Authors: Cindy Charity
With Ali safe, Finn turned his attention to the combatant who now stood a few feet away from him. The energy in the air was sharp and full of fury. Even with the distance between them, he could see the insanity in Lugus’ eyes. This would not be an honorable death. Calling for his blade, his fingers curled around the well worn hilt. The strength of the blade vibrated up his arm—it was if it knew what was going to be asked of it. He shut out the memories of the man he had once known, closed the sounds of the past that wanted to echo in his mind, and made his affirmation. “Only one will leave this place, Lugus.”
The other man laughed; his madness on full display. “For once you have the right of it, Finn O'Shea.” Bringing his own sword into view, Lugus spat at his opponent. “You think because I was once friend to your family, that I will not take your life? I have thirsted for it—dreamed of it, as I have of my son. His life meant nothing to the mighty warriors of Agrona. Once I kill you, I will take out the others.” As he spoke, he threw up a barrier. “No one will be able to come to your aid now.” Lugus began the steps of the ancient dance of war.
Finn mirrored Lugus. Soon, the two warriors were sidestepping in a circle, crouched, ready to strike. “I did not know your son was there.” It was the truth, but he knew Lugus was too far gone to care. “We were all trying to survive the approaching darkness. Had I—had any of us known, we would have protected him.”
His words were like throwing fuel on an already out of control fire. With a bellow, Lugus lunged forward. Finn deflected the blade, grunted under the force of the attack. The weight of Lugus’ grief gave him the strength of ten men. Lugus spewed the words that had burned in his soul for so long. “Agrona knew—she knew that he followed her, and her infamous warriors. I beseeched her to shield him from war, but she refused.”
He came again. This time, his attack had more control. Soon, the air was filled with the sound of steel on steel. With both hands now on the hilt, Finn blocked each blow, delivering his own and immediately put Lugus on the defensive. Something in Lugus’ accusation rang false; he couldn’t put his finger on it. Again he met his opponent’s blade. He pushed the nagging doubt from his mind, and concentrated on his defensive countermoves.
Blinded by rage, and thirst for blood, Lugus met Finn’s sword, sending it arching upwards. It left the other warrior’s middle open and he took advantage and quickly brought up his foot. He landed a solid kick, sending Finn to the ground. With a shout of victory, Lugus went in for the kill.
Finn rolled just as Lugus’ sword came down. It whistled down his side before becoming embedded in the ground. Rolling to his feet, Finn charged, shoulders down. He tackled Lugus, carrying him towards the ground, slamming him into it. He heard the crunch of bones and knew he had broken his back. Finn quickly gained his feet, and stared down at the broken warrior. Regret overwhelmed him and had him offering the warrior redemption. “Cease this madness, Lugus. It is not too late. Mikel has twisted the truth to serve his own agenda. Agrona would have never left an innocent unguarded. Your son would not wish this life for you. I remember him, he was a bright lad.”
Hatred shone in Lugus’ eyes, his breath rattled through his wrecked body. “Do not speak of my boy!”A cough wracked his body, turning his head to the side, he spit out blood. He knew he was beaten, yet, he still could not stop. He spun a spell in his mind and threw it at Finn, locking him in place. “There is more than one way to win a battle.” His words stammered, and were weak. Blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth. He could heal himself, but his grief went too deep—his anger, knew no bounds. He’d rather see the warrior in hell. Raising a hand, Lugus closed it into a fist. He smiled at the sound of Finn’s shout of pain. “Mikel was always a great teacher. Now, it is your turn to feel the crushing weight of your body closing in on itself, to know that no matter what you do, it will never be enough.”
His body constricted, and burned from the inside out. Finn tried to counter it, but every attempt seemed to give the spell more power. He felt dark energy enter his body. It attacked his cells, extinguished the light that tried to stop it.
Lugus’ laugh came out as a gurgle. His words were laboured, but still venomous. “That’s it warrior—fight against it, you cannot help yourself. It’s what you’re trained to do. Not even your magick can help you.”
