Not All Who Wander are Lost

by Shannon Cahill

  “Of course, Katie. Go. We’ve got this covered. I just have one question. What am I supposed to tell them about myself and Mariah?”

  “Tell them the truth. We are going to need all the help we can get, and I think it’s time that you came out into the open.”

  “Are you sure? I mean, we’ve been hiding for so long.”

  “Amiee is going to be looking for allies. If she’s smart, and I know she is, the first place she is going to look is your uncle Kieran. The Guardian’s can help you. You may not want to claim your throne, but it’s time someone knew that Kieran is not the rightful king.”

  “She’s right, Finn.” Crimson agreed. “My dad can help.”

  “Great, as if it’s not enough pressure that I have to tell him I knocked up his little girl, but I also have to tell him I’m secretly the rightful heir to a Marbendlar throne.” Crimson punched him playfully in the arm and narrowed her eyes in mock anger. “Ouch! Have I ever told you that you are freakishly strong for someone so small?”

  Crimson rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’ll handle my dad, you just be your normal charming self.”

  Kate retreated up the stairs to her room. Before long, there was a shimmer, and the portal opened. Three Guardians in full battle gear stepped out into Kate’s living room. Finn and Crimson stood. Two of the Guardians picked Rickon up off the floor. “High Guardian Thorn, we shall escort the prisoner to Court. Do you have further need of us?” one of the Guardians asked.

  “No, you are dismissed. I will stay and speak to my daughter and then follow you in a short while. Thank you.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, sir. My name is Roirdan Finn,” Finn said trying to hide his nervousness. He rose and shook his hand.

  “Thanks for coming, Daddy.” Crimson said. She embraced him quickly and then stepped back, taking Finn’s hand possessively.

  “That name sounds familiar to me, young man. Have we met before?”

  “No, sir, But you may have met my father. He was the Prince of the Finn Folk.”

  “Of course, now I remember. Please, call me Tabor. It seems you and my daughter have become close, I see no reason you shouldn’t use my first name.”

  “Thank you sir, I mean Tabor.”

  “It was a tragedy what happened to your father. I wasn’t aware that he had any children, however. How is it that you are here and Kieran is on the throne?”

  “That’s kind of a long story that I would be happy to tell you. Would you like something to drink?”

  “I would take a cup of tea if you don’t mind. Crimson, dear, you look tired. Why don’t you retire and leave your young man and myself to chat?”

  Crimson looked at Finn. He swallowed and nodded. “Alright. I’ll be downstairs if you need me.” Crimson squeezed Finn’s hand in support and went downstairs. Finn put the kettle on.

  “It seems we have quite a bit to talk about, you and I,” Tabor said. Finn gathered his courage and began.

  Chapter 23

  Amiee was fading fast. She hadn’t felt this weak since before the spell. It was all she could do to keep the car on the road. She knew she couldn’t go far, so she checked into a cheap hotel in Astoria to regroup. She had underestimated Crimson. It had hurt her, but she was not going to give up and allow this to happen to her. She had been the one in control for so long. She had made a vow long ago that no one would ever have power over her again.

  Lying on the scratchy bedspread, her thoughts wandered back to a remote village in the Scottish highlands. She was in the first blushes of womanhood. A wife and mother of a cheeky little boy and a baby girl. She was happy with her life. The air was clean, the work was hard, but she was happy. She cherished the day that Duncan had stumbled, lost and cold, into the Draakki settlement where she grew up and spirited her so far away to his home. One of five girls, her Draakki powers almost nonexistent, she had always felt overlooked and alone. Duncan had rescued her. Life among Humans was a welcome escape. But it was not meant to last.

  Her husband was away with the sheep when the soldiers came. They ransacked the village, killing and burning. Her son died on a soldier’s sword, her baby girl dashed against the wall of their stone cottage, and Amiee was brutalized. Duncan returned home to find her huddling naked in a corner of their cottage holding her dead children. The man she loved couldn’t even look at her. He blamed her for not protecting the children. He told her he could never have a wife who had allowed herself to be used by another man. The villagers shunned her as bad luck and turned her out into the cold. She left with only the clothes on her back and her children’s baby blankets that she had made in secret as they shed their Draakki skin.

  Scared and alone, she wandered for days. When she came upon a lone cottage, she hoped she was saved. The old woman inside gave her food and let her sleep in the hayloft. When her strength returned, she did chores for the woman—brought in water and wood, swept the cottage, trivial things, but it helped to keep her mind from her grief and pain. She stayed for a year, hiding each time someone came to visit the old woman.

  The woman was a hag, a wise woman, practitioner of the dark arts. People came from all over the countryside for potions and spells, bringing her their prized possessions and begging for help. They were simple people and Amiee hated them all. They were the same sorts of people who had turned her out. Her anger and hatred grew every day.

  The hag was old, but canny. She had known from the start what Amiee was. She knew what her precious blankets were made of and began to scheme ways to get them for her own. She bided her time and never missed an opportunity to foster Amiee’s growing rage. She put a powerful talisman strategically on a shelf where Amiee would see it and dropped hints about its power.

