Darrach turned the knob on the door and opened it, looking at Lilly. "I will tell you more at another time. For right now, let's enjoy ourselves," he said.
With a nod, Lilly walked through the door. Demeter was still flirting with Arthur, much to Lilly's chagrin, so she decided to take Darrach's advice and walk over, putting her arm through Arthur's and kissing his cheek. "Hello, mo chuisle," she said, eyeing Demeter with a mischievous grin.
Arthur smirked and kissed her temple. "Mo stór," he replied lovingly.
Demeter arched a brow before taking a sip of her wine. "I have heard many interesting things about you, Mrs. Morgan," Demeter said calmly. "Is it true you were a mass murderer in Saint Denis?"
"Yes," Lilly replied. "There was a school that my old mentor Angelo Bronte had and it was for training assassins. It was run by him and a woman named Miss Mávros."
"Miss Mávros? That's an odd name. Was she Greek?" Demeter asked.
"Maybe, I don't know. I only met her a few times," Lilly replied as Arthur poured his wife a small amount of whiskey and handed it to her.
"You gotta be clear headed for your next fight," Arthur explained when Lilly gave him a questioning look.
The Irish redhead took her shot and hissed before narrowing her eyes at Demeter. "An ligeann tú do mhná suirí a dhéanamh leat go minic?" she asked, still looking the Greek goddess in the eye. [Do you let women flirt with you often?]
"An bhfuil éad ort?" Arthur retorted. [Are you jealous?]
"Níl." [No.]
Arthur pulled Lilly closer to him, whispering into her ear, "bréagadóir," before nipping her earlobe. [Liar.]
As Lilly gripped Arthur's jacket with a low growl emitting from her throat, Demeter giggled before refilling her wine. "Labhair go saor, an Chuntaois. Ar chiontaigh mé thú?" she asked. [Speak freely, Countess. Have I offended you?]
Lilly gaped at the woman. "Ya speak Gaeilge?" Lilly questioned.
"Yes."
"Since when?"
"Lugh and I were close, once upon a time," she said, grinning. "He loves to teach Gaeilge to people he is involved with. I fell in love with the language and have kept up with it ever since."
Lilly arched a brow with a smirk. "You and Lugh were lovers?"
"Briefly," Demeter chuckled, rubbing her finger along the wine glass tip as she gazed into the liquid. "I did think about marrying him, but he was never one to settle down with just anyone. I feel it was because he was waiting for, "The One"."
"Uh, "The One"?" Arthur asked.
"Yes. You know, his soul mate. His twin flame."
Arthur and Lilly eyed each other in understanding of the situation, then they both eyed Darrach who was making a show of his hands and mouthing the words, "tell her about Brigid". With a nod, Lilly tilted her head and grinned at Demeter.
"He found her," she said.
Demeter gasped happily. "You're kidding! Who is it?!" she breathed.
"Brigid."
Demeter pffted and started cackling. "Oh no!"
"What?" Lilly asked in confusion.
"Oh, poor Lugh!" Demeter sighed with a chuckle. "That woman will never love him."
"Why?"
Demeter took a big drink of wine and huffed after setting her glass down. "Would you like to hear..." she smirked evily as she looked at Lilly, "...the juiciest gossip ever about Brigid?"
Lilly's attention was immediately focused, walking around the bar and taking a seat next to Demeter. "Spill it."
Demeter leaned in and so did Arthur and Lilly. "Very few people are privy to this information, but rumor has it that Brigid's heart is stone," she explained in a soft whisper.
Lilly gasped and covered her mouth. "No!" she breathed heavily. "Fer what reason?"
"Word around the realms is that a man," Demeter mocked, "broke her heart."
"Oooooh," Arthur cringed, bringing his fist to his mouth. "Yeah, I actually did that to Lilly by accident. It scared the shit out of me."
"Luckily, you were there to fix it," Demeter grunted. "Brigid, allegedly, was not so fortunate."
"How do you mean?"
"Well," Demeter said, drinking more wine. "I hear that she was on the brink of death because of her broken heart. A god or goddess can survive with a broken heart, but not for very long. So, as I heard, someone turned it to stone to save her life."
"Okay," Lilly breathed. "But why will she never love Lugh?"
Demeter scoffed in amusement. "A stone heart is a cursed heart. She will never love anyone...except the one who broke it."
"So who broke it?"
"I do not know."
Lilly hummed while tapping her chin. "Is there a way to reverse the curse?"
"Not that I am aware of."
"Well, who's the one who saved her?"
"I do not know that, either." Lilly nodded and got out of her seat, walking towards the door. "Where are you going?"
"I need to find Brigid," Lilly remarked before exiting the room.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
The Morrigan was rushing through the forest, thunder and lightning fighting in the darkness as rain poured down on the goddess. She'd been eluding Apate's cult warriors for quite some time now and while they hadn't found her, The Morrigan knew it would only be a matter of time before she was caught. She didn't know which island, but she knew that she was on Atlantis. Her current goal was to find shelter.
