“Ash -”
“Shhh, Alaric. She needs to know.” Turning back to me, my mother smiles sadly, “My dear daughter, you must embrace your calling. You must heed your need to understand The Underworld, and upon second thought, I think that Daxell here may be meant to walk that path with you.”
“What? I’m sorry, I don’t understand. What is my role? And why the sudden change of heart?” I demand, my mind spinning.
“Lillie, it’s up to you to determine your role, I have my suspicions, but just like me, you will have to follow your own path to unravel the secrets to your ascension. To answer your last question, Daxell has a unique light that he holds at bay. I see that now that he is standing here.” My mother smiles a brilliant smile and walks over to Daxell and pulls him into a hug. He looks so awkward as he bends down to hug her back, pulling away she looks up to him and says, “Thank you, Daxell, for taking care of our daughter last night and making sure she had something to eat this morning.”
“Your … welcome?” His reply is more like a question than and affirmation. He’s just as puzzled as I am at the turn of events.
My father steps forward, the two males are about the same height. For a moment the two just stand there, sizing one another up before he holds out his hand and says, “Please forgive my earlier outburst. Lillie is right, I allowed my desire to protect my daughter to override my sensibilities. Thank you for taking care of our Lillie Joanna.” The two shake hands, and the turn of events have Daxell looking adorably confused.
Da steps toward me and lays a hand on my shoulder and with his other hand he gently brushes his thumb across my forehead, pushing healing energy into me, and I whisper, “How did you know?”
“You know how, you hold the same gift. That and it’s just like you to punish yourself for last night’s transgressions.” Chuckling he continues, “It doesn’t take a genius to know how hungover you would be feeling after having drank faerie wine. I know that you’re an adult now, but you are still learning. Life is nothing if not a series of choices leading to learning experiences. You don’t have to punish yourself for mistakes that you make, just learn from them. Does your head feel better now?”
I nod and smile, “Yes, thank you.”
“Come on over here, you two. Our visit here to see Tarron was in regards to some whispers on the wind that we have come to investigate, that is before we got sidetracked. Daxell here may hold some of the answers to our questions. Questions directly related to The Underworld. Daxell, do you know where Morríganna resides there?” My mother asks, and for a moment I’m taken aback as all eyes in the room turn to him.
Daxell shakes his head, and replies, “I’ve heard talk, but she is one of Luc’s prized possessions, so her exact location is unknown. What little I do know is that her torture in The Underworld was custom designed for her, and her alone, by none other than Luc himself. At one time, she was supposedly imprisoned in the abyss of Hell, also known as Tartarus. Her torment is said to be that she was locked away in a room surrounded by mirrors so that where ever she looked, all she could see was her demon reflection. It has been told by the Underworlders that she was once a great beauty and that she can’t stand the sight of her Fallen form, her demon. Supposedly by the end of the click or day, she crumbles into dust, just like her sisters did the day she fell, only to be pieced back together to relive it all over again the next day. It’s my understanding that at some point her prison was moved from the abyss to the Fields of Punishment because she no longer posed a threat of escape. After a period of time, Luc had conditioned her to expect the same outcome day after day. I’m fairly sure that she resides there at this time, reliving her torture over and over again. If Luc has his way, this is how she will live out her eternity and he takes great pleasure in her torment. Do you mind if I ask why this is relevant?”
Both my parents inhale, and I look over to them, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“It’s been brought to our attention that The Morrígan has followers that are attempting to raise her from The Underworld.”
“What?! Since when?” I can’t help but exclaim.
“Evidently, since the moment she fell.” My father announces, before continuing, “For those of us that go by the time in Faerie it’s only been going on twenty years, but for those that ran from The Otherworld because they remained faithful to The Morrígan are said to have been hiding in The Mortal Realm. They have had over two hundred years to build their following.”
Tarron’s eyes narrow on that last bit of information, “I have not heard of any such following during my time here in The Mortal Realm. What kind of following are we talking about?” He
