Destiny Fulfilled

by Laire McKinney

  “I know there has been great trouble this night, and of late.” His voice was smooth and melodious.

  There was a familiarity to him that held Wren’s attention and she could not look away. This man was different from the rest, wearing a brown robe as intricately woven as the fibers of the trees.

  He was tall, emitting a calm strength that Wren could not ignore as he came closer. She didn’t sense a threat from him but couldn’t move away even if she wanted to. He had her hypnotized, and she reached for his hand at the same time he reached for hers.

  “Destiny.” His smile was warm, emotional. “Wren, my little bird.” His eyes, as pure as crystal, shone. “First of all, let me say that your mother is fine. Master’s desire to have her killed went unfulfilled.”

  The ground beneath her quaked and quivered from the power of her relief.

  “Who are you?” she managed, surprised she found her voice.

  “My name is Eogabail. I am king of the fae.” He paused. “And I am your father.”

  King? Of the fae? Father? Hers? She tried not to burst into giggles. She’d accepted Riagan’s story that he was an immortal druid. She’d accepted that she had left the Earth and traveled, how she didn’t know, to what they called the druid realm. She’d heard Gwyon’s words about her having a fae father but hadn’t time to give that too much consideration. And now she was to believe that this man before her was the king of the fae? And her father? She thought about the little creature who had visited her in the hospital, who had freed her from the straitjacket. That was a faery.

  Her mother saw faeries.

  Duke was a faery.

  Here was the king of the faeries.

  And he said he was her father. Fear swept up through her abdomen as the old familiar worries of psychosis threatened to erupt. “But…but…this can’t be real. There is no way.”

  He gazed at her with eyes that were kind and loving. He raised his arm and waved his hand between them as if putting a spell on her. Fear seeped out of her body as if she were being bled. Her mind calmed, then opened as if it were the parting sea, letting in these most unusual events without question.

  Joy was evident in his soft eyes. “Daughter. I have waited long to see you.”

  She gawked at him, relishing the surreal calm embracing her.

  With smooth and gentle motion, he pulled her into his arms and something powerful washed over her. Something her gut told her was love. Love of her father.

  She trembled, a sudden burst of emotion threatening to push her over the edge. Even with all of these extraordinary events, being held by her true father was overwhelming. It was like being lost and abandoned in a cold, dark, frightening forest only to be suddenly whisked away to safety on a luxurious, silky flying carpet.

  A bubble of a giggle, hysterical and slightly crazed, tumbled from her lips.

  He rested his hands on her shoulders and eased her out of his embrace. “Destiny, my daughter, you must return the Cauldron to its rightful place. Only you can do this. Then there will be time to talk.”

  “Return the Cauldron? Where do I take it?”

  She waved the artifact through the air, and everyone around her jumped, arms held out, fending her off. She laughed, but then it trickled to a soft chuckle, and then to silence as their faces showed no humor. “What?”

  “Daughter, for one who is not a Redeemer, touching the Cauldron after it has been stolen would mean certain death. They are right to fear.”

  “Oh.” The Cauldron grew cold within her hand. The round pot reminded her of a cast-iron skillet her grandmother used to cook fried potatoes in. She rotated the prized possession over in her hands. There was nothing inside the Cauldron now. “Well, where do I take it?”

  “Into the waters.” Her father pointed to the river.

  “Okay. Where?”

  “The Cauldron’s cave lies deep below the waterfall.”

  “Do I need scuba gear, or what?”

  The group laughed, calmer now, though no one came close to her other than Riagan, who remained fixed by her side. “I will take you,” he said.

  “Aye,” her father answered. “It is right.”

  “Redeemer.” Riagan crooked his elbow and offered it to her like he was her escort to the debutante ball. “Just keep the Cauldron in that arm.”

  “Will do.” She joined her hand with his arm and couldn’t help but offer the bulging muscle a squeeze of admiration.

  They strode forward until the water’s edge rippled over her toes, cool and refreshing. They continued until the water rose over her ankles, calves, knees.

  She tugged his arm. “Riagan, um, is there a path I can’t see? A way to get there without going underwater?” She surveyed the area and saw nothing but the waterfall. There was no visible rock face, mountain, or solid ground across the expanse of water.

  Riagan stopped at her words and turned, casting a glance at the Cauldron. “You will be fine.”

  “What do you mean, I’ll be fine?” But instead of answering, Riagan swept her into his arms and planted his lips against hers. Fire seared through her body, and she wanted nothing more than to melt into his body, to merge with this powerful man and become one with him.

  She parted her lips as he parted his. The jolting of her body told her that he was carrying her forward, but the feel of his mouth against hers made certain she couldn’t care less about the world around them.

  Careful, though, to keep the Cauldron tucked against her body, she wound her other arm around his neck, keeping his head as close to hers as she could. She flicked his tongue and he responded with a soft, deep groan.

  Lost in the kiss, she didn’t realize Riagan had walked deeper into the water until it touched her bottom. Her eyes flew open as he continued deeper and deeper into the water.

  He continued and its coolness covered her stomach, her breasts. She did not pull away even as the water touched her shoulders, her neck, and finally her chin. As the water continued to rise, she realized he was breathing into her mouth. Breathing for her.

