Dead Moon Awakens: A tale of Cherokee myth and Celtic magic (Mystic Gates) Read Free Page A

inside,
Aishling hugged herself and changed the focus. “Why are you here?”
    Morrigan closed her eyes and lowered her head. She
answered barely above a whisper, “My mother died.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    “I hate having to come here.” Morrigan
scowled and got off her bed, moving to her desk. She picked up a tan book and
turned on her desk lamp. “I don’t want to talk anymore. I’m going to write in
my diary. Goodnight.”
    “Goodnight.” Aishling hesitated, then, “I hope you
don’t want to change rooms.”
    “I don’t.”
    “Good.” Aishling stared at her backpack. Her new
diary was under there. “Morrigan, I feel like I already know you.”
    “Oh, don’t be silly.”
    “It’s true,” she whispered. After sitting a moment
longer, she retrieved her diary and finished the entry she had begun earlier.

*******
    I had two memories of her today! I even saw
her face!!! At least I’m starting to remember more and more. It’s weird,
but I feel like I’m just waking up, like I’m not a zombie anymore. Have I been
asleep all this time?
    I got a new roommate today. I think we’re going
to be friends. I don’t scare her. She even knows about Gaelic names and
dreaming. I hope she doesn’t change her mind if she finds out the truth about
me and Ma. Though I don’t remember, I must have dreamed about this day before
because I feel like I already know Morrigan … and Lance … and Kelile, too.
    Tomorrow is my birthday. I guess I’ll be 13. But
who cares?

*******

3
    Saturday, March 9
    “Today’s your birthday? Why didn’t you tell me
sooner?” Morrigan fisted her hands on her hips.
    Why did I say that? “Forget it. It doesn’t
matter. Anyway, I don’t tell people around here about it anymore. Besides, I
just met you yesterday.”
    “That’s true. Why don’t you tell anyone about your
birthday?”
    Aishling stared at the dust cloth in her hand, mad
at herself and her big mouth. She wasn’t ready to tell Morrigan her secret yet.
Now, she’d have to be careful what she says. She forced herself to look at
Morrigan again and smile. “People here don’t like how Ma and I celebrate
birthdays, that’s all. It’s no big deal.”
    After tucking the bedspread around her pillow,
Morrigan sat on her bed. “What did you and your mother do?”
    She turned away from Morrigan and rolled her eyes.
Honesty would be more difficult today than yesterday since she wanted Morrigan
to like her now. How could she explain without giving her secret away? For one
thing, she couldn’t say that word. While removing the clock from her
desk, she summoned her courage. “You know how you and I both have Gaelic names?
Well, Ma and I do things like—” she lifted her lamp “—like the old forest
Celts, or Druids .” She made a hard swipe over her desk and set the lamp
down. “When we celebrated my birthday, we did a ceremony thanking Mother
Goddess for her blessings.” She set her clock back down before turning around
to see Morrigan’s reaction.
    Morrigan grinned. “You and your mother are Celtic
witches .” She hopped off her bed, patting her hands together.
    “How did you know that?”
    “Because, silly, my mother and I are too.”
Morrigan bounced on her toes.
    “What?”
    “Yes! See, I told you we had some things in
common. Now, tell me. What else did you do?”
    A throaty laugh emerged from Aishling before the
rush of words. “We would make a gift bag filled with cookies for the Sidhe and dance around singing happy day to them and happy birthday to me. Ma always
had me chant my wish and blow it into the gift bag. Then, hopefully, the Sidhe would help make the wish come true.”
    Her babbling stopped when she remembered the last
time she had celebrated her birthday with Ma. She hadn’t thought of it since
last year when she’d gotten into trouble. “Morrigan, I miss her so much.
Sometimes I can’t stand the pain I get right here.” She grabbed at her chest
and hunched over. “I don’t understand