Celtic Rain (The Battle Raven Series) by Isabelle Stewart Page B

with them. No one would dare oppose her or she would send them to the altar. He knew what he was doing when he chose her.”
    “Why are you here instead of Blaine?” asked Eion.
    “I will give you the shortened version. Let me know when you feel you have enough strength to translocate and get Lara out of here.”
    Eion sipped at the water some more. “Do you have any food in there?” he asked and watched as Kedryn dug in the pack and pulled out a granola bar and gave it to him.
    “Thank you again.” Eion said as he tore it open and took a bite. He motioned for Aodhan to continue on.
    “Father was going to head through the portal to find you when he had not heard from you. That seems so long ago. You informed him that the descendant had been found and that you were watching her train. That he was not to worry about your Lapisphere. You were going to complete her training if the Seer’s vision came to pass. Knowing that you were ok he decided to hold off on going through the portal.”
    Aodhan reached over and grabbed water out of Kedryn’s pack. “Many things happened since that time that had taken his mind off of the portal, you and the descendant. When the war started he realized how many years had passed since he last heard from you.”
    “Many years.” Eion said pulling his cloak tight around him.
    Stretching his legs out Aodhan took a drink. “Around eighteen years to be exact. Devlyn, Scanlon, Father and myself devised a plan to leave the second day during the seven day peace negotiations. We were hoping that Liam’s trackers would be too busy to follow and knew that Paili would send the Firbolg if she found out about the plans.”
    Aodhan studied Eion “Are you ready? Or do you still need a little more time?”
    “Just a smidgen more. How did Paili’s spies find out?”
    “Scanlon took a little scouting trip and overheard that Paili’s spies had indeed found out about our plans. Her plan at that time was to send her Firbolg when we left. She wanted to make sure that Lara never came back through the portal and also to find out what happened to Faolan. All these years her main goal, besides ruling Laois, was to find his Druids Carnelian sphere and take it for herself.”
    Eion shook his head. “All she really wants is power. Paili could care less about Faolan or the land of Laois. The banshee does not understand. Only the Druid who the sphere belongs to is the one that receives and can use its ultimate power.”
    Eion chuckled. “I would ask how he found out about Paili’s plans however I could picture him sneaking through the palace. I remember him as a sneaky, bright, and wiry little boy.”
    Aodhan laughed at that. “Whenever one of mother’s pies disappeared. I knew it was him, he was clever enough not to get caught.”
    “Yes, the pies. Orla knew it was him. It became a game between the both of them, and an inside joke with us all. I knew you would have a good influence on him.” Eion got to his feet and stretched. “I am almost ready. What happened next?”
    “We ended up leaving sooner than planned. Scanlon took one last trip to Laois and overheard one of Paili’s councilmen tell someone that she was sending out men right away to arrive at the cave before us. Father had planned on waiting but changed his mind. When we reached the cave he stayed behind to close it and if the others got there before he closed it he was going to stop or slow them down.”
    Eion interrupted “Why did Scanlon and Devlyn not come with?”
    “They were at the Duir Plain with General Ruark discussing our plan to leave at that time. Shortly after the war started father’s sickness escalated and no one, including myself, has been able to heal him. He was saving his strength for the trip and I stayed with him.” Aodhan had a look of anxiety that overwhelmed him that he quickly masked.
    “How are you feeling now? I really think it’s about time we get out of here.”
    Eion’s face filled with sympathy “I