Where had she been taken? Was this purgatory...limbo? Was she somehow in a place beyond time, stuck in a realm between the human world and another? She shivered again and tried to warm herself with her magic. Upon doing so she felt blinding pain surge through her head and into her body. Apparently she was not to employ her powers here in this dismal location. How then was she ever to leave this bleak place without employing her supernatural abilities?
She finally made her way to the top of the steep hill and looked over the edge of the cliffs. Below her lie more dark colorless hills for as far as her eyes could see. Perhaps this was hell, she dared to think. The priests had described hell as a fiery pit; perhaps they had been incorrect. Alainn felt herself growing steadily colder and the persistent unsettled feeling in her stomach made her retch and spew. She lowered herself to sit and pondered what she might do about her present dire predicament.
From somewhere beyond the distant mountains she began to hear unsettling noises. There were moans of utter despair and hopelessness. Soon there were more and more similar moans filled with misery and wretched woefulness, followed by tormented weeping. It was as though it echoed from the dark mountains to the bleak valleys and back again in a constant inharmonious dirge of suffering.
Alainn felt chilled to the very bone by the hopelessly mournful cries. She reasoned if she were to remain here for any length of time the level of despair would soon erode her soul. She shivered as she looked down and saw her charmed amulet had begun to glow. It glowed as a signal to her when evil was near. Alainn surmised if ever there was a location that contained evil, or a place where evil could sink its teeth into its unfortunate victims, it would be here.
Alainn intrinsically placed her hands on her amulet. Even though it was so warm she felt it beginning to burn her skin, it seemed to take away the unnatural chill and the dread, and more importantly it filled her with hope. She soon felt a golden glow surround her. It ably lit the path before her and she set out following it without question.
She wasn’t certain how long she’d been on the path or when she’d begun to run, but she held tight to her amulet and raced as fast as her feet would allow. It was only when she saw the glowing portal in the distance that she realized that there was someone or something running after her. She grew breathless and the portal seemed ever distanced. She dared to listen and realized there were several creatures or beings chasing her. One drew so near she smelled the repulsive odor and felt the foul hot breath upon her neck.
She continued to run, keeping Killian’s face in her mind’s eye knowing she must find a way to escape this horrid location and get back to him. She finally reached the portal and stepped within, but not before glancing back to catch a glimpse of what hellishness had been chasing her.
Alainn shuddered as she leaned against the portal. She recalled the hideous sight she had seen in that last moment before closing the portal to the dark realm. She remembered looking into the many disturbingly ghastly dead faces of those who had aided the dark demon ...the evil priest from Castle O’Brien, the two nefarious McGilvary brothers, and Brendan O’Leary, the man who had driven the cursed blade into her back. Killian admitted having ended Brendan O’Leary’s life when he had found him aimlessly wandering the docks when their ship had returned to Ireland.
As she had stared in disbelief at O’Leary’s corpse in the dark realm, she had seen the long slash across his chest from Killian’s sword. She’d looked at the other horrific creatures and surmised they truly were all dead, yet they remained accomplices of the dark demon even after death. They did not look as they had in life as was the case with Shylie or Diadra, but rather as they had as each had met death and now they were surely in various stages of decomposition.
The priest who had been killed by Danhoul and Aine had a large blackened burn mark upon his chest from Aine’s magical sword. Richard McGilvary’s entire body was a mangled mass of torn flesh from meeting his death by a pack of dogs, and his brother, Henry, who had died by a beheading at Killian’s hand, looked as though he had simply placed his severed head upon his shoulders, but it disturbingly sat at an odd angle that suggested it might fall off at any time.
She dared to take one last look at the detestable lot and she saw that lagging far behind them was the woman whom she had believed was Ciara from the future. Her face remained covered with the many scratches and bite marks as she had appeared when Alainn had seen her in her visions and dream. As Alainn stared at her, she had smiled evilly at Alainn as their eyes met.
Alainn had stepped through the portal, her heart pounding with fear, and she placed her hands to it, hastily uttering a closing spell that appeared to have capably sealed it, at least for the time being. She stood still for a lengthy time, simply allowing her heartbeat to slow and her breath to return.
When she was confident that her trembling legs would be capable of holding her, she set out once more still in darkness, but for the light emitted from her amulet. She made her way down a long dark corridor. The eerie location was filled with thick mist, that swirled and faded around her and Alainn took each slow step with caution. When the mist momentarily receded, she saw numerous portals lined the corridor similar to the underwater corridor she’d seen on the night of Samhain when she’d created the portal in hopes of sending the demon within it. A searcher had come to assist her that night. She thought back to that time and wondered if she dwelled on it long enough, if a searcher would come to her now. She attempted it for a time, but to no avail. She now stood before each portal and attempted to learn what lie behind each door. She was exceedingly thankful her amulet burned brightly as she stood before the doors alerting her to the evil that surely lurked behind those doors.
