“That she did, milord.” Ailish spilled more berries into her mouth and swallowed them down. “If the witch escapes, Ireland will be destroyed.”
Cate clasped her hands together. “There’s something we already know, and it will only be a matter of time before her destruction spreads through the rest of the world.” She looked at Tom. “Are you ready?”
An odd excitement shined in his eyes. “Aye, I’m itching to be done with this.”
“Then we best see what’s waiting on the other side. Our one hope is that the curse has dampened her powers, or this shall be the shortest crusade in human history.”
Tom turned to James. “Mr. Roth, we’ll need you to watch the horses.”
James dipped his head in agreement. “I’m pleased to be of service.”
“If Nora was unable to pass through the dolmen, then Deri may be out here somewhere.” Tom glanced at the sword sheathed at James’s side. “Be ready for trouble and kill the wretch before she can touch you.”
James bowed once more, this time with the hint of a smile. “With pleasure, Master Faber.”
Tom unsheathed his sword. “Allow a minute in between crossing so we’ve time to clear the way.” Giving the lantern to Cate, he took her other hand.
Once they passed inside, Julian held his lantern aloft at the entrance. Henry released me to do the same, and the light flickered over the long expanse of stone that ended abruptly at an earthen wall. In silence, I watched my grandparents walk side-by-side. Tom’s head nearly brushed the uppermost stone, and his broadsword was kept at a sharp downward angle to keep the tip from scraping along the wall. The distance quickly disappeared beneath their feet, and my chest wrenched tighter with every step. When it seemed they could go no farther, an awful tearing sound rent the air, and they simply vanished from sight.
“Hoh!” Marin gasped, putting voice to my surprise.
A tendril of musty air hissed from the dolmen like a snake’s tongue. I recoiled, bumping my head against Henry’s chest.
He ran a gentle hand along my arm. “Steady there.”
Lightning tore through the sky. Thunder rumbled close behind, when more lightning flashed, this time ripping the clouds open. In a heartbeat, the rain turned to a deluge that poured through the trees to pound the earth below. Those crossing pushed under the overhang of the uppermost stone of the dolmen. James stayed outside to be nearer the horses, shoulders low and rain rushing from the curled brim of his tricorn hat.
Ailish threw a worried look at the woods. “Poor Deidre, birthing a babe on her own.”
“She’ll be fine,” I said, “so long as she doesn’t blow a tree down on her cottage or cause a flood.” Or inadvertently strike one of us with lightning, as I assumed either killing or maiming a goddess born would only return the same to her.
“Aye,” Ailish agreed, her face pinched with concern. “The pain must have stolen her wits.”
Henry placed a hand on the center of my back. “It’s time to go.”
I took his lantern and threaded the fingers of my free hand through his. “You’ll come next?” I asked Ailish. Either I was already too cold to feel an additional chill from her nearness, or had grown too accustomed to it to notice anymore.
She nodded but didn’t meet my eyes. Her small shoulders drooped under the weight of an unspoken burden.
I wanted to say more, to explain that somehow everything would be all right. No matter what Cailleach might have asked of her, we would find a way through it.
Henry moved deeper into the dolmen, and I matched his stride, shifting my focus to the task at hand. He carried the spear, leaving his broadsword sheathed on his back. Lantern light danced in dizzying patterns on the stone walls beside us. At the end, our shadows curved up the earthen wall, over layers of rich soil and partially exposed rocks.
My fingers tensed around Henry’s. Never before had I left the mortal world while still attached to my body. A mere step away, I closed my eyes and pushed forward, half expecting a face full of dirt when a sudden tugging took hold of my sternum. It yanked me forward as a tearing sound reverberated from heel to crown.
In an instant, the ground fell away, and my stomach flew up as we dropped into thin air. My startled scream turned to a grunt a second later when my feet hit the ground. The lantern fell from my grasp to the sound of breaking glass, and I stumbled sideways, only to be caught by Henry’s firm grip.
He pulled me to him. “I’ve got you,” he whispered. The spear’s shaft pressed into my waist.
A rush of cool air hissed over me, the musty scent making my nerves cringe. It lasted only a moment before fading to deadly stillness. I blinked several times, trying to get my bearings, but there was nothing to see. Blackness surrounded us. Muffled voices seemed to echo from every direction, male and female.