Dianthe Rising (26 page)

“Is that it?” I bounced in my seat.

Shaking his head, Daniel told me no, that there were three sets of stones. Callanish one, two, and three. It was the first set we were going to.

“It’s only just ahead though,” Robin added.

“Really, where,” I began to survey the area.

“There should be tourist signs pointing us in the right direction.”

Kale slowed down so we could cross a cattle grate and a moment later I saw a brown sign pointing to the left.

“There it is! Callanish visitor center.” I pointed.

Laughing, Kale looked across at me. “I thought you didn’t want to make the trip?”

“Well," I flushed, "now that I’m here, I am excited. A girl is allowed to change her mind.”

We turned into the tiny one lane road and headed up the hill. Locals were out and about everywhere. The entire population must have been out by the amount of people I observed.

“Why are there so many people in the street?” Dogs wandered about and villagers stood chatting amicable watching us as we passed.

“It’s a small place, Dianthe,” Robin chuckled. “There isn’t much to do. On a sunny day the inhabitants spend as much time outside as they can I would imagine.”

“Oh, and how do you know that?” I smirked.

“Because, dearling, I have been around a long time and in little rural places like this things have changed little over the past few centuries.”

“Ohhh,” I trailed off.
I guess he was right. It did appear as if we had stepped back in time.

“If you turn right here,” interrupted Daniel, “it will take us to the house we’re renting.”

“Can’t we go to the stones first?” I pleaded.

Shaking his head, Daniel said no to my begging. “Not right now, sexy girl. We have to meet the owners and get the keys.”

“All right, but we are going to the stones today, right?”

“Yes,” Kale laughed. “You are worse than a pup when you get excited. Just let us get settled in, then we will go.”

Yippee
, I thought. I do not know why but the closer I got to the stones the more excited I became. My fear and trepidation had fallen away on the way here and I could barely keep myself from jumping out of the car.

“Look,” said Robin. He nodded toward the left and as I followed his gaze, the air froze in my lungs. You could see the stones standing on a gentle rise across the fields. The sun was above it and cast long shadows from the stones.

“Home,” I whispered. "I’m home."

It took everything I had to remain calm when the car rolled to a stop outside a farmhouse. As soon as we stopped, I jumped out and began to pace back and forth looking in the direction of the stones. The boys came out more sedately, even though Robin was sending me worried glances. An older gentleman stood from where he was leaning against a fence chatting to a local farmer and walked our way.

“Mr. and Mrs. Jameson?” he asked.

“That’s us,” Kale replied.

“Glad you made it.” He shook Kale’s hand. “It’s a bonnie day today to explore the area. It’s more busy than normal around here as the solstice is the day after tomorrow. Tourists come from all over to peek at those stones over there. I never understood it, but it puts money in the pocket.”

“That it does,” agreed Kale. He turned to us and introduced us to the man.

“This is my wife, Dia, and my brothers, Robin and Daniel.”

“It’s very nice to meet you Mr.…” I trailed off. I couldn’t even remember if Kale had mentioned his name to me.

“MacDonald, Neil McDonalds the name. Family has been in Callanish as long as we can remember.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. MacDonald. I hate to be rude but would it be possible to go inside? I need the restroom if that’s all right.”

“Of course,” Mr. MacDonald turned a ruddy red. “If you want, I’ll just leave you folks to it. There are two bedrooms in the house, as you probably know. It’s a double and two singles. There’s brochures and information on things to do in the local area. The shop is just down the road and we have a local post office.”

He finished in a rush and handed the keys to Kale.

“You’re all paid up for the next couple weeks so when you are ready to head out just give me a ring and I’ll come collect the keys.” Nodding his head in my direction, he said a hasty, “Enjoy your holiday.”

Before he could get into his truck and leave, I called out his name. “Mr. MacDonald?” When he turned back to glance at me I smiled brightly at him. “Thank you again. I was just wondering if there was a quicker way to the stones?”