When it appeared she would never find a safe haven, she intuitively walked to a location first concealed by the unrelenting mist. She was drawn to this place and knew it must hold importance and a means of escaping this endless corridor. She brushed away the thick cobwebs covering the entrance and nearly concealing it. As she glanced within, she saw it was a set of stone steps. They appeared nearly ancient as though they hadn’t been used in an age. The stones were crumbling and Alainn tested the first few steps to determine if they would hold her. When it seemed safe, she saw it was lit by golden sconces and as Alainn moved upward more sconces were magically lit as she passed by.
Alainn sensed the stairway was filled with powerful enchantment. When she ascended the steps she felt as though these steps were endless, that she was climbing, climbing, ever-climbing, but not actually making progress. When she stared ahead and then behind her it appeared the stairway was truly infinite. She momentarily wondered if this was a type of treachery and it may be an endless ascent, or that when she finally reached the top she would simply meet up with the disturbing corpses of those she had left behind the portal. In discouragement she stopped and sat upon the steps uncertain if she should continue, for at the moment her intuition did nothing to calm her fears and uncertainties.
Although she did not sense this was a place of malevolence, she knew she couldn’t simply continue to climb the steps without hope there would be a portal to a safe realm when or if she reached the top. She was startled when she saw the spirit, Shylie appear.
“Diadra sent me to inform you this is most certainly the path you must take; that you should not question it, but that you must continue on this enchanted stairway. She has walked these very steps before, as has my brother, Teige, your own father.”
Alainn was filled with a sudden vision of Diadra heavy with child fleeing evil and making her way up the stairs. She was also both stunned and pleased to see a vision of a man who must surely be Teige O’Rorke, her father, making his way up these very steps. He had notable physical similarities to Shylie, to Rory and to herself. Alainn beamed at finally being allowed to see a vision of her father. In seeing his face, she saw he was a handsome man filled with much strength and muscularity, and by the way he carried his sword as he raced up the steps she felt certain he was da
untless as well. His eyes were a dark blue much darker than her own blue eyes, and they were filled with determination. Alainn’s heart skipped a beat as he turned his head and she suddenly realized this man was the searcher.
It had actually been her very own father who had saved her from the demon on the night of Samhain and ensured the demon was closed behind the portal. He had saved her on two occasions and had been the man who had been held prisoner in the stone circle in England by Ciara and the coven. She had not gone to save him even though she knew he was in peril and yet somehow she felt perhaps she had inadvertently sent the hellhounds and the dragons to free him. She preferred to think it was so.
Her father was a magical druid searcher, the searcher who had saved her life. Of that much she was entirely certain. As quickly as the vision had come, it left. Alainn reached out before her wishing she could hold tight to the image of her long lost father.
Alainn nodded to Shylie relieved she was with her and that she was no longer alone, but the spirit dematerialized as quickly as she had appeared. The brief encounter had given Alainn encouragement to continue. She took a deep breath and set out once more on her seemingly never-ending ascent.
When Alainn finally reached the top she felt as though she had been walking for hours on end, and was completely exhausted, and entirely breathless. She surmised she had never felt so overwhelming weary in her entire life. She stepped out from the stairwell into a moonlit night in a land with soft green grass so inviting, she simply lay down upon it and immediately fell into an unnatural slumber.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Alainn was roused from her sleep by the sound of loud disturbing bellowing. Her first thought as she opened her eyes was that she was finally completely warm again, and grateful to be lying upon grass. She appreciatively caressed the smooth grass beneath her. She was greatly relieved to see the sun in the cloudless blue sky and that once more there was color all around her. Still cautious, she rose slowly given her previous light-headedness. Again, she heard the noisy terrified wails, but was relieved they were not the despairing moans and weeping from the dark place she had previously been.
Listening closer she also detected the high-pitched shrill voices that surely must belong to fairies. She set to walking toward the sound and it was apparent by the displeasing tone and the taunting sound that it was wicked fairies she would meet this day. She had heard they existed, and as with any type of creatures, humans included, there were always degrees of light and dark, good and evil. Although she had met many fairies in her life, and some were given to mischief and calamity, and clearly the bog fairies could be repugnant and unwelcoming, she couldn’t say she had ever met the wicked type of fairy, and certainly not a ring of wicked fairies which she suspected is what she would soon fall upon.
She knew they were feared by many, that they were respectfully avoided by most. Even the various species of fairies in the fairy glades and mystical realms she had visited spoke of the wisdom in avoiding wicked fairies. But by the continued deep resonating tone, Alainn surmised there was a creature in need of assistance. She couldn’t abide anyone being tormented and at the very least, if she wasn’t able to leave this realm anytime soon, she couldn’t bear listening to the sound of the lamenting creature.
