Cailín (Lass) (Anam Céile Chronicles) (32 page)

Donovan
walked toward me and reached out in an attempt to touch me.  I shied away, fer
fear of me own reaction to the closeness of him.  Instantly I wished I had not,
fer I so longed to feel his hands upon me once more— even if only in that
form. 

Several
days passed and this time, when finally Donovan reached out to me again, prepared
I be.  I stood there, tall and proud, me muscular form trembling.  He thought
it to be in nervousness, though truly ‘twas in delicious anticipation.  When
his hands met me coat and commenced to stroking it, in me excitement I felt me
energy surge throughout me body.  Moments later, it extended out to his
fingertips, fer suddenly he jerked his hand back as though zapped, and jumped
back, peering at me strangely. 

“What
you
be
?” Donovan probed in awe, yet also with a trace of alarm.

Despite
his reaction, it gave me the confidence necessary to believe I actually may be able
to be near him without being a danger to him.

Every
night I curled meself upon the grasses near his cottage and slept, waiting fer
the pure light of day to return, signaling that again, Donovan would pass the
day searching fer any clues which would lead him to me.  I wished I could
provide him with something, to continue his hope, but other than meself, I did
not know what it could be. 

If only
I could be certain that I could show meself to him— as a woman— and not pose a threat
to him in the process.

Then
one morning, me father showed at Donovan’s door, I presumed at the urging of me
mama.  “Lad, I be tellin’ you, if you know what’s best fer you, you’d cease yer
fruitless searchin’ fer that lass!  It not be safe with
Whitsuntide
forthcoming!” me father warned him obligingly. 

“With
all due respect, Mister MacAuliffe, superstitious I not be, and no intention
have I of ceasing me search ‘til I find Aislinn . . . your daughter,” Donovan
declared resolutely, quite pleasing me.

“Well, ‘tis
yer life to waste as you wish, Donovan, but don’t you be callin’ that
sidhe
any daughter of mine!” me father chastised him taciturnly.  Brusquely he turned
and climbed back up into his cart and headed off. 

Donovan
just stood there fer a moment seeming stunned and shaking his head.  Then I
heard the door close as he went back inside.  I felt panic creeping in. 

Be he
reconsidering me father’s warning?  What’ll I do if Donovan gives up on me?  Fer
several days now I’ve been near him and I’ve not yet lost control and harmed
him.  No way there be I could possibly be a risk to him!  Before he has a
chance to decide that ‘tis time to cease his search, I will show meself to
him.  Presently! 

Not
wishing to plague him with needless alarm, I decided that best it would be not
to transform in view of him. 

Then
something occurred to me that never had I thought of hitherto. 

But
then, how do I get back to meself?  What if I cannot?  After all, ‘tis not as
if I chose to become as this.  Merely happened of its own accord it did! 
Perhaps stuck this way I be!  Then never would there be a chance fer Donovan
and I to have a life together, save fer me volunteering to be his next cart
animal!

Filled
with momentary desperation, I sulked a while.  But determined to show meself to
him, I thought hard willing it to happen, knowing not of any other way.  I
focused upon me female form, imagining becoming as that once more. 

And
then at last to me delight, I began to feel the same familiar sensations that I
had experienced weeks past.  Only this time, there not be nearly as much pain,
since I be receiving it acquiescently rather than fighting it.  Or perhaps
‘twas since I not be going from a slight form to that of a much larger form?

Once I
perceived the transformation to be complete— a mere few seconds later— I opened
me eyes and held out me arms as I peeped down at meself, marveling at the feel
of me own flesh again fer the first time in weeks!

When I
looked up from meself, Donovan be standing there outside his cottage. 

Oh! 
What if he saw me transform me shape?  He would be re-thinking me father’s
words then— that indeed I be of the sidhe.

But, recalling
that I could well see him from this great distance more than he could see me, I
quickly determined that he had not.  I inhaled deeply— all of me instantly affected
by his delectable scent— and stepped out, into view. 

When
Donovan’s eyes landed upon me, I halted me step.  He gazed upon me stunned, his
jaw falling open, his eyes blinking repeatedly as though trust them he could
not. 

As I
resumed walking toward him, appeared incredulous he did still.  Thus, I spoke
to him.  “Donovan, ‘tis indeed me, Aislinn,” I enunciated, me voice slow and
calm.

The
shock melted from his eyes as they connected with mine, and be replaced with a
quizzical stare as they darted over me naked form. 

At
last, he spoke, his voice heavy with concern.  “Aislinn?”

“Aye,
me love!  ‘Tis truly me!” I confirmed.

“Aislinn!”
Donovan cried in relief.  “What has become of you?  Why you be naked?  Where is
it you have been?  Tell me you be alright!”  Panic began to creep into his
voice, his eyes widening in flustred confusion.

After a
moment, Donovan reached his arms out to me as he began to run forth, closing
the distance between us in long strides— quite difficult it be to hold meself
back from startling him again by flashing too quickly— until at last, right
beside me he be. 

