Summary – Hunter arrives in Widows Vale with his mentor Ciaran MacEwan. There he meets his half brother Cal and his girlfriend Morgan, whom he feels strangely drawn to, and is sucked into a cat and mouse game that has played between Ciaran and Selene Belltower for years and on top of it all he is reunited with his cousin Sky who is a Seeker for the International Council of Witches and has been hunting him down for years.
Disclaimer: These are all Cate Tiernans toys. They're just in my playground.
A/N: The second chapter I'm adding today as promised...
Still trying to catch my breath and force myself back to my feet I watched Selene/The Taibhs stalk across the room towards Morgan, I pushed myself to move, we've come so far, I would not let her die now.
But my body wasn't cooperating with my efforts to get up, between my spinning head and the pain I felt from having the Taibhs ripped from me I was too weak, every fibre of my being hurt and just when I thought I couldn't feel any worse I was violently sick.
I wiped the corner of my mouth with my sleeve, Sky was slowing Selene down with more witch fire but with each ball Sky threw at her Selene seemed to deflect them more and more effortlessly as if she were swatting a fly. Not one to be deterred, Sky tried again, this time she managed to conjure a ball of white witch fire, a feat not easily done. She must have drawn on the power of the ICOW to have conjured that, it knocked Selene back a couple of steps, that got her attention, she stopped and faced Sky like she was an inconvenient pest that needed to be squished and yet again sent Sky flying across the room. This time I could see that Sky had lost consciousness. I was truly on my own now.
Selene was now stood over Morgan, those big black eyes gleaming with hunger and I had never felt more hopeless in my entire life, I pushed myself forward towards her, unsure of what I could do to stop her once I was there, when finally, I could see Ciaran rising, his eyes fixed on Selene. He was conjuring something big, I'd seen him use this spell before and I knew it was powerful, devastating. I just hoped it worked on the combined creature that was now Selene and the Taibhs.
Just as he was sending the spell out towards Selene, I could see movement in the corner of my eye from the other side of the room, "No! Mom!" Cal cried as he jumped in front of the receiving end of Ciaran's spell.
Like a puppet who's strings had been cut he crumpled to the floor. The blow instantly killed him. He was so dedicated to his twisted mother he ended his life for her. I felt a pang of loss. We hardly knew one another and Goddess knows we weren't close. But he was my brother.
Selene turned to see what had become of her son and screamed like a banshee, she had enough control of the Taibhs to mourn her son. She fell to her knees at the side of Cal's lifeless body and cradled him close to her chest.
This was my chance, I pushed through the pain and my cloudy head and continued heading for Morgan. I passed Sky on the way, she was still breathing, I couldn't see any blood anywhere, I believed she would be okay, but for good measure I quickly drew a healing sigil on her forehead and murmured a quick spell, her eyelids fluttered but I didn't stay to help her any further Sky was a big girl and Morgan needed my help more right now.
I limped over to her, got her off the table and checked her over, I saw Ciaran stalk towards us, he helped me get Morgan to her feet and fed her a green liquid from a chalice which seemed to reverse the drugged potions effects on her.
"Hunter?" she trembled in my arms, "Where am I?" she looked at Ciaran, deathly afraid of him and recoiled into me.
He looked somewhat stung by that, "Don't be afraid of me, child" he said in the softest tone I'd ever heard him use, it surprised me. Morgan was still tense but she relaxed a little in my arms and Ciaran stared deeply into her eyes.
"You are so much like your mother," he breathed in awe, "I don't know how I didn't see it before, but you are definitely Maeve's child... but your eyes" he smiled, "they're just like mine,"
Morgan looked at me for an answer, she was confused, a lot had happened to her tonight and she wasn't aware of the truth. As far as she knew Maeve and Angus were her birth parents.
"Who are you?" she croaked
Before he could answer a grief stricken Selene turned on Ciaran. "You!" she sneered with her long, bony finger pointing at him, "You killed my Calhoun, you'll pay with the lives of all of your children I'll take their power for myself. Starting with her!" She pointed to Morgan then and licked her lips.
"Cal's dead?" Morgan gasped, the news of Cal's death blinded her to the rest of what Selene said, she still hadn't yet understood who Ciaran was to her.
