Chapter 38
"What?" Abe exclaimed in shock.
"Oh for the sake of all that sacred lives," the Modron sighed. "Nuala has loved her brother past his cruelty and has put all else aside at times to care for him. The only other being to love him so deeply and give their all for him is no longer living."
"Mother," Nuala whispered. She turned to her brother, whose attention was focused on the still form of Titania. The wound on her chest was not visible through the bloodstains on her sweater, but the prince could clearly feel their effect. He sobbed heavily as her father pulled her tightly to him and begged her to awaken. Nuala moved toward her brother, wondering just how much truth there was to what the Modron was saying. The old woman had never been wrong before. Nuada simply stared in desperation from father to daughter, his eyes turning from red to a deep brown. Nuala frowned and took him by the arm. The prince did not stir or turn to his sister; he remained staring straight at the girl and sinking inwardly. Nuala breathed deeply. "I cannot bear to see you so heartbroken any longer, and now I have the means to heal you." She glanced at Abraham, trying to remember how the healers in the past had performed their spells. Her husband looked terribly uncomfortable at this idea, but was keeping silent.
Nuala suddenly remembered the images on tapestries of healers. The healer would place the palm of the left hand on the crown of the other's head and the right on their chest just under the heart to prevent the magic from slipping from one end of their body right out the other. The crown, she remembered, was where all energy and life entered the body when it came to magic. She lifted herself on her knees as she knelt beside her brother and pulled his head toward her with her left hand, her thumb resting on his temple and her fingers fanning out over the back of his head past the wound Oberon had inflicted. She gently placed her right hand over his heart, shuddering at how cold he felt even beneath the leather armour. She fought away the urge to begin weeping once more and focused on her brother. She turned once more to her husband and swallowed hard, unsure of what a spell as powerful as this would do to either of them. She looked down, still gripping her lifeless brother tenderly. "I have given my heart in marriage, my husband owns all the heart I have to give and all my affections . . ." she said softly as she leaned forward. "But for you, my brother . . . anything." Nuala pressed her lips tenderly into the crown of her brother's head and breathed deeply, lingering as she felt warmth moving from her breath to his life-force; their link was returning. Bright heat churned in the princess's eyes and seemed to course through the prince, filling him and soothing away the pain and torment the shard of grief had torn for years within. Memories flooded back of happy, carefree days in the palace with their parents; of exploring the otherworld, of Nuala's marriage to Abraham, of Leopold's birth, and of Nuada's love for Titania. The two embraced more fully as the prince felt strength return to his limbs, banishing the torment of desperation once and for all.
"Nuala, my sister," the prince said softly, pulling his sister more tightly to him. Nuala sobbed slightly and pressed in against his heart with her hand, regretting terribly how she had destroyed his life once. It had led to something wonderful, but the memory and hurt that dwelled within him at this memory would forever far outdo anything he had ever done to her. Fortunately, she felt the liberation of forgiveness in both of them. They stared gratefully into one another's eyes momentarily.
"There is still one life left to preserve, if you please," the Modron interrupted once more. The group turned to her as she gestured towards Titania and Thomas Manning. "The girl's life is disappearing by the second. If you do not act quickly, she will die."
"What do I do to save her?" Nuada asked quickly. The rest of the group came and stood around the still kneeling prince, the girl and her father, and the princess as she rose slowly to stand beside her husband. Abe took her hand and looked sadly at the girl and her father. "I will give everything to save her."
"Nothing should be sacrificed in the name of life, Prince Nuada, learn that now," another voice announced. The group looked around in confusion.
Dr. Krauss suddenly pointed up toward the ceiling at the far end of the chamber. "Look! Vas ein wunder!" the entity exclaimed as the sight of four creatures of varying shapes and sizes and comprised of light flashed and warped until coming to rest beside the Modron. There was a brilliant white mare, the raven had appeared earlier, a white dove, and a large black cat.
