I filled my lungs with warm air, and the smell of flowers hit me hard. It smelled like home; the sweetest places in Talamh na Sithe would smell like this for months at a time.
I’m lost yet found.
“Fear not, Teagan; you are safe here.” The voice was louder now that I was through the glass.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” I answered, toeing my way closer and closer to the location of the voice.
I walked around a curve in the path where the foliage was so thick it obscured my view. Huge, bright yellow flowers as large as my head dipped from vines hanging in trees as tall as the sky. I was stunned to silence by the beauty. The pull was strong. I wanted to stop and stare at the tiny bird with four wings beating so fast that they looked like they weren’t moving, but I couldn’t. I could only put one foot in front of the other or fall and be dragged.
Purple blooms, orange blooms, green blooms, and red assaulted me with their brightness and bold smells. I stopped breathing. I had an idea where I was and who beckoned me closer. I had no idea as to why.
The final step on the dense path took me into a meadow so green it did not look real. Horses of every color grazed by a clear, blue lake and birds like I had never seen flew overhead.
“Teagan, I’m glad you came.” The Great Goddess of All Things stood just to the left of the path I stumbled off. She was glorious with lavender eyes and long silver hair. She was naked, and the sun shined off the pale skin of her body.
Her hair blew in lazy strands around her face, and she glowed with ethereal beauty.
She was smaller than I expected.
Not that I ever expected to meet her.
The Goddess used to walk among her people, even mating with the men and having children, or so the old tales say. She has not walked with us for a while. Some say Aramea killed the one she loved most, causing her to forsake the rest. No one knows for sure.
As little girls, The Eight would stare in wonder at the walls of the Great Hall and note that the place smelled like sour magic and old blood. It was tainted beyond repair by foul deeds and suffering. It is whispered that the pain came from the Goddess’s truly born son, and for that, we suffer.
We used to play a game where we would guess what happened, and each girl would build upon it the most fantastical tales. Often shocked by the twisted stories we told one another on stormy nights by the light of a lone candle, we likely never got close to the truth.
Cedar and pine cannot rid that hall of the scent of dark magic permeating the air. I drop to my knees and lower my eyes.
“For my sake, get up,” she laughed with the sound of a thousand bells. “I mean it; up you go.”
I rose without trying.
“Goddess…”
“Call me Dani; I insist.”
“I.”
“Yes, you can.”
“Um.”
“Yes,” she said with finality, and I supposed yes, it was. She is the Goddess; you can’t fight that.
“Okay,” I said, still not meeting her eyes.
“Let’s walk,” she said. She turned, and I followed.
“This place is beautiful,” I said, scanning the meadow and the lake again, admiring its beauty. Insects chirped, and horses blew air through their noses, making soothing sounds that traveled across the field despite the stillness of the air.
“Thank you, it’s one of my favorites,” she said, looking out at the beauty surrounding us. Her silver hair flowed around her body, moved by a breeze I couldn’t feel.
“You’re wondering why you’re here,” she started, as we approached the still water. It was so clear you could see fish swimming below the surface.
“I suppose I am.” I crept up to the side of the lake and ran my toe through the water, chasing away a fish, my calm words hiding the fact that my heartbeat was like the wings of that strange bird. She laughed out loud, her head tilting back, so the sun caught her long silver lashes, making them glitter.
“Ever the cool one.” She smiled, her entire face open and warm. “Your path has not been an easy one, nor has it been kind, and for that, I apologize; it has, however, been necessary.”
“My path has had many forks but has not been unkind,” I said, tilting my face to the sun and allowing it to warm me. I hadn’t felt anything like this since Trolls took me.
“I’m glad you feel that way, and there are more forks to come, I am afraid. Though I cannot affect your future entirely, I have set in place many things to guide you where I wish you to go. You still have choices, and they are yours, but inasmuch as I can, I have great plans for you.” She turned the full power of her lavender gaze on me, and I had trouble standing in the power of it.
