Day 15 of Midwinter, Nightfall

  Cruachan, Midlands

  Annwn

  I awoke with a start, unsure how much time had passed since the ceiling collapsed on us. I coughed, trying to clear the dust coating my tongue and teeth. The sound echoed loudly in the otherwise silent space.

  It was dark, but I couldn’t see stars. That could only mean we were low enough in the temple to still have some sort of superstructure above. I was guessing that only the sub-structure had collapsed.

  My mind swam and spun around for a few minutes. It was only when I realized most of my body was immobilized that it seemed to settle in place. Peering into the gloom, I saw that several pieces of the shattered stone columns had pinned my legs, torso, and left arm in place.

  I began testing the weight that held me down, first gently, then with all my might. But no matter how hard I pushed and pulled, I was unable to escape my dark prison.

  My heart thudded painfully in my chest. The gnawing pain in my ribs and lungs was growing more excruciating with every breath. My mouth filled with a rich salty flavor, and I coughed again, spitting up dirt and blood.

  There were no sounds from the fianna members. At the time of the collapse, there had been three alive, three recently killed, one slain Abhartach, plus the unconscious Deichtine and Sétanta.

  All had been wounded by the Bánánach…which meant that any who had died, whether they perished in the collapse or had been killed by the Abhartach, were now a threat.

  TADG MAC NUADA

  The voice in my head sounded bestial and raspy.

  “Who is there?” I said aloud.

  YOU ARE MY GUEST HERE. THANK YOU FOR COMING INSIDE… IT HAD GROWN DREADFULLY LONELY HERE.

  The words were innocent enough, but the voice was mocking. I knew immediately who it belonged to…the creature I had feared, the one that changelings were afraid to mention too near to Cruachan. Its name was…

  AILLéN. IT IS NOT MY GIVEN NAME, BUT IT HAS BECOME WHO I AM.

  I wasn’t accustomed to having a conversation with another person in my mind. “I have heard of you,” I said aloud.

  YOU ARE AFRAID OF ME. BUT THEN, YOU SHOULD BE.

  The voice sounded…amused.

  I strained again but remained trapped. Trapped by the boulders. Trapped by the Bánánach. Trapped by those who would rise to become Abhartach. Now, I was trapped by Aillén.

  My thoughts turned to Brigid and what would become of her if I didn’t make it to Falias before my father. Then, there were Deichtine and Sétanta. Were they even alive? If they or any others of the Fianna had survived the collapse, their fate rested with my own.

  SUCH AN INTERESTING MIND YOU HAVE. SURROUNDED BY DANGER AND DYING, YET THINKING ONLY OF THOSE WHO YOU MIGHT SERVE.

  The voice chuckled.

  “Get out of my mind!” I shouted into the darkness.

  I CAN’T DO THAT. AH…THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET INTERESTING. ALLOW ME TO SHED A LITTLE LIGHT ON YOUR CURRENT SITUATION.

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  With Aillén’s words, the walls began to glow faintly, illuminating the wreckage of the passageway. The portion of the corridor that led deeper into the temple remained, but the way we had come was completely blocked by rubble.

  I saw movement behind a large pile of debris. A figure emerged—the woman who had been killed by her fellow Fianna member. His sword was still lodged in her throat. And she was no longer a changeling. With a feral roar, the Abhartach charged me, her mouth gaping wide.

  My body still mostly immobilized, I threw my free arm into her path. My hand groped at the sword. I felt a sharp sting as my hand slid down the blade toward the grip. Hot blood ran down my arm toward my body as the pain of the injury registered with my senses.

  The creature raked its claws down my extended arm, snapping its teeth at me as it tried to get closer. The blood running toward my shoulder increased, but for the moment, it seemed I had just enough strength to hold the weight of the smaller woman off of me.

  My injured hand finally found the handle of the sword. I instinctively jerked it with all my strength. The creature’s head slid from its body, which thudded to the ground next to me.

