Darrach came rushing into the Morgan's bedroom, a small cluster of people surrounding the couple as he moved through them. He paused when he saw Arthur holding a crying Lilly in his arms and a heart on the ground that was split in two.
"Care tah explain this?" Sean asked Darrach.
Darrach looked at Sean with a blank stare. "Well, it would help if I knew what happened."
"Lilly and I were talkin', and...next thing I know, her heart jumped out of her chest and broke in half," Arthur sighed with a frown. "Did I do this?"
"What was the topic you were discussing?" Hosea asked.
"We was talkin' about Rose and Cerberus doin', uh...ahem, well, I'll let you guess what they did, but I told her I didn't care about that because I don't love Rose or O'Callaghan." Lilly cried harder and Arthur looked down at her with a sad expression. "Then she thanked me for understanding and...that was pretty much the end of the conversation."
Darrach sighed in relief and rubbed his face. "Thank the gods above," he thought.
"I'm tryin' to stay calm here, Darrach, but now would be a good time to fix this!" Arthur snapped.
"This is an easy fix," Darrach said with a grin. "Kiss her."
Arthur stared up at the man in confusion. "What?"
"You're the one who broke it, you silly man," Darrach laughed. "Go on, kiss her."
Brigid came storming in and gasped at the sight in front of her. "What the..." suddenly her eyes lit up to a bright white and she snarled at Arthur. "What did you do to her?!"
Arthur wiped his nose as he held his sobbing wife close. "Arthur broke Lilly's heart," Darrach explained casually. "Not intentionally, of course." He looked at Brigid and smirked. "Now where have I heard this story before?"
Brigid glared at Darrach. "You haven't," she whispered viciously.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Arthur said while stroking his wife's face, then he pressed his lips to hers. Lilly kissed him back, still crying as her heart magically pieced itself back together and a scar in the middle of her chest opened. Her mended heart jumped along the ground and everyone eyeballed the organ, then it jumped up onto Lilly and wiggled its way into the hole. Her chest sealed shut and she gasped as Arthur looked at her.
"Are you okay?" he asked with worry.
Lilly nodded as she clung to her husband. "I...I think so," she mumbled, sniffing again. "Another obstacle conquered, I guess," she giggled breathlessly.
Arthur shook his head with a crooked smile. "You are the strongest person I know, Lillian. "Líonann tú mé le bród." [You fill me with pride.]
As the couple kissed again, Darrach smiled and twirled his cane around. "Well, crisis averted," he said before looking at the people in the room. "Who's up for a drink?"
As Brigid's eyes went back to green, everyone raised their hands and Darrach chuckled. He lead them all out of the room and shut the door behind him.
"Ya know, I've heard about things like that happening, but I've never seen it with me own eyes before," Lugh commented as they walked down the hallway.
"I have," The Dagda grunted.
"When?" Lugh asked curiously.
"When it happened tah Brigid."
"Father!" Brigid barked as everyone paused in their steps to gape at the queen. "That is not common knowledge!"
The Dagda arched a brow. "Ya mean tah tell me ya havena told them yet?!" his voice bellowed angrily.
Brigid sighed but Lugh made a scrunched up face. "Tell us what?" Lugh asked.
"Father, please don't," Brigid pleaded, tucking her lips in with sad eyes.
The Dagda frowned but Darrach watched as Lugh approached Brigid slowly with tense shoulders. "Who broke yer heart, Brigid?" he asked. "Was it Bres?"
Brigid made a frustrated sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Lugh, what the hell makes you think that I could ever love a man like Bres?"
"Ya married him, fer starters!" Lugh replied, throwing his hands up.
"That was to broker peace between the Fomorians and the Tuatha Dé Danann, you know that!"
"Then what caused it? Was it the death of Ruadan?"
"No. As...saddening as it was when my son was killed, he and I were...well...he was too much like his father."
Lugh frowned. "Yeah, The God of Espionage and Spying. Micah reminded me of him. No offense."
Darrach smirked and looked at Brigid, who had gasped and gaped at Darrach. "None taken," Brigid said absentmindedly before looking at Lugh. "Lugh, I need to ask you something in private."
