“You’re truth telling there, Ashling,” Fergus said. “The mortal world of today has progressed with technology at an amazing pace. Why, it’s almost like magic to see what they can do with those miracle machines. Still and all, the family ties amongst the mortals have fallen into decay at a sorrowful pace. Mothers and fathers rejecting their own children is all too common. I’m grateful to the likes of Bill and Eva Stanton for stepping in where help was needed.”
“Well said, Fergus,” Ashling said. “While we can’t undo his past, we can help Sean take hold of his future.”
“At least we know where his amazing powers came from, since he inherited both dark and light Sidhe bloodlines through his mother. They may go back a fair piece, but his ancient ancestors passed down powers beyond belief,” Eamon said.
“What you say is true, Da,” Ashling said, but not all his blood lines are so ancient. You see, Orlagh also mated with a descendant of Donal. From what his DNA tells us, Sean may have more of the Tuatha blood in his veins than he does from Faolan.”
“Say it isn’t so,” Fergus mumbled, while pondering this latest information.
“It doesn’t mean he’s doomed to follow the dark path of Donal,” Ashling said. Remember, he also has much of Faolan’s bloodline in his DNA. While his mixed blood may explain where his unusual powers come from, it doesn’t mean he’ll choose to use them for malevolent purposes. Please remember that we all came from the same bloodlines in the beginning.”
“What you say may be true, Ashling,” Fergus said. “Still and all, it should give us pause to consider the possibility.”
“Especially when you consider that those of our beloved people, who’ve chosen to follow Donal’s dark path over the millennia since his rebellion, were almost all of his ancestry,” Eamon said.
“I’m not likely to forget, Da,” Ashling said. “Do you not remember who was against bringing him into our midst in the beginning?”
“Aye, that I do, that I do, Daughter,” Eamon said. “I’m the one who felt his coming among us was not by chance. Truth be told, I still feel that way. There’s no doubt that Sean is someone special. Still and all, we must keep an open mind about the future After all, he could be someone special but not to our cause.”
“So we must keep an open mind and hope for the best,” Fergus said. “Especially when we consider the enemy, who even now searches for our hidden location. She will stop at nothing to destroy us. If I didn’t know much better, I’d suppose she might be the reincarnation of Donal or even Danu herself. If she ever finds out about Sean’s abilities, she’ll stop at nothing to turn him to their malicious purposes.”
Eamon and Ashling both nodded in solemn agreement. As they continued their discussion and planning for the future, their common enemy was relentlessly pursuing their destruction.
* * *
Sean was sleeping deeply in his beautifully renovated home in the hills overlooking downtown Portland. He’d enjoyed his trip to Portland but was feeling anxious to return to Rundimahair. His plan was to leave early the next morning.
He’d spent much of the week in his office catching up on housing and development projects, which were underway or in the planning stages. Sean had always loved the excitement of his real estate business, but during this visit he’d found his usual enthusiasm lacking.
It had been good to work with Jennie and see they were doing well without his constant input and supervision. Before he’d met Ashling, it might have bothered Sean to realize he wasn’t indispensable. Now the realization came as a great relief.
Jennie and the office staff didn’t seem to find it unusual when he’d explained he’d be out of town for an extended period. Her only response had been, “Be sure to keep your cell phone handy, in case I need to reach you.”
It was nearly two in the morning when his deep sleep was interrupted by another strange dream. His subconscious was beginning to recognize what Ashling called her prophetic dreams. Most of his prophetic dreams were related to Ashling and Rundimahair. This dream was something entirely different.
Sean was in a tall, spacious building, which resembled an ancient castle. It had fallen into a state of ruin over thousands of years. Even in its dilapidated condition, there was an air of grand majesty about it.
The ancient fortress walls, which surrounded the castle, were still mostly intact. The castle itself was situated on a grassy hillock overlooking the sea. It was crumbling badly in parts, but was still a very impressive sight.
In his dream, Sean was suddenly standing just outside the crumbling stone walls of the castle. A gentle breeze touched his face. It was somewhat chilly, but not unpleasant. He could see through the crumbling castle walls to the grounds on the far side. Much of the interior walls had long ago fallen to ruin.
When he touched the cold, moss-covered stones, Sean felt a sudden burst of energy swirling around him. It was similar to the energy he knew shielded Rundimahair, but it was subtly different. Sean watched in fascination while a stone near what had once been the entryway began to glow in soft, blue hues. Instinctively, he stepped forward and cautiously put his right hand on the glowing stone.
Nothing happened for several moments, but slowly the stone began to turn warm under his hand. The soft, blue light began to glow brighter and the color seemed to intensify. Sean considered pulling his hand away as the stone grew hotter to the touch. A sense of urgency about maintaining contact with the stone forced him to keep his hand in place.
For several minutes he watched the blue light intensify and gradually encompass all the castle ruins. Before he could decide what to do next, the blue light exploded outward, forcing Sean to cover his eyes with his hands.
When nothing else happened, he slowly lowered his hands and opened his eyes. The ancient ruins had disappeared along with the vibrant blue light. Now he was standing at the opulent front entry doors of the largest, most beautiful building he’d ever seen.
