Solstice - The Goddess Awakens

As the weeks passed by Lola didn’t venture too far from the sanctuary that Brook Mill Manor offered. She spent most of her time outside in the gardens and in the greenhouse tending to Aibgrene’s herbs and vegetables, readying them for the sparse winter that was almost upon them. Liam was eager to have someone to share all his discoveries with and Lola was happy to indulge her little brother. The girls had returned from America and had called every day to try to break her melancholy mood. The days and weeks went by in a haze, and Lola couldn’t begin to explain what had happened.

Even if she did, she doubted they would believe her. A global occult had killed Arthur and the same group wanted her dead too. Lola could just see their faces when she told them that. They’d more than likely think she needed to be institutionalised. In truth, there were days when she believed that herself. It was all so surreal. So instead of coming clean Lola gave them a diluted version, a partial truth, but truth nonetheless. She was grief stricken by Arthur’s death and she was heartbroken by the fact she could never have the man she loved. Not because her love was unrequited, but because he was, by default, her enemy. Lola understood that she had always known this. She had felt it in every fibre of her being from the instant they met, yet some invisible force had pulled them towards each other. Something much stronger than all the mistrust and doubt she had felt.

So, it was easier for her to play the game with the girls and her parents. It was easier and safer for them if they didn’t know the truth, whatever that was. Yet, despite all this newly acquired gnosis, there still wasn’t one day that went by when Lola Paige didn’t think about Alex Stein. She hadn’t expected any contact from Alex, yet in spite of herself she craved it. And then it came. It was a small envelope addressed to her. Without knowing why, she took it to the book room before opening it. When she did, all that Lola found was a CD and a short note in Alex’s handwriting. The smell of his aftershave on the paper awoke the aching and longing, cutting open all those harsh emotions like an old wound. ‘Our collision has left us both irrevocably transformed. I’m sorry’. That was all the note said. When she placed the CD in the player, the voice of the young girl she’d heard in his car came spilling out from the speakers. Her lament, Lola thought, was a perfect eulogy for what had passed between her and Alex. But that time was over. Now each of them stood on two opposing sides and the demarcation lines had been clearly drawn. At first, she listened to the song continuously. It was the only reminder that she would allow herself. The only reminder that she had loved and been loved in return. But, in the end, she could not and would not permit any man to define Lola Paige – whoever that was. So she determined to find the strength. To wake each day and be thankful for every lesson and every blessing she had in her life, no matter how small.

Soon autumn came to Brook Mill Manor, Lola’s favourite time of year. She loved to be among the towering oaks that had now turned umber and red as Mother Nature prepared for her winter sleep. The changing leaves meant it was time to return to university for her second year of journalism. For a while she’d been toying with the notion of staying at home and travelling back and forth to Belfast each day, but Ruby, Clara and Orla wouldn’t hear of it. They had talked her into staying at their shared house and she was glad they had. She had to get on with her life. She couldn’t put it on hold for something that might never happen.

Throwing herself into her school work and the university newspaper, Lola kept very busy. She had brought the parchment and sun catcher with her, as she felt safe when it was there.

Aibgrene’s power was becoming stronger and stronger as she visited Lola almost every night. Lola had thought she was dreaming the first time she saw Aibgrene sitting at the bottom of her bed. Her friend explained that travelling on the astral plane was becoming easier and easier for her, and Lola was becoming used to seeing her now. It gave her a great deal of comfort. Having someone that she could discuss her worries and concerns with openly was a real relief. Of course it was hard to lie to her friends when they reported hearing her talking to someone late at night. She tried to palm them off by telling them that she was talking in her sleep, but a very astute Clara, who slept in the room next to hers, said that she could hear two voices.

For weeks the girls had been trying to talk her into going to the university’s annual Halloween party. It was fancy dress and Lola wasn’t sure she was in the mood for it. She had been talking to Aibgrene about this, and was advised to go and enjoy herself.

Halloween was a very important night for Aibgrene. At Samhain, as she called it, the people of the Old Religion celebrated their New Year. For them, it was a time to honour the past and to give thanks for the new. She explained that it was a time when the veils between both worlds were at their thinnest. This was far removed from the commercial view of Halloween that Lola had been used to, and the thought of dressing up made her feel a bit silly, but she needed to let loose and enjoy herself, so eventually she decided to go.

