“I presume you are the Dagda, the chief father of all Celtic Gods.”
“And how did you draw this conclusion?”
“I see how the other gods both fear and revere you. You possess the club of fate, and I see behind you the cauldron of possibility and the harp of destiny.”
“You are most observant. Perhaps you do know how to capably employ your mind. Have you schooled your kin in the gods of the Celts, Aine?”
Aine shook her head and seriously stared into the faded blue eyes of the other god. “I have schooled Alainn in none of this, Dagda. It all has come to her through inherent knowledge and intuition. Perhaps in the numerous lives she has lived she has retained much more memory than we believed would be so.”
“Perhaps,” the god pondered. “And what then is to be done about her present predicament?”
The other gods dared to offer their suggestions and many Alainn did not care to hear.
“She should be killed, once and for all, allowed a final honorable death.”
“She should be imprisoned here within the realm of the gods for all eternity.”
Lugh stepped forward at this suggestion. “Ahh, well you’ll all remember what happened the last times she was imprisoned here. She escaped, freed the four druid dragons and the hellhounds, created a war between the gods, and both saw me entangled in iron and then sent to another realm for a goodly time.”
“Perhaps she needs to be assigned another guardian.” It was Morrigan, Dagda’s wife who made this suggestion.
Her husband noted her comment and replied not with impatience or disregard. “Lugh is one of the most powerful gods in our midst. He has seldom been bested and has few weaknesses. If the woman was able to discover how to deal with him, surely she would discover the flaws we all possess for each of us is not without a means to be defeated.”
“Then it is settled, she should be killed so that we shall be done with her!” One loud voice was heard to say.
The entire lot of gods within and around the circle of stones began to state their opinions and soon there was much noise and commotion.
Aine glanced toward the god who had made this grim suggestion and raised her sword toward him in a distinct challenge. “And perhaps I might threaten to bring death to your kin as well, Cythrawl. Would that please you to have your chaotic line come to a swift end?”
Alainn glanced up at the troublesome god and he appeared to take great satisfaction in upheaval.
Dagda lifted his much feared club above his head and soon the group was silenced. “There will be no battles fought this day and we’ve no need for further tumultuousness. It is to be hoped we will not see the woman killed this day or any other, for she is too valuable to the future. She has passed the many tests and finally ridded the realms of Ebrill, one of the most powerful and loathsome of the ancient witches.
“Alainn of the line of Aine is without a doubt the one of legend, and will be necessary to right the wrongs, find the other two witches, and search for the lost ones.” The wise ancient god declared.
Alainn breathed a tiny sigh of relief and dared to glower at Cythrawl.
“And what of the evil she carries within her?” Cythrawl demanded to know, and another hush fell over the crowd.
“It is a dilemma to be certain, but I have concluded the council must vote upon what is to be done, and, once again, death is only to be the very last consideration. We have attempted to have the woman live and relive her life many times and though there were great variations, always the end result is the same. Never has the desired outcome been achieved for always she had been killed or left in unsalvageable peril. This time is possibly the worst calamity she faces for we cannot allow the the being within her to be born and grow into a man.
“Therefore, we must take matters much more seriously and combine our many powers toward the destined future.”
“And what of the laws we are guided by that firmly declare we are only able to intervene to a level dictated by the council not without agreement of the laws of humanity?” Lugh dared to ask.
“Would you have us intervene in this conundrum young witch?” Dagda queried.
“And rid myself of this evil that now grows within me and threatens my love and relationship with my husband, and perhaps the very lives of all that are dear to me? Do you truly believe I would choose to carry this unholy being within me and then deliver him so that he might be born to cause unprecedented destruction to humankind?
“You have a kind heart and a motherly nature, is this not a hard choice for you?”
She nodded and with tears in her eyes, she replied. “I have carried two children within me before this. I loved them beyond all measure of motherly bond and adoration, and not simply because they were created of the deep love, the holy union, and respect my husband share. I believe I could love any child that I carry, or any other’s child given to me to mother and care for. But I assure you what grows within me now is a despicable creature. He was fathered by an unconscionable man, and then purposely filled with a cursed poison that further darkened his soul, by a demon so loathsome he intended to cause unbelievable horror for many worlds in all the realms. I am not entirely certain that this child is even human, and he is powerful even now. Even as we speak he is aware we mean to cause him harm and he protests most assuredly. It is possibly Odhran himself who commands the being inside me, and he will surely send out other demons to offer protection to the child should he not be destroyed this very day.”
The gods watched as Alainn bent over in pain caused by the unborn being within her.
“How might this being be best dealt with? There have been several attempts to end the pregnancy by human methods and by magic.”
“Let her drink from the gods’ mighty cauldron of possibility and see what transpires. If fate deems she is to carry the child and have it born, then so be it. If she dies or expels the being within her then that was surely what was meant to be.” Mac Lir, the Celtic god of the sea’s voice boomed above all others.