Selene and Ciaran were locked in an evenly matched in a battle of dark magick, but Selene had the upper edge with the Taibhs on her side. Eventually she would win. The taibhs feeds on magick and she would only get stronger in this fight.
"Morgan, are you okay?" I asked her
She shivered and shook her head, tears falling from her eyes, "I don't understand what's going on, Cal's dead?" she looked at his lifeless body horrified, "Why am I here, Hunter? Why is Cal's mom trying to kill me?"
I placed a chaste kiss on her temple and pulled her tightly to me, "I'll explain everything once we're out of here and safe," I stood and scooped her up in my arms ready to head for the exit.
As we crossed the room I was knocked to my knees, "Not so fast," Selene screeched, "I'm not done with you two yet,"
I wasn't completely bound she was too preoccupied to do that, but I couldn't move my legs, Morgan was also unable to get away, I took her hand in mine, "I promise I'll not let anything happen to you," she looked at me with those big brown over-trusting eyes and nodded.
Ciaran was slowing down, Selene was back on form deflecting most things he threw at her and I could see his frustration. Ciaran wasn't used to losing. He didn't like it. And as this was Selene Belltower I knew this must be extra infuriating for him.
I needed to help him. Perhaps I could take back the taibhs? I remembered the spell Selene used to take it from me. It'll give Ciaran the edge back on Selene and he could deal with me later. That is, if it doesn't fully control me again. I looked at Morgan, I was too close to her and I would be giving it exactly what it wanted, besides I wasn't in any position to put my hand on Selene.
Anyone that would try to take the taibhs back from Selene would just go straight for Morgan and then we would still have the issue of someone being infected by that thing. I wasn't prepared to release it from Selene, freeing it from its host, for it to take corporeal form and wreak havoc. The only way to go from here would be to destroy it, and the only way to do that is to destroy the host. We had to kill Selene, and in this situation magick wasn't the way to go.
I looked around and saw Sky's athame a few feet away from me, I reached out my hands and stretched as far as I could and bit by bit moved it closer until I was able to grasp it.
As soon as the smooth silver handle was firmly in my hand I didn't let myself think about what I was about to do, I took a deep breath and flung the athame with great aim for Selene's chest.
Ciaran jumped back just as it pierced her heart, with a surprised looked she glanced at me. Droplets of blood seeped from the corners of her mouth and she fell to her knees.
As soon as she was on the ground, Ciaran jumped on her body and held his hands over her mouth and nose tightly.
"What the hell are you doing?" I cried
"Making sure that taibhs and Selene's spirit doesn't escape," he said, "I know this woman and she's put precautions in place in the event of her death,"
I watched as Ciaran appeared to struggle against something. It was clear now something was trying to escape. After what seemed like a lifetime later, the body went completely limp and lifeless and after a few minutes more Ciaran released his hold. He chuckled to himself. I could tell that gave him great pleasure, the sick bastard.
I had never liked the killing, that was true especially now that my opinions were no longer tainted by the dark spirit. Even knowing that what I did was for the greater good and to save us, I felt the weight of my actions killing Selene.
Able to move again I surged for Morgan and pulled her into my arms, "It's over now," I told her
Ciaran came over to us then and helped me pull Morgan to her feet, he studied her some more and I could tell Morgan felt uncomfortable under his gaze.
"It pains me how much you remind me of Maeve," he said,
It was finally dawning on Morgan what he had said to her earlier about Maeve and their eyes, I could see her face turn pale as she recognised her own eyes in him, "No," she said, barely a whisper, "Angus was my birth father,"
The mention of Angus seemed to irk Ciaran, "As if that snivelling rodent could produce a prodigy such as yourself," he spat, "no, dear girl, Maeve was my mùirn beatha dàn, you are my child."
He let this sink in for Morgan for a few moments, he was about to speak again but she wasn't ready to hear any more, I could tell, so I interrupted him, "Ciaran, perhaps we should let Morgan get out of here, get herself cleaned up and get some rest. She's been through quite enough for one day, don't you think?" I shot him a look, Morgan looked at me gratefully.
"Of course," Ciaran said finally, "I'd like to get to know you, Morgan, I'll be in touch soon," he promised, then he looked at me, "As for you, don't think all is forgiven for your treachery, Giomanach. I will deal with you later."