To break his family's curse, Faolan mac Domnall seeks to marry the beautiful Saoirse, princess of Mide. Spirited and outspoken, the wild Saoirse wants nothing more than to escape the life that's been decided for her. Determined to outmaneuver a twis...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Faolan held the charm carefully in his hands. He had not truly minded the long hike through the woods, nor jumping into the pond after his feline guide. There were worse things than cold and muck.
Jumping in after the funny little creature had been an impulse, to be honest about it. Even after following the wisps, Faolan could never have guessed that the way to Otherworld meant a chilly dive. He had sat at the pool's edge, watching the wisps glide and dip over the still, glass-like surface. The little balls of blue light sent tiny ripples through it, their tiny light competing with the moon's. Despite their encouragement, Faolan felt a little stupid that he hadn't realized they were guiding him through. He jumped in after the howling little cat and re-emerged in a different, sunlit world.
Otherworld was unlike anything he had ever seen. The sky was bluer, the sun warmer, and the tall grass seemed to sing. Its version of autumn was bronze and gold. The rustle of leaves rang like chimes. From certain angles, it appeared as through a soap bubble: iridescent shades of pink and blue and green glinted in the afternoon light. If it wasn't for the jar of magic in his hands, he might have worried he dreamed it. It was the loveliest place he'd ever seen.
But there were things that weren't so lovely. The long, confusing walk through the faerie wood. The eerie laughter during the fae night. A pile of tempting apples leading to a fall into thick mud. The image of Siofra's hand, her face and the sorrow etched on it. Yes, there were worse things than cold and muck.
The charm seemed to vibrate as he walked, warming his hands in the night air. At least, Faolan thought, happy for the little charm's company and light, Saoirse won't have to deal with the same. He frowned slightly. Risking his own skin was one thing, but asking Saoirse to journey to Otherworld? If it were his decision, he wouldn't dare bring her.
It's not your decision, Siofra had chided him in her raspy voice. It's hers. If she needs this weaving, then she has to come. She can choose if the risk is worth it.
The cat who trotted beside him, gave a raspy meow. It seemed to agree with Siofra's words, as if the lantern-eyed thing read his very thoughts.
"Not you too, cat. It'd be an unkind thing to ask a princess to swim through that pond."
Another low, trilling meow.
"Of course I'll ask her. I'm just starting to think maybe there are worse sorts of curses out there."
When it wasn't hiding behind the occasional cloud, the moon cast a soft glow through the canopy of the wood. In the gray light, the shadows were long and grasping. Faolan did not fear the forest or the dark solitude of night. There were plenty of nasty things that hid themselves in darkness, but that didn't mean the shadows looked to harm him.
Or at least, that's what he reminded himself as he walked. The charm glowed happily, and he was grateful for the tiny faerie lantern. He counted his steps, whistled soft fragments of bawdy songs, chatted with the strange little cat.