While the structure resembled an ancient castle in some ways, it appeared more modern in design, while still maintaining its old-world charm. The new castle was made from rugged stone and was four stories high. There were large turrets at each corner, which towered twenty feet above the gray-tiled, steeply pitched roof. The beautiful, immense castle and grounds would easily encompass three city blocks in downtown New York.
There was attractive ornate stone and tile trim around the dozens of windows and doors. Sean had seen many beautiful structures in person, or online, but he’d not seen anything that could hold a candle to this beauty.
In addition to the building itself, there were acres of stunningly well-maintained grounds. Among the landscaping were many unusual trees and bushes of various sizes and shapes. They were carefully placed in what appeared to be several acres of immaculately maintained green lawns. It would take dozens of workers, countless riding mowers and hedge and tree trimmers to maintain the grounds so immaculately. That didn’t even take into consideration the thousands of gallons of water and miles of sprinkler lines that kept everything a beautiful, vivid green.
The real estate investor, architect and builder sides of his nature gaped in awe at the massive feat of engineering. Even with today’s technology, it would have taken years to complete.
In the far distance he could see dozens of buildings, which appeared to be a mixture of barracks and apartments. Beyond these buildings were at least twenty or more two and three-story buildings, neatly arranged in large circular patterns. He wasn’t sure why, but he sensed a decidedly military vibe coming from this area.
Sean turned back to the beautiful castle-like building in front of him. The same compulsion that had encouraged him to place his hand on the glowing stone, now pushed him toward the massive front entry doors. The entryway was above him at the top of the stairs. Sean had to walk up at least two-dozen stairs just to reach it.
He took a moment to catch his breath, before raising the ornate, iron-knocker and pounding it against the steel-reinforced, thick oak doors. After w
aiting for several minutes, he was about to pound harder. Before he renewed knocking however, the door slowly swung open. He waited for a butler or maid to step into the open doorway, but after a moment he realized there was no one there.
Sean looked around outside and then peeked inside the palatial entryway. He finally came to the realization that he was the only person here. At least he was the only one within eyesight or hearing distance.
After a few moments’ hesitation, he felt that same nagging sensation to move forward and explore the interior of the castle. He pushed the door open wide and stepped onto the polished flagstone entryway. He slowly closed the massive front door behind him.
The interior was also beautiful on a grand scale that must have cost millions to create. It was vast and open, with natural light flooding the interior from countless windows, doors, and skylights.
The plush furnishings were also expensive. It must have cost a fortune to furnish such a palatial interior. Sean was impressed, but also a bit put off by the gaudy display of immense wealth. It reminded him of some of the hotel-casinos he’d seen in Las Vegas. It was impressive in its own showy style, but it was too much for his tastes.
It took him nearly an hour to tour through the entire castle. He was feeling a little bored by the showy interior by the time he walked back downstairs.
When he was about to turn toward the large front doors, he heard what sounded like a trapped animal growling somewhere below him. He looked around for a set of stairs leading to what he assumed was a basement, but he couldn’t find the stairway.
The roaring and growling almost sounded like an animal in pain. It also sounded like a powerful, potentially dangerous creature.
He thought it might be wise to head out the front doors and leave before someone arrived home and found him there. Just as he turned to leave, he heard the distinct ding that usually signaled the arrival of an elevator.
That same feeling, which touched his mind earlier, encouraged him to follow the sound. He walked down the hall and turned into a large open landing. At the far side of the landing was a set of large, stainless-steel elevator doors. A red light was blinking above the doors, as the familiar ding reverberated through the landing area again.
When he took a step toward the doors, they suddenly opened, revealing a large, posh elevator. He stepped inside and pushed the letter B, which he assumed meant he was going to the basement. The doors closed quickly and he felt a rush of speed while the elevator descended quickly.
When the doors opened again, he was looking at a long, wide hallway that was at least twenty feet across. On each side of the hallway were heavy, steel doors that looked like they were strong enough to stop a speeding tank from crashing through them.
The elevator dinged again, and Sean took that as his cue to step out into the hallway. There was a slight movement of air in the hallway, circulated by almost noiseless fans. They seemed to be circulating scented air which smelled like spring flowers.
As he walked quietly down the wide hall, he noticed an underlying scent that was very unpleasant. It resembled what he imagined was the odor of decomposing flesh. He knew that if he stayed down here very long, the smell would make him gag.
Suddenly, something large and very strong slammed into one of the doors on his left. It made the door shake from the impact, but the door was designed to resist such abuse.
What could only be described as a demonic wail came from inside the room behind the door. Whatever creature made the noise sounded like it was in pain and very, very angry.
Sean carefully touched the heavy latch on the door and said quietly, “Are you all right?”
The response was instantaneous and vicious. The creature began slamming against the door in rapid bursts of energy, all the while screaming its rage at Sean.
“Time to leave,” was the thought that urgently filled his mind.
