Solstice - The Goddess Awakens

Lola woke to the rain which sounded like a freight train as it fell in slanted sheets onto the roof of her caravan. It was a dull morning and the overcast sky made it impossible for Lola to tell what time it was. Her aching body implied she’d been asleep for quite some time. Lola checked her watch, it was almost 12 noon. She’d have to make her way home soon. Labouring out of bed to get washed she was a bit worried about making the journey alone, but just as the thought had entered her head, the amulet around her neck began to stir, reassuring her. Lola got washed and dressed, slipping on a pair of track bottoms and a t-shirt. Rummaging around she finally found Arthur’s cardigan, and slipping it on she peeked outside.

The heavy rain had transformed the entire camp site into what could only be described as a swamp. Deciding she would need her wellingtons after all, she pulled on the red boots and headed for the cottage, hoping that Aibgrene and Daithi were awake.

Climbing the steps to the cottage, Lola could hear voices. Knocking gently on the door, she was beckoned in by Aibgrene’s familiar voice. When she walked into the front room of the rustic building they were nowhere to be seen. There were two doors in the small room, one led to a bedroom, but it was empty. Then she heard Aibgrene calling her again.

‘We’re in here, Lo,’ called Aibgrene.

Following the voice through the small wooden door, Lola walked into a large half-circular room which was filled with flat-screen computers and books. It was like some high-tech surveillance room.

‘I bet you weren’t expecting this, Lola, here take a seat and have a look at this.’

Lola sat down on the wooden chair that Daithi had pulled out as he, Aibgrene and Darragh made room for her.

‘Lola, this is Darragh, he’s a linguistics scholar and a very good friend of ours.’

Smiling Lola greeted the man who had presided over Aibgrene’s wedding the day before and gave the rousing speech at the fire. Now that she was up close to him something about him seemed oddly familiar to her, like they’d met before, but Lola couldn’t place him, besides, that was happening a lot lately. It as though her entire life was one big déjà vu.

‘Lola, good to meet you, dear. I hope you don’t mind, but we’ve gone ahead and had a look at the parchment that you brought with you,’ greeted Darragh in his vintage voice. ‘I’ve been able to translate the majority of the text. Aibgrene has been explaining that you could pick out a few of the words yourself. You’ve done very well.’

Daithi had scanned the item and now it was on the large computer screen in front of them. Lola stared at the screen and the lavishly decorated gaeilge script and the colourful illustrations at the start of each passage. The computer screen had enlarged the text and illustrations, and now Lola could make out figures, a sword and a sun.

‘What is it?’ asked Lola, pulling closer to the screen to get a better look.

‘Well we’re not entirely sure, but if we are correct you could have in your possession one of the most treasured and oldest written manuscripts in the history of this island. It is something that has only been whispered about in legend and myth. If this is indeed what I think it is,’ enthused Darragh, ‘then this fragile parchment could lead us to the Lost Oracle of Danu, or the Oracle of the Golden Dawn as it has also been known.’

‘The what?’ asked Lola, both confused and intrigued.

‘The Oracle of Danu, Lola, is a book that was said to have been scribed by the Tuatha Dé Danann, themselves. It is said to be made up of four folios, each containing deep esoteric magick, spiritual wisdom and knowledge of how we were all created. Contained in its sacred texts is the prophecy which tells of the Dé Danann and their light workers who will reincarnate to earth, in order to help us evolve spiritually. By now I’m sure you have heard of the Ancient Order of the Golden Dawn, but I’m not sure how much you know about them, Lola.’

Deciding that Darragh’s question was a rhetorical one, Lola didn’t offer an answer; instead she nodded, for him to continue.

‘As you heard last night, the Dé Danann brought many items with them to Ireland, but one of the most important things was the written word and great universal wisdom that is contained in this book. Of course, we don’t really know what’s in the book, or if it even exists. That is, until now. All we have to go on are myths and stories that have been obscured by millennia. But just because they are myths and stories doesn’t mean they are not true, or that there is not an element of truth within them. Some believe that when the Tuatha Dé Danann was forced to leave this realm by the invading Milesans, they bestowed this Oracle to a group known as the guardians, from which emerged the Ancient Order of the Golden Dawn.’

