Curse And Craving

60

“I really hate to create such a broad spell. What if I want to have Lochlan in my house or something?” I asked nonchalantly, hoping my request wouldn’t raise any red flags. Her lips pursed. “I’ve got two different broad protection spells. One uses these ashes I brought, and the other will involve wards on the threshold.” “That sounds good. How exactly do they protect the house?” “They should stop anyone who wishes you harm from entering your home. I’m hoping the ashes work all right. They’re a bit old but should do the trick.” “That sounds perfect, Cat. That’s exactly what I was hoping for.” We spent the next hour laying ashes, drawing protection runes, and saying charms over both to activate the magic. Even if my good senses failed me, and I tried to let in someone dangerous, I was hoping that the magic would act as a security net and repel anyone who wanted to hurt me. As Cat was gathering her things, an idea occurred to me. “Hey, Cat, I was thinking about getting away this weekend. It’s been one hell of a week, and I could use a chance to decompress. You interested in joining me? Just a little overnight sightseeing adventure.” Something to distract me from all that had happened and give my poor brain a break. “That sounds amazing! When do we leave?” I let out a chuckle at her enthusiasm. “First thing Saturday morning. Give me your address, and I’ll swing by and get you on my way out of town.” She whipped out her phone and began typing. “Address sent—I’ll be ready bright and early!” I made sure Cat knew how grateful I was for her help and told her to text me when she got home so I would know she arrived safely. Once she was gone, I shot a quick text to Ashley to check in with her. I then spent an hour or so planning my first Irish road trip before crawling into bed. I knew my mind would try to dwell on the dark events of the past two days, so the trip was a perfect distraction. I focused all my thoughts on the new places I’d see and allowed my excitement to overshadow everything else. Whether from the power of positive thinking or just sheer exhaustion, I was rewarded with a long, dreamless night. “YOU EUROPEANS and your clown cars. I’m five-four, but I feel like a giraffe squeezing into this thing,” I grumbled as Cat situated herself in the passenger side. “Well, good morning to you too, sunshine,” she teased with a smile. “I’m sorry. The last hour was hectic getting over here. You ready to hit the road?” “More than you could know; get me out of here.” We chatted about ex-boyfriends, parents, and places we’d like to see during the hour and a half drive through the beautiful Irish countryside. Being on the road with her reminded me of all my childhood travels, and amid all the craziness of my life, it was exactly what I needed. Stopping through Londonderry, we toured the Guildhall cathedral-like building and checked out the enormous seventh-century stone city walls. I made reservations for a tour of a stone circle in the afternoon, so we had lunch at a local pub before driving out to the megalithic ruins, which was out in the middle of nowhere. The enormous ring of boulders held court in the middle of a grassy field, clear of any trees or obstructions. I parked on the side of the road, along with another carload of people who also appeared to be there for the tour. It was about a quarter-mile walk to the stones, and they were larger and more impressive with each step. On average, the stones, speckled with moss and age, were about my height—a few stood well taller, and several were crumbled and worn down to a much less impressive size. It wasn’t quite the same as the one shown in the Outlander series, but similar enough. I couldn’t come to Ireland and pass up seeing one of their iconic stone circles. “Think about it, Cat. These things have been here since the Bronze Age. How cool is that?” I said with reverence as we approached the stones. “Done your research, have you?” she asked teasingly. “It’s probably not as exciting for you since you’ve lived around them your whole life, but we don’t have this kind of thing in the States.” “I’ve seen less of them than you might think. As paranoid as my mom is, we stayed far away from these things.” I turned to ask her what she meant when a man’s voice called out from nearby. “Hello, everyone! I’m so glad you made it out. I’m Riley, your tour guide.” A young man with shaggy brown hair and a large goofy smile waved at us. “Although it’s not so much a tour as it is informational, since this is the only site we’ll be seeing. Anyway, it looks like we’re all here, so I’ll get started. Welcome to our beloved Beltany Stone Circle. Prevailing theories date the site back to between 2100 and 700 BC, and some say it dates back to the Stone Age.” As he spoke, we all gathered around him. “There are sixty-four stones now. However, the original count was eighty with a circumference of one hundred and fifty yards. The circle was part of the Beltane summer celebration near May first, marking the start of summer and the point halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. The word itself means ‘goodly fire’ and was associated with lighting huge bonfires here on Tops Hill. All household fires would be doused in the surrounding villages and relit with Beltane fires. Smoke and ashes were believed to have protective powers. The people would walk through the smoke along with their livestock, and piles of ashes would be carried to homes and walked around the property.” My heart started to race at the similarity of the Beltane ritual to Cat’s use of ashes to protect my apartment. “Those practices sound like what you did at my apartment,” I whispered to Cat as Riley continued his talk. “Did the people learn that from your ancestors?” “I suppose it’s possible, but I don’t really know.” I turned back to our guide, but my mind raced with questions. Had the ancient inhabitants of Ireland been familiar with the Fae? I knew the Fae roamed Earth freely back then, but I wasn’t sure how much they interacted or shared with the human population. Where had the public learned these techniques, and why were they no longer practiced? Not wanting to miss more valuable information, I drew myself out of my thoughts to focus on his words. “The people would host huge feasts to celebrate. Doors and windows of homes, and even the cattle themselves, would be decorated with yellow May flowers. This ceremonial event marked when the cattle were driven out to summer pastures. The ritual was performed to protect the cattle and encourage the growth of crops. If you’ll follow me this way.” He indicated outside the circle where a single triangular stone sat southeast of the others.