Celtic Mist: The Calm Before the Storm (Battle Raven Series) (32 page)

Aodhan kneeled beside her and placed his hands over her ribs. A healing light filled the room. When he was done he stood and looked her over. Aodhan leaned against the edge of the desk and his knees gave out. Lara carefully stood and helped him up.

“You need more rest.”

“I believe a good meal will help.” he said running a shaky hand through his hair.

“A room to eat in besides the bedrooms would be nice too.” Kiara said and walked out of the bedroom to grab their food provisions.

Kedryn followed her out to give his mom and Aodhan some time alone. He started to pick up the food she was pulling out. “I should apologize.”

Kiara handed him a bottle of water. “If I did not want to kiss you I would not have let you.”

“What about the age thing?” he asked and nearly dropped the food she quickly handed to him without answering. He ignored the fact that she did not answer him.

Aodhan and Lara walked out and she shut the hidden panel behind them. Kedryn noticed Aodhan was deathly pale as his mom led him to the bed. Aodhan sat down on the edge and placed his head in his hands.

“Lets find the kitchen. Make sure you grab the coffee.” Lara said.

“I need to eat.” Aodhan said as he stood.

“You need to rest.” Lara said giving him a concerned look.

Kiara walked up to him. “Lie down. It can be brought to you.”

“Nonsense.” Aodhan said as he swayed a bit and headed to the door. Kedryn blocked his path. “At least lean on me so you don’t fall again.”

“If you insist.” Aodhan let Kedryn support him as they walked down the hall.

They walked down the hall and past the throne room with its doors still ajar and the fires still lit. Lara could have sworn she saw something move around the thrones but dismissed it as a trick of the light. Kiara stopped holding up the map and walked a bit further. She turned to a door and opened it. Kedryn stepped through first and lit sconces on the walls. Kiara immediately walked over to the sink where a pump faucet was in place. She tugged on it and it seemed to be stuck. Kedryn walked over and hit it on top and tugged it loose. Black sludge and brown water started to run out and Kiara gave him a look of disappointment. He pointed back to the water that had started to run clear.

“Thank God.” Kiara said and rummaged through the drawers on the sides and found some cloth and immediately started to clean the large table in the center. Kedryn picked up a cloth and placed it under the water. He walked over to the table and helped clean off the chairs.

Aodhan sat down and leaned back with his eyes closed. Lara placed a water skin in his hands and he took a sip.

“Coffee would help.” Lara said

Aodhan looked at her through slit eyes. “Is that your cure all for everything?”

“That, chocolate and baths.” Lara said as she walked over to what looked to be a cast iron stove. “You don’t suppose?” she said and she pulled opened the two doors and reached inside pulling out some ancient but usable wood. She looked around and realized that they had forgotten the tea pot from her pack.

“I will be back.” she said and stopped by Aodhan giving him a peck on the cheek. “Eat something.”

“Yes Maam.” he said and picked up the salted pork Kiara had placed on a plate in front of him.

Lara walked out of the kitchen and into the torch lit corridor. When she passed by the throne room a shadow caught her eye again. Taking out her dagger she slid it apart and entered the throne room. She was not going to play the games of whoever or whatever was in the there. Walking in with daggers ready she carefully started walking towards the thrones and paused at each pillar looking past the fires. As Lara reached the thrones there was still nothing that appeared to be out of the ordinary. A slight cold breeze blew by her and she shivered.

“I know that you are here.” she said slowly spinning around examining the whole room.

A shadow appeared and slowly made its way to her. Lowering her daggers she knew they would have no effect. This was not the first spirit she had encountered. She remembered something. The daggers were made of iron. According to the Winchesters iron works an she might just be able to test that TV theory out now. Lara raised her daggers into a defensive position as the shadow reached the first step.

“That is far enough.” she said and watched as the shadow slowly turned from gray into a white mist and the outline of a man slowly took shape.

“Badb, my love. Is that you?” the spirit asked and floated high above the first step looking her over.

Lara lowered the daggers. “No. I am her descendant. Who are you?”

“I am Nolan. Descendant? Please tell me. What has happened to her?” he floated up to her with a look of distress on his face. “I must find my love.”

“She turned into a banshee in my realm.”

Lowering his head the spirits form started to fade. “Then she will not return.”

“You expected her to?”

“That I did. She was going through the portal to trap her sisters. After she was to return to bring me back. Descendant?” he floated up to her and slowly looked her over. The ghost looked even more sad. “She found another in your realm.”

Lara slid her daggers together. “No. Badb was pregnant when she went through the portal.”

“Truly? You are my ancestor?” Nolan asked as the darkness in him started to go to light again.

Lara stepped closer to him. “That I am.”

“The young man I saw with the girl?” he asked looking anxiously around the room.

“He is my son.”

The spirit grew bright and smiled. Nolan started to float away and Lara held out her hand to him. “Wait.”

He stopped. “Yes.”

“The portal. Do you know where it is?” She took a step down.

“Yes.”

“Could you show me?” Lara asked as she shivered and crossed her arms.

“No.”

She gave him an impatient look and turned to the arch behind the thrones. “Thanks for nothing.”

“It is not that I will not. It is that I can not. The runes before you, there is one thing that she told me. It is that only by the blood of a descendant can the portal be opened and inside is a hint to where the other lies. If I took you to where the other is you will not be able to go through the wall.”

“I see. Blood.” Lara took out her dagger and slit her palm. She walked up to the runes and started at the lowest left. Holding her hand up she hesitated afraid to touch the stone remembering what happened when Kiara did.

“Do not be afraid.” Nolan said and floated up beside her. “The other did not have your blood. It will not happen to you.”