As she walked down the winding path she pondered what type of creature was being held at the mercy of the ring of wicked fairies. She concluded there was only one certainty; it was surely large for the sound reminded her of the dragons she had once freed while in the realm of the gods. She also considered what realm she was in now, and of course she knew the possibilities were endless. There were allegedly thousands of fairy glades and in each one there were apparently equally as many portals to mystical realms in her time alone. The thought occurred to her she had no notion if she was in the past, present, or future. She prayed that wherever she was that time was altered and that little time had lapsed, especially for Killian who would be most fretful when she had not yet returned, and particularly for Danhoul if he was in a continued painful state. She momentarily wondered if the throbbing head and purulent stomach she’d been feeling as she was magically transported was what Danhoul experienced when they were far parted. If that was truth she was filled with deep empathy at this unfavorable lot in life being saddled with the task of being her guardian.
The unnerving noise was growing louder so Alainn knew she was close. She also heard the unpleasant chatter of a chorus of high pitched voices. As she rounded a bend in the path, her eyes fell on a most unusual sight. There were possibly a hundred in this ring of wicked fairies and they were surrounding, unmercifully taunting and torturing what clearly must be a giant. Alainn had never viewed an actual giant before, and she hadn’t with any certainty known if they actually existed or if they were simply folklore or myth, but Danhoul had said they were, indeed, found in the realm of the gods. Once more she attempted to discern if she might be in that realm, but in looking skyward she noticed there was only one sun in the sky, not four as in the gods’ realm.
Alainn’s thoughts and observations returned to the giant. Even though he was sitting at the moment, this creature was unbelievably enormous. As Alainn stared at him her eyes moved up and up and she reasoned when standing he must be taller than the trees, and that in actuality, his head might surely reach up to the clouds. His hands were massive, and his head immense. At the moment there were perhaps a dozen wicked fairies darting and flying around his head, and he swatted at them as they giggled and tittered nastily. Some were pitching pebbles at him and others had fashioned miniature bows and were using thistles as arrows and flinging them at the giant. Where they landed, they either stuck in his skin or left huge welts.
“You’re a giant baby, is what you are!” she heard one comment.
“An ugly monster who is as easily frightened as a human child!” another shrieked and flew at his head.
The giant continued swatting at them and he cried loudly as they took turns flying at him and laughing in a particularly mean-spirited spiteful manner. With his huge fingers he attempted to tug at the thistles imbedded in his skin and in trying to remove the prickly spears with his incomprehensibly large hands, Alainn estimated he was possibly pushing them deeper within and causing himself more discomfort.
“Go away. Leave me alone. I mean you no harm.” The giant’s disturbingly loud pleas tore at Alainn’s heart as she saw the huge teardrops rolling down his gargantuan face as she approached.
She cleared her throat in announcing her presence for the entire lot of the fairies appeared to be so intent in their nasty taunting they did not notice Alainn as she approached.
Several of them turned and were startled to see someone they did not recognize.
“What type of being are you?” the first questioned.
“I believe she’s a human female?” one sneered in distaste.
“A woman?” another questioned.
“There have seldom been humans present in this realm,” the one who appeared to be the leader of this unpleasant attack spoke.
“She will be of no consequence to us,” another tiny fairy darted once more toward the giant’s face and snickered.
The giant thrashed his head again in an attempt to thwart their constant badgering.
The fairies obviously believed Alainn would simply allow the torment to continue or that she would not dare challenge them when their numbers were many.
“What is it you hope to accomplish by hurting and terrifying this giant?” she began as she stood with her arms crossed in annoyance.
The entire group of them turned to stare at her as she spoke.
“It is none of your concern woman; leave us now and you will not see us turn our attention toward you,” one harshly squeaked.
“Do you truly believe I fear you?” Alainn laughed.
This clearly caused the entire circle of fairies to finally take notice.
“It is common knowledge giants fear fairies, even fairies of a good temperament and not as n
oticeably wicked as the lot of you. But I am not a giant and I warn you, it would be wise if you were all to leave so that I don’t turn my attention to you.”
Several giggled in a disturbing manner, a group of them flew toward her and hovered so close she could hear their wings fluttering and feel the breeze they created.
“A mere woman cannot harm us for we are fairies,” they tittered.
“And what of a witch?” she posed. “Might a witch with magical powers bring you harm?”
“A witch?” she heard the buzz of their tiny voices as they chattered together discussing this new information.
“Aye, a witch,” she said as she walked closer to them and penetrated their ring without hesitation. As she dared to approach the colossal giant, she felt several of the fairies fly toward her. She held out her hand and effortlessly sent them flying away at a tremendous speed. Some appeared discouraged by this, but others apparently took it as a challenge.
“Why do you wish to cause unjust grief for this giant? What has he done to you?”
“He is huge and he is disgustingly ugly!” one particularly vicious fairy blurted.
“Beauty is much subjective, Blithe, and size is irrelevant to a being’s character. A beautiful heart with a kind demeanor is far more desirable and significant in my opinion.”
“How do you know my name?” The fairy seemed to miss the point entirely and she flew toward Alainn with fury in her eyes.
Alainn easily caught her in her hand and held her wings between her fingertips as she stared at the tiny fairy with displeasure.
“Are you feeling peckish, giant?” she quipped. “Would you care for a mid-day snack?” she asked as she approached the hulking creature.
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