Day 8 of Midwinter, Midday

Caisleán Corrán, Findrias

Annwn

“What?” I really wasn’t processing why everyone was suddenly staring at me. “Why are all of you looking at me?”

Nemain turned to regard me. “I originally believed his naivety to be subterfuge.” She turned back to her family. Most of them were still staring at me.

“Or he really IS that stupid…” mused the sitting patriarch of Cloudfair. Ouch. Though I supposed I shouldn’t judge Cian too harshly at the moment, given he had just learned about the death of his son.

“I would imagine this world is still a bit foreign to you Bren.” Ériu words were kind. “Here in Cloudfair, we heard about the famed Children of the Cold Moon well after the fact. We are only now learning of the Dagda’s involvement in your sojourn to my world.”

Nemain nodded, picking up where Ériu had left of. “If you are indeed Cai’s brother, and based on your genesis here in Annwn you likely are, AND if Cai has dominion over the domain of chaos…”

“Wait.” My head was swimming with a sudden realization. “Are you saying…you think I’ll also have dominion over a domain?”

Ernmas nodded thoughtfully. “Not only that, but it would make you family…my brother, in fact, and uncle to my girls.”

I gave a confused look across the table to the woman I had traveled with for multiple days. Nemain chuckled and shook her head. “Good thing I didn’t kill you, I guess.”

“Good thing I didn’t bite her in her sleep,” Monty grumbled, poking his head out of my cloak. Could he actually understand what others said through our telepathic link? That was fun…and maybe a little problematic.

“I forgot you were here.” It was getting easier to talk to him through our mental connection. He gave me an irritated look and slithered back into my cloak.

“Are you conversing with that beast?” Macha asked, speaking for the first time.

Monty’s head shot back out from under my cloak. “Did she just call me a beast?”

Ernmas gestured at the little red serpent. “More importantly, did you actually bring an oilliphéist into Caisleán Corrán?”

Ériu chuckled. “Even more importantly, did that beast just scowl at Macha?”

“Could we please get back on track?” Cian yelled. Everyone immediately focused their attention on the head of the table. “What is your take on this, Bren Búachaill? Is it as Nemain says? Do you truly have no memory of a time before the Pool?”

“No. I have no memory of the night of my…‘genesis’…or whatever you want to call it. But if what you say is true, it does explain some other odd things that happened over the last week.”

Ernmas cocked her head at me. “Explain.”

“Well, I have these magic Rings that allow me to see more of my Power Rank information. They tell me that my race is undetermined…oh, and I also heal incredibly fast. But that isn’t listed as a boon in my notifications. Is that normal?”

Cian’s frown deepened. “No. That is not normal for most of the sidhe, only for Tuatha.”

“And the Fomorian,” Macha added. Cian nodded his agreement.

“His boons are strange,” Nemain said. For once, her expression looked on me with something other than disinterest. “They seem to manifest based on his actions BEFORE he levels.”

“This fact is an argument against him being Tuatha,” Ernmas said.

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“What else could he be?” Macha asked. No one said anything for a few moments. I could have sworn I saw a brief moment of realization fall across Badb’s face, but she remained silent.

Macha continued. “If you are the offspring of the goddess of Life, you will reach a milestone in your leveling such that your own domain will become available to you.”

Ériu nodded. “Once you earn your domain, your leveling and the process of acquiring boons can all change.”

I had so many questions. But if what they said was true—and I was beginning to think it was—it made some of the last week make more sense. Still, this whole thing was surreal. Was this how people back on Earth felt when won the lottery? Or realized they were a member of the royal family?

Cian held up a hand, quieting the room. “Let’s back up a moment,” he said, looking at me. “Macha, darling, what was it you said about Fomorian healing?”

I immediately saw what was happening, but Macha answered the question without considering the possible intent behind it. “I said that Fomorians also have accelerated healing.”