Sean fully agreed and hurried back to the elevator. He no longer wanted to know what was inside the basement rooms. In fact, he felt an urgent need to leave this strange place immediately.
When he stepped out of the elevator, Sean hurried back into the entry hallway. It was definitely time to get himself gone from here.
Just as he hurried toward the front doors, four very large, powerfully built men stepped through the entryway. Sean was now feeling scared and nervous as he watched them walk directly toward him.
The man in the middle was more intimidating than the other three which was saying quite a bit. They were all similar to a young Arnold Schwarzenegger. It wasn’t just his massive size which caused this feeling. It was more a sense of sinister power radiating from him, although he was tall and incredibly muscular.
The four men walked toward him at a rapid pace, glaring with blank, menacing expressions. His fight-or-flight sense kicked into high gear, but he hoped he could talk his way out of trouble without things getting physical. There was no way he was going to win if this turned into a slugfest.
“Look, I understand that you’re upset, and I apologize for walking into your home uninvited. I didn’t break in though. I know it sounds strange, but the front door just opened on its own. Of course it didn’t give me the right to just walk in, but I was curious to see what this amazing place looked like inside.”
Sean realized he was babbling now, and from the look on their faces, they weren’t listening anyway. They just continued to glare at him in a way that almost appeared like they were looking right through him.
He quickly stepped out of the way when they were almost in his face, but he brushed against the big man closest to him. Instead of turning this contact into a physical confrontation, the group just walked into what looked like a conference room and shut the door behind them.
Sean furrowed his brow as he looked at the place where his shoulder had contacted one of the men. Although Sean knew he’d bumped the big guy’s arm, he realized that he hadn’t felt a thing. Just as that was starting to creep him out, the strange whisper he’d been hearing on rare occasions spoke to him now.
“You are only here in spirit,” passed through his mind. “They cannot see or hear you.”
As he heard the voice in his head, Sean realized it wasn’t really a whisper. It was hard to explain–even to himself. It seemed as though someone was talking softly inside his mind. It felt like an old friend he’d known for years but hadn’t heard from for a very long time.
“Who are you?” Sean asked aloud.
“Your Guide, now please turn around. Grainne is why you are here,” the voice murmured in his mind, in the same calm, quiet manner.
“Who or what is a Grainne?” Sean muttered, as he turned and looked toward the front door.
Sean’s question was answered when a tall, stunningly beautiful, and curvaceous woman walked through the doorway. She appeared to be in her twenties, except for the look in her eyes. Those dark gray eyes seemed to express several lifetimes of experience.
She wore her thick, lustrous, dark-brown hair onto her shoulders. In her four-inch heels, she was near to his height. Her stride was quick and confident, and her form-fitting designer dress really accented her perfectly shaped figure.
Sean stood very still and hardly breathed as the striking woman sauntered past him. She too seemed oblivious to his presence. She’d marched by him like he wasn’t even there.
The beautiful woman quickly approached the conference room, just as another dozen men and women hurried through the home’s entrance door.
They all rushed past him and filed by the gorgeous woman holding the conference room door open. They smiled and greeted her with friendly respect, but Sean could see a certain uneasiness in their demeanor. The woman holding the door was definitely the one in charge.
“Thank you, Grainne,” another attractive woman said, as she passed into the conference room. “It looks like we’re all here.”
“We’d all better be here,” the woman she called Grainne said, smiling prettily.
She’d spoken in an open, fri
endly manner, but Sean sensed the steel in her voice. The one called Grainne was used to being obeyed.
Just as the last person was filing past her to enter the conference room, Sean took a couple of steps toward them. If he could get past her before she closed the door, he could hear what they had to say.
When Sean was within twenty feet of the door, Grainne suddenly turned and looked in his direction. He froze instantly. Something about the predatory look on her face terrified Sean.
“Do not move and do not look at her!” the voice in his mind said urgently. “She shouldn’t be able to sense your presence, but she has extraordinary powers of perception.”
Sean looked down at the lovely flagstone floor and tried to clear his mind of all conscious thought. Even without making eye contact with her, he felt sure Grainne was glaring at him.
His breathing became shallow, and he was preparing to turn and run for the entry door, as he heard her high heels move slowly across the floor. It sounded like she was heading right for him.
“Be still as death,” the voice in his head whispered.
“Still as death?” Sean repeated in his mind. That wasn’t a very comforting thought.
She was close enough for him to smell her lovely perfume. It was an alluring fragrance, which he was sure cost a fortune.
Sean’s “run for your life” senses were now kicking into overdrive. Despite her great beauty, he felt a dark and deadly nature inside of Grainne.
He wanted to look up and see how close she was, but heeded the quiet voice and kept his head down. He was so still he could barely feel himself breathe. Then he saw her high-heeled shoes come into view, where he was staring at the floor.
She was only five feet away. Now she was three feet away. The urgent desire to make a run for it was nearly overwhelming. Sean swallowed hard and prepared to turn and sprint for the front door.
Just as he was ready to turn and run, a loud thud came from the front door. Immediately he felt Grainne turn her attention to the front door. He let his breath out in a slow, deliberate sigh.
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