I broke my promise to remain impartial to my feelings and had fallen for him.
Millie waited at the top with a slight smile on her face.
“I’ve settled Anna into me spare room. Do ya mind share’n it with her, Catherine?” she asked.
“That’s fine. Do you have a shower? I need to get clean,” I replied, trying to hold on to what little dignity I had and not break down.
“I do and yer welcome to it. Before ya go clean’n the rest of yourself let me see to that beastly cut on yer arm.” She took me to a small room furnished with a large bed where Anna was sleeping.
Pulling me with her in the bedroom, she sat me in the chair next to a desk along the far wall and retrieved a box of ointments and bandages from underneath the tidy little desk, setting to work on my arm. The salve she used stung for just a bit, but a few seconds later, I could no longer feel the throbbing ache of the laceration.
“After ya shower I’ll add a little more ointment and a dressing. Everything you’ll be need’n is waiting for ya. Take yer time and try to relax a little... ya deserve it, love.” She patted my cheek softly.
“Thanks, Millie. Thanks for everything,” I whispered, a lump forming in my throat. I turned to go but remembered the questions I had for her. “When I’m done, would you mind if I ask you a few questions? I would like to find out more about who was chasing us.”
“I will, as long as I have the answers. I don’t know everything.” She laughed.
I stood in the shower far longer than I needed, hoping my sobs would be muffled by the running water. The mixture of emotions that overwhelmed my body ran the gamut. Fury, terror, heartbreak, happiness, I felt it all. But I let it all wash out of me as the grime and sweat washed down the drain.
Emerging clean and less foggy-minded than I was upon entering, I dressed and checked on Anna. She slept curled in a ball, like the child she was. Her youth and naivety were apparent. She was blissfully unaware of the problems that she was facing. Everyone she knew was gone, the years taking them one by one. How would I explain all of that to her, and when I did, how would she respond? I knew in my heart that I would need to answer this and many more questions before we returned home, but I secretly wished my aunt was with me to help.
I walked out of the bedroom slowly, shutting the door as quietly as I could, and made my way into the small sitting room. Millie was hunched over a book delightedly showing Zane each page. I stood lost in more thoughts: thoughts of Zane and why I had kissed him, why I felt warm and safe when he was around, and why I loathed the bullheaded arrogance he possessed while at the same time adoring it. He looked so tired as he tried to keep up with our chatty host’s words. His clothes were in shambles with blood staining his jeans and the hem of his shirt jagged from where he had ripped a piece off for my arm. Leaning against a chair, I watched his hand, filthy with the greenish ooze that had seeped from the wounds he’d inflicted on Malho, rake through his hair, making the soft curls stick up at odd angles. He was my own personal savior and I’d kissed him like a fool.
Enough! Get your head on straight Catherine Aislin! Questions for Millie... concentrate.
“I’m ready when you are.” Millie’s response to my private thought shocked me. A faint squeak alerted Zane of my presence, and as he turned to look at me, my face bloomed scarlet. Closing my eyes to at least have the illusion of hiding my embarrassment from him, I spoke to Millie.
“You heard me?” Considering the thoughts I’d had just before I scolded myself, I wasn’t sure I wanted her privy to all my inner ramblings. Opening one eye, I looked at Zane to see if he was paying any attention and could see him staring at his hands in his lap.
“I did indeed, but only because ya thought me name. I’ve no idea what came before me name entered your mind. So now, what’s it ya need’n to talk to me about?” she queried.
“Thank goodness for small miracles,” I said under my breath. “I was hoping to gain a little more insight into what exactly it was we encountered today and find out if there is more we should know.” Waving my hand between she and Zane, I added, “It can wait till morning if you and Zane are busy... I don’t want to interrupt.” On impulse I ran my fingers through my still-damp hair and felt the sting of pain that reminded me that I needed to finish dressing the wound. “I need to take care of my arm first, anyway.”
