, its pages turning rapidly as letters and symbols glimmered. They flew from its depths and merged with our new consciousness.

  A new gasp left me as my nerve endings became alive, oversensitive, and then I felt it. I was connected to the universe, to our Mother Goddess, and to every living being on this planet. The plants, the earth, trees and animals, the water and fire, the air and sun, even the moon. Their energy hummed inside my veins, my every cell, as though they were a part of me.

  Cyn’s hand trembled on my cheek as we stared at one another. “My Goddess…”

  My eyes widened when I heard his voice in my mind. “Cyn?”

  “Can you feel it, My Goddess?”

  I nodded as my eyes welled with. Cyn’s jaw tightened as he held back emotions of his own, but he couldn’t hide them from me anymore. I could feel his essence as raw and pure as I did my own.

  “Yes. I can feel it all. I can feel you, Cyn, all of you. I can hear you…”

  Cyn’s lips captured mine as the tears spilled from my eyes. What I had just experienced with him was something I was certain no one had ever felt before. Not even him. The emotions inside him, the look in his eyes confirmed what we had just been through surpassed anything he could have seen after his powers awakened. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that this blessing had been reserved for us.

  We were unique.

  The Goddess created us to complete one another, to wield all-encompassing power, and to bring peace to our race. Two sides of the same coin.

  Cyn pulled back and once again our gazes locked, our irises glowing as the sensations slowly dimmed but didn’t disappear. They hummed, alive and filled with everlasting energy inside us. The stars faded and the next moment we were back in our bed, yet the magic lingered, sparkling around us.

  “Tha mise a'd 'shiorruidh”—I am yours, forever. I whispered in his mind.

  His dimple winked at me as his hold tightened around my body. My fingers slipped through his hair in response, and the gold in his eyes brightened. Cyn loved it when I did that. Our connection flared, bringing with it overwhelming love.

  “Tha mise a'd 'shiorruidh…”

  My lips closed over his in an all-consuming kiss, and Cyn took over my mind. Each word strengthened our love. Our bodies slightly trembled as he slid inside me, and his hips began to rock into me slowly. I lost myself in our bond while he made love to me all through the night.

  Chapter 4. And So They Were One

  BRINA

  A Day before the wedding…

  * * *

  “Knock, knock…”

  “Stop it…”

  Cyn's deep rumbling of laughter reached my mind, and I briefly closed my eyes. Sweet mother of all things sexy, there was nothing compared to the way Cyn's voice sounded in my mind. It held a sultry quality to it, which caused the little hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end, and a small delicious shudder to run over my body. I missed him.

  “I am sorry, my Goddess. If memory serves me right, Lia’s instructions did not include not speaking to each other. Only, that I could not see you.”

  “True.” I grinned.

  “Knock, knock…”

  “I’m going to kill Lia for teaching you Knock-Knock jokes.”

  He chuckled. “It will be worth your while. Knock, knock…”

  I sighed, looking over my shoulder to find Lia, talking to Eisha and Eghan. She was distracted enough that she still hadn't noticed me hiding on the other side of the room. “Who’s there?” I replied amused.

  “Honeydew”

  “Honeydew who?”

  “Honeydew you know how much I love you?”

  I chuckled. “You are impossible.”

  “Yet, you love me…”

  “That I do.”

  “Have you told them yet?”

  “No, but Lia suspects something’s going on. She keeps looking at me with narrowed eyes.”

  “If the way she deals with Art is any indication, you might be punished for rebellious behavior once she finds out we can communicate this way.”

  I laughed and tried to cover it with a cough. Lia sent a deadly glare my way. Oops. “You might be right about that.”

  He remained silent for a heartbeat. “I miss you.”

  My heart squeezed. “I miss you too, but when the clock hits midnight in a few hours, it will officially be a week, and tomorrow I’ll see you at the altar.”

  “I still need you in my arms… but I shall play along. How is your celebration going?”

  I bit my lip, wishing I were in his arms too. "It's a ‘Bachelorette Party,’ and I'm having a nice time. How is your bachelor party going?"

  He sighed. "Well, we are drunk on mead, and my brother and Cathair are fiercely wrestling each other on the ground. If it continues for a few more minutes, I will have to intervene."

  My eyes widened. “Are you serious? Are they fighting or just playing around?”

  “I will let you know in a few minutes.”

  “And the other guys aren’t doing anything about it?”

  “The guys are doing plenty. They are placing bets on who will win.”

  I sighed. “Men.”

  “Agreed.”

  "Just don't let them hurt each other, please. I don't want my wedding party and the best man to have black eyes tomorrow."

  Cyn chuckled. “No need to worry. I can heal those Neanderthals before the wedding.”

  I became quiet for a moment as a memory crossed my mind. “You know… It’s not the first time I hear your thoughts.”

  “What do you mean, my Goddess?”

  “I’m not sure why or how, but I heard you during the battle at the lake. You were praying for the Warriors to return home safe to their families as you fought. It was a beautiful prayer filled with pain, and I heard it. Every word.”

  Through our connection, I instantly felt his slight shock, but it was replaced by an emotion I had felt many times from him… appreciation.

  "I felt you with me that moment." It was my turn to be surprised. "I had no notion this level in our connection was possible, yet I felt you with me, in my mind, and I prayed for us, I fought for us. So I could protect you… make it back to you. You are everything I ever wanted and all I shall ever need, my Goddess. I am blessed to have found you. I am blessed to have you in my life."

  I blinked, trying to hold back the tears his words had caused. I knew the intensity of the love he held for me, because I felt it every day. I doubted anyone else would ever experience this kind of love, and I knew I had also been bles
sed.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too.” He sighed exasperatedly. “I’m sorry, my Goddess. I must leave you now. It is time to intervene.”

  “Good luck.”

  He chuckled and the then he was gone. I could feel his absence in my mind. I hated it.

  "Okay. Enough, linda. What the hell are you doing over there? Come back to the party." I turned around, my eyes connecting with a suspicious Lia. Standing from the bed, I offered her an innocent smile.

  “What? I was just thinking. I’m going.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You do enjoy talking to yourself, don’t you?”

  I laughed. “Yeah, about that... I can kind of communicate with Cyn telepathically now.”

  “What?” the shock came from everyone in the room.

  I wrinkled my nose and looked at Lia. "Well, do you remember suggesting that Cyn should try to awaken my abilities like he did yours?" Lia nodded, as her eyes widened. "He did, and as it turns out, there was something more. Except it wasn't just my ability, is one we share."

  “How did he do it? What happened?” Eghan asked, hanging on my every word.

  My cheeks warmed as the memory of Cyn's body, naked and intertwined with mine returned to me. They didn't need all the details. "He placed his hand in the center of my chest, and a light burst inside of us. Suddenly we were no longer in the room. It was as though we were in the middle of a galaxy full of stars, where pure magic and knowledge surrounded us."

  Eisha gasped. “The Astral Plane. You visited it." I frowned, not really understanding. All gazes went to hers as everyone waited for her to explain. "It is where I go when I witness prophecies. It is the center of our existence in all existences, filled with the power of the Life Force, which fuels our universe.”

  "Wow," Lia whispered as the others just looked at us amazed.

  “Yes,” I said realizing she was right. “I felt the Life Force in a way I couldn’t even begin to describe.”

  Eisha looked at me with awe and intrigue, and I realized although we were both capable of experiencing the Astral Plane, not both of us had the same access to it. Something deep inside told me what Cyn and I had felt there, was only for us to discover.