The Morrigan dashed across a stream in the forest, the storm still raging above her. As lightning filled the sky, the goddess spotted a lone building not too far off so she went running towards it. It looked abandoned but it was better than nothing.
The Morrigan pushed on the rotted door and it fell down with a crash. She chuckled with a shake of her head before walking in. The place was old, damp and had holes in the ceiling. Rain dripped down from the holes as she examined her surroundings in the darkness. With a snap of her fingers, light illuminated the small area and she grinned.
"Glad I can use some magic without getting weak, at least," she muttered glumly.
There wasn't much in the room except a machine console and a few chairs. She approached the console and put her palm on it, bringing screens to life. Apparently it was a communications device similar to the one she used before.
"Lillian Rose Morgan," The Morrigan said out loud.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
As Lilly was walking down the hall, intent on finding Brigid, a projection of The Morrigan appeared before her.
"Mother?!" Lilly gasped as she stopped in her footsteps.
"Ah, you found out about that, huh?" The Morrigan giggled. "Hello, sweetheart."
"Where are you?!"
"On Atlantis, I believe, though I'm not sure which part. The whole island is encased in dark magic so my powers are very limited."
"Is this how you contacted us the last time?"
"Sort of. The machine I'm using is a little different. It seems more related to contacting people rather than sending messages to places."
Lilly nodded. "You're on the Island of Exi."
"Oh. How did you find that out?" The Morrigan asked with a grin.
"Corvin. O'Callaghan cleansed him and he's locked up inside Darrach."
The Morrigan tilted her head to one side. "O'Callaghan? Cleansed?"
"Yes," Lilly sighed. "She's one of my soul pieces, and she uh, ate Corvin and cleansed him. I'm still not sure what that means, but I guess he's on our side now...much to my chagrin."
"Right. Appa mentioned that. You have Rose as well, yes?"
"Yep. Oh, and Appa is Apate."
The Morrigan arched a brow. "Apate? Oh good grief!" she hissed.
"And Cahira is alive and on the island. Have you seen her?"
"Oh, so that is Cahira."
"Yep. I found that out when we went to get Olena."
"How did you get Olena?!"
"Well, I kinda had an...out of body experience, Rose convinced Cerberus to get Olena from Hades' palace, then Arthur and the twins came in Big Boah to rescue Rose, O'Callaghan and me. Oh, you should've seen it! They were so brave!"
"Big Boah?"
"Yeah, Darrach made this huge griffin machine! It has big ass guns, a-and it absorbs lightning and it flies really, really fast!"
"I see," The Morrigan giggled. "Sounds like a lot has happened in my absence."
"Shit, dunna I know it!" Lilly laughed. "I havena had a chance tah even hear about everythin' because I've been away, too." She sighed as she looked at her mother sadly. "I miss you. I wish you were here."
"Yer Majesty?!"
Lilly turned around to see Lugh. "Oh, hey Lugh. Have you seen Brigid around?" Lilly asked.
"No," Lugh said, approaching the projection. "Are ya alright?" he asked The Morrigan.
"About as good as I can be, Lugh," the queen replied with a smile. "I'm happy to see you. How are you?"
"Miserable," he replied sadly. "Do ya know where ya are?"
"On the Island of Exi."
"Yes, but where is it?"
"As far as I can tell, we're on an ocean. I tried getting the location but Apate's warriors found me before I could get the latitude and longitude."
"Damn. We'll find ya, My Queen. I promise."
Lilly cleared her throat. "Um, Lugh? I kinda heard a rumor about Brigid."
"Oh dear. That's happening now, is it?" The Morrigan asked with a frown.
Lugh gaped at the queen. "What's happening now?"
"Brigid's heart will heal."
Lugh smiled brightly. "Ya mean I will succeed in me mission?"
The Morrigan made an amused expression. "Your mission?"
"Tah find the bastard who broke her heart and tear him asunder after he fixes her heart!" Lugh barked madly.
"Do you love her?"
"...What?"
"Lugh, are you in love with Brigid?" The Morrigan asked.
"I...I dunna know," Lugh sighed. "I havena been in love before. But she is me twin flame and the current acting queen, so...I must fix this. What happens after..." Lugh bowed his head. "She betrayed me by not telling me that we were twin flames and I canna forgive her fer that."
The Morrigan frowned with her eyes narrowed. "She had a valid reason!" The Phantom Queen shouted, drawing Lugh's attention. "Gods, Lugh! I know you are not a seer but you are such a thickheaded git sometimes!"
As Lugh raised a brow, he put his arms behind his back and gave a stoic face. "I really missed that temper, Yer Majesty, but what exactly constitutes as "valid" in this situation?" he asked bitterly.
