Nothing seemed out of place in the nightscape around them. There were a few trees and bushes, but nothing peered out from behind them, and the clearing on either side of the road seemed unthreatening as well.
“What was that?” Aislyn asked. Aaron could feel her heart beating so quickly it reverberated in his own chest.
“I’m not sure,” he managed. “Hopefully, whatever it was, it keeps its distance.”
“Do you think it was a…”
He cut her off, “Don’t say it, Aislyn,” he warned her, looking into her green eyes, which were narrowed in fright.
She nodded in understanding, fully aware that many believed speaking of them aloud would bring them in. “We should go.”
Aaron agreed, and as wonderful as the evening had been, he would feel much better once Aislyn was in her home where at least she would be indoors and probably safer. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and with another glance behind them, began to hasten their steps toward the little hut where her mother likely waited for her anxiously.
He realized he should have brought some sort of weapon. Though he had no idea if anything at all might be capable of stopping a Dark One once it had chosen its victim, at least a sword or knife would have made him feel more confident in his ability to protect Aislyn. His mother claimed that he was no longer safe either, that they were now choosing members of the Order as victims, which made Aaron ponder why they should continue to keep their agreement, but as he led the diminutive damsel to her home, his thoughts were only of protecting her, never of himself.
Within a few minutes, the shape of Aislyn’s home became apparent in front of them. The sheep were in the pen, bleating nearby, clearly a bit frightened by the sound they must have heard as well. Aislyn called out to calm them as she walked up the path that led to the front door.
Aaron noticed a horseshoe hung over the entryway, and he realized it must be there for luck and to ward off evil, since as far as he knew the O’Malley’s had never owned a horse. While he couldn’t fault them for trying, he suspected a horseshoe would do little against a Dark One.
“Thank you for walking me home,” Aislyn said, glancing over each shoulder as she turned to face him, “and for a lovely evening.”
“Aislyn,” Aaron began, his hands now pressed on her shoulders, “I’m not sure what that sound was, but it was… frightening at best.” He could hear the sense of urgency in his own voice and tried to calm his nerves. If he was going to say what he needed to say (though he certainly hadn’t planned to when he’d left home earlier that evening) he wanted her to understand that he was doing so out of love for her, not fear or anxiety. “I can’t bear the thought of knowing you might be at risk.”
A small smile spread the corners of her mouth, but he could tell it was forced. She was fearful for her own safety; he could see it in her eyes. “I’m fine, Aaron. I’ll be just fine.”
“Tonight, I believe so,” he assured her, taking a glimpse over her shoulder as he said so to make sure nothing out of the ordinary lingered there, “but things are beginning to grow out of hand, and I’m honestly not sure of anyone’s safety.”
“You’re a member of the Order,” she reminded him, her voice a whisper. “Your family will be safe.”
“Perhaps,” he nodded, “but things seem to be changing. I’m not certain, Aislyn. I’m not certain of much of anything, except that,” he took a deep breath, “ever since the day I first laid eyes on you, more years ago than I can count, I’ve known I love you. You and I are meant to be together; of that I am certain.”
He waited for her response, and while she said nothing, the fear in her face melted away and was replaced by a radiating sense of hope and contentment. Her eyes brightened, and the forced smile was replaced by a genuine one.
“I don’t know if my being a member of the Order will keep us safe, but I do know I will do everything within my power to protect you until the day I die. Of that, you can be certain, if you will become my wife.” Unplanned, unrehearsed, and undoubtedly the most important plea he’d ever made, he waited for her to respond.
He did not have to wait long. “Yes, of course I will,” Aislyn said, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She withdrew her hands from where they’d rested on his chest to cover her face.
“You will?” he asked, unable to believe his ears. “You’ll be mine, forever?”
“Forever and always,” Aislyn nodded, the tears flowing freely now.
Aaron couldn’t control his happiness any longer. He grasped her small waist and lifted her into the air, swinging her around in a large circle as he did so, both of their laughter ringing out through the night sky.
Setting her feet back on the ground, Aaron released her waist and cupped her face in his hands. This time he did not need to wait for permission as she stood up on tiptoe to press her lips to his. Her mouth was warm and welcoming, and the feel of her body pressed against him aroused feelings he’d never known before. She pulled her lips away to lean into his ear, whispering, “I love you, Aaron,” and in response he left a trail of kisses down her neck before she twisted her face back toward him and found his mouth with hers.
Realizing he needed to find a way to pull himself away from her before he was unable to, Aaron took a step back, pressing gently against her shoulders as he did so. “Aislyn,” he said softly, once he’d freed himself from those honey lips. “I love you, too. With all my heart. I must go now. I will call on you tomorrow to speak with your mother.”
By now, there was a foot or more of forced space between them. She nodded, her lips swollen and her face flushed. “Good night, my love,” she replied.
“Good night,” he smiled, and before he could be tempted to take her in his arms again, he began to walk back down the lane toward the road that led home. Once he was a safe distance from her, he turned to watch her slide safely inside the house, overjoyed that she flashed him one last sweet smile before she disappeared.