“Don’t be silly, love. I’ll be see’n to yer arm, and yer fella and I were all finished. Now, go sit at the table, and I’ll fix ya all up and we can all sit and have some tea before ya retire for the night,” she sang. Everything that came out of her mouth flowed more like a song than speech. It was a peaceful, lovely sound that I would be sure to miss even though we hadn’t known her long.
“Yeah, I’ll go shower now, anyway. Thank you, Millie, but I’ll have to pass on the tea. The day is catching up to me, and I’ll be lucky if I don’t fall asleep in the shower. Goodnight, Cat... sleep well.” The same pained expression from the stairs crossed his face again before he turned to go.
“Goodnight, Zane. Thank you for... everything.” Try as I might, I couldn’t bring myself to actually look at him again.
“I’m honored to be the man chosen to help you, Catherine.” I sighed, aching to follow and somehow comfort him. But I had already made a top-notch mistake tonight. No need to keep adding to the tally.
My head, feeling as though it weighed one hundred pounds, lifted and I looked at Millie. “Millie, when we found my body and Anna, there was a strange little creature taking care of them. Anna referred to him as Batty, but I wonder if you can help me figure out what he was?”
“I’ll do me best, love, but you’ll be need’n to explain him to me first. I have some books that can help us, let me fetch ’em.” She left to locate whatever texts she deemed necessary. When she came back carrying six books, one on top of the other ready to topple over, I gasped and then lurched forward to help her sit them down.
“Millie, these are ancient! Where did you get them?” Each book was unique in design and size. The largest was black and had an intricate brass buckle fashioned to look like a Celtic Unity knot holding it closed. The leather on the front was worn and soft, leaving the name barely legible. While I couldn’t possibly determine its age, the edges of the pages were uneven, leading me to believe it was fairly old. The other books weren’t nearly as beautiful but all looked quite old and I hesitated to open any of them.
“Oh, here and there. Some were me da’s. I also have some fair pretty trinkets that will come in handy for ya from time to time. I’ll be sure to hunt those down before you and ya friends leave,” she added.
As she requested, I described the little man to her in detail while she finished dressing my wound. Her fingers were nimble and gentle. With the final application of tape, she moved back to view her work. Slapping her hands on her legs, she was ready to get to work on figuring out what Batty was.
“So, he was a wee man, ya say? Looked something like an old man, but he was hairy from tip to tail, long ears and nose, yeah?”
I nodded as she repeated my description to herself and perused several of the books from the shop that she’d brought upstairs to her living quarters. She plucked a book from the heap and thumbed through the pages before stopping and biting her lip. “Ah, does this look anything like him?”
I moved closer to her, peering at the yellowed paper. “That’s close. He was a little less cartoonish than that but I would say, all in all, that is about as close as you can get.” I read the inscription. “A Grogoch?” I spat out the name in a strange uncoordinated manner, like it was stuck to my tongue.
“Feisty little devils they are, when they’re want’n to be. Ya say he mentioned not like’n his masters? I wasn’t aware they were slaves to anyone but the earth herself. There’s strong magic working if the Badbeh are enslavin’ the likes of the Grogoch. Hmm...”
“The o
ther man-thing Zane fought had a name. Malho the Dullahan, but I don’t know what he was.”
“Oh yes, it was the Dullahan follow’n ya. Mighty hunters of human souls they are. Headless, smelly, horrible things, with a lust for blood and death. They work closely with the Badbeh, the ones that are after ya,” she said with a matter-of-fact tone that left me cold from head to toe.
I let her continue with her history lesson, wishing she’d been around a year ago to help Aunt Lucie fill in all the gaps regarding the workings of the Badbeh. Where Millie was full of knowledge regarding the creatures I’d once believed to be fictional, Aunt Lucie knew how to teach me to harness my inner Guide. Together they’d have been one heck of an amazing teaching team. Her voice soothed me as she recounted the stories passed down to her through her parents and their parents. Tales of strange creatures, death, love, and family erupted with enlightened animation. She used every part of her body to describe the ebb and flow of life, both mortal and otherwise. Her eyes glittered and her voice rang; I was completely mesmerized.
