“What happened? Are you ok?”
I nodded then shook my head, sitting on the bed. She hugged me.
“Felix wants to leave.”
“What??” The alarm in her voice made me pull away and look at her.
“He said that he needs to reach his father and tell him the truth of what the Romans have been doing. I understand his need to reach his father but….”
"But he's a Healer. The first one that your clan has received since the Mòr Sagart left you. He can’t leave,” she said finishing my sentence.
I nodded. "In your past, does Felix leave?" She shook her head, but I could see the worry in her eyes. "But?"
She took a deep breath. "But I changed the past by coming here. I am being cautious not to set anything in motion that might severely affect the future, but one can never be too sure. There are significant occurrences that must not change. That need to happen no matter what, or it could be catastrophic." My eyes widened as I looked at her. "My very existence could end if I make a wrong move. Trust me. I'm being extremely careful."
My pulse began to race with the implications. “He also said that he was developing feelings for me and that he needed me. That I was the only one that could make him stay.”
Her gaze became stern. “You need to do whatever it takes for him to stay.”
“What does that mean?”
Asrhia sighed. “Remember how I told you that I would share the truth with you as it became necessary?” I nodded. “This is one of those moments.” She stood and walked to the dresser, looking at me through the mirror as though trying to decide how much to tell me. “Under no circumstances can Felix leave this place.” She turned around and looked straight at me. “Lives depend on it.” My eyes widened. “The magic of a Mhaighstir Lighiche—Master Healer is much different than any other, including your Àrd-shagart, and Brina's magic. They are formidable, but magic always has limitations. Your Àrd-shagart’s power allows him to heal, even though it’s not his ability because such is his strength. Nevertheless, he requires the aid of spells to accomplish great healings.”
“Like the one he used to save Felix’s life after the battle.”
She nodded. “However, a Master Healer’s magic is one of the most intriguing because they can heal almost any ailment. They can use spells if they wish, but it’s not necessary because their very essence is the regenerating force behind their gift.”
I blinked remembering how Felix's body restored when he was unconscious. The light shone through him as his skin, muscles, and bruises regenerated. It came from inside him. From his essence. "Will he be one? A Master Healer?"
Her eyebrows rose in appreciation, and she nodded. "Master Healers have been known in certain cases, to even bring a person back from the brink of death with just one touch." My eyes widened once more. "It is not as easy as it sounds, their magic like every other ability has limitations, but if the circumstances are just right, they can do it."
“Wow,” I whispered astonished.
“My uncle was saved by a Mhaighstir Lighiche.”
I gasped. “He was?”
She nodded, and a sad smile crossed her face. "He was attacked but was rescued in time. He is paralyzed from the neck down due to the injuries he received. As I said, all abilities have its limitations. That, unfortunately was something that couldn't be cured, but he is alive. He was almost gone when they found him but thanks to our Mother Goddess there was a Master Healer there, and he brought him back." Her eyes watered.
“He is very special to you.”
"He's my everything. He's the sweetest man you'll ever meet. Everyone loves him. His eyes light up every time he sees me, and we read together all the time. He calls me his little monkey." She chuckled. "He says I'm always jumping around and getting in trouble. He lives with us, and I spend as much time with him as I can. Jennyver is his personal Healer. She takes care of him every day. She still hasn't graduated, but she only has two months left. Her ability comes really naturally to her, and she knows a lot, so she's been taking care of my uncle for three years now."
“You care about her too?”
She smiled. “She’s my accomplice and best friend.”
“Does she know what you are doing here?
She nodded. “They are the only ones who know.”
I inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled through my mouth trying to clear my mind as I went over everything she had revealed. Felix had to stay here. That could not change.
"What do you suggest I do about Felix? He made me promise that once I was sure he would not turn on us, he could leave."
She sighed and sat next to me again. I turned to face her. “Let him fall in love with you.”
“What?”
"Let me explain. I am not suggesting that you encourage him, I am merely asking you to consider this. What if the feelings and loyalty he will develop towards you can change the way he sees this place and the Druids as a whole. He is still not sure of who you all are, and he doesn't even know what he can do. He needs you and your clan to help him make the transition. What if falling for you is the best thing that ever happens to him? You must be there for him, Eisha, it’s imperative. He can become a great man, but he can't do it alone. He was right about one thing. He needs you."
I closed my eyes and searched within my heart. Could I do this? Lead him on and allow him to fall in love with me when I knew I was destined for another?
"I do not want to use Felix this way. It is wrong, Asrhia. He will get hurt seeing me with Art, and once I fall in love with him, I will have to stop being there for Felix because I know that Art will not allow it. I do not want to do that to him. Felix does not deserve it, and he will never forgive me... I would never forgive myself."
Her hand reached my hair, and she caressed it. "He needs to develop those feelings, Eisha. His future depends on it, so do all the people he will save. You trust me don't you?"
“Yes,” I answered honestly.
She smiled. “You will both be ok. I promise.”
CHAPTER 12. AILIDH
EISHA
* * *
“I think I am ready, Asrhia. I want to try and have a vision, on my own.”
