Chapter Thirty-Nine

Darius awoke to Wolf licking his face. He was lying on the grass, his head fuzzy and pounding miserably. There was a strangeness to everything. He stood but nearly fell, then looked in the barn to see everyone still as statues. The wolf grabbed Darius’s hand in his mouth and led him away. He stared in the direction of their cabin to see the sky glowing. Looking closer, he saw fire.

“Christ,” he said. “Arianna!”

Darius forced himself to move though his legs felt like stone. When he neared the cabin, it was ablaze, but there was also a ring of peculiar purple fire surrounding the cabin. It was frighteningly high and the heat that came off it was unbearable. He could see no break in the unnatural fiery ring.

“Arianna!” he desperately shouted.

She was a magical witch with powers even he couldn’t begin to comprehend. Surely she could get through the flames she’d created. Darius saw the wolf standing inside now. He needed to get to Arianna, took a deep breath and leapt through the purple fire expecting to be badly burned, but was oddly unharmed. The cabin was consumed in flames.

“Arianna,” he called again coughing in the thick smoke. He raced up the steps, across the covered porch. When he opened the door, flames shot out. The windows shattered spewing glass and throwing him to the ground. He was dazed, cut and bleeding, the wind knocked from him. He finally managed to stand, limping toward the cabin again, shielding his eyes from the heat.

Darius pressed past the thick smoke, rushing inside. His eyes burned; he could see nothing, but still he pushed forward. His foot touched something and he dropped to his knees and felt around the floor. He squinted, thinking he saw Alcott’s form. Touching his wooden leg confirmed it, but then his hand brushed against Arianna’s long hair. He managed to lift her into his arms but could no longer see the doorway. Somehow he made it outside. Arianna’s beautiful hair was singed, her lovely face streaked with soot. Darius shook her, but she didn’t stir.

“Arianna, my love. Wake up, my wee witch.”

He kissed her with no response. He felt her wrist and her neck, but could find no pulse. He thought he was losing his mind when Liza’s spirit appeared. Her eyes were sorrowful, looking at Arianna. The spirit of the woman he’d seen outside of Wyndham Village also appeared and touched Arianna’s cheek.

“My sweet girl,” she whispered.

Darius collapsed to the ground holding, Arianna. The stranger he’d seen in the McKees’ barn also appeared, now with accusation in his eyes. When a tall woman wearing armor and carrying a sword and shield materialized, too, the man glared at her.

“Another of their infernal tests?” the man in black asked.

“You never disapproved of the tests before. Because she’s someone important to you, the tests suddenly displease you, Cythrawl?”

Cythrawl? Arianna said he’d come to the cabin to save her from Ethan.

“Perhaps the gods could see this undone,” Cythrawl said.

“It’s impossible to undo,” the warrior woman said.

“Your kin was saved, Aine,” Cythrawl argued.

“Alainn wasn’t brought back from the dead,” Aine replied.

“Time was altered to aid her. I only ask time be reversed till before the smoke ended the fire witch’s life,” Cythrawl insisted.

“It would be better than reliving this life, yet again. Alainn will soon await her arrival,” Aine said.

“The fire witch is your kin, too,” Cythrawl reminded Aine.

“The fire witch is your daughter, yet you don’t call her by name,” Arianna’s mother said.

“He’s her father?” Darius asked in utter disbelief.

The spirit nodded. “We meet again, Darius Wyndham. I’m Eirann, Arianna’s mother,” the spirit said. “Aye, Cythrawl’s her father.”

“Arianna’s the daughter of a god?”

“And her mother’s the descendant of a Celtic goddess of faery lineage and Druid ancestry,” Cythrawl said.

“It seems an unlikely match,” Darius said observing the radiance of Arianna’s mother.

“I was destined to carry a transcendent witch. Cythrawl was charming in his own way.”

“Eirann was young, beautiful and fertile,” Cythrawl said.

“That’s hardly respectful,” Darius replied.

“Was nearly mating with another woman while your wife is made to deal with evil of human and demonic varieties respectful, Guardian?” Cythrawl asked. “You were given the position of guardian because you’re her heart’s desire and soul’s match, but you failed.”

“He didn’t fail. Our daughter was happy with this life, happier than any other. Tonight wasn’t his finest, but he’s male, therefore largely ruled by desire,” Eirann said. “I thank you for protecting Arianna as much as you were able.”

“You’re thanking me when your daughter’s lost?” Darius’s voice broke. “Could you really bring her back?”

“She might not want to come back,” Aine said looking disapprovingly at Darius.

“If she hadn’t been exceedingly angry with her guardian for his infidelity she wouldn’t have fought the demon’s power and killed him,” a man with long grey hair said as he appeared.

“I don’t know who the hell you are, but I assure you, I wasn’t unfaithful to Arianna.”

“Near enough!” Aine said. “I’m the protector of women and you were to be her principal guardian.”

“It seems you both failed her this night,” the old man said.

“This is the Dagda,” Eirann explained.

“The father of Celtic gods?” Darius asked and Eirann nodded.

“Arianna, the fire witch is the second transcendent witch,” Dagda stated.

“No less important than the others. Her hellfire will be needed to meet the dark lord Odhran,” Cythrawl stressed.

“Could you truly bring her back?” Darius asked. “I don’t have magic, but I’d gladly trade my life to see Arianna returned.”

Aine seemed to be reconsidering.

“We’re immortal,” Aine said, “but humans and witches are not. They’ve lived this life or a version of it many times. Alainn has already been sent to the future. All four transcendent witches will need to congregate and combine powers if we hope to defeat Odhran and his legions.”

