Literally, the Wrong Wish

Literally, the Wrong Wish
In the basement

“I told you,” Isolde glares at Danu. “Are all gods this dumb?”

“Word for word, Isolde!” Danu demands, then slowly repeats, “What exactly did you ask for from The Cailleach?”

“I asked for his love,” Isolde rolls her eyes and sneers at Danu. “As I told you, I asked for his love.”

“And The Cailleach told you she could not do that,” Danu crosses her arms over her chest. She sighs and continues, “She told you gods cannot create love, right?”

“No, she said ‘As you wish, my child’,” Isolde answers, a smug look in her eyes. 

“Then you did not ask for love, Isolde!” Golden light flows from Danu and knocks Isolde to the floor. “Tell me exactly what you asked for. It was not love.”

“It was love. I know it was love. All I ever wanted was his love.” Isolde rises to her feet. “I asked The Cailleach to please give me his…,” Isolde trails off, then whispers, “heart.”

Danu bellows, “You asked for his heart. You insolent stupid fool!”

“Why is that any different than love?” Isolde stares blankly at Danu.

“Are you honestly that ignorant,” she asks rhetorically. 

Anger sets in Isolde’s eyes. “There is no difference between someone’s heart and their love. What is wrong with asking for that?”

“My stupid child, The Cailleach is literal. So she literally froze Ainmire’s heart so it would be the same as yours. You were born with a frozen heart, his drove him mad.” Danu stomps her foot and throws her head back. “Hundreds of years of hell because you asked for the wrong thing.”

“I didn’t know,” Isolde lowers herself. She catches herself before she hits the ground and retorts with a smirk. “However, I liked him that way.” She was not to blame for all of this. It was Branna’s doing. That human stole her man, a thousand years later, but that makes little difference.

“You liked him that way?” Danu scoffs. “He never touched you again. Is that what you liked?”

“You did that. You made him not touch me.” Isolde spits. “We could have ruled together. You didn’t want to be wrong. The Cailleach made him love me.”

“No, she gave you his heart, the only way she could, by turning it to ice.” Danu smirks with the satisfaction of knowing what really occurred. All these centuries, she had been unsure how Ainmire had gotten so monstrous. She thought Isolde had wrapped a spell around him, but his unwillingness to bed her or anyone twice did not ring of any spell Danu knew.

“Now that you have answered my first question, I shall continue.” Danu interlocks her fingers and touches her knuckles to her lips. She then clears her throat and asks, “I know you killed, or rather tried to kill, Branna out of jealousy, but why are you trying to kill Quinn?”

Isolde shakes her head, pierces her lips and searches for words of denial. She stutters out, “I never tried to kill that wretched girl.”

“So that is not what Alroy was trying to do?” The inflection in Danu’s voice oscillates.

“Alroy! Alroy!” Isolde cackles.” Like I have any control over him. He never intended to kill her. He only wants what his brother has.” She bites her lips in thought, “In some way, he probably even loves her.”

“Are you kidding, Isolde?” Danu draws in a deep breath. “Then, what about you trying to rip the baby from her womb?”

“Well, that was just, you know, me being a good mother.” Isolde defends.

“A good mother?” Danu rings her hands.

“A good mother secures her child’s future.” Isolde states.

“By killing another child?” Danu continues.

“It was not my child,” Isolde shrugs.

“Isolde,” Danu struggles to find words.

Isolde continues, “Alroy deserves to be king, that little bastard would have ruined everything.”

“Do you not think that Ainmire would deny Alroy if you killed his grandson?” Danu shakes her head at Isolde’s audacity.

“It would not matter. He has plenty of other grandchildren.” Isolde tips her head. “Besides, maybe Alroy will get that bitch pregnant. Then we will be grandparents together.”

“And you would not kill that child?” Danu realizes the line of questioning is spiraling away from the original intent.

“Why would I? It would have the blood of the Leprechaun King and Brigid. The child would be ten times the ruler of Ciaran’s bastard, since he would have my blood as well.” She waves Danu away.

“Enough of your questions deity. You are only distracting from the inevitable.” A chill settles over the room. “By now, Alroy has taken the fire witch and killed her bastard son.”

Danu knows Dian Cecht has hidden Quinn and the infant in the Mag Mell. She knows that they are safe and invisible. There is no reason for her to think what Isolde is saying is true.

“I know what you are thinking, oh clever one. The whore is safely hidden in the Mag Mell. No one can find her.” Isolde lets out a low laugh. “Ah, but I can. Just like I found Branna.”

Danu’s eyes widen, “That is impossible. I do not even know where they are. You are lying.” She proclaims.

“Dear, deity, I guess my powers are just greater than yours.” Isolde sleeks around the room like a cat stalking its prey.

“Even if you did know where they were, there is no way Quinn would allow Alroy near her or the child.” Danu is still confident Isolde has no idea where Quinn is in the Mag Mell.

“Alroy does not need Quinn’s permission, but he does have his charms and means of persuasion.” Isolde draws closer to the deity.

“That is laughable. Brute force is not a charm.” Danu despises the use of force.

“You forget, dear deity. One of the leprechaun’s most endearing traits.” Isolde gently touches Danu’s hair. Danu brushes her away, confusion etched on her face.

“What trait is that?” Danu inquires. 

“Shape shifting, my great Danu.” Isolde chuckles. “Leprechauns as well as fairies are skilled shape shifters. The poor girl will have no idea who really is in her bed.” She smiles. “Dian Cecht did us a favor by hiding her so well.”

Realization sets in and Danu gasps, “Alroy is pretending to be…,” she trails off.

“Pretending to be Ciaran, is that what you were about to say?” Isolde is inches from Danu. “How perceptive of you.” As she emphasizes the you, a shard of ice pierces Danu’s heart.