My heart slammed against my chest as the words poured out of me. For weeks Asrhia had shown me what she did and taught me the basics. She had explained everything to me. The truth was I was not entirely sure I was ready, but I had to try. I wanted to try.
She assessed me for a few seconds as though trying to figure out my change of heart. It was simple. My chest tightened as the image of Felix trying to control his pain came to me. “I don’t even know her name...” The memory made my eyes tear up once again.
"It's Felix," I said, answering her silent question. Her eyebrows lifted in astonishment. "He deserves to know who his mother was. I want to tell him. Show him, but I need your help. Before I uncover the truth, I need to find out what happened to Ailidh. I have only seen her being mistreated or in Marcus' arms. Felix said the only thing Marcus ever told him was that she died during childbirth. I want to travel there and see what actually happened to her."
She let out a long heavy breath and sat next to me. "Very noble of you, but there are three things you must consider." I frowned, and she held my hand tightly. "First, the answer to what happened to her is very hard. I have been there, and it's something I'm not sure you should see. Second, this would require for us to perform the initiation for you. Open the communication path between you and the force that pulsates around us, and this would make you even more vulnerable to the trances. You must find the inner strength to ground yourself so that it no longer pulls you in, and third, we still haven't found your anchor. I would feel much better if you had one while attempting your first trip."
I looked into her eyes letting her words sink in. “I am ready. I want to do this. I am sorry, there has been much happening too fast. There is something I must tell you. I know who my anchor is. It’s Art.” I smiled wide as the excitement traveled through me. “I
felt him the other night. I felt his arms around me while I entered the trance, and it was as though a part of me was still conscious, and I was still here even though I was in trance.”
Her eyebrows furrowed. “When was this?”
I blinked, confused. I thought she would share my excitement. "It was the other night when I was at the cave with Felix. The trance took me when I was leaving and when I awoke I was in Art's arms. When the memory of the vision returned, I remembered feeling Art's arms around me. I could feel him even in the vision."
She looked at me even more confused. “Was this the day when Felix got severely burned?” I nodded, and she gave me a sympathetic smile. “Eisha, Felix got burn because he held you in his arms to stop you from hitting the floor and hurting yourself. You said that you felt arms around you while you entered the vision. Art is not your anchor, Felix is.”
My eyes widened as my mind raced with the implications. I arrived at the same conclusion. "Art has held me many times during visions, yet I have never felt him." She nodded. "Oh, Mother Goddess." I stared at Asrhia in shock and clasped the glass ball tightly in my hand.
“What is that?”
I blinked and focused on Asrhia's question. My gaze fell to my hand, and I opened it to show her the ball. "Felix said all I needed to do to control the force from pulling me into the trances was to stop regarding it as something greater than I. He said if I see it as something I can wield and control like this glass sphere, then I can remain grounded and stop it from pulling me in."
She grinned. “He’s right.”
I nodded and took a deep breath. “So what do we do now?”
Her gaze softened once more. "We can open your connection, and I can take you there. If you still want to know what happened to Ailidh, I can show you what you wish to see. Nevertheless, you must not attempt to travel unless Felix is with you."
“I understand. But I must do this for him. I want to see.”
She nodded. All right, then. Do you remember what your mother used to do to ask for passage?”
“Yes. I did it to help Cyn find Briana when she was taken by the Romans.”
She nodded encouragingly, and I stood walking towards my cabinet. I took a small blue candle out. It had been my mother's. Blue candles helped with meditation and opening the lines of communication. She said it was the only color that must be used for this. I took her white robe and put it on. When I turned around Asrhia was sitting on the floor cross-legged waiting for me. I sat in front of her and placed the candle in between us.
“Leig teine bhi air a bhreith”—Let fire be born. Asrhia said, putting her finger on the wick, and the candle lit brightly. She looked straight into my eyes. "The prayer we use has changed a great deal from what your mother used to say, and I can't tell you what it is. It is imperative that this moment does not change, you must do this on your own. Close your eyes and look into your heart for what you wish to ask, and remember the lines of communication between you and the power around us must remain open forever."
I looked at her shocked. “You expect me to do this alone?”
“You must. I’ll be here, but you have to do this for yourself.”
I swallowed and nodded closing my eyes.
"Now think of your mother and how much you love her. Keep her close and ask your heart for the words you must speak."
The image of my mother laughing as we ran through the lavender meadow inundated my mind, and the tears began to flow from my eyes. That had been the happiest day for us. Her laughter echoed in the air as her long hair floated around her guided by the breeze. She stopped to wait for me as I ran towards her, and her arms opened wide to receive me. Picking me up, she swung me around and let our bodies fall on the lavender field. We laughed as she hugged me and kissed my cheek.
“My beautiful baby girl. You are so very special, one day you shall realize how much. I love you…
“I love you too, mommy…”
“Dear Mother Goddess, Open my heart and mind
So that I may connect with the power of life around us.
Help my essence float into that resilient force,
And be eternally connected to it,
So that I may see all that is past,
and all that is yet to come.
Oh, Peaceful Omnipotent Mother, guide me
So that I may walk your steps through this life,
Witness the truths I must witness,
And use that knowledge to protect and help those who need it.
