Rundimahair: A new hero for a new adventure Larry Forkner (best ereader for pc TXT) 📖

Orlagh who’d remained faithful to the true mission of the Sidhe.

“It must have taken many years and cost you much to be able to call me here again,” Ashling said.

Cassiday was silent for a moment before she said, “You’ll never know how high a price I paid to summon you. I know I’ll never be able to do so again.”

“That’s good to know,” Ashling said. “It’s not my favorite place to visit.”

“I remember a time when you loved to visit your dear old grandmother,” Cassiday said bitterly.

Ashling could hear the undertone of sorrow in her grandmother’s voice. “I remember a time when I loved you and you were worthy of that love,” she said.

She knew the words stung, but she was long past worrying about being gentle with her evil ancestor. The fact that she dared to call her to the misery that was outer darkness, showed that her selfish instincts still ruled her mind.

“It was your choices that put you here for eternity, Cassiday. We tried everything to keep you from following Grainne. You chose her and the powers of darkness over your own family. You have no one to blame but yourself.”

“How dare you talk to me this way!” Cassiday shouted as a blue flame began to glow in the dark.

Ashling watched as Cassiday let her dragon self loose. She could see the outline of the woman she’d once loved and admired. It was sad to see what she had become.

Her dragon-self was now black instead of the beautiful blue dragon she’d once been. Her flames were deep blue now and barely cast any light at all.

Ashling let her own dragon self loose and roared, as she released a mighty burst of hot, red flames. She heard creatures scurrying in the surrounding darkness, screeching in terror, as they desperately tried to escape the flames.

Cassiday released her dragon-self and hung her head in despair. She didn’t even have the courage to look at Ashling’s mighty dragon self.

“You’re right, Ashling, I have no one to blame but myself for being trapped here. I brought you here with the last of my powers to seek your help. I know I don’t deserve it, but I wish to serve the Sidhe again.”

Ashling was shocked to hear such words from her grandmother. She’d been lost in bitter evil for so long it was nearly impossible to believe what she’d just heard.

“I know I can never come home again, after all that I’ve done wrong. But if I could help you defeat Grainne and her followers, perhaps the council would take me from outer darkness and let me serve my ancestors who’ve gone before me.”

Ashling searched through Cassiday’s open mind and realized that she was very sincere. Her grandmother was no longer strong enough to keep Ashling from reading her true intent. “I can’t make a promise like that, Cassiday,” she said quietly as she let go of her dragon self.

“Please keep enough fire to light the darkness around us. It has been so long since I saw anything but the dark.”

Ashling’s feelings softened somewhat toward her grandmother when she heard the desperate, pleading tone of her voice. She allowed a gentle light to continue emanating from her dragon self. “Tell me what you have in mind and I will see what I can do on your behalf. But hear me well, Grandmother. If this is some kind of treachery on your part, you will find out there are worse places to spend eternity than outer darkness.”

“You know I speak the truth, Granddaughter!” Cassiday said in a shrill, panicked voice. “It is Grainne I will betray, not my family.”

Ashling listened to the desperate thoughts running through Cassiday’s mind, and she knew her grandmother did indeed speak the truth. Her time in outer darkness had finally broken the evil inclinations that put her here.

In a gentler tone, she said, “Tell me everything and tell it quickly. Time is short for Rundimahair. Grainne and her followers are many and they seek our complete and utter destruction.”

“Yes, her ambition to rule all of the Sidhe is a dangerous obsession. I may have a way we can use that against her,” Cassiday said hopefully.

“Tell me now, Grandmother. I can feel the powers you used to bring me here fading quickly. I won’t stay much longer,” Ashling said.

Cassiday began outlining her plan quickly, desperate to finish before Ashling was taken away. She knew this was her last chance to leave this eternal sorrow called outer darkness.

* * *

Sean was just about to start pounding on Eamon’s bedroom door when he felt a rush of warm air behind him. He turned to see Ashling standing in the kitchen, looking as though she was about to collapse.

“Ashling!” he cried out as he rushed forward and took her in his arms. “Where have you been?”

“I’ll explain it all later, my dear. Right now, just help me to my bed so I can sleep for a day or two,” she said wearily.

Although he was full of unanswered questions, Sean could see she was on the verge of collapse. Without another word, he picked her up and carried her off to bed.

The next morning, in a turnabout from the normal breakfast routine in the Cahir household, it was Sean cooking over-easy eggs, bacon and toasting English muffins. Just as he was setting everything on the table, Eamon came in from some early morning work in the garden.

“Saints be praised! Do my old eyes deceive me? Sean with his apron on and cooking up a storm in the kitchen while Ashling sleeps ‘til noon,” Eamon said, smiling.

“Any more of that and you’ll be making your own breakfast, old fella,” Sean said, chuckling.

“Old fella is it,” Eamon said as he sat in his usual chair at the head of the table. “I suppose I can’t be arguing the truth of that young son. It looks like you’re no slouch in the kitchen yourself,” he added as he began filling his plate.

“I do my best,”