Finn felt himself weakening. His body was becoming sluggish, his vision, blurry. In his head, he could hear Lugus’ laughter. He gritted his teeth, he dug down deep for every ounce of power he had. Whatever Lugus had cast was impossible for him to penetrate. Then, just as he thought it was over, that he’d lost, he felt a fire ignite. This one battled the other, pushing it back, overtaking it. It was Ali. Her essence filled him, giving strength to his tired body.
Lugus’ bellow of outrage added to that strength. He broke free of the spell. Breathing deeply, his chest expanding wide, throwing off the remnants of Lugus’ charm, Finn reiterated his earlier offer “It’s not too late, Lugus. As I remember your son, I remember the days you spent with my family. You were a great friend to my father.” Finn saw something flicker in the older warrior’s eyes. It came through the madness. Lugus stared into the distance, like something had caught his attention. All the fight, the rage, seemed to melt out of him. Then, he brought his gaze back to Finn.
“For so long I have feasted on the knowledge that I would one day kill the great warriors of Agrona.” Another cough overtook him. When he again could speak, he accepted his fate. And, in an act befitting the man he used to be, he gifted Finn with a sliver of knowledge. “The written word is just a sharp as a blade; they can weave and break the strongest spell. Come; deliver me my salvation, Finn O’Shea, I long to see my son.”
Seeing the acceptance in his eyes, Finn staggered to him. Holding out an arm, Finn called his sword. He stared down into the eyes of a man who had, at last, found peace. He stepped forward. Blocking out the past, he brought the mighty blade down, and ended Lugus’ life.
*****
Vega stumbled into the cave, her body twitched and burned. Looking down at her arms, she saw the angry red welts that the mortal’s magic had left. She had no idea what had become of Lugus, had the flames reached him as well? Waving a hand, she produced a bowl and it filled with liquid. Rotating a finger, she stirred it until it began to change color, then she lifted the bowl and drank deeply.
At once, the pain subsided. However, the marks remained. The mortal had hit her with light magick. There was no erasing those marks. Things had not gone as she had planned. All her work had been for naught. It was going to take a few days before her energy was back at full strength. In the meantime, she needed to figure out a new strategy. Until she knew what had happened to Lugus, she was going to assume that she was on her own.
A mist rolled across the dirt floor. It glided over her booted feet, and wrapped around her ankles, making its way up her legs. It was cold as ice. Vega stilled. Her breathing slowed. The mist thickened as it climbed up her legs. A ribbon stretched out, and up, encircling her throat, another teased her ear. Another wrapped itself around her body. Her mind filled with the chilly tones of her benefactor.
I have underestimated you, Vega. You've managed to weaken my spell, and lure Lugus into believing your lies.
The ribbon around her torso tightened, concentrating on her injured side. The pressure was excruciating, but Vega refused to cower. Turing on the charm, she responded. It made her skin crawl to convey contriteness, but her survival was at Mikel’s mercy. “It has been the folly of many.”
You believe yourself safe from me, demon—that your plotting would go unnoticed by me? Using my tainted mortals to cover your deception was clever. Tell me demon, were Lugus’ services satisfactory?
Another squeeze, but she knew that Mikel wouldn’t kill her—not yet. Yes, he was furious with her and at himself for not detecting the betrayal earlier. But she was still of use to him. “Never safe, Mikel, just confident; you still need me. While Lugus’ talents were useful, he was weak. It was only a matter of time before he would be swayed. Is it not beneficial to you, that it was I who did the swaying?”
The pressure on her neck loosened. A chant filled the cave and Vega felt another tightening. She felt a band squeezed inside of her. Mikel was strengthening the binding spell. In her weakened state, Vega could not block it. She set her teeth on edge as the spell fell upon her. To struggle would only provoke Mikel’s temper.
A small reminder that I will always find you, Vega, I’ve given you too much freedom, a mistake I do not intend to make again. Lugus may be lost to me, but I’ve another ready to take his place—you'd best tread lightly, demon, I may not be so merciful next time.
The mist retreated leaving yet another mark. This one would ensure that Mikel knew her every move. Leaning against the cave wall, she took in deep breaths. He had gained strength—more than she had ever thought possible. In her hurry to beat the warriors, she had forgotten to keep track of his situation. A stronger Mikel meant that she was going to have to find another way to get what she wanted. With the renewal of their bond, she knew that it was going to be extremely difficult—but not, impossible.