“Sure,” he pointed toward the gate across from the drive. “Just go through the fields. The sheep won’t bother you and that’s where most of the locals cross. No one will say anything against you for using the fields to get there.”

Robin carefully came around to me and led me to the house. We went in, explored our surroundings, and unpacked our bags. The boys were just settling in when I felt an intense pull from the center of my being. I stopped what I was doing and walked to the front door of the house and stood on the steps.

The sun was just starting to head into the west and I was overcome with the need to be in the stones when the sun kissed them good night. Without realizing what I was doing, I began to run. Faintly I heard a voice calling out behind me but it was if my feet had grown wings. I ran to the bottom of the drive and across the street. Never slowing down to open the gate, I leapt it in a single bound. My feet barely touched the ground as I flew across the fields heading toward the stones. Shouts sounded louder and closer behind me but it only encouraged me to reach my destination faster. Robin folded space to land directly in front of me arms outstretched as if he would catch me and hold me tight. I could see the stones just behind him and whatever was calling me was in that circle. Nothing was going to stop me, not even my Fae love. I threw my hand out and to the side. An expression of shock passed over his face as he flew to the side landing heavily on his backside. I reached the circle and cried out “
Mo Athair Tá mé sa bhaile
!” Once again the English version repeated in my mind.
My father, I have come home!

Robin, Kale, and Daniel appeared outside the stones but before they could step inside a blinding flash of light exploded outwards. All three men were knocked back several feet from the blast, when they stood again a man was standing inside the stones with me.

*****

Robin…

I watched helplessly as my love cried out for her father inside the stones. This was not supposed to happen. I had not had the time to prepare her. I would have taken so much more care if I thought the stones would call to her in the way they had. The pull was more than I could counteract and she couldn’t resist their call. Daniel and Kale stood beside me, both awed by the sight in front of us. While I had been in the presence of gods before, they had not. I reached out and put a hand on both their shoulders to hold them back.

“What do we do?” growled Kale.

“We pray, wolf, we pray that he does not take his daughter and leave.”

The three of us looked on helplessly as the woman we loved turned into the embrace of the shining one.

*****

Dia…

I was where I belonged. The golden man before me swept me up into his arms and held me as if I was a small child.

“How,” he whispered, “my precious child, how?”

I just shook my head and buried it in his chest as he pulled me tighter against him. His tears fell heedlessly atop my head and trailed down joining mine.

“Oh, my beautiful girl, I felt you. It was as if a shining light blazed into existence. I knew it was a part of me but I could not understand how it could be? Your mother told me you had died. Why?” He looked so broken with the thought of her betrayal when he asked that question.

“She thought she was protecting me,” I whispered. “Eloise is heartbroken over what she did.
Athair
, will you forgive her?”

“Is that what you want, daughter? She caused you the most anguish. Eloise took you away from your family and abandoned you to strangers.”

“No, she didn’t,” I refuted. “If she hadn’t done what she did then I would have never had the family I do. I have wonderful adoptive parents and a brother and sister. Sean in overprotective but I love him.”

“A male sibling should be willing to lay down his life for a female sibling,” he nodded in approval.

I turned in his arms and looked behind us at the men held immobile outside the barrier of the stones. “If it wasn’t for Eloise,
Athair
, I would have never met my mates.”

“Mates?” my father asked. “Those three are yours?”

Nodding, I explained how things came about to him. I finished with telling him how Robin, Kale, and Daniel convinced me to come and find him. I cringed slightly when I admitted I hadn’t wanted to, at all.

*****

Belenus…

I looked down at my daughter and sighed. I had missed her childhood and it seemed other males had already taken her from me. I glanced at the three and briefly thought about destroying them. I wanted at least another century with her before I found her a suitable partner.

Sadly, it was not my way and Belisama would not approve. I saw the love in my daughter’s eyes and I understood I would have to share her before I had a chance to know her.

“What did your mother call you, child? I was too grief stricken to learn your name when she told me you had passed beyond this world.”