Cian tapped his chin as if in thought. “Ah…and Cai is working with the Fomorian horde.” He paused meaningfully. “So, is it easier to believe that the goddess of life has suddenly started having offspring again after several thousand years? Or that the Children of the Cold Moon are servants of the Fomorians?”

“But he clearly isn’t Fomorian,” Nemain said, with an annoyed look. “He lacks their size and strength. Even Maccán is considered adopted, not a true Fomorian.”

Macha and Ernmas had been nodding at Cian’s words. But Badb and Ériu sat silent. Badb hadn’t taken her eyes off me since Macha last spoke. Nemain stared daggers at her uncle.

“I don’t think any of us should jump to conclusions.” Cian motioned to the Ellyllon. The guards took a step toward the table. “In this time of strife, we must be cautious.”

As if sensing trouble, Monty began to wrap himself around my neck, completely freeing his body from the cover of my cloak. I didn’t move. I was too afraid that any sudden movement would cause the guards to attack.

One of the green-clad guards approached me. “Please come with me,” she said. Her eyes flicked to the oilliphéist and back to me.

Nemain stood abruptly. The guards flinched back. But Nemain paid them no mind. “I started this council meeting suggesting that Cai Maccán had gained dominion over the Chaos domain.”

“And we have heard you. We should consider your words along with all of the other information at our disposal,” Cian said, before pausing dramatically. “However, we should do so only once a potential Fomorian spy has been put under observation.”

“A spy?” I asked as calmly as possible, trying not to irritate the guards or startle my oilliphéist minion into action.

“This is outrageous!” Nemain pushed through the line of guards, and stalked out of the room. The guards looked to the two elder Tuatha for directions.

“Let her go,” Ernmas said. “She has always been fiery.”

Cian stood and addressed me directly. “Bren Búachaill, do you agree to voluntarily sequester yourself in a secure area until this council can decide the best course of action?”

I knew there was only one correct answer, at least at the moment. I looked around the table at the first and second generation of gods before me. I was fairly sure my only ally had left the room. I nodded and stood, keeping my hands in plain view.

“If I could make one request…” I said. “Morias is still in Flamebright. Would you reach out to him there, and ask him about my allegiance?”

Cian gave one of those classic movie nods, where he closed his eyes and also did a half bow. “A fine idea.”

To their credit, the Ellyllon did not disarm me. They didn’t even make a move to remove the angry oilliphéist still wrapped around my neck. They simply showed me to a room. The room was lower in the castle, and it reminded me of a hotel room. It was simple, but not sparse. It wasn’t a cell, but it also wasn’t large. It had all of the conveniences of this Disney World medieval setting: a working sink, a library, and a toilet. I’m so glad they had actual toilets.

When the guards left, they closed the door and I heard several bars slide across the outside of the frame.

I used the quiet moment to review any pertinent notifications from my Rings. I had managed to activate them before leaving the meeting room. I knew it was frowned upon among the Tuatha to use magic to invade one’s personal space, but at this stage in the game, I figured it was worth it.

Name: Cian ó Findrias

Domain: Fathers

Name: Ernmas ó Findrias

Domain: Mothers

Name: Nemain iníon Ernmas

Domain: Frenzy (One aspect of The Morrigan)

Name: Badb iníon Ernmas

Domain: Fate (One aspect of The Morrigan)

Name: Macha iníon Ernmas

Domain: Fealty (One aspect of The Morrigan)

Name: Ériu iníon Ernmas

Domain: Earth

Monty slithered off me and onto the small bed. “The next time you break into a castle, remind me to get off you before you get yourself locked in your room.”

“Hey, what did you expect me to do?”

“We could have bitten them. With the scary one gone…I would have probably survived.” The oilliphéist curled up in a ball in the middle of the bed and closed his eyes.

I shook my head at the absurdity of the day and of the last week. GODS had locked me in a CASTLE with my pet DEVIL SNAKE. I sat down on the chair at the side of the bed and closed my eyes. The world and my place in it appeared to be getting stranger and more dangerous by the minute, and there didn’t appear to be any way out.