She felt a tiny twinge of regret that Lugus was gone. It would be difficult to find a replacement for him. But first, she must heal. Sliding to the dirt floor of the cave, she called upon the sinister energy that flowed below. She demanded it heed her wishes. With a rumble, the earth opened up and welcomed her. Finding this place, and keeping it hidden, had been her secret triumph. This realm continued to present her with many surprises. Legend was that had been a place where dark magick was practiced—demonic risings and human sacrifices. It was the perfect place for her to seek healing. As the earth closed over her, Vega sent her vow of vengeance into the air. It would carry to those who had come to serve her; they would wait for her to rise.
Ali paced the floor, peeked out the window, and paced some more. It had been some time since she had sent energy to Finn. He should have been back by now. Wringing her hands and chewing her bottom lip, she tried not to think about all that could have happened. Maybe what she had sent Finn hadn’t been enough. Or maybe Vega had come back, and had attacked while Finn had been distracted. Her imagination ran wild and she raced for the door. Cian spoke to her just as her hand twisted the handle.
“You’d do well to stay here, Ali. Vega is no threat to my cousin.”
She hesitated, the door cracked open. Looking at him over her shoulder, she asked him how he knew that. “How can you be sure? I don’t even know what I did, or
how
I did it.”
Approaching her slowly, Cian reached over her shoulder and gently pushed the door closed. Then, he reached down and took her hand, leading her back to the living room. “I will address your confusion first.” Steering her towards the sofa, he waited until she took the hint, and sat down. “Within you, as with the other Fragments, a piece of the Star resides. Though it is in pieces, it is still a powerful weapon. It will defend itself. And because you are part of Finn, that defense will be aggressive.” He produced a drink and handed it to her, chuckling over her surprise. “Still something to get used to, isn’t it?”
Accepting the drink, Ali lifted it in a toast, “You ain’t lying.”
“It may seem hopeless, Ali, but anything worth having: love, family, peace, must be fought for. Agrona would not have chosen you, had she felt you could not do this.”
His words rang true in her ears. However, doubt still sat in a far corner of her mind. They enjoyed a brief moment of silence before Cian smiled at her, “Time for me to leave.”
Before she could ask him why, Cian faded out of sight. Putting her drink down, Ali stood and wiped her hands on her thighs. Then Finn was there, pulling her into his arms, kissing her as if his life depended on it.
Ali burrowed deeper into the soft cloud of the bed. Finn’s arm lay heavy across her waist. Her body felt delicious and so alive. They had fallen onto the bed, blindly finding it after Finn had returned from his showdown with Lugus. She would never forget the look on Finn’s face as he undressed her—kissing every inch of exposed flesh. She remembered how her skin pimpled as he whispered dark promises into her ear. Sighing, she drifted along the memories. The feel of heated skin, the whisper of words, the soul drugging kisses. Her body began to heat up again, a soft moan escaped. Her eyes fluttered open to find Finn looming above her.
“You really need to control those thoughts, Ali—a man can only take so much.”
She gave him a sleepy smile, then opened her arms and sighed into his kiss. He slipped into her, filling her right up to her heart. The pace was slow and luxurious. Her breath hitched with the beauty of their lovemaking. And it
was
love. The word drifted in and out of her head. But how could it possibly be love? Finn became still. Ali opened her eyes to find his blazing down at her. Then he plunged into her with such a force, bright light flashed before her eyes. Crying out, Ali raised her hips and met him—thrust for thrust.
Finn gripped her hips and dropped his head onto her shoulder. He pumped into her body over and over, wanting to become one with her. His emotions were heightened by the fact that Ali could love him. Where it had been an easy acceptance for him, he hadn’t voice it, knowing that she would need more time. When he felt her body begin to tense, he knew she was close. Finn slammed into her one last time, sending them both over the edge. When their breathing had returned to normal, Finn rolled onto his back, dragging Ali with him.
“That was—amazing—we’re getting good at this.”
