Phantom Queen Book one

Chapter Nine

“No, it’s a worry about what is front of you, and let me take care of the future.”
The more I talk to you the more I do not like you.
“I am sorry you feel that way, but I did create you.”
I glare at the wall and I feel rage ignite inside me, I feel my eyes glow, as I feel a hand on my face pulling me to look up, I see Cu Chulainn smiling at me. “What is she doing to make you angry?” He asks with a laugh.
“Not answering questions, that should be answered.” I say angrily.
“About what?” He asks me with a frown.
“The future, after I become a Goddess. She says I should worry about the present instead.” I say as I glare at him.
“She is right, the present is what is important right now.” He says with a smile.
“You are not supposed to agree with her. I have a bad feeling about what is coming.” I say angrily.
“Whatever happens will happen and I will protect you.” He says with a frown.
“I will not be captured again.” I say angrily as I walk out of the room after slamming the doors open, I walk through the halls as I feel the rage build in me. I will not let myself be a victim again, with her power I could kill anyone who tried. I watch as all the guards back up against the walls away from me as I walk towards the stairs to the throne room, as soon as I make it to the bottom Charles sees me and backs away as I walk towards him. “Any affairs with the kingdom that needs to be addressed?” I ask him angrily, he looks up at me in fear. “What is your problem?” I ask him with a frown.
“Your anger is showing, Morrigan.” I hear Cu Chulainn say behind me, I glance back at him to see the wings, I look back at Charles. I close my eyes and calm myself bottling up the anger, I open my eyes and he gives me an uneasy smile.
“I apologize Charles I have a lot on my mind. Is there anything you need me to do regarding the kingdom?” I ask him with a smile.
“You are safe with her Charles; she is more likely to go kill Gods than humans.” Cu Chulainn says with a smile as he walks up beside me.
“There are petitions, Morrigan.” Charles says quietly.
“Call them in, I will hear them.” I say with a smile, as I walk past him to the throne room, Cu Chulainn follows me inside as stands by my throne as I sit down.
“Remember, do not let your emotions control your magic. Otherwise, you are no better than her.” He says quietly as he crosses his arms, I look up to see him frowning at me and I nod. “I promised I would keep you from turning into her, and I made that promise to you. I plan to keep that promise for the rest of time.” He says quietly as he smiles down at me.
“Thank you, Cu Chulainn.” I say quietly as I watch humans start to stream into the room. “After this I want some Gods in an arena, to get my anger out through something constructive.” I say quietly as I glance at him and he nods with a smile.
“I will go round up some unlucky contestants.” He says with a grin and vanishes. I spend several hours listening to complaints and coming up with fixes for them, the last person left walks up onto the platform and smiles at me.
“Princess Morrigan, I wanted to thank you for killing the creature that killed me daughter in the city. I was told you were quite wounded from the battle and no one would allow me to see you.” He says as he bows to me.
“You’re welcome, it is my duty to make sure all of you are safe from things like that. I am sorry I was not there in time to save her.” I say quietly as I remember the woman looking up at me as she died.
“You saved other people from meeting the same fate.” He says with a smile and walks away. Charles gets closer to me with a sad smile.
“We told everyone you have been recovering during the time you were gone, healing from the wounds of the battle.” He says quietly, and I nod to him.
“Is there anything else, Charles?” I ask him.
“No, that was it. You are free from responsibility again.” He says with a grin.
“Good I need to go get some of this anger out.” I say with a small smile as Cu Chulainn appears beside me. “Are they ready?” I ask him as I look up to him and he grins.
I spend the next hundred years, ruling the kingdom spending time with Cu Chulainn and taking all my anger out in the arena. Also killing every creature that appears, I do not let myself get hurt again like I did before. I refuse to let myself be weak again, I also spend time with the dragons improving my relations with them. I see Myrddin every once in a while, he tells me of the trip him and Arthur are on to find a holy relic.
I lay on the bed staring out the balcony door as Cu Chulainn’s arm slides across me to pull me closer to him. “Are you okay?” He whispers to me in my ear.