Lugh arched a brow. "Uh, okay?"
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Brigid grabbed his wrist and led him down the hallway, walking into an empty room and then opening it. It was just a guest bedroom so there was nothing extravagant about it.
"Alright, what's this about?" Lugh asked as Brigid shut the door.
"I need to ask you something about Micah."
"Okay?"
Brigid cleared her throat as she looked at her twin flame. "Did you ever meet him?"
"Once, at a-"
"Bar," they both said.
"How did ya know that?" Lugh asked.
"Um...I think Darrach gave me a prophetic dream while I was...uh, asleep in the infirmary."
"Oh. And ya saw what he did?"
"No, but in my dream, you told me about it."
"Oh. Huh." Lugh nodded while tapping his lips. "Was anything else discussed?"
"Nothing important," Brigid murmured, looking at her fingers.
Lugh raised a brow before smirking. "Liar," he said calmly.
Brigid narrowed her eyes at him. "Did you just call your queen a liar?"
"Yes," he chuckled. "Yer good at lying...when ya wantah lie. Now what else was the dream about?"
"None of your concern," Brigid replied sharply before turning towards the door.
As she was about to open it, Lugh put his palm on the door, looking at a surprised Brigid. "Brigid..." he frowned. "Can we just...talk about us fer a minute?"
Brigid raised a brow, smirking up at Lugh. "I thought you washed your hands of me?"
With a bright smile, Lugh gave her a playful look in his eyes. "Ya actually thought I was serious? C'mon, ya know me better than that," he laughed.
Brigid's smirk grew bigger. "Alright, I'll take it. After all, you are the expert in not being serious."
A groan escaped Lugh and he bowed his head. "Fer Gods' sake," he sighed before gazing at her. "I'm being serious now."
With a sigh, Brigid walked over to the large king sized bed and sat, patting the spot next to her. Lugh joined her on the bed and they faced each other.
"Why did ya not tell me that we're twin flames?" Lugh asked.
"I was angry with you."
Lugh blinked profusely before gasping at her. "Ya have been angry with me fer seventy five hundred years?"
"No, only the first few hundred years. After that I...simply stopped caring."
"How could ya stop caring about something like that? And did it ever occur tah ya that I had a right tah know?"
Brigid's eyes narrowed. "I just did. I learned to live with it and while I had plenty of opportunities to tell you, I always ended up changing my mind."
"Why?"
Brigid growled and got up. "This conversation is finished."
Lugh grabbed her and pulled her back down on the bed. "No. I still have questions."
"I'm done answering them."
Brigid went to get up again but Lugh pulled her down, then he swiftly pushed on her back and swung his leg over her before pinning her arms down on the bed.
"Unhand me!" Brigid hissed.
"No," he said with a laugh. "Yer gonna tell me everything I wantah know." He took in her scent and shut his eyes. "Ya smell incredible, ya know..."
Brigid gulped up at him. "Lugh, I...please don't do this."
"Why? Obviously yer broken heart was fixed...or do ya still love the man who broke it?" he asked sadly. Brigid whimpered as a blood stained pebble fell from her eye. "What the hell?" Lugh said, grasping the pebble and holding it between his fingers. "Brigid...what...what is this?"
Brigid used this opportunity to knock Lugh off of her and go sprinting for the door. He caught her and pulled her body up against him, kissing the back of her head.
"Brigid, please dunna run from me," he pleaded.
Another pebble fell from Brigid's eye as she tried not to sob. "Please don't. I'm not ready to die yet."
Lugh swirled her around and stared hard at her face. "What do ya mean yer not ready tah die yet? What did ya do tah yerself?"
"I..." Brigid covered her face and sobbed. "My heart was turned to stone."
"What?! Why?!"
"To save my life."
"Why would..." Lugh suddenly gasped and uncovered Brigid's blood teared face. "Yer heart was never healed, was it..."
"No!" she cried.
Lugh scowled and closed his eyes. "Who broke yer heart. Brigid? Who is it that ya love?"
"Don't make me say it!"
"Brigid, yer dying! Ya gotta tell me!"
"Why?!"
