The Silent Goddess: The Otherworld Series Book 1 (11 page)

“Yes,” he admitted.  “And, for more than one reason.”

“Because you love her,” Kat stated it as fact rather than a question.  Shock must have registered on his face because Kat snorted at him.  “Oh, please it is so obvious.”  Then resting a gentle hand on his arm she continued.  “It’s the way you look at her.  Your eyes tracker her whenever she’s near it’s like no one else around you exists except her.”

Duncan nodded not trusting his voice.  Since the moment he had first laid eyes upon her there had been and would never be anyone else but her.  “She doesn’t remember me,” he whispered hoarsely.

Kat squeezed his arm reassuringly.  “I have known Annie for a little while now. Men throw themselves at her and she is oblivious to it all.  That is until she saw you.  So buck up,” she added smacking his arm. He glared down at her and she returned his icy glare with a sweet, innocent smile.

“Come on,” she said, “time for a pow wow pint.”  She turned and quickly walked away.  In a few strides Duncan caught up with her.  Duncan was amazed that someone so small could walk so fast.

“And where exactly are we going?”  He asked.

“You are going to clean up and make yourself handsome.”

Duncan took a good look at himself and noticed his attire was covered with a few splotches of mud, probably from the Ratboys’ muddy wrestling match.

“And then?”

“A meeting of the minds, if two heads are better than one, than four is doubly better.”  She stopped in front of her house fumbled in her large bag and pulled out her keys.  She unlocked the door and quickly stepped inside as the sky opened up and rain poured down soaking him almost instantly.  “Oh and Duncan take a shower, a real one,” she said looking up at the sky.  “You smell like stinky Pete,” she said laughing as she shut the door.

“Druid,” he mumbled.

“Witch!” she shouted back.

Chapter Eight

The Pub Pow-Wow

              “She’s right,” Griffin said swallowing a mouthful of beer.  “We’re witches not druids.”

Duncan had followed Kat’s instructions and with help from Fiona was washed and dressed in an attempt to look “devastatingly handsome.”  When he had finished scrubbing the Ratboy stench off he dressed in a pair of loose fitting dark jeans and a black V-neck shirt he presented himself to Fiona and Knackers for final inspection.  Fiona had climbed on a chair and rubbed sticky goo through his drying hair.  Then fanned her blushing face and declared him ready.  He gave Knackers the duty of tracking down the Redcap and instructions to report back to him immediately if he should find out anything.  A short while later he joined Kat, Griffin and Robert at a pub two blocks from his rented rooms.  Kat, never short on words, had spent the last few minutes catching up the other two men.

“Druid magick is passed on through blood not just teaching.  You are either born a druid or you are not,” Duncan tried to explain.  Obviously he wasn’t doing a very good job judging from the three confused faces staring back at him.  “I am willing to bet you are not the first witches in your families,” he said pointing a finger at each of them.

“Well,” Kat spoke up first.  “My whole family practices the craft.” 

Duncan nodded then turned to Griffin.  “My family is related to one of the witches who were accused of witchcraft in Boston
,
” he admitted.

Kat gasped, “You never told me that!”

The big man lazily shrugged his shoulders.  “She was proven innocent so nothing really came of it.”

They all turned in unison to stare at Robert.  “My family’s from New Orleans, Haiti and Scotland there’s a long line of voodoo priests and priestess in my family.”

Duncan nodded and sat back in his chair satisfied that he had been right about the trio that sat in front of him.  He casually sipped his warming ale and let his companions wrestle with their new found identity.  He looked out the window at the rapidly darkening sky and frowned.

He should have sent Knackers to follow Annie in his cat form like he had earlier that morning.  The nasties hid in the dark; and with the amount of attention Annie was gaining from the Otherworlders it was only a matter of time before one of them found her.  The thought caused his palms to itch.  He wished he could carry his sword with him like he was used to doing but Fiona had told him no one here did such things.  He did not have the same magick as other members of the Fae.  He was Faeriedae, a Rider, a warrior and of little use without the heavy comfort of his sword.

Kat patted his arm drawing his attention back to the group.  “She’s fine,” she reassured him.  “She should be wrapping up the ghost tour soon then she’ll come right here to complain about the whole thing.

“Kat’s right,” Robert added.  “She always needs a pint or two-“

“Or three,” Griffin finished.

“Right, or three,” Robert said flashing Griffin a rude look before continuing.  “After a ghost tour.”  At Duncan’s questioning look Robert explained further.  “Annie hates the ghost tours.  She’s not a big believer in the supernatural.”