“I am fine, just thinking.” I say as I look over at him with a smile, I am still bothered by Creation’s refusal to answer my questions. I feel him trace a finger across the scars on my chest from the Drowned man, I hate the scars, they are proof of my weakness.
“Every time I touch those, you get a look on your face I have seen before.” Cu Chulainn says with a frown as he watches me.
“I do not like them.” I say with a frown.
“You will be a Goddess of War, you never come away from every battle without some form of scar. Whether it be visible to the eye or not.” He says as he watches me. “I am beginning to think these scars runs deeper than just the skin.” He says with a frown.
“I am fine, I promise.” I say with a smile as I lean over and kiss him, I see him watching me with suspicion in his eyes as he kisses me back. “Though if you keep looking at me like that I will not be fine.” I say with a glare.
“I have noticed Creation talks to you less, is there any reason why?” He asks me with a smile, I can tell he is faking it.
“Because every time she does, I ask her about the future, she is angry and refuses to talk at the moment.” I say with a smile.
“Want me to talk to her? Maybe I can settle this dispute.” He says with a smile.
“If you want, personally I am tired of someone knowing my future and not bothering to warn me ahead of time.” I say with a frown, he watches me with suspicion in his eyes again. I sit up on the bed to ignore the look he keeps giving me, it only makes me angry, I slide on my underwear and pick up my dress he had made for me. After I slide it on and latch the back together, I slide on the sleeves latching them closed I wrap the black rope around me and latch it sliding it around into place. “I am going to see if there is anything Dorn needs.” I say to him as I walk to the door and vanish, the throne room appears around me I see Dorn sitting over at the desk in the corner writing. I walk over to him and gently tap him on the shoulder, he looks up at me with a smile.
“Anything you need, Morrigan?” He asks me, I sometimes do not like this new seneschal.
“I was going to ask you the same thing, Dorn.” I say with a small smile.
“No since you come to see me every time someone makes you angry, the kingdom could not be in better shape.” He says with a laugh, I frown down at him.
“How do you know I am angry?” I ask him.
“Your eyes never lie; they are always glowing when you come to see me.” He says with a smile.
“When I am angry doing something constructive always makes me feel better.” I say with a small smile.
“Well, you have a very productive anger, but there is nothing to do right now. If you want you could go into the city to see if anyone needs help that has not made a petition yet.” He says with a smile, I look towards the door leading out of the throne room.
“I hate seeing that statue.” I say angrily.
“The people in the city love it, they string flowers and shells around it.” He says with a laugh. “You are the most well-liked ruler in the world at the moment.” He says to me, I walk back out of the throne room and make my way towards the doors leading out to the city, guards’ step in around me.
“What are you doing?” I ask them with a frown as I look up at them.
“Cu Chulainn says you should be escorted when leaving alone.” One of the says to me as he bows.
“Who do you listen to more, him or I?” I ask him with a glare.
“You, Princess Morrigan.” He says quietly, as he stands.
“Then resume your posts and leave me.” I say angrily, all of them slam a fist to their chest armor and walk away from me, I walk through the door around that statue I hate into the city. Humans bow as I pass them with smiles on their faces, I hate it when they bow, I wish they would just greet me like normal. I make my way into the poorer parts of the city, I wish I could find a way to make the poorer richer in some way, I have been told this is the way of the world. I enjoy this part of the city the most, the people walk up and shake hands with me, children hug me with grins on their faces.
“Princess Morrigan, so nice to see you again.” A woman I have helped many times says as she walks over to me, I see a baby in her arms.
“You had a child?” I ask her with a smile as I watch the baby, she grins and nods at me.
“Do you want to hold him?” She asks me with a laugh.
“I am afraid I might hurt him.” I say as I look up at her.
“I will show you it is not as hard as you think.” She says with a smile, after her showing me how to hold my arms she places the baby into my arms, I look down at the small face and smile. “Children just have that effect on us, do they not?” She asks me, and I nod.
“I have never held one this young before, they are so tiny.” I say with a laugh, she laughs with me.
“They grow up fast though.” She says as she takes the baby back.
“Faster than you think.” I say with a laugh. “Do you know of anyone here who needs help?” I ask her.