"So he can fix yer heart! And after he fixes it, I'm going tah kill him!"
Brigid blinked as she looked at Lugh. "What?"
"Yer my queen and my twin flame, and that man, god, whoever the fuck he is, wilna be getting away with this!" Lugh bellowed viciously. "I'm going tah kill him slowly! I'm going tah beat him senseless, hang him off a chain by his scrotum, rip off all his fingers and toes, cut his tongue out, pluck out his eyeballs and rip out his heart!"
Brigid gazed at Lugh in amusement. "Really?" she giggled. "You'd torture and kill someone because of what they did to me?"
"Absolutely!"
Brigid started cackling and threw her head back. "That's just ridiculous!"
"Why are ya laughing at me?" Lugh asked, putting his hands on his hips.
Brigid continued laughing as she wiped her bloody face with a handkerchief. "Because the imagery I'm getting in my head of what you want to do to him is hilarious!" she giggled loudly.
Lugh rolled his eyes and huffed. "For Gods' sake," he grumbled before walking to the door. He put his hand on the knob and glared at Brigid. "If ya wilna tell me who broke yer heart, I'm going tah go tah someone who will tell me!"
After Lugh opened the door, walked through and slammed it shut, Brigid fell to her knees in a fit of giggles.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
The Dagda chuckled as he watched Darrach slam down another shot of whiskey. "Ya better be careful with that, boy," Sean pointed out. "I dunna believe Michael was a heavy drinker so yer tolerance is gonna be such shite."
Darrach grinned as he filled himself another glass. "Well, he's gonna be a heavy drinker now," he slurred. "I love this stuff! No wonder there are so many alcoholics around!"
People laughed as they sipped on their own drinks. "Man, it's been a hell of a week, innit?" Sean remarked.
"Yup!" Vu said happily. "I just happy to be part of journey, though."
Tora giggled as she downed some alcohol. "So Vu...you said you met Lilly in the jungle and you nursed her back to health? What happened to her?"
Vu grinned. "You know she run out of Cambodia," he said, drinking his whiskey. "She ran a lot. It wore her out."
"Oh. So she just needed rest?"
"And lots and lots of food," Vu laughed in a high pitched giggle. "She ate me out of house and home, but I was happy to help."
"Why?"
"Leto came to me in dream and told me about her. Said Lilly was important and needed friend."
"And...ya did it without hesitation?" The Dagda asked curiously.
"Yes."
"Why?" Sean asked.
Vu poured himself more whiskey. "How could I refuse Leto? I heard what she did in Lycia. I don't want to live as frog."
The Dagda barked with laughter before draining one of the many bottles of whiskey that were sitting around. "Oh, those poor frog people. And peasants, of all people, tah refuse a woman a drink of water. I mean, the nerve!"
People chuckled into their glasses and Darrach grinned. "So Leto the one who gave you The Morrigan's cloth?" Vu asked.
"Yes," The Dagda said. "She'd had it fer a while, though. Said she was curious and wanted tah try and decipher the message in it but she got the gist of it being from me wife."
"Have you deciphered it?" Darrach asked.
"No. It's a lot of mumbo jumbo," The Dagda said with a frown as he pulled out the red cloth. "It still smells like her," he said, sniffing it. "Gods, I miss that crazy old hag." People snorted into their drinks in amusement. Another bottle of whiskey was opened and The Dagda paused when he went to pour it. "Darrach, would ya like tah try yer luck in figuring out what The Morrigan says?"
Darrach grasped the piece of cloth between his fingers and examined it closely. "Hmm...well, for starters, this would be difficult to decode, even for the most experienced seer. Strange. And this is surrounded by powerful dark magic."
"Will it harm us?" Sean asked, taking a step back.
"No," Darrach replied. "It's just there to ensure no messages from her can get out of the Island of Exi. Or any spells or magic. Oooh, and if she uses any, it drains her."
The Dagda slammed his fist on the table. "Dammit!"
Darrach sighed as he took another drink. "She'll be fine, old man. The Morrigan always finds a way to survive. And besides, Lilly will get her and Cahira back."
The Dagda blinked. "Ya know about that?"