Darragh was becoming more and more animated.

‘This book contained such powerful magick and knowledge which would have far exceeded the time, or any time for that matter. It would have been madness to keep it all in one place. As a result – and this is only conjecture – those who have searched for this item throughout all antiquity, believe that it was separated.’

‘Yes!’ exclaimed Lola. ‘I remember this story Arthur told me once. I was very young. I mean it’s maybe not related at all but… Well he told me a story about Brigid. She was like a warrior goddess and healer and she had a very important book. There were people after her, she had to get it to safety. So, Brigid split the book into four parts and entrusted it to her guardians, Delphius, Rocha, Luna and Manus. They then spread out across Ireland and Europe, passing the information down to the next generation. Arthur said some even went as far as Egypt. Yeah,’ smiled Lola, thinking of Arthur. ‘That was my favourite story.’ Suddenly Lola felt very self-conscious and silly. This had probably nothing to do with what they looking at. It was only an old story.

Darragh was laughing now, which only compounded Lola’s unease. ‘That is more than just a story my dear. What Arthur was telling you was the legend of the lost Oracle. The group’s leader,’ continued Darragh, ‘the leader of the guardians was from the Greek City of Delphi, and thus the Ancient Order of the Golden Dawn was born. Up until today, not even a fragment has been found of this mythical book. There are those scholars who maintain that the Book of Kells was modelled on it. Some even have gone as far as to suggest that the Book of Kells is actually the Oracle of the Golden Dawn in disguise, and that it is under a complex veil of magick. They argue that in order to protect it from the early church in Ireland it was transformed into a Christian text, but the right magick performed by the right proponent would reveal its truth. Indeed, this very parchment, which was passed on to you by no other than the head of the Order, could be the only historical reference that the Oracle exists.’

‘That’s quite a lot to take in, Darragh,’ said Lola, slouching back on her chair. ‘I mean you’re talking Neolithic period here, there was no written word then, society would not have been that sophisticated. Would it?’

‘Look around you, Lola. The Brú Na Bóinne was constructed then, a perfect and precise model of the cosmos, tracking the sun and the moon and the stars. Look at Stonehenge, the Pyramids at Giza. Each a perfect example of sophisticated, intelligent and sacred engineering, not to mention places of powerful energy. Where did that knowledge come from and why did it take millennia to rediscover it?’ contested Darragh.

‘I suppose it makes sense then for Arthur to have this, considering who he was. So what does it say?’

‘Well it’s written on very high quality calf vellum, like the book of Kells and you can see the various pictures and spirals. Can you see the triple spiral there at the start of the first paragraph?’ They all leaned in closer as Darragh pointed it out. It was hard to see at first, in amongst all the other swirling art, but then they all seemed to see it at once. Lola recognised it immediately, but couldn’t quite place where she had seen it before.

‘Well that’s what makes me believe this is the real deal,’ said Darragh, his voice very emotional, almost breaking as if he were about to cry. ‘I can only give you a rough translation as there are certain words I don’t recognise.’

Taking a deep breath Darragh began to read the text aloud.

When the Goddess with the emerald eyes returns; so too will her fiery light,

Her radiant sun extinguishing even the darkest of Knights.

What lies within will reflect without, casting light through shadow’s doubt.

She will hang her mantle upon the sun, bringing freedom to all and one.

As the mystical Dé Danann once again awake, the forces of darkness shall lie in wait.

Their time will be short and their mission hard, as told to us by our greatest bard.

A time will come as blackness falls on the inside of our sacred Palace walls.

But lying there, as before, will be our Goddess with her blazon core.

Only she and she alone through our sacred spiral can lead the soul to home.

The Oracle will free us all, as she awakens to the divine cosmic call.

‘Have you already seen this, Darragh? I mean, before today?’ quizzed Lola. ‘Didn’t you say something like this at the fire last night?’