After much deliberation on what to dress up as, Lola decided to go as a Celtic warrior goddess – it would be her own private little joke. In truth she wasn’t feeling much like a goddess lately and thought that maybe dressing up might ignite that side of her once again. Lola got her mum to make her costume. She really wasn’t sure what a Celtic goddess looked like, but she went with faux leather trousers and corset. Her mum also made a mantel and a head band, which she engraved with a triple spiral.

Ruby had managed to get her a red wig, which fit perfectly, and she found a sword and pouch in a toy shop. After getting dressed, Lola stood looking in the mirror, shocked at how much she resembled the girl she had encountered at Tara. Running into the bathroom to get a wipe, she returned to the room to find Aibgrene standing like a spectre at the bottom of her bed, forcing Lola to shriek with fright. Aibgrene had never come this early before – usually it was late at night – so Lola instinctively knew something was wrong.

‘Aibgrene, you nearly gave me a heart attack,’ said Lola, but Aibgrene just stared blankly back at her.

‘I’ve found my mum, Lo, I’ve found her. She’s by the water. Where the owls are. I don’t have much time. He’s going to kill her tonight,’ sobbed Aibgrene. Lola was almost floored when she got a flash of Aibgrene’s vision. She found herself transported; she was hovering above the foamy sea now looking down onto a cliff-side mansion. Across the beach on the cliff top stood Mussenden Temple. Lola wasn’t sure why her eyes had been guided towards it but she understood it was significant. Red light leaked from its latticed windows and she was momentarily hit by the same oppressive feeling she’d experienced in Chateau Bacchus. Lola knew instinctively where Celeste was.

‘You can’t go alone, Aibgrene. Where are you now?’ asked Lola. But it was too late, Aibgrene’s form started to fade, until it finally disappeared in a milky wisp. Struggling to orientate herself, Lola scrambled over her bed searching for the small notebook where she kept the mobile number that Daithi had given her to call in emergencies. Ripping the page out of the book, she descended the stairs two at a time.

‘Ruby, Ruby! Where are your car keys? I need to borrow your car.’

‘What is it, Lola? What’s wrong?’ asked Ruby.

Lola didn’t know what to tell her, but she couldn’t lie, not again. Grabbing Ruby, Lola hugged her best friend.

‘Oh, Rubes, there’s so much I can’t tell you. All I can say is that someone really important to me is in trouble, and I need to help them.’

‘What’d you mean? Lola, you’re really freaking me out. Please, Lo, what’s going on?’ pleaded Ruby. But Lola didn’t have time to explain.

‘The keys, Ruby. Where are they?’ Taking the keys from her pocket Ruby handed them to her hesitantly. Checking that the ring was still around her neck Lola snatched the keys and bolted towards the door. ‘I love you, Rubes, and I’ll be okay. I’ll call as soon as I can,’ assured Lola.

Lola didn’t care that she was doing sixty in a thirty zone, or that she might get caught. When she finally got onto the motorway, she dialled the number on the crumpled piece of paper. The phone rang for what seemed like hours, before Aibgrene’s familiar voice answered.

‘Aibgrene, where are you now?’ Aibgrene shared none of Lola’s panic, her voice was perfectly calm and even, it sounded as though she was sedated.

‘We’ve just come through Belfast and are on our way up the M2,’ replied Aibgrene. They weren’t that far away, which meant they would get to Portstewart around the same time, thought Lola.

‘Listen to me, Aibgrene. I’m not far away so don’t do anything rash. I have the ring, we’ll be fine. Okay?’ Aibgrene began to protest, begging Lola to turn back, but there was no way she could. This felt right. Lola could feel the power of the ring growing with her resolve, giving her courage and clarity. She had to do this; in fact, she knew that she was the only person that could save Celeste. ‘Listen to me, Aibgrene, I need to do this. You won’t have a chance of rescuing Celeste on your own. Wait by the entrance to the beach for me if you get there before I do. There’s a house there with a white fence around it and it’s called Pebble Cottage. I’ll meet you both there. Okay?’