  They submerged. At first, she panicked. Her lungs screamed. But with several deep inhales of Riagan’s breath, she was able to control the human need.

  She didn’t know how long they continued forward but soon her hair floated around them, like strands of blackened silk. Riagan’s own blond hair mixed with her curls, creating a stark contrast against the clear water. The moon’s glow danced over the surface of the water, and the Cauldron glowed green in her arm.

  Soon they came upon a dark opening beneath the crystal-clear water. She glanced at Riagan and he nodded, confirming what she suspected—that somewhere in this underwater cave was the artifact’s home.

  When they crossed through the entrance door, they entered a dark room, no larger than a home’s foyer, where several pathways jutted off in different directions. She didn’t realize until they passed through the opening that there was no water within this small enclosure.

  Her lungs filled with air, and she started breathing on her own.

  “Riagan.” She gawked at the wall of water floating just outside the room. “How does the water stay out?”

  “Magic.” He clasped her hand and encouraged her forward. She wasn’t wet, either. Nor was Riagan. Nor was the Cauldron. She shook her head. She doubted there would be anything left to question. So many odd things had already happened, but the surprises just kept on coming and coming and coming.

  “The water is also enchanted and that is how we can stay submerged for so long.”

  “Oh.”

  Riagan led the way down one of the long corridors. They followed the underground tunnel until they came upon a small room. Cut into the solid rock face was an alcove with an empty circular platform nestled in the middle.

  “Riagan?”

  The Cauldron started to glow in her arms, its green hue nearly as luminous as Riagan’s eyes.

  “Once you place the Cauldron in the alcove,” he said quietly, “you will be relieved of your duty. Hopeful
ly forever.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Once you return the Cauldron to its rightful place, its care returns to that of the Brotherhood. You will not be needed unless it is taken again. And I will give my life to make sure that never happens.”

  Chills swept over her skin as she stepped forward and placed the artifact on its stand. It seemed such a harmless object—something that one might find in a flea market or a grandparent’s attic. It gave no indication of the power within its bowl.

  Once it was returned and she stepped back, she felt oddly unfulfilled and anticlimactic.

  “Do you now fill it with anything? Water, maybe?”

  “Nay. It creates its own powerful, healing waters.”

  “On its own?”

  “All on its own.”

  “Like it did earlier—when I poured it over your wound, the water had just been there.”

  “Yes. It’s a very powerful artifact, which is why it is so important to protect it. Which is also why Redeemers exist—as another line of defense.”

  Shrugging her shoulders, she slid over to him, eager to return to the embrace and the life-sustaining kiss. That, at least, was far from anticlimactic.

  Eyes closed and arms outstretched, she waited for him to lift her. When she didn’t feel the thrill of his embrace, she lifted her chin, only to find him staring down at her.

  “What is it?”

  His expression was a mixture of sadness and resolution.

  “Riagan, what’s wrong?”

  He shook his head, as if responding to words she could not hear. He picked her up and closed his mouth over hers. Becoming lost in the inhalation and exhalation of his breath, she let go her questions and savored the moment.

  Riagan did not put her down even though they were on dry land. King Eogabail was waiting by the water’s edge, as were Drake, Duke, and Gwyon, who was held by rough-hewn ropes tied around his wrists, linked between two massive tree trunks. The Brotherhood stood stoically nearby, eyes alert, postures prepared, hearts hard.

  “What’s going on, Riagan?” Wren whispered.

  Riagan had not answered her question before, and he would not answer it now for the only response to be given was awful, devastating, tragic, and he did not want to give voice to it.

  He stopped just out of earshot of the others. Using the strength in his arms, he pulled her even closer into his body, crushing her against him, as if that would keep her near for always.

  Fool’s thought.

  “I love you.” He blurted the only words that he could, his heart heavier than the massive moon at his back.

  “You love me?” Shock spread across her features.

  “Yes. I love you. And it’s a miracle, because druids of the Brotherhood are not allowed to feel love.”

  “Then, how do you? I’m not complaining,” she rushed to say. “But…how?”

  He shrugged. “I know not, nor do I care. I care only that you know I love you.”

  “Oh Riagan. This is all so crazy. But I love you too, and that’s all that matters.”

  “I want to tell you why I was banished. You must know the truth because that will show you how much I’ve changed. Because of you.”

  She placed her hand on his face and offered him a brilliant smile. “I don’t want to know what you did. Not right now at least.”

  This gentle, caring, forgiving woman. She knew nothing of their fate yet to come, and her softly spoken words only added to the breaking of his heart.

  ONLY THE SUDDEN tinkling of bells erupting in the Grove could make Wren pull away from Riagan, but the sound was alluring and beautiful, and had Wren pivoting away from the man she loved. Who loved her back.

  Oephille materialized, sitting on a long limb’s leaf nearby. “It was no easy task to get you here, Wren.” Oephille’s chastising voice held notes of humor, and Wren smiled.

  “I’m very sorry, little faery. I hope I wasn’t too much trouble.”

  “Oh, you were very much trouble indeed and don’t call me little. I’m about three hundred years older than you are and have five times the power.”