"That's what I wanna know!" Lilly jumped in.
The Morrigan held up her hands. "I cannot say more. In about two minutes, the guards are going to find me so I need to go. I love you, Lilly. I pray to see you all soon."
"Wait, Moth-"
The image disappeared and Lilly frowned, her head lowering as her fists clenched. "I'm gonna really hurt those arseholes!" she growled, her eyes glowing different colors. "And I'm gonna enjoy it!"
Lugh blinked at Lilly before turning her to face him. "Lilly, yer eyes..."
Her eyes went back to normal and she gasped. "Did they go black?"
"No. They were glowing all sorts of colors."
Lilly gulped. "What does that mean?"
"I dunna know. They looked like diamonds fer a second."
As she cocked her head, she smirked. "When your eyes glow, does it come from the soul?"
"Sort of. It's more of a reflection of our magic."
"So...your soul doesn't look like a diamond?"
Lugh laughed. "Dunna be silly! No one's soul looks like a diamond!"
"Mine does."
Lugh immediately stopped laughing. "What?" he asked, looking very serious.
"O'Callaghan told me on Charon's ship that our soul looks like a diamond. Well, a diamond shaped like an oak tree, to be more precise."
"Uh..." Lugh began patting himself down before pulling out a small velvet bag. He opened it and took out a sparkling acorn, then he looked at Lilly. "Is it like this?"
"Pretty much, yeah," O'Callaghan replied.
"O'Callaghan says yes," Lilly answered. "That is rather odd. Why would my soul look like one of..." she suddenly trailed off. "Oh."
"And there it is..." O'Callaghan giggled.
"What is it?" Lugh asked.
"I need to go confirm somethin' with Darrach. Excuse me," she said before walking back towards her dressing room. "And if ya find Brigid, tell her I'm lookin' fer her! I've tried her twice on me bracelet now!" she yelled.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"But Lilly, what did ya-" Lugh began to say, but when Lilly turned the corner, he sighed. "Bloody feckin' hell!" he shouted.
He turned around and stormed down the hallway after putting the acorn back in the bag and roughly shoving it into his jacket pocket.
"Fuckin' seers!" he snarled. "Always playing god damn games!"
Lugh suddenly chuckled to himself, realizing he was sounding a lot more like Arthur these days. He didn't think it was a bad thing, though. After some reflection, Lugh figured it was because he admired the human. It was a type of love he hadn't really felt before, but it wasn't romantic. It was the love for a brother, and Lugh liked that feeling. Arthur was the type of man Lugh wanted to emulate. A strong and compassionate man with an aura that commanded authority.
And also a man with an impressive libido, one worthy of someone who actually loved him.
Lugh slowed down in his steps, looking contemplative.
"I have to think this through," he thought. "Brigid is not the type to make reckless and cruel decisions. She is calculated and merciful. Whatever reason she kept this from me, it had to be...valid." Lugh frowned. "Alright, what do I know? She was mad at me about something. What did I do to make her so mad at me?"
Lugh hummed, leaning against the wall and stroking his chin as he thought back.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Tír na nÓg, 5528 B.C.
"Tá mé anseo!" Lugh thought excitedly as he strolled along on his mount Enbarr. "Tá mé anseo faoi dheireadh!" [I am here! I am finally here!]
A grand, majestic round stone keep stood before Lugh, the colors of red, yellow, blue, white and green adorning the outer walls in the form of murals. This was his first visit to Tír na nÓg, and he was going to meet his parents for the first time. It was exciting for him as he passed under the first archway of the kingdom, flowers adorning the stone above him. As he got further into the kingdom, Lugh saw a long road with people selling all sorts of things. He got off Enbarr and tugged on the horse's reins gently to have him walk. All sorts of foreign smells filled his nostrils and he took them all in with a deep breath, the sounds of a common place market filling the air.
"An mbraitheann tú boladh air sin, a Enbarr?" Lugh asked his horse. "Is é sin boladh na bhflaitheas." [Do you smell that, Enbarr? That is the smell of heaven.]
The horse knickered lightly, making the god chuckle. As Lugh continued walking, beautiful maidens would occasionally pass him by, giggling and blushing when they saw him. Lugh gave his best smile to each of them while wondering how far they would let him romantically pursue them.
Lugh stopped at a small shop that was selling jewelry and he browsed through the selection, eyeing a jade brooch and a few other things until a necklace with a ruby pendant caught his attention. He paid for the brooch and the necklace before pocketing them, thinking the brooch would be a wonderful gift for his mother, and then he continued down the street, coming across a weapons dealer. Lugh went inside and started looking for something to give his father.
"Dia dhuit," a man at the counter said. Conas is féidir liom cabhrú leat?" [Hello. How can I help you?]