Make me your humble instrument of Sight and Truth.”
“Mar sin bithidh e—So it shall be.”
* * *
When my eyes opened, I gasped. I could see the night sky full of stars as though it was part of my room. My furniture and walls had disappeared, and I stood in the middle of this…. I was not entirely sure what it was. I looked around me, and it felt as though I was part of the sky and the stars. As though I was floating in the middle of the universe. What I could only describe as thick cloud ribbons, filtered through moving among the stars. The sky was black with millions of stars and the ribbons where dark blue and purple. A soft circular light went over and under me and I realized I was in some sort of light tunnel. I reached for it and the light filtered through my skin.
"It’s the Astral Plane. The passage between realms and timelines." Asrhia's voice reached me, and I instinctively turned looking for her. "You are part of it now, Eisha. Welcomed in it for eternity. You did it. You opened the channels and entered the living force. You did it!"
Happy tears ran down my cheeks as I stared at my surroundings unbelieving. Everything around me was filled with magic. I could feel it coursing through me, alive and pulsing as Asrhia had described it. There was no beginning and no end. Only space, stars, and magic. Her smiling face suddenly appeared in front of me, and I gasped, seeing her slowly materialize before me. Her smile became wider, and I noticed she also shared my tears of joy.
“Thank you,” I whispered, and looked around me once more. “Is this what she…”
"Yes, this is what your mother saw when she traveled. This is where we all pass through as we visit different places."
She held my hand and looked into my eyes. "What you will see now will not be easy to witness, but I promised to take you there. Are you ready?" I wiped my cheeks and nodded. Suddenly, the infinite space around us transformed, and we were standing in a large elegant room. I had seen this room before. I gasped as I saw young Marcus running out of the bathroom with several wet towels in his hand. Our view shifted, and we saw him rush to the bed. Ailidh was screaming in pain while she held her belly. The bed underneath her was stained with blood. She was giving birth.
“It’s ok, baby. I’m here. I’m going to help you, I promise I’m going to help you.”
He lifted her nightgown and wiped her legs with the towels, placing two under her hips. She screamed again as another contraction ripped through her.
"Hold on, my love. The doctor should be here any second." He kissed her forehead and reached for the phone. "Where the fuck is the damn doctor I asked for? We need him now!" His eyes swept over her again. "Mom please, I beg you. There is something wrong, and I don't know what to do. She's bleeding out." His voice broke. "There so much blood." He whispered into the phone. "Please…"
Hanging up, he turned to her again and removed the towels he had just placed under her. They were drenched in her blood. He threw them on the floor and put new ones under her body.
"Please save our baby, Marcus. Please." She cried and screamed again as the pain ripped through her.
"I will save you both." He turned to the night table and pulled a gun from the drawer. He ran to the door and opened it, aiming the gun at the guard's head. "I will give you one minute to go and get the doctor, and tell my mother I will kill every single one of you if she doesn't let him come!" The guard stepped back startled, and although Marcus was young, I could see the fear in the man's eyes. He swallowed and ran down the hallway as Marcus returned t
o the room.
"Marcus please, forget about me, help my baby get out. I need to push, please. Something is wrong, I can feel it. I need you to save him. Please…"
"Hold on, baby. You are both going to be ok. I promise. I won't let anything happen to you. I love you." He kissed her lips and looked between her legs again. He grabbed a new towel and gently cleaned her. "He's coming. I can see his head!" He shouted excitedly, and looked over at her. "It's going to be ok, my love. The doctor is coming. Please just hold on."
She nodded and reached for his hand, holding it tightly.
"Fine, we are here. What is the drama about now, son?"
Marcus' head wiped to the door as his mother, Agustina, and the Doctor came in. The man gasped when he saw the bloodied sheets and towels all over the bed and scattered on the floor. He rushed to Ailidh, and Marcus got out of the way so he could check her. Marcus held her hand and kissed her forehead.
"The doctor is here, baby. It’s going to be ok," He said, while the man put his gloves on and began to feel her pelvis.
“Dear God, they even give birth like animals. So disgusting.”
“Shut up, mother!”
"Her uterus has ruptured. She has lost too much blood. I'm sorry, but she might not survive this," The doctor said, looking at Marcus.
“Get my baby out, now!” Ailidh screamed and her words mixed with the gut wrenching sound of her pain. She gasped, arching her back and her eyes widened as she reached for her belly.
"Please, doctor. I can't lose them. You need to save them both. You have to!" Marcus begged as the tears began to fall from his eyes.
The doctor took a deep breath. "Ailidh, look at me." She blinked trying to focus. Her hand trembled with the pain, as she held on to Marcus tightly. Her eyes shifted to the doctor. "Breathe, I need you to breathe." She nodded and began to exercise short, swift breaths. "I know you are hurting and tired, but I need you to push, Ailidh. We have to be careful because your uterus has ruptured, so it can only be one push. Your body can't take more than that. I need you to make it a good one, so we can save your baby."
Unwanted Magic (The Ancient Magic Series Book 3) Page 20