Divine by Blood

She was healed and her spirit rescued from the dark god, but Pryderi still lusts to control one who carries the blood of my Chosen.

“Myrna!” I gasped. “He’ll go after my baby?”

He may, Beloved, just as he tried to draw you from me.

I snorted. “No damn chance of that.”

With you and ClanFintan by her side, there will also be little chance Myrna will listen to Pryderi’s dark whisperings.

“We sure as hell won’t make the mistakes that were made raising Rhiannon,” I muttered. Rhiannon had been spoiled and cosseted and basically never told no. (Note to self: remember to jump square in Myrna’s butt if/when she gets mouthy.) “Myrna is going to know the meaning of ‘no you may not, little girl.’”

So you see, Beloved, it is not Myrna about whom I am worried.

“Huh?” I said succinctly.

Ready yourself, Beloved. And remember, I will be with you.

I had just enough time to start to worry about where the hell Epona was taking me when the clear sky over the temple began to swirl as if a weird, inverted tornado had materialized. I blinked at the dark cone shape that shifted and opened to show me a tunnel of fire. And before I could say, “Billy Jo Bob loves his first cousin” my spirit was sucked into that roiling inferno. Knowing I was no longer physically attached to my body made no damn difference. It still felt like my heart was literally being squeezed within my chest. I couldn’t breathe. In a total state of panic I opened my mouth to scream, and my spirit exploded from the tunnel. I was thoroughly disorientated. Nausea engulfed me. I gulped huge breaths of cool air, wondering (and not for the first time) at how a spirit body could come so close to projectile vomiting. But soon the familiar hovering sensation calmed me and I felt my vertigo fade. I glanced down, and realized where I was. Happiness shocked through my spirit, chasing away the last of the nausea. I was back in Oklahoma, floating over my childhood home. Slowly, my spirit body began to sink through the achingly familiar roof, and very soon I was hovering in the middle of my parents’ living room.

I stayed very still, just wanting to soak in the room. Nothing had changed. It was clean, but messy. You know what I mean. My parents have a real home where people actually live and love and laugh instead of a cold, heartless showpiece. (I mean, please, even my opulent chamber in Epona’s Temple gets messy sometimes!) Books were strewn all over the end tables and whatnot. (My parents read constantly. Their favorites are paranormal romances. Yes, even my dad reads them. Promise. Which is proof that men can evolve beyond the subhumanoid level of Sports Illustrated and Maxim.) There was only one small table lamp on and it was turned down so low that it actually took me a little while to realize that Dad was sitting in the chair next to the lamp. He was sound asleep.

I smiled and firmly told myself I would not cry. Just the sight of Dad made me feel warm and safe and loved. Man, I’d missed him. I felt the little shiver that told me Epona had worked some of her magic to make my spirit body visible, and glanced quickly down at myself. Thankfully this time I wasn’t naked. Then I looked back at Dad and, with another grin, opened my mouth to shout a big Surprise, Dad, it’s me, when the book in his lap moved. And kicked. And made a little cooing noise.

“Holy shit, that’s not a book!”

At the sound of my voice Dad’s body jerked. He blinked, squinting around the room sleepily, clearly thinking he’d been dreaming. Then he shifted the baby (BABY?!) from the crook of his arm to his shoulder, where he patted the diapered behind gently.

“Dad, where the hell did that baby come from?”

Dad’s body jerked in surprise again. He followed the sound of my voice up and his eyes widened. “Shannon? Is that you, old Bugsy?”

“It’s me, Dad.” Then before I could say anything else he said, “Is everything all right with you? Did anything bad happen today?”

“I’m good, Dad—great, actually. I had a daughter today. Her name is Myrna and she’s amazingly beautiful. You’re a grandpa!”

“Bugsy old girl, that’s wonderful!” He shifted the baby from his shoulder to his other arm so that he could wipe his eyes clear of tears. I glanced at the baby and felt the shock of recognition sear me like I’d just touched a hot iron.

“Whose child is that?”

I knew what his answer would be before he said it.

“Rhiannon’s.”

“How, Dad? She’s dead.”

He nodded his head slowly. “Yep, yep. She died today giving birth to her.”

