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  “And we need her help,” Owyn said. “Desperately.”

  “And I want to learn more about what I am,” I said. “They can teach me.”

  “We will,” Owyn said. “There are things she can gain in Otherworld. Things she must gain. It’s only natural that she go. She can help us with our problem while learning about what she is. The fates have decreed that it must be done.” His voice rang with passion.

  “You have more magic than you did when you came here,” Jude said. “That will help protect you.”

  I kept my face blank as I nodded. Bree didn’t breathe a word, and fortunately Angus and Lavender weren’t there to report on my dismal performance back at Madame Mystical’s.

  “I’ll go,” Lachlan said. “As backup.”

  Next to him, Owyn grinned, delighted. The old druid liked something about this.

  Jude’s eyes moved toward him. “Um, all right?” She leaned forward. “You don’t work for us, you know.”

  A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.

  Damn, that was sexy. He looked like such a rake. I’d borrowed a few of Caro’s old romance novels the other week, and he fit the definition perfectly. Just looking at him made my heart race.

  “I’m aware,” Lachlan said. “But I’d like to help with this.”

  Jude’s gaze moved from me to Lachlan, understanding clearly dawning. “Ah, right. Well, it’s not my place to say no. You’re powerful and she could use the help. The protection.”

  “I can protect myself.” I frowned.

  Jude grinned. “Good. I know that. It’s why you’re here. You’re tough, Ana. I don’t doubt you. But it’s always good to have backup. And Lachlan is good backup.”

  That was the truth.

  Owyn leaned forward. “He has a role to play, actually. An important one. So this is perfect.”

  “I do?” Lachlan asked.

  Owyn nodded. “Indeed. There will be a battle for you alone.”

  He grinned. “Perfect. Any hints?”

  “Unfortunately, no. But I have seen in the fire that a large and powerful shifter mage must accompany the Druid. That must be you.”

  Lachlan nodded.

  “It’s settled, then,” Jude said. “Ana, you’ll be going to Otherworld to help them with the dark magic. I’ll run interference with the other departments. They’ll be annoyed, but they’ll have to deal.”

  “Thank you.” I turned to the druids. “Let’s go kick some dark magic butt.”

  Lachlan and I departed almost immediately, following the Celts back toward the front entry of the castle.

  Maira, who clearly acted as the Druid’s bodyguard, walked alongside Bree, catching up. I stuck close to Lachlan, leaning in to whisper, “Thank you for coming.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it.” He squeezed my hand, and a shiver raced up my arm. I hadn’t seen him since last night, when we’d agreed to not pretend there was nothing between us. I didn’t know where it would go from here, but I wanted to find out.

  Not to mention, I wanted to find out his reason for denying the attraction and using the lame excuse of “we work together.” I’d asked him, but he’d sidestepped the question.

  We stepped through the main doors of the castle and out into the early morning air. It was late winter, brisk and cool with snow scattering the ground. It must have fallen while we were in the round room. I sucked in a deep breath, enjoying the icy sea scent of the air.

  Bree, who’d been in front of us, turned and hurried to me, catching my eye. “Be careful, okay.”

  “You know me.”

  “Yeah, Miss Plan A, B, and C. But oftentimes, those plans involve you throwing yourself into danger.”

  “You know I can handle it.” I hugged her.

  “I know,” she muttered against my hair. “But I also know what happened when I visited the Norse realm, and it wasn’t pretty. I can’t imagine the Celtic one will be any better. So be careful.”

  I pulled back and met her gaze. “I will. Promise. And take care of Rowan.”

  “Always.” She smacked a kiss on my cheek, then hurried back into the castle.

  Maira turned to us. “We’ll take a transportation charm back to the portal at the stone circle. We’ll use that to enter Otherworld.”

  I nodded, excitement welling in me.

  These were my people.

  Or at least, I was one of them. There was a difference, somehow. Because I already had my people. Bree, Rowan, and the Protectorate. But that didn’t mean I didn’t want to know about these folks as well. To become part of something that was tied to my past and my present.

  Maira dug into a leather pouch attached to her waist and withdrew a transport stone. She hurled it to the ground, where it exploded in a cloud of silvery dust.

  She held out her arm. “After you.”

  The two Druids led the way, and I followed, letting the ether suck me in. It pulled me through space, making my head spin, and finally spat me out in a wide, open field. The air was bitter cold here, but there was no snow on the ground. I turned, feeling magic that tugged at my chest.

  When I spotted a huge stone circle, I stopped.

  Bingo.

  The source of the magic. And the portal to Otherworld.

  Excitement shivered across my skin as I looked at it.

  I’m really going there.

  The Druids were watching me with a combo of interest, awe, and skepticism—which was pretty weird. I turned from them, spotting Lachlan as he stepped through the portal. I was glad he was here—not just as backup, but as moral support, too.

  Finally, Maira appeared, and we started toward the stone circle.

  She sidled up next to me, which was good. I’d rather ask her my questions than the other two. I might be The Druid and these two guys might be druids, but the warrior Maira was more on my level.

  “So, stone circles act as portals to Otherworld?” I asked.