  Wren laughed as the small creature puffed out her chest. A moment later she flew forward and planted a kiss upon Wren’s cheek. “Welcome to the druid realm, Wren, and thank you for a job well done. The worlds can rest peacefully again.”

  Wren hesitated, wondering how she should respond to the faery’s comment. In the end, she just said, “You’re welcome.”

  “Your highness?” Oephille turned to King Eogabail. “May I have the honor of escorting her return to the realm of man?”

  Her father stepped forward, his hands clasped over his chest. She could never look so regal, she thought with a hint of envy as she watched him come to her side. He moved with the grace of a butterfly yet with the power of a tiger. Why couldn’t she have inherited those qualities?

  “I am sure you are ready to go home,” Oephille continued.

  “Go home?” Wren asked. “Already?” She scanned the faces around her, landing at last on Riagan. The expression on his face made her hackles rise. Something was wrong. Duke, having remained silent and unacknowledged until this point, lumbered to her side, folding his arms across his barreled chest.

  “Aye,” Riagan struggled to say. “You must return to the realm of man, for that is where the Redeemer dwells.”

  “Say what?”

  Her father rested a cool hand on her shoulder, and she could feel his strength being absorbed by her skin. Why did she need her father’s strength now?

  “Riagan?”

  “Destiny.” Her father’s hand applied more pressure. “You must return to Earth. You cannot remain upon this realm, for you are human and will not long live.”

  “Well, I can stay a little while, can’t I? Like, a few years? Besides, you said I’m only half human.”

  “It matters not that you carry fae blood,” he answered. “Redeemers dwell on Earth. Remaining on the druid realm would not provide you with the strength you need to perform your duties, should the need arise again. Further, you must return by the morn.”

  “Tomorrow morning?”

  “Aye. Oephille can accompany you.”

  The truth he was trying not to state directly was dawning on her like a plague. Oephille would accompany her. What about Riagan?

  He was a Protector of the Cauldron, and his job was here. On the druid realm. Apparently her job was there, on the realm of man.

  “But I can’t go anywhere,” she insisted. “There is nothing for me there.”

  Oephille flittered forward, resting her tiny hands on Wren’s cheeks. “Your mother is there.”

  Her father spoke next. “She awaits your return. Oephille rescued her from the hospital, much the same way she did you. She helped cleanse the medicine from her and she is healed. She is at your home now. Safe.”

  “Thank God,” Wren breathed.

  “Earth is where the Redeemer dwells, Destiny. It is there that the worlds can summon you if need be.”

  “Summon me? How?”

  A soft humming started somewhere in the distance and grew with each passing second, collecting everyone’s attention like an offering. A flash of gold shimmered as it approached, just beside the grove of trees, floating through the air of its own accord.

  At first she thought it was Oephille, but she now sat upon her father’s shoulder. As the object moved closer, the trees began to sway in unison, their enormous trunks moving to one side then another in perfect form. Their branches, heavily intertwined overhead, glistened in the soft light.

  Soon the object was hovering in front of her, inches above her head. She looked up to find a gold diadem, with delicate wisps held together by a solid band, floating before her. Nestled in the very center of the low peak was a moonstone.

  Her father stepped forward and took the diadem between his long fingers. Holding the object over her head, he said, “Destiny, the Redeemer of ancient artifacts.” He settled the crown upon her brow. “This crown
will travel with you back to the realm of man where you will keep it safely by your side. When there is a need for a Redeemer, the moonstone will glow. When it does so, place the diadem upon your brow, and you will be transported to wherever you are needed.”

  The weight of the gold was heavy but cool against her forehead. The energy from the moonstone was palpable.

  “This is your destiny, my daughter. You cannot fight it. You cannot change it.”

  “You’re all here, though.” She didn’t want to cry but found she was powerless to resist the onslaught of tears that hovered. “The only person on Earth is my mom, and she doesn’t know who I am half the time. Please.”

  Her father’s expression saddened. “She knows who you are. It can be difficult for her mind to stay firmly rooted in the realm of man, but she always knows who you are.”

  “Is she ill because of your relationship? Did that change her somehow?”

  “You are very astute, my daughter. It can be difficult for a human to travel between the realms. If one does so too many times, the human brain has trouble returning to a normal, functioning state. It becomes fractured during travel, and eventually cannot heal properly.”

  “She traveled to your realm?”

  “Many times.” He gazed far off into the forest, his eyes unfocused, his mind on another time, another place. “I loved her true. She was my soulmate and I would’ve given almost anything to have her by my side.”

  “But she couldn’t stay here?”

  “Redeemers must remain on Earth.”

  Understanding dawned, and it tugged at her heartstrings. “Do you mean, had she not gotten pregnant with me, she would have been able to stay with you?”

  “Even if you did not exist, she could not have lived on my realm, nor I on hers. Having you made the decision easier.”

  Such a tragic love story. Was another one of the same tragedies unfolding before her eyes?

  “Have I ever been here? The river looks vaguely familiar, and I swear I’ve dreamt about it.”

  “Yes, child. Your mother and I brought you here when you were young.”