Two Years Later

Sorcha here. Tavin thought our story was tied up in a bow and done, but we demons always scramble to have the last word. And yeah, it took me a while to finish this up, but I’ve been busy.

Tav and I left after the funerals, but I’m getting ahead of myself. I’d never been to anything like a funeral before. For one thing, demons are damn near immortal. For another, anyone Satan rid Himself of never ended up having their life glorified.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was important to Tavin, and that was good enough for me. By the time everyone closest to the fallen Druids told stories about their lives, their bravery, and their good deeds, I felt I knew them. And I mourned their loss.

Didn’t know I had it in me, but these last couple of years I’ve learned a lot about myself.

We remained in the sacred cave on South Ronaldsay for nearly a week. Druid rituals take time. Just preparing the bodies for the fire to take them into their afterlife was a two-day process. Before we left the island, I found Tavin kneeling over the shrine to Danu. He’d built a fire, added sweet incense, and was chanting in Gaelic.

I could follow the words, but wasn’t familiar with the incantation, so I asked about it. He told me he was thanking the goddess for bringing me into his life. Really choked me up, and it still does. He’s such an amazing man.

Anyway, I knelt next to him and did the best I could with my own thank-yous. Prayers aren’t big in Satan’s realm, so I’d never actually fashioned one. I’m not ashamed to admit it took me a while, and a lot of false starts. Tavin finally told me to stop worrying about it being perfect and to just tell Danu what was in my heart. So I did.

That man is full of good advice.

We left the next day. It was the middle of February, and we spent the next few months knocking around Indonesia. Tav has a small hut on one of the no-name islands west of New Guinea, so we used it for a base. He took his falcon form daily, and I loved watching him dip and dive from the skies. My familiar adored it too. I’ve never known it to be visible so much of the time.

When I asked Tav, he confirmed my raven was good friends with him when he was a peregrine falcon. They loved hunting together.

We left in late May and returned to Scotland for a while. Tav worked at his forge, and I puttered around his home on the Isle of Lewis. Eventually, though, I needed more. I’d digested all the magical scrolls and books and being idle never sat well.

Gloria was back in the States, so I teleported over there and visited with her. Tried to talk her into moving back to Scotland, but she wasn’t interested. Not sure if I mentioned this, but she’s a renowned geologist, and the Nevada mountains offered endless possibilities for her research.

After I got back to the UK, we visited Inverness. Turned out Liliana was having some of the same problems as me, what with needing more to do. She’d decided to open a clinic catering to the poor and asked if I wanted to help. At first, I thought she was joking. I’ve worked as a dancer, a barmaid, and a dishwasher.

Doctoring wasn’t anywhere on the list.

She took me aside and pointed out magic was the best medicine of all. Since I had those bases covered in spades, I’d be perfect to work alongside her. She’d already sent her credentials off to the government offices in Edinburgh, and as soon as they issued her a medical license, we’d be off and running.

Since it was likely to take a month or two, Tav and I oohed and aahed over Arlen and Kat’s young son, but then we left and bounced around through time for a bit. He took me to Leith, an early Leith a year or so before he’d been born. Such a sweet man. He wanted to show me the stone hut where his family had lived. Once I’d seen it in the past, we visited it in our current time.

I was surprised it was still standing, but it had been thoroughly modernized. Someone had built onto it, and pretty flowers grew in profusion around its walls. We stayed at an inn a couple of streets over. Reminded me of places I’d worked, and it was quite a change of pace to be a guest.

I offered to show Tavin my birthplace in Hell, even managed to keep a straight face while I did it. At first, he didn’t know I was joking. You should have seen his expression as he hunted for a diplomatic way to refuse without hurting my feelings.

We had quite the laugh over that.

After a few more stops in the past, skirting Rhea and her ilk who were still very much alive and kicking, we poked our noses a few years into the future. It scared the bejesus out of us both. Every bad thing we’d suspected would happen to Earth was rolling forward unimpeded by anything like humans stepping in and altering their horrible practices.

One disadvantage of living nearly forever is we’d eventually make it to the future with rising oceans, red tides, out-of-control fires, and Class Six hurricanes. Tavin and the other Druids are working hard on a solution, but I told him it’s a waste of time. Only true option is killing off half the human population.

Now that would make a dent in pollution and climate change.

He said my demon roots were showing.

Anyway, I’ve almost made it to where we are today. Kat and Arlen are pregnant again. They’ve made quite the names for themselves co-authoring anthropology research papers on the clans. Both are on staff at the University of Stirling but spend most of their work time digging in the dirt and unearthing bits and pieces of things that excite them and leave the rest of us cold. Their son, Dugan, is adorable, though. And I’m looking forward to their next baby, a daughter who’s due in four months.

Sean is back at his cozy desk in the bank rattling pound notes. Liliana and I just finished our second month of clinic operation. By all accounts, it’s been a great success and provided a desperately needed resource to augment the UK’s national healthcare system. No one has to wait for care at our clinic. Not yet, anyway. She and I work long hours, and then I teleport back to Isle of Lewis and spend my evenings with Tavin.

Speaking of him, we’re getting married next weekend in the Druids’ cave on South Ronaldsay. Haven’t been back there since we laid the fallen Druids to rest. I can see a few eyebrows twitching as you wonder why we’re finally getting married.

He asked me back at the very beginning, but I put him off. Told him we had to make certain of things. The cold truth was I was petrified. Being bound by magic is one thing. Being bound by laws I’ve never respected, quite another.

Anyway, I, erm that is we, are expecting a child of our own. Damn but that was hard to choke out. I’m scared. What if it’s a reincarnation of Rosemary’s Baby?

Tavin assures me we’ll love it to death no matter what it looks like, but I’m not so sure how I’ll feel about an ongoing reminder of my years in Hell. You should have seen Tav when I told him, though. I’d have put it off longer, but it’s tough when your partner has strong magic. He’d have sensed the extra life straightaway.

Liliana was as excited as Tavin. She did a magical version of an ultrasound and assures me the baby has ten fingers, ten toes, and no horns. I’ll believe it when the little bugger is safe in my arms.

I think I’ve covered most everything. It’s been grand sharing our journey with you. Now put the book down and go outside. Look at everything through fresh eyes. Magic is real, people. And your next door neighbor might be a whole lot more than you ever expected.