Faeleahn Read online

  Faeleahn

  A Novella of the Otherworld

  by

  Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

  Copyrighted Material

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. All material in connection with Celtic myth has been borrowed and interpreted for use in the plot of the story only. Cover image is the sole property of the author. The Faelorehn font on the cover image and interior of this book was created by P.A. Vannucci (www.alphabetype.it) to be used in the Otherworld Series. Any resemblance to actual persons is entirely coincidental.

  Faeleahn

  Copyright © 2015 by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book or its cover may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from its creator.

  For more information and to contact the author, visit:

  www.jennaelizabethjohnson.com

  Contents

  One

  Luathara

  Two

  Arroyo Grande

  Three

  Weald

  Four

  Carnogh

  Five

  Erintara

  Epilogue

  Wedding

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Other Books by this Author

  Connect with me Online

  Sneak Peek of Faelorehn, Book One of the Otherworld Trilogy

  Faeleahn

  Chapter One

  Luathara

  MEGHAN

  I woke to the sound of spring birds chirping outside the window, their boisterous songs filling the air with joy and promise. Although I was no longer asleep, I kept my eyes shut, not yet willing to let in the brightness of the morning sunshine. I could feel it pouring in through the tall windows. I knew instinctively, without even reaching across the wide mattress, that Cade was already up. Ever since the ordeal with the Morrigan - his warmongering, glamour-hungry hag of a mother - came to its climactic closure, I had noticed a change in the both of us. It wasn’t so much a physical change, or, more precisely, it wasn’t a physical change at all. It was something different, an awareness just beneath my skin. I imagined this alteration had a lot to do with our glamour. Perhaps all the time we spent together had trained my magic to recognize his on a level far deeper than I had previously realized. It was as if my magic could reach out and connect with Cade’s without my even being aware of it. Then again, it could simply be a side effect of my being completely and unquestionably in love.

  Grinning like a fool, I stretched and reached out across the mattress. As I had expected, Cade wasn’t there. I tried not to feel disappointed. I knew he wasn’t far. Probably out on the patio or walking through the garden. He might have already dressed and gone down to his study, but he wouldn’t be riding the acreage with Speirling today or venturing into Kellston to address any concerns the townspeople might have. Today, we were leaving Luathara for a time, and we planned on heading out long before noon.

  Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, I allowed my eyes to flutter open. The room was indeed bathed in golden light, the rich color bringing life to the hues in the tapestries, rugs and drapes hanging around our four poster bed. For a few moments, I simply lay there, cocooned in the soft sheets, tracing the embroidered design in the comforter. Even after all I had been through in the past few years, I still woke sometimes, sucking in my breath at the absurdity of it all. Three years ago, I had been one of the awkward nerds at my high school. I had started out my junior year the same way I approached the previous two: keeping my head down and focusing on getting good grades, so I might get into a reputable college someday. I had lived a typical teenage life, and other than my moments of insanity when I thought I saw monsters and imagined I heard weird voices, I thought I was pretty normal. How wrong I had been.

  Rolling over in bed, I crooked my elbow and rested my cheek against my hand. I was facing the glass doors that opened out onto the terrace just outside the room Cade and I shared. The doors were open, the cool breeze of early spring flowing in and making the gossamer drapes dance like cheerful specters. The air smelled of lingering frost and the sweet flowers that dared to open this early in Eile. And beneath it all, I could smell the faint, unique scent of wild glamour. I breathed it all in as I stretched once again.

  A small movement out of the corner of my eye distracted me for a second. I shot my gaze toward the balcony once more, just making out the shape of a tall figure. The corners of my mouth curved up, and I felt my body flush with joy. Cade. Even after having known him for three years, and having survived everything we’d been through since, I still got chills when I looked at him. Well over six feet tall and built like a Celtic god, Caedehn MacRoich was the image of any young woman’s fantasies. I thought back to the first time I had seen him, wondering how I had kept my cool long enough to string more than two coherent thoughts together. Alright, if I was being honest with myself, I had fallen for his charms quite quickly. In fact, the sensible Meghan Elam would have smacked the love-struck version of myself upside the head. Before seeing Cade in all his Otherworldly glory, I would never have gone for a guy like him. He was too beautiful, too large, too frightening. Yet, I had kept going back for more. I had agreed to meet him and listen as he slowly peeled back the wool from my eyes. And I had fallen fast and hard. Yet, I didn’t regret any of the decisions that had brought me to this point in my life. True, Cade and I had been through trials and tribulations, many of them so horrifying I don’t wish to reminisce on them. But because of those tests, we had grown closer than ever.

  I bit my lip and glanced down at my wrist, admiring the beautifully woven and bejeweled bracelet secured there. It wasn’t just any bracelet, though. This was the piece of jewelry Cade had given to me over a month ago, when he had asked me to marry him. Another flurry of chills coursed through me, and I sighed. The day Cade proposed had been one of the happiest days of my life and I only imagined those days would grow happier. After all, we were Faelorehn, and we were immortal. And, we no longer had the Morrigan hunting us like wild game.