By the time Millie explained that the Badbeh had created a hierarchal system of power, wherein they were at the top of the heap with the Dullahan below them and all other creatures weaker were enslaved to do their bidding, I was riveted to my chair, immersing myself in her words, becoming a part of the story. There were only five Badbeh left but with their power and the powers of their underlings they were as strong as they’d ever been. She explained that it was the mission of the Badbeh to lure all souls to wander the Earth and never rest. They fed off the hopelessness and desperation of the mislead, and without them the Badbeh would shrivel up and disappear, in a manner of speaking. Shivers ran along my spine throughout her speech as I imagined myself in the lives of the very first Guides or Banshee, fighting for their lives as well as the souls they were to save. Millie told me of how the Badbeh had been forced underground by the fierce warrior-Guide and queen, Grainne. She had single-handedly killed all but five and hunted those that escaped until her death. Some say she was the beginning of both the Guide and Guardian, both pieces of the essential duo contained within one person.
“Her life was long and full, she married twice, and was blessed with children from both unions. When she passed each set of siblings carried one of her talents on to future generations.” Millie’s eyes were bright as she talked. She moved her hands animatedly, making me giggle quietly. “Her children moved to inhabit all areas of the Earth, taking them far from Ireland, and so the story has continued to this day.” Her body relaxed and she sat back in her chair. “In the thousands of years since Grainne’s existence, there’s been nothing hinting at a child born to parents of both lines until now. Anna. One of Anna’s parents had to have been from a line of Caomhnóirs and the other from Guides. She must’ve been taken because that combination posed an enormous threat to the Badbeh’s mission.”
Remembering my aunt’s words from our conversation regarding my dream and what it could mean hit me hard. Anna was something completely unlike all Guides before her, except for the woman who started it all.
Millie and I sat in silence for a time. “Millie, do you think Anna has the same ability as Grainne? Since we know her parents were both descended from lines of Guides and Caomhnóirs it would kind of follow that she could be a little of both, right?”
“Now, I can’t be say’n anything like that. I would suppose she will need a protector like you, see’n as how neither of her parents or their immediate siblings seemed to be chosen for the life of either Guide or Guardian that we can tell. Not to be hurt’n your feelings, but I’m sure her powers will exceed yours, which is say’n something.”
“She’ll be safe with my family and since Zane found me, I would guess her Guardian, if she needs one, will find her just as easily,” I said.
“I’ll agree with ya there. Now, I have some things to gather for ya and the others to take back wit ya when ya leave. I would suggest stay’n’ for another day or so, just to throw off yer pursuers. I’ve got the building bound nice and tight so they won’t be able to find ya here and will give up... they don’t like to chase too long... they get bored ya know. I would imagine since they’ve found ya once they can find ya again, so you and yer fella better be on yer guard when ya return home.”
Nodding in agreement, I excused myself and went to the bedroom I was sharing with Anna. She was still curled in a ball when I eased myself under the covers. Our faces were so close together I could feel her breath as I studied her face. It seemed familiar, which I attributed to the dream I had been having about her for so long. Her hair was the color of wheat and her small face was unscathed by wrinkles or freckles. She looked sweet and hopeful, even in slumber. Reaching forward, I smoothed a stray hair from her cheek and felt the tingle of electricity like we had shared earlier. I was bound to her but there was no fathoming the reason. I knew she would be a part of my life and would help make it complete, and I would be the same for her.
I thought taking care of myself was rough. How was I going to watch out for her, too? Would Zane assume the role of Guardian for both of us, or would she have her own protector as Millie suggested? So many questions.
I rolled onto my back and my eyes fell closed, letting the weight of the days past roll off me and sleep take its place. The feeling of my body as it rolled on the waves of rest was glorious but my last thought was that this was merely the beginning.
The aroma filling the air roused me from my slumber. I had nearly forgotten where I was and that there was a child lying next to me. I flipped over and snuggled into the pillow to try to catch a couple of more minutes. Opening my eyes, I saw Anna staring back at me, her head still firmly on her pillow.