He had been silent throughout the entire discussion although Alainn had noticed the distasteful expression on his face as he stared at her. They’d had dealings before and she’d reprimanded him harshly for his ruthless habit of enslaving beautiful young women.
She’d saved a young mermaid he’d captured and placed a temporary spell of blindness upon him and then made certain he wouldn’t resort to such unforgivable deeds again. He’d claimed he’d forgiven her, but now, by the sneer upon his face, it was obvious he held much animosity toward her.
“Spoken as only a blood-thirsty destructive and abusive male would speak,” Morrigan retorted, and her two sisters seemed to share her distaste for they nodded and glared at the god.
“Perhaps my sisters and I might see to it you carry within you such an abomination.”
“That is not a possibility!” He laughed loudly at the appalling suggestion.
“But this woman before us has unusual abilities the likes never seen before in all the millennia the gods have lived, since our very creation. Perhaps she might find a way to have your gender magically altered and adapted so that you could know what it is to carry a foul life within you.”
He glanced uncertainly at Alainn, but soon discredited the female god’s suggestion. “If she was capable of such a feat surely she would be able to discover a solution to her own dilemma.”
Alainn had actually been thinking precisely the same thing in hearing all the praises and mention of her many abilities. They surely overestimated her magical powers. She regretfully recalled she hadn’t even been capable of preventing the eternal lusting witch from getting to Killian.
Even now, she wondered where Killian was at this moment, what portal he and Danhoul had entered, as well as where her father and Kieran O’Brien might be. She hoped Killian would be reunited with his father even if only for a brief time. That would do Killian’s heart good. She was pulled from her thoughts of her husband by the many muffled voices growing louder and louder.
“And what are our choices, then?” Lugh asked, “What is it you ask us to vote upon? Alainn is my charge and what is decided to be her fate does affect Aine and myself perhaps more than all of you.”
“Believe me, Lugh, her fate does affect all of us. If this woman with her immeasurable powers does not live out her destiny all of our fates will be indeed be affected. If she cannot be saved, we must search for another line of witches and none we know are as powerful and developed as this young witch,” Dagda stated.
“Could we not combine each of our powers, use our strength and magical abilities to expel the evil child within her. Our godly powers of the mind merged together should be capable of ending the life of the evil being within her.” It was Morrigan who offered the possible solution.
“It seems a reasonable consideration, wife. Is there anyone opposed to this suggestion?”
Morrigan glared at Cythrawl and Mac Lir as if certain one of them would openly oppose her suggestion because she was female. They did not.
“Aine, have your young kin lie upon the moonstone alter and we shall proceed.”
As Alainn lay down upon the cold stone slab, she was certain this fearfulness must be what people experienced when they were being sacrificed to the gods. She swallowed nervously, but Aine nodded at her encouragingly. She wasn’t certain what to expect, but each of the gods stared intently upon her. Some had actual light radiating from their eyes, others held their hands before them and bright streaks of magical light exuded from their fingertips and swirled around her. It did not take long for Alainn to know she was being affected by their powers, for she was soon filled with excruciating pain. She screamed out in agony and clutched her stomach, certain she might soon fall unconscious so great was the torture.
Dagda signaled for them to stop.
“Aine, place your young kin under the spell of peaceful slumber and we will attempt this once more.
*
When she awakened she stared into the regretful faces of Lugh and Aine. She felt the evil being move and knew it still lived within her. The gods had been unsuccessful in ridding her of the darkness even with their combined magical powers on this full moon and the mystical time of Samhain.
She sat up and stared at Dagda. “What is to be my fate, then?
“I think we should end her life and then have her relive this life another time,” Dagda suggested. “It is clear Odhran’s powers grow if he is able to control the being within her. The two searchers are close to discovering his location. If this young witch is killed even today, and then reborn soon to live her life once more, it will only take perhaps twenty human years till she is ready again… merely a blink of the eye to the gods. If we must search for another witch, and then present the tests and perhaps have that witch live numerous lives; that may take considerably longer.”
Alainn was startled to hear Danhoul’s voice from beyond the crowd and he walked toward them and offered his opinion, “How many times must you force Alainn and Killian and me to relive this life? How many tragedies must befall us before we accomplish what you believe must be done?”
Danhoul must be severely riled to openly oppose the gods at council, and she had never seen him so visibly angry before.
“The other solution is to kill her and not have her live her life again. We will allow her to finally go to the beyond once and for all. We will hope the other two witches will be strong enough to help defend us in the great battle of good and evil.” Morrigan voiced her opinion.
“Always three witches will be required. How soon you forget, the other two most powerful magical witches are of her line, if Alainn dies now then the other two witches will never be born.” Aine reminded the god. “Dagda is correct. It will take considerably longer to search for another line.”
“But there will be others, witches of other lines. If we direct our powers to discovering others, surely we will be capable.”
