Defiance (The Priestess Trilogy) (44 page)

Nodding, Shiovra could only breathe a content, “Aye.”

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Tara deeply mourned the loss of
its
chieftain. Flowers were placed before the entrance of the Mound of Hostages for a full week, even though Ainmire was not buried within. A heavy, somber silence settled over the villagers
and the keening of the bean sidhe lingered, carried by the wind
. Gray clouds filled the sky, officially announcing the coming of winter.

Shiovra
made her way through the
High fort
and found Mahon standing before the Stone of Desti
ny. She considered him a moment, watching as he
touch
ed
the stone
and was greeted with silence. His relieved sigh did not go unnoticed by the priestess.

Mahon dropped his hand. “No reaction,” he
breathed
. Turning, he found his sister watching him. “The Stone of Destiny does not
choose
me as chieftain. In a way, I am greatly relieved,” Mahon told her. “I would not want to be chieftain. I would be terrible at it. I hope that spring comes soon, so that Tara will have a new chieftain.”

“
Perhaps
one will be found,” she told him softly. “Yet, if the Stone of Destiny d
oes not react to those who come
to it, then we must face the realization that Tara has been lost to us. I want these battles to end the same as you, Mahon. Perhaps now is the time.”

He nodded and remained silent for some time, staring blankly at the
standing stone
.

“Lady
Shiovra
?” came a tentative voice.

Shiovra
turned to see Úna approaching her, pale and hand resting on her stomach. “Úna? Are you not well?” she queried. “Is there something wrong?”

Úna’s eyes flickered briefly to Mahon, then back to
Shiovra
. “Might I speak to you…alone?”

The priestess nodded. “Aye,” sh
e replied, “o
f course. Follow me.”
She nodded to her brother, then turned and made her way back to the main cottage.
Shiovra looked to be sure they were along before gesturing
for the
woman
to sit
.
“What is the matter?”
she asked, taking a seat across
from
her.

Úna
flushed crimson and glanced away. “I
am
with child.”

Shiovra
could not say she was surprised. She had been woken many a night during her stay in the main cottage to Daire and Úna coupling
. “For how long?”

Úna sighed. “
It was conceived before Lughnasadh
, of that I am certain
,” she said softly
.
“
S
o
,
for a few moons now
?
”

“Does
Daire
know?”
pressed Shiovra.

Úna closed her eyes and shook her head. “No. I have no
t told him. I…I am afraid to.” S
he brought her gaze up to meet
Shiovra
’s. “What should I do?”

“First you should tell
Daire
. My dear cousin deserves to know that he is to become a father,”
Shiovra
told her. “
He is your husband and should not be left to discover on his own
. Secondly, you need to seek out a skilled midwife. She will be of great help during your pregnancy as well as birthing of the child.”

Úna sighed. “Aye, my lady.”

Shiovra
smiled. “Fear not,” she said soothingly. “
Daire
will be accepting of this child, his child. He is your husband, your lover. He will be proud.”

She smiled, hope flashing in her eyes. “Do you believe so?”

Shiovra
smiled. “Of course,” she reassured the
Neimidh woman
, hoping deep in her heart that the words she spoke were true.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Odhrán sat within the main cottage, watching
Shiovra
sleeping peacefully. A smile touched his lips as he reached a hand out to gently caress her cheek.
He quite enjoyed touching the woman, relishing the softness of her skin. Odhrán knew he should take caution. Though their coupling would have to remain hidden, he was not about to stop. He had made the priestess his and she would remain that way. Turning, Odhrán
grabbed his cloak and secured it about his shoulders. With one last glance at the priestess, he left the cottage.

Quietly, he made his way to the
Stone of Destiny and stood
before it.

The silvery light of the moon and the
soft mist
gave the stone a shimmering glow.

He found it odd that one slab of
granite
could determine a man’s fate.
Taking a step forward, Odhrán
brought his hand up to touch
it
.

At first nothing happened, as he would have expected but, before he could pull his hand away, t
he cool stone vibrated beneath his touch, pulsing, and a res
ounding rumble shook the ground beneath his feet.

Hastily dropping his hand, Odhrán
took a
step back.

The stone
had reacted to him.

Odhrán’s eyes narrowed darkly.

Twice more he touched it and twice more the stone reacted.

“It is you
.
”

Odhrán turned quickly to face Ceallach Neáll
.

Ceallach
approached him,
pale
eyes glowing in the darkness
. “The Stone of Destiny has
chosen you,” he
said, and undertone of surprise in his voice
.

Odhrán remained silent for a while, looking intently at the stone. “No,”
told the Fomorii man firmly
. “No one needs to know.”

“You plan to leave Tara without a chieftain?”
asked Ceallach, voice
even
.

“If need be,” replied Odhrán coldly.

The Fomorii man arched a brow.