“No, but I am glad I helped you.” She says as she winks at me.
“How so?” I ask with a laugh.
“You came here angry with your eyes like two beacons, as soon as you held him you calmed down.” She says with a laugh.
“Thank you, Maria.” I say with a smile as I vanish, Theros’ mansion appears around me. I feel him appear behind me, I turn to look at him and he grins at me.
“What brings you to me for a visit?” He asks as he hugs me.
“Tired of someone looking at me with suspicion all the time.” I say with a smile as I hug him back.
“What does he think you are up to?” Theros asks as he pulls away from me.
“That I am lying about my feelings.” I say with a frown.
“Are you?” He asks me as he watches me.
“Do I need to worry about this with you too?” I ask him angrily.
“You never talked to anyone about what happened with Dhuna, we worry about you.” He says with a shrug.
“Have you ever thought it was because there is nothing to talk about?” I ask him as I step back from him.
“Creation told us what he did to you, I think there is something to talk about.” Theros says with a frown, I glare at him and vanish the cemetery appearing around me. I feel the magic erupting from the ground, I walk over to the headstones to read the names. This is the graveyard for all the Gods and demigods, this is where they bring the bodies to bury them. I see Vhaanth’s name, and I see all the graves around the one headstone, I stop counting after fifty. I walk on to the next gravestone, Bion has only five graves, I walk to the next to see Adam’s name at least twenty surround his. I turn into a crow and I fly up above the cemetery, I see over fifty headstones in the cemetery but thousands of graves. I fly over to the largest one and land in front of it, the headstone has new words carved into it, Morrigu/Morrigan. I fly back into the air and look around at the land around the cemetery, I only see forest as far as I can see in every direction, I fly to the right and follow the woods until the sun starts to set. There are no humans near this cemetery, and the further I get away from it the more the magic fades.
I land on the ground changing forms, vanishing to Ark mansion, I walk through the halls until he appears in front of me. “Hello again, Morrigan.” He says with a smile.
“Why do the Gods only bury their bodies in one spot?” I ask him with a frown.
“Humans had a bad habit of digging us up and using our bones for making altars or using powerful spells they should not meddle with. So, the Gods of old found a place away from all humans and made a cemetery there. All Gods and demigods are buried there.” He says with a sad smile. What were you doing there?” He asks me with a frown.
“Escaping questions.” I say with a frown.
“I get it, no questions.” He says with a grin. “But how about a hug instead?” He asks me with a laugh, I smile up at him and hug him tightly as I feel him arms wrap around me. I feel magic surge into me holding me in place, I look up at Ark with a confused look. “I am sorry, Morrigan. But we need to have a talk.” He says quietly with a sad look on his face, I feel the magic make me lower my arms from around him, it turns me around and I see Cu Chulainn with his hand held up to me. I let my rage flow freely through me I feel the magic breaking apart as my eyes glow and the wings appear behind me, I glare at him.
“Betraying the reincarnation of the one who betrayed you, love?” I ask him as tears run down my face as I vanish. I let my rage vanish as I walk through the forest, I feel Gods appear around me and I vanish appearing in a different part of the forest. I change and fly up into the sky above the reach of magic as I feel them appear again, I look down to see them looking up watching me, I see pain in Cu Chulainn’s eyes with Adam glaring at him. Adam forced him; I feel rage inside me as I watch them. I dive towards Adam, I see Cu Chulainn’s eyes glow as he looks up at me, I change before I reach Adam summoning my swords to bring them down on him as Cu Chulainn’s sword appears before I hit. “Let him speak.” I say angrily as I glare down at Adam.
“No, he will disown me. This is for your own good.” Adam says angrily.
“He does not deserve this.” I say as I jump away and land on the ground, looking for a way to get around Cu Chulainn. “Forcing him to use his magic on me? How low can you go Adam?” I ask him angrily, Cu Chulainn smiles at me. I charge towards Adam, kicking off Cu Chulainn’s chest to swing my swords down at Adam, he summons an axe and blocks me with surprise on his face. I feel the magic warn me and I turn to block Ark’s battle axe, I glare at him as I feel Vhaanth appear. I look over at him as he raises a hand, I try to vanish but it doesn’t work, I feel my body freeze up before I can turn into a crow. “Why not use your power instead of using him against me?” I ask Vhaanth angrily.
