“Things will never be the same between us again.” Sighing, I just hold on to Daxell. I’m not sure how long we just stand there before everyone begins trickling into the room. Knowing that I need some time to myself but also wanting to get down to the problem at hand. Sensing my mother’s presence I turn to her and she welcomes me into her arms.
“Lillie, have some faith, your bond with your brother is not broken. If anything? From this moment on, it will be stronger than ever. The two of you have travelled so far and you both are finally ready to fulfill your purpose. Your brother,” my mother sighs, “he, just like you, will get through this. You’ve just had a lot more time to process and you’ve found your kindred. Lachlan now needs to find his own soulmate. I believe that it is key to his ascension.”
Pulling back, I ask, “But where will he go?”
Smiling, my mother says, “The same place you did, The Mortal Realm. There he will have the time it takes to come to terms with everything. Now, we have a problem that begs to be solved. Lillie … Daxell? Tell us everything.”
Daxell and I settle in as everyone draws around us. The fire is crackling and snapping in the grate, the warmth soothing against the stormy night and we begin retelling our adventures starting with Rapa-City. Poppy is quick to add her quirky little details as our story unfolds. We tell them everything from beginning to end. Including what happened just off the back terrace not that long ago. How I had to wrestle with Nemesis and how she is a part of who I am now. As I finish, I sit back to gauge everyone’s expressions. The room is quiet. The only sounds to be heard are those of the fire and the wind that has picked up once more outside.
My Nonna, Danu, is the first to speak, “Lillie, tell us again what the Fate, Jillisandra said.”
“Which part, Nonna?”
“The last part, peata.” She leans back into my grandfather’s arms. The two so attuned to one another and such a handsome couple.
“Well … She said that Time has brought us here and that the Primordial beings are beginning to wake once more.”
“Yes, yes, the last part dear.”
Daxell leans forward, “She said this, “The daughter will seek the mother, but the mother must not be raised, lest chaos be unleashed upon all the realms.”
I chime in, “She had to be talking about Nyx releasing Morríganna from The Underworld. If we can stop her from doing that then maybe she will not be able to ascend. Right now she’s powerful in her own right but once she gets to Morríganna, what then? She and Mammon have plans that will cause certain upheaval for all of the realms.”
Dagda stands to pace before turning back to the rest of us, “We may be too late to stop Nyx. Alaric was correct when he said this storm is unnatural. Where did you say that Nyx took you before sending you to The Underworld?”
Thinking back on my brief captivity, I recall the fortress, and I relay what I remember, “It was a castle carved into the side of a volcanic mountain. It was like nothing that I had ever seen before. It was black obsidian with veins of crimson. It was nestled into a mountain range. Why?”
“Because we never found The Morrígna’s fortress after they were dispatched. I believe that is where Nyx has been hiding all this time. She must be powerful indeed to keep the wards up for twenty-some years.”
“Well, she evidently trained from birth with the dark witches that pledged their loyalty to The Morrígan.”
“That would explain why we never found the fortress. I would hazard a guess that all this unholy weather that we are experiencing has something to do with Nyx’s plans for her mother.” Dagda ponders.
“Of course!” Aunt Lexie exclaims, “The Beltane. That’s this evening.”
“What does Beltane have to do with anything?” Poppy asks.
“Beltane ushers in a time of renewal, fertility, and growth. Most majic users will wait until the Beltane to practice their most powerful majic. Whatever Nyx has planned for Morríganna will take place tonight. Dagda’s right. I don’t think that there is anything that we can do to stop her tonight.”
“But there has to be something that we can do!” I demand.
“I’m afraid not. We just don’t have enough information. We don’t even know where she is, Lillie. Sometimes you just need to sit back and regroup.” Da says, “This is just the beginning, it’s not a sprint, this will be a marathon, so we will need to pace ourselves and determine what the end game will be.” For the first time ever, Da looks weary, older somehow standing next to Dagda.
Sinking back against Daxell and taking comfort in him being there, I ask, “Then how do we need to proceed?”
Daxell speaks up, “We need to understand what Nyx’s end game will be. I have no doubt that will evolve after she ascends. We need another Primordial’s take on things. One that has been awake all this time. We need to speak to one of the four horsemen. We need to speak with Thanotos.”
“Thanotos? Why ever would you need to speak with him?” Neamhain waltzs into the room. Her sun-kissed skin glowing and her golden blonde hair flowing behind her. Unlike the rest of us she’s more casually dressed in a slim fitting gauzey white gown, her feet are bare and she looks as if she has been spending time in some tropical paradise.
“Neamhain!” I jump to my feet and rush to her side. “Where have you been?”
She welcomes me with open arms, hugging me tightly, “Little flower, I see that you have finally found your place. Retribution. You wear the mantle well.” Smiling down at me, she asks, “Now why in the worlds would you need to speak