Lugh looked at the man and smiled. "Dia dhuit. Táim ag lorg bronntanas le tabhairt do m'athair." [Hello. I am looking for a gift to give to my father.]
"Cén cineál arm a úsáideann sé?" the man asked. [What kind of weapon does he use?]
"Níl a fhios agam. Níor bhuail mé leis an bhfear riamh," Lugh replied. [I do not know. I never met the man.]
The owner of the shop blinked in surprise. "Feicim. An mbeadh suim agat i dtáirge nua?" he questioned. [I see. Would you be interested in a new product?]
"Sea!" Lugh exclaimed hopefully. [Yes!]
"Tar liom." [Come with me.]
Lugh trailed after the man into the back of the shop. When the owner opened the door, Lugh found himself in a blacksmith forging area. Near one of the fire ovens, he saw a woman with gorgeous, flowing red hair and she was hammering away at a blue glowing weapon. Her back was to him and Lugh took a moment to admire her backside and hips, then his eyes trailed down her legs. He loved a great pair of legs on a woman and the ones before him made him wonder what they would feel like wrapped around his head. The owner grabbed a weapon and held it out to Lugh.
"Cad faoi seo?" he asked his customer. [What about this?]
Lugh looked at the man, then he looked at the weapon. He cocked his head before grabbing the handle, eyeing the rather large knife in his hand.
"Cad a thugtar air?" Lugh asked. [What is it called?]
"Claíomh. Mo dhearadh," the woman said without looking at the men, dipping her work into a vat of water and causing it to sizzle and smoke. [Sword. My design.]
Lugh arched a brow in the woman's direction. A female blacksmith and an inventor? He couldn't believe it, but it made him all the more intrigued by the woman. "Conas a úsáidtear é?" [How is it used?]
The woman took the sword out of the water and placed it in an empty bucket before turning to Lugh. His eyes went wide as he took in her face. Lugh was only twenty years of age, but he'd never seen such a woman who looked as beautiful as this one. There was an icy intelligence in her green eyes that immediately drew him in. Her stance was tense and commanding as she stared at Lugh, holding a blacksmith's hammer in her palm.
"Tá tú níos áille fós chun tosaigh ná mar atá tú sa chúl," Lugh stated with a confident smile. [You are even more beautiful in the front than you are in the back.]
The woman narrowed her eyes with a growl, and before Lugh could react, something hit him in the face. He went flying back into the wall with a loud crunch, grabbing his face and groaning. Lugh shook his head and blinked a few times before looking down at the blacksmith hammer on the ground, then he looked at the very angry woman who was being held back by the store owner.
"Go leor, Brigid! Cad atá mícheart leat?" the owner yelled. [Enough, Brigid! What's wrong with you?]
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Lugh chuckled at the memory. Despite having gotten a crooked nose from Brigid's blacksmith hammer, which was fixed later, Lugh had been drawn to Brigid ever since. She was a fascinating woman and while he had back then wanted to lay with her, the feelings ceased over time...for the most part. Now he understood why he could never quite get Brigid out of his head.
But now he had to focus on an apology because hitting on her was obviously what made Brigid mad at Lugh. Her reaction was a bit little excessive, but Brigid was never one for lustful advances, so it had to be his flirting.
As Lugh made his way to the VIP section, he spotted Brigid sitting with Loki and his mood instantly soured. Out of everyone he'd ever encounter in his life, Loki was the one Lugh absolutely despised the most. Everything about Loki just rubbed him the wrong way, and now that he was practically engaged to his twin flame, Lugh hated the God of Mischief even more than before.
"You do not want them to get married, do you?"
Lugh turned around to see Frigga, the Queen of Asgard, standing with an amused expression on her face. Lugh gave her a bow.
"Yer Majesty," he said respectfully. "I dunna know what I want."
The dark blonde haired woman smirked before taking a few steps forward. "Well, if they get married, it will not last very long."
"Why's that?" Lugh asked, sounding hopeful.
"Brigid is dying, as I am sure you are aware of," Frigga said lowly.
Lugh cocked his head to one side, a confused look on his face. "She mentioned something of the like, but I didna understand what she meant. Why is she dying?"
"Stone does not last forever. And since her heart never healed, well..."
Lugh frowned, lowering his head. "...Do Odin and Loki know?"
"Loki is aware. Odin is not."
"Do ya know who broke her heart?"
Frigga quirked her mouth and put a hand on Lugh's shoulder. "You will find out soon enough."
With an eye roll, Lugh growled in frustration. "Why canna people just fecking tell me so I can save her?!"
"If someone told you now, it would not happen. You will know what to do when the time comes." Frigga stroked Lugh's face with a smile. "It is truly good to see you again, Lugh." When she lowered her hand, she walked past him. "Come sit with my husband and I for a bit."
Lugh sighed, shook his head then followed the Asgardian Queen to her seat.