“Last time I tried this on Morrigu, it did not work. Only Cu Chulainn’s did.” He says angrily as he walks toward me.
“Stay!” I hear Adam yell and I see Cu Chulainn reaching out to me.
“I am seeing a God who deserves a death.” I say angrily as I glare at Adam.
“That is why we are doing this; over the past hundred years I have seen more Morrigu in you than Morrigan.” Vhaanth says angrily as he gets in my face.
“Explain how.” I say to him.
“You are angrier, you are more violent. You do not like talking anymore, you avoid us as soon as we try to get close to you.” He says angrily as I see concern on his face. “I need to know Morrigan is in there before I put you in the deep sleep, otherwise we are all doomed.” He says with a frown.
“Cu Chulainn spends the most time with me, let him speak.” I say to him, I see guilt on Cu Chulainn’s face.
“He is the reason we are doing this, he voiced his concerns to us, Morrigan.” Vhaanth says quietly, I see him raise a finger and I feel it touch my forehead, the void falls in around me. Vhaanth watches me with a frown as he holds up a hand.
“What are you doing?” I ask him with a frown.
“I can see everything here with the abilities I have, I will see all your thoughts all your wishes all your dreams. I can see who you are becoming.” He says as I feel magic hit me and his eyes glow, I feel the magic holding me down in place. After a while his eyes stop glowing and he gives me a strange look. “You need to deal with what happened with Dhuna, otherwise I will not let you ascend.” He says as the world comes back around us, I glare at him.
“Why?” I ask him.
“Because on your current path you are turning into her, if you do not deal with the fact, you were tortured and kept prisoner by him you will never be safe enough to keep around.” He says with a frown as he raises a hand and a cage forms around me, I feel all my magic cut off from me. “You will stay in there until you ready to deal with it.” He says quietly, I watch him as he touches the cage and all of us vanish into his room.
“Who are you going to talk to about it?” He asks me, I look over at Cu Chulainn he gives me a pleading look.
“Ark.” I say to him, everyone but Ark vanishes from the room.
“Morrigan, I was against this. The last thing you need is to be held prisoner again.” He says quietly.
“Well, you have that part right.” I say as I watch him through the bars.
“They all act like you are something to be afraid of.” He says as he looks down at me.
“How do you know they are not right?” I ask him with a smile.
“Because I know the real you Morrigan. You are kind and gentle and you care too much about others to hurt them.” He says with a frown. “Whatever happened we can talk through it, you would be amazed at how it can help.” He says quietly.
“Alright, you want to talk about it?” I ask him and he nods. “When I was with Dhuna he made me tell him the truth before asking me questions. He loved asking questions, because it gave him more leverage the more he learned.” I say with a smile. “Which right after capturing me he happened to ask the right question, why I had not been healed yet. Which I was forced to answer his question truthfully, I gave him the way to cause me pain.” I say as I watch his face.
“He laughed, once I told him then he starts using healing on me watching me in pain and screaming from my wounds ripping open. He did this four times a day for the entire time I was with him.” I say as I watch pain in Ark’s eyes. “If it wasn’t that it was him telling me what he planned on doing with me when Emnos returned. I think your imagination can fill in the blanks.” I say as I glare up at him.
“He also blocked my connection with Creation, the last time I talked to her she said it would only be a few weeks until I would be saved.” I say as pace in the cage. “He made me tell him what she said, which she had also warned me to protect my mind from the pain. Once he heard that he said that I was not allowed to, and that my mind would break.” I say to him as I pace. “That is just what Creation told all of you, or some of it. The parts she did not see, is the worse of it.” I say as I stop and look up at him I see tears in his eyes.
“Want me to continue?” I ask him with a smile, he nods slowly. “He raped me repeatedly, saying that Emnos was going to enjoying watching all the memories. He was not gentle either he laughed at me trying to fight him off and did everything he could to hurt me, even resorting to punching my wounds to cause me pain as he did it. Every second that he was not reading or asking questions meant pain for me, and he laughed at my pain.” I say as I watch him look away from me. “Now that you know everything, can I get out of this cage?” I yell at him angrily, I see Vhaanth appear and I smile at him.