  Amiee fell for her tricks and soon was obsessed with the talisman. She begged to know more. The hag doled out information in fits and starts, but it only fed the flames. When she had Amiee right where she wanted her, she offered a trade. Amiee never even hesitated. By now, her anger had consumed so much of her that she had begun to hate even her lost children, thinking of them as part of the world that had scorned her. Giving up the skins was nothing compared to the power she would gain.

  The hag warned her that with the power, came consequences, but Amiee was beyond caring. The spell was cast, and Amiee knew power like she had never known. Her Draakki powers were unleashed at last, but she also had gained an unnaturally long life, and a power over men. She would never be a victim again. The last thing the hag told her was that the spell must be fed. When she asked how, the hag just cackled and told her when the time came, she would know. Amiee didn’t care what the price was, she was finally free.

  The first thing she did with her powers was destroy her once beloved husband. Then she set out for home, determined to show her family her worth and make them pay for slighting her. Her unsuspecting family welcomed her with open arms. One of her sisters took her in to live with her and her new husband. Amiee set her sights on the young man and he was soon under her spell. As the spell first destroyed his mind and then his body, Amiee basked in her power. She never even tried to hide the affair. Her sister, heavy with child, grew more and more afraid of her. Then the young man died, leaving her sister grief stricken.

  At the young man’s bedside, Amiee felt an urge come over her. She suddenly knew what the hag had meant about feeding the spell. She grasped her sister by the neck and drained her of her will to live. Amiee felt her power grow and rejoiced. Her sister, empty eyed and lost, hung herself that very night. Once again, a village rose up against Amiee and drove her out. But this time, Amiee didn’t care. She was powerful and free and left willingly to find her fortune.

  She wandered for years, taking man after man, occasionally draining a young girl when she felt the urge come upon her. She travelled the Human world and the other realms freely, her destruction unchecked. Then she settled herself with Jared Oak. When she became pregnant, she felt a moment of nostalgia for her long lost children. She tried to stay and be a mother to her dau
ghter, but as Jared started to decline, she saw the writing on the wall and fled. She laid low for awhile, barely escaping Kate’s pursuit for years, but eventually, she learned to hide.

  She made the Human world her hunting grounds because it was easier to hide. She covered her tracks well. She never stayed on one place for long, she had learned that lesson well. She hid her feeds by selling the poor girls to Rickon. Then the rumors of the prophecy reached her. Something inside her knew that the warnings the hag had given were coming to pass. She felt her powers diminishing. She had to know more.

  Now she knew it all, what was happening to her, and how to stop it. Her only hope was to drain the life from her daughter and destroy the child before it could take all of her power. But she didn’t know how to do it. She needed help. She pondered her dilemma long into the night, finally sleeping out of pure exhaustion.

  After a few hours of fitful sleep, her eyes snapped open. She had a plan. She knew her powers would never work on her daughter’s lover, but she knew someone she could get to help her, his uncle. She left the motel and portaled to the other realms, satisfied that she had victory in her grasp.

  Chapter 24

  Crimson lay on her back on Finn’s waterbed, staring at the ceiling. Her hand strayed to her belly, knowing it was too soon to feel stirrings of life, but still seeking the comfort of knowing it was there. She had never really thought about the reality of having a child of her own. But now, because of the love she shared with Finn, it was going to happen. Despite all of the worries and troubles she had, she felt a sort of calm happiness.

  If she was very still, she could almost feel the changes going on in her body. She could feel the power that the baby had taken from Amiee concentrated in the center of her. It was a warm glow, different, but pleasant. She could also feel the increase in her own power that was due to her bonding with Finn. She felt strong and confident. Her body was tired, but her spirit was invigorated.

  With all of the love for her baby that overwhelmed her, she tried to understand how her mother could have left her and then come back only to harm her. She desperately wanted to understand what could make a mother feel that way, afraid that it could happen to her. She vowed to herself that she would never be like her mother. Her baby would always come first. After awhile, she slept, dreaming of a beautiful baby girl with Finn’s eyes.

  She awoke sometime later as Finn slid into the bed with her. His took her in his arms and kissed her awake. With a dreamy smile, she opened her eyes. “Hello, my love. Did you have a nice chat with my Dad?” she asked.

  “Your Dad is a scary guy,” Finn said with just a hint of amusement in his voice. “He cares about you very much you know.”

  “I guess I never really thought about it. I mean, it always seemed like he favored my sisters over me, but knowing what I know now, I have to give him credit. I’m not really his daughter, but he always wanted what was best for me, even when it was different from what he wanted for them. I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be a parent. I have to admit, I’m more afraid of being a bad mother than I have ever been of anything in my entire life.”

  Finn caressed her cheek and looked deep into her eyes. “You will be an amazing mother. Don’t be afraid. I’ll always be here to help you. I promise.” He kissed her lips softly. “And speaking of promises, your Dad was very concerned about whether or not I was planning to make an honest woman of you.”

