The Star Child (The Star Child Series) (27 page)

Brigid and Lugh, who now found themselves freed from Arawn, stood and joined hands. Their voices united, they ordered, “Arawn, leave this place. Be gone.”

The black shiny pieces reassembled, showing Arawn as his former self for a moment. My knees felt weak. I should have known that destroying that level of evil wouldn’t be easy.

The pieces exploded apart once more before swirling into a small vortex. I closed my eyes to shield them, before a burst of wind overtook our party and the remains of Arawn were blown out of sight. No one spoke until the sky above us was once again clear.

“Wow,” I breathed, still processing what had happened. I turned to Lugh and asked, “Can he come back?”

Lugh didn’t smile, but he did meet my eyes. “I’m afraid that, as destroyed as Arawn appears, he is only weakened. He can, with enough souls, enough support, become a challenge again.”

Before I could talk to Lugh further, our attention was turned to Cabhan and Clare. He was trying again and again to use his own magick on the invisible barrier that separated them.

“Son, she cannot be touched.” Lugh’s voice sounded weary. He walked to his son, gently wrapping a muscled arm around him.

“But why? Has my anger, my hatred, destroyed my chance at love?” Cabhan seemed defeated.

“It is not your actions that separate us now,” Clare said. “I have left my mortal world behind for the mortal heaven. I am only here because of Kellen.” She looked at me when she spoke my name, beaming proudly at me.

I returned her smile and wished that I had known her in my lifetime. Her smile matched Gran’s.

“Cabhan, you were going to kill Kellen simply because he stood in the way of your revenge. You had such belief in the prophecy that you would not see the people involved in its message. I could not allow you to kill my kin, even if he is several generations removed. I thought you were a better god, a better man than that.”

Cabhan fell at Clare’s feet. We all witnessed his remorse at that moment, how sorry he’d been for the time he’d lost and the gruesome plans that he’d made. He rose and met Clare’s gaze once more. She beamed at him, her smile lit by a thousand suns, her black hair whipping around her face as she nodded with apparent encouragement.

He then walked over to Calienta, grasping her hands in his own. “I was so very wrong, when clearly your love is true. Please find it within you to forgive me if you can.”

Calienta smiled warmly at him. “Brother, though your actions have pained me, I cannot doubt your sincerity. I forgive you.” She glanced at me expectantly.

I don't know about her, but I was a little less interested in forgiving this god who’d almost killed me. Maybe that's just me; call me crazy. On the other hand, it wouldn't be such a hot idea to provoke him further.

The once formidable Cabhan turned to me next. “Clare spoke the truth. I was so overcome by my own pain that I was prepared to destroy both you and my beautiful sister. Thank you for saving us all, Kellen. You are much more of a man than I am. Please forgive me. I will be forever in your debt.”

I had no idea how to respond to that adequately. “Yeah, it’s cool.” Not really, but what else could I say?

“That was quite a risk that you took with Arawn. You could have easily lost, you know.” Cabhan extended his hand in friendship. I took it in my own, recognizing it for the honor that it was.

A grin spread across my face as I remembered my discovery. “No, that’s just it—there was no way that I could have lost.”

“What do you mean, Kellen?” Calienta leaned closer to me.

“The sword that Crísdean gave me was the Sword of Light, the sword of the first king of Ireland. When you wield it in battle, you can never lose.”

Cabhan and Calienta stared at me.

I shrugged. “I like to read. A bit.”
In other words, I’m a book geek.

“Your studies have served you well.” Lugh walked over and clapped me on the back. I fell to my knees again from the impact.

Cabhan extended a hand again, this time to help me back up. “You truly saved us all today.” Slowly, he turned to Brigid and Lugh. “Mother, Father, I am so very sorry. There aren’t words fitting enough to undo the atrocities I have committed.”

Lugh and Cabhan briefly embraced, a father forgiving his son. Brigid clasped his hand tenderly, a sign of acceptance.

“I have to ask you for one more thing. Please, Father. It is the only way I can be with her. I must be with her. I think I have had enough time to think it over now.”

Lugh shook his head as he began to comprehend what Cabhan was asking. “It's condemning you to die. I can't be responsible for that.”