  I smiled again as I rose from the bed, bringing a sheet with me in lieu of clothing. As I headed for the open doors, I felt my powerful glamour well up and reach out toward Cade’s. For so long, we had fought against our common enemy, and finally, finally, we were going to start our new life together.

  CADE

  The sun had been up for at least an hour, yet the stubborn frost of winter still coated the hills surrounding Luathara. I had slipped out of bed only ten minutes ago, reluctant to leave Meghan alone, but my sleep had been restless again. Ever since defeating the Morrigan’s army a few months ago, I hadn’t been able to relax. One would think that destroying the goddess responsible for so many years of my misery and suffering would be enough to banish all the demons that haunted me, but for some reason or another, it wasn’t. I had a terrible feeling that although my tormentor was now nothing more than a memory, her evil glamour and negative influence were still strong contenders for dominance in this world. That would explain my lingering fear.

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in through my nose, scenting the early spring air for danger. It was pointless, really. I couldn’t really smell danger on the wind, but one never knew. I could most certainly smell faelah if they were near. The very thought brought a sneer to my face. Yes, my mother’s leftovers still plagued our world, but I could deal with those in time. A sudden gust of light wind sent a chill through my blood. I lifted my arms and crossed them over my chest. I hadn’t dressed completely after rising from bed, and at the moment, I wore a pair of loose pants and one of my thin linen shirts, and neither was keeping off the cold.

  Just as I
was about to abandon my survey of Luathara’s landscape, a pair of familiar arms wrapped themselves around my torso, and I felt Meghan press her warm body up against mine. I leaned my head back and to the side, allowing my eyelids to drift shut.

  “Hello, my love,” I murmured, relishing Meghan’s body heat as it took the chill off my own skin.

  “What are you doing standing out in the cold?” she wondered, in a sleepy voice.

  I huffed a breath, trying to will my worry away. “Just thinking,” I answered.

  “About what?”

  I smiled. My ever curious Meghan. Shrugging, I answered, “Many things, but right now I’m thinking about our upcoming journey.”

  Meghan lit up at that. I knew because I could sense the change in her glamour. It had been snoozing quietly beside her heart, but now, it was pulsing with joyful curiosity. She had become so much better at controlling her own power since the battle against the Morrigan, and I couldn’t be more proud of her.

  I turned to face her then, grinning rakishly when I noticed what she was wearing, or rather, what she wasn’t wearing.

  As if she could read my thoughts, Meghan gave me her own impish smile and pulled the sheet more tightly about herself.

  “What time is it?” she asked, dancing out of my reach.

  Giving up on my attempts at seduction, I exhaled and answered her, “Between eight and nine in the morning.”

  She gasped and dashed toward her chest of drawers. “We had better get moving, then. Good thing we packed last night!”

  I chuckled and stepped fully into our bedroom, tugging my shirt over my head as I did so. “Relax. We have plenty of time.”

  Despite my reassurance, both Meghan and I were dressed and hauling our travel packs down the stairs within half an hour.

  Briant, my steward, greeted us in the entrance hall with a stack of documents he wanted me to look over one last time before we left.

  “Briant,” I complained as I set my pack down, “we’ll be in the mortal world for no more than two days, then we’ll stop back here to get clean clothes before heading to the Weald. I have taken care of everything, and you will do fine in my absence. You have managed quite well before.”

  The Faelorehn man gave me a stern look and huffed out a breath of air. “Yes, I know, but it is still best when the signature and directions come from you.”

  I took the papers and glanced over them quickly, added my signature to the ones that needed it, then handed them back to Briant.

  Melvina, Briant’s wife, came bursting out of the kitchen carrying a dish cloth stuffed full of something giving off a savory scent.

  “Scones,” she exclaimed, shoving them at Meghan. “Since you insist on leaving so quickly.”

  Meghan dug around in the cloth and pulled out a hot scone. She took a bite out of it and closed her eyes in bliss. “Thank you, Melvina,” she managed, around a mouthful. “And can you blame me? I’m going to see my family for the first time in weeks!”

  In her state of excitement, she reached out and gave the woman a tight hug. Melvina only chittered in feigned embarrassment while Meghan offered a scone to me.

  “Thank you, both of you, for looking out for Luathara. While we’re gone this time and for all the times before and those to come,” I said, giving them each a grateful look.

  “Luathara is as much our home as it is yours, Cade,” Briant insisted. “Now, go on. Your friends and families have waited long enough to receive the news of your engagement.”

  With a quick smile, I escorted Meghan outside where the horses and our spirit guides waited. Both Speirling and Lasair had been led into the courtyard by Cormac, the new stable master. They were completely free of the usual tack since they would return to the stable once they dropped Meghan and me off at the dolmarehn.

  After helping Meghan onto Lasair, I mounted Speirling, casting Fergus a questioning glance.

  Any new faelah I should know about?

  Haven’t smelled, heard, or seen any, the white wolfhound responded.

  Good. Perhaps they’ve moved on.

  Or, more likely, they are lying low for the time being.