I saw the shock in her eyes when she blinked up at me. “Dia, umm…I mean Dianthe. She named me Dianthe and my adoptive parents kept the name.”

“How appropriate,” I lifted her chin to gaze into her eyes. They were much like mine. Her hair had highlights of my golden power streaked through the dark. In face and form, she was much like her mother but in spirit, she was her father’s daughter.

“Dianthe, my flower, shall we go and meet your males? It is time to see if they are worthy of the daughter of Belenus.”

“Indeed, husband, let us go investigate whether our daughter has chosen well for herself.”

I turned to see my love standing beside me with tears of joy streaming down her face. Flowers bloomed where the water touched the ground.

“Belisama,” my daughter whispered. A smile slightly tilted her lips. “You’re more beautiful than I thought,” she sighed.

“As are you, the daughter of my heart.”

My Beli reached out a finger and tucked a strand of wild hair behind Dianthe’s ear. “I had always held hope that you were still on this plane. We did not feel you leave it but we had no proof. I’m so glad you came back to us.”

Pulling her from my arms, Beli linked her arms with Dianthe and gently tugged her toward the stones. “Let’s go meet our sons-in-law.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Dia…

I was happy, truly and absolutely happy. It felt like a piece of my soul that had been missing for years had been filled. The scary part was I had never known it was missing. I looked up into the faces of my father and his wife as we neared the edge of the stones and wondered how my mother could have feared for my safety. I would have to remember to question my father about that later.

Right now, I looked at my guys and smiled brightly. They didn’t look as ecstatic as I felt. Fear and worry crossed their faces and my smile dimmed slightly.

Bel stopped short of the stones and pulled us to a halt. “Wait here, my daughter, I will drop the shield and let them come to us. The mortals are all around us but inside the circle they cannot perceive us.”

I felt a slight ripple in the air much like when Robin dropped his glamour.

The light that had surrounded the perimeter of the stones gradually faded away until we stood in the natural rays of the evening sunset.

*****

Robin…

I held Kale and Daniel back before they could charge toward the god and goddess who held Dianthe between them. Although they seemed benign enough, one never knew when dealing with deities.

“Caution,” I whispered to my mates. “We will walk slowly and peacefully forward. Make no sudden movements and for fuck's sake, Kale, do not grab for her. Do you understand?”

They were both slightly god-struck so they nodded absently. We walked forward until we were standing before the trio waiting for our arrival. Dianthe was bouncing on her heels. Energy whipped around her in a corona of power. Just being close to her father was causing the maturity of her gifts to accelerate. Thankfully, he seemed protective of her and with any luck, he would be willing to help us.

*****

Dia…

“Robin,” I pulled from my father’s arms and jumped into his.

“Thank you, guys, so much for bringing me.”

Wow, I was super-hyped up. I was bouncing
. I kissed Robin then reached for Kale and Daniel for hugs and kisses. All three of my mates welcomed me into their arms before nestling me between them. Robin snuggled me under his chin while Kale and Daniel stood sentinel on either side.

“
Athair
,” I grinned like a lunatic. “These are my mates: Kale, Robin, and Daniel. Guys, this is my father, Belenus, and my stepmother, Belisama.”

Robin tenderly moved me to his side and bowed before Bel. “My Lord,” he bent at the waist. “Thank you for seeing us. We have come to re-unite you with your daughter and to ask your aid.”

“Our aid?” Belisama asked.

“My Lady,” Robin preformed the same intricate bow from the waist. “Dianthe is coming into her power and she has no control or idea how to manage it. Her natural mother gave us the information on who you were and how to contact you. We came as soon as we could to see if you would be gracious enough to assist in our endeavor.”

“What a dexterous tongue you have on you, child of Oberon,” Belenus said blandly.

“There is no need for Tuatha prose where my daughter is concerned.” He waved his hand negligently at Robin. “I would help her for the joy of it.”