We
wrapped our arms about each other, our embrace teeming with desperation.  I
seared with the feel of his touch upon me flesh once more as he enfolded me
naked form into the security of his strong arms. 

Donovan
caught me face in his hands, his deep blue eyes boring into mine before he
crushed his mouth to mine in a possessive kiss.  I reciprocated fervently,
pouring all the love ever I felt fer him into that one kiss.  

When
finally we withdrew our lips from each other, I looked at Donovan’s face to see
his eyes still bewildered.

“What
it be, me love?” I probed with concern.

“Something
. . . be different about you,” Donovan elucidated, furrowing his brow.  “Place
it I cannot, but ‘tis all at once both enticing and alarming.”

Fearing
he may possibly guess what I be, I dropped me face and uttered not a word.

Brushing
his inner warning aside, Donovan continued investigating me. 

“Where
have you
been
, Aislinn?” he implored, tightening his grip upon me arms. 
He gazed down at me, his face etched deep with concern.  I could now feel the full
effect of the pain me disappearance had caused him.

“’Tis a
rather long story,” I attempted to deter him.  “Perhaps I may tell you of it hence
once you invite me into yer cottage to make me decent?”

“Aye, naturally,
Aislinn!  Forgive me manners!” Donovan conceded.  But then quickly added,
wincing as he spoke the words
,
“You were running away from our
wedding . . . from me, were you not?”

Bewildered,
I stared at him, not able to comprehend the ludicrousness of his words.

 “That simply
not be true, Donovan!”  Me eyes were wide and intense in me sincerity.  “I did
not!  Never would I run away from our wedding . . . from you!  Not possible I
could even fathom such a thing!  Do you still know not the way I feel fer you?”  

Donovan
only lowered his eyes, and the sadness in his expression wrenched at me heart. 
I could not believe he still would not know how I truly felt fer him after all
this time.  What could I do to convince him.

“I awoke
somewhere far from here without the slightest idea of how ‘twas I came to be
there!” I pleaded.  “Please do believe me, Donovan!  It has always been you fer
me!  Only you it could have ever been . . .” I choked as the tears began to
pool in me eyes at the injured expression he held upon his face. 

Mildly
reassured I be when Donovan pulled me into the warmth of his chest to console
me, caressing me back.  I nestled me face into him, burying the fingers of one
hand into the curls of the hair which covered his handsome chest. 

His
caressing of me back took on a clearly different meaning as his hand descended
to me derriere, fondling it with urgency.  I moaned and lifted me other hand up
to entwine into the dark and lovely curls of his head, raising me eyes to gaze
into his.  Donovan gazed profoundly into mine, his intensifying scent
permeating me head as his eyes began to smoulder with passionate possession,
his lips alighting upon mine.

“Come,
let us go inside,” Donovan murmured into me mouth seductively, seizing me lower
lip gently between his teeth as his hands treasured the curves of me naked
body.  There be no mistaking his intent.  Every part of me being ascended with
exultation as me insides responded in accordance. 

Oh how
long I have waited fer this moment with him!

But
then all of a sudden an involuntarily shiver coursed through me.  However,
‘twas not that I had caught a chill.  A presence I sensed.  I be reminded of
that day on the islands, when I had encountered something similar.  Whatever
‘twas, I could definitely feel a potent dark energy emanating from it. 

And in
that moment, I felt as though ice had frozen around me soul. 

Something
was to happen. 

Something
horrific. 

I sensed
it. 

Swiftly,
it all felt so bizarrely familiar.  Out of the blue, me dream from years
before, the glorious night we spent together in the cove, rushed forth in me
mind.  A trickle of fear oozed up me spine as I flinched away from the horror
of the images.

No! 
That cannot be!  I won’t let anything happen to him, not now when we have only
just reunited . . .
 

I tried
desperately to extricate the horrible thought from me mind, yearning to return
to the sensuous promise of the moment past.

T
enzin
drew in his breath sharply, his eyes broadening with comprehension. 

I had
the sense that he grasped precisely what ‘twas. 

M
e mind
still be contemplating the intrusion of this realization that wish to accept I
did not, when abrupt confusion swept across Donovan’s face just before not a
second later, I felt his body ripped from me arms. 

Me eyes
gaped in panic as he soared high into the air from some apparent hidden force. 
I be forced to watch helplessly as he plummeted, falling out of control and
crashed to the hard ground some hundred metres from where I stood paralysed. 

Me
stomach lurched at the sight, a tremor ripping through me entire being, as dead
silent it all be in that one interminable second that with chilling certainty I
grasped
this
be
me dream. 

Me mind
refused to make sense of it. 

Process
it I
could not
.

I
choked out in horror as me arms reached after him, then fell to me knees
gripping the sides of me head with me hands.  Utterly frozen in me horror, too
shocked I be even to blink.