  “Sometimes, along with other things. The Celts didn’t build the circles—they were here long before we were. But we use them for different purposes. Other things can be portals too. But usually it’s symbolic places like this.”

  Symbolic was right. The majesty of the stones that towered toward the sky took my breath way. No wonder the Celts had reused the stone circles. They were amazing. I’d been entranced by the one back at the castle, but this one was even bigger.

  “This one leads to an entrance close to our Oppidum,” she said. “But there are many others that lead to different places in Otherworld. It’s huge.”

  “What’s an Oppidum?” I asked.

  “Walled city.” She grinned. “You’ll see.”

  Magic pricked against my skin as we neared the stones. They were jagged, uneven things, very tall but skinny. I could almost see the power sparking on the air.

  “Just step in,” Maira said. “You’re a Celt, so it will recognize you and allow you entrance to Otherworld. If you hold Lachlan’s hand, he can go, too.”

  I reached for Lachlan’s hand, unable to stop my smile when his large palm closed around my own. The druids stepped between the stones and disappeared right into thin air. Maira waited, no doubt for us, so I followed, Lachlan at my side.

  Just like with a normal portal, the ether sucked me in and threw me across space. Except there was a little something extra here—a tugging that I felt deep in my middle as my head spun. When I appeared on the other side, I stumbled, gripping Lachlan’s hand tightly.

  We stood in the middle of an identical field, but in the distance, a black stain spread across the land. It looked like tar or oil.

  The scent wafted toward me, reeking of garbage and despair. I wrinkled my nose.

  Maira appeared next to me. Her gaze went immediately to the black stain. “That is what you are here to stop.”

  “And you have no idea what it is?” It stretched for miles, like a snake that slithered off into the distance, poisoning everything it touched.

  “No idea what it is. Just that it reeks of evil an
d is killing anything it touches. It goes farther and farther. We assume it is following whatever intruder is making their way through Otherworld.”

  “I’ll stop them.” Anger and determination heated my chest. This was my home, in a sense. Nothing would hurt my home.

  I turned from the stain, unable to look at it any longer, and spotted a hill that rose toward the sky. Three circular shaped walls surrounded the top of the hill. Each ring of wall was on a different level of the hill, gradually rising upward.

  “That’s the Oppidum,” Maira said.

  “Who are you defending against? Isn’t this the Celtic Otherworld? You shouldn’t have enemies here.” That was the problem—the invaders that I was here to hunt were the only enemies.

  “The walls aren’t for defense,” Maira said. “Though they could serve as that in a pinch. They’re more of a status symbol. They help us control trade and maintain power.”

  “Cool.” I let go of Lachlan’s hand and started toward them, desperate to see inside.

  The druids followed behind, silent. They gave off the air that I’d always associated with monks. Quiet contemplation and power in knowledge. Maira led us to the city.

  I couldn’t help but think of my mother, who’d arrived in the stone circle to stop me from discovering this information. She’d said it was deadly—to me.

  Maybe that was so, but I was desperate to learn about who I was. I’d never turned back from a challenge. And these people needed me.

  We reached the hill, which soared high above, and began to climb, passing one ring of wall and then another. The first two gates had been left open for us, and there were no guards at the towers on either side.

  As we neared the main gate at the top, I began to hear the noises of a city. Voices, animals, the sound of cart wheels creaking.

  “This is amazing. Like stepping back in history.” I turned to Maira. “What year is it here?”

  “2018 AD, I suppose, just like Earth. Time passes here as well, but slightly differently. We maintain the ways of our past, so it looks like we’re somewhere in the first millennium BC. But this city—this whole realm—is an amalgamation of the many types of Celtic beliefs and styles.”

  “It’d give an archaeologist a heart attack, you mean,” Lachlan said.

  “Exactly. Good thing none of those grave robbers are here.” Maira grinned. “Celts aren’t just one religion. We are a group that shared a culture and a way of living. We existed for thousands of years, spread across Europe, from Spain to Turkey and all the way up to Scotland. You’ll see that in Otherworld—all of our people are here, all of them living in different ways with different beliefs.”

  I liked that idea—they might be different, but they were united.

  We stopped in front of the last wall that protected the city. This main gate was closed, and it began to creak loudly as it rose to permit us entrance. Two guards at the top of the twin towers wore leather armor like Maira’s. They waved down, big grins on their faces.

  As we stepped through, I was struck by the sheer enormity of the place.

  It was a city.

  True, it was built of wood and there were no skyscrapers, but it was huge. Maira led us past an area of round houses with thatched roofs, toward long low buildings that looked like many people could live within.

  Finally, we reached a part of town that looked like it contained large estates. The patches of land were larger, as were the buildings.

  “Where are we going, exactly?” I asked.

  “To meet someone.” Maira grinned enigmatically. “There is a lot you must learn.”

  She led us up the path to one of the large wooden buildings. Goats and sheep grazed in the yard out front. We’d neared the door of the house when a woman rushed out.

  I stumbled, nearly going to my knees.

  “Mom?” I felt lightheaded.

  She rushed up to me, blond hair glinting in the light and her green dress billowing about her legs. She threw her arms around me.

