Chapter 38 A Desperate Plan
A Desperate Plan
Kyron sat alongside Sorcha with Cat, as they ate their breakfast in the quiet morning hours.
Sorcha’s heart thundered in her chest. She wanted to scream, to throw things, to shatter the world, crush the floors beneath her feet just so the silence would give way because in that silence were her thoughts and in those thoughts a crushing ache.
Her breaths became shallow as her gaze fixed on her breakfast, the edges of her vision blurring slightly as her heart continued its rapid pace.
The fork in her hand shook slightly as she pushed her food around her plate when a warm hand pressed on her shoulder.
Kyron was staring at her with concern pressed against his lips.
Finally, Sorcha broke the stillness, grounding herself with his touch. “So there are more people out there like me? People with abilities? People who were left behind?”
Kyron nodded slowly as he finished chewing on a piece of fruit before answering.
“There are. The Tuatha assigned each of us a person or a region to look after, but they never told us how many there were, nor did they give us all the information. I think they did that to protect them so that if we were ever interrogated, we wouldn’t know all the locations.
The only ones who know everything are the Tuatha.
” Kyron shifted in his seat, his expression tense.
“The Tuatha never abandoned mortals completely,” he continued.
“They just couldn’t take responsibility for all of humanity.
It was too much to bear. That’s why the Circles were created, why Druids have the magic and power they do.
It’s why, when you enter the Circle, you’re given rune-etched weapons and why runes are tattooed or etched into your skin to help you combat whatever you might face. ”
Sorcha took a long moment to think, her eyes settling on Cat as he lapped at some milk. The feline glanced back at her, almost as if he agreed with her unspoken thoughts. Finally, she said, “So, we go to the Tuatha.”
Kyron choked on his tea, coughing violently as he slammed one hand on the table and another to his chest. “WHAT?!”
Cat stared at him like he’d lost his mind, then meowed a few times short, with longer ones mixed in, as if he were agreeing with Sorcha and scolding Kyron all at once.
Kyron waved him off, his voice frantic. “WE CAN’T JUST WALTZ INTO THE OTHERWORLD! I’m not even supposed to be here! If they find out. Oh gods, if they find out I’ll never be allowed to leave again!”
Sorcha didn’t react to his outburst because she couldn’t.
She had to go and she refused to be told otherwise.
She sipped her tea, taking a moment to collect her thoughts.
If she focused on this, then it would distract her from the grief she felt, and she welcomed the idea with open arms. When she finally spoke again, her tone was calm and measured.
“Then we don’t use your mist to get there.
From everything I’ve studied and from all my work in the Circle, the Veil is thinnest during Samhain.
If we go to the festival and cross through the Veil in Cailleach’s Keep, they can’t say it was your fault.
I could have gone through on my own, and you, being my protector, just followed me through. Problem solved.”
Cat nodded.
Kyron stared at both of them with wide, incredulous eyes.
“You do realize that if we just jump into the Otherworld, we have no idea where we’ll land, right?
None. When I use the mist, it’s precise, like walking through a direct door.
But just jumping in? We could end up in the Forgotten Woods, an upside-down castle, or on the Bridge of the Lost!
Do you even understand how dangerous that is? ”
Sorcha shrugged, her expression nonchalant. “We’ll just make sure we’re well prepared. I’ll bring a pack full of supplies.”
Kyron blinked at her, utterly dumbfounded. “Sorcha… let’s say we land in Anach Fola, which, by the way, is the Bog of Blood. Do you know what lives there? Sluagh, Bánánach, or the Múiríon! How do you plan on fighting ghosts, wraiths, and, oh, I don’t know, essentially water banshees?!”
His arms flailed wildly, gesturing as though trying to physically convey the sheer madness of her suggestion as he laughed under his breath.
“And need I remind you—bogs are where the Veil is thinnest! We could end up in any one of them. Do you want to fight whatever horrors lurk in any one of them?!”
Sorcha looked at Cat, her lips quirking in amusement; maybe she had lost her mind. “Well, Cat, it sounds like a lot of danger. I don’t really think it’s any different than what we’re dealing with here. What do you say?”
