“Mi casa, su casa!” Ian responded. Then his eyes roved up our forms. “Come to think of it, you both look like shit and could also do with a hot shower and a stiff drink.” He looked at Gage, and his eyebrows rose as he added, “Possibly not in that order.”
I realized I was shivering violently. Given the experience I’d just been through, it wasn’t a huge shock. Ian’s offer sounded heavenly, but I hesitated, glancing at Gage. “Are you sure it’s safe?”
Gage jerked his head. “Ian’s place is warded. We’ve also been very careful to keep our relationship under wraps, especially as Ian lives and works in Perth. Besides, it does no harm to have a number of safe houses to fall back on.”
I smiled at Ian. “Thank you for your kind offer, that would be lovely.”
He stared back at me, an unreadable emotion crossing his face before he smiled warmly back. “No problem.” He held up a finger and added, “I think we should leave now. I can feel Gage’s magic on the air, and the sooner we get out of here, the better.”
I jerked. “You know?”
A perplexed frown knitted his brow. “Know what? About magic? Or the legacy?”
“I guess the question is redundant, given your answer,” I muttered. Obviously, I was the last one to know.
I felt Gage’s weighted gaze on me, but as I caught his eyes, he turned back to seeking hidden threats. I swore he looked amused.
Ian gestured for me to precede him as we walked toward his Rover. Gage was at our backs, a few paces behind.
“Are you a Druid, too?” I asked Ian.
He flashed me another smile, his teeth almost fluorescent in the dark. “The thirty-fifth of my line.” His smile turned into a grimace as he added, “Although I think my family is prouder of the fact that, in the last year, I’ve become a descendant of Cailleach’s prophecy.”
I stopped suddenly, a few feet from his truck. “Gage told me. How do you feel about it all?”
He kept moving forward, reaching out to open the back door. “It is what it is. How I feel doesn’t really come into it.” He looked away, and I sensed he was holding back, but I didn’t push him. “I’ve got the tattoo and everything,” he added, tapping his right forearm. “Came on me suddenly a few weeks ago when I was with Gage.”
“Can I see?”
He didn’t hesitate to pull up the arm of his shirt, and my breath caught as I saw the Celtic symbols there. The ink was the same color as my own, but the symbols were different.
“What does it mean?”
“Knowledge.” He grinned suddenly. “Which is fitting really, for my strength lies in history.”
I tipped my head back to catch his expression. “You’re a professor?”
“Yes.” He tapped his glasses. “Don’t I look the part?”
I couldn’t help the tentative smile I gave in return, and he gestured for me to climb into the vehicle.
As I settled against the backrest, I realized how comfortable I felt in his presence. It was easy, and the sobering thought was that it had been a long time since I’d felt that way about anyone except Chloe. I already knew Ian was someone I could trust.
I fastened my seatbelt, noticing how my hands trembled as I did so. I felt more than a little nervous to be back in a vehicle again so soon, but I took a deep breath before releasing it slowly. There’s no one following us, I reminded myself. Ian is a trusted friend, and we’re all safe.
Ian hauled his lanky form into the driver’s seat, and Gage slid in next to him, silent and composed. He didn’t turn around and acknowledge me, didn’t say a word to anyone. It didn’t seem to worry Ian; it was as if he knew Gage well, accepting his moods.
The engine rolled to life, and we pulled away into the shadowed fog, the headlights casting a hazy glow over the road. The drone of the engine was the only sound. I couldn’t help laying my head against the back of the seat, finally succumbing to exhaustion.
25
Talorgan
3rd Century BC, Ancient Scotland
Talorgan stared incredulously at the carcasses at their feet. “Two deer?”
Drust’s smile was wide, exhilarated. “We were blessed by the goddess herself! She allowed us one deer each. You should have seen her, brother—she was magnificent! I have never seen a goddess such as her. She was desiccated, a crone beyond age, but she had such tremendous, unspeakable power!”
Talorgan snorted, a sneer on his face. “What is this nonsense you speak of? No one has seen Cailleach in years!” He squinted at Drust’s face, searching. “Have you been drinking?” he demanded.
“No! It’s true—we saw her!” cried Drust, eyes wide, face animated. “She appeared in the forest right as we were about to take a hit. She stopped us by pulling Tritus’s arrow out of thin air!”
Talorgan scoffed, his gaze roaming between them both, but the conviction he saw there made him falter. His voice was low, disbelieving. “You can’t be serious. She’s a crone! She wouldn’t move that fast.”
Drust nodded. “It’s true, brother,” he said softly. “We saw her.”
Talorgan froze. He couldn’t deny the truth in his brother’s voice. His eyes roved over them both, features darkening into a scowl. “Why you two?” He looked at Tritus and sneered. “Especially you—you’re not one of us!”
“I’m a Druid just as much as you are, Talorgan,” Tritus interjected softly.
Talorgan snarled. “You are not my people! This land isn’t yours—you invaded it! Just because our people have agreed to live in peace together does not make you one of ours! And we can never be one people, not when you do not share the same gods.” His face twisted into a mask of anger. “How can you believe in only two gods when you have looked upon Cailleach today?”
Tritus considered him, his face unreadable. “She proved herself ten times over. A woman with incredible power.” He glanced at Drust, remembering that moment they met Cailleach, aware that it would be forever scarred in his memory. “I am not ignorant, Talorgan; I am capable of change. Until today, I had not witnessed whether any other deities existed in this world. In our homeland, no one has seen our gods; it is said they appear to us when we cross over into the Other. But here, today, I readily admit I met one: Cailleach the Goddess of Winter.” And almost as if to himself, he added, “My people are wrong, there are more than just the All-Father and the All-Mother in this world.”
Talorgan stared at him, his face incredulous. “Do you think it is as simple as that? That you can change your mind and our people will accept you—that our gods will accept you?” spat Talorgan scornfully. “They won’t! In order to accept our gods, you need to honor them: lay gifts at their alter, pledge your allegiance to them, revere them!”
Drust stepped forward, about to interject, but before he could, Tritus replied firmly, “I have no problem accepting this mantle. After today, I believe in the Goddess of Winter. Cailleach deserves her title, and I will honor her. We are not stubborn to change, and after meeting Cailleach and beholding her visage, I will readily confirm her existence with my people. But, as to these other gods you speak of, it is too much to ask that I—or any of my people—will blindly follow them if we have not seen the truth of their worth.”
Talorgan gritted his teeth, his jaw locked with tension as he stared at Tritus. “Do you suppose it is that easy?” he growled softly. “That you can switch your allegiance to other gods without question? The gods also have a say. They need to accept you and be confident of your worth. For your people to claim our gods, you must be initiated. The gods would expect no less.”