Luathara - Book Three of the Otherworld Trilogy (32 page)

I opened my mouth to snap out a response, something along the lines of
then you shouldn't have started this conversation by trying to order me around
, but she held up a hand and continued.  "We started off on the wrong foot the last time, and I'm afraid I'm still not reconciled with that.  Unfortunately, right now isn't the best of times in Eile and I'm afraid this upcoming confrontation with the Morrigan has kept my mind occupied.  I haven't had the time to worry about the strained connection I have with my daughter, and the last thing I need right now is a distraction."

I gritted my teeth and took a long sip of my tea,
disregard
ing
the scorching sensation as the hot liquid went down my throat.  As inconvenient as it was for me to show up now of all times, I resented being called a distraction.

"I called you down here to let you know that I do wish to try and salvage what's left of our shattered relationship, but that it will have to wait."

I tried not to feel hurt, really I
did.  Sure, I
still dis
d
ained
her for the way she treated me and the way she so callously cast me aside, but she was right.  Now was not a good time to let our emotions get the better of us.  If the Morrigan had any
notion of
the anger that brewed between my mother and
me
, she would pounce on it like a starving flea on a dog.  Yes, waiting to sort out our differences, no matter how much it scraped at my raw emotions to put it off, was the best.

"Now," Danua said, clasping her hands together as if she were about to use her glamour to clean off the table, "the
day
grows late and some of the Tuatha De have yet to arrive.  We will not meet until mid-morning to discuss this threat that looms all around us, so you are dismissed.  Use the afternoon to rest and prepare yourself for tomorrow's schedule."

I stood to leave, a bit confused by her abrupt dismissal.  Yet, perhaps her only reason for calling me down here was to chastise me about Cade and to inform me that she'd be willing to try out that whole bonded mother-daughter thing once the Morrigan situation had been taken care of.  And she had handled
the whole conversation as if
it
was
simply
a business meeting discussing the variety of wheat grown in her realm.  I had to hand it to her, she had a talent for shrugging off emotion like
an old coat
.

"Dinner will be served to your rooms tonight," she said as she ushered me to the end of the room, "so don't bother coming down to the dining
hall
.  We'll be having a more formal welcome wh
en everyone has arrived."

Nodding, I stepped through the ornately carved door only to find the same lady in waiting
ready to
take me back upstairs.  Cade wasn't in the hallway any
longer
, and neither was he in our room when I returned, so I killed time by browsing the bookshelves.  Once I found something interesting to read, I settled into a great stuffed chair beside the fire place.  The unremarkable day had faded into afternoon, and a gray wash of clouds on the horizon signaled an approaching storm.

Appropriate weather
, I mused as I flipped through the pages of my book.

Cade arrived just before dusk settled in.  I glanced up from my reading and lifted my eyebrows in surprise.  His hair was damp and ruffled and his clothes looked muddy in some spots.  I gasped and jumped out of the chair when I caught sight of a red smear near his temple.

"You're bleeding!" I exclaimed, lifting my hand to touch the small gash above his ear.

Cade quickly caught my hand, turned it over, and planted a kiss in my palm.  His eyes spark
l
ed and a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.  My stomach fluttered and I breathed a small sigh of relief.

"I was only sparring with Danua's guard," he said, sounding slightly sheepish.
 
"How did the meeting with your mother go?"

My
moment of joy
faded and I took a breath.  "Honestly, as well as I had imagined."

Cade grimaced.  "I'm sorry Meghan."

Shrugging, I said, "All is not lost.  She wants to mend the rift between us, but she wants to wait until after everything with the Morrigan blows over."

My heart twinged at th
at
thought.  I might not
make it past
the war . . .  Shaking my head, I turned back to Cade and tried on another smile.

"It hurts that she doesn't want to work on our relationship now, but I can understand why."

Cade nodded and pulled me into a hug.  He kissed me once on the forehead,
his favorite
display of affection
, I'd come to learn,
then disappeared into the bathroom to take a shower.  I sat down on my chair
once again
and let my mind wander back to the meeting with my mother.  She had been as cold as ever, but even as my own mind fought against her distance, I could sense something hovering just below the surface.  A spark of yearning perhaps?  A desire to reach out to her daughter?

A sharp knock at the door yanked me out of my reverie.  I rose to open it just as Cade stepped out of the bathroom wearing his casual shirt and pants.  A servant with a tray gave me a quick bow and I realized that dinner had arrived.  Cade stepped up and took the tray, setting it on a small table in the corner.  As we ate, he told me about his day and I told him about mine.  Despite the uncomfortable and emotionally draining encounter with my mother, a cloud of comfort surrounded me.  Who would have thought that such joy could be squeezed out of a simple conversation with the one you loved?

After taking my own shower, I pulled on some old pajamas from my bag and snuggled into bed next to Cade.  He wrapped an arm around me and tucked his face up against my neck
, his warm breath stirring my hair
. 
A wash of
happiness flooded over me
, chasing my worries away,
and I soon drifted off
to sleep
.