Nodding to him she placed her hand on the first rune and it

started to glow. She ran her hand along the rest. They filled the room with bluish white light. Even the fires began to glow light blue. Nolan placed his hands on hers healing the wound.

“I must leave you now. I believe this is what I have been waiting for. I need to find her. Speak the words and the weapon will show the way.”

“But you don’t understand . . . “ Lara said as he disappeared in a flash of light.

She let out a sad sigh and stepped back from the runes and read the inscription out loud in Celtic. “No door ever closed, but another opened. Blood. Kiss of Life.”

The throne room began to shake and a rumbling sounded in the kitchen. Kedryn grabbed his glass that started to topple. “Sounds like mom took a side trip.”

He looked from Aodhan to Kiara and stood from his chair. Kedryn ran from the kitchen into the hall heading straight to the throne room guessing that she must have stopped there. Dust was falling from the ceiling and all of the flames in the hall were blazing to the ceiling. A stream of blinding blue light was flowing out of the throne room doors. Aodhan passed him and ran straight at the light and hit a wall. He landed with a thud letting out a groan and Kiara helped him sit up.

Desperate Kedryn stuck his hand out and it was able to enter the light.

“I will be back.” he ran into the hall and looked to the thrones. His mother was standing in front of them looking at the arch.

The whole room shook as the runes flowed together forming one word. Love. What they thought to be stone shimmered away and a room was revealed. The throne room stood still as the dust settled. Lara looked to Kedryn and the blue light slowly faded.

“Up to your usual I see.” Kedryn said giving her a lop sided grin and looked back to Kiara who was supporting Aodhan as they walked in.

She turned to them. “You have no idea.”

Kedryn and Lara looked at each other and stepped through the arch. A blue glow filled the room. Lara walked up to the three stands and as soon as she touched the one with the raven the light faded. Kedryn lit each torch surrounding the room as Lara examined the armor. Each full set had the symbol of the three sisters.

“No door ever closed, but another opened.” Lara said.

Kedryn looked around. “It seems that there was never a door. So no door ever closed.”

“To a descendant. Now for the another opened.” Lara ran her hand over the helmet.

Kiara and Aodhan stepped into the room and looked around at the armor.

“What does that mean?” Kiara asked.

“Nolan said the hint to the portal is inside.” Lara pushed some hair behind her ear.

“Nolan? Badb’s lover? I believe you have much to tell us.” Aodhan asked.

“Shiny.” Lara picked up the breastplate of Badb’s armor. It was very light and she could feel magic around it. It was similar to what Christian had made her only silver with a black raven on it.

“Let’s be bad guys.” Kedryn said.

“What?” Aodhan asked as he raised his eyebrow.

“Oh nothing.” Kedryn said and glanced at his mother.

Lara let out a laugh and held the armor up. “I believe this armor is enchanted. I would feel bad not wearing the armor Christian made me but I think I will wear this in the final battle if it fits.”

Kedryn picked up a sword that was leaning against the armor. It was also silver with a black hilt engraved as a raven with its wings spread wide. “Very nice. Now what about grandpa Nolan?”

Lara gave him a half smile. “His ghost appeared and we had a little chat.”

Kiara looked around. “He must have been what we felt and heard before.”

“It’s a possibility. No door ever closed and the hint is inside. What do you think it means?” Kedryn asked looking around the room.

Lara set the breast plate back onto the stand. “Its simple.”

“What is it?” Aodhan asked

“The armor that is the hint. I felt a hint of magic around in the armory.”

“There was nothing there.” Kiara said.

“I believe it’s worth a re-check.” Lara said and walked out of the little room down the stairs and into the hallway.

Opening the armory door she looked around again. They moved weapon stands and looked over walls and still didn’t find anything. Lara examined a sword stand and it had the raven symbol engraved on it. It was too big for her dagger.

“The sword.” Lara said and started to walk out. “I will be right back.”

“I will come with you. The last time you said that you caused a quake.” Aodhan said.

He followed her out and Kedryn looked to Kiara. She blushed and looked around the room. He walked up to her, brushed his fingers down her cheek and pushed her braid behind her shoulder. They stood looking at each other and both jumped when Aodhan and Lara walked back into the room. Lara gave Kedryn a curious look and walked over to the stand setting the sword onto it crossways. She picked it up and a click sounded with a puff of dirt in the corner.

“Help me move this.” Aodhan said as he grabbed an end of a shelf.

Kedryn squeezed his way to the other side and lifted. The shelf cracked and toppled to the floor. Lara jumped back as a piece of wood crashed at her feet. Aodhan and Kedryn stood there looking at the mess and looked at Lara dumbfounded. She let out a sigh.

“We will clean this up.” Lara said and saw the look of relief on both the men’s faces. “If you get our packs and put out the fires.”

“Deal.” Kedryn said.

“I will put out the fires if you get the packs.“ Aodhan said.

Lara and Kiara started to move the mess aside. Lara stood scooting away a piece of wood with her feet.

She crossed her arms. “You and Kedryn.”

“Pardon me?” Kiara asked her face turning red as she stood.

“You and my son.” Lara looked her in the eyes.

Kiara looked away from Lara’s piercing gaze and at the floor. “Oh.”

“Yes. He seems to be quite fond of you.” Lara said as she pulled on the hidden door.

“He has grown on me.” Kiara said her face turning even redder.

Lara walked up to her and crossed her arms. “I know how you feel about the age difference. It most certainly would be frowned upon where I am from.”

Kiara bowed her head. “I apologize, my lady. I will keep my distance from him. I did try at first.”

“I realize that things are different in this realm. As they were in the renaissance era back in my realm.” Lara shook her head.