Highland Shift (Highland Destiny: 1) (35 page)

Earnan grinned his impish grin again and said, “Aye, maybe a wee bit. I doona’ like my bones cold.”

Faolan, who had been loading his plate during this exchange, joined those seated at the table. Before beginning to eat, he looked back and forth between Earnan and Brigid, before locking his gaze on Brigid. “You first. You have a lot of explaining to do, woman.”

Brigid turned a brilliant smile on Faolan, “Aye, Faolan, I do owe you a story or two. I have been knowing you, Faolan since you were born,” which caused Elena to gasp, considering he was over three hundred years old!

“Aye, ‘tis true. I used a spell of imagery to change my appearance to stay near you all this time. You have known me as Brianna, Brigit, Brenda, Brighde, and now Brigid, which is my true name. The face you see before you now is my true form. Like you, I have aged very well over the years.” She laughed delightedly before continuing.

“It was my role to read the signs around you and to guide you. I am Druid born and trained, with a special talent for prophecy.
When I wasn’t needed near you I would come here to the island. Lilly were your caretakers, and they did an excellent job. You have grown into a fine man, and now that you are here for your training, you will make an exceptionally strong Druid.

“We could not train you while you were cursed.
It would have been far too dangerous. Now we need you to begin your training immediately, there are skills you must have before this Beltane.”

“Why?” Faolan asked between bites. He must have been famished; Elena had never seen him eat like this.

“Och, lad,” Earnan answered him, “There is a prophecy about this Beltane and the return of the Druids. Know ye the stories of the Druids who were scattered by the Tuatha Dé Danann?”

“Aye, but Elena may not,” he answered, looking at Elena.

“I’ve read a lot of different stories about the Druids. I’d rather hear it from you,” she told Earnan.

“Well, neither of you know all of it, so I will be
tellin’ you some of it now, and more will come out during your training. I’ll not be keeping secrets, just some of the information will only make sense after you know certain other things.”

Earnan looked at Elena and said, “The Tuatha Dé Danann, the Fae,”
he paused and Elena nodded for him to continue. She knew those were other names for fairies.

“The Tuatha Dé Danann and the Druids occupied Scotia thousands of years ago. There are many legends surrounding both groups, we will be telling you what we know about their histories, but for now, you need to know they were both
verra powerful in different ways. They were also verra fascinated with each other, and began to form alliances, liaisons.

Earnan continued, his voice somber, “There were a handful of men and women that formed the Druid council, and they were kept secret from the world to protect the magick. It was their job to sit in judgment should any Druid abuse his or her power. The council became complacent and went from visiting the outside world every year, to only venturing from their hidden spot every four or five years.

“The members of the Tuatha Dé royal court, along with their Druid consorts grew completely out of control, corrupted by power, and the Druid council was not there to see it happening. There was much coveting, and each side taught the other secrets that should ne’er have been shared. Through their unholy alliances, wars, disease, and famines were used to control vast parts of the land, to try to prove superiority. Mankind and the very fabric of our world was at risk.”

Earnan
stopped, apparently to make sure Elena and Faolan were following his story. He need not have worried about her, she was mesmerized.

“By the time the Druid Council heard of the crimes against nature and man that were being committed, the problem was too wide-spread for them to handle on their own. They petitioned the Fae Queen of the
Seelie Court for help, and together they formed the last Fae-Druid alliance. They secured away the Druid writings and magick, and then the Queen scattered the Druids throughout the world. Without their magick, the Druids lost their influence, and nature was left to her own.”

Cornflower blues eyes met theirs, steady and calm, but Elena felt the power of the gaze reach into her soul. Elena glanced at Faolan, who
appeared as fascinated as she was by the tale. Everyone sat there looking at each other, waiting for Earnan to tell what happened next, because clearly, not all the Druids died.

“So go on, what happened next?” Faolan asked.

“The Council returned to their… hiding place and held a summit to decide how to keep the Druid knowledge from becoming extinct. During this summit, a great Druid prophetess saw that the Druids would again be needed, that their powers must not be lost for all time. It was decided that the council members would return to the land of Scotia, to their clans, forsaking the influence other Druids had sought. These remaining Druids would continue their clan, training only their direct decedents, serving only that which their eye could behold.

“From what we know of the prophecy, it is more important than ever that those with the potential for power, like yourself, receive their training
We are reaching out to the other known clans, but time has diminished our numbers and our skills. Few have kept to the old ways, most have moved on, their lines extinct or no longer producing offspring capable of power. We have feared for a while now that there may not be enough left of the council descendants to meet the needs of the prophecy.”

Brigid, who had been listening quietly, sat forward
now, ready to take up the tale. “This is where you come in, my dear,” she said looking directly at Elena.

“Me?” Elena squeaked.

“Aye. Faolan told me about Worthington turning the land over to you. Like him, I was suspicious of you, and I encouraged him to follow you. However, when he brought you to my shop, I knew right away there was something about you he didn’t know. There was light pouring from you. It was blindingly bright. It took me aback. I read your tea leaves, just to be sure, but there was no mistaking.”

Faolan, finally finished with his breakfast, pushed his chair over next to Elena, and draped his arm over her shoulders. “That was the day you first called her my light, Brigid. The day you realized she would help break the curse of the wolf.”

“Aye, lad, but that was not all I thought I saw. I came here to consult with Earnan and the books. We never thought it was possible, but it was hard to argue with my vision.”

She turned back to Elena. “Then you were lost, and the sisterhood visited you. I visited you. I didna know how ‘twas possible, but it was and you are.” She finished by looking at Elena as though Elena could possibly have a clue what Brigid was talking about.