“I don’t understand,” I said, sliding to the grass and stretching out my legs so they could get sun too. My tattoos tingled when they connect with the ground as strength hummed through my muscles.
“And that’s okay.” My Goddess joined me on the ground.
Around us, animals shuffled, adjusting their positions to accommodate us. None of them were close, but their awareness of us was evident by the twitch of an ear here, and the rise of a head there.
“Magic boils from Eregion ground, yet they have forgotten me. Sisters divided my people, each liking their ways more than mine. They think their power is omniscient and their rule unending. They are wrong. Sisters will bring my lands together again and rejoin my people as One, and then we will be strong.”
“Here, where there is more magic than the land can recycle, these people have forgotten that we are One People. They have forgotten they have magic, trusting only the strength and might of their blades. Where I had forsaken the People of Talamh na Sithe, here, they have forsaken me. Yet in Talamh na Sithe, I ripped their futures from them to assuage my anger and grief, they worship me still.”
“I destroyed their land, their magic, and their lives, still, my name is upon their lips. I am ashamed of myself. One group took my son from me, and I made the entirety of my People pay for it.”
“Any mother would have done the same,” I said before I could stop myself. “Any mother with power would have razed the world and made it anew so that her son could live again. They got off easy,” I said, trying to let the compassion I felt for her loss bleed into my voice so that it might soften the steel. It’s mentioned on more than one occasion that I am far too direct. It’s a constant effort to temper that.
“Your heart is strong, young one,” she laughed, her smile reaching her eyes and making small lines around them. I have never seen anything more beautiful than my Goddess smiling. “But no. I was wrong. I accept responsibility for my actions and have begun the slow process of fixing them, and that is where you come in. Winter Court or Summer Court, Light or Dark, they are my courts. They were designed to be ruled separately but remain together. They were to pay homage to me, not to individual rulers. The Sisters are not omniscient, even I am not. I am their Goddess; they are not your Goddesses.”
“Sisters will fix what I have broken. The land will heal. Our People will be One again under better stewards than Kharis and Aramea. You will see to that. You and Airmed will see to that,” she finished, the fierceness of her statement echoed off the ground around us, and I could feel the promise in it.
“Why me?” I whispered so low I was afraid she couldn’t hear.
“Why not you?” She raised her head and caught my eye, and I saw steel in her gaze. “You are brave, strong, smart, and you see what is wrong with the world. Magic courses through you, and you know my name. You are the one. My faith and every confidence rest on you girls. You will fix what is broken.”
“I wouldn’t know where to start,” I said, shaking my head in denial. “I don’t want to rule. I never dreamed of such a thing, not like Ari does.”
“And that is why you will be a great ruler, Teagan. You’ve had nothing; no anchor except neglected and abandoned sisters. You’ve taught each other what no mother could. Compassion. Kindness. Piety. Love. Strength. Resolve. Had
you been raised by the mothers of Talamh na Sithe, you would not have learned those things. You girls are the future but not in the way Aramea hopes. Not yet. I respect that about you. You will honor your people in ways she never could.”
“I am honored, Great Goddess.”
“Call me Dani.” She plucked a flower out from the grass and brought it to her nose. After inhaling, she tossed the flower up, and it became a bright orange butterfly and fluttered away.
“Things are not always as they seem,” she started. “You must remember that. I gave you immense power, more than even Airmed, for she will have help where you have none. Your tattoos guide the way. They provide anything you will need. From the soil, your power flows, let it flow through you. Do not fight it. Guide it, for it is yours to guide. Show the others the way or cut them down where they stand. My People must be One, or they cannot heal. Remind them what they have forgotten. Teach them they are Goddess blessed and that magic is theirs if only they remember. Make them remember my name. They will not thank you. Not at first. Watch your back. This road has the potential to be bloody and long.”
