Celtic Mist: The Calm Before the Storm (Battle Raven Series) (21 page)

“Helping Cadmon. Kedryn was gracious enough to give us a few Lawler free moments. How are you?”

Bevin gave him a devious grin and grabbed his shirt pulling him into her room shutting the door behind him. She pushed him against the door. “Better now that you are here.”

Damon leaned down and kissed her. “We do not have much time. They will return with wood for the rooms and bath.”

Bevin laid her head on his shoulder and kissed his neck. “Come back tonight. When everyone is asleep.”

“Are you certain? I thought you . . .” Damon stopped as she shook her head.

“I am tired of waiting. Spend the night with me.” Bevin pulled his head down and kissed him.

Damon pulled away from her and opened the door. “Anything for you, my angel.” he kissed her on the forehead. When he opened the door he almost jumped out of his skin. Kiara was in the hallway grinning and he quickly closed the door behind him and retreated into his room.

Kiara knocked on Bevin’s door. When Bevin opened it she gave her a look. “May I come in?”

Bevin blushed. “Please do.”

“I see Damon has already paid you a visit.” Kiara crossed her arms.

Bevin walked away from the door. “Kedryn was gracious enough to give us a few moments.”

“He is an interesting young man.” Kiara said.

“Young man?” Bevin said laughing. “He is more than that. Kedryn is many things. A great warrior and the Lady Battle Ravens son.”

“I see.” Kiara said and looked down at her hands that were clinching the side of her dress at the thought of Kedryn.

“Keep an eye on him and get to know him. He most certainly is an interesting man. I have seen many maidens glance his way. He is not much younger than you.” Bevin said as she nudged Kiara and led her to a small table.

Kiara sat down in a plush high backed chair. “He is certainly younger. By about five years I am assuming and that makes me an old hag to him. To answer your point I have noticed him and am grateful to Kedryn. To all of them. I would not be here if he decided not to free me. Neither would you.”

Bevin set down a tea pot on the small table. “You are most certainly not an old hag. You do not look a day over twenty.” She let out a small sigh “I am very grateful to them. Although Paili would probably still be alive.”

“That is Faolan’s doing.” Kiara said as she took up a tea cup and poured some tea for each of them.

“I knew her but a short time. She had such cunning.” Bevin said as she took the cup that was offered to her.

Kiara let out a small laugh “That was a very kind way to say it. I will miss her. She has been a large part of my life for so long no matter how she was.”

“Damon has not even had a chance to grieve yet. I suppose there will be time later and we both have our grief to deal with.” Bevin said and stood as she heard loud footsteps sound in the hallway. She walked over to the door and opened it so the men would not have to knock.

Lawler walked in with an armful of wood. He set the wood down looked around the room. Giving Kiara and Bevin a bow he walked back to the door.

Kiara walked up to Kedryn who was standing looking like he did not know quite what to do. “Is there a problem.”

“No. I just didn’t want to enter your room without you letting me in.”

“How very polite of you.” Kiara swept past him.

Kedryn turned on his heels and followed her. It looked as though each room had around the same set up. Beds on one side, sitting area and bath near the fireplace on the other. They all had the same contraption where the water would heat over the fireplace and when a lever is pulled it would spill through a pipe into the bath. He arranged the wood in the fireplace and took some kindling out and lit it. Kedryn noticed his hands

shaking and looked back at Kiara who was studying him. He quickly stood up watched the fire to make sure it remained lit.

“If you need anything please let me know.”

Damon stepped into the room. “It seems we will be eating well tonight. Cadmon even found some wine in the cellar and requested all of the men to help and let the ladies rest.” He looked to Kiara. It was as if a dark cloud settled over him.

Kiara walked up to Damon and gave him a huge hug and squeezed him tight. “I grieve for her too.”

“I miss her.” Damon said as he squeezed her back. He rested his head on her shoulder and let out a small sob.

Kedryn stepped to the door. “Stay Damon. You both lost someone you loved. Take some time and come down to help when you are ready.”

Damon walked up to Kedryn and grabbed his forearm. “I owe you my life and so much more.”

“As far as I’m concerned we started off when we met. The past is past and no need to dwell anymore. As my mother would say. Let it gooooooo.” Kedryn gave them both a quick smile and closed the door behind him as he stepped into the hall.

Taking in a breath he walked down to help prepare the evening meal. He was surprised and happy to hear laughter coming from the kitchen. When he walked Cadmon, Niall and Lawler were laughing so hard tears were streaming down their faces. Lawler looked Kedryn’s way when he walked in. He could see the slight bit of relief in Lawler’s eyes that Damon was not with him.

Niall looked up at Kedryn. “Cadmon, he uh uh . . .” he burst out laughing again. “He uh told us this…” taking a breath he grinned at Cadmon. “Story about getting caught by his mother . . .” Niall hiccupped sending them into spurts of laughter again.

The laughing was contagious and Kedryn let out a laugh. “Come on guys tell me.”

Lawler took in a breath. “Ok. Ok. Cadmon was telling us a story about when he was younger.. uh heh heh…” he started laughing again.

Shaking his head Kedryn looked at Cadmon who was grinning from ear to ear. “I was telling the story of when I was around five.”

The laughter slowly died down and Cadmon continued on. “To make a long story short. I heard a tale that all cats land on their feet. No matter what.”

“Yes I’ve heard that.” Kedryn said looking at Cadmon curious about his point.

“I decided it would be fun to gather up all of the cats I could find. I laid out all sorts of traps. When I felt I had enough I hauled them up to the hay loft in the barn.”

Kedryn chuckled and Cadmon grinned at him. “Please continue.”

“After supper that night I told my mother I had plans. She waived her hand and said go play. Much to her regret and sheer horror later.”

