Chapter 33
Pride and Sacrifice
More annoyed than surprised, Cailean quickly rebuffed the allegation. “I haven’t done anything to Lysandros! You searched my mind. You would have seen if I had!”
“Then where is he, Cailean? He wouldn’t up and leave with impending doom heading our way!”
Brian turned away from Bre’s shield charm.
“I don’t know, Brian, but apparently he has because I didn’t do anything to him!” Cailean’s temper rose, against his internal judgment.
A sense of peace came over the group. Cailean and Brian calmed down, while Eoghan stretched out in front of the fire and folded his hands behind his head. Breanna yawned and leaned against a tree.
Brian saw Leora out of the corner of his eye and shook his head to snap out of the calm. “Leora, enough!”
Leora snorted at his command and intensified the emotion. Brian’s legs became weak and lazy, forcing him to sit. The potent emotion affected everything living in the camp. The horses relaxed on the ground, Aurora and Clover rolled in the grass getting comfortable for a nap, and even Lupa yawned while resting her head on a protruding tree root.
“Easy girl,” Bre said. She lazily walked over to Leora and patted her head. “You are going to put us all to sleep. We have far too much to do.”
Leora did as Bre asked and Brian and Cailean snapped out of their peaceful bliss. Bre pointed a finger at Brian, silently warning him not to attack his brother again.
Brian stormed off to his tent then returned with a rolled up, yellowish parchment. Brian waved his hand and a large wooden table appeared. He tossed the parchment into the air and the thin paper glided down to the table fully extended.
“I woke up this morning with this map next to my bed. I can only assume Andraste left it for us,” Brian said without looking at any of them, especially his brother.
Bre had never heard him speak in such a cold and distant tone. Her hands balled into fists and she clenched her teeth. His anger made her angry.
“This is a map of Cymru. This is our camp,” he said and tapped at a particular spot. When he pulled his finger away, a brown spot appeared on the map where he pressed down. “Now, over here, on this island, is where The Morrigan and Eversor hid from the other gods centuries ago. I am assuming this is where Eversor took baby Elpis.” He pointed at an island at least a hundred miles away from where they camped.
“It would take a week for them to reach us, even if they knew where we were,” Eoghan said as he measured the distances in his head.
“You underestimate how powerful they are. Just as Bre can disappear and reappear, Elpis and Eversor can do the same. However, they have more experience and can pinpoint their locations over great distances,” Brian explained.
“That is a lovely thought,” Cailean shook his head, thinking about how foolish he was for taking away three other sources of magic and locking them into nature’s alarm clock.
“Exactly, that is why we need to prepare more vigorously. We can’t beat them in hand-to-hand combat anymore, which means we will have to use more strategic moves,” Brian explained.
“Do you remember the story you told me of three-hundred Spartans who fought the Persian army and held them off for days?” Bre asked with a hint of excitement in her voice. “Look at the valley pass here. The entrance to the valley is barely big enough for two small people. Eoghan and I can take on Eversor and Elpis if we can hold them at the entrance. I have been over there with Nikolaos. The Cliffside is lined with hidden caves, so you and Cail could attack from above.”
Brian examined the map and nodded. “That has potential, Breanna. let’s go see this passage.”
The four remaining members of the group stood in the middle of the valley pass planning their attack. For the rest of the day, they practiced spells and strategized. They barely took breaks for water. The schedule even drained the animals.
Tensions were high with everybody, especially Brian and Cailean.
“Brian!” Breanna scolded as she healed Cailean from a blast caused by one of Brian’s “practice” spells.
“Unnecessary, Brian!” Cailean yelled as he watched the burn mark disappear.
“It’s practice, Cailean. If that had been Eversor, you would have been dead,” Brian defended his actions.
“I get the feeling you wouldn’t mind that,” Cailean said coolly.
Brian whipped around to face Cailean. Cailean glared at his older brother, unafraid of what he would do and ready to defend himself. About to bait his brother into another verbal fight, Cailean stopped when a flinch of guilt and pain appeared on Brian’s face. Brian recovered his brief moment of vulnerability with a burst of anger that sent a lightning bolt crashing into a nearby tree, followed by a scream of fury.
That night, they ate their food in silence. The o’Conaills ignored each other, and Eoghan and Bre snuck glances while the other was not looking.