“Good morning, Catherine. Did you sleep well?” she asked. The way she spoke made her seem older than she looked. Her maturity and youthful appearance blended like oil and water.
“Wonderfully, thank you. How did you sleep?”
“Very well, though Batty took extra care in supplying both of us with exceptional beds in our room, so I have never slept poorly before. I miss him; he was very kind to me.”
“I’m sure you do. What was your time there like? Do you know how long you were there?” I smoothed a strand of hair from her cheek and waited for her response.
“I don’t remember much from the beginning. Batty, Bathramore is his given name, mentioned nursing me from near death because I had refused to eat. I supposed I lost that time; too much pain, perhaps. I remember everything after Batty came to take care of me, and though I couldn’t see the outdoors, he would help me raise plants from time to time. He used his magic to conjure the light they needed. But I can’t be sure of how much time passed. It seems to exist differently there than it does here.” She sat up, crossing her legs and looking at me intensely. “Are my parents gone? Please do not try to spare my feelings. I know that I was there far longer than I could have imagined.”
Reaching for her hand, I began, “I’m sorry, Anna, your parents have been dead for years. I wish I had better news for you. It seems you were in the custody of the Dullahan for about one hundred years. I don’t have specific dates but that is fairly close. I’m sure this is not a consolation but my family will gladly adopt you if you will let them. Do you know why you were taken?”
She shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks and onto the pillow beneath her cheek. “Batty told me I was special and that the masters were frightened of me, so they hid me in a place where I couldn’t hurt them. I have never met the masters, and the Dullahan never cared to be around me much so it was really just Batty and me. Do you know why I was taken?” she asked, her shoulders square ready to take on the full harshness of the answer.
“I do. You and I share a common mission. We are Guides, people meant to show the dying who are confused about their paths, the proper direction. Your family was an exception like no other, and you, I believe, are also part Guardian or Caomhnóir. Za
ne is my Caomhnóir, a protector of the Guides and all we hold sacred. I’m not sure what this will mean for you, but we will exhaust all avenues to figure it out, I promise.” I sat up against the headboard and sighed.
“Thank you, Catherine. A Guide... that sounds so serious and regal. I am glad we share this bond, but are you sure your family will accept me? I’m not sure I know how to be a part of that anymore, family I mean. I don’t want to burden them, either,” she added shyly, scooting up to sit next to me.
“Anna, you could never be a burden. My mother will adore having another female in her midst. Though, you may live with my aunt, Lucie, so that she can instruct you, but I won’t know for sure until we are home.”
“Where is home? I can remember nothing of where I come from except the smell of salt and lavender.”
“You were born on the coast of Maine, a state in the United States, but your new home will be Kansas. I think you’ll like it, though it’s a lot different from where you lived before you were taken. For one, there’s no ocean anywhere close.” Her eyes looked sad at the mention of not living near the ocean and I was quick to add something positive about where I grew up. “We do have these beautiful rolling hills where tall grass and wildflowers grow. It’s really beautiful in its own way.”
“If you are there, then I am sure to love it as you do. You are my savior and fellow Guide, a connection never to be broken.”
We smiled at one another, breaking into laughter as both our stomachs began rumble at the very same time.
“See, we are already showing our connection.” Anna giggled.
Getting out of bed we raced, as two sisters might, to the kitchen and the ambrosial scents that hung thickly in the air, enveloping us. Millie was leaning against the counter with a cup of coffee in her hands. “Good morning, lassies. Foods all done. Help yourself.” She waved to the table and smiled.
Anna made short work of sitting down and digging in, but I was stopped short by the sight of Zane sitting at the far end of the kitchen table, immersed in an ancient-looking book from Millie’s library. He shifted his focus from the book to the people around the table and our eyes met. He shared a shy smile with me before breaking our gaze and getting lost in his book once more. I longed to break the silence that had replaced our easy camaraderie last night but felt safer leaving it alone.
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