Briannas Prophecy (40 page)

There was a loud hum and a short burst of static electricity and the circle was complete. Brianna was stunned. Her hair danced on end as she stood just outside the completed sphere.

The blue white energy hummed and crackled. Morwyyn pointed his finger, and, using the tip, cut a doorway for them. He walked to Larin, took his upper arms and kissed each cheek. “I enter this circle with perfect love and perfect trust.” He did the same with Brianna, then stepped through the doorway he had made.

Larin repeated this step, first with Brianna outside of the circle, then with Morwyyn when he stepped within. They both turned and held out their hands for Brianna.

She reached out and took their hands.

They asked, “Do you enter this circle in perfect love and perfect trust?”

Brianna nodded, kissing each of them on both cheeks. “I enter this circle with perfect love and perfect trust.”

Larin waved his hand and the doorway closed, sealing them within the circle of energy.

Brianna looked around, awed by the power she could actually see. There was a sphere of white light surrounding them. The stone resting between her breasts began to vibrate and grow warm.

Morwyyn smiled. “I can no longer wield the power. The stone has grown too fragile over the centuries for one such as me to handle it.” He gave her a grin. “Or, perhaps I have just grown too strong.”

Brianna pulled the stone from under the blanket. She removed the chain, and holding the stone in the palm of her hand, raised it to the sky. She took a deep breath. Now was the time she needed to know that she had truly paid attention to the lessons Amber taught her. Larin and Morwyyn were lending her their power, but she could tell by their silence that the rest was up to her.

“Apollo, Ascelpius, and Enki, Gods of healing, please, hear me now! Artemis, Goddess of the Moon, Mother of nature and mistress of magic, please join me now!” Before she was to ask the next Goddess to help her, she saw the embodiment of a bear. Callisto, the Moon Goddess who would often show herself as a bear, had already come to join the circle. “Callisto, Goddess of the Universe, please help me now!”

Brianna saw the Gods and Goddesses she called forth enter their circle. She glanced first at Larin, then Morwyyn, who were both looking on with apprehension as the Gods began to turn to energy and enter her body.

One after another, the energy of the Gods filled Brianna, her body jerking every time the power entered through the center of her forehead. They joined with her in the same order as she’d called them forth. Finally, when it was Callisto’s turn, she shimmered into a beautiful human form. Their minds merged for a split second and Brianna heard the lovely sound of her voice.

You are brave, child. I shall do all I can to protect you. You have called many of us forth, it is good that you called Artemis and I last, that we may protect you.

Before Brianna could wonder at that, Callisto’s energy entered her and her body was no longer her own.

* * * *

Larin and Morwyyn watched with a mixture of fascination and horror. No one had ever invoked the power of so many Gods at once and lived to tell about it.

Brianna began to glow with the power of the gods within her. She stood with her arms and legs outstretched, the stone floating just above her head, suspended there by some invisible power.

Tears slipped down Morwyyn’s face as he realized his granddaughter had just given her life and the life of her children for their world. He looked to Larin who watched with a pained expression on his face. One would almost think that after all of these years he’d grown a heart. Perhaps he had.

Power radiated out from Brianna with the hum getting louder and louder. It was no longer a soft light. It was bright, forceful. Warmth rolled off it in waves. No one could survive such high temperatures.

Brianna’s body turned into that heat, into the energy that filled her. One by one, separate beams of energy shot from within her to the sky above them, surrounding the moon. Nine beams of light, nine pure souls, three times three, one of the most powerful magical numbers.

There was a great explosion far above them. The moon moved back into a safe orbit and the rumbling of the land ceased. The terrible wind died down to a soft breeze and the waters below them slowly reverted to a normal tide, the waves rolling lazily against the lower part of the cliff.

Morwyyn shook his head. He had foreseen this, yet he was in awe of the power Brianna had harnessed to save them. “Granddaughter!” He spun around quickly to see her lying in a heap. Her body lay still within the sphere of light they had wrought.

They ran to her, a soft glow of energy still surrounded her. Not her own aura, but that of another being. No, two beings. Artemis and Callisto. They stayed with her, trying to save her.

Larin and Morwyyn exchanged worried glances before nodding to each other in silent agreement. They both closed their eyes, lending their powers to help heal Brianna, the bravest woman they had ever known. Soon others of the Fae race stood surrounding the circle, each lending their power to save Brianna, the courageous woman who had saved their world.

Slowly, the two beams of light faded. Even the Goddesses were weak, their light fading as they said their farewells.
She is a good woman with great powers. Not many could have survived this. She still may not,
Callisto whispered her voice soft, almost unintelligible, her light fading to nothingness.

Brianna needs reason to live, to not give up. She needs to be given a reason to fight. She already has this, but it will take the right person to remind her. Find him. Or you shall certainly lose them all.
Artemis faded out of their existence and into her own. Apparently, there were things that could weaken even the gods.

Larin watched as Morwyyn leaned over his granddaughter. “What do we do now?”

“We find Niklas. It was he the Goddess spoke of. Do you want to lose her?” He glared Larin’s way. “Do you really want to sacrifice her life after all she has done for us? For you?”

Larin had the grace to flush. “I know all that she has done for me. More than most could possibly understand. You, of all people, do not have to lecture me.”

Morwyyn bowed his head. “Of course, you are right.” He began to close the circle. “Help me finish this, so we can get her home.”

* * * *

Niklas left Haron groveling in the dirt.

“I tried, really I tried. They were too strong for me.” His swollen eyes filled with tears, he looked at Niklas, his face beseeching. “Tell them, Niklas, tell them I tried. You were just too strong for me.”