“Your Trio of men will follow you if you treat them like what they are. Do not discount the help they offer but do not discount the treachery that lives in the hearts of those who do not want to see change take place. Even though their land is broken and twisted in ways Talamh na Sithe never has been, magic still bubbles from the ground. Take it. You’ll need it.”
“Someday, you will meet your Sister and her Daughter on the battlefield and destroy your enemies, for her Child’s power could, perhaps, rival mine someday. There will be peace. I promise you. But first, there will be war. They cannot win without you. Know that. You are the lynchpin in plans that go far beyond Eregion, Teagan. Being Goddess blessed is a blessing and a curse.”
“Dani, this seems impossible. All of it,” I huffed, blowing a strand of my wild hair out of the way.
“Nothing is impossible, my daughter. You will prevail. The road may be long, and there will assuredly be pain, but you will prevail. I can’t know everything, but I promise that much. She smiled again, and I saw just how magnificent a woman she is.
“I will do my best,” I said, watching sprites dance and jump across the lake.
“You may come to the lake anytime. While here, time stops for you. You need a safe place, so I give you access to this one. No monsters reside here but do not travel beyond the edges of the meadow, for if you do, time will restart, and discovery of this plan will add danger.
“It’s a lovely place. I thank you,” I said with a slight bow.
“You are welcome, my child. Return to Eregion and plot your course. I am here for you should you need me. Your Trio saw you fall through the portal, and although time has stopped, they are in the process of breaking my mirror.” She gave a quiet chuckle, shaking her head. “You chose well.” She reached up and kissed my cheek, and a sizzling warmth traveled down my face.
The tattoos came to life as lavender and silver sparks arced off them but caused no pain. I felt the power roll through their lines and continue until the silver light hit the ground below my bare feet and rippled out into the meadow beyond, marking this place as mine.
The animals in the area turned to look, striking curious poses. From where the Goddess once stood a large, ornamental red bird rose from the ground and flew away with a single beat of her massive wings. She caught a current and circled lazily once before flying away.
I sat, even though she said I needed to return. I lay on the ground and let it calm me. Quiet power thrummed through the tattoos on my feet, cycling through their lines and returning to the ground as if on a circuit. I wondered if I would always need to be barefoot to have access to the magic coursing through me. In the land of ice and snow, that could prove to be problematic.
Sighing, I rose and wound my way from the edge of the lake to the path. The Goddess said that once I left the meadow time would resume, so I hurried my steps in case the men were more successful at breaking the mirror than I had been.
I stepped through and grabbed the fists of the first man I could to stop him from hitting me instead of glass. I ducked to avoid the swing of a tool intended to break the mirror and rolled to a crouch in case they meant to turn their attack my direction. They froze, dropping to their knees and clasping their hands behind their backs. Their heads hung, and not one eye turned my way.
Chapter Six
Lyros
The woman stepped through the mirror as if it was an everyday occurrence to step through mirrors. She must be a witch. I’ve heard of those strange women and the things they do to men.
There is a slave in the pens whose former owner captured him from another land because he caught her eye. He told me all about witches. This woman must be from those lands. She rose from a fighting stance and cut her strange eyes to me. I dropped mine, not wanting to be trapped by them.
She let them roam, looking for anything out of place, and while her attention was not on me, I took her measure. She is a small thing, yet so thick with muscle, she seems larger. I had never seen anything like her before. Her hair is a reddish-yellow, wild mass of tight curls. Her eyes have planes to them, each a different color so that you could not say whether her eyes were amber, gold, or otherwise. Her skin is a milky brown with a dash of red, and nothing like the other women in this place. She contrasted even the ones they steal from far away realms. She was going to turn me into a frog, I just knew it.
I had hoped my smooth words and calm reaction earlier would help ease me peacefully into this new captivity. After seeing her step from the mirror, I knew there was no saving any of us.
She rose, walking up to us. “Up, please. None of this kneeling business.
“Mistress,” Kar said from his knees.