Odhrán crossed his arms.
“I highly doubt that Réalta Dubh foresaw the stone choosing me,”
he
continued. “I have no desire to become chieftain of Tara
. No one needs to know of this.”

A frown crossed Ceallach’s face
. “You will allow Tara to fall?” he demanded in a hushed tone. “Without a chieftain, the Milidh will gain control!”

“I
am
Milidh,” replied Odhrán
darkly, “or have you so easily forgotten?” He held his wrist up, the blue woad markings standing out in the moonlight. “You would have me a Milidh druid play chieftain to Tara?”

The Fomorii man snorted. “
I
am well aware of what you are and what your purpose is,”
stated Ceallach. “But does the priestess to whom you have grown so close?”

Odhrán’s eyes flashed dangerously. In
one swift movement
, he pulled a dagger from his
belt
and, pushing the man against the Stone of Destiny, brought the
edge of the
blade to Ceallach’s throat. “I will not allow you to betray her trust of me,” growled Odhrán
in warning, eyes narrowed on the man
. “
Shiovra
needs not know.
No one
needs know.
Is that understood, Ceallach Neáll?”

Ceallach remained coldly silent, both anger and surprise shifting through his eyes.

Pressing the blade harder against his skin, Odhrán said,
“Do not force me to repeat myself.”

“
No one shall know of whom the stone spoke
,” came the
stoic
response.

Odhrán stood still a moment,
judging if the man spoke the truth before lowering his dagger and taking a step back. “W
e have an understanding
, then
?”

“That we do.
You are a dangerous man, Odhrán of Dún Fiáin,”
Ceallach said,
rubbing his throat
where a thin line marred the skin where the edge of the dagger had been pressed
.

A slight smile tugged at Odhrán’s lips as he replied, “I survive.”

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Daire
stood in complete shock. His eyes shifted nervously between his wife, who blushed profusely and refused to meet his gaze, to his own cousin who grinned mischievously at him. His mind reeled as he struggled in vain to comprehend what had just been told to him. “What…what did you just say?”
Daire
stammered.

Úna flinched visibly and her blush deepened. “I…am with child,” she repeated quietly.

Daire
stood frozen a moment, then sat down roughly. “With child…?” he murmured. “I am going to be a father?”

She nodded. “Eithne shall be my midwife. She has birthed children before and has assured me she shall guide me well,” Úna said softly, eyes focused intently in her hands. Hesitantly, she brought her gaze up to meet
Daire
’s. “Are…are you displeased with me?”

Surprised by her words, he shook his head quickly
. “Of course not,” he told her reassuringly. “How could I be angry with you? You bear our child.”

Úna watched him with uncertainty in her eyes.

Daire
frowned at her reaction and rose to his feet.
Walking to
her
, he
wrapped his arms around her
tightly
. “I assure you, I am not displeased.”

Her face lit up brightly under his reassurance.

“Your kin should know of this,”
Daire
continued. “Find Mahon and he shall send a most reliable messenger to your clan to announce the tidings.”

Úna nodded and pulled herself from
Daire
’s embrace. With a hastily whispered word of thanks to
Shiovra
, the maid fled the cottage smiling.

Shiovra
grinned and turned to
Daire
. “So you are to be a father,
Daire
,” she said softly.

Daire
nodded and he exhaled loudly. “So it appears…” he murmured
, scratching his head
. “It is just…such a surprise.”

“Surprise
?” Shiovra asked with a laugh
. “What
did you expect to come from coupling
with Úna? A child is only natural.”

Groaning, Daire rubbed his face. “I did not mean it quite that way…” he muttered. “It is just that…”

A frown crossed the priestess’ face.
“What is troubling you then,
Daire
?” she queried
.

“I am happy to be a father, but, at times,
when war looms
, I fear the worst may happen. I have no desire to see Úna follow Deirdre’s fate. I am part of the clan. They would use her to get to
us
and I do not want to see that happen…” He looked away
, unable to meet his cousin’s gaze
.

“Aye. This is a bad time for a child to be born,” she replied
gently
. “But we will not allow Úna to share Deirdre’s fate. She loves you,
Daire
,
remember that well and h
ave some trust in her.”

He felt her hand come to rest on his shoulder.

“There are others,
Daire
, who love you and will willingly fight to keep her and your child alive.”

Daire
exhaled loudly. “I know,
Shiovra
, I know. Yet I cannot help but worry for her…for everyone…and especially for you as the High Priestess.”

Shiovra
nodded
and told him,
“
Daire
, the best way that you can keep your heart at ease and worry at bay is to stay close to me and protect me as a warrior alongside the others
.”

He was quiet a moment. “I know,” he breathed.

“
Daire
,” she murmured, then rubbed her face in irritation. “Stop worrying yourself sick. You are beginn
ing to sound like a village wome
n.”