“But you recall many of the others are much more given to using their powers to the dark side for that is often the easiest path for those who possess such magic,” Aine declared as she stared at Alainn with fondness.
“Your blood connection blinds you, Aine. It deems you incapable of being impartial to this decision!” Cythrawl declared.
“We have waited thirteen centuries by human measure, a minimal passage of time here in the realm of the gods. It is likely we will find another line and with the ability of stilling time in the human world, it will be of little consequence to us,” one of Morrigan’s sisters suggested.
“But by the same token, if the human world is stilled and time is put at a standstill, the searchers will not be capable of discovering Odhran, yet it is unlikely time will stop for Odhran. He has perfected his concealment spell and remains beyond our grasp.”
“Perhaps witches are not even required for they cannot claim the abilities of the gods.” Cythrawl insisted.
“But witches can go unnoticed in the human world unlike gods,” Aine spoke once more.
“One thing is for certain.” Dagda raised his voice as he looked toward the position of the moon in the sky. “This child within her absolutely cannot be allowed to come to be born into the human world!” He stared intently at Alainn and spoke once more. “You must drink from the cauldron of possibility. If you die then the decision is made for us, if you live, we must vote.”
Alainn hesitantly took the ladle of clear liquid Dagda had procured from the cauldron, but she placed it to her lips and sipped the contents without delay. There were several muffled comments as everyone waited. Nothing appeared to happen and Dagda called out.
“The cauldron of possibility has not claimed this young witch, so it is apparent we must vote. We vote, to end her life for the final time. In that case, we must search for another line of witches and find someone who may one day assist us. Or we have Alainn live the life again in hope she will learn from her mistakes. Having already passed the tests and without the evil being within her, she may be sent to the future to assist in locating and retrieving Odhran, so the final battle can one day be fought.”
Alainn listened while the Celtic gods decided her fate and was then placed in a state of immobility while they voted. She could not see or hear any of what was being said, but when she was revived, she wasn’t surprised to learn they had voted to permanently end her life this day.
Dagda issued the decision. “It has been decided you must die this day, young Alainn. Perhaps it is a kindness after all to have it done with so that you might finally know peace and go to the beyond.”
“Do you suppose the gifted magical searcher, Teige O’Rorke, will gladly serve the gods knowing his own daughter met death at our hands?” Lugh clearly hoped to change the minds of the other gods even though the votes had already been cast.
“Although it is true, he claims many magical abilities, we have been able to keep the knowledge of his connection to Alainn from him. Even when he was purposely put her in his path and we allowed him to rescue her on two occasions, he did not fall upon the fact she is his daughter. When she meets with death this day, he will never need know of her existence.” Dagda insisted.
Aine’s eyes grew wide at hearing this; perhaps relieved the other gods had not discovered she’d allowed Teige and Alainn to meet, but surely aware the ramifications would be catastrophic when he learned his daughter no longer lived.
“The vote has been decided, there will be no further discussion on the matter,” Dagda warned. “Regrettably, to ensure the worlds are protected from the evil she carries; the young witch must meet her end this day.”
“How will it be done?” Alainn wondered aloud hoping it would be a swift and painless death.
“You will stand within the etche
d circle. When my club is raised and brought down within the circle, your heart will stop immediately, your mind will go blank, you will simply cease to be,” Dagda informed her.
“Have you something to say to this?” Dagda asked Danhoul upon noting the aggrieved look on his face.
He shook his head, clearly knowing there was no other option he could offer bar having them all live this life over again, and perhaps by his influence the gods had already decided against that.
“And you, young witch, do you wish to speak on this decision?”
“No, I accept the council’s decision. However, I would like to make a last request. I must see my husband and speak with him before it is done. Allow us a last farewell.”
“Do you know where this man is, Aine?”
She shook her head sadly as she stared at Alainn.
“I know where he can be found, Dagda. I will retrieve him,” Danhoul said.
“Take her to the serene garden, Aine, and Danhoul the druid, will bring her husband to her once he has been located.”
They both nodded to the god and avoided looking into Alainn’s eyes.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Alainn sat on the grass in the quiet garden. The fragrant blossoms were pleasing to her heightened sense of smell. Tall trees with full weeping branches touched the ground and created a bower, a perfect secluded haven. She inhaled deeply and basked in the filtered sunlight through the branches and welcome sunshine on her face. She attempted to remain calm though her emotions were perilously close to the surface. She closed her eyes again and allowed the sun to warm her. She heard slow footsteps. She opened her eyes to see Killian had entered the garden. She noticed he grimaced when he walked and his eyes held a haunted quality.
Their eyes met, but he soon looked away. Tears threatened to flow, but she summoned her courage and swallowed hard. They had much to speak on and she could not allow herself to fall to weeping.
She stood, and walked to the settee where she sat, hoping to ease her trembling legs. She motioned to Killian to sit on the nearby chair.
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