  It was quiet again. All I could hear was the beating of my heart, pounding in my chest. My arm fell back to rest on the ground, but I kept my grip on the sword.

  Blood continued to drip from my hand and arm. The pool spreading out around me had grown enough to reach the back of my head where I lay panting. My ribs were screaming and every wheezing breath I sucked in came back out as a wet gurgle. My deep breaths weren’t providing enough air for my depleted body and I had to fight the desire to simply close my eyes.

  IMPRESSIVE.

  The voice boomed again in my head.

  YOU ARE A FIGHTER, AREN’T YOU? NOT SIMPLY THE SON OF A USURPER.

  Ignoring the voice, I forced myself to focus on my surroundings. There had to be something I could do. Aillén continued, his tone still amused and mocking.

  OH DEAR. I SURE HOPE THOSE OTHER CREATURES DON’T GET FREE…

  With that, I heard scratching sounds coming from multiple areas in the passageway.

  “Hello,” I called, hoping to hear a reply from someone still living. No response.

  ONLY TWO REMAIN ALIVE.

  My eyes scanned the area of the floor for Deichtine and Sétanta. With the low light coming from the walls, I could finally see the boy. He was also pinned, but Deichtine lay nearby, miraculously free of the rubble.

  NOW THIS SHOULD GET INTERESTING….

  Ignoring the taunting voice, I dropped the sword to push against the debris that locked me in place.

  YOU KNOW…I COULD HELP YOU.

  Aillén’s statement lingered in the air.

  I fought against the fuzziness that was starting to creep across my vision. I was so tired. I didn’t know if it was due to the recent blood loss or because I hadn’t slept more than two hours in the last three days…or because I was dying. Every breath felt like knives. Even as I continued to push against the stone that pinned me, I could feel myself growing weaker.

  The creature’s voice in my mind crooned.

  THEY WILL ALL WAKE UP SOON. IT WILL BE TOO LATE THEN.

  I heard a small movement near where Deichtine lay. She slowly pushed herself into a seated position. The process was slow and painful to watch. She clearly had some internal injuries, as well as multiple cuts and bruises. Her skin was a sour color.

  Her eyes fluttered open as she rested her body weight against a large-sized boulder. She met my eyes, the trapped body of Sétanta lying unconscious between us.

  “Deichtine, help me.” I could feel myself growing frantic. If she could just help me shift some of these rocks, I could escape and possibly eliminate the looming Abhartach. She and the boy would have a chance.

  She didn’t move or answer, only stared at me with dull eyes. The woman’s arms lay limp at each side of her body. Suddenly, her head lolled to one side, revealing a gaping wound where a rock must have struck. She slumped, head dropping to her chest. A thin trickle of blood rolled out of her mouth as her body lost all muscle tension.

  I watched in horror as the dead woman’s arms started to twitch. Her head jerked with an involuntary spasm.

  IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO DECIDE.

  I desperately pushed again on the stone that pinned me, my bloody hand slipping and sliding on its surface. No luck. Deichtine’s body spasmed again and then went still.

  Her eyes snapped open, but there was a hollowness to her gaze. She drooled a bloody liquid and opened her mouth wide, showing a row of sharpened teeth with extended canines. Her ravenous gaze fell upon the body of the still Sétanta between us.

  Panicked, I shouted, “What is it you want?”

  ALL YOU MUST DO IS COME LOWER INTO MY TEMPLE. FREE ME.

  The thing that had been Deichtine began to creep forward on her hands and knees. She crawled toward the boy with a feverish, hungry look.

  “I’ll do it,” I screamed. I spared only a second’s thought for the gravity of what I was agreeing to. Aillén was an ancient evil, one mostly unknown to me. But I knew it had been imprisoned here for good reason. What kind of evil might I be unleashing on Annwn?

  “Free me,” I gasped, black dots beginning to swim in my vision. “And I will come free you.”

  He laughed inside of my mind, and it resonated outside of my body and echoed along the walls of the passageway.

  THE BARGAIN HAS BEEN MADE.

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