Clíodhna did as he bid, the power strong now. No gentle tendrils, but a rushing blue light tore through her spine, making her stiffen in pain.
“Good. As the power channels up through you, hold your arms high and direct that power out into the clouds. Picture it unraveling the storm, like when you untie a tangle in thread. Bit by bit, unknotting the anger, pain, and rage from your emotional storm.”
The power burst forth from her hands and she screamed in agony. She couldn’t move from the pain and had little control on the amount coursing through her muscles and bones. It shot into the sky, blanketing the roiling, swirling clouds with pale blue lightning. The pain became part of her, and she regained control over her hands. Clíodhna physically pushed, as if the clouds came close enough to touch. Branches of the light dug the clouds apart, pushing them into small pieces. They splintered into smaller dark puffs of her wrath. The angry thunderheads quieted into sullen darkness.
“Good. Now draw the energy back down, into the earth.”
Another shot of pain arched her back and she cried out. Stars danced in the darkness behind her eyes as she pulled the anger and rage back into the ground, the coolness embracing the red until it dimmed into a sullen heartbeat.
When the sky became calm and the now deflated storm clouds drifted away, she slumped on the ground, drained from her efforts.
Adhna curled around her, his body warm against her back. He held her as her heartbeat slowed from its frantic pace, as her skin no longer burned with earth energy. When she could breathe again, she croaked, “Is it done?”
“It’s done. Now sleep, Clíodhna. You’ve done well, but it’s taken everything you have. I will protect you. Sleep, and when you have rested, we can retrieve your children. They will be safe. Rest. I’m here for you.”
She didn’t want to sleep. She had so much to do, but she had no will to move her body, and so she drifted into a deep slumber.
Her dreams grew dark and amorphous, full of chasing danger, but try as she might, she couldn’t glimpse what pursued her. Clíodhna pushed through boggy muck, but whatever pursued her came closer. She turned to face her attacker but found nothing except darkness closing in upon her. She flailed with the spear in her arm. Spear? Where had she found a spear? The iron tip burned her skin when she touched it. The gloom smothered her, and she couldn’t draw in a breath. Panicked, she ripped at the night with her spear, rending great gaps in the void. Beyond it she saw nothing, only more black despair.
With a gasp, she bolted upright, awake and terrified. Adhna put his arms around her, still pressed against her back. “Shh. Calm, now. The darkness will not get you. I’m here. Your dreams are of the future, not of the now. A future far, far away. A future for a people, not a person.”
Her breath came in short gasps, despite the now brilliant sun above them. The mist and storm had all burned away, and the grass glistened in the bright sunlight. This helped to push the memory of the ominous darkness to the back of her mind.
Clíodhna breathed in deep, taking in the sweet aromas of wet grass and clover. Her head cleared and she must move. She’d laid down for far too long. Etromma, Donn, and Aileran needed her.
She stood, but her knees buckled. Adhna supported her until she regained her balance, but her legs still wobbled. “What in Danú’s name is wrong with me?”
Adhna laughed, the sound rippling around her. “My dear Clíodhna, you just worked a major magical conjuring and then pulled the energy from the very earth to quell it. You’re still drained, despite the sleep. Let me help you to your home.”
“I must get my children first!”
“I shall fetch the young ones. You need to rest. At dusk, I’ll bring you back up here for Bealtaine, and we can complete your healing.”
Dusk. The beginning of the fire feast, the time when the veil between the worlds grew thin. Clíodhna thought back to her lovemaking with Odhrán and wished she dared bring him to this hill. While she’d honored the goddess with their act, it hadn’t been in quite the right place nor quite the right time. Still, it might serve well enough.
With Adhna’s arm around her shoulders, she stumbled down the green hill, through the looming gate stones, and into the valley below. She still didn’t recognize the path, but it brought her to her farm. She didn’t quibble when Adhna made her lie on her bed, pulling the wool blanket to her chin. He placed a cool hand on her forehead and spoke a few words in an ancient language. Despite her determination to remain awake, she faded into slumber.
This time, she had no dreams.
Chapter Four
The spring breeze caressed her face and she touched her cheek, imagining it to be Odhrán’s hand. Remembering the heat of him, she woke, glancing around the roundhouse. Etromma stood at the table, chopping turnips. Clíodhna didn’t notice Donn, but Aileran slept in his bed. Adhna sat by the hearth, stirring the pot with a wooden spoon.
“Ah, just in time! Etromma, did you finish the stew? Your mother will need a hearty meal when we return.”
The girl hummed to herself. Clíodhna blinked several times, unsure of how to react. She didn’t think Adhna had even met her children before. Now they acted as if they’d known him all their lives? She glanced at each, trying to make sense of her world.
She glanced at her daughter as Etromma brought a bowl. “Etromma?”
“It’s fine, Ma. Adhna told us everything.”
Everything? Her stomach