Duncan raised his eyebrows in disbelief and stared back at Robert.  “Oh she loves us so she tolerates our ‘witchy-ness’,” he said as if that explained everything.

“Barely,” Griffin grumbled as he swallowed the rest of his beer and signaled to the waitress for another.  “She links magick, ghosts and any other supernatural occurrence to either an overactive imagination or the power of the human mind to explain the unexplainable.”

“There’s always a mundane explanation,” they said in unison.

“I think it has more to do with her father than anything else,” Kat said shifting in her chair so she could lean in closer to Duncan.  “He’s some kind of professor of folklore.  When Annie was growing up all he did was teach her about myths and legends.”

“In fact,” added Robert.  “She has probably forgotten more myth and legends than the three of us combined know about.”  Kat and Griffin nodded in agreement.

The waitress appeared then.  She was a tall willowy blonde whose tight shirt barely contained her more than ample bosom.  She leaned over the table to clean away the empty glasses pushing her partly exposed chest dangerously close to Duncan’s face.  Her wanton behavior did not go unnoticed.  Kat and Robert grunted in disgust, Griffin chuckled, which earned him a slap upside the head from Kat.  Duncan ignored the obvious display; he was enjoying his companions’ behavior.  After replacing everyone’s beer with a fresh one she slowly extracted herself and winked at Duncan.

“You just let me know if you need anything special honey,” she purred.

“Yeah like herpes,” Kat muttered under her breath which caused Robert to spit his beer on her retreating rear as a sudden fit of laughter surprised him mid swallow.

The waitress scowled shooting angry looks at both Robert and Kat.  Griffin at least had the good grace to stare at the table.  The waitress quickly composed herself and giving Duncan a weak smile turned and tried her best to slink away from the table.

“Bitch,” Kat spat.  “You know he tried the same trick with Griffin last week,” she told Duncan.

“Yes and I believe the venereal disease you used then was crabs.  Can we get back to what we were talking about before the siren interrupted?” Griffin pleaded.

“Do you really think she is a siren?” Duncan asked craning his neck to get a better view of the waitress.  She was pretty enough bordering on beautiful with a sculpted face and wide blue green eyes.  Her blonde hair was so light it had almost a silvery undertone to it and fell straight down her back ending just above her curvy hips.  She noticed him staring and wiggled her fingers at him as she pointed her breasts in his direction.

Kat rolled her eyes as she grabbed a fist full of Duncan’s shirt pulling his attention away from the siren.  “Don’t encourage her,” Kat hissed.  “Mandy’s not a siren she’s just a bitch in heat.”

Duncan shrugged; at least he understood what that reference meant.  The group was laughing now and Duncan realized that he was enjoying himself.  It had been a long time since he had enjoyed friendly companionship or a good ribald joke at the expense of a bar wench.  He almost felt – human.  The strong ale in his glass was warming his insides allowing him to relax and almost feel comfortable, more like the man he used to be instead of the Faeriedae he had been for the last couple of earthly centuries.  He allowed himself a small satisfied smile.  The he realized they were all silently staring at him.

He paused, glass hallway to his lips.  “What?” he said into his glass before swallowing a healthy amount.

“Nothing,” Griffin said quickly looking away.

“Whatever this is,” Kat said circling a hand around his face.  “Hold on to it and show it to Annie.  You look-“

“Human,” Robert finished for her.  “Less intimidating and scary.”

“I am not intimidating,” Duncan said scowling into his beer.

Kat reached up and rubbed the scowl away with her fingers.  “Stop that,” she chided.  “You’ll get wrinkles.”

“I don’t think the Fae get wrinkles Kat,” Griffin pointed out.

“Does that mean Annie can’t get them either?”

“I don’t think Goddess’ get them either,” Griffin said patting Kat’s hand while she pouted.

“So which Goddess is she?”  Robert asked leaning forward resting his chin on his hand.

“She is beauty, love and life,” Duncan said simply.  “We call her the life spark.  She is the new moon, the maiden of the three with all the power and beauty of summer.”

“Oh-my-god!  She’s A-“

“Robert,” Griffin said sharply cutting the younger man off.  “Names have power.  You will not evoke the name of a deity here.”

Robert cringed and Duncan nodded gratefully at Griffin.  The bear-like man nodded back.

“Okay, so I get that she’s the ‘Life Spark’,” Robert said using air quotes.  “But how does,” he leaned in closer and lowered his voice, “a Sidhe Goddess end up trapped in a mortal body?  And how do we, you know, release her?”