“Has she talked to you, Ark?” He asks Ark, Ark looks over at him and nods as he vanishes. “You seem to have upset him.” Vhaanth says as he frowns at me.
“I asked him if he wanted me to continue and he said yes, I only did as he asked.” I say as I pace in the cage. “Now let me out.” I say angrily.
“Talking about it does not seem to have done anything.” Vhaanth says as he watches me.
“Talking about torture is rarely as effective as people hope it to be.” I say with a smile, he frowns at me and vanishes, I sit down in the cage feeling the rage run rampant in me. I watch as the sun comes up in the window, Vhaanth appears in front of me again.
“I have someone to show you.” Vhaanth says with a smile as he touches the cage, we vanish and an arena appears around us, I stand up and look around I see Dhuna at the other end of the area. I glare at him. “I will let you out of the cage, we lied to you when we said he was dead. We were afraid it would affect you negatively.” He says with a frown. “Creation is going to unlock all holds on you, you will be able to kill him if you want.” He says as the cages disappears around me and I feel my magic return to me.
“What happens if I kill him?” I ask him with a frown.
“You will have gotten the revenge you need.” He says with a smile.
“This feels like a test to me.” I say angrily as I cross my arms.
“We have told Dhuna that if he beats you he gets to have you back.” Vhaanth says to me and I glare at him.
“Why would you say that?” I ask him angrily.
“Do not think you can beat him?” Vhaanth asks me with a frown.
“I know I can since I am not hurt anymore, but why offer him that?” I ask him quietly as I stare at Dhuna who grins at me, I feel fear rise in me as I watch him.
“Only way we could get him to agree to it, he thinks this is a duel. He does not know this is life or death for you.” He says quietly.
“If I do not kill him what happens?” I ask him quietly.
“Then we will cage him again, and you will have lost your opportunity for revenge.” Vhaanth says to me. “Choose what you want to do.” He says as he vanishes and reappears on the side of the arena, I see all the Gods watching. I feel danger from my magic and I look to see Dhuna charging at me, the swords appear in my hands as I shake from fear. I block his attack and jump away from remembering how he caught me last time.
“Morrigan, you seem afraid. I thought you enjoyed playing with me.” Dhuna says with a grin as he laughs, I dodge his attacks staying out of his reach. I see an opening and I land the sword on his neck without cutting him.
“Do you give up?” I whisper as I stand as far as I can from him with the point of the sword at his throat.
“You are afraid of me.” He says as he laughs, he looks at me as his eyes glow. Fear takes over me as I watch him, remembering all the times I have seen his eyes glow. “No, I do not give up.” He says as he attacks me, I jump away from him, feeling the shaking worsen as I watch him run towards me. I jump back before his attack reaches me again, I look over and I see Vhaanth with a frown on his face. “A mistake, letting yourself get distracted.” Dhuna whispers angrily as I see his sword come down on me, I block it, I feel his hand on me I vanish and appear away from him as I feel tears in my eyes.
“Where is all that rage, Morrigan?” He asks me with a laugh, as he charges towards me with his sword out, I dodge and jump away from him. He comes at me and I see another opening, I kneel as he reaches me as I raise the sword to his throat as his sword comes down beside me.
“Do you give up?” I say quietly, as I watch the sword shake, Vhaanth appears beside me.
“Are you going to kill him, Morrigan?” He asks me.
“No.” I whisper and I watch Dhuna fade away, my swords vanish and I stand up to glare up at Vhaanth. “He was an illusion?” I ask him as tears fall down my face.
“I wanted to give you the satisfaction of revenge, but it seems you are not capable of taking it.” He says with a sad smile.
“That was not okay, Vhaanth.” I say quietly as I back up a step.