Beside me, tears began to run down Calienta’s cheeks so I pulled her toward me. “What’s going on?” Everyone seemed to know exactly what was going on except me.

“He wants to go back in time and be made mortal so he can be with Clare,” Calienta whispered.

“That’s…sick.” If there was one thing this family wasn’t, it was boring. They sure kept things moving.

Cabhan continued as though he hadn’t picked up on every word of our whispered conversation. “If you do not, Father, I will be dead inside anyway. Give me this chance at happiness.”

Lugh was hesitant but he seemed to steel himself. “How long ago?”

“No.” Brigid stood between the father and son. “We have only just gotten him back.”

“And he will be no good to us now. We have each other. Calienta has Kellen. Our boy needs someone to love.” Lugh looked at Brigid with all the tenderness in the world in his eyes.

Cabhan didn’t waste any time. “March the nineteenth, 1889, please.” He took Lugh’s hand in his own.

“Son, maybe a little later. Otherwise it’s possible that Kellen might not exist.”

Cabhan glared at me for a moment, apparently annoyed that something as trivial as my existence was a factor.

“Kellen should still be allowed to exist.” There was an edge to Calienta’s voice as she stared at her brother. This brought sibling rivalry to a whole new level.

Cabhan nodded his head in consent and then smiled at Clare, as he truly realized for the first time what was about to happen. “I am coming for you, woman.”

“Finally.” Clare rocked on the balls of her feet, a grin on her face.

Placing his hands on either side of Cabhan’s head, Lugh closed his eyes and whispered the command that would transform his son into a mortal. For a moment, nothing happened.

Suddenly small stars appeared above Cabhan’s head and circled slowly. I was reminded of a cartoon character that got slammed over the head with a hammer. I almost laughed aloud until I realized that Calienta was crying. The power of the stars was leaving her brother and she’d lost yet another sibling to the mortal world.

As quickly as the process began, it ended. A flame rose up and engulfed Cabhan. In a matter of seconds, the process was over. He was gone.

“What will happen to him? My only son… Will we ever see him again?” Brigid’s voice was thick with emotion.

“I think that can definitely be arranged,” said a familiar voice.

A man, a stranger, appeared directly in front of us. All at once, everyone dropped to his or her knees in deference to this newcomer. I followed suit.

“Gaze upon your son once more.”

Clare beamed as a younger, mortal Cabhan embraced her. He was so young looking and so happy that we all did a double take.

“Thank you, Father,” Cabhan said.

Lugh’s expression was bittersweet. “Goodbye, my only son. Please be happy in the heaven of mortals.”

Before our eyes, he was gone again, along with Clare and her family. We were left with only our memories and the man I’d yet to meet. As if reading my thoughts, the stranger walked toward me.

He didn’t extend his hand, but said my name in acknowledgement. “Kellen St. James.”

“Kellen, this is Síl.” Lugh gave a brief introduction, but remained penitent. “Our creator.”

Síl motioned for all of us to stand as he continued to look at me curiously. “I have to say thank you. You did not fail me today. Although Arawn has not been stopped forever, you have taken away much of his power and saved Lugh and his family. For this, I will grant you High Kingship and you will reign with your High Queen here with Lugh and Brigid for eternity.”

Before I could speak I started to sweat, feeling suddenly almost unbearably warm. I was trapped in the inside of an oven with no escape. My stomach roiled, my head pounded. There were black spots behind my eyes.

In an instant, I fell, but was lifted up again, levitated from the ground outside of my own control. I spun around in the air, fast, hundreds of times around and around, never stopping. Bíle rose in the back of my throat and I could taste the vomit in my mouth when I blacked out.

When I came to, I was sitting on grass, with the distinct feeling that quite some time had passed. Calienta sat beside me, her face glowing. Síl looked on indulgently.

My veins seemed to expand and I could physically sense the blood pouring through them. Though it wasn’t blood but power coursing through my veins. I’d never experienced anything like it. The closest I’d come was when I’d lunged the sword at Arawn and hit my target. It was overwhelming and I didn’t know what emotion to react to first.