Duncan sat back and sighed.  “These are only two questions there are many more.”

“Like who and why,” Griffin added.

Duncan nodded in agreement and was struck suddenly by how intelligent and trusting these three mortals were. Many of the Fae thought the mortals in the natural world were little more than a parasite in need of squashing.  A few, very few actually, had been championed or befriended by the Fae.  This small percentage of the population looked outside of themselves striving to leave their world in a better place than when they found it.  They respected the natural world and the blessings mother earth bestowed on them; and most important to the proud Sidhe, they kept to the old ways.  These three mortals in front of him were worthy, and for that he was extremely thankful.  He sent a silent prayer of thanks to the Battle Crow for giving him such wonderful beings as these as allies.

“The why,” he explained, “is easy!  The veil that separates the natural world and the Otherworld is failing.  Without the combined magick of the maiden, mother and crone it will fail.  If the veil falls the balance in the universe will tip and the Unseelie will have free access to the Otherworld.  Darkness will creep back into both worlds and neither the Sidhe nor mortal man will have the power to beat that evil again.  It almost destroyed the Tuatha de Danann the first time.”

“Which is why they withdrew from the world when the sons of Mil invaded,” Robert stated finishing the tale.

“Yes,” Duncan said impressed.  He wondered if they knew of their own history as well as they knew the history of the Sidhe.

“That answers the why,” Griffin stated.  “What about the rest?”  At that question all three faces turned to him eager for more information.  He took another long draw on his drink debating on how much more he should tell them.  Should he explain how powerless and blind even the Battle Queen was?

If there was a power out there to capture and imprison a
bhanphriosa
of the royal house would it not just be a snap of a finger to enchant one of these mortal minds?  His instincts quickly told him no.  The Seelie and Unseelie both saw mortals as inferior, and in the end that could prove to be the undoing of this evil plot.  His gut and his trust won out in the end and he decided to tell them has much as he could; but first they needed to acknowledge the danger and embrace their own power and history.

“I promise to tell all that I know with certain conditions, of course.”  He looked each of them in the eye until they nodded their assent. He couldn’t help but think each one of them thought they had just sold their souls to the devil.  It showed their determination and desire to protect their friend; and made Duncan sure he had made the right choice in trusting them.

“So are we now all warriors for the Sidhe?” Robert asked puffing out his chest.

“I’m a pacifist,” grumbled Griffin.

“You,” Duncan said pointing a finger in Griffin’s direction.  “You are a protector.”  The other man raised two shaggy brown brows.  His green eyes stared back at Duncan unflinchingly.  “I saw that enchantment you wove.  I watched you call upon the mist and shroud Annie’s house with your protection.  You are an important asset.”

Griffin didn’t answer instead Kat spoke softly to him.  “I forgot to tell you I heard they arrested him today.  My neighbor Jason came into the shop today to tell me.  He said the whole neighborhood watched as the hauled that little shit off in handcuffs.”

Griffin grunted and sat up a little straighter.  “Protector huh?” he said smiling down at Kat with a mixture of pride and love shining in his eyes.  Duncan envied their bond.  Soon, he promised himself.

“You,” he said pointing to Kat.  “Are power in a small package.  You are an energy source that has the ability to magnify emotions and intents.  Together you make a formidable team.  Your goddess of love did well in pairing you two together.”

She squeezed Griffin’s hand and he smiled lovingly back at her.  “After this I might have to thank another Goddess for bringing us together,” she said still looking up at Griffin.

“Annie introduced them” Robert said rolling his eyes.  “What about me?” he asked impatiently.

“You,” he said with a wicked grin, “are the- how do you put it? Wildcard?”  Robert nodded eagerly at him.  Of course Robert was also the one he was most worried about.  For this age he was so young.  Given more time and training Robert could pose a serious threat.  He was so sure of himself, so ready; traits that could lead to ultimate bravery or ultimate stupidity.  With Annie’s life and the fate of the Seelie on the line Duncan hoped Robert’s heritage would prove to be stronger than his reckless youth.

“So what am I?”

“You are like me and like them.  You are a warrior, a descendant of one the Riders who fell in love with one of your ancestors.”  Duncan watched as the younger man’s jaw hit the table.

All three faces stared at Duncan in shock.  Griffin was the first to recover.  His protective nature rising to the surface he attempted to shield Robert.  “How could you possibly know this?” he demanded.