Luathara - Book Three of the Otherworld Trilogy Read Free Page B

to keep up with Fergus.
    We came to the point in the trail where the path led over the small land bridge and between two thick rows of willow trees.  On the other side was the small meadow where my normal, well, somewhat normal life had all started to go downhill.  I passed it without giving the memories of my first meeting with the C u morrig a second thought.  I walked a few steps further down the road, and then stopped dead in my tracks.  L eaning against a tall eucalyptus tree stood a tall young man.  Cade .
    For a few breathless moments I merely stood there, my eyes taking him in, my heart galloping in my chest as my emotions tried to settle.  He wore the clothing of the Otherworld; brown leather pants with knee-length boots and a loose, cream colored shirt beneath a beautifully worked leather vest.  Instead of the old trench coat he had worn when we’d first met, he wore a long green cloak lined with fleece, the hood thrown over his head.  But I could see his face well enough.  He was pale, but not as pale as he had been after fighting the Morrigan’s - his mother’s - monsters.  His green eyes met mine and he smiled, but it was guarded, as if he was unsure of how I would react to his presence.  He looked worn down, weary, older almost, but I had never seen anything or anyone more beautiful in my entire life.
    Finally he spoke, only one word, but it was enough to make my scattered emotions burst forth.
    “Meghan,” he said, his tone so quiet I barely heard it.
    That was all it took.  The sob that had been hovering in my throat broke free and I dropped my bow and quiver.  Meridian took off in a flurry of white feathers and irritated chattering as I sprinted across the small space that separated us.
    Cade straightened just in time to step into my aggressive embrace.  I buried my face in his shoulder and threw my arms around him, forcing myself to be gentle when he rocked back against the tree.  He was still recovering from death, after all, and squeezing the life out of him might not be the best thing for his health at the moment.
    I cried into his cloak and held on.  I could hear him murmuring words in the ancient language of Eile as he stroked my hair.  I was pretty sure I could stand like that all day, but at some point I pulled myself away, or maybe he somehow pried me off of him.  Either way, I found myself gazing up into his face, wanting so badly to kiss him but not having the gall to make that move on my own.
    He grinned, his eyes tired, and brushed a loose curl away from my forehead so he could kiss it.  I shivered.
    Somehow, I managed to find my voice.  “How are you?  Are you okay?”
    He lowered his hand to take mine and squeezed it, grinning.  It made his expression seem less grim, so I smiled back and relished the feeling of his hand in mine.
    “I am,” he said.
    An awkward silence fell over us, as if we were two strangers or casual acquaintances meeting for the first time.  Finally, Cade spoke again, his demeanor stiffening.  He dropped my hand and leaned back against the tree once more.
    “Meghan, the Dagda wanted me to come see you, he thinks-”
    He paused and took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair and pushing back the hood at the same time.  “He thinks you should come to Eile as soon as possible.”
    My heart nearly stopped it s erratic sprint.  Go to the Otherworld.   I knew it was coming, heck, I’d been planning on it.  But so soon?  I had just received the Dagda’s letter less than two weeks ago.
    I opened my mouth to speak, but all I did was croak, “Why, why so suddenly?”
    Cade cringed and I could almost feel him withdrawing somewhere deep inside of himself.  I didn’t like that feeling.
    “We think the Morrigan is planning something, and now that your geis is broken, we don’t want to risk her getting to you here.”
    I blanched.  It was my own fault my geis was broken.  Two years ago , when I had first met Cade, the Morrigan had