“I see that now; your fear is a very powerful chain on you. But you are incapable of being like her because of it, your fear holds you back.” He says quietly, I vanish the cemetery appearing around me. I walk amongst the graves, feeling the magic from all the old bodies of the Gods. I feel someone appear behind me and I vanish, a forest appears around me I start walking again watching the trees, I feel someone appear again and I vanish. The city appears around me and I walk through the streets watching people bow to me as I pass, I walk through it quickly reaching the main road leading out of the city. I walk through the gates as the guards bow to me, I feel someone appear in the city behind me, I keep walking until I hear footsteps running towards me. I vanish another city appearing around me, one I had visited when I was a child, it had expanded quite a bit since I was last here. I watch people bow to me as I pass, I watch them irritated, wondering how they know about me, until I see a statue of me again, I walk over to it to see the words on it.
In Honor of Myrddin who saved our city, he erected this statue so we would know the face of the woman who made his actions possible.
I really need to talk to him when I see him again, I turn away from the statue to see a man running towards me with a grin on his face. “Lady Morrigan, please come visit us the palace.” He says as his grin widens.
“I am sorry but I will have to turn down the offer.” I say quietly as I walk past him, I walk through the streets of the city happy to not feel anyone appearing or following me. I see Vhaanth ahead of me when I turn down a side street, I frown at not feeling him appear, he walks towards me and I vanish. I walk through the small-town watching children play with a ball, I feel someone grab my arm I try to pull it away but we vanish. I look up to see Ark holding me in place, I glare at him as I try to pull my arm free.
“Morrigan, stop fighting.” Vhaanth says to me annoyed.
“Why don’t you people leave me alone?” I ask angrily as I glare at him, I see Cu Chulainn standing behind him stone faced.
“Because we care.” Vhaanth says annoyed. “Stop being stubborn.” He says as he frowns at me.
“When someone cares about a person, they do not make them relive something like that and make them believe it is real.” I say quietly as I glare at him.
“We all thought you would kill the illusion.” He says angrily.
“Why would you think I would kill him?” I ask him angrily. “Because I am angry? Because I do not want to talk about what happened to me?” I ask him, I look up at Ark. “Do you want to hear what happened to me again?” I ask him, and he shakes his head. “Then what do you want from me?” I ask Vhaanth.
“I want you to stop running.” He says angrily as he watches me.
“Stop giving me a reason to.” I say as I glare at him. “If I want to be left alone, I think I have the right.” I say quietly, I feel Ark let go of me and I glare at Cu Chulainn and vanish. My room appears around me and I lay down on the bed looking out at the balcony, I let the magic out of me as I feel the room seal tight. I close my eyes and fall asleep.
I open my eyes to feel a hand on me, I jump off the bed as fear overflows inside me, Cu Chulainn watches me. “Please leave.” I say to him as I point to the door.
“Morrigan, I am sorry. I was worried about you.” He says quietly. “I did not agree with their methods however.” He says angrily as he glares at the bed. “I was only keeping my promise to you.” He says quietly as the anger vanishes.
“Your promise landed me in a cage, where I was forced to relive everything that happened to me that I have been trying to forget. And then chased after by the person who did those things to me, even though it was an illusion it felt real.” I say quietly. “His hand on me felt real.” I say quietly as I close my eyes as I start shaking from the memories again, I hear movement on the bed and I open my eyes to see him getting up and I back up away from him. “Leave.” I whisper, he looks up at me with pain in his eyes.
“Seems there is something I cannot bring you back from.” He says quietly as he stands and looks down at me, and vanishes.
I want to sleep until I need to help Myrddin.
“No.”
Why?
“You need to deal with this. Sleeping is not an escape; it just prolongs it.”
It is your fault this happened in the first place.
“That is besides the point, everything I make you suffer through has a meaning, I do this for your benefit.”
How do I benefit from that!
“Learning your weaknesses can strengthen you if you allow it to, you are only allowing it to weaken you more. At this point as a Goddess, you would still be weak and pathetic. Get your strength back, Morrigan.”
I vanish, I see the forest appear around me, I let out all of rage towards Creation and let the magic have it. I watch as the forest around me vanishes in the explosion I let out.
“That is not a productive outlet.”
Shut up.
“Fight the Gods. Ark is in the arena fighting Aife.”