The large black cat smiled and arched its back as its fur grew into dark blue robes and long grey hair. The raven became the Morrighan just as quickly while the mare became the Epona, clothed in white and red, and the dove became the Clionatha, clothed in soft blue and green. Everyone seemed to be more drawn to the old crone that had been the cat, and with good reason. "I trust that you know by now that all life is first and foremost important to anything else in the kingdom, but the love you have for her will make her life seem all the more important to you," the woman said. This was the voice that had spoken a moment ago.
Nuala knelt instantly while Nuada took three steps toward the woman and knelt, bowing his head. "Ceridwen, great mother after Danu," he said softly. The woman nodded to him. "Please, use whatever means necessary to heal my friend, to restore her life."
The old woman glanced past the prince and frowned at him. "Why? She seems at peace and would be satisfied to continue on the other side knowing that her friends and family are safe and sound and that all was victorious for you," the woman explained. Nuada's eyes shifted, appearing to display a miniscule amount of the heartache he had suffered for years. "Why would the presence of the life of this human matter so greatly to you?"
"Ah, but she is not entirely human. I know this. Her spirit is Danan, one of the she-elves that sought to school man in the ways of the forest so many years ago," he explained excitedly. "Surely you can restore her."
The Ceridwen narrowed her kind eyes at the prince in confusion. "Prince Nuada, the last of those that served the forest came back to us many years ago, long before this girl's birth. They have long since been away from this realm," the Ceridwen said with a sad smile. "Titania Rhiannon Manning is descended from a proud line of forest guardians, of the Celts, but all were and are quite human."
Nuada turned and stared down at Titania with shock and horror. Human? No, it was impossible. She hadn't behaved much like a human at all (except for being emotional and unreasonable on a few occasions) and he had been convinced by her eyes and movements that she was elf kind. His breath sharpened. A human, he had fallen in love with a human girl. He knelt and placed a hand on his head, trembling with the terrible realization that she had been human all along. The Ceridwen and all others in the room frowned as he closed his eyes and shook his head.
"As I said, as a human, she would be most content to enter the afterlife knowing that all her family and friends are safe and that you were victorious," the Ceridwen said. She turned and nodded to the Morrighan who began to move toward the girl. As she walked slowly down the stairs, a heartbroken silence moved over the group from the Americas. Nuada remained kneeling and silent, still looking very wounded that a human had been his focus all this time. The Morrighan passed by him, slowly, as she made her way toward Titania and Thomas Manning. She stopped as she felt the prince take a good, firm grip on her robe. He rose slowly, turning his gaze slowly to meet hers. She stayed still and stared at him emotionlessly.
"Please, please, use whatever means necessary to heal my friend, to restore her life." The prince breathed deeply and gripped the Morrighan's arm tightly. She scowled at him, pulling her arm free. "Human life has been restored before by the sisterhood," he continued as he turned and gazed longingly at Titania. The Morrighan scoffed as he hesitated and tried to think of something more to say on her behalf. He turned and glanced past his aunt to the Ceridwen. "There is enough life and hope here to restore her, I know there is."
The Ceridwen smiled. "But to restore a human, my prince, there must be one with a flame of life to give and the Aine is no longer among us." Her words felt bitter and hopeful for the prince. The Morrighan growled softly. Nuada turned and looked at Liz with near desperation.
"There is one that could take the position," he said. The Morrighan growled more loudly. She tried to move past the prince toward the fallen girl, but found herself held firmly by him once more. She snarled at him, staring hatefully into his eyes. "Elizabeth Sherman, I offer you a position in the sisterhood of magic," he said aiming each word at the pyro with urgency. She breathed deeply and glanced around anxiously. "Your powers of inner flame would serve our people greatly in healing and guiding. You would be given the mantle of immortality and . . ."
