Chapter Twenty-Four
LATER THAT EVENINGafter he bathed again and they both changed, all the while watching each other out of the corner of their eye as they were want to do, they joined Julie and Tiernan in their room. Whisky had been brought up, and rain continued falling steadily.
“So whatever your ancestors did to those stones happened before Aidan and I met that first time?” Chloe said after Julie finished telling them what she had discovered. “Then their Guardian Witch magic soaked up what happened between Aidan and me? Not just at that moment but possibly during some of our other lives?”
“That’s right,” Julie confirmed. “Not only that, but I’m fairly certain whatever they did happened before the gods who delivered Adlin to Scotland ever became involved.” She shook her head. “I’m not sure they even knew about it.”
“Da and Grant had wondered about that,” Tiernan said. “Seeing how we only ever heard of Celtic god Fionn Mac Cumhail and Goddess Brigid being involved.”
When Chloe looked at him curiously, Tiernan elaborated.
“As MacLomains and Brouns have come together over the generations, we’ve learned more about what started everything so long ago,” he explained. “What happened to the Celtic King, Erc, his Druidess, Chiomara, and their offspring. At the root of it, or so we always thought, were two Celtic gods. Fionn Mac Cumhail, a mythical, legendary Irish warrior-hunter who led the Fianna and the lass he fell in love with, Brigit, Goddess of Divination.”
“In fact, ‘twas Fionn Mac Cumhail, who possessed the first three Claddagh rings.” Tiernan took a sip of whisky before continuing. “He ensured they found the first three couples, one of them being my great-great grandparents, Iain and Arianna. As the generations wore on, some couples even traveled back to ancient Ireland, to Chiomara and Erc’s time.” He shrugged a shoulder. “We thought that part of our clan’s history was said and done, though. We assumed we knew everything there was to know.”
“Yet it seems not,” Aidan said, surprised it went back further. Shocked things had happened even Grant and Adlin didn’t know about. For that matter, if Julie was correct, possibly even Fionn and Brigit. “One has to wonder how Julie's Guardian Witch ancestors and Goddess Étaín were able to do anything magical to that Stonehenge without the other gods knowing.” He tilted his head in question. “Yet, this dark brotherhood knew?”
“Like I said, I’m not sure Fionn and Brigit knew,” Julie reminded. “There's always a possibility they did, but my gut says they didn’t.” Her magic sparked. “I sense it was...private. My ancestors and Étaín had enough power to keep it from other gods.” She paused, letting her magic speak to her. “I think they might’ve had some sort of foresight or premonition about the MacLomains. All the good they would do.” She nodded once, convinced she was right. “They wanted to make sure nothing disrupted that.”
“Interesting,” Chloe murmured. “So how long before the king and Druidess came together, did your ancestors and Étaín do their mysterious thing at the stones?” She glanced at Aidan, recalling what he’d said about the Stonehenge. “And why are there fewer stones in everyone’s ‘Irish Stonehenge’ dreams than there were when Adlin was conceived?”
“I haven’t figured that part out yet,” Julie replied. “All I know is whatever ritual my ancestors performed, whatever they did to that area, was done to the number of stones we saw in our dreams. After that, the magic that had been infused in them soaked up certain ‘energies’ for lack of a better explanation.” She looked between Aidan and Chloe. “So when you first met there, what sparked between you was special enough that the stone,yourstone, took notice. It soaked up what it needed to contribute to the eventual magic used to create Adlin.”
“Whoa,” Chloe whispered. “That’s pretty intense.”
“It certainly is,” Julie agreed. “And I don’t think it happened to just you and Aidan but other couples too...one way or another.”
“You think it happened to my cousins and your friends in a previous life.” Aidan eyed Julie curiously. “And what do you mean by, ‘one way or another?’”
“I mean, it might not have been as simple as them sitting down beside a particular stone like you guys did,” she said. “I do think you two were the first, though.”
“What makes you say that?” Chloe asked.
“I don’t know.” Julie shook her head. “Just a feeling.” She sipped her whisky. “I think Tiernan and I got things rolling because we were connected to the Stonehenge. Me because of my Guardian Witch ancestors and Tiernan because he’s a MacLomain. Throw Fionn, Brigit, and Étaín into the mix plus whatever the couples involved in this contributed, and we’ve got a fighting chance.” Her eyes met Tiernan’s. “It’s all going to help us defeat the Disinherited and figure out what’s going on with magic in Scotland.”
“It’s a lot to swallow, but something about it feels...right,” Chloe said softly. “Every little bit counts.” Her gaze flickered to Aidan as she thought aloud. Something he realized she often did when writing. “From the moment I sat beside you when I was a faery, not only could I truly ‘see’ how handsome you were on the inside but was drawn to your capacity for love. Your fierce devotion.” She nodded, convinced. “Attributes I’d bet made their way into every last MacLomain male.”
“No doubt they did,” Julie agreed, her eyes different. Her Guardian Witch magic ignited. “Hence the fierce devotion of MacLomains and their unquestionably strong capacity for love.”
“So you’re saying what happened at the Irish Stonehenge during the years betwixt your ancestors’ ritual and Adlin’s creation contributed to who we MacLomains are as individuals?” Aidan said, astounded.
“Yes.” Julie nodded. “And it wasn’t just random. I think whatever my ancestors and Étaín did to the stones drew those who possessed what was necessary. Those whose attributes would ensure that history or should I say the future, went as it should.” Her eyes widened. “I mean, just look at those with MacLomain blood. Your magic and courage. Your selflessness and sacrifices. From what I can tell, just about every MacLomain male who came together with a Broun over the years has been pretty damn amazing.”
“As has been their counterpart, whether Broun or not,” Tiernan murmured, squeezing Julie’s hand. It was clear by the way his cousin eyed her, this conversation would be coming to a close soon. He was happy for them, having hoped for years the two might find some way to come together despite Julie’s lack of Broun lineage.
“Then there’s the whole immortality thing Adlin said Aidan and I were responsible for.” Chloe thought about that. “How could we have been, though, when I’m positive I didn’t give up being a faery the first time we met?”
“It wouldn’t have mattered.” Though she spoke to her friend, Julie’s gaze lingered on Tiernan with the same building desire. “Once that stone connected with you and Aidan, Chloe, it would have taken whatever it sought from every lifetime.”
“How is that possible when we hadn’t even lived them yet?”
“Because of the magic my ancestors used,” Julie reminded. “Their ability to make time fold in on itself. Something Tiernan and I discovered when I almost died. A single moment can happen across time. In two places at once. With that in mind, your stone could have taken an attribute that hadn’t happened yet.”
“So when I gave up my immortality as a faery for love, the stone reached across time and soaked it up?” Chloe's surprised eyes met his. “Hence true love being the trigger for Adlin and Iosbail eventually losing their immortality?”
He nodded, just as shocked as her. “So it seems.”
As expected, the conversation ended soon after that, with Tiernan and Julie claiming they were tired when they were obviously anything but.
