Jana LaPelle [LaPelle - Warrior

Warrior

BOOK FOUR

A Realms of the Otherworld Book

By

JANA LaPELLE

Text Copyright 2019 Jana LaPelle

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental. Any references to historical events, real people, etc. are used fictitiously.

No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the express written permission of the author.

All Rights Reserved.

Cover design by: www.ebooklaunch.com

Dedication and Acknowledgements

To my son Jonathan Gabriel, you have become my plot collaborator and my biggest fan. You have helped me get past quite a few writing blocks as Warrior came to an end. We need to take more road trips together, thats where we do our best story plotting. Ive said it before, and I will say it again. You are my inspiration, and Im truly blessed to have you in my life. I love you beyond measure, little man.

To my readers, thank you all for your wonderful, kind words. I love hearing from each and every one of you. Your support means the world to me. I certainly hope that Warrior is all you hoped it would be.

Warrior

Part 1

Before you get started, have you checked out the Glossary of Irish Gaelic Terms? Its there as a reference for you, the reader. Also, check out the Glossary of Irish Mythology. Now onto the continuation of Ashlinn and Alarics story.

Precursor

(Morrganna, The Morrgan)

I never thought in all my years that my arch nemesis would end up being a teenage goddess with no memories of her previous life. She has no memories of who we were to one another in The Overworld. That was a different life and we are different people now. I ponder that one fact that has been eating away at me for some time now as I take a sip of the succulent red wine in the pewter goblet in my grasp. I savor the taste of it on my tongue and exhale slowly, allowing for a moment the simple action to soothe my angst. Moment over. Are you freaking kidding me?! Everything that she is and stands for is beneath me, and that is why my Creators betrayal stings so profoundly. He chose to pit me against her, someone so decent and pure, so utterly, gah I have no words! She is so utterly angelic and pure of heart it nauseates me. I underestimated her once, and it cost me dearly. I would have been much further along with my plots if not for my botched plans with The Tree of Life, but after last nights gain, Ill be back on track very soon. Everything this time around is going according to plan, and my plans are the only ones that matter. My Fomorian army of stolen orphans follow me without question, I made sure that they were taken at an impressionable age, even the lowly humans do not question my lead. They are pathetic but will serve their purpose when the time comes. I will use the weak mortals as my pawns in my well thought out game of chess in the war to come. I have them all eating out of the palm of my hand, including my sisters Badb and Macha. They never had any vision, I was always the visionary. Me! I take another swallow of my wine and savor the taste as the robust flavors roll over my tongue. The flavor soothes my weary soul as I tune into the calming effects of the alcohol coursing through my system. Once I am queen over all the realms, they will bow to me just like everyone else. My sisters are nothing more than a means to an end. There can be only one queen, and I do not intend to share the position. If they dont step in line, then they will suffer the same fate as our dear older sister. Neamhain was always a thorn in my side, never wanting to follow my lead, never giving me the respect that I deserved, always trying to sway me from my course. I showed her! Together, my sisters and I scattered her essence across The Realm over a hundred years ago, and my pathetic sisters have been following my lead ever since. To my knowledge, Neamhain remains in the same state, somewhere in between, in limbo. The last thing I need is for her to show up and mess with my plans now. That would never do. Her reappearance could cause all my plans to unravel. I wish with every fiber of my being that I could have ended Neamhain once and for all but that was not to be, and Im sure at some point that will come back to bite me in the ass. I will have to deal with her if and when the day comes.

My mind drifts back to my failed attempt to gain control of The Tree of Life. It was always going to be a long shot, one that would have paid off handsomely if it had not been for that little twit and the master plan that she cooked up with our Father, our Creator. Well, I have moved on past the betrayal of it all, I now know where I stand in the grand scheme of things. After last nights success and my unexpected prize, I might just gain control of The Tree of Life yet. The horrified look on Ashlinns face was the last thing I saw before the trace trail closed with Alaric at the end of Vengeance. My whip and weapon of choice, he was completely and entirely at my mercy just before her well-placed dagger impaled my shoulder. I have to give her credit, I didnt think she had it in her, and I now know that she will not hesitate to end me if given a chance to free her kindred or in the war to come. The thought of Alaric definitely brightens this dreary morning. He certainly was an unexpected twist to my best-laid plans. Although I knew from my conversation with Lugh that he would be letting the little Keeper in on the crypts location, I have no illusions as to were his allegiance lies. Lugh may have given me what I wanted, but he is aligning with the light, it matters not, he has served his purpose, and I planned last nights encounter very well thanks to him. My surprise diversion for Ashlinns pitiful little ragtag crew went off without a hitch, just the way I wanted it to, the delay was enough to give us time to raise my Lainn, my lost lover from The Underworld and our losses were minimal.

My gaze wanders over the form of the sizeable slumbering demigod in my bed. He is all hard lines and solid muscle, I had forgotten how good we are together, and my heart softens. I always did have a soft spot for him. Of all my lovers he was my favorite, but then he met that cheating bitch, Fandra, who just so happen to be his kindred and then he only had eyes for her. She was the reason Lainn left me, and I vowed then and there to make her pay. As soon as I realized who she was, I immediately sent word to my brother, Manannn, the sea god. Fandra belonged to him after all, even if their union was not a happy one. I thought with her out of the way Lainn and I could be together again, but C Chulainn was never the same again. He declined all my advances after Manannn killed Fandra, until last night. Once he finally woke, he welcomed me back into his bed with open arms. No seduction was required, it was as if no time had passed from our last union, and his appetite for me was ravenous. Smiling wickedly, I relish the memory of his homecoming. He and I will rule all The Realms together, he will be my king. I can think of no one better suited to stand by my side and to bed me night after night. His touch thrills me beyond measure. He swore his fealty to me while in the throes of passion. He incites an inferno within me, and I intend to use that passion to further my foothold within The Realm. It matters not that he called out Fandras name more than once as we came together over and over again last night. Soon she will be a forgotten memory, once he drinks of my elixir, he will do my bidding and mine alone, and then no others name will dare cross his lips while we ravage one another. I see now that it is the only way, and then he will finally belong to me and only me.