Chuckling, Finn turned his head so that he could kiss her on the forehead, “Aye, that we are.” Then, his gaze turned serious. His eyes roamed over her face. The tenderness that she saw had tears clogging up her throat.
“Níl aon draíochta gan tú. Níl aon saol gan tú. Tá tú a thabhairt dom araon. Tá tú mo ghrá.”
The words filled her head and wound around her heart. She buried her face in the side of his neck. “I have no idea what you just said, but I like the sound of it”
Her words were muffled but Finn heard her, he gently pulled her back so that he could see her face. “There is no magic without you. There is no life without you. You have given me both. You are my love.” He kissed her. “You are my life, Ali. No one, or nothing, can separate us—I would never allow it.”
She searched his face, the truth of his words was there—although she already knew it, she was still awed by it. She wound her arms around his neck and placed a gentle kiss on his chin, his cheek and even the end of his nose before she settled one on his mouth. Her eyes blurred with her tears. “No one has ever made me feel this way, Finn, not even my family. Though we do have to work on your frequent use of the word ‘allow’”
Finn buried his face in her hair—a shaky laugh escaped him. He wanted to bring her into him, keep her safe while he fought. Now that he had found the missing piece of his soul, he didn’t want to lose it. She was everything to him; she gave him more to live for than just war, she had given him back his magick. Words of the heart didn’t come easy to him. He preferred to swing his sword rather than express what he was feeling. But Ali made him want to make that effort, she deserved to hear them.
You’re doing just fine warrior. I don’t need to hear the words Finn, I feel them in my heart and it is enough.
You shouldn’t be listening to someone’s thoughts, Ali—it’s rude.
Finn smothered a laugh and tightened his hold when she tried to pull away. His taunt had the desired effect. Ali was always reminding
him
how she felt when he ‘overheard’ her thoughts. They stayed there, wrapped around each other, enjoying the moment of peace. They would move to where the others were when light once again touched the sky. As Ali drifted off to sleep, Finn held her close. They had a few hours before it began again. However this time, they were ahead of the game.
*****
Ali stood and stared at the classic automobile with a mixture of awe and confusion. Besides wanting to know where on earth it had come from, she wanted to know just what Finn was thinking. She toed the canvas cover that had been covering the machine. It was comical in a way. Here she was, running about with immortal warriors, dodging demons and psychopaths, searching for Fragments, and she was going to get into a car. It was so—ordinary.
“Are you ready, lass?” Finn spoke to her over the roof of the car.
She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not sure. This seems so—boring. I mean, I know I kept spouting about how I want normalcy, but with things as they are, driving to meet the others is a huge risk.”
Running his hand over the sleek lines of the car, Finn agreed with her. “A risk aye, but we have a bit of a leeway. Lugus is gone, and Vega is, thanks to you, incapacitated. It’s a fine car, and I’ve not taken it out for a spin in some time.” He deliberately made his accent thicker, knowing how much Ali liked it. “Besides, I think, after all you've been through, with more yet to come; a dose of ordinary would be a nice change.”
Her shoulders slumped, how could she argue with that? And he had fought dirty too, using those dimples and that accent. Sliding into the passenger seat, she sighed over the feel of the soft leather. When Finn slid in beside her and started the engine, she settled back, determined to set aside her worries and enjoy the drive.
Staring out the window, Ali watched the landscape speed by. She then shifted and stole a glance over at Finn, admiring his strong profile, the way he handled the car with such confidence. His window was down and the wind teased his hair. Her fingers itched to tame those wild stands, to touch his skin. Worry stirred inside her, and the longer she stared at Finn, the worse the feeling became. Her vision blurred a bit, and she fought to bring him back into focus. She blinked her eyes, but it didn’t help. Her body began to feel heavy and sluggish. Her breathing slowed down, like she was sleeping, but she was still awake.
Twisting her body, she reached out an arm towards him. But the limb felt as heavy as lead, and it fell, useless onto the seat. She tried again, but her arm would not obey her command. Her mind screamed for Finn, but he wasn’t reacting, in fact, he was acting as though he was alone in the car. He even reached over to turn the radio on. Lifting her arm again, she leaned over as far as she could, but her hand fell short of her goal.