Cadmon leaned next to the counter and looked at Niall and Lawler amused as they tried to hold in the laughter. “One by one I took each cat to the window and threw them out of the top of the barn. Each time there was this horrible cat screech. Each time the cat landed on its feet. My curiosity was satisfied but I had all of these cats left over.”

“And what did you do with those cats?” Kedryn asked as Lawler and Niall burst out laughing again.

Cadmon looked a little embarrassed. “At one time I rigged a catapult for throwing apples and other things. I hauled the cats down and sat them all in it. It took time but I finally got most of them to sit still. To my mothers horror she stepped out just in time to see them launched.”

Niall and Lawler started laughing again and Kedryn shook his head. “So did they all land on their feet.”

“Yes. And mostly at my mother’s feet.” Cadmon said

Kedryn burst out laughing. “Your poor mother!”

A whiff from the fire pit outside stopped their laughing. Kedryn’s stomach growled and they all glanced out the kitchen window.

“I will check on supper.” Cadmon said and he walked out of the kitchen with the others following.

The small fire pit was a few feet outside of the kitchen and when they stepped outside the aroma of the boar filled the air. The sound of the door made them all turn around. Damon, Bevin and Kiara all walked over to where they were standing. Cadmon walked over to Damon and clapped him on the shoulder.

“Looks like it is about done.” Cadmon said

Kiara looped her arm through Bevin’s. “We will prepare the table if you men cut the pig.”

Kedryn gave Kiara a slight bow and a crooked grin. “As you wish.”

Giving Kedryn a slight grin she led Bevin through the door and Kedryn watched her go and couldn’t help but grin then let out a sigh.

He itched to get back to see his mom and Aodhan. The man had grown on him and wondered what they were going to do once this was all said and done.

Lara sat at the large oak desk in General Carrick’s study. They had traveled to Tralee in hopes that Kedryn would arrive soon. She kept herself busy putting everything together that she had learned about the second possible portal.

A log fell in the fire as Aodhan turned in the chair he was sitting and looked into the study at Lara. He shifted in the chair and looked down at Annie who was asleep in his arms. Shanna walked up to him and took Annie out of his arms.

“She is obsessed about going back through the portal.” Aodhan said.

“Wouldn’t you? Have you talked to her about it yet?” Shanna said gently shifting Annie in her arms.

“I have not had the chance.”

“Sooner is better than later.” Shanna said as she turned and headed to the staircase to put Annie to bed.

“I suppose. I was hoping that she would decide to stay here with Kedryn.”

Shanna stopped at the foot of the stairs. “Give her time.”

“Time.” Aodhan said and glanced back to Lara who raised her head and gave him a quick grin. He stood and put another log into the fire.

“Shanna putting Annie to bed?” Lara asked from the study.

Aodhan walked over to her. “Yes. Find anything more?”

“Nothing. Just more gibberish about the castle. I have a feeling in my gut that we are looking in the right place. The
Fianna
Fail is related to Medb. I’m thinking that the portal leads out at Rath Maeve the fort of Queen Medb in my realm. I just don’t know where to start.”

Aodhan leaned against the desk next to her. He heard the sound of crinkling paper and stood up.

“You are one of the most brilliant women I know. I have faith in you. There is something that I would like to discuss with you though.” He moved the paper that was on the desk so that he could lean against it.

Lara looked up at him and moved the crinkled paper that was covering the book she was looking at. “Of course we can talk. It’s just that . . .”

Lara glanced at the crinkled map, to Aodhan, and then back to the map. She picked it up and lifted it up to the light with the front side away from her. Lara set it back down.

“How could I be so stupid.”

“What do you mean?” Aodhan asked as he picked up the map and tried to see what she was looking at.

He handed it to her and she picked up a stick of charcoal. “I hope Carrick doesn’t mind.” Lara said.

Holding the map up to the stain glass window she made an outline on the back side. Lara then marked a circle on it where the cave that the portal is. She then turned the map over and traced the mark for the cave and drew where Blarney castle would be. Lara set the map down traced side up in front of Aodhan who was giving her an annoyed but curious look.

“If I remember correctly the Hill of Tara is here. Half a mile south of it is Rath Maeve the fort of legendary Queen
Medb
.” Lara marked the spot of Rath Meave with an X and whispered X never, ever, marks the spot. She let out a laugh and turned the map over and turned to hold it against the window again.

“What are we looking at?” Aodhan said as he helped her hold the map against the window again.

“I cant believe I didn’t think of this. But seriously, no, that would make too much sense.” Lara laughed and looked at Aodhan as he gave her an impatient glare.

“Ok. Ok. If you look at the map the Druids cave is on the same spot as the cave in the mountain side here. Why wouldn’t it make sense that it would be the same with the other portal?”

“I see where you are going.” Aodhan said as he watched Lara turn the map around and mark where the spot would be on the map side for his realm. He studied it and looked at her.

“Where was the castle of the Morrigan thought to be?” she asked ignoring the strands of hair that fell in her face when she looked at the paper she was writing her notes on.

“Eion believes it is somewhere hidden under the ruined city of Yule. In his travels he never found anything.”

Lara marked the map and turned it over. “It seems I am wrong about Rath Meave. It looks to be around the Hill of Tara still.”

“Then that is where we shall start. Just keep in mind we can’t stay there looking forever.” Aodhan reached up and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

She grinned at him and pulled him into a kiss. Lara almost pulled him on top of the desk and stopped herself letting him go. “It seems to get harder and harder.”

Running a finger down her arm Aodhan looked her in the eyes. “You have no idea.”

Lara kissed him and said against his lips. “Oh yes I do.”

There was a slight knock and someone cleared their throat. “Everyone is retiring for the night.”