“Will you accept us? Will you teach us how to guard the rest of our world like you guard this island?”
Sgiach hesitated, but only long enough to share a look with Seoras. Then she lifted her hand, palm out, and spoke with such power it caused a great wind to whip around them.
“Failte gu ant Eilean nan Sgiath. Welcome to the Isle of Sgiach. You may enter.”
Side by side, Stark and Kevin entered the Isle of Women.
4
Other Kevin
Even though he was a red vampyre and the sun would fry him like bacon, Kevin wished he could see Sgiach’s island in the daylight. Seoras had very grumpily told them to get into the back seat of a Jeep Wrangler, and currently they were bouncing along an unpaved road toward a speck of light in the distance. Kevin suspected the old Scottish dude was hitting every rut and rock on purpose.
“Hey, where’s Sgiach?” Kevin asked, suddenly realizing the queen was nowhere to be seen.
“Sgiach doesna need the motor tae be traveling her island,” growled the Warrior.
“What does that mean?” Kevin whispered to Stark.
Clearly, the old dude’s hearing was perfectly fine because he frowned at Kevin in the rearview mirror and said, “It means what the queen already told ye, wain. Sgiach’s affinity is to her land. She commands it.”
“Shit! You mean on Skye the queen is like a living transporter beam?” Kevin blurted, then realized there was no way Seoras could understand that, and he added. “Um, what I mean by that is that she can—”
“I know what ye mean. Like Star Trek. ’Tis a fine explanation.”
“You know about Star Trek?” Stark asked.
Seoras snickered. “Aye, wain. And runnin’ water too.”
“I knew you had to be connected to the outside world,” said Stark.
“Well, she’s a queen. Not a fool.”
They traveled on in silence as Kevin stared out the window. They’d come around a bend in the narrow road. Ahead and to their right, a castle sat a couple football-field lengths away. A stone bridge–like path that led to it was raised over a boggy stretch of land. Torches, like the ones that had been on the bridge from the mainland, lit it with a spectral light that flickered in the cold wind.
“What is that?” Stark pointed to their left, pulling Kevin’s attention from the castle.
A strange-looking forest grew to the muddy road. Tree trunks were twisted and gnarled, but they held up a canopy of green that was thick, beautiful, and verdant. His eyesight, better at night than a blue vamp’s, allowed him to peer into the forest, which was covered with a thick carpet of moss. Within, even in the darkness of full night, white boulders with the same silver veins as the arch they had so recently passed under, glinted and twinkled like jewels.
One tree in particular stood out. As Kevin stared, he realized that it was actually two trees that had grown together, their trunks and branches irrevocably entangled, and from the branches, long strips of fabric waved lazily, almost like they were welcoming him.
“’Tis the Craobh—the Sacred Grove. Sgiach’s castle is just there, across from it.” Seoras was saying.
Kevin wanted to ask him about the twisted trees with the fabric, but Seoras had driven past it and had pulled off the road in front of the pathway to the castle. On foot they approached the raised stone walkway, and Kevin noticed that the castle was perched on the edge of a cliff that looked out across the sea.
“Impressive,” Stark said. “Even without the protective spell it would be tough to breach.”
“Tough?” Seoras snorted. “More like impossible, laddie.”
The castle was beautiful. It was made of the same stone that filled the forest across the street. Kevin looked up and up as a cold gust caused a long flag to whip through the air. From the topmost turret of the castle it flew, illuminated by more torches. Painted on it was a massive black bull with the shimmering image of a goddess—or maybe a queen—within the body of the bull, stretched out across its back. When he pulled his gaze down to the pathway, Kevin felt a jolt of shock. Torches weren’t all that lined the stone bridgeway to the castle. Between each pair of flaming torches were thick stakes that held decapitated heads.
Kevin couldn’t stop staring at them. What skin remained looked like leather—the mouths gaped open—eyes were missing. He thought they were moving, maybe even grimacing at him, and then as he passed the first one he realized that it was just what was left of their long, stringy hair lifting with the breeze.
He spoke to Stark in a low voice. “That’s some gross shit.”
Stark had opened his mouth to agree, but Seoras, who walked before them, beat him to it. “Och, dinnae worry. They’re just what’s left of impertinent wains.” The old Warrior glanced over his shoulder at them, his blue eyes sparkling with amusement. “Or maybe ye should worry.” Chuckling to himself, Seoras picked up the pace so Kevin and Stark had to scramble to keep up with him.
Two Warriors, dressed like Seoras, stood silently before the huge, arched wooden doors. As the three of them approached, they nodded respectfully to Seoras before opening the doors to reveal a shockingly gorgeous interior. The floors were made of more of the silver white marble, and they gleamed from the blaze of chandeliers and candelabra that filled the enormous entry room. Kevin noted that the castle did have electricity, though there were still a lot of thick taper candles lit everywhere.
The stone walls were covered by incredible tapestries that depicted all sorts of different scenes—from peaceful landscapes with shaggy cows to amazingly realistic battles. They passed through the entryway, walked down a long hallway, and had come to an immense double stone stairway. Seoras halted and pointed up the stairs.
“If ye need to rest, or fix yer makeup, there leads to yer rooms.”
“We don’t have time for any of that,” Stark said.
Seoras looked from Stark to Kevin, who shrugged nonchalantly and said, “I left my makeup at home.”
To his surprise, Seoras barked a laugh before saying, “Aye, then, it’s to the Queen and the Chamber of the Fianna Foil I’ll be takin’ ye.” The old Warrior turned from the stairway and continued down the hall until he came to a huge set of arched double doors. Kevin thought they had to be at least twenty feet tall and a foot thick, and he watched eagerly, waiting for Seoras to use some of that old muscle to pry them open, but all the Warrior did was whisper, “Yur Guardian asks permission to enter, my Queen.”
With the soft sound of a woman’s sigh, the massive doors opened to a room so incredible Kevin had to remind his feet to move so that he didn’t just stand there gawking.
Warriors, all fully armed and dressed in ancient kilts, stood around the perimeter of the large room, looking somber and ready to protect their queen. In front of a wall of windows there was a triple-tiered onyx dais that held a white marble throne on which Queen Sgiach sat. Seoras went to the dais, bowed low to his queen, and then took position standing beside the throne on her right.