  I nodded grimly. Fergus was right. I couldn’t hope they had all simply disappeared from Luathara land. Some of them had started developing a will and life force of their own over the years. I feared there were even more of them out there, wreaking havoc and spreading their dark magic even though their mistress was no more.

  Shoving my dismal thoughts aside, I turned Speirling toward the gate. I could worry about my mother’s lingering black taint on Eile when Meghan and I returned from our trip. We had the mortal world, the Weald, the Dagda’s abode and Erintara to visit before we returned home to make the final plans for the wedding, and we had only a couple of weeks to do it in.

  Clicking my tongue at Speirling, I encouraged him into a quicker stride, checking to make sure Meghan and Lasair kept up. Meridian swooped through the sky above us, and Fergus kept pace with the horses as we crossed the rolling fields of Luathara. We made it to the dolmarehn an hour after leaving the castle and bid farewell to the horses.

  Gathering up our packs, Meghan and I stepped into the cave together. Fergus and Meridian had gone in already and would meet us in the mortal world.

  “Are you ready, Meghan?” I asked quietly, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her close.

  She tilted her head back and looked up at me with her beautiful hazel eyes. They darkened to honey gold for a split second before melting into green.

  “Of course,” she smiled.

  Stepping away, but keeping a firm grip on her hand, I winked back at her. “Then let’s go tell your family the good news.”

  Chapter Two

  Arroyo Grande

  CADE

  On the other side of the dolmarehn, the mortal world was in one of those transitions between choking, early morning fog and the brilliant sunshine signaling the approach of midday. I stepped out into the open first, making sure it was clear of anything nefarious before giving Meghan’s hand a squeeze. I didn’t really expect to see any faelah on this side of the boundary between our worlds, but old habits die hard, and I haven’t lived as long as I have by taking things for granted.

  Meghan exhaled a soft sigh of appreciation as she joined me, her head swiveling back and forth to take in all her surroundings. It had been a long time since she last visited the place where she was raised, so I allowed her to get her fill before reminding her that her family was waiting for us.

  She gave me a cheeky grin and shoved me on the shoulder. “Are you that eager to tell them the news?” she wondered.

  I narrowed my eyes at her.

  She laughed and crossed her arms. “I’m only nineteen, you know. Young women my age are typically picking out their college courses for next term and not planning their weddings.”

  That gave me pause. When I made the decision to propose to Meghan, I had been thinking only in Otherworldly terms. I loved her, more than any woman I had ever known, and having lived as long as I have alone, I couldn’t wait to make her a permanent part of my life. I hadn’t even considered her age. Although technically an adult, Meghan was so young. Had I made a mistake in proposing so soon?

  My face must have showed my uncertainty, because Meghan lost her look of amusement and stepped in close, wrapping her arms around me as she placed her ear to my heart.

  Oh, Cade, don’t worry! she sent using shil-sciar. I am only teasing you. It’s not like they didn’t know you planned on proposing to me.

  I nodded, bringing my hand up to press into the small of her back. I leaned down and kissed the top of her head. You are right, I sent back, my words brushing against her mind, but I wonder ...

  I let that thought trail off, afraid to ask her what was foremost on my mind at the moment.

  Meghan pulled her head away from my chest and gave me a hard look.

  “Out with it,” she insisted. “We have survived faelah attacks, your mother’s manipulation, her dark glamour
and a war together. I was forced to keep secrets from you, and you were obligated to keep your own from me. Let’s start our new life on the right foot. What still bothers you?”

  And how was I to argue with that logic? Meghan was right. There was no reason for me to keep my thoughts to myself.

  Taking a step back, I pushed my fingers through my hair and let out a great breath. “Are you sure you want to marry me, Meghan?”

  The moment the words left my mouth, I knew I should have taken the time to word them differently.

  Nicely done, Cade, Fergus drawled, from somewhere ahead.

  I ground my molars. Keep out of this, Fergus.

  The wolfhound gave a mental, canine snort and sent, Very well. I shall inform you should I stumble upon anything dangerous.

  “Cade, I don’t know what to say to that,” Meghan said, a little distantly. “Of course, I want to marry you. Are you having second thoughts?”

  “No,” I barked immediately, my voice stern, my eyes fixed steadily on her face.

  I moved toward her again, pulling her close to me and breathing in her unique scent, willing it to calm my frantic nerves.

  “Forgive me for the way I phrased that,” I added. “Meghan, I love you. I love you more than my immortal life.”

  “I know,” she mumbled against my chest.

  Please, let me finish, I sent into her mind. My only concern is that perhaps you feel too young to get married. Maybe you would like to wait a few years, give yourself a chance to live without the threat of death waiting around every corner, and then decide.

  Meghan reached up and put her hands on either side of my face, her eyes fierce. I could almost see her glamour welling up behind the irises, that brilliant blue that had burned through the Morrigan’s defenses.

  “You listen to me, Caedehn MacRoich,” she practically growled, poking me in the chest with her index finger. “I may only be nineteen years old, but in the past three years, I’ve seen and experienced more in my short life than many four times my age. If I’ve learned anything, I’ve realized that if I find something I want, then I need to hang onto it with everything I’ve got. And I want you, more than anything.”