Niklas turned to Ethanos. “Take him to a medic. See if there is anything that can be done. If not, take him to the asylum of
Nasha
, and let the witches deal with him.”

“No, not the witches!” Haron screamed as Ethanos dragged him off.

Niklas looked to Hale who had met him near the caves.

“There is no sign of her, Niklas,” the other man said sadly. “There is still hope. The moon has returned to her orbit and the tides are returning to normal.” He shrugged. “These things must mean she has survived.”

Niklas ran a nervous hand through his hair. He reached out with him mind, calling her. He sighed when he received no answer. “No, Hale, it only means she survived long enough to save
Terrna
.” He scowled back at the caves then turned to his chief of security. “Have these caves searched. Hold anyone you find for questioning. After you’ve cleared the caverns destroy them. Leave nothing of them. I refuse to leave them as they are for someone else to reuse them for some nefarious purpose.”

“Your Majesty!” Hale called from his hoverpod. “It’s the palace, they say someone has found Her Highness and is taking her home.

Niklas grabbed Hale and jumped into a hoverpod. They traveled so fast that Larin and Morwyyn barely beat Niklas there. It seemed that Faeries could move rather quickly when they wanted to, even when carrying precious cargo.

Niklas’s heart jumped to his throat when he met them as they entered the palace. The sight of Brianna held limp in the arms of a stranger nearly sent him to his knees. But his mother calmed him. Now, relying on the hope that she had instilled, he was holding Brianna’s hand, telling her he loved her, and she had to live for him and for their unborn children.

“They won’t be born,
Laharra
. If you give up now, they will never know life. You must come back to us.” He held her limp hands, rubbing them between his own. “I need you, Brianna. Do not sentence our children to death and me to a half-life filled with loneliness. Please come back to me.” Niklas looked at her pale face and saw the dark circles beneath her eyes. He cupped her cheek in his hand, his thumb brushing over one dark crescent.

He wished so strongly that Brianna would open her eyes, he was sure he’d seen the translucent lids flicker. But no. Her breathing hadn’t changed at all. He prayed. He prayed to every God and Goddess that he’d ever heard of. Ever worked with. Then he prayed some more.

“Look!”

Niklas turned toward the voice. Morwyyn stood off to the left. His look was one of hope. He was staring at Brianna, his eyes wide. Niklas turned slowly. He hardly dared to hope she would come awake. Still, he prayed that she was finally coming back to him. He watched as her eyelids fluttered open. Her unfocused eyes found him and steadied.

She smiled slightly. “Niklas.” She brought her hand up to her head and grimaced.

“Do you have a headache?” he asked.

She nodded gingerly.

“It isn’t any wonder. She invoked the spirits of five Goddesses and Gods at once. It’s a wonder she’s even here to tell the tale.” Morwyyn stepped up a grin on his face. “I couldn’t be more proud of you, Granddaughter.” he said grasping her hand.

Brianna smiled at Niklas’s surprised look. “Yes, he is Morwyyn. He has lived these past years in the land of the Fae on Earth.” She gave him a smile. “Which explains all of the legends about him, how he would one day return. And, how good he looks for his age.” she added smiling.

Morwyyn cleared his throat and scowled at Brianna. “None of that, my dear. No one here needs know my true age.” He leaned down and whispered with a smile. “They would be jealous.”

Brianna grinned at him for a moment. She rubbed her stomach. “The babies don’t seem to like the fact that we just saved the world, Grandfather.”

He chuckled. “Well, they will just have to get over it, won’t they?”

Brianna inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. “Yes I suppose they will, just as soon as they are born.” She placed both hands on her stomach, opened her eyes and looked at Niklas. “Could you please carry me to our room and call Sarcha, Niklas?”

“Carry you?” Niklas was flabbergasted. She
never
wanted him to carry her.

“Yes, Niklas,” Brianna said as she tried to stand on her shaky feet. “Carry me.” Just then, a puddle appeared at her feet. Her water had broken, and everyone understood the reason she was finally willing to let Niklas carry her without a fight.

“Was it just me, or was it my imagination that the babies’ souls were fighting with the rest of us?” Brianna asked tiredly.

Larin and Morwyyn both nodded. “They were. Morwyyn answered. “There were nine souls fighting the evil. Those of the five Gods you invoked, you and your babes.” He stood up straighter, already playing the proud grandfather. “It seems I may have some new apprentices soon.”

Epilogue

“Are you happy, my dear?” Morwyyn asked as he tried to extricate his long beard from the feisty grip of little Niklas. He frowned in consternation as he extricated the little fingers only to have them replaced by the child’s other hand.

Brianna smiled. “Very happy, Grandfather, except if you go to the faery realm again, I would ask that you come back every hour or so. I don’t want you to disappear for another year. You’re my family.” She turned, looked over at him and suppressed a giggle.

The more he tried to get little Niklas to let go of his beard, the more hair the child got caught in his chubby little hands. Morwyyn gave up with a sigh then glared down at Killer, who had taken a liking to his robes. The dog had grabbed onto the hem and was tugging as he growled.

“Why do you ask, Grandfather?”

“My beard will never be the same,” he groaned. He looked rather uncomfortable now. He flinched every time little Niklas moved and yanked on his hair.

Brianna wasn’t sure if it was from the tiny hand fisted in his beard or from what he was about to say.

“I had to cast a spell. Of course I said it should harm none. But sometimes...” He shrugged. “People will still fight what is ultimately best for them.”

Brianna frowned. “What spell?” She shifted the babe she was holding to her shoulder so she could gently pat his back, trying to coax a burp out of him. She nudged Killer gently with her foot. “Stop that, you little heathen.”