Dark Isle (Celtic Legacy Book 2) by Shannon Mayer Read Free Book Online

been right.
    “Aednat, how long?” I whispered.
    “ Soon . You see.”
    We came upon the junction of two trails, paths that were clearly worn down to the hard pan.
    Luke came up behind me and spoke softly into my ear. “This doesn’t look good, be ready to fight.”
    Aednat gave a tug on my hand and I followed obediently. She brought us to an arbutus tree, its glossy red and smooth bark twisted and gnarled into a perfect arch across the path.
    “Step through , ” s he said, doing just that, her body disappearing into thin air. I paused, my senses tingling. The decision was taken from me. A flash of movement to the right followed by a hair - raising screech forced me into action. I stumbled forward, the bright light making me blink, my eyes watering with the intensity of it.
    Luke and Cora followed, Luke spinning to face the pathway with his sword bared. Aednat pushed past him and touched the bark of the tree. The whole thing shivered, the n the bark beg a n to peel and lose its bright red colour.
    “There, they can’t follow us now , ” s he said, smiling up at me.
    “Where are we?” I asked as my eyes adjusted. W e were still surrounded by trees, but there was the very familiar sound of water rushing over sand.
    Aednat smiled up at me. “Other side of Island. Safe here from Banshee Queen .”
    She’d brought us back to where our journey had started. We were on the west coast.

6
     
    Making our way through the canopied forest, we quickly found a spot where we could see out onto the sand. It was covered in sleeping Fomorii sunbathing like sea lions. Every once and a whil e one would groan and roll over , scratching at its armour ed hide.
    Aednat stared at the Fomorii, her eyes unreadable . “Bad Fomorii, they are friends with Queen .”
    Luke leaned forward. “What do you mean, ‘ friends ?’ ” Even now he doubted what I’d seen through Darcy’s eyes.
    Aednat snarled. “Balor, he come to nice Queen , tell her of beautiful place far away from Ireland. Place that she can have for her own, no Tuatha to fight her. She only have to help guard new place. But before good queen can settle in, bad banshee takes crown through nasty trick. Now, Bad Queen is cruel to people, she beat Aednat, killed her friends. Then she starts stealing humans .”
    We crept back into the forest. Luke’s face was thoughtful and I wondered if he’d finally come to the conclusion that Cora and I were right all along. The Banshee Queen was not our friend any more than Balor was.
    Cora remained quiet as we walked , her tongue tasting the air but otherwise she barely twitched up on Luke’s shoulders.
    Cora, I can almost see you thinking. What do you think is going on? I sent to her, grateful for the ability to speak without everyone hearing.
    I think that Balor still wants a kingdom on land , and if can’t have the Emerald Isle, he’ll make his own.
    Her words literally stopped me in my tracks. I met her eyes and she gave a slow nod. It made a horrible, twisted sort of sense.
    “The earthquakes?”
    “I would lay odds that he is tunneling to bring his people over . But he can’t do it on his own, he must have found someone to help him , ” Cora said.
    “What are you two talking about?” Luke asked.
    But it was Aednat that answered. “They speak of Balor making new Emerald Isle , a Dark Isle . That is what he told the good Queen . New place, just like old , but better, no Tuatha. ”
    Luke snapped his fingers. “ It all makes sense . Without the Tuatha here to balance him, he’ll have complete power , and with him giving the Banshees what they want, their own forest, they will back him up in any fight . ”
    “Not to mention if he unearths . . .” At the looks both Cora and Luke gave me, I close d my mouth.
    Do not tell Aednat about Chaos. She is a child, she doesn’t need to know.
    I gave a slight nod, embarrassed by my near slip up.
    Aednat skipped over to me, and took both my hands. “ Aednat know s you. She dreamed