  “Really,” Crimson said, her own curiosity piqued. “What did you tell him?

  “I told him that we hadn’t really discussed it.”

  “I suppose, given the circumstances, that we should talk about it at some point,” Crimson said carefully.

  “I love you so much. And I want to marry you. But I don’t want to do it now with all that is happening right now. When I make you my wife I want to do it right. Does that make sense to you?”

  “It does, and I agree. I already know I want to spend my life with you. I don’t need a ceremony to prove that.”

  “Are you sure? Because if you need me to, I’ll put a ring on your finger right now, today.”

  “I’m sure. When the time comes, I’ll gladly be your blushing bride, but I think right now, we need to deal with the troubles at hand. Did you talk to him about your uncle?”

  “I did. He said he would look into the situation and get back to us. If Kieran decides to ally himself with Amiee, we could have a big problem on our hands. With my grandfather gone, and Kieran in control, we could be facing an army. Your Dad said he that the High Council will be behind us if it comes to that, but if we could find a way to avoid all out war, it would be better for everyone.”

  “I just wish there was some way to reason with her,” Crimson said thoughtfully. “But I don’t suppose there is.”

  “It doesn’t seem likely.” Finn replied. “He suggested we go to the other realm. It would be safer there. And we can work with the High Council to plan our next move.”

  “I hate to leave here. But I can see that would probably be for the best. Did he say when?”

  “We are probably safe for a couple of days, at least. Amiee is not likely to come after us on her own again. We also need to find Mariah, and take care of that. No matter what she did, she was still my sister. I can’t leave her lying in a ditch somewhere.”

  “I know. I’m so sorry Finn. I know you wanted things to be better for her.”

  “She made her choices long ago. I couldn’t fix her. Katie tried, but it was never going to happen. Something inside her was broken. It hurts so much, but I’m not surprised that it turned out this way.” Crimson felt a tear on her cheek. It hurt her heart to see him cry, so she didn’t look, just held him tighter to her. “I don’t want to think about it anymore. I just want to be here, now, with you. I want to forget the world outside and just love you.”

  Crimson didn’t speak. No words were necessary. She kissed him urgently and pressed herself to him. It was so easy to lose herself in him, to push away everything else but the feel of his skin, the beat of his heart, his breath in her ear. She kissed his neck as he moved to cover her body with his. As he positioned himself between her legs, she let her hands stray down his chest to caress his nipples. Finn smiled, passion building in his eyes.

  He entered her slowly, savoring her body surrounding him. She pushed against him, pulling him in deeper. Finn reached between them to where their bodies were joined and slowly circled her nub with his finger. Crimson groaned with need. He picked up the pace and she could feel her first release was near. Their eyes locked as she came. “Turn over,” Finn whispered. Crimson eagerly complied, getting up on her hands and knees, presenting herself to him. “You have the most magnificent ass,” he growled. His hands squeezed her full cheeks. He bent his head and licked her slick center. Slipping two fingers inside her, he continued to taste her as she quivered in delight, so close to coming again.

  Just before she exploded, he replaced the fingers with his cock, thrusting deep within her tight body. As she came, he felt her spasm around him. He thrust a few more times, and then he felt his release. Leaning back, he pulled her up onto his lap, caressing her breasts leisurely as he caught his breath. Crimson leaned her head back against him and he kissed her ear, and then her throat. He felt himself grow hard again as Crimson snuggled against him sensuously.

  Finn leaned back on the bed and Crimson lifted up and took him inside her again. His hands on her hips urged her on as she rode him. She threw her head back and his hand went from her hips to wind in her silken curls. She moved a few times and then lifted up and slid her body back over his chest, taking him in her mouth. Her silken lips caressed his length, her tongue flicking the sensitive underside of the head. He couldn’t ignore the feast in front of him and slid his fingers inside as he licked and suckled her soft folds. There was a rush of her sweetness as she came for him again, and he felt himself shudder and he finished in her mouth. Crimson rolled off him and curled up beside him, her head on his chest, satiated. Their
breaths slowed, and they slept.

  Chapter 25

  When she heard the phone ring, Kate steeled herself against what she might find. It had been a rough week, waiting for news of Mariah. Each time the phone had rang, she had felt the same lump in her throat. She tried hard to hold on to a slim thread of hope that Mariah was still alive, that it had all been a mistake, but when she recognized Sheriff Grimes’s voice, she knew it was over. The police had found Mariah’s body, her neck broken, at the rest area just outside of town. She didn’t wake Crimson and Finn, she knew she needed to do this alone. She dressed quietly and took her old jeep to the hospital to identify the body.

  As the coroner pulled back the sheet that covered her. Kate could not control the tears running down her wrinkled cheeks. Mariah looked so young, so peaceful, almost as if she was sleeping and not really gone. The glamour that she had struggled with in life, held fast in death, hiding the beautiful butterfly like wings that she had been so proud of as a child. “Fly free little bird. You are free now. I love you, always,” Kate whispered and kissed her cold cheek one last time.