  It felt like the comfort of a million hugs. The million hugs I’d missed out on when she’d died.

  Tears sprang to my eyes as I hugged her back, my mind spinning. What the heck was happening?

  She pulled back, grinning. “I can’t believe you’re here. Look at how big you are!”

  I blinked, struggling to take it all in. The last time I’d seen her alive, I’d been thirteen. She’d told us to run while she held off the ones who hunted us.

  She’d succeeded, but it had killed her.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “This is my afterworld,” she said. “My ancestors were Celts. Like you. And because I am a seer, I came here upon my death.”

  I couldn’t believe it. I was really with my mother. And she was solid. A real person. Not a ghost like when she’d appeared in my dream at the stone circle, telling me that I must not pursue my identity.

  “Did you really come to me in a dream and try to stop me from learning what I am?” I asked.

  She nodded.

  Maira cleared her throat, and I jumped.

  My mother flicked her an annoyed glance. “Fine, Maira. You’re right.” She looked at me. “We need to go to the sacred grove. I’ll explain on the way.”

  “All right.” I had no idea what was happening, but I was willing to go along to find out.

  I turned, following my mother back down the lane, away from her house. The two druids had disappeared, but Maira stuck by our side. Lachlan held back, as if he sensed I wanted space with my mother.

  I did.

  I liked Lachlan. A lot. But this was some intensely personal stuff, and we weren’t there yet in our relationship. Not at that level of sharing, at least.

  Maira led us toward the back of the village.

  “Well?” I asked my mom. “What happened in the dream?”

  “My own selfishness.” She sighed. “This is dangerous, Ana. What you are here to do. What you will learn about yourself. When you become The Druid and embrace all your powers… it is very likely that you could die.” Distress creased her face.

  “You’ve seen this in a vision?” I asked.

  “I see many futures. And that is one of them. Many of them, actually. There are many ways that this could go wrong. And I wanted to protect you, so I tried to keep you from learning what you are. But that is no longer possible.”

  She’d seen a vision of me dying? I swallowed hard. Yikes. “You’ve always tried to protect us.”

  “Always.” She gripped my hand, her voice fierce. “But I can’t protect you from yourself. From what you are meant to be. I’ve accepted that. All I can do is try to help you.”

  I smiled, gratitude welling within me.

  Maira led us through a back gate and down the side of the hill. In front of us, a procession of figures in white and green robes was heading toward a forest about a mile away.

  “Who are they?” I asked.

  “Druids,” my mother said. “Now that you are here, we will perform a ritual to ask the oak trees for help with your mission. We know that you are the one meant to stop the evil encroachers, but we don’t know how exactly. We hope that they will guide us.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Because I had no idea how to stop that black stain besides finding and killing the one who created it. Maybe that would do the trick.

  We followed the druids down the hill and toward the forest. As we neared the enormous oak trees, something in my chest calmed. It felt like I was meant to be here. Like I’d waited my whole life to come to this place.

  And finally, I had.

  We passed through the trees, which rose tall on either side, their leaves rustling in the breeze.

  “Oaks are sacred,” Maira said. “We come here for all of our most important rituals.”

  She led us toward a small clearing where a massive bonfire had been built. Though it was daylight, it was mostly dark back here. The canopy of oak leaves cut off much of the sun, and fairy lights sparkled among the trees. />
  A dozen druids surrounded the fire, both men and women. They were dressed in long cloaks of different colors, and many of them wore headdresses. Their gazes were solemn as they looked at me, and suddenly, I felt the weight of their expectations heavy on my shoulders.

  A woman who wore a headdress of antlers stepped forward, her white dress gleaming in the light of the fire. “Welcome, Ana Blackwood, Warrior Druid.”

  I nodded and stepped forward. Apparently, this was happening.

  Lachlan held back, but I could feel his gaze on me, giving me strength.

  “You are here to learn about your power,” the woman said. “To become The Druid, fully.”

  I nodded. “And to stop whatever evil is spreading across this land.”

  “Your fate is entwined with it.” She gestured toward the fire. “Step closer. Be enveloped by the sacred smoke.”

  My mind was racing, but I did as I was told. When the druids had said that I was meant to come here, they’d meant it. They even had a ritual all set up and ready for me. And if my mother trusted them, then I did, too.

  I stepped close to the flames, until I could feel the heat flickering on my face. Within the dancing orange fire, I caught sight of a familiar shape.

  A cat made of fire.

  A hairless cat. A jewel glinted at its ear.

  Muffin.

  The Cat Sìth was here, watching over me. And, apparently, he could turn into fire.

  Around me, the druids began to chant. Their low voices flowed through the forest. The smoke rolled toward me, pale gray and thick. It enveloped me, but it wasn’t difficult to breathe.

  Magic stole through my body, making my muscles tremble. Visions flashed in my eyes. Battles and blood, victory and defeat. Life and death.

  In the distance, the sound of chanting rose, filling the air with the power of a thousand voices. My head spun as the visions came faster and faster. I couldn’t make sense of them. None of them stuck around long enough for me to really see them. They were more a feeling than anything else.

  Lightning struck in the distance, thunder cracking behind it.

  The smoke disappeared.