Homelands Pt. 09 Ch. 05

Besides, if their combined strength wasn't good enough already, there was little hope that it ever would be. Between the two of them, they held a truly frightening amount of energy. Not so long ago, before her sons had blessed her with seven beautiful, purebred children, she'd never have dreamed of achieving such power. And her mother, who'd nearly rivaled Titania for as long as Caronwyn could remember as it was, had only grown stronger since Morgan and Maisie had been born. Maybe not much. Two purebred children was not the same as seven of them, after all. But she had benefited.

If they failed, then, it wouldn't be for lack of raw power.

"Okay," her mother said. The smile she gave her daughter then was uncommonly kind. Not for the first time, Caronwyn was struck by the fact that she hardly knew the woman who'd given birth to her. At times, her mother really got under her skin. But just when she needed her to most, her mother would reveal another side. Remind her of why mortals pictured someone very much like Aeife when they thought of fairy godmothers. She gave Caronwyn's hands a good squeeze, sending pleasant waves through her, and said, "You lead."

On a whim, Caronwyn kissed her mother on the lips.

Then she started the ritual the two of them had invented over the past few days. All around them, candles lit themselves. A ceremonial knife lifted itself up off the floor, opened shallow cuts on either woman's cheek, then returned to its place on the fringes of the circle. A stone bowl gathered a few drops of blood from first her then her mother. Then a few more. And again, until there was a respectable pool.

Her heart really started to thump when the stray bits of green hair she'd recovered from Fiona's room placed themselves inside the bowl. They slowly soaked up blood from the deceased's mother and grandmother and Caronwyn almost passed out from lack of oxygen.

Breathe. She had to breathe.

Finally, she joined her Libido to her mother's.

That really came close to knocking her out.

She was stronger than her mother. She knew that. But Aeife was far from weak. And nearly doubling her power by merging with the other woman sent Caronwyn to dizzying heights. The sheer amount of energy at her disposal was ludicrous. She wasn't sure what they were incapable of, but it had to be a damn short list.

The hyperawareness nearly drove her insane. She was one with every molecule. Every subatomic particle. She understood the complexities of space-time and how their kind manipulated it. A dozen Nobel prizes would have flowed from the knowledge she gleamed in that instant, supposing such things mattered in the least to her.

It took her a moment to collect herself.

"You okay?" her mother asked.

She nodded. At least, she thought she did. Her mind was everywhere. From several unique vantage points, she thought she saw the redheaded woman's head bob.

"Feels funny," the brunette said. "I like it."

That wasn't exactly the point. Physical sensations were about as unimportant as anything could be. But the consciousness with no body figured there was no harm in it.

Everything it/she/they had poured into the effort of calling the dead woman back. Giving her a new body, identical to the one claimed by fire. Reawakening, or perhaps recreating, her consciousness. Placing it inside the copycat vessel.

Caronwyn slumped forward, feeling as hollow, as thoroughly spent, as if she'd conceived a child. She simultaneously lacked physical and supernatural energy. Her Libido was empty and her body wanted to collapse. And sleep. For days.

"Oh. Oh my," her mother said.

"Mom?" a voice, deep for a woman, asked. "Mom? What happened?"

Caronwyn's eyes opened. When they found Fiona, they filled with tears.