Rundimahair: A new hero for a new adventure by Larry Forkner (summer books .TXT) 📗

a sorrowful pace. Mothers and fathers rejecting their own children is all too common. I’m grateful to the likes of Bill and Eva Stanton for stepping in where help was needed.”

“Well said, Fergus,” Ashling said. “While we can’t undo his past, we can help Sean take hold of his future.”

“At least we know where his amazing powers came from, since he inherited both dark and light Sidhe bloodlines through his mother. They may go back a fair piece, but his ancient ancestors passed down powers beyond belief,” Eamon said.

“What you say is true, Da,” Ashling said, but not all his blood lines are so ancient. You see, Orlagh also mated with a descendant of Donal. From what his DNA tells us, Sean may have more of the Tuatha blood in his veins than he does from Faolan.”

“Say it isn’t so,” Fergus mumbled, while pondering this latest information.

“It doesn’t mean he’s doomed to follow the dark path of Donal,” Ashling said. Remember, he also has much of Faolan’s bloodline in his DNA. While his mixed blood may explain where his unusual powers come from, it doesn’t mean he’ll choose to use them for malevolent purposes. Please remember that we all came from the same bloodlines in the beginning.”

“What you say may be true, Ashling,” Fergus said. “Still and all, it should give us pause to consider the possibility.”

“Especially when you consider that those of our beloved people, who’ve chosen to follow Donal’s dark path over the millennia since his rebellion, were almost all of his ancestry,” Eamon said.

“I’m not likely to forget, Da,” Ashling said. “Do you not remember who was against bringing him into our midst in the beginning?”

“Aye, that I do, that I do, Daughter,” Eamon said. “I’m the one who felt his coming among us was not by chance. Truth be told, I still feel that way. There’s no doubt that Sean is someone special. Still and all, we must keep an open mind about the future After all, he could be someone special but not to our cause.”

“So we must keep an open mind and hope for the best,” Fergus said. “Especially when we consider the enemy, who even now searches for our hidden location. She will stop at nothing to destroy us. If I didn’t know much better, I’d suppose she might be the reincarnation of Donal or even Danu herself. If she ever finds out about Sean’s abilities, she’ll stop at nothing to turn him to their malicious purposes.”

Eamon and Ashling both nodded in solemn agreement. As they continued their discussion and planning for the future, their common enemy was relentlessly pursuing their destruction.

* * *

Sean was sleeping deeply in his beautifully renovated home in the hills overlooking downtown Portland. He’d enjoyed his trip to Portland but was feeling anxious to return to Rundimahair. His plan was to leave early the next morning.

He’d spent much of the week in his office catching up on housing and development projects, which were underway or in the planning stages. Sean had always loved the excitement of his real estate business, but during this visit he’d found his usual enthusiasm lacking.

It had been good to work with Jennie and see they were doing well without his constant input and supervision. Before he’d met Ashling, it might have bothered Sean to realize he wasn’t indispensable. Now the realization came as a great relief.

Jennie and the office staff didn’t seem to find it unusual when he’d explained he’d be out of town for an extended period. Her only response had been, “Be sure to keep your cell phone handy, in case I need to reach you.”

It was nearly two in the morning when his deep sleep was interrupted by another strange dream. His subconscious was beginning to recognize what Ashling called her prophetic dreams. Most of his prophetic dreams were related to Ashling and Rundimahair. This dream was something entirely different.

Sean was in a tall, spacious building, which resembled an ancient castle. It had fallen into a state of ruin over thousands of years. Even in its dilapidated condition, there was an air of grand majesty about it.

The ancient fortress walls, which surrounded the castle, were still mostly intact. The castle itself was situated on a grassy hillock overlooking the sea. It was crumbling badly in parts, but was still a very impressive sight.

In his dream, Sean was suddenly standing just outside the crumbling stone walls of the castle. A gentle breeze touched his face. It was somewhat chilly, but not unpleasant. He could see through the crumbling castle walls to the grounds on the far side. Much of the interior walls had long ago fallen to ruin.

When he touched the cold, moss-covered stones, Sean felt a sudden burst of energy swirling around him. It was similar to the energy he knew shielded Rundimahair, but it was subtly different. Sean watched in fascination while a stone near what had once been the entryway began to glow in soft, blue hues. Instinctively, he stepped forward and cautiously put his right hand on the glowing stone.

Nothing happened for several moments, but slowly the stone began to turn warm under his hand. The soft, blue light began to glow brighter and the color seemed to intensify. Sean considered pulling his hand away as the stone grew hotter to the touch. A sense of urgency about maintaining contact with the stone forced him to keep his hand in place.

For several minutes he watched the blue light intensify and gradually encompass all the castle ruins. Before he could decide what to do next, the blue light exploded outward, forcing Sean to cover his eyes with his hands.

When nothing else happened, he slowly lowered his hands and opened his eyes. The ancient ruins had disappeared along with the vibrant blue light. Now he was standing at the opulent front entry doors of the largest, most beautiful building he’d ever seen.

While the structure resembled an ancient castle in some ways, it appeared more modern in design,