The Sign of Fear (10 page)

F
ieran choked on the black smoke that poured from the head of the Roman leader. He sat up, gasping and sputtering.

I did it! he thought. I released the full power of the head.
And I'm still alive!

He staggered to his feet. The black smoke swirled around his ankles.

He stared over at the head. It still sat on its spit above the brazier. No flesh remained on it. The bones gleamed, clean and white.

But the eyes sockets.

They glowed green. An unearthly green.

What have I done? Fieran asked himself. Have I brought some evil to life? What if I do not have the strength to control it?

A voice filled Fieran's head.

Why have you summoned me?

Fieran screamed. He pressed his hands against his temples. The voice repeated the question over and over. Pain slammed through Fieran's head.

I must bear this, he thought. I must become the master of this pain. This is the first step toward achieving my power. I must be able to answer when the head speaks.

Fieran forced himself to take his hands away from his head. He lowered them to his sides. His hands clenched into fists—as if that could help him control the pain.

“Power,” he said in a low voice. “I want all the power you have.”

What kind of power?

“The power of revenge,” Fieran answered.

The head laughed. The sound reverberated through the stone chamber. The black smoke swirled up from the floor.

Fieran cried out. Every sound the head made shot agony through him.

I will give you these things. But I must have payment.

“Anything!” Fieran cried, ignoring the pain.

Lightning flashed through the cave.

A creature that was half-man and half-bird flew through the opening. It snatched Fieran up in one of its sharp claws.

Fieran screamed in terror. How could such a creature exist?

A vision, Fieran told himself. The Roman leader has sent me a vision.

The bird-creature uttered a high, shrill scream as it flew out of the cave. It carried Fieran up into the night sky. Higher and higher until he could not see the ground.

Fieran forced himself to keep his eyes open. He must not miss one clue the vision would give him.

The cold air burned his face. His fingers grew numb.

The bird-creature closed its black wings. It fell straight down. Gaining speed with every moment.

Fieran heard himself moan low in his throat. A vision, he told himself. A vision.

The bird-creature released Fieran—and rose back into the sky.

Fieran fell through the darkness. His heart pounding in his ears was the only sound he heard.

He landed on something hard and felt warm blood trickle down the back of his head.

Fieran slowly pushed himself upright. He sat on a round slab of dull gray stone.

Smaller stones rested on top of it. Glistening blue stones.

Is this a place of good or evil? Fieran asked himself. He climbed down. The stone is an altar, he realized.

Carved in the stone were the words
Dominatio per malum.
He knew the words were in the language of the Romans, but he was unsure what they meant.

The words were stained with red. Blood, he realized. This is a place of sacrifice.

Fieran shivered. Suddenly he remembered his father warning him about the high price of power.

He turned his attention to the glittering blue stones. Before his eyes, each stone burst into a column of flame.

“Such power,” Fieran whispered. He forced him. I self to step closer. And saw faces in the flames. Faces screaming and crying. Faces twisted in torment.

The flames grew stronger. The columns joined together. They formed a wall in front of Fieran.

He spun around.

Flames formed a circle around him. And moved closer. Tighter.

Fieran screamed as they engulfed him.

He screamed again—and realized he was back in his cave. Staring at his own fire.

Pulling in deep, ragged breaths he sank to the ground. The vision was so powerful, so real. He glanced down at himself to make sure he was unharmed.

And saw a strange object clutched in his left hand. An amulet on a silver chain.

Fieran's hand trembled as he studied the silver disc. The front had a silver bird's claw clutching glittering stones. Blue stones.

And Latin words were carved on the back.
Dominatio per malum.

Power through evil.
The deep voice of the Roman head boomed.

As long as your family lasts, so will this amulet. So will the power of your revenge.

Fieran wanted to throw the amulet on the ground and run. Run to a place where no one knew him. Where he could start a new life.

This power was evil. Pure evil. Could he use it without becoming evil himself?

Then Fieran thought of Conn. He remembered how Conn had cheated him out of becoming the chief.

I allowed Conn to live on the battlefield, Fieran thought. I will not show him mercy a second time.

“Revenge,” Fieran whispered. “Revenge,” he repeated, his voice stronger.

Blood. For your revenge I must have blood.

A
sacrifice. It asks for a sacrifice.

Blood . . . I must have blood.
The Roman head's voice was deep and loud.

Can I do it? Fieran wondered.

He had killed in battle. But a sacrifice was different. To make a sacrifice he would
plan
to kill. Decide to kill.

He would not be killing to survive. He would not be killing because his friends and neighbors were in danger from the Roman troops.

Fieran hated the thought of killing off the battlefield.