I remember the fun I had fighting both of them at the same time, how freeing it felt to have constant motion to avoid or blocks attacks, and I vanish. I watch them fight as I walk towards them my swords appear in my hands they stop and look over at me. “Come to train?” Ark asks me with a frown, and I nod. “Both or just one?” He asks me.
“Both.” I say to him as I charge towards them, they face me preparing for my attack.
I spend weeks fighting them letting out all of my rage on them, they enjoy every second of it. I do not bother with openings in their attacks to end the fight, I want it to continue as long as it can. While we have been fighting, I have felt other Gods appear, I ignore them all and focus on the next rage filled strike.
I fall back on to the ground as I feel the last of my anger leave me, as my swords vanish. I look up at Ark who grins at me. “I needed that.” I say quietly.
“Ante has had fun feeding off your anger this entire time.” Ark says with a laugh, I look over at Ante who looks much stronger than before, he grins at me.
“Morrigan, holding in your anger never benefits you. If you need to let it out, come to us we will help you.” Aife says with a smile, as I look up at her.
“Thank you, both of you.” I say with a small smile as I stand up.
“Any time, Morrigan.” Ark says with a smile, I vanish and my room appears around me again, I lay down on the bed watching the balcony. I feel someone appear in the room, I feel the bed move near me.
“If you are Aiwass, the answer is no.” I say annoyed.
“What if I am not Aiwass?” I hear Cu Chulainn whisper in my ear.
“As long as you do not want to talk too much, you can stay.” I say quietly, I feel his arm wrap around me and pull me closer to him.
“May I say something?” He whispers to me.
“Just this once.” I say annoyed.
“I love you.” He says, I hear the smile in his voice.
“I love you, too.” I say quietly, I feel him lay his head down behind me. We lay there for eight days like that, without saying a word.
I roll over to look at him, and I hear a knock on the door, he smiles at me as he gets up and walks to the door. He opens it and I see Dorn standing on the other side with a worried look on his face, I sit up on the bed with a frown. “People have been flooding the city for the past week, saying a horde of monsters is going through each town draining all the men of each town of their blood. At sunrise a flock of crows fly into the sky from the towns attacked.” He says with a frown, Cu Chulainn looks back at me with anger.
“Baobhan, they caused a lot of trouble for Morrigu. Humans had started thinking she was the one doing it because of the crows flying.” He says angrily.
“What are they, when they are not a crow?” I ask him with a frown.
“They are beautiful women who wear long green dresses, which if you are unlucky enough to raise while one is still alive, you see hooves. They seduce men and then drink their blood.” He says with a frown.
“Are they effective on you?” I ask him as I stand.
“They were not when I was under Morrigu’s claim, I do not know if that would be true now.” He says quietly, I walk over to him and touch him, watching him vanish.
“What is the nearest town that was attacked?” I ask Dorn.
“Huntsman.” He says with a frown.
“Do not tell him.” I say with a smile and he nods, I vanish the town appearing around me. The town is completely abandoned, I change and fly into the sky, I look around for the next sign of civilization and I see smoke in the distance. I fly to it as quick as I can before the sun goes down, I glide down to the town and watch the humans as the last few rays of sunlight vanish. I watch as everyone walks into their homes and close their doors, I see a crow fly through a window of a house, I fly into the window quietly I watch as a woman appears in the room. She walks over to the man laying on the bed and touches his cheek, his eyes snap open and he smiles up at her as he stands up, she pulls him away from the bed as I change back into my other form with a sword in hand. I pull it back and watch as her head falls off her shoulders. I turn back into a crow and look in each of the houses, finding a woman luring a man out of his bed. I cut the heads off all of them, quietly without warning them of my presence. Once all the houses are cleared, I fly back to the top of the well and perch to wait for sunrise.
The sun rises with no more crows flying in or out, and I vanish as I change back to my room. I look over to see an angry Cu Chulainn, and I smile at him. “Ark says when you send me to him, he is going to take it that you want him to keep me for a few hours. Not letting me vanish or leave the mansion, that I will be a prisoner until he gets tired of me.” Cu Chulainn says angrily as he stands and I laugh. “Where did you go?” He asks as he walks over to me and glares down at me.