‘No, Lola. What I recited was very similar, but it was only an old poem handed down through the generations of my family. Well at least that’s what I thought until I saw this. To be honest,’ said Darragh taking a seat, ‘I can’t really believe that we may have the only copy of this poem, or prophesy in the written word. It’s more than I could ever have imagined.’ Lola could see tears well in the old man’s eyes, she could tell that this was quite a find, yet she remained slightly nonplussed by it all.

‘There are a few things that stand out,’ said Darragh as he traced his finger along the screen and read out the words aloud. ‘“Her radiant sun extinguishing even the darkest of knights.” This is interesting because it is spelt KNIGHT, not night.’ Lola sat gazing at the screen, hardly even blinking, picking out all the words that she recognised again and again. She could feel Aibgrene taking her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, but she didn’t turn to face her friend. Looking at the illustrations painted in gold, green and yellow she suddenly remembered where she had seen that triple spiral before. She hadn’t actually seen it, but had felt it. Her fingers had traced its deep grooves in the cold stone.

Chapter 42

It had been her dream, that same recurring dream she had for months about the cold stone chamber. A shiver ran over Lola’s body at the thought of it. She had recognised that the dream meant something, even before all of this mess. Before Arthur had died, when her life was normal, when it was simple. Back then she was just Lola Paige. But that time was over. Aibgrene had warned her that she would see and hear things at Tara that she might not like or want to accept. This had been her awakening, her road to Damascus, her moment of eureka, so why didn’t it feel good?

‘Are you okay, Lo? Lola!’

Turning, Lola realised Aibgrene had been speaking to her.

‘Oh sorry, Aibgrene! Yeah, I’m fine. I suppose I’d better make tracks.’

‘Daithi and I are going to follow you up the road. Just in case,’ said Aibgrene uncomfortably’

‘Don’t be silly, Aibgrene, I’ll be fine.’

Aibgrene began to protest, but Lola just lifted the ring from under her top and waved it at her.

‘Really I’ll be fine, I know I will. I could do with a hand to the car with the rest of my things though.’

Lola got up off the chair, her cardigan disturbing some photos on the small table next to her. As they fell to the floor in a pile, Lola knelt down to pick them up. Suddenly Daithi was beside her. ‘Please, Lola, it’s fine, I’ll sort that out, go you on and get your things together.’ There was uneasiness in his smile, just like Aibgrene and Darragh. It seemed as though everyone was privy to some secret that she wasn’t which made Lola suspicious. She couldn’t see what the pictures were of, as they lay face down. Turning one of them over, she saw a picture of the black car that had followed them, the lens had zoomed in on the registration number. Written beside it in bold black maker were the words ‘Car registered to Stein Corp’.

Lola lifted picture after picture, some of Tara and the motorway, highlighting the same words ‘Stein Corp.’ There were pictures of developments, old buildings, road works, and then at the bottom of the pile there was one of Alex and, according to the notes on the picture, his father, Carl Stein. They were both dressed in tuxedos, smiling brightly for the camera. The sign behind them read ‘Stein Corp charity benefit’. Alex was a bit taller than his father, who had silver grey hair, with a tiny smattering of black around the sides. He was a very handsome man, but his son looked nothing like him. They only shared one similar characteristic and that was their eyes. Alex had his father’s cold blue eyes.

‘What’s this all about, Daithi?’ she asked.

‘It’s nothing, Lola, just a bit of work I’ve been doing, that’s all.’

Aibgrene came forward to offer her explanation.

‘I told you that I had a friend who could find things, Lola. I asked Daithi to try and trace the numberplate after we’d been followed coming down, and this is what we found.’

‘The car is registered to Alex’s father’s company? Why would he send someone to follow us? I don’t understand,’ said Lola sitting back down on the chair, as Aibgrene and Daithi gave each other that same knowing look.

‘We don’t know, Lo, that’s what Daithi has been trying to find out. It seems a little bit strange, don’t you think? Arthur dies and suddenly Alex Stein appears in your life, he is everywhere you go. Two young girls have gone missing as well as my mum!’

