Erin's Awakening (11 page)

Over and over, he brought her up and then let her relax until finally his movements increased and so did the need.
They were both bucking and holding each other tightly. Moving together like the perfect dance. Aedan encouraged them with his words and finally she flew apart with Myles crying out her name.

“
Now, you were saying something about someone being better?” Myles said and Erin just smiled.

They headed out the next morning leaving a grateful staff at the zoo.  They arrived back in the Weatherby Glen that afternoon and Erin couldn't have been happier.  She hugged all of her sisters and her grandmother
, noting the knowing glances among her sisters as Aedan and Myles stepped up behind her.  Ari whispered to her that they were having a wine night that evening.  Women only.  Erin smiled and nodded in agreement.

Erin went upstairs and unpacked.  As she had finished putting away her clothes, her grandmother knocked on her door.  Erin turned and smiled at her, telling her to come in.

"I wanted to make sure you were really okay and not just putting on a show for your sisters,” her grandmother said.

Erin knew in the past she would always put on a brave face so her younger sisters wouldn't worry and so Ari wouldn't go all maternal on her.  "I really am fine, Mamo.  I do feel guilty because I wasn't wearing your protection spell when I went diving and had the incident."

Coni sighed.  "I knew that had to be it.  It couldn't have failed.  Just know that in the future you need to wear it at all times.  No matter what.  It will uphold."

Erin nodded.  "Yes, ma'am.  I will, I promise."

Her grandmother smiled at her.  "So, you and Aedan and Myles?"

Erin blushed.  "Yeah.  I love them, Mamo."

"I can see that.  I can also see that they love you, too," she said.

Erin walked over to her and hugged her tight.  "Thank you.  For being you and always looking out for all of us."

"Oh,
a leanbh
, always and forever.  Blessed be," her grandmother said and left the room.

Erin got tears in her eyes as her grandmother walked out.  That woman had given so much of herself to protecting them and nurturing them after their parents were killed.  Erin snapped out of her musings.  Her parents.  Had that been what the dolphin had been trying to tell her?  No, it couldn't be.  She shook her head.  She was going to bring this up to her sisters tonight and they could discuss it then.

****

So the sisters were together again, how touching.  He had begun his dream chasing again and was pleased with the results.  He had been able to get into all but two of the sisters
’ dreams.  He would get into the last two, it would just take a stronger spell.  He would wear them all down and then their reflexes would be off.

The wedding was so close, he needed to strike before the guests arrived.  There were some very powerful people invited that could hurt him if they tried to join in.  He wasn't ready to have his identity out there quite yet.

His lady was proving stubborn again and he would need to see her in order to increase the power on the spell he had placed on her.  It was going better than expected.  He now knew more from her than before.  She had actually called him last night to inform him of Erin's arrival back to the castle.  She had quickly realized she had called him but didn't remember why, which was good.  The spell had upheld, he had been worried about that.  It was designed for her to tell him what he needed with her having no knowledge of what she had said to him.

Once he increased the power of the spell, she would begin to feel like she had to be with him.  He wanted her by his side in the end.  He hoped that would be the case but if it wasn't, he had no qualms in killing her.  Her blood would taste so good.

****

All of the sisters met down in the living room later that night, telling the men they wanted some bonding time.  The men had quickly set up camp outside with a small cooler of beer and said they were protecting the perimeter.  Their grandmother had long since gone to bed so it was just the sisters, alone, with several bottles of wine.

They sat all around the room, filling Erin in on all things wedding.  Erin could see there was a lot to do and wanted to help where she could.  Ari was in the process of telling her about the Council members coming.

"One of them is coming, Reilly and Lachlan said
that all four can only be at the Council's headquarters together.  Anyway, Una, Queen of the Fairies, is coming to officiate.  Can you believe that?  The Queen of the Fairies is going to marry me to my men!"

Erin's jaw dropped.  "Wow that is so awesome.  How honored we will be to have her here."

Kira nodded and said, "I think it's too cool.  We were psyched when we heard."

Sheela looked at Erin.  "She has also decided to have it in the back garden, thank god.  That means the decorating for the most part is done."

"Standing or sitting?” Erin asked.

"Standing
,” Ari said firmly.  "From what the guys have told me, it's not a long ceremony."

Calli seemed to be too quiet and Erin elbowed her.  "What's up?"

Calli shook her head.  "Nothing, just haven't been sleeping well."

Ari narrowed her eyes.  "Not the bad dreams again?"

"What bad dreams?” Erin demanded, knowing what had happened to Ari, she immediately was worried.

Kira answered for Calli.  "She has been having dreams like Ari but different.  It seems the spirits are talking to her at all times."

Erin glanced at Calli who shrugged.  "I just have to learn to control them better.  Mamo is helping me."

"Speaking of spirits, um, Calli?  Have you seen our parents?
” Erin asked.

Calli frowned and shook her head.  "No.  I hadn't even thought of that.  Why?"

Erin saw all her sisters looking at her intensely.  She drained the rest of her glass of wine, which Sheela being Sheela, refilled quickly.  “Well, um, while I was away at the zoo,” Kira, who was on her third glass, snickered and Erin stuck her tongue out at her, "I learned that I can talk to aquatic animals.”  Her sisters all looked stunned.

"You have got to be shitting me
,” Sheela said.  "All I can do is set things on fire.  And I have learned over the last few weeks, that can be a bad thing.  I've gone through two beds!"

The sisters all burst out laughing and then Ari said, "Go on
, Erin, there's more, right?"

