Page 34 of Sigils & Spells

“What woman?”

“Well, she climbed to the top one winter’s night, completely naked. She sat over there, by the stone slab.”

I turn to look at the spot Val points to. There’s a large, flat stone, barely visible in the long grass. It doesn’t look like it belongs there. Perhaps it’s an ancient grave marker, or something.

“She froze to death, right there.”

“I’m surprised she got as far as she did with no clothes on. It must have been bitterly cold.”

“Well, yes, but humans can do extraordinary things when they’re determined enough, and she was clearly on a mission. When they found her, she was clutching an iron dagger to her chest.”

“An iron dagger? Does that hold some meaning?”

“Oh, yes. Some people believe iron objects can be used to create a fissure between this world and the supernatural realm. She probably thought if she plunged it into the earth, she would gain access to Laidir.”

“So why was she still holding the knife? Shouldn’t it have been stuck in the ground, or something?”

Val shrugs. “Who can tell what happened? Perhaps she couldn’t find the courage to open the doorway. Perhaps the faeries warned her off.”

“Hmm.” I walk over to get a closer look at the gray stone slab. It’s large. I could probably lie on it without my feet dangling over the edge. There are two metal rings at one end of it, which seems odd. It was obviously dragged here at some point in the past for whatever purpose. There are some markings on it, so I get down on my knees for a closer look. Perhaps my initial thought was correct, and it is a grave marker. “Runes?”

“Well spotted.” Val comes to stand over me.

“I wonder what they say.”

“Abandon hope all ye who enter here.”

Frowning, I look up at her and she winks at me to let me know she was kidding. I laugh, but that inexplicable sense of dread creeps over me again. As I stare down at the cold, gray slab, my mind pulls me away, to another time and place.

A woman with long, dark hair is brought here, her arms held by two strong men with flowing blond locks and elvish features. Though there’s fear in her tear-filled eyes, she doesn’t struggle as another man steps forward, his face obscured by the hood of a black cloak. Sensing darkness in him, I shiver. This is the man from my dreams.

“Who brings this woman to be my bride” he asks in that deep hypnotic voice.

“We do, sire.”

He reaches out and curves a hand around her cheek.

“Do you consent to be my bride?”

She glances back over her shoulder. I can’t tell what she’s looking at. A frown creases the bridge of her nose. Then she nods, almost imperceptibly, and turns to face her groom.

“I do, my lord.”

He takes her hand and pulls her onto the stone slab. He lays her down and….the image disappears. The vision was so startling I find myself shaking. Val puts an arm around my shoulders.

“What is it, Cait? What did you see?”

“Nothing.” I shake my head, trying to banish the last remnants of what felt like a distant memory. “Can we go now?”

Not waiting for a response, I walk off down the hill. Val follows. Something happened here and I can’t help sensing it was bad.

“What happened?” I ask Val as we trek back down the long path toward the house. “To the faerie queen? What happened to her once she entered the human world?”

“She stayed too long and became mortal. She lived and died many times over”

“You’re talking about reincarnation?”

“Yes. Her body grew weak and faded away, but her essence, her soul, if you will, lived on and was born anew.”

---