"Of course I know about that. I'm going to be the one helping Lilly do it."
Everyone gawked at Darrach. "What? How?"
Darrach chuckled as he continued to stare at the cloth. "If I told you that, it would end up not happening." He grinned before waving his drink about and looking at everyone. "Think about it. Most seers and prophets are mysterious for a reason. They have to be able to decide when to reveal what, and they have to know when things need to run their natural course."
"Yes but, this is huge!" Tora said. "How-"
Darrach held up a hand to silence her. He went to one of the cabinets in the kitchen, grabbed a new glass and walked back over to the kitchen table to pour whiskey into it. People watched in confusion as he took the full glass and walked to the door. Darrach stood their for a few moments, then as he lifted the glass up, the door opened.
"I need a...oh," Lugh said, grabbing the drink from Darrach and downing the alcohol. "Thank ya."
"You're welcome, Lugh," Darrach grinned before looking at the people at the table. "Care to join us?"
"Yes." Lugh walked over to the table, plopped down and poured himself a glass before draining the contents of said glass.
"Troubles?" Darrach asked curiously.
"Yes. I need tah find out who broke Brigid's heart," he groaned, grabbing the bottle and taking a good chug. "I'm going tah find that feckin' eejit, make him fix Brigid's heart, and then I'm going tah kill him!"
Darrach and The Dagda looked at each other before bursting out with laughter. "Oh, that would be a sight!" The Dagda laughed as he leaned back, holding his gut.
Darrach smacked his fist on the table as he covered his mouth from laughing so hard. Patrick, Adair and the others looked at one another in confusion.
"I'm sorry!" Adair yelled before standing up to address the two laughing idiots. "What about this is so funny?!"
The Dagda took a few deep breaths to calm himself while Darrach was still chuckling. "Should we let them in on it?" The Dagda asked Darrach.
Darrach shook his head. "No! Oh! And I'll tell you why! C'mere for a minute!" he exclaimed drunkenly, wobbling over to the kitchen cutting table.
The Dagda quickly got up, his chair squeaking against the floor, then he walked to Darrach. "What's going on?"
Darrach held his palm up and leaned his mouth near The Dagda's ear. "There will be a performance," he whispered giggly.
"What performance?" The Dagda asked.
"Shh!" Darrach hissed. "Keep your voice down!" He put an arm around The Dagda and turned him to have their backs facing everyone else.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Everyone went back to their own conversations, but Adair narrowed her eyes as she leaned on the table. An eye squinted as she watched Darrach and her father whisper things to one another. Luckily for Adair, she'd been perfecting one of the gifts Lilly had given her after Adair ascended. A fabulous sense of hearing.
"Lilly is going to perform an opera the day of Lilly and Arthur's oath renewal ceremony," Darrach said in a hushed voice.
"Does Lilly know about the ceremony?" The Dagda asked.
"Not yet, but that's why Arthur spent so much time and money getting the tournament set up, pretending to want a divorce, pretending to be someone else, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera."
"Oh yes, the ultimate prank tah win back his lady love," The Dagda chortled. "Operation Clean Slate, is what Junior calls it."
"Yes. Clever boy, that he is. But anyway, the song she will use is going to be the first nine minutes of Verdi's Requiem. Lilly is going to show us through soul projections what happened to Brigid. And that's when Brigid's broken heart will no longer be stone and will finally be put back together."
The Dagda laughed. "Truly?"
Adair blinked in shock as the two men laughed and hugged each other. She narrowed her eyes at Lugh as the puzzle started to put itself together in her head.
"Adair?" Darrach called out.
Adair looked at him with an innocent look. "Yes?" she asked sweetly.
He arched his brows at her knowingly, then he put a finger to his lips and made a gentle shushing noise. Lilly huffed before folding her arms and glaring at him.
"Yes, it is true, but go easy on him, please," Adair heard Darrach say in her head.
A gasp escaped Adair as she stumbled back, knocking her chair over. Patrick looked up at her with a confused expression.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
Adair looked at Lugh with fiery eyes. She then took her left hand and snapped her fingers. In the blink of an eye, Lugh's body crumbled lifeless to the floor.