"You have no right to offer anything," the Morrighan hissed. She had helped her nephew to victory, but she would not see her sister replaced. Nuada glared at her just as harshly. "You have no power to give such a position to a mortal; nor are you in power to prevent me from claiming a mortal."
As the Morrighan tried to move past the prince once more and pull her arm free, she felt him grab her by the shoulder and use simply the palm of his hand to force her to the ground, kneeling before him. She hissed at him, but found herself unable to rise as he kept his hand pressed cruelly into her shoulder. He turned back to Liz and inhaled sharply. "We are losing time," he whispered. The Ceridwen stepped forward looking from pyro to elf with anticipation. "Will you accept?"
Liz glanced at Red for momentary approval. The demon nodded quickly at her and motioned for her to get to it right away. She rose and hurried up toward the other women pushing aside any feelings of awkward misplacement. "I accept," she said flatly. The Ceridwen reached into a small pouch within her blue robes and withdrew a sheer cloak. She smiled and stepped forward, placing it around the woman and covering her head with the hood at its top. The sheer robe rippled and faded while Liz shuddered. She felt a sharp heat envelope her with the cloak and a biting cold wash over her as it dissipated. The Ceridwen stepped back and admired her.
"The Bethmoora Clan has offered you the position of the Aine in the sisterhood, Elizabeth Sherman, and you have accepted The Mantle of Immortality. Come and begin your first task," the Ceridwen said with a majestic gesture towards Titania and her father. "Let us restore life to the human that has revived our king."
Liz nodded and walked with the other four women down the steps. They gathered around the girl and her father. Nuada released the Morrighan and smiled at her triumphantly. She snarled and stormed over to stand in the circle the women had formed around the small family unit. Nuada gently pushed past the Modron and the Clionatha to kneel beside the two. The Ceridwen nodded to each sister in turn. All knelt. Liz gulped and wondered to herself how on earth she would begin to know what she was doing. The women each clasped one another's hands, joining themselves to the sister directly beside them. The Morrighan snarled and cleared her throat.
"All life begins with an end, all births stem from deaths, and all creation began with the destruction of utter darkness," she stated proudly. She turned to The Ceridwen who sat beside her, and nodded.
"Nurturing of the earth, a steadfast root, and unwavering love create purpose in all beings," she stated melodically. She turned to the Modron kneeling beside her and nodded. Liz drew in a sharp breath and began to tremble slightly. If she didn't do this right, Titania would die. How could they expect her to know what to say and do on the spare of the moment!? She calmed herself. It would come to her, it had to.
"All experiences and moments in life create knowledge, the application of this knowledge creates wisdom, and in wisdom lies growth and new development," the Modron stated firmly. She turned to the Clionatha kneeling beside her and nodded.
"Songs, prayers, laughter, and all manner of expressions create the healing that flows from air to lung, from lung to heart, and from heart to the healing of others," the Clionatha said softly. She turned her sky blue gaze to the prince and nodded to him. Thomas Manning watched in amazement and discomfort as the elf took his daughter slightly from his arms, tilted her head back, and placed his still dark lips over hers. He breathed into her and closed his eyes before sitting back away from her. Liz sighed and saw the Clionatha turn to the Epona and nod.
"Liberation and freedom create the vessels for life beyond the body and house the spirit when it is most weakened," she said. Liz felt the Epona squeeze her hand ever so gently. She gulped and suddenly felt a warmth in the back of her mind. Words flooded her thoughts and the urge to speak created a heat in her throat as well. She opened her mouth and drew in a deep breath.
"The flame of life that burns within all creatures can never be smothered or drowned in the presence of compassion; love lives forever," she said. She felt the Morrighan and the Epona release both her hands and a flame begin to flicker from the tips of the fingers on her left hand. She moved slowly toward Titania, kneeling over her head and reaching her hand over the hidden wound. She carefully allowed the flame to descend from her fingers over the entire wound, stroking the girl with glistening fire as if it were a salve. Nuada's eyes widened in amazement at the display. Thomas Manning felt his heart stand still as he waited for the impossible. Titania had grown quite cold by this point. Suddenly, the man felt warmth on his own fingers and a faint pulse in his daughter's body. He gasped and stayed perfectly still as Titania began breathing once more and her eyes fluttered open.
