Son of Sun (Forgotten Gods (Book 2)) (7 page)

The world was a ghostly black and white. A familiar, if totally unwelcomed sight to my sore eyes.

I was sitting before Mattie and Sam, a desk chair turned backwards where I sat, facing their horrified faces.

From their looks, I knew they knew the truth of what I was, but instead of the fear that seared my body every time I thought about my secret being revealed, there was nothing but the calm wash of relief.

In my hand I held a candle. A candle I recognized. The candle I always lit on the window sill while I studied. I brought it to my face, which cast ghost-story shadows over me that caused Sam to squirm against the wall.

When I saw my hand raise to the flame I screamed in my mind.

“NO!” I yelled at my black and white self. “Don’t show them. They can’t know!” My mind raced trying to find a way to explain the fire away. But it did little good. As my hand plunged into the flame I was released from the black and white spell.

I awoke with the tiniest of startles, an inner voice telling me I was not in a safe place when my conscious mind came to.

Shivers radiated down my body like tiny earthquakes each time a gush of wind blasted over me. I wanted to jump up and run, but sensing someone was near I kept my eyes shut, feigning unconsciousness as I used what senses I could to figure out what was going on.

A fur of some sort rested over my body, making the cold blasts of air somewhat tolerable—a fact that told me whoever had me definitely wanted me alive. Waves crashed in the far distance, their roar no more than a faint whisper under the howling sounds of a vicious wind swirling from all directions. Like strong currents caught up in a tiny bay, they bellowed in from one direction and crashed against solid walls.

What I assumed were feet shuffled silently across the floor, obviously not wanting to wake me. Another cold blast of air whooshed in, sending a shiver skittering over the length of my body. I involuntarily gasped at the chill. Movement in the room stopped, and I could
feel
the unseen eyes on me. The breath caught in my chest, fearing the blanket’s movement might tell my captor I was awake. A warm rush of wind washed over me, filling my nostrils with an unmistakably human scent. Whoever was there with me hovered so closely I could hear their breaths, slow and steady. When my right side began to warm and the shadowy flicker of flames danced against my closed eyelids, it was all I could do to keep from scrunching my brow in confusion. Another gush of wind sucked away from me, and the person who had just lit the fire to warm me was gone.

What?

I reached way back in my memory, searching for the final events that would have led me here. Okay...the wishing pearl, the woods, running, the river, blue lady, and then the light right when I had resigned myself to die. But, I most certainly wasn’t dead.

By the way sounds played around the room, I could tell there was a wall to my left. Thinking it was the safest option I had, I cracked open my left eye and saw nothing but black rocky walls that reached to cavern roof overhead.

“You can open your eyes, child. I am not here to hurt you.”

I gasped, and both eyes shot open, my body going ramrod straight beneath the bear fur blanket.

Her voice sounded like a crystal wind chime dancing in a brilliant summer breeze. Rhythmic, melodic and slightly hypnotic.

In tiny jerky movements, I turned my head to see who the disconnected voice belonged to.

Everything about her was caught up in the winds that whipped through the cave—wild white hair flying like streamers, lose pants and a tunic-type top thrashing against her stately stature. Even the way she moved toward a chair at my side was wistful and longing like the wind.

“How do you feel?” She asked, leaning fluidly into me as she stoked the fire. Maybe it was stupid of me not to fear the woman, but I didn’t. She had a calming presence, and if she wanted to harm me surely she would’ve done it while I was unconscious.

“Like I swallowed the entire sea.” My throat burned like dry ash, and I was seized by a coughing fit, a feudal attempt to soothe it.

“Yes, I was almost too late.” Her face went serious for a moment, and she diverted her eyes to the fire. “Tell me, why were you sacrificing yourself to the water nymphs?”

“I wasn’t sacrificing myself,” I shook my head and leaned up onto my elbows, noticing for the first time how homey the cave was, complete with an earthy little kitchen where she had been cooking when I awoke. “I was looking for answers.”