‘I think we’ve established how much you dislike Alex, Aibgrene,’ spat Lola defensively. ‘What are you saying? Even if it is the case, it’s his father you are looking into, not him; maybe he’s nothing like his dad. I know he’s a bit out of my league, but …’

Lola could hear the distress and panic in her own voice again. It was all too much to take in. Alex was the only semblance of normality that she had, away from all the pressure she was under. But who was she kidding? Normal! There was nothing normal about their relationship. Then something that Alex had said came back to her, his dad had wanted to meet her.

‘He wants to meet me,’ whispered Lola in a daze.

Aibgrene was on her feet now.

‘What? You’re not going. Are you Lola?’

‘Are you asking or telling me?’ replied Lola defiantly.

‘Oh, why do I bloody bother!’ said Aibgrene impatiently.

Daithi stepped in to try and defuse the situation, all the while Darragh sat in silence.

‘Come on you two, please don’t be fighting. Lola, Aibgrene is just worried that’s all. But you’re right, we don’t know anything for sure. I know how hard this must be for you, Lola, but Aibgrene only has your best interests at heart.’

Lola knew this was true, but she was sick of everyone telling her how they understood, without them having any idea just how hard it was.

‘Everyone keeps on saying that,’ she was almost shouting now. ‘But you have no idea what this is like for me. It’s like my life isn’t mine anymore. I feel so restricted that I can’t even make up my own mind about what to think and what to do, who to see and how to feel about them.’

Neither Daithi nor Aibgrene spoke, they just sat in silence for a while.

‘Maybe you’re right, Lola,’ said Darragh.

Lola turned towards him having almost forgotten that he was still in the room. Slightly embarrassed, she played with her fingernails, not wanting to look at him.

‘We can all see how special you are, and now we know for sure that Arthur knew this from the day and hour he met you. In fact, I would go so far as to say that he knew it before he met you. You need to do what feels right for you, Lola,’ advised Darragh calmly. ‘If you want to meet this man, then go and do it. I know that you will instantly see his true nature, and if he is who we think he is, then unfortunately he will also see yours. Then, I’m afraid, there can be no more protecting you.’

Lola just nodded her head, thanking Darragh, before leaving the room. It only took a few minutes for her to get her things together, and Daithi and Aibgrene helped her to the car. Packing the rest of her things into the trunk she turned to Daithi first.

‘Thank you, Daithi, for everything, you have been wonderful. I’m sorry about earlier, I really didn’t mean to be so rude to you.’

‘Please, Lola, don’t apologise, you are more than welcome. Take care and let us know when you get home okay.’

Pulling her into a warm hug, Daithi wished her well and headed back towards the site, leaving her alone with Aibgrene.

‘I’d better be going,’ said Lola, her temper still hot, and although she didn’t want to leave on bad terms, she was too stubborn to apologise.

‘It’s been a lot for you to take in, Lola, thanks for coming. I’ll be in touch. Okay?’

Aibgrene was crying now, her tears visible even in the heavy rain. This broke Lola’s resolve as she pulled her into a warm embrace.

‘I’m so sorry. I’m such an idiot. I know you were only looking out for me. Please take care, okay? And if there are any developments let me know.’

‘I will,’ promised Aibgrene. ‘Be careful, Lo, and text me as soon as you get home. Do you hear me? Straight away!’

Aibgrene handed Lola a piece of soggy paper.

‘What’s this?’

‘It’s a safe number. I won’t be able to use it all the time, Lo. They’ll be watching us, but Darragh is going to help me with my astral travel, that will be the safest way for me to contact you, so don’t be freaking out if I’m sitting at the bottom of your bed some night,’ she laughed.

Lola watched Aibgrene and the Hill of Tara disappear from view as she wove her way along the narrow country roads towards the motorway. It was shortly after five o’clock in the evening when she arrived back at Ballyvalley. It had clearly been raining there too, but the sun was trying to emerge from behind the clouds. Heading onto the Scarvagh Road, she turned off the main road towards Brook Mill Manor. As she drove down the avenue, a familiar black and red sports car sat at the gates.

