Quinn - A Tuatha Dé Danann Novel

Chapter Nine

With everything happening around me taking my mind off my old life, I hadn't really thought much about my mother. She was far away probably wondering why I hadn't called. Thinking maybe I was still mad at her. Another thought hit me while I lied in my hammock in Aengus' room. This is the first year I'll celebrate my birthday without my mom. She always tried to make my birthdays special. Though I didn't have much friends or relatives, she took the time to make sure I was loved. She made sure she didn't have work on my birthdays, and took me to the best places. One year, when I had turned nine, we went to visit a science museum far from home. It was my favorite birthday. We had road tripped the whole way there and back, stopping at local famous eateries. The food was so good, I had to have gained ten pounds in the three days we were gone.

By the time we reached the museum, I was sunburnt, stuffed, and loved. I didn't care about my itchy, peeling skin, nor the artifacts in the museum. All I cared about was I got to spend three days with my mother uninterrupted. I didn't get to see much of her the rest of the year, with her working long hours to make ends meet. So, it was a happy surprise that we had those three days to ourselves. Aengus' snores drowned out my thoughts, pulling me back to reality.

I looked up at the dark ceiling of the baile crann. The light had long faded as night crept over the forest. I wondered if midnight had passed yet. Is it my birthday? Am I fourteen yet? Will they even celebrate my birthday here? After all, I was an outsider, with the blood of their leader running through my veins. The cards were stacked against me. Eventually I had fallen asleep, too tired to keep my eyes open, and too upset to want to stay awake any longer.

In the morning I chose to not focus on my birthday, there were much bigger things to worry about. I had just become part of a race of mythical creatures that were facing a civil war that lead to the impending doom of both sides if not stopped in some way. I did not want to be Eamon. He had a lot to worry about. His clan would soon cease to exist, and he was too scared to tell them. I wondered if Maeve knew as well. She was one of the originals. Surely she sensed the change coming. I also wondered if I would disappear along with them. After all I was half a Tuatha myself. Would I no longer exist? Or would half of me disappear? I pictured my self with no legs and tried to shake the thought from my mind.

Downstairs Aengus' unknowing family was preparing for their day ahead. Binne, Aengus' mother was washing the wooden plates in a sink with no working plumbing, and yet water still flowed from a wooden faucet. A piece of moss served as her sponge. Aengus' father Rowe was deep in thought over his plate of food. I could see where Aengus got his love of food from, for he sat right next to his father with the same glazed look of hunger in his eyes. From my outside point of view they looked like a happy family.

Dread filled my bones. Soon this family and others like it would soon not be here. The trees in this forest will become bare, and their lights will go out. Whatever anger I had towards Aengus was nothing compared to the sorrow I felt for him. I sat at the table with my head down. I couldn't bear to look them in the eye.

"Is everything alright Henry?" Binne had turned around from the sink to see me in my state of self-torment.

"Oh," I looked up faking a smile. "Yes everything is okay, just a little homesick is all."

"Well a little bird has told me someone's birthday is today." She placed a plate of food in front of me. The mound of food smelt amazing. "Anything planned for today?"

"Not really, I was going to just treat today as any other day. I have a lot of magic to catch up on."

"Nonsense!" She screamed across the kitchen. "It's the year of your unbinding, you are finally an adult in our world. This is cause for celebration. When you come home tonight prepare to be amazed." Her enthusiasm was addicting. I couldn't help but smile.