“So, you are saying you planned it all?” I raised a brow and took a step closer.
“Much of it. You exceeded most of my expectations. I couldn’t stop the Mages, or Joseph. Faolán put a little kink in my neck; however, his greed fulfilled what he was supposed to do. I can see the future and how each choice shapes things. I can set events into motion. However, I cannot directly interfere with free will and I can’t stop bad things from happening. Sometimes those bad things are necessary, like what you saw in the maze. From death comes rebirth, from fire comes reshaping and reseeding. Fire shapes and molds in the forge. What are trials in life but fire? They shape and mold. There are some things that even I cannot foresee. Like your participation in the Wild Hunt, although that swan dive was a nice touch.” She smiled, and dipped her head to me at her words.
“Why me?” I asked.
“You have a fire in you that most of the High Fae lack these days. They grow careless in age, bitter even. Many have lost their compassion along with their emotions. They lose touch with what I created them for. They are the keepers of this world I have created. I used part of my soul when I created it. If Faery dies, that part of me will die as well. All creatures of Faery have a small piece of me within them. While many Gods have perfected their own worlds, mine was built to be…interesting. Perfect is so boring, don’t you agree?” she asked, turning to look out the window beside her.
“Yes,” I answered hesitantly, wondering where she was going with this.
“Good. I’m glad we agree on this,” she replied. “Sorcha, I can hear you loud and clear. I can hear your thoughts louder than anyone else in this world. You are special to me; I gave you a part of me no one else has. In fact, I gave you enough that you could be considered my own daughter.”
Wow…put the brakes on Becky! She did not just say that!
“Oh, but I did.” She smiled and shook her head. “He’s right; you are quirky and fun.”
“Who is right?” I asked slowly.
“The Demon; he has a soft spot for you.”
“What did you give me?”
“That’s a story for another time. Right now, we need to worry about what is coming, and less about the details of how we got here. There are, shall we say, several concerns conspiring right now and you need to let me in. If you don’t, you and the babes won’t live through it. One of these concerns is Faolán. He’s a power hungry Fae, and trust me, there is nothing worse. He has discovered what you are carrying and even now he is trying to figure out how to get into the coronation,” she stated.
“Do you ever bring good news?” I scoffed.
“I’m a Goddess. I never bother myself unless it’s important. I could tell you how the whole world of Faery is depending on those infants, but you’ve already been told that. Adam was open; he allowed me in and embraced the power I had to give him. He is ready for his trials. It’s your turn, Sorcha. Let me in so I can protect you. Accept me so those infants have a fighting chance.”
“Fine; tell me how,” I growled.
“I can only tell you that you have to want to accept me, to accept Faery. I wanted you in the human world partially so that you could learn the things that the Fae lack. One drawback to living as a human, is accepting that a Goddess can help you. Humans can be either sheep or cynics, and with what you have been through to create your strength, it has made you self-reliant and compassionate. It also made you skeptical and a bit cynical, child. You need to have a lot of faith, and trust me.”
“When is Faolán coming, and how will I know he is here?” I was getting frustrated as her idea of help was causing more questions in my mind than answers.
“Sorry, I can’t interfere directly. I can only push you in the right direction. When the time is right, you will know,” she whispered with an impish smile on her lips. “You will survive this, Sorcha. You are a survivor; you were born with the right tools to get the job done. Let me in.”
She sifted out, and I watched as Ristan jolted upright in the bed and shook his head.
“What the fuck, Flower!? What happened while I was under?” he asked as his eyes scanned me from head to toe, ensuring I was unharmed. “Are you alright?”
“I’m okay. You just kinda got all swirly eyed, and went all lights are on yet no one’s home on me.” It wasn’t a lie, because he’d done just that, right before Danu had sifted in.
Chapter Thirty-Three