Blackbirds by Kyleen McHenry

Author:Kyleen McHenry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Blackbirds, Life of a Thief, Kyleen McHenry, The Deities Saga, Ancestry Universe
Publisher: Kyleen McHenry
Published: 2020-11-06T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIVE

"You must follow us," Bran said.

"Follow you where?" Lonan asked between yawns.

Lonan barely slept; between the excitement of his new powers and his recurring nightmare, he awoke every few hours.

"To retrieve the gifts your mother left for you," Bran replied.

Lonan perked up. “What did she leave me?"

"It is a surprise!" Fechín screeched, swooping down to land on Lonan's shoulder.

Lonan reflexively rubbed Fechín’s beak, looking at Bran.

“Our Queen left us strict instructions to take you to them once you have used your powers knowingly,” Cormac said.

“Okay,” Lonan said, excitement pushing away the fatigue, “where to?”

“Dublin,” Bran said.

The ravens took flight, followed by Lonan on foot, traveling through Phoenix Park. Lonan passed by the trees with the striped bark, where he practiced his throwing skills the day before, and kept moving forward. As he walked, the trees grew thicker, the sun blocked by their canopies, and darkness engulfed Lonan, like the start of his nightmares. He stopped, a chill running down his spine, filling him with a sense of unease.

Are the dreams real? Lonan thought, hands shaking, sweat trickling down his face.

Lonan looked from side-to-side, looking for a lighthouse, but none were visible. Taking a breath, he walked slowly further into the forest, his anxiety growing as he went.

As the trees began to thin, light shined through, casting shadows where the sun hit the leaves. Bran, Cormac, and Fechín were waiting by the end of the forest.

“Prince Lonan!” Fechín perked up as Lonan exited the forest into a clearing.

Emerald grass and wildflowers filled the clearing, bees and butterflies pollinating the field, and a light breeze made the flowers sway. In the distance, stone pillars that were shaped like a doorway stood near a cliff.

Lonan pointed at the pillars. “What is that?” he asked, his body tensing the longer he looked at them.

“Through that door lies your gifts,” Bran said. “You will be tested before you can receive them.”

“If you are found unworthy, you will go mad, or die,” Cormac said, lowering his head in a bow.

“What is it with you and death?” Lonan asked Cormac.

Cormac ignored the question and kept looking at the pillars.

“How come no one told me about this?” Fechín said, landing on Lonan’s shoulder, spreading his wings in a protective stance.

“You are still young, chick,” Bran said, tone gentle. “It did not concern you.”

Fechín kraa’ed loudly, causing the butterflies to fly away, ready to strike. “I will not let anything happen to Prince Lonan, Bran, whether it be from an enemy or ally!”

Lonan glanced at Fechín through the corner of his eye; his heart felt warm.

“It’s okay, Fechín,” Lonan said, remembering his promise he made to himself when the nightmares started. “I am ready to face anything thrown at me. What do I need to do, Bran?”

“Just walk through the pillars; we must wait on this end,” Bran said, nestling in a tree.

Cormac followed Bran and waited.

“You too, buddy,” Lonan said, talking to Fechín.

Fechín dug his talons into Lonan’s shoulder, refusing to budge.

“Not until you are through the field and reach the pillars,” Fechín retorted.

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