Darach by RJ Scott Page B

with the red Fire of a healer. He had never seen scarlet Fire before. It was rarer than one of Kian's jokes. There were maybe a handful of healers in the City, and their skills were prized. As he tried to stay upright on the damn horse, he wracked his brain for spells and magik that could maybe defeat the thrall of red Fire. Because, clearly, despite assurances to the contrary, this Ceithin had spelled Darach to follow him into the forest and across the river that marked the county border. He wouldn't have gone otherwise.
    "Ceithin," Darach murmured to himself as first the gelding and then his mare broke into a canter along the steadily widening path. More riding was not doing him any good.
    Just then, Ceithin reined in his mount, which stopped immediately. Leaning forward over the gelding's neck, Ceithin whispered then sat up and turned, catching Darach's mare's reins. They stood, and Darach blinked at the sun emerging through the morning rain.
    "Look," Ceithin said, his voice soft, and Darach lifted his gaze to follow the line of Ceithin's gaze.
    They had moved out of the tree cover and now looked down over a long, narrow valley with beautiful sloping grass-clad sides, a deep decline to a river at the base carved by ice many millions of years ago. There were water courses making their way in long straight falls, and rainbows that curved into the sky towards the sun. Paradise. All of it was so perfect—the smell of it, the taste of the air, the spectrum of color casting a hue of light Darach had never seen before.
    "Beautiful." He breathed the single word.
    " E nfys yn disgyn , " Ceithin said simply, a smile on his face, his eyes l it with happiness.
    "Rainbow Falls," Darach whispered, translating the Ancient and finding himself unable to do anything but smile back.
    Ceithin nudged the mare forward and they began following a path Darach hadn't even seen. A shallow fall twisted in and around water and rocks. Trees and plants were so vivid a green the brilliance of the hues almost hurt the eyes.
    Kian would be so happy here. He loved nature, loved things he could grow and touch, although not many people outside himself, Darach, and Eoin had known this.
    Before too long , they reached the bank of the river. The sounds of water rushing over and around boulders were deep and resonant, giving a hint of the stream ' s depth. Darach hoped to Annwn they didn ' t have to cross it on horseback. He didn ' t know if he could survive a combination of his fear of horses and the whole I-can ' t-swim problem.
    "There's a bridge."
    Ceithin was smirking, damn Cariad, and Darach pasted what he hoped was a disinterested expression on his face. They crossed the bridge, solidly built of wood and stone, and the air changed as soon as they reached the other side. He might only be a baby with his Fire, but he knew wards when he passed through them. They had crossed some kind of barrier, and he remained intact. He consciously checked himself over, including touching the Fire coiled inside him, just making sure everything was still in place and pointedly ignoring Ceithin's chuckle.
    "Ceithin Gawain Morgan!"
    Ceithin smiled broadly at the name and jumped down off of the mare in a smooth move, striding five paces to swing a woman into his arms. Tall, slim, dark hair reaching her waist, she gripped Ceithin tightly, and Darach watched with amusement as she stepped back and thumped Ceithin hard on the chest.
    "Ouch! Is that really necessary?"
    "You are in so much trouble! Pappa could see everything! He was all for mounting a rescue."
    "I didn't need rescuing. I was fine." Ceithin's tone was underlaid with defensiveness, along with what Darach perceived as a healthy dose of guilt.
    "Don't say I didn't warn you." She paused, tilted her head, and turned to face Darach, and a shiver of fear coursed through him. There was something about this woman, a certain familiarity, and his gaze moved from her to Ceithin and back. They were similar in height, in coloring,