The walk home shouldn’t have been long, but he was reveling in his thoughts and the memory of her body pressed against his. It was almost impossible to believe that Aislyn had agreed to marry him. How had he become so fortunate to have the most beautiful lass in the world as his own?Soon enough, he found himself standing outside of his own door, and he realized he was also quite lucky that nothing had snuck up on him out of the shadows as he made his way home since he was paying absolutely no mind to his surroundings and would have been an easy target should anything, earthly or other worldly, chosen to claim him.He was still soaring when he quietly opened the door. However, he needn’t thought of disrupting his family members’ sleep, as all three of them were up, and clearly something was not right. Genty sat in a chair near the unlit fireplace, her mother on the floor beside her, holding her hand while Granddad stood behind her, his hands pressing
Killarney, Ireland, 1847The potatoes were nothing but black mush. He’d spent hours tilling the ground, removing the rocks, tending the soil, planting the seeds, and now, all he had to show for it was a handful of black death. While he’d had the forethought to plant a few other crops as well, the potatoes were the only way they had to make any money, and with the little home the villagers had helped them build at the end of last year when he and Aislyn had tied the knot, needing a bit of repair already, he could have used the money. Now, it would be nearly impossible to even buy seed for next year’s planting.“What you got, lad?” Kian called, stepping through his acreage to Aaron’s. “All rot?’“Yes,” Aaron assured him. “Nothing but stink and filth. You?”“The same,” Kian nodded, his hands resting on his hips. “Shannon will have a conniption when she hears.&r
There were a few locations in town where one might seek out knowledge, but the best place was the tavern, and so they decided to try their luck there. Despite the early hour, the doors were open, and more than a few citizens gathered inside, their complaints and worries reaching the ears of the newcomers before they’d fully stepped inside.Many spoke of the rotten potatoes, how there was no end in sight, how the Englishmen refused more than a token show of help, and how the Irish were left to starve or forced to move away. Only a few hinted at the rising death toll in the village attributed to the others, and no one dared speak those words. One man, who’d clearly been there for quite a while, was crying about the death of his son just a few days earlier, and while his friends attempted to console him, it was the mead that began to quiet him after some time.“There’s nothing that can be done, then, to save the crop?” Kian was asking a group
After a few moments, he returned to Kian who was rubbing the back of his head but otherwise looked just fine. “Who was that fellow?” Aaron asked, glimpsing back the way he had come.“I don’t know,” Kian admitted. “But I’ve never encountered someone so strong.”“Or so fast.”“You don’t think he could be a… Dark One?” Kian asked, finally moving his hand off the back of his head.“No, I don’t think so,” Aaron said quickly, though he wasn’t sure. If Ward really was a Dark One, wouldn’t he have destroyed them? Why would he offer an explanation for the English’s reaction to the Dark Ones? No, he didn’t seem to be evil—just leery of trusting anyone. And definitely not human, though what he might be, Aaron had no idea.“Come on,” Kian insisted, tugging on Aaron’s sleeve. “Let’s go visit our paren
The plan worked and the Dark Ones gave chase to the two men, abandoning the children and rushing after the meddlers instead. Aaron knew there was absolutely no way that he could possibly outrun the Dark Ones; he had heard numerous stories of those who had tried and failed. Even as he began to accept that his fate was sealed and that he may never see his sweet Aislyn again, he realized a strange sensation, one he’d certainly never felt before, was beginning to spread throughout his body. His legs began to tingle, and while at first he thought it was due to the speed he was approaching, he soon realized that wasn’t it at all. He suddenly felt stronger, faster than he had ever before.A quick glance over his shoulder revealed that Kian was taking another path, a smart move. Perhaps that way one of them would escape. However, as the monsters closed in, they also split, and Aaron knew he’d have to turn and face his assailant soon. He couldn’t keep running f
Neither of them made mention to their wives what had happened, though they didn’t discuss keeping it a secret. It just didn’t seem like the sort of thing one mentioned to a person who was not there; no one was likely to believe them anyway.The next morning, Aaron met Kian outside near the road. They decided they must return to the tavern to try and find Ward. Without a word to their wives of where they were going, they set out, certain that Ward would have some answers, though the longer time went by, the more Aaron began to doubt anything about the experience was real.As they walked along, Kian voiced the same thoughts. “That did really happen to us, didn’t it?”“I think so,” Aaron shrugged. “I mean, it couldn’t be a dream or else one of us wouldn’t remember, right?”“Right,” Kian agreed, though his voice wavered. “I do hope those girls made it home safely. I would hate
“Very good. You are quick learners,” Ward nodded. “Kian O'Braonain, your clan was one of the greatest Hunters in all the world many hundreds of years ago. All Vampires feared the silver swords of the O’Braonains.” Turning to Aaron, he continued, “And the McReynolds clan comes from the descendants of the great Guardian Leaders. Not only that, your mother’s clan, the O’Riordans, were also highly skilled Guardians. With the blood of both of these clans coursing through your veins, you are sure to become one of the strongest Guardians of all time.”Both men were still having trouble accepting the information. Aaron looked at Kian and only shook his head. His friend, a stunned look in his eyes, finally asked, “May I have some water?”With a smile, Ward stood and crossed to a cabinet where he produced two glasses and filled them with water from a pitcher sitting on the counter before he took his chair.
Killarney, Ireland, 1847The pain shooting through Aaron’s body was agonizing. Though it tended to radiate through his limbs most of the time, there were moments when his stomach muscles contracted so tightly, he thought he might pass out from the pain. Likewise, he’d had a throbbing headache for the last several weeks, and each time he moved he felt like his cranium might split in half.The Transformation process had begun nearly three months ago, and though it had started off with just the uncomfortable shooting pains in his limbs and soreness in his muscles, with each passing day it grew more unbearable to the point that he wasn’t sure how much longer he could take it.Despite the anguish, he had work to do, and so he pushed through the pain each day from sunup to sundown, getting us much work done on the farm as he could, though he knew he would’ve managed so much more if he’d only been pain free.Kian was also i