“We’ll finish here, then we can both look for Xaneth. He’ll be found. I know it.”
“I wish I had your confidence.”
Cathal didn’t bother mentioning that she seemed particularly interested in finding Xaneth. Almost as much as Erith. Then again, he had never understood the minds of women. It was best if he kept his thoughts to himself.
Chapter Five
The first rays of sunlight came over the horizon, dawning a new day as Sorcha stood on the beach. The wind was soft, the smell of salt heavy in the air. Birds began to call as they left their nests to start the day. Memories of her sister, her mother, and herself standing in this exact spot filled her. Lots of laughter, corny jokes, and many serious discussions had happened on this beach.
This cove was one known only to locals, and it had become theirs. This was the first time Sorcha had been here since her family died. She didn’t stop the tears that came. Nor did she halt the memories. They had assaulted her all night. She’d soon realized there was no running from them. She had pushed them aside for as long as she could.
Whether she wanted them or not, they were there, forcing her to relive the good—and the bad—times.
For so many years, she’d told herself that she enjoyed being alone. It was a lie. Sadly, she’d almost begun to believe it. The truth was that she missed her family so much that the ache threatened to swallow her whole. Nothing could be done to bring them back. And while so many had told her that time would dull the grief, they were wrong. It had only grown.
As the sun slowly climbed higher in the sky, she watched the reflection upon the water. The sound of the waves gently rolling onto the shore before ebbing away was soothing. She’d forgotten just how much she loved it.
Sorcha wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes as she raised her face to the sky. Somehow, by allowing the memories to fill her, she felt…relieved. Her tears dried, and she took a deep, calming breath. She didn’t know why she hadn’t done this before.
Actually, that was a lie. She hadn’t come to the beach because she hadn’t felt worthy. She had a penance to pay, and getting any kind of enjoyment out of life wouldn’t allow her to serve that sentence. A part of her felt guilty, but she hastily pushed it aside. There was nothing remorseful about watching a sunrise and thinking about the past.
A smile touched her lips as she thought about her mother and her mantras. One of her favorites had been: Never let anyone make you feel guilty.
She wondered what her mum would think about her making herself feel remorseful now. But then Sorcha knew what she would say.
“The only one who can make you happy is yourself, Sorcha. You know right from wrong. Follow that and follow your heart. You can’t go wrong in doing those two things.”
Her face crumpled as fresh tears flowed. God, how she missed her mum. By not allowing herself to delve into the past, she had shut out the words of wisdom her mother had so often shared throughout the years. It felt good—right, even—to hear her mother’s voice in her head, repeating the words she had thought so important to share with her daughters.
Sorcha opened her eyes and wiped the tears away. She watched the birds for a little while longer before she turned and slowly picked her way through the rocks to her car. Her ankle was better, but not well enough to be walking on it for too long. Yet that hadn’t kept her at home. She’d needed to come to the beach. It soothed her soul in ways she hadn’t been able to fathom.
Maybe, subconsciously, she had known what would happen, and that’s why she’d come this morning. Whatever the reason, Sorcha was glad she’d made the trip.
She started the engine and backed the vehicle up to turn around. As she stopped to check to make sure no one was coming before she pulled out onto the road, she paused, her thoughts going to Rhona’s visit the day before. Sorcha couldn’t do the ritual. But…now might be a good time to go to the Fairy Pools. It was still early. Few tourists would be there. It would allow her some time to be alone before she returned to the cottage.
With her decision made, Sorcha pulled out onto the road and headed to the pools. The entire way there, she kept wondering if she should go home. What would she accomplish by going to the pools? Nothing. She refused to attend the ritual, so going now would be silly.
And yet, she kept driving.
“What is wrong with me?” she asked herself.
But she knew. She missed her family, and it had taken its toll. Leaving Skye for Ireland had wound her up tight with anxiety and fear. Coming home should have alleviated all of that. Instead, she was doing things she hadn’t done in years.
She slowed and turned onto a narrow road that wound through the countryside. Signs told tourists where to go for the Fairy Pools, but she didn’t need them. Sorcha could get there with her eyes closed. The earliest memory she had was of being at the pools with her mum and her sister.
Sorcha pulled into the gravel carpark and shut off the engine. There wasn’t another vehicle in sight. She got out before she changed her mind. The idea had been to only stand at her car, but the next thing she knew, she’d shut the door and walked toward the path that led to the pools. From where she stood, she couldn’t see the pools themselves. It looked like gently rolling hills with the Black Cuillin Mountains rising in the distance. The range held the River Brittle, which fed into the pools. It wasn’t until you got closer that you realized the water had cut into the ground, and the pools were sunken.
A sign read: Glumagan Na Sithichean, with Fairy Pools written in English below it. It was a twenty-minute walk from here to the first pool. Sorcha crossed the public road to the start of the path. She paused beside the small green sign labeled Sligaghan, Gaelic for start.
She felt the draw of the pools just as she used to, just as every Druid did. But she hesitated. She glanced down at her ankle, thankful that she had put on a brace that morning. There was a good chance she could hurt herself on this trek because it was steep and rough for the first few meters.
Even though a part of her warned that she shouldn’t, Sorcha found herself continuing on. About fifty meters from the road, the path split. She had taken both ways multiple times, but her favorite was the right-hand option. She was careful about how she placed her injured foot so as not to aggravate the ankle. The trek went downhill, and it wasn’t long before she reached the first river crossing. There, she used the large stepping-stones to cross the water and get onto the gravel path.
From there, the terrain leveled as she walked beside the river. So many times, she and her sister had run this section to see who was fastest. It was one of her favorite spots because it crossed a peat moor with heather. Just ahead, she spotted the large, impressive boulders left after the ice had melted away during the last Ice Age. As the path gently rose, it met up with the main river. Her heart raced as she crossed the second part of the body of water and saw the rough rock steps naturally made by the rapids. Then, the first waterfall came into view.
She paused and took it in. This was the start of the magical pools. This waterfall was the highest with the water tumbling into the deepest pool. And it was a glorious sight to behold. However, it was the next pool that was the most famous because of its beautiful clear blue water. It featured a natural arch, which she had swum beneath numerous times. It was exhilarating and breathtaking.