The woman scoffed at my explanation, clicking her tongue against her teeth and shaking her head like a schoolmarm. “The only answer you will find down there is death, my child. Has no one taught you to keep your magic out of the water?” With a grand fluttery movement, the woman rose and half danced across the room to retrieve a tray from the countertop. She offered me a steaming mug of tea as she twirled back to my pallet, watching me closely with eyes too keen to be human. I said nothing, allowing my eyes to fall to the ground in what I hoped was an unreadable stare as I accepted the outstretched cup. “Well then, you have
a lot
to learn. I hate to think what would have happened had I not gotten to you in time.”

I’m not sure why her words needled me in such an unexpected way. Of course, I had a lot to learn. I didn’t need some old woman telling me that. The only reason I went into the water in the first place was to try to find the answers I knew I needed. And maybe I would have found them if she hadn’t ripped me away from the blue lady.

“What are you?” I sat up, glaring down my nose at her so she knew I didn’t appreciate her insult.

“My name is Ceila,” she bowed her head meekly, eyes cast downward as if she were suddenly unworthy. “I am an elemental of the air. A lowly servant to Apollo’s altar.”

“How did you know I wasn’t just some college kid out for a midnight run?” I brought my knees into my chest and turned to lean against the stone so I could study her more closely. She caught a laugh behind her elegant fingers before she answered, which did little to calm my temper. I gritted my teeth as she composed herself.

“Everyone knows you, Faye. We’ve all been very worried you might expose us.”

“Then why did you save me?” My eyebrows raised indignantly. “It would’ve been easier for everyone if you hadn’t.”

“I’m sorry if I have offended you, Faye.” Ceila’s hand rested over her heart and she leaned into me, her face a mix of concern and care. “I rescued you because of this...” She reached out and brushed her hand over the golden bracelet I had instinctively curled into my chest. My eyes went wide.

“You’re Sidhe?”

“No.” She shook her head and elegantly crossed her legs, turning to the tray she had sat beside us. Her thoughts calmed her features, and she began to spread jam onto a piece of bread. “I belong to the lord of air. Apollo was my creator.”

“I thought Apollo was the god of the sun?” I sniffed at her tea and then took a swig. Mmmm, chamomile.

“Exactly. Apollo rules the sun. The sun rules the sky, and the sky rules the air.”

“So, why would you save me if you thought I was Sidhe?”

“Because earth and air must work as one. It’s the only way to keep the precarious balance of this world.” She looked at me as if I was forgetting another fundamental rule of the gods. My face stayed just as blank as it had been before. With a sigh she stood up and waltzed to where a wooden disc—the only decoration in her cavern home—hung against black stone.

“Earth and Air live harmoniously together. Water is tolerated, but avoided.” Her voice was clear as a song, ringing along stone walls. Lovingly, she brushed her fingers over the carved circle before she plucked it from its nail and waltzed back to where I sat.

With great care, she placed it in my hand. The carving had a wavy line etched down its center like I’d seen on the Chinese symbol of yin and yang. One side held a bird of the sky soaring over a mountain—obviously representing the elements of earth and air. On the opposite half, a great wave swelled from the ocean’s depths—the element of water.

“The one thing the two sides agree on is that Fire, must be buried away beneath us all,” her voice was a whisper as she flipped the disc over in my hand to reveal flames of destruction.

Blood froze in my veins and I dropped the carving into my lap as I stared straight ahead into Ceila’s deep grey eyes. Realizing at that moment it wasn’t only Dayne and the Sidhe that feared fire.

Still, I didn’t move. Hot tears threatened the corners of my eyes and I swallowed hard against the lump that had just tied my throat in a knot.

That was the moment I knew I could never trust anyone but Dayne with the secret of what I was. Trying to find help from anyone else would be too dangerous. I sighed, utterly defeated before I’d even begun.