Cat glanced between Kyron and Sorcha, then hopped off the chair. With deliberate purpose, he sauntered to the door, sat down, and let out a series of meows. As if that wasn’t clear enough, he lifted one paw and pointed to the door.
Kyron stared, his mouth falling open like a gaping fish, utterly lost for words. Sorcha chuckled, brushing past him to grab her bag. “Well, that settles that. I guess we’re going.
Sorcha turned to Kyron, who was still seated. “We’ve got patrols to handle, and only a week until Samhain. I’d say we better start brainstorming a plan.”
With that, Sorcha opened the door, Cat trotting closely behind her.
Kyron jumped up, his chair scraping loudly against the floor as he chased after them.
“SORCHA, do you hear yourself?! This is madness! I’m supposed to protect you, not throw you headfirst into danger!
This is the opposite of what I should be doing! ”
Sorcha spun on her heel, her voice filled with sarcasm. “Well, then PROTECT me, Kyron! Protect me
while we actually do something useful for once instead of sitting around waiting for the world to fall apart!”
Kyron threw his hands up in frustration, pointing accusingly at Cat. “And you—you’re a TERRIBLE INFLUENCE!”
Cat, entirely unbothered, continued trotting ahead, flicking his tail with purpose. Kyron scrambled after them, his voice rising again. “Well, we can’t go alone! How do you expect to explain this to your friends?!”
Sorcha, Kyron, and Cat made their way to Skyfall to meet with the Circle.
Before anyone could say anything, Sorcha strode straight to Commander Nethran, stopping abruptly in front of him.
She turned to face the Circle, whispered the incantation for the overhead runes, and a flicker of golden light fell around them, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Sorcha…” Kyron muttered, his eyes narrowing as he began to piece together her intentions. “Don’t! don’t do this. I swear, if you—”
Sorcha stood tall, her voice ringing with confidence. “Good morning, everyone. I’d like to tell all of you, my closest and most trusted friends, including you, Commander, that I am the child of a god. The god Lugh.”
Kyron froze, his mouth opening and closing like he was gasping for air. Then, like a dam breaking, his words rushed out: “HEY! HEY! I’m talking to you! WHAT are you doing?!”
Sorcha glanced at him, her tone calm but teasing. “Like I was saying…”
“STOP!” Kyron hissed.
Before Sorcha could continue, Cat let out a long, exaggerated sigh and stood up. With a deliberate flick of his tail, he padded over to Kyron, sat right in front of him, and began pawing at his boot in a rhythmic tap tap tap.
Kyron stared down at the cat, irritation spreading across his face as his skin began to flush. “What? What is this? Stop it, you little—”
Tap tap tap.
“Cat, I swear to the gods—”
Tap tap.
“Oh, for the love of—fine!” Kyron threw his arms in the air and stepped back as if surrendering. “Do whatever you want! Apparently, no one listens to me anyway!”
Cat tilted his head, a smug glint in his eyes, and calmly sauntered back to Sorcha. He leapt gracefully onto the fountain’s edge beside her, where he sat primly, his tail curling neatly around his paws.
“Thank you, Cat,” Sorcha said with a small smirk. “As I was saying…” She turned back to the group, ignoring Kyron’s increasingly frantic gestures behind her.
“This is going to be a lot to take in, but it’s true.
I’m a demigod, my father is Lugh, because of that I can use the power of the sun. It’s why my accuracy is always perfect, no matter the distance. Oh, and Cat can understand us.”
At this, Cat let out a short, affirming meow as if to confirm her statement. The Circle stared in stunned expressions, their gazes flicking between Sorcha, Kyron, and the unbothered Cat.
Kyron ran a hand through his hair, walking toward Sorcha. “What she says is true,” he said at last, his tone weary. “I would have done this a little differently had it been UP TO ME, but here we are. If anyone has questions, we’re open to answering them.”
The murmurs of the Circle rose, questions bubbling just beneath the surface, but Kyron turned to Sorcha before they could begin.