“Her?” I felt sick, even though I’d known the baby had to be a girl child. Epona’s Chosen was always gifted with a girl child as her firstborn.

“Rhiannon named her Morrigan,” Dad said.

“Did Rhiannon die here? I don’t understand. How did she get out of that tree?”

Dad sighed. “I only know what happened secondhand. Rhiannon was dead when she got here. An old shaman found her and helped deliver the baby. He told me that Rhiannon had made a deal with a dark god to break free of the tree. She was to be his High Priestess—both she and Morrigan were supposed to pledge to his service—but the birth of Morrigan changed her. Or I guess fixed her would be a better way to put it. Rhiannon denied the dark god, but she was so near death that the god wouldn’t release her. So she called on Epona, and the Goddess answered her.”

“Epona forgave Rhiannon?”

“She did,” Dad said.

I know it was wrong—selfish of me and more than a little hateful, but knowing that Rhiannon had reconciled with Epona made me feel ridiculously jealous.

You are now, and will forever be my Chosen One. My love for Rhiannon does not lessen my love for you, Beloved.

Epona’s voice in my head made me jump guiltily.

Pay attention now, Beloved. Your father must be made aware of Pryderi’s intentions.

And suddenly I knew why Epona had pulled me through the fiery tunnel that separated our worlds, and it wasn’t just for me to tell Dad about Myrna or for me to understand what had happened to Rhiannon.

“Dad, are you keeping Rhiannon’s baby?”

“Yep…yep…” He looked down at the child and touched her cheek gently before continuing. “It was Rhiannon’s last request. But there’s more to it than that, Shannon. This baby is so much like you were. I have to help her—I can’t let her go to strangers.” His eyes begged me to understand. And, oddly, I did.

“She looks just like Myrna. It’s really weird. I suppose it makes sense. Rhiannon and I could have been twins. And Clint and ClanFintan are mirrors of each other—” I broke off abruptly with a gasp. This was Clint’s daughter! Had I chosen to stay in Oklahoma and not returned to my life in Partholon, Clint would be alive today. He and I would be together. My next child would have been his…I clamped down on those thoughts, forcing myself not to cry…not to regret…

Dad looked only momentarily surprised. “Clint’s daughter, huh? I’m glad to hear it. I liked that young man.”

“So did I,” I said quietly. “Did the shaman say anything about finding Clint’s body by the tree?”

Dad met my eyes. “No. And I’m sure if his body had been there the old man would have mentioned it.” He paused. “So Clint is dead.”

Although it wasn’t a question, I nodded. “It was the sacrifice of his life that returned me to Partholon.”

“Yep…yep…He was brave. I’ll be sure to tell Morrigan what a good man her father was.”

Which reminded me. “Dad, I’m here because Epona wants me to warn you. That dark god that broke Rhiannon free from the tree?” Dad nodded. “His name is Pryderi. He’s really bad news. They call him the Triple-Faced God, when they call him anything at all. Most people in Partholon won’t even speak his name. A long time ago he was Epona’s consort, but he betrayed her because he wanted her power. She banished him, but he wants to come back.” I spoke the next words as the Goddess whispered them through my mind. “His power feeds on worship.” I paused, sifting through the knowledge Epona was giving me. “It’s like he’s a vampire. He literally drains the good from those who worship him. He thrives on the ashes of their souls. And he needs a High Priestess as a go-between, so that his evil intentions are hidden from his worshippers.” I drew a deep, shaky breath. “He wants to use a daughter of Epona’s Chosen to win a hold on Partholon. That means even in Oklahoma Morrigan will not be safe because we all know sometimes people can travel from Oklahoma to Partholon.”

I was shocked to see that Dad didn’t look one bit surprised. He only nodded slowly and said, “Yep, that’s basically what the shaman told me. It’s why Rhiannon asked Epona to forgive her. So that her spirit could be free to watch over her daughter and try to keep her from being lured to the Dark Side.”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, his wording made me smile. “The Dark Side, Dad? As in Darth Vader?”

“Seems like a reasonable comparison.”

A laugh bubbled out of me. “I suppose you’re right.”

“So I’ll just have to be sure that the Force is strong with her,” he said, chuckling.

“Seriously, Dad, Pryderi is going to come after her. Raising her could put you and Mama Parker in danger.”