Instead, for all intents and purposes, they were back at the moment they had made love in the pond. He felt the chill of the water. The warmth of her skin. The blazing heat of her sheath caressing him.
“Madison?” he asked hoarsely, cupping her cheeks. Marveling at the feel of her. “Is this real? Areyoureal? Are we actually here, or is this the afterlife?”
Because this was exactly where he would want to be had he died.
She blinked back tears and shook her head. “Not the afterlife.” Then she nodded. “This is real. We’ve traveled back to that moment.Thismoment.”
“How? I don’t understand.”
“I’m not sure....”
“I think ye are, dear friend,”Oran said. Her raven soared overhead.“Ye two have pleased yer ancestors and gods alike, for ye have fulfilled yer part of the prophecy. To that end, they wish ye well in the days to come.”
Astounded, Cian glanced from Oran to Madison, still trying to make sense of what happened.
“It started in New Hampshire with Constance’s visit, then Riona’s sketch of King’s Roar.” She shook her head in awe. “I heard you. Knew you needed me. I didn’t question it as I raced toward the tree...then I was there. With you.”
“’Twas your magic connecting with King’s Roar.” He could feel the change in her. She had come into her ancient druid magic fully. And with it had come confidence. “Your magic has fully blossomed.” He shook his head. “Though I cannot imagine how you healed someone like me who is by no means innocent.”
“But youarea defender of innocence.” She looked at him with so much love it humbled him. “That’s all it took for me, and my magic, to convince you that you were no longer injured. That you were well again.”
Proud that she had finally come into her own and did what he knew she would be able to do, he smiled and repeated what she’d wondered about days ago. “So you told someone,me, I wasn’t going to die soon, and it actually happened.”
“Yes, because I made you believe it.” An interesting light warmed her gaze. “I remembered what you said. If I revealed someone’s destiny with a true heart, seeing all facets of what may come to be, the gods would heed my wisdom if they agreed.”
“And what destiny did you reveal to me?” he wondered, certain he hadn’t caught everything in his near-death state.
“That we would change fate,” she said softly. “That we would save our kingdom this time. Save our people.” A gentle smile curled her mouth, and she placed her hand on her womb. “That we would raise our son together. A son who will grow into a greatknownking if we’re able to defeat Raghnall in the end. If your brothers and my sisters fulfill their part of the prophecy.”
“Ourson?” Overjoyed, he placed his hand over hers and understood. “I thought it was my imagination when I saw the green pulse come from our union.” He shook his head, seeing it all so clearly now. Why the gods had brought them back to this moment. “This is when he was conceived.”
She nodded, teary. “Evidently, they needed to make sure he would take root. That his future was plausible. When that happened, in combination with me embracing my inner druidess fully and your selfless devotion to your people until the end, your willingness to let me go this time, we were given a second chance.” She glanced from the shore to him. “Which means we might still be able to save them, Cian. All of them.”
He had never been so eager. So hopeful. “Do you know how to stop Siobhán’s portals, though?”
“I think maybe I do.” She smiled when he pulled her closer. “But we’re going to need to be there ahead of time.”
He nodded, eager but painfully aroused again. Even so, there was no time to waste, so they headed for shore, and she caught him up on everything, including how Constance had come to her and told her she wasn’t alone.
“I didn’t understand until I felt our son while I was healing you.” Madison chanted herself into clothing as if she had been doing it her whole life. “Then I realized what she meant.” She shook her head. “I wasn’t alone.Weweren’t alone.”
He chanted himself into clothing as well, noting his magic felt much improved. “So, how was Constance there without being there?”
“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “But I’m sure we’ll discover why in good time.”
Her gaze went to Oran. No longer a raven, he flickered along happily next to them in fairy form and with good reason.
“Aisling,” Cian exclaimed, relieved when she joined Oran. Emotion tightened his chest at the memory of her defending him in battle and dying at his feet. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you again, my friend.”
“And I, ye.” They caught her smile sparkling in the branches. “Though I have no memory of watching yer people perish or losing my life, ‘tis safe to say, I would go to yer aid without a second thought.”
“But ‘tis no need for it anymore.” Oran shifted closer to her protectively. “No need for ye to be anywhere but by my side.”
Clearly pleased to hear that, Aisling flittered around him joyfully.
“So if Aisling doesn’t remember anything,” Madison asked. “Does that mean you don’t either, Oran?”
“Oh, no, m’Lady,” he replied. “I’ll always be yer familiar, with ye since the beginning, so I follow ye wherever ye go. Even to alternative pasts others don’t remember.”