“Can you save Arianna?” Darius asked again. “I beg you, bring her back. I wouldn’t want to live without her.”

“If she’s restored, you’ll be made to live without her for a time as punishment for not protecting her,” Dagda said.

“Please, just save her.”

“You’re really considering this?” Aine asked Dagda.

“Maybe the searcher, Tristan, or the Druid, Danhoul, could be named guardian along with the Frenchman and Cythrawl,” Dagda said. “Perhaps her sovereign guardian isn’t required.”

Darius lowered his head. “Do what you must.”

When Arianna began to cough, Darius thought he was the least stunned, for everyone stared disbelievingly.

“Would you all bloody well stop barraging him with insults and blame,” Arianna croaked. “Darius has been admirable as my guardian. He watched over me, nearly smothered me with his protection till I pushed him away. Tonight, unfortunate events occurred. If he was absent…or unfaithful, I accept some blame.”

“How is she alive?” Dagda asked. “Did one of you grant her breath?”

Aine and Cythrawl looked at each other and shook their heads.

“A fire witch can sometimes withstand a fire created of her own magic,” Cythrawl said. “Even as a child, she dragged her mother from the flames she created.”

“You saved me then, my girl.” Eirann nodded, clutching Arianna’s hand.

“The smoke appeared to have taken her life, tonight,” Dagda said.

“You weren’t breathing,” Darius stated holding Arianna closer.

“I dreamt of Grandmother in a faery realm and was somehow magically restored.”

Grandmother appeared then, looking much different. She was in a long white robe, her hair neatly twisted upon her head.

“Are you a faery?” Darius asked.

Grandmother nodded. “Young Wyndham, you’re not only a handsome face. In the future, I might be known as a faery godmother. But Tine’s correct,” she said. “She’s been pushing him away for months knowing this confrontation was coming. Still, he wouldn’t be distanced.”

“He nearly mated with another,” Aine argued.

“Young Wyndham wasn’t with the trollop, Elizabeth. Even with her seductive insistence and the gods’ interference,” Grandmother defended him.

“How long will the sovereign guardian be disallowed to be with the fire witch?” Cythrawl asked.

“At least from Beltane to Samhain; perhaps longer,” Dagda said.

“Why would Darius be disallowed to be with me? I’m his wife.”

“He didn’t protect you,” Cythrawl said.

“He walked through fire three times to try to save her,” Grandmother argued.

“He couldn’t be harmed by the hellfire since he’s the one she loves,” Dagda said. “Alainn the air witch’s ancient spell still holds.”

“Perhaps he couldn’t die by my hellfire, but he might have been killed in the smoke or if the roof collapsed,” Arianna said. “He would have died for me. The fire didn’t burn him, but look at his many substantial wounds.”

“He also offered his life to have you brought back,” Aine added.

“Why didn’t you save me, Aine?” Arianna said staring at the goddess. “Or you, Cythrawl, if you’re my guardian and really my father?”

“I am,” Cythrawl said.

“My father’s a god of war and chaos,” she whispered. “Was all of this part of a test as suggested? Was it celestial interference that led us to this?” Arianna asked.

Dagda nodded. “The gods must always test transcendent witches to prove they’re ready. They must be capable of magically moving from one location to another, stopping time and moving through time. They must also kill a nefarious supernatural creature. You killed the demon, met all the tests and somehow came back from death, which no one fully understands.” The god scratched his chin.

“Did someone place something in my ale?” Darius said. “I couldn’t think straight.”

Cythrawl nodded. “It was done.”

“A beguiling spell was also put on Elizabeth so she’d be more appealing to you,” Grandmother said.

“You think that’s contemptible?” Liza’s spirit said. “I was pushed in the river.” She stared accusingly at Aine, now obviously remembering.

“I didn’t push you,” Aine firmly said. “I created a wind that made you fall in.”

“That’s unforgivable,” Arianna said. “Liza was a young woman with her whole life ahead of her and pregnant with Darius’s child.”

“Both fated to be lost in childbed. We needed the guardian to leave before he knew the vexing woman, Charlotte, carried his child. He might have stayed. She’d have seen her present husband dead to be with him. She had no qualms about giving her own sister a wretched potion to make her morbidly ill for moons.”

Arianna, Darius and Liza were equally appalled at hearing that revelation.

“Charlotte purposely made Liza ill?” Darius asked.

Aine nodded.

“I wasn’t even aware of that,” Liza said.

“Everything had to be correct so the two of you could be paired,” Dagda added.

Arianna tried to stand. Darius gently helped her.

“Liza had to die so we could be together?” Arianna sorrowfully said.

“She and the unborn child would have died in mere weeks,” Aine impatiently replied. “Besides, her existence was ever tormented.”

“Why didn’t you tell me what Alcott did to you?” Arianna asked Liza.

“I didn’t remember till I heard him tell you tonight. I suppose that was a kindness. I knew I feared him but couldn’t recall why,” Liza replied.

As the towering ring of fire continued to burn, Darius saw the regret in Arianna’s eyes as she looked at the magnificent cabin in flames.

“You’re still alive. That’s all that matters to me, Arianna,” Darius said.

“I can control time and thus undo this…and all the other damage I’ve caused in the many lives we’ve lived. I can see you finally unburdened, my love,” she said. She touched his dimple and kissed him. “I’ll always love you, Darius.”

Numerous incredibly brilliant bursts of unusual lightning illuminated the sky. Even the gods stared at Arianna, clearly uncertain what she intended. She disappeared as a dizzying sensation overcame Darius.