But he remembered the way Conn taunted him. Laughed at him. “You will have your blood,” Fieran answered.

Creeaaak.
The jaws of the skull opened. Its teeth parted in a deadly smile. Then the eye sockets went dark. Blown out like two candles.

Fieran stripped off his ceremonial garments. He hesitated a moment. Then he thrust them into the coals. He watched as his long robes smoldered and burned.

His people did not believe Fieran when he told them the old chief's spirit entered his body. They now thought him insane. Or jealous. He had no place among them any longer.

Fieran washed the blood from his face and hands. He dressed himself in fresh garments. Green and brown, to blend in with the trees. He threw a cloak around his shoulders and fastened it with a heavy brooch as was the custom of the Celts.

There is only one person who deserves to be sacrificed to the head, Fieran thought. Conn.

The human sacrifice
must
be Conn!

Now, how to get him? Think! Fieran told himself. Think! He began to pace around the dark cave.

There has to be a way to get to Conn. It will be difficult. He will be well protected now that he has been declared chief.

Fieran stopped pacing a moment. He stared at the head as if it would provide inspiration.

Conn had to have a weakness. Everyone did. All Fieran needed to do was discover it. Once he had that, he could use Conn's weakness to trap him.

I can't discover Conn's weakness standing in my cave, he thought. I have to study him. Learn everything about him. Every habit. Every small detail.

I'll start with his house. Fieran always hated sharing the forest with Conn. But today he felt glad. Conn would be more difficult to protect there.

In the forest, it will be easier for me to get to you. I know the land much better than you do.

Fieran left the cave. Silent as a shadow, he moved through the trees. His green and brown garments blended in with his surroundings.

When Conn's thatched hut came into sight, Fieran hid himself in a nearby stand of trees. He had a good view of the hut's only door. He would see anyone going in or out. He would see Conn. But Conn wouldn't see him.

I'm waiting for you, Conn! Fieran thought. Soon you will understand what it means to lose everything.

Within moments, Conn came into sight. If Fieran had been a few moments later, he would have run right into him.

Fieran immediately noticed that Conn had no guards around. He left himself completely unprotected.

Fieran's heart leapt up. Now I know Conn's weakness. He believes he is invincible. He thinks no one will attack him, because he is too strong.

But I will show him that his strength is his weakness. I will use his pride to conquer him.

Fieran's muscles tensed. I could kill you, Conn. I could kill you now.

He watched as Conn opened the door to his house. Fieran crept forward.

“You can come out now,” Conn called.

He knows I'm here! He knows I'm watching him. Fieran jerked back. His heart thundered. His breath came in shallow gasps.

What is Conn going to do?

A figure in a long, hooded robe stepped into the clearing. Conn doesn't know I'm here, Fieran realized. He wasn't calling me. He spoke to this other person.

Fieran relaxed. His heartbeat slowed down.

He stared at the person with Conn. He couldn't see the man's face. He wore the hood pulled down low.

Fieran heard Conn laugh. “Why are you still hiding yourself?” he asked playfully. He reached up and pushed the other person's hood back.

Brianna.

A hot, sour taste hit the back of Fieran's throat. He swallowed hard.

Not Brianna. She loved Fieran. He knew she did.

Conn pulled Brianna into his arms. He kissed her, a long, deep kiss.

Brianna wrapped her arms around his neck. Eagerly returning the embrace.

Conn lifted his head and ran his fingers down Brianna's cheek. “We did it!” Conn said. “We beat that stupid weakling Fieran. We fooled everyone. And now no one can stop us.”

Brianna smiled. She stood on tiptoe and pressed a kiss on Conn's jaw. “No one can stop us,” she repeated.

“It was so easy!” Conn cried. He threw back his head and roared with laughter. “I can hardly believe how easy.”

“I told you it would be,” Brianna replied.

“You told me,” Conn admitted. “You were right. And I was wrong. I could not believe what idiots the others are. They thought you were my victim. They never considered the possibility that a woman could cast such a powerful spell.

“But you did,” Conn continued. “And your spell convinced them that I was the chosen one. Now we will have everything we want.”

Oh, Brianna. How could she have done that to him?
She knew he had always dreamed of being chief. She knew it meant everything to him.

She would never have known any fire spells if not for me, he thought. She had never experimented with fire before I began to teach her.

Now her power is stronger than mine. And she used it to defeat me.

Fieran watched Brianna. It made him feel sick.

“Together we are more powerful than all the others put together,” she vowed. Her eyes shone as she gazed up at Fieran's lifelong enemy. “I love you, Conn. Nothing will ever come between us. I'll stand by you until the day you die.”