Tír na nÓg Trilogy, Book III: Tír na nÓg

Mug Ruith

Emery wouldn't have thought the very air would be clearer, crisper, sweeter when she returned to her proper time and place, but it was. The moment the three of them passed through the portal and exited the dolmen gateway, she responded viscerally to the change in atmosphere. She hadn't realized how stifling the contemporary world was until being thrown back into and out of it again. This ancient place lacked the decay and weariness of the other time; it was younger, unsullied. And a thrill went through Emery, knowing that she was literally worlds closer to Cullen.

None of them had spoken during the trip from the house and into the woods, but when they'd reached the portal, much to Emery's disgust, she'd had to hold Charlie's hand to get through. Otherwise, the two of them would have had too much distance between one another, which would apparently be dangerous for her. The irony of traveling through the same portal for the second time with a man whose hand she did not want to touch was not lost on her, and she let go of Charlie the moment they were on the other side, afraid she might vomit if she had to touch him for too long, upset to think she'd once felt the same way toward Cullen (though for very different reasons).

Night was falling when they arrived, and the air was refreshing but cold. Emery was happy in particular for the boots she'd borrowed, but she quickly wished for a warm wool cloak. For a brief moment, she considered asking one of the magical people with her to conjure something warm, but she ended up holding back; she didn't want Charlie to have the satisfaction of gratifying her, and Lir . . . well, he seemed aloof in a way that made Emery hesitant. He's a God, now, she supposed. Gods surely have a lot of important things to do, and taking care of human friends probably isn't one of them.

In any case, Lir was far more comfortable operating here than he had been in the otherworld, and he quickly transported them in a manner rather different than the one Cathbad had used. When the druid had moved himself and Emery, it had involved wrapping his cloak around her, and then opening it to reveal they'd just poofed do a different location. But Lir placed a hand on each of their shoulders, and Emery felt herself lifted into the air while the land and sky whooshed past. It wasn't flying--they themselves didn't seem to move; it was more that the world around them moved, and the miraculous thing was seeing it all. Even in the twilight, the landscapes were mystical, and the exhilaration of seeing it all rush by was like nothing Emery had ever experienced. By the time they touched down on solid ground and the world ceased moving, the girl was thoroughly amazed.

But her amazement fast turned to confusion when she saw where they were. The sun was almost set, but enough of it was left to reveal itself glinting off waves far below the cliff upon which they stood. In the distance, off in the water, was an island.

Emery turned to Lir, whose white clothing was bright in the dusk. "Where are we? This isn't Dun-Dealgan!"

Lir raised an eyebrow. Salty wind blew in off the waves below, and his chains of sea glass rustled with little clinking noises. "I never said we were going to Dun-Dealgan."

"But, that's where everyone is! My sister—and you said the druid--"

"Ah, you thought I meant your druid?"

Emery was in shock. "What other druid would you mean?"

"To find you, Emery, no mere person would do. I sought the help of the most powerful druid alive, and I believe that if anyone can help you, it will be him. Your sister can wait." Lir looked away toward the island and held out a hand, began saying something that was clearly not aimed at Emery.

Feeling deceived--and a little hurt about it--Emery figured there was nothing she could do but go along with Lir's plan, even though she was desperate to get to Deirdre. Emery had to admit that seeing the most powerful druid alive was a good idea, even if the timing wasn't ideal--if he couldn't cure her infection, Cathbad certainly wouldn't be able to. But when she caught the expression on Charlie's face, she was unsettled. He was watching her, looking entirely unaffected; shouldn't he be a little more concerned that his efforts might have been in vain?