The Isle (Chronicles of the Irish Princess Book 1)

I had holed away up in the Spell Room after that meeting. I was mostly researching on protection spells for Sarah and I. There weren't many to pick from, so I had asked Emilia for some help. She pointed to one that Uncle Tobias had tried to use on Lijlliana when she was dying, but because she was already injured when he performed it, it didn't work.

"However," Emilia continued. "It would work on you and Sarah, I could perform it on you both sometime tomorrow. I know I was a pain at first, but I want my family safe. I want to spoil all those beautiful babies when they are born."

"How do you know they'll be beautiful?"

"Because they have you and Sarah as mothers."

I smiled at my aunt and kept turning pages after marking the one for her to use on us. "Auntie, what can you tell me about Aideen, aside from what you told me. Is there anything in the books that could help us find a way to get rid of her?"

My aunt grimaced. "I've been over these books hundreds of times, even more now since your father's death. But all they tell me is that more than likely she'll body jump. I'm not even sure how your light projection works. In some of them it calls it a Life Force, part of me wonders if that is the key. Meara, defeated her with something similar, maybe it's time to ask the Great Mother for more guidance."

"I have, almost every day for the last week. Silence is usually the response. I think she's waiting for some thing. Like there's a puzzle piece we are missing. The four of us are kings and queens now, Luca and Sarah are mated, Kai and I are married and mated, we are both with child. What are we missing?"

I slammed my fist on the table flustered. At that moment Sarah walked in and looked at me with wide eyes. My eyes looked over her and caught the glimmer from her engagement ring. Sarah and Luca still had yet to be married, but they were already mated. Was that the missing piece.

"OMG!!! It's you two. You're the reason I've got radio silence. Y'all aren't married yet!"

"Uhh, yeah. I know I'm not. That's what I came to talk to you about. I don't want to wait much longer on that. Because I've got a good feeling that I'm going to start showing off a baby bump here in the next month or so. But I can't talk Luca into anything. We wanted a summer wedding, maybe even late fall next year, but my concern is waiting until after the twins are born. Like what if we're in the middle of a war and I go into labor. What if you're battling it out with this spirit chick and you can't help me deliver these two. No offense, Emilia, but I need you both, not just one of you."

I smiled at Sarah, she and Luca were the key. Almost like a lightbulb going off above my head I felt something touch my forehead. Though there was nothing really there, I knew it had to be from Meara.

"Sarah, how do you feel about a winter wedding."

"Leah, it's barely fall looking out there."

Emilia smiled, "It usually starts to snow around this week. The leaves will all pretty much change within the next few days and from Thanksgiving to the 28th they all drop. We could have snow as early as December 1st. We may live in a magical weather bubble, but I'm sure off the Isle many trees have lost most of their leaves and its been raining a lot."

"So you're saying, I could have snow for my wedding?"

"Most likely if we waited until the that first weekend."

Sarah's smile had spread from ear to ear. I knew deep in her soul that winter was her favorite time of year. Though my brother never knew, she once planned a winter wedding in her head. She told me about it once, it sounded beautiful. I took one look at my best friend and knew that we needed to start planning it right then and there. So, I picked up all the books from the table and moved scraps of paper aside clearing a space for her to place her laptop. She had been carrying it with her, probably working on some design of hers. Wasting no time at all she pulled up Pinterest and started searching for the colors she dreamt of long ago. I sat next to her with a paper and pen ready to write down all the details to take to Liz tomorrow. Emilia sat with us for a while, occasionally giving her input while reading from one of her favorite Shakespeare plays, The Count of Monte Cristo.

It was well after five before we rounded up for the night and ate dinner. Both Luca and Kai looked stressed out.

"Are you two okay?"

"Yeah," Luca said in a clipped tone.

"Sure am," Kai's sarcasm wasn't much better.

Sarah and I shared a glance with each other, we knew something was up. Looking between both of them, I decided to start with Luca, knowing he was most likely the issue.

"Luca, I know you. Don't lie."

He sent me a pointed look, "Sis, back off. This doesn't concern you."

"It most certainly does," Kai laughed. "Are you really not going to tell her?"

"Fine," he sighed. "Mother wants to speak with you. Alone."

"I already told you she's not going in alone. If that witch senses the baby, who is to keep her from harming either of them. Or better yet, what if she finds out Sarah is pregnant. Are you really willing to risk that Luca?"

Now I understood why they were fighting. Luca was willing to do anything to get information out of Aideen, even if that meant putting me in harms way. Kai on the other hand went into overprotective wolf mode and was making decisions on his own again. Sarah took a deep breath and looked at my brother and Kai.

"Boys, ultimately it isn't your decision. It's Leah's. Besides, we have far more important things to worry about."

"Like what," Luca scoffed.

"Our wedding. It's freezing Leah out."

They both looked at her completely lost.

"Meara, she won't speak with me. It's because you and Sarah aren't married. I can't get her to even acknowledge me. It's clear that because of this we aren't ready for war."

"Leah that isn't the plan. The plan is to wait until the war is over and then the twins are born. Then we say "I Do."

I looked up at my brother with a somber face. I understood what he wanted and why, but we were never going to get to that point without something going wrong unless we did it right.

"I know that's your plan. But it isn't hers. She clearly doesn't want her grandchildren born to parents who aren't married."

"We're mated. That is basically the same thing!"

"Not to her it isn't. You'd do best to listen to her brother. I'm sure that the Great Mother, who's a goddess, would easily take away your unborn children, should you not heed my warning."

"IS THAT A THREAT!" He exclaimed.

He was trying to overpower me by using his powers behind his voice, but I was much stronger than he was. Easily, I pinned him back in his chair with a flick of my wrist. Then getting up, I walked over to him and swung him around from the dinner table. He looked at me with a hint of fear in his eyes. After about ten minutes of him trying to fight me, he gave up and submitted to my power. When I let go, he dropped to the ground. Two guards picked him up and took him back to his room.

Sarah and I had met with the other women in the castle and continued planning their wedding. Sarah had wanted dusty blue and mauve tones. We spent a couple hours with Liz and Emilia and Kate talking over the fine details. Things were going smoothly and after a little while Luca came in to sit with us. He didn't often say anything, but rather sat there with us, holding Sarah's hand. If they had been communicating you couldn't tell. I knew inside my brother was still fighting with the Great Mother, for him I prayed that understanding would come to him.

Later that night Kai lay with me in our room

"So, how did Luca take things?"

"Not well, but he has agreed. Maybe now I can ask Meara for answers."

We talked a little about how things were going with the preparations in the town and with the people. Most of our citizens could feel the weight of an impending war, but they knew not how bad the situation would become.

As I lay in bed listening to the sounds of the evening birds and the soft snores of my mate next to me. I closed my eyes and felt myself slip into the dream state

Do not fear my child, for I have not left you. Your intuition is right, your brother must also marry. Things are beginning to change, my sister will not stay captured for long. If you manage to destroy her, those who fallow her will seek revenge against you and the pure. The key belongs in the young and impressionable for they will be the ones who take care of this place after you.

Though corrupted by evil and dark magic, Whelaminia holds powerful knowledge. Find her memories, her teachings, but do not follow in her footsteps. You my child are pure and have a heart of gold. Your life is more precious than jewels and within you is the future of my beloved.