"Daddy?" she whispered as her eyes swirled and came to rest on the bureaucrat holding her. He gasped and pulled her more closely to him, sobbing into her shoulder as she returned the embrace. "Dad!"
"Titania," he sobbed. "I thought you were gone. I thought I'd never see you again!"
"I'm here, dad," she said as she gripped her father's shoulders and squeezed her eyes closed. "I'm alive."
Liz wrapped her arms quickly around the two, soon followed by her husband, Abe, and Nuala. Nuada stood alongside the sisters who gathered behind him. The Morrighan turned and morphed instantly into her raven form. She flew out of the room cawing with significant disapproval. The Ceridwen shook her head and placed a hand on the prince's shoulder.
"You have done well, Prince Nuada. The throne belongs to your family once more, the Aine lives among us again, the races are freed and empowered, and humanity has not lost a dear gem this day," she said with resounding pride. He turned to her, a little saddened that he was not the one clutching the girl, but otherwise very relieved. "I wonder who it will be that will die in her stead."
"What?" Nuada asked in confusion. He looked into the Ceridwen's eyes, hoping that she would not expound on this by saying that a being dear to her or of a similar nature would have to take her place. The Ceridwen simply chuckled and turned back to the hugging crowd.
"All lives must begin with an end, my prince," she said. "To do good, one must undo evil."
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Across the sea, Timothy Welf strode around the compound seething. The team, including Dr. Manning, had disappeared with the prisoner and the precious troll he had been keeping. Prince Nuada's blood would have made a perfect serum of life. He growled and thought to himself about what could be done to replace the prince and what should be done at the moment to punish the team. Paperwork would have to be involved first. While the hassle of paperwork had been used repeatedly to his advantage in the past, at the moment it created the same warm regards that it did in any other citizen. He thought for a moment. The princess had left with them, he had been told. Had she left her baby in the care of another? That was abandonment and a straight sentence to place the child in protective custody; his protective custody.
He hurried for the library and congratulated himself silently on another victory through cunning. As he opened the enormous brass doors, a flash of orange and black swooped up at him. He cried out as Ravi leapt onto his chest and began growling. The bureaucrat did not speak tiger, nor could he interpret the beast's expressions enough to know that this was not a fatal attack. He shouted for assistance and scrambled to get free of the tiger. Ravi grunted and hopped off of him, standing a few paces away. As Dr. Welf rose to his feet and leaned against the wall with one hand, Ravi lowered his front section to the ground and snarled. This was the universal feline symbol for 'I'm gonna getcha'. Welf screamed and turned, running down the hallway as the tiger chased after. Ravi snarled and roared as Welf darted for the restricted containment area. He pulled out his own walkie-talkie and clicked the on button. His fingers slipped clumsily as sweat began to pour from his palms. He suddenly felt as if he had done far too many one armed push-ups using his left arm, a sensation that Welf himself had only ever known once, but could not think of any other way to describe it. He came skidding to a halt with a good distance between him and the tiger as he reached the door to the restricted containment area.
"Human status required for access. Please present code on standard issue identification card," a computerized voice announced from a speaker above the sealed metal doors. He groaned, feeling his mouth go dry and the world beginning to spin in dread. He reached into his pocket and fished for the identification card that he had forgotten to pin to his jacket. "Human status required for access. Please present code on standard issue identification card."
Welf's sweat drenched fingers slipped over the laminated surface and the card flew to the other side of the corridor. He felt his knees grow weak. What was happening to him? He felt as though all the strength within him was rapidly draining from his body as pain grew in his shoulder and radiated down his arm. He began crawling towards the card and suddenly felt the pain shoot straight from his shoulder to his chest. He cried out and dropped to the floor, clutching his chest desperately.