“None of that either. Up. Eat. Clean up. It’s been a long day; don’t make me give an order. Until we move elsewhere, this is our home. Here, we will act civilized.”
“Are we not going to talk about the mirror?” Syl asked, making me want to punch him. He would end up a toad before I if he didn’t shut his mouth.
“Not at this time,” she answered, not looking at him. I watched as her brows clinched together. She smelled different now, like thunderstorms and sweet flowers grown in wild places.
She moved around the room, kicking at discarded clothing and muttering to herself. Syl rose to his feet, and Kar and I followed suit, casting worried glances at each other. Syl, ever the brave one, went and began to pick at the food she offered.
“My name is Lyrolas, Mistress,” I said, bowing slightly in the direction of the tornado calling herself Teagan that ripped through the larger sleeping area.
“What a lovely name,” she said, popping up from behind the bed and throwing a pile of dresses over her shoulder to smile at me. “Goddess, I hate dresses.”
“Is there something specific you are looking for? Maybe we could help you find it.” I said, and Syl almost tripped over himself at my newfound helpfulness.
She stopped with a sigh, “I am looking for a pair of riding pants.” She dropped a pile of everything but riding pants onto the floor and stepped out of the ring she had made around herself. “We are riding to some Goddess forsaken section of this Goddess forsaken place. Kharis said I must go to ensure the ‘peaceful cooperation’ of whatever poor creatures live there,” she finished, slumping onto the corner of the bed and throwing her eyes our way.
We had migrated to the food and were tearing through it like beasts. We hadn’t eaten since breakfast.
“Must I ask for your names again, or are you going to tell me on your own?” she said, rising slowly and walking our way.
“My name is Syl’ta, and this is Thalakar. We call him Kar for short.” Kar shot him a dark look and righted his face quickly when she glanced his way.
“Does Kar speak?” she asked.
“I speak,” Kar said, bringing his eyes to hers but saying nothing else.
“Perfect. What duties are you ex
pected to perform when not with me?” she asked, getting to the point.
“I work in the stables, Mistress,” I offered first, unable to stop myself. I stifled a growl at my sudden compliance. A small note of it slipped past my lips, and I watched her notice.
“The horses hate him, it’s quite funny,” Syl said with a grin.
“What has made your lips so lose and your mouth so bold tonight, brother?” I asked, stalking towards him, the tension growing in my gut unbearable.
“Gentlemen,” Teagan said, she stepped between us, placing her arms on our chests to stop our advance.
With one word, we stilled, lowering our eyes to the floor.
“It’s been a long day for you as well, I’m sure. Eat your fill and shower if you like, but there will be no fighting.” Dropping her hands, she moved away.
I glared at Syl and felt my lip curl up in a snarl. I needed a good fight, but the Lady was right; we could not do it here. He winked his twinkling eye at me, and I wanted to poke it out. What fresh torture was this? I wondered as I paced around the room, looking for riding pants to calm my nerves. Finding a pair that wasn’t too wrinkled, I set them on the cleanest table in the room. Then I began to pick up the surrounding mess. How anyone could sleep in this pit was beyond me.
Syl covered his laugh with his hand and joined me in picking through the piles of clothes, and I knew for a fact he would be a newt before the end of the week. Our new mistress was most certainly a witch to have our tongues moving so freely, and she would soon tire of his brazenness.
“I work in the meat shops, cutting up what the hunters bring back,” Syl said, cutting his sharp eyes at the woman rifling through a pile of shoes.
“Very good then. Are you handy with a knife?” she asked, dragging a pair of tall riding boots from beneath her discarded shoes.
“Not too handy, My Lady,” he answered. Kar snorted water from his nose as he choked on his drink.
Syl was deadly with a blade. He’d proven that many times. Our first owner never returned from a hunting trip because of it. Her body was never found and never would be. We were aged only seventeen years back then, and he was already far deadlier than both of us put together.
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