Cailean went to bed first. Brian followed minutes later, but the sound of sharpening metal rattled from his tent. All that was left were the animals, Bre and Eoghan. Bre sensed Eoghan’s emotions consuming both their thoughts, begging for release.
The firelight danced off Bre’s hair and glimmered in the flecks of gold in her eyes. It took all of Eoghan’s strength not to take Bre in his arms and finally tell her how he felt about her. She astounded him. He was defenseless against her looks, attitude, and power. She was everything he never knew he wanted until this journey began.
Bre became awkward, unsure of how to act around him. Everything she did or said seemed more formal or proper than their usual friendly and close behavior. Her chest tightened from her fear of the exponential growth of her own feelings over the past few weeks, and even more because she felt his feelings: the longing for her to look or speak to him, the protectiveness of his gaze, and the love silently pouring out of his heart every time he stood next to her. His emotions mixing with hers made it difficult to distinguish between the two.
Eoghan leaned over to stoke the fire, but Bre jumped up and backed away from him. “I can’t handle this anymore!” Bre protectively wrapped her arms around herself as she shook her head uncontrollably. “I can’t do this.”
Eoghan cautiously stood up, staring at the frazzled princess, hands out defensively. “Whoa! Do what? What’s wrong?”
“This. Us. Whatever this is. I cannot do it. I can feel you inside me,” she pounded a closed fist over her heart as she spoke, “taking over my emotions. I can’t handle it anymore.”
“I’m not sure I understand, but there has to be a magical solution for a magical problem, right?” Eoghan forced a positive tone and a smile to calm her.
“No. I am barely strong enough now. I cannot hinder or damage my powers because of you.” Bre’s whole body shook with a raw mixture of fury, lust, and love.
“What do you want me to do, Bre? I will do anything,” Eoghan pleaded.
Please don’t do anything crazy, I can’t lose you. Oh the gods, I can’t lose you, Eoghan thought, but Bre heard him.
“Stop. Please, just stop. No more thinking,” Breanna sobbed, holding her head in her hands. “No more feelings. I can’t bare these emotions. I can’t tell whose is who’s anymore, you’re invading my soul!”
Eoghan choked back tears; it was now or never. He pushed his chest out and grabbed Bre’s arms. “Tell me you don’t love me. Tell me you don’t love me and I will find a way to get rid of my feelings for you.”
Breanna stood quiet, shivering, afraid to answer.
“Tell me,” Eoghan demanded, slightly shaking her.
Bre stopped shivering, her face clear of emotion as she stared into Eoghan’s eyes. As Eoghan stared back, her eyes changed from hazel to silver. It broke his heart to know that she had to call upon her powers just to speak to him.
“I cannot love you, Eoghan. It is not my duty to love you, nor my destiny to be with you. We will never have a future other than a fellowship. You are my s
oldier and subject, nothing more.” Her words felt like a dagger shredding his guts.
Tears swam in Eoghan’s eyes, but he blinked them away. He sighed and bowed his head, “As you wish, Your Highness.”
Without another word, Eoghan turned and walked down the hill towards the practice field. For the first time, Breanna did not feel the need to follow him; pushing him away was right for both of them.
A smooth rock on the ground caught the firelight and Bre’s attention. She instinctively picked up a small jet-black rock and turned it over in her hands. Not knowing or caring why, Breanna put it in her pocket.
Leora transmitted a calming sensation as she and Clover laid their heads on her lap. Aurora curled up on Bre’s feet, while Whisper loudly chomped on oats in the background. his carefree crunching made Bre laugh. Even after the draining emotional conflict she had with Eoghan, the night had a sense of normality.
Do you want us to follow him? asked Clover.
“No. He needs to find a way to separate us. It is what’s best for the battle…what’s best for him,” Bre answered with a sad smile as she pet the large wolf.
Sitting and relaxing with her animals, Bre realized, “I’m not going to make it through this war…”
She gazed up at the sky and smiled as a shooting star passed through the clear night sky. She closed her eyes as the night air gently caressed her skin. The crickets, owls, and the whispering wind seemed to hum a melody just for her.
Smiling blissfully, she scratched behind Clover’s ears and relaxed under the peaceful lull of Aurora and Leora purring.
“…And I’m ok with that.”