Something, or
someone,
was trying to stop them. Gathering her energy, she released her seatbelt. Stretching out her leg, she was able to slide down in her seat. Praying for guidance, Ali sought out the brake. Finn’s foot was in the way. A soft sob escaped, but she pushed on. She managed to ease over his foot, and with her toes, she was able to push the brake pedal down. Thankfully the brakes were sensitive.
The car jerked to a stop, causing Finn to finally react. But it was too late. They were hit from behind. With no seatbelt, Ali was sent forward, hitting the dashboard, before lurching sideways against the door, her body flopping like a rag doll. Finn cursed as he yanked the steering wheel to the left trying to get the car back in line. He over compensated, and sent them into the next lane and into oncoming traffic. If she had been able to, she would have screamed at him to watch out, but she couldn’t.
Just as she thought that it was going to be all over, he gained control over the car, getting them off the road, coming to a stop on the shoulder. Deafening silence filled the car. Ali’s body was getting heavier and heavier. The overpowering urge to sleep was becoming too great to ignore. Fighting to keep her eyes open, she gazed at Finn’s still form. She tried again tried to reach him. Silence. He was gone from her mind. Alina sobbed, her heart felt as though it was being torn to shreds.
You should have come to me when I gave you the chance Alina. Now you will watch as I destroy your warrior.
Her insides froze at the sound of Mikel’s voice. His voice slashed at her like blades, filling her head, making it pound in tandem with her heart.
No. Please, no I’ll come to you, just please leave him. I will come to you.
Ah, I knew you would beg. Tell me this; is his life worth so much?
Darkness was creeping in around her, pressed down on her. She felt its glee at finally having her at its mercy.
He’s worth everything.
Pain exploded in her head and she cried out.
Just a small example of what’s to come.
Release me. I can’t come to you when you have me trapped like this.
She waited, and after what seemed like an eternity, she felt her body being released. Moving carefully, Ali tested all her fingers and toes. Everything worked. She turned and touched Finn’s shoulder.
Finn, I know you’re somewhere in there. I’m sorry, but I can’t let him hurt you. Please, when you awake, don’t come for me. He won’t kill me, he needs me.
Not knowing what else to say, Ali grabbed the handle and shoved the door open. She began to walk away from the car—away from Finn. Despair weighed heavy with each step. Another voice whispered into her mind.
Call to him, you have the power—
Anger raced through her. How dare Agrona show up now! Without pause, she shouted her anger at the woman that was responsible for this whole damn mess. “I did, and nothing happened!” Hot tears ran down her face but Ail could have cared less. She was so pissed off and scared, being cut off from Finn was terrifying. In a short time, he had become a lifeline to her. And now, she was going to lose him.
Emotions are such a waste of energy. Come to me now.
She was out of time. Her heart was so heavy. She could feel it shattering, piece by painful piece. At least she had spared Finn. That thought alone would make what was to come, bearable, that and the fact the Mikel needed her. She had to hold on to the hope that her life would be spared—at least, for a little while. Giving Finn and the others time to find her. She continued placing one foot in front of the other. From the furthest region of her mind came a whisper. At first she ignored it, whoever it was, was too late to help her. It came again, this time it had her stopping and listening.
Ali, I will not let you go. Fight as I know you can fight.
She spun around—impossible. She started running back to the car, hope flared in her heart. The ground shook, but still she ran. Her mind searched for her connection to Finn, it was there but very weak. She stumbled with relief. When she got to the car she could see that he had slumped over and was lying across the front seats.
“
Finn—please, wake up.”
She had to get him out of the car. Opening the door, she took hold of his shoulders, but he was too heavy. There was no way she was going to able to get him out. The sound of a horn had her screaming and turning around just in time to see a truck coming. It passed by them, missing them by mere inches.
Day was rapidly turning into night, and Mikel, in his rage, was stirring up what promised to be a storm to end all storms. “Oh God, I don’t know what to do.” She slid down the side of the car, weeping openly now. “I could use a bit of help here.” The words were for no one in general, the frustration at her situation made her feel so helpless.