“To kill the creatures, I killed fifteen and they did not know I was there before they suddenly lost their heads.” I say with a smile.
“Why did you not take me?” He asks me with a frown.
“Because I did not want to take the chance that I would have to fight you, if they got you under their power.” I say with a laugh.
“You seem different.” He says with a frown.
“Going to have me caged again?” I ask him with a frown.
“No, I learned my lesson.” He says quietly as he glares at the door.
“Do not say you are sorry again. I am tired of hearing it.” I say as I watch him, he looks down at me with a frown.
“Then what am I supposed to say?” He asks me and I laugh.
“I will not do it again.” I say to him with a smile.
“I will not do it again.” He says with a grin. “You are different though; you are happier than you have been in a while.” He says as the grin slowly vanishes from his face.
“I had a lot of anger built up in me, fighting Ark and Aife helped a lot.” I say with a small smile as I think of it.
“I watched almost the entire fight.” He says with a smile. “You had a lot of chances to end it, why didn’t you?” He asks me.
“I did not want it to end.” I say with a laugh.
“I know that feeling.” He says with a small smile.
We spend the next one hundred and thirty years killing the creatures that appear and handling anything that comes up in the kingdom, we spend every moment together enjoying it. The last fifteen years Myrddin stops coming around as much, Arthur hangs around the castle more with his knights, who have also been blessed with immortality like Myrddin. I do not care for them much they are irritating, when Arthur is not around.
“Myrddin needs you, he will be in the place where sleeping giants lie.”
“Agravain, please go away. I do not have patience for you right now.” I say angrily as I walk through the halls trying to find Cu Chulainn.
“Morrigan, come with me. I promise you will enjoy yourself; I guarantee I am much better than the puppy who is always following you around.” He says as he grabs my arm and pushes me up against the wall in the hallway, I glare up at him.
“The only reason you have survived in my castle so far is because I am unable to kill you, but I can maim you.” I say angrily as I feel his hand on my waist sliding behind me.
“Give me a chance and you will not want to maim me.” He whispers in my ear, I send electricity through my body and watch him shoot back from me and hit the wall opposite me.
“I would not bother with a disgusting worm like you. You are beneath me.” I say angrily as I glare down at him, I hear footsteps running towards me, I look up to see the other knights of Arthurs group and I growl in frustration. “Get your boy and get him out of my sight!” I yell at them angrily; they look at me with a frown.
“We do not take orders from women, we have told you that.” Mordred says as he glares down at me with his arms crossed.
“I guess you are one of the hard headed ones, take that depraved man who is supposed to be a chivalrous knight out of my sight before I go to Vhaanth and beg him to rip the immortality out of all of you so I can watch you all die slowly by my hand!” I yell angrily at him as I glare up at him, I hear more footsteps, I turn to see Cu Chulainn and I frown at him. “Where the hell were you?” I ask him angrily.
“I was just on the roof, Morrigan.” He says with a frown as he looks down at Agravain. “What happened to him?” He asks me.
“He was touching what he should not, again!” I yell angrily. “I cannot wait until Arthur gets these reject knights out of my palace.” I say angrily as I grab Cu Chulainn and vanish, the forest of sleeping giants appears around us, I drag Cu Chulainn down the path and I feel the creatures moving in the forest. “I am the protector of the child of legend.” I say to them before they can get in my way and they stop moving to let me through. I see Myrddin on his knees in the center of the grove where the sword used to be. I let go on Cu Chulainn and I walk quietly over to Myrddin.
“What has happened, Myrddin?” I ask him gently; he look up at me with tears streaming down his face.
“My wife, she was at home while I was gone to help a nearby town. Bandits, I heard news and came back she was impaled through the stomach with a spear into a tree. She was pregnant, Morrigan.” He whispers with pain in his voice, I walk over to him and kneel down in front of him wrapping my arms around him as he lays his head against my chest.
“I am sorry, Myrddin. Humans can be terrible or great, but it is not up to us to punish them.” I whisper to him and he nods against my chest as he sobs, I rub my hand on his back as I let him get the pain out of him, I see Cu Chulainn watching us from the trees.