* * *

The steady rhythm of rain pelting the windows woke me the next morning.  The fire had died down to tiny, glowing embers and the room had grown cold.  It was still dark out, but not so much so that I couldn't see
the objects in the
room.  Cade's soft breathing came from behind me and I roll
ed over so that I faced him. 
He was splayed out on his stomach, his arms reaching in front of him and his head turned in my direction.  His hair, a tousled mess since he went to bed with it wet, falling against his cheek.  Slowly, so I wouldn't wake him, I cuddled up against his side to keep warm.  I hadn't realized I'd been shivering until
my
body
came into contact with
his
.  Heat flooded over me and I sighed, letting my eyes drift closed.

Cade mumbled something and took a deep breath.  He shifted, rolling up onto his side and curling his arms around me, pulling me close.  I welcomed the gesture without any complaints and fell asleep for who knows how much longer.  The next time I woke, it was to the sensation of Cade stroking my hair out of my face.  My eyes flickered
and I found
him staring at me.

"What's wrong?" I whispered.

He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.  "Nothing," he answered in the same silent tone. 
Just reminding myself how lucky I am
,
he murmured into my mind.
  He leaned forward and kissed my forehead gently.

I could have easily fallen back
to
sleep, but I knew it was probably already getting close to mid-morning and Danua had expected us to meet in her throne room.  I wondered if all of the Tuatha De
Danann
had made it last night.  Cade and I had gone to
bed
relatively early and I couldn't recall hearing any sounds of a large party arriving in the courtyard far below our window.

Reluctantly, I got out of bed, Cade not far behind, and we donned our formal clothes.  I had brought one of the dresses I'd found in the wardrobe at the Dagda's, this one a lovely dark plum color
with some silver needlework
.  Once we were ready,
we
slipped from our room and headed down the hall, the soft patter of rain against the tall windows
accompanying us along the way.

As we walked, I contemplated how the day might go.  The last thing I wanted to do was sit in a council meeting with my mother and the other kings and queens of Eile.  Okay, I wasn't being completely honest with myself.  I was dying to meet the other Tuatha De, excited but terrified at the same time.  What would they be like?  Would they shun me?  Demand that I leave their secret meeting?  I was also afraid to learn what the Morrigan was up to.  Discussing it with the high queen and her brethren made the path towards an actual war
valid
, and I had been so enjoying this time out from real life with Cade.

Sighing, I tucked my arm into Cade's and moved in closer to him.  He arched a brow at me, but I gave a nervous smile and said with shil-sciar,
I'm
a little nervous about meeting all the gods and goddesses of the Celts.

He leaned down and pulled me closer with his free arm, almost making me trip over his feet.

You'll do fine
, he
responde
d. 
They're not
like the courtiers who think they are far above you
.

They're not?

Nope.  They
know
they're far above you, so they don't even bother with proving it.

I blinked up at him, then caught the smile that was fighting against his tight lips.  I smacked his arm and he let out a laugh.  My apprehension didn't go away, but Cade's attempt at making me feel better helped.

* * *

Cade and I were the last to arrive
at
the meeting of the gods of Eile.  I had assumed we'd be gathering in my mother's throne room, but instead one of her guards led us through the massive hall into a side chamber.  As soon as he threw the doors open and we stepped in, a blast of power, raw and unchained, hit me in a great wave.  I stopped walking and wavered
, both trying to catch my balance and keep control of my own power and the glamour right next to it
.

"Steady, love," Cade whispered against my ear as he held me up.

I took several deep breaths and waited for my heart to slow its erratic beating.  Fortunately, no one had noticed our arrival yet.  The room was buzzing with conversation, both serious and casual.  I stood up straighter, but ke
pt
my fingers wrapped around Cade's collar, and took a few moments to study the most powerful Faelorehn in the Otherworld.

There was of course my mother, Danua, reclining at the head of the grand table.  Next to her sat the Dagda, his radiating charm spread out like an invisible mantle all around him.  He had his arms crossed casually over his chest as he talked with my mother.  His hair had been swept back and he'd trimmed his beard.  When he glanced in our direction, he winked and smiled at me, never once losing track of his conversation with the high queen.

On the other side of Cade's foster father sat another familiar face.  Epona, the fair-haired woman who ruled over the wild horses, spoke quietly with an intense, dark haired and dark eyed man.  As I observed him, I noticed that one of his hands was hidden inside a finely-wrought glove of chainmail.  My eyes and thoughts must have lingered on him too long, because I detected Cade's gentle words in my head.

That is Nuadu, the famous king from the battle of Maige Tuired.
 
His hand was severely injured and
it
pains him if the bare skin comes into contact with anything other than the metal used to make that special gauntlet he wears.

I scrunched up my face and thought about the folktale that mentioned the famous battle.  It had been a long time since I'd read it, but eventually the details came back to me.  In the book, Nuadu had lost his hand and the surgeon of the Tuatha De had created a new one out of silver.  I silently prodded Cade about it.

The story said he lost his hand, and therefore couldn't be king, because he was flawed.  That's why t
he false hand was made for him.
  There was never any mention of a glove.

I felt
Cade's
smile as he pressed a kiss to my temple. 
Legends often skew the facts a little.

Well, I couldn't argue with that.  Once my curiosity about Nuadu was satisfied, I let my eyes continue their journey around the table.  A fire-haired giant sat next to Nuadu, Oghma according to Cade, and next to him another large man with brown hair and what looked like a few burn scars on his neck, face and arms.

Goibniu
, Cade told me in his silent words when I asked,
our blacksmith
. 
If anyone wishes to learn the art, they study under him or someone he's trained.  He's the best there is.