Leaning close, he whispered, “Have you lost your mind? I’m sorry for everything, but wh—” he paused for a moment before he finished his thought “What is all this?” His eyes searched hers, a mix of concern and exasperation.
Sorcha sighed, her voice steady but firm as she whispered, “Every second we wait is a second Vaelric gets stronger. I’m not sitting around waiting for him to destroy more lives when we can do something about it. We need help, Kyron. We can’t afford to waste any more time.”
Her gaze was piercing, fixed on Kyron’s. For a moment, he held her stare, and then he saw it: the clarity, the unshakable determination that had replaced the doubt she once carried.
He exhaled slowly, his shoulders relaxing as he nodded. “Okay. You’re right. I’ll follow your lead.”
“Commander,” she said, her voice steady now, “could you tell them what happened during the battle? They’ll need to hear it from you, too, to believe me.”
The commander nodded, straightening as he prepared to speak.
Clearing his throat, he began, “During the battle at the festival, I was surrounded by Fomorians. They came at me from every side, slashing and attacking. I was bleeding heavily, and my strength was failing.” His eyes flickered down for a moment before he continued, “I was close to losing the fight.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the group.
“Then Sorcha came to my rescue. She was fully enveloped in fire. A bright, searing light that burned so hot it killed the Fomorians on contact. If she hadn’t been there…
” His voice softened. “I might not be here today. If Sorcha says this is true, then I believe her.”
Rhosyn stepped forward and pulled Sorcha into a tight hug. “I knew it,” she said, grinning. “I knew you always glowed brighter than the rest of us for a reason.
Your runes have always been… twitchy.”
Sorcha smiled faintly, the weight of their belief settling over her.
Eirin nodded from where he stood. “It makes sense now. None of us could figure out why the kelpie let me go or why they stayed away after. It was you, wasn’t it?
You drove them off.” He held her gaze, his tone filled with certainty. “I had a feeling it was you.”
Sorcha nodded, his expression softening as she looked at him.
Drystan let out a chuckle, shaking his head. “Of course one of my friends would turn out to be a demigod. Nothing can ever be simple. If it’s not monsters or magic, it only leaves the gods.”
Eirin joined in with a laugh. “It’s fine, Sorcha. I always knew you had freakishly good aim. You never missed a shot. Not once. Even when the wind turned or the light shifted.”
Mason chimed in: “Oh, and those gold strands in your hair? Come on, they literally glow.” He walked over and hugged Sorcha before turning to Kyron. “Hey Kyron…” He smirked. “This is going to make a fantastic story one day.”
Sorcha scanned the faces of her friends, searching for Riona. Four days—it had been four days since she’d last seen her. Her unease turned into frustration as she turned to Commander Nethran, her voice filled with concern. “Where is Riona? Why isn’t she here?”
The commander paused, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face. “Riona left for Cailleach’s Keep a few days ago, Sorcha. She’s moved back home.”
The words hit like an icy blast. She looked to her friends, hoping for some kind of explanation, but their faces mirrored her own shock and confusion. None of them knew.
“She didn’t tell any of you either, did she?” Sorcha asked, her voice quieter now, tinged with disbelief.
Her friends shook their heads, exchanging uneasy glances.
Sorcha turned back to Commander Nethran, anger creeping into her voice. “Why didn’t you tell us?” Desperation filled her voice as she pointed to herself. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
The commander held her gaze, his tone even. “It was strictly between her and me. If Riona wanted to share that information, that was her choice. It’s not my place to speak on her behalf, and it’s not my job to inform others of her personal decisions.”
Sorcha’s hands balled into fists at her sides as she tried to make sense of it. Four days. Four days, and Riona had said nothing. No goodbye, no explanation—nothing. Sorcha felt a swell of anger and hurt but forced herself to shake it off. She couldn’t afford distractions, not now.
Kyron gave her a soft look, one that said he’d support her without question. She met his gaze briefly before turning back to the commander.
They weren’t surprised. Not really. Maybe they’d always known, or maybe they knew something was off about her and just needed her to connect the dots. Whatever the reason, it was enough they believed her.