“I don’t understand. What are you saying?” Elena looked from Brigid to Earnan and finally to Faolan, who looked stunned.

“Really, you all seem to know something I don’t. What in the world is going on?”

Faolan looked at her with something new in his eyes.

Brigid almost whispering said, “Reach out, Elena, taste the air.”

Sitting there, wondering why everyone was looking at her so expectantly made Elena feel cranky. She set her feelings to the side and tried to taste it, as Brigid had said. At first, she just felt stupid, as if they had already finished the test, and she was the only one still working. Then there was a bit of a whooshing sound in her head and she could hear three voices as clear as anything, all saying “Druid.”

Elena whipped her head around to face Brigid, who answered in her head, before she could ask, “Aye, lass, you were born of the Druid power.”

How could this be? She was Druid? Did that mean her Grandda— and what did that mean for her and Faolan—

Then they all spoke at once, excitement filling the air. Faolan and Elena were asking questions, Earnan and Brigid were trying to answer them as best they could.

“It seems likely now that some of the original bloodlines survived in those who no longer held the sacred knowledge,” Earnan explained. We doona’ ken how many more are out there. We do know that with the coming of this year’s Beltane, there is to be a new time of Druidry, a rebirth. Brigid has seen that the time of the prophecy is now.“

“The journey
you will take is along the path to become fully trained in the art of Druidry. You are not to be alone on this journey. There are others waiting to have the path open to them. ‘Tis our duty to find them and bring them home.

****

Faolan and Elena spent the rest of the day together outdoors in the surprisingly warm sunshine that they now knew was thanks to Earnan. Although there was much to learn, everyone agreed it wouldn’t hurt for Faolan and Elena to rest after their trip. They needed the time to explore their new home and to come to terms with what they’d learned.

They walked hand in hand, exploring the castle and grounds. In the inner courtyard of the castle, they wandered through gardens. Even in the coldest of winters, the courtyard would capture the sun and warmth of the day, so at the very least there would be fresh salad year-round. There were three plots currently filled with vegetables, and two lying fallow.

The heavenly smell of the rose garden reached them long before they actually entered the formal paths through one of the arbor-covered entryways. Each path led toward the fountain at the center of the garden. They found a bench under a white wooden trellis covered with an abundance of miniature climbing roses. They sat for a while on the bench and watched the water trickle down the tiers of the fountain.

Plucking a peach colored rose from a nearby bush, Faolan brushed Elena’s face with its soft petals then lightly pressed his lips to hers. “Lass, one night
verra soon, I am going to bring you down here and cover your naked body with rose petals. Though the splendor of these roses will surround us, ‘twill fade when compared to the beauty of you. I will make love to you here, my sweet Elena, under the stars.” Elena got lost in that idea for a while, and Faolan led her from the garden by the hand.

They walked over to the small paddock that was in front of the stables. Faolan’s arm was gentle around her waist as they watched a new colt wobble around on shaky legs while his mother nuzzled him. Faolan surrounded Elena with his arms, her back to his, his chin on her head, as they spoke softly of the joy of creating a new life.

The main paddock was visible through the open stalls, and extended beyond the castle walls. There were a dozen horses in the stables, and chickens running everywhere. In fact, there was an entire barnyard of animals, all tended to by various MacMartin’s.

They entered the tack room; the walls were covered with the paraphernalia found in any stable: ropes, bridles, whips, and various tools all hanging from sturdy hooks. Horse blankets and saddles covered the sawhorses and the air was an intoxicating mixture smells, of leather, sawdust, and hay.

“Do you see that saddle over there?” Faolan whispered to Elena, his breath hot against her ear. “I am going to carry you down here one night verra soon, and rip your lacy night gown from your beautiful body. Then I am going to bend you over that saddle and bury my cock in you. I will fuck you until you scream for me to let you come. And lass, if you doona’ please me, I might just take down one of those small leather whips, and punish you,” he growled, his voice rough with desire. Elena shivered, and was lost in that image even longer than the last one.

Faolan led Elena on shaky legs to a large clearing that held a circle of standing stones behind the castle. Faolan told Elena the ring would have to be at least three thousand years old, and maybe, if it was from the Neolithic period it could be nearly nine thousand years old.

“What are they for, Faolan? I mean, I’ve seen the specials about Stonehenge on the Discovery Channel. I know there are many controversial theories, but are they really for time travel? Did they come from outer space?”

Smiling down at her, Faolan said, “I believe we will find out soon enough, but aye, lass, I expect they can move people through dimensions of some sort.
Either time or space, or maybe both. Druids have many special talents and much knowledge.

“I could show you some of my Druid knowledge, if you would only follow me over there to that lovely copse of trees. There we will be out of sight of the castle.”

Then he kissed her so thoroughly, he left no doubt what type of knowledge he wanted to share.

Brigid and Earnan were waiting for them when they entered the keep, so they’d quickly made themselves presentable and headed to the drawing room for cocktails. There were several bottles of fifty-year old
Macallan, only the best for these Druids. Elena chose to stay with the sparkling water, Brigid had a glass of merlot, and the men enjoyed their single malt.

They kept the conversation casual, speaking of the grounds, recounting the details of the boat trip, and wondering how things were at the farm.

Then Faolan asked, “Will we be starting our training on the morrow, then?”

Earnan and Brigid exchanged looks.

“What’s wrong?” Elena asked.

With a sigh, Brigid looked at Elen
a, “Although I have seen you with child, I canna see everything. I doona’ think it will be wise for you to train while you are pregnant. We Druid women always refrained from doing much magick while with child.”