A sharp wind blew between us and she was gone.
I only had a moment to wonder what would happen. Between one blink and the next I no longer stood in the forest, but on a wide plain, the ground trampled flat by a multitude of feet and hooves. A scent of cook fires and burnt meat reached me along with the distant clang of metal.
We are your past, Quinn. Will you come with us? A chorus of voices asked suddenly. I sensed a deep and abiding love within them, for me. The kind of love I’d always wanted from my mother. A pleasant ache began in the middle of my chest and spread outwards to my limbs. You will be safe here, with us. I felt as though someone had told me I should stay, but who and why escaped me. A warm light enveloped me, stealing away the resistance I had to staying. Here there was no pain, no anger, no heartache. Already the life that I’d lived up until that moment began to unravel, all the hurts and regrets disappearing. I stumbled towards the warmth, hands outstretched. “I don’t want to hurt anymore,” I whispered.
You won’t, not anymore child. Come with us.
One by one I watched my most recent memories be pulled away from me. Bres, Luke and Cora and all that I’d experienced to bring me to this point.
Then, just the bare flicker of a memory showed me Ashling, clinging to me as a nightmare devoured her night’s sleep. “Tell me you won’t leave me,” she whispered. Green eyes spilled over with tears as her fingers dug into my arms. Little sobs hiccupped out of her as I soothed the night terror away.
As if I’d been doused with ice water, my feet stopped and I shook my head.“No, I can’t stay with you.” I told the voices. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. I can’t leave her.”
You would follow your destiny? It will mean your death in the end. A far worse death than the one you’re facing right now.
Taking a long slow breath, I let it out and lifted my chin. “I don’t know if they truly need me or not, but I am going to fight for them.”
Them?
“The ones who love me.” A myriad of chuckles whirled around me.
You must stay while your body fights to live. Then, perhaps you will not have a choice. The poison is strong; it may be that you will stay with us no matter your desire. But let us show you some of the past. If you survive, you will need to know this.
I nodded and the world shifted slightly.
My eyes took in the new scene below me. A battle raged and from my vantage on a hill overlooking the carnage I could see that it was going to be a close draw. The numbers were fairly even, and the lines didn’t move much. Across from me, the ocean roared over massive rocks, the waves slamming into the backs of the people fighting there.
“What is this?”
The last major battle between the Tuatha and the Fomorii.
Squinting, I lifted my hand to shade my eyes. “I can’t see what’s happening.” That was a mistake.
My body was shoved forward and I was instantaneously in the middle of the carnage. Battle cries and the crash of swords overwhelmed me; I ducked and dodged, doing my best to avoid getting hit.
You cannot be hurt.
“I’m not taking any chances!” I yelled, running towards an overturned wagon. Hand over hand I pulled myself up on the partially busted side. With great care I stood on the top of the wagon and stared out around me. But I didn’t understand what I was seeing.
Tuatha were fighting Tuatha. There were no one-eyed, one-legged Fomorii in the fray. As if reading my mind, the voices answered my unspoken confusion.
Just wait, you will see what happens.
A large number of men suddenly swelled in from the hills above us, driving the now smaller army back to the water’s edge. At the front of the retreating, smaller, army stood a figure I knew well.
Balor’s violet eyes were full of the fire of battle. He even gave a small smile, as he traded blows with a larger opponent.
A man from the larger army stepped forward; I wondered how I’d missed him before. All I could see of him from behind was his shining white braid and a sword that glowed in his hands.
Leaping down, I ran to the edge of the sand where I could see both him and Balor. The glowing Tuatha engaged Balor and they fought for a few moments. I was mesmerized by the sword; it seemed that Balor was too. He faltered, and the glowing Tuatha knocked his sword aside. Balor lifted his hand. “Well, Nuadha, you have us at your mercy. What will you do?” Balor asked. He picked up his sword and leaned on it, as he smiled at Nuadha.
Nuadha lifted his sword and a hush fell over the huge crowd. “As punishment for your attempt on the life of our oracle, I curse you, and your Fomorii, Balor.”
The warriors standing with Balor began to writhe as he watched in open-mouthed horror. Their bodies contorted and twisted, and I realized I hadn’t been watching Tuatha fight Tuatha. In no time at all, the Fomorii had transformed into the monsters I knew, blinking single bulbous eyes and leaning heavily on their over long arms.