Warrior's Moon

Epilogue

The same group that had traveled with them from the Sinclair all stood in the secret caves of the ancient Chrechte the next day. Caelis, Shona, their children, Audrey, Vegar, Thomas, Prince Eirik, Ciara, Maon and the other MacLeod soldiers who had first sworn fealty to a new alpha.

Ciara led them all down into the chamber of the Faolchú Chridhe and now instructed Shona and Caelis to lay their hands on the sacred stone.

The mating ceremony the night before had been a public affirmation of their relationship, but today the celi di wanted to bless their union with the sacred stone.

The moment Shona’s fingertips touched the giant glowing emerald, she felt the most amazing connection. The thoughts and feelings that bombarded her were not her own, and she realized from their content that they belonged to those around her.

“I can hear the thoughts of others,” she said in awe. She’d heard Uven’s contemplations in the great hall before the laird’s death, but they had been muffled and disjointed.

Now, it was as if she could enter another’s mind like walking into a room.

“It is the gift of your nature,” Ciara said softly.

“But I am human.”

“With Chrechte ancestry.”

“You will help identify the Fearghall and aid the celi di for both the Éan and Faol to serve our people the way we are meant to.”

“But I am no celi di.”

Ciara smiled. “You are. You have been chosen.”

“But…” Shona looked up at Caelis.

He returned the look with blue eyes filled with love. “Your destiny is yours to embrace or deny. I stand by you either way.”

Happiness suffused her. “With your example, how can I do any less than embrace it?”

Then each one in the chamber laid his hand on the Faolchú Chridhe to varying effect. When Maon touched it, though, a great light exploded around them and when Shona could see again, a conriocht who was not her mate stood among them.

It was Maon.

“You must find the Paindeal,” Ciara intoned. “Your fate lies in reuniting our races.”

Maon did not speak, his expression one of stupefied shock.

Caelis laid his human hand on the conriocht’s arm. “You do not feel worthy. You never will, but you have been chosen as protector of our people. What you do with that great gift is up to you.”

Caelis turned back to Shona and reiterated, “Just as you must choose how much of yourself to give to our people.”

“So long as you are by my side, I will serve the Chrechte of all clans and the humans of our own to the best of my abilities.”

“I will always be with you. I love you more than my life, more than my duty.”

And she believed him.

To the very smallest tendrils of her spirit.