A heart attack, he thought, I'm having a heart attack. I need to call for medical back-up. He fumbled his right hand into his pocket and slowly withdrew his cellular phone. The pain was taking his breath away and making everything seem much more difficult than it would have been for anyone. Welf felt like he had less strength than the infant waiting in the library. He groaned and tried to push the auto call symbol for the medical ward. A soft growl from not far away caused the sharp pain to grow even worse. He turned his head slightly and saw the tiger move over him. The beast sniffed him for a moment. Welf gasped and moaned in frustration. Ravi snorted and looked at the identification card with interest. The tiger had seen this set up a few times at his last home, where his master had kept precious objects. He hopped over to the card and took the edges of it meticulously in his teeth. Welf watched in awe as the tiger placed his paws against the wall and held the card over the blinking laser that was set to read the code.
"Access granted, Dr. Timothy Welf," the computerized voice announced. Welf screamed inwardly as the tiger padded away through the open doors. He felt a cold darkness washing over him. The doors closed with a loud hiss and the laser began scanning the room once more."Human status required for access. Please present code on standard issue identification card," the computerized voice repeated. Welf grew still and silent as the voice continued its programmed phrase. As his soul shuffled away its mortal coil, he prayed madly that the words 'access granted' would be the next words he would hear in the afterlife.
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Moments after the group hug had ended and Nuada finally took Titania in his arms, the army beneath the platform began to cheer madly. The prince and all others present knew that this meant victory had been won beneath them as well as over Oberon and the cauldron. The Ceridwen told the group that they had three days to rest and get to know the palace beneath Newgrange. On the fourth day, there would be coronation held for the prince. Nuada and Nuala took in as much of the outlay of the palace as they could, while still clinging to the ones they loved. Nuala had taken Abraham through one of the nearby portals to retrieve their son with Jenna and Ravi, offer a report to a few of the operatives at the compound, and bring back the good news to the others that Welf had died when trying to place Ravi in the secure containment area (as the report stated when his body had been found).
Nuada had tried to compute everything that had happened and come to grips with the responsibilities he would now bear. All of it still made his head spin. The few moments he had alone with Titania were awkward, and not always because of the prince's anxiousness for the future. Titania seemed more distant and reserved now than ever before. Her father watched her like a hawk, being thoroughly either asleep or coaxed away when the girl was alone with the elf. Nuada was beginning to wonder if Titania was experiencing some sort of inward change that he was best kept away from. The journey toward womanhood was more laborious inwardly than the passage from boy to man, or so he had heard from his sister. Titania was still quite young, though, and that would be an obstacle in keeping a dedicated friendship with her. He had planned, after three days of contemplation, to court her for several years until she was old enough to marry. That would please her father and give her plenty of time to develop freely. Still, it would take time and time was not something that always played out well for humans or that humans had at their expense.
Titania was human all this time and survived a great deal at my hand, she is very courageous for a human, he had thought to himself as he walked silently through the darkened hallways on the third night. It would be unwise and quite tasteless to ask for her hand now, or perhaps at all. Elves cannot ally themselves with humans. Perhaps there is another way, a way to grant her the mantle of immortality as well.
He exhaled sharply and leaned his back against the wall. The coronation would be a wonderful milestone, but what was to follow made him anxious. It had been so wonderful to be awaiting the victory; to be staying in the forest and anticipating the girl's visits daily. He sighed. There had to have been something he could do. He shook his head and began to walk back toward his bed chamber. Whatever it was, surely the Modron would know. He would inquire it of her after the ceremony. What a wonder this generation had been; he and his sister had been the first recorded twin birth among elves in history, the only two to see such magnificent changes in the globe and among the races, and now they would both be joined to creatures outside their own race. He smiled to himself. A human? This had to have been the handiwork of the creator's righteous humour.