The kid in me immediately responded to the innate knowledge that I could fly.
I could fly!
It was awesome! I was no longer afraid of heights, of anything at all. To prove my point I soared into the air from a sitting position, spun around, and landed gracefully on the lawn.

“Whoo-hoo!” I soared again and flew around the sky, this way and that between the tall trees, only to swoop down and almost touch the grass but not quite.

I was taller and stronger, too. I instantly bent down and lifted a boulder at the base of the steps and tossed it up into the air like a basketball. I caught it and continued to toss it around. The boulder was a mere child’s toy.

“This is incredible.” I put my palms out in front of me and shot fire from my hands.
What else could I do?

“Kellen.” Brigid’s stern reprimand abruptly put an end to my fun when I realized that I had scorched the hem of her dress.

The vibrations of Lugh's sigh seemed to shake the very ground on which we stood. “Give him some powers and he gets completely out of control.”

I smiled when Lugh said this for I liked him quite a bit. But it didn’t take long for me to consider his words and see them under a new lens. “I’m sorry.” As I calmed my breathing, the wheels started to turn. Not only did I not deserve this, but also I had never asked for this. I never asked for any of it.

I looked up at the creator in front of me, staring intently at his intelligent blue eyes. Recognition hit me.

“You’re Crísdean.”

He smiled but didn’t confirm my statement. I didn’t feel as though this was meant to shut me out. I supposed there were some questions that didn’t need answers.

“You hesitate.” His smile didn’t waver.

“Yes.” Calienta’s eyes were on me. Suddenly I understood that I never wanted to do anything more than protect her.

“Usually when I bless people they are a little more responsive.” This last part was shared without reproof. “When we found you, you were nothing but a child. To see you here with Lugh’s family warms my heart. After all, that’s what you wanted all those years ago, wasn’t it?

“But the experiences that you have had have not been of your own choosing. So if you would wish for a new start, I can return you to your life right now and you can walk away. I think I can say for Lugh that he would not even insist you marry his daughter now.”

Everyone chuckled, nervously it seemed, and Calienta looked everywhere but at me. Her fear, her hesitation was palpable. This was probably what Calienta would want for us. She’d want her family around her, especially since she was now an only child.

“Calienta, there’s no one that I will ever want more than I want you in my life. You were made for me. Marry me?” Stepping close to her, I touched my lips gently to hers and the moment stood still as we kissed.

My reason for living had shifted, changed. I’d never be the same again. Though I wasn’t sure I wanted a
High Kingship
.

“We certainly cannot doubt your love for her, that much is certain.” Síl said this with a hearty laugh.

“I’m sorry. Thank you for this honor, sir…” I began.

“But he doesn’t want this. He wants to remain human. He never asked for this power,” Calienta finished for me.

I looked at her. “What do you mean? I’d do this for you. You’re the only thing I want, the only thing that matters to me.”

She smiled back and kissed me briefly on the mouth. “All you need is to be yourself. Don’t you realize that’s what this journey has been about for you?”

When I shook my head, she continued. “You told me that you didn’t have any special powers and couldn’t see yourself being able to save the world. Yet you did, and you did it with your intelligence and raw courage. If what you want is mortality, then I’ll become a mortal too.”

I couldn’t believe that I could be so fortunate. Though she professed to love me, I’d never imagined that I would get to keep her in my life.

“Do you realize what you’re giving up? What changes you’ll have to make?” I asked her.

“Only the same things that you would need to give up if you changed. Marriage is about compromise.” She turned to her parents, who looked back wistfully but nodded their heads in encouragement.

“Marriage.” Despite my proposal, the concept still overwhelmed me.

Síl nodded in understanding. “Consider it done.”

The power slowly drained away from my body as I was restored again to my mortal state. The breath flew out of my chest with a loud
whoosh
at this action.

I was thankful. Though I hadn’t said so, that amount of power was too addictive, too tempting. I didn’t know if I could live with that.

I took a moment to get my bearings before hugging Calienta close. “Marriage…”

“Don’t tell me that you have a commitment problem after all we’ve been through. After all, we spent four years in Faerie.” Calienta smiled, resting her head against my shoulder.