Sensing her arrival, Alex got out of the car with a wide grin on his face. He sat on the bonnet of the car until she came to a halt beside him. Lola’s heart began to hammer. He was the last person she needed to see right now, but he was the only person she wanted to see. Conscious that she looked a mess, she tried to fix her hair before getting out of the car. Alex as always was dressed impeccably, even when he was being casual. He wore a pair of baggy Abercrombie jeans and a sky blue designer polo shirt. He had light stubble on his face and his hair, as always, had that dishevelled look that seemed so appealing to her.

‘Well? What has you around these parts, Mr Stein?’ grinned Lola, clearly delighted to see him. Reaching out Alex grabbed Lola by the waist, pulling her closer to him. ‘I was in the neighbourhood and thought I would call to see if you were home from your trip yet.’

Lola looked at him quizzically, her emerald green eyes intoxicating him as always. He could tell from the black circles around her eyes that she hadn’t slept much. But she was still beautiful, and he’d really missed her. He pressed his lips to hers. He could taste her lip balm, it tasted like watermelon. Alex was relieved when she didn’t hesitate this time. She instinctively followed his lead. He slipped his hands inside her t-shirt, feeling the soft flesh of her arched back. Suddenly there was a rustling in the trees and the sound of a child sniggering. Breaking away from Alex, Lola’s face turned a light pink, as she turned to find her little brother. She was not amused.

‘Okay, Liam, out you come, you wee stalker!’ she shouted, as sliding out from behind one of the large oak trees in the drive, Liam stood beaming. ‘What’s up, squirt? What are you doing hiding behind trees spying on people?’

‘I wasn’t spying! Me and Cuchulain are playin’ hide and seek actually!’

‘You’re playing hide and seek with the dog? So whose finding who then?’

‘It’s his turn. I don’t know where he’s got to, the silly mutt. So who’s that?’

Liam didn’t even look at Alex, he just nodded towards him. Stepping out from behind Lola, Alex introduced himself.

‘Hi, I’m Alex, nice to meet you, Liam.’

‘Alright,’ nodded Liam, as if he was giving him the once over. ‘Are you our Lola’s boyfriend then?’ Lola was totally taken aback by her brother’s candidness, shooing him off in embarrassment.

‘Right you, I think it was time you headed back up to the house!’

‘I was only asking,’ protested Liam innocently.

‘Well then the answer to that is yes. I am Lola’s boyfriend.’ This did nothing to distract or appease Liam; instead he used it as a precursor to more questions.

‘So are you from America then, Alex?’

‘I was actually born here, but I went to school in America, and my dad’s from America, but he lives here too now.’

‘So where’s Aibgrene, Lola?’ asked Liam.

Lola stiffened, she was sure that Alex could sense this. Ushering Liam up to the house again, she changed the subject, but it didn’t go unnoticed.

‘I need to get washed and changed. Do you want to come up?’ asked Lola, feeling that she really needed some company tonight. ‘It would give us a chance to catch up.’

Reaching up this time, she kissed Alex, running her fingers through his tussled hair. Caressing her throat he whispered in her ear.

‘I’m sorry, Lo, it was just a flying visit, and I have to get back home.’

‘Oh alright, that’s no problem,’ she replied feeling silly for being so forward. Lola went to get back into her car, but Alex was right behind her now, his arms around her waist. That same volt of electricity coursed through her body again.

‘I’m sorry, I have stuff to do for my dad. So are we still on for next weekend?’

Lola had forgotten all about his invitation.

‘Yes. That’s grand.’

‘Okay, I’ll pick you up on Friday evening then. My dad doesn’t get back from the States until Saturday, so we will have the place to ourselves on Friday night,’ said Alex, placing emphasis on them being alone for a night, which was not lost on Lola. She had never really had any quality time with him for much longer than a few hours. Pushing the thought from her head, she kissed him goodbye and headed up the driveway to the house.