I said no more, retrieving the trinket from my lap and handing it back to Ceila. With my legs crossed I leaned forward, catching my forehead in the palm of my hand and shaking my head back and forth, feeling as if my quest was growing more impossible with each passing second.

Ceila watched me silently, studying my every move as if she were trying to make up her mind about me. Finally, she put her teacup down on the tray and leaned forward, elbows on her knees.

“I sense your magic is new, yes?”

I nodded my head to answer without looking at her. She paused a moment longer, as if still trying to make up her mind, and then sighed.

“I’m afraid I would be a poor teacher. But, if it is answers you seek, I may know someone who could help you.” She paused and when I looked up, her face was twisted into a look that was as much pain as it was fear. “I cannot recommend you seek him out on your own, though. If you value your life, that is.” Her fingers steepled and tucked under her angular chin, eyes flashing dark with danger.

“Who?” I leaned into her.

“His name is Chassan. He is the only remaining son of Apollo left in this world.”

I leaned away from her, my eyes flaring as I looked around the cave, the light bulb going off in my head casting a brilliant new light onto my plan.

Yes! Of course that was the answer. There was no way I could seek help from another Sidhe. Daoine would find out about that. A son of Apollo, however, would certainly have the answers I needed and if I could choose my words carefully enough, he would never have to know what I really was.

Even better, he would have no allegiance to the Sidhe and no reason to alert Daoine to the fact that I was growing stronger and planning to come back for Dayne. As for the danger, Ceila didn’t really know what I was capable of. If Dayne, who was a Sidhe warrior, feared me, how dangerous could this Chassan guy be?

“And where is Chassan?” I asked, my mind already made up that I would search the entire forest to find him if I had to.

“He was once the Condor God of Machu Picchu, the Inca’s sacred city. He transported lost souls from funeral pyres to his father in the heavens.”

Again, a great wave of disappointment crashed over me. Machu Picchu was in Peru, a plane ticket that would be just as impossible to buy last minute as one to Ireland. My excitement began to wane once more.

“So, he’s like the grim reaper or something?” I shrugged my shoulders as if I was unimpressed.

“He’s
much
more dangerous than that.” Ceila’s eyes went wide to emphasize ‘much’.

“How so?” I narrowed my eyes, suspiciously. Ceila didn’t seem to have much magic in her, and she was also a servant of Apollo. It was reasonable that she would fear his son, but her reaction piqued my interest.

“Well, when the last worlds were ending, he murdered his brothers in cold blood so he could rule unchallenged when this world began.” The wind blew harder into the cave as if it had heard what we were talking about. Ceila froze, her eyes darting wildly around the room in fear.

“Murdered his brothers?” I wasn’t sure if I shivered at the gruesome thought or at the breeze that had picked up. “All for power?” Ceila nodded her head, and drew her face tight, mumbling something under her breath and casting her eyes to the heavens as if she were seeking protection from some higher power for mentioning the dead.

“Apollo’s descendants were decimated when the last ice age took hold. They were creatures of the sky and when everything froze, they froze with it. There was no LisTirna for them to retreat to. Chassan had no way of knowing he would have nothing to rule over when it was done. Apollo cursed him with life so he would have eternity to atone for his sins.”

Murder. Impossible location. Danger. I sighed. My plan to find answers was falling apart before my eyes and I felt just as lost as I had before.

I leaned back against the wall feeling as if the weight of the cave walls had just crashed over my shoulders. It was hopeless! I would never find the answers I needed to unlock my magic and find my way back to Dayne. Every time I thought I had it all worked out, I only smacked into another roadblock ever bigger than the last.

“Oh, cheer up child!” Ceila patted my knee, and then rose from the chair to gather her scarf and coat. “You will find your answers. As long as that bracelet stays on your arm, he has promised to come back to you.” She winked at me and pointed toward Dayne’s bracelet as I cradled it to my chest absently.