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her
mind. She tried not to let her feelings interfere with her common
sense.
    “Tír na NÓg?” she questioned. “Isn’t that
some sort of Irish myth? The land of eternal youth, right? It’s
supposed to be a magical place where everyone stays young and happy
forever.”
    “For sure, it is a magical place,” Tiarn
acknowledged. “But you should not believe everything you read in
fairy stories, dear Morrigan. At the moment, the country is torn
apart by war and could hardly be called a place of eternal
happiness. Your mother, Queen Ceridwyn, and your Aunt Arianrhod are
vying for the crown. That is the way of it, you know. One good
witch and one bad witch do battle, and whoever wins will determine
the fate of all the people in Tír na NÓg. At the moment, Arianrhod
has the upper hand. Your mother and grandmother have been taken
captive, which is why your mother has sent me, a lowly changeling,
to bring you to her aide.”
    Morrigan had to sit down for a minute and
catch her breath. Strangely enough, she didn’t doubt one word of
what Tiarn had just told her. His words had the ring of truth to
them. Nevertheless, it was a lot of information to have thrown at
her all at once, especially after years of knowing nothing about
herself. Add to that, the swoony affect that Tiarn had on her, and
it made for a very confused and particularly inarticulate Morrigan.
Yet, she did manage to stutter out one simple question.
    “A queen? My mother is a queen?” It sounded
even less likely when she spoke it out loud. “But that would make
me . . . a . . . a . . . .”
    “A princess?” Tiarn finished the sentence for
her. “Yes, Your Majesty. Indeed, you are the one and only princess
of Tír na NÓg.”
    It was an overwhelming discovery, but Tiarn
didn’t seem to take that into consideration. He just kept plunging
on, trying to see how much she could handle before she cracked. It
was clear to see he was enjoying every minute of her trauma. She
had to wonder if he felt even a hint of the overwhelming emotions
she had felt for him from the instant she laid her eyes on him. If
he did, he certainly wasn’t giving her any telltale signs.
    “There is not much time, Your Highness,” he
told her and somehow made the title sound almost like an insult.
“Your mother’s powers grow weak in the dungeons. If we do not move
quickly, we may be too late.”
    “I’m ready when you are,” Morrigan announced.
She cursed the tremor in her voice that gave away the fact she
wasn’t nearly as brave as she was pretending to be. “Let’s go right
now.”
    He shook his head. “No, not now. Tonight. We
shall leave tonight, under the cover of darkness. I will come for
you at midnight, the witching hour. Take only what you must. It
will be a long, hard journey. You will not want to be hampered down
by material possessions.”
    “Tonight. Midnight,” Morrigan echoed with an
affirmative nod. “Sounds like a plan.”
    Despite her former urgency, it seemed
terrifyingly soon. All at once, the world which had shunned her
seemed like a security blanket—one she wasn’t quite ready to cast
aside. Tiarn wasn’t giving her any options. He was already
shuffling down the sidewalk and out of sight.
    “Wait!” she called. “How will I find
you?”
    “I’ll find you.” He took a long, deep breath
through his flaring nostrils. “I could pick up your scent
anywhere.”
    Then he was gone. He disappeared around the
corner of the building like the mythical creature he claimed to be,
leaving Morrigan trembling and breathless in his wake.

Chapter Five
    It was eleven-thirty. The sounds of distant
snoring echoed through the hallway. Everyone in the house was sound
asleep—except Morrigan. As quietly as possible, she pushed back the
covers, climbed out of bed, and pulled off her pajamas. Luckily,
Lauren slept like a rock, so the creaking of the closet didn’t
disturb her. Morrigan retrieved one of her long Bohemian skirts,
slipped into the loose-fitting