Erin nodded and took another big sip of her wine.  "Ok
ay, so in talking to the animals, I came across a dolphin.  The one that helped me when I lost air.”  Her sisters nodded, having heard the story from Reilly and Lachlan.  "Well, she told me that a long time ago she had seen a plane crash.  She said that a man and woman fell into the water looking like jellyfish.  Then she said they tried to help them but a net scooped them up and took them away in a big boat."

All her sisters were staring at her with stunned looks on their faces.  So she decided to cont
inue.  "The dolphin told me the woman 'felt' like me.  She explained she knew we were from the same pod, like dolphins, which meant family.”  When there was still no comment, she said, "Could someone say something?"

"Wow
," Ari whispered.

"Holy shit
," Calli said.

"What the fuck?" Kira exclaimed.

"Wha...damn," Sheela couldn't even seem to speak.

"Exactly
," Erin said.

"Okay
," Ari said, taking charge as always.  "We need to go through this rationally.  I cannot believe that I am going to say this but, Erin, do you believe this dolphin?"

Erin couldn't help it, the combined tension in the air and the wine in her body made her laugh
aloud.  "Um, yeah.  They really seem to be very forthcoming creatures.”  Then to be funny, she said, "I haven't had one lie to me yet.”  She grinned.

It got the desired result and the sisters all laughed.  Then Kira said, "What do we do with this?"

Calli piped in and said, "I think we should ask Mamo if she has ever spoken with them, since I haven't, maybe she has."

"If not, then we can go further
, but let's wait and see what she says,” Sheela said.

"Let's keep this with us for now.  Agreed?" Ari asked and put her hand out.

All of the sisters put their hands in with hers and agreed.  They were quiet for a few minutes while they sipped their wine, lost in their own thoughts.  Then the topic flipped as Kira sat up and looked at Erin.

"So, dearest sister, anythi
ng you want to share with us?" she said.

"Like what?  I have already told you everything that you don't already know
," Erin answered.

"Uh-huh, okay.  How are you and the guys?" Kira prompted.

Erin blushed.  "Fine."

Sheela sat up and pointed at her.  "Ooh, you did them!"

Calli giggled and said, "If that blush is anything to go by, then she did them a lot."

Erin smacked Calli on the leg.  "Shut up."

Ari looked over at her and said, "Spill.  Is it love?"

"Yes, it is.  I love them, and they love me, are you all happy now?" Erin told them.

They all nodded and Kira said, "Man, lucky bitch, both of you."

Ari laughed.  "Your time will come."

They continued to talk of love and weddings for some time before Calli stood up and said, "I have to go to bed.  I have enough wine in me to sleep well tonight.  Night, bitches."

They all said good night to her and Sheela went to reach for her glass when fire shot out of her fingers, catching the napkin on the table on fire.  "Damn it!
”  She jumped up and smacked it with her hand to put it out.

"Has this been happening often?" Erin asked.

Kira nodded.  "Be careful you don't piss her off.  She set my t-shirt on fire the other day ‘cause I made fun of her hair."

"I did not!  Well, it was only the sleeve
," Sheela mumbled.

"She is going to learn to control it.  It's all still new to all of us
," Ari said, trying to keep the peace.

Erin smiled and said, "I love you Shea-la-la
,” calling her by her childhood nickname.

Sheela stuck her tongue out at her.  "Whatever.  I am going to get it under control."

"Of course you are,” Kira said sarcastically and giggled.

They continued to tease each other and try little spells for fun.  They knew their gift was to be taken with all seriousness
, but this was just to release the tension they had all been feeling for some time now.  They also continued to drink the wine, so when Ari reached for her glass and knocked over the glass of water sitting there, it was Erin's quick handiwork that had it floating in air.

Kira, Ari, and Sheela all watched, fascinated.  Erin twirled her finger in a little circle and created a small waterspout.  It was a little tornado made of water.  It whirled around on the table for a few seconds and then she pointed to the glass she had stood back up.  The water seemed alive as it jumped back into the glass.

"That.  Is.  So.  Cool," Sheela said.

"Yeah, Erin, there will be less spills to clean up now, thanks to you
," Kira laughed.

Erin grinned. 
"As long as the liquid is water based, yes.”  She flicked her finger at Kira and a bit of the water splashed into her face.

"Hey!  No fair.
”  Kira wiped at her face.

Sheela decided to turn on the stereo system, playing the old eighties tune, 'Footloose'.  They used to dance to it all the time when they were younger.  They all jumped up and began to dance
to it like they did in the movie.  They were laughing and yelling, falling and giggling when Ari looked up and saw the men in the window.

She squealed and pointed them out to her sisters who began to squeal at being caught while they saw the men looking amused.  Then Erin approached the window with a sexy walk and a wink, then snapped the curtains shut on their stunned faces.  All the sisters dissolved into laughter as they began to dance again.  After a while, they were out of breath but happy.  Together once again.

Sheela and Ari laughed with Erin as they all began to clean up the living room.  They laughed more as they tripped over each other trying to clean but ended up making more of a mess before finally getting the hang of stumbling to the kitchen.  Once there, they broke out some snacks and sat at the little kitchen table.

"Is everything really okay with Calli?  She seemed really on edge
," Erin asked.

Ari frowned a little.  "We don't know.  She's not talking to us about it.  I'm going to have a talk with Mamo in the morning, well
, when I get up.”  She laughed.  "I'll see if she knows anything."