Prologue

~ 1799~

Muireen Kyteler held her head high as she was marched through the village. The people who had once loved her and whose lives she had saved time after time stood watching silently. The priest stood on the platform watching her make her way to him. He was the one to blame for all this, he was the one who had turned the whole village against her. Stórbeg had always been a peaceful village, full of magic but the church ruined all that. Ever since Douglas O'Hara had arrived with his Bible and godly ways. Preaching against magic and saying Stórbeg must rid itself of the evil presences.


All it took was one brew, to help a farmer's back, and Douglas had decided Muireen was a witch and must be dealt with. At first, the people of her village protested for she was a giver and healer of life but the power of the church is hard to fight. Muireen had thought of running away but she knew she could not escape her fate.

“My dear people” the priest began his speech “we are here to rid the village of the evil that has been living amongst you. The Lord tells us to denounce all demonic activity and here we have the demon's mistress herself. Moses wrote in Deuteronomy18 that no one amongst us should engage in sorcery. The good Lord has laid down the law and we must obey him."

“As with all things bad, you have the chance to repent! Repent and be saved.” every word was said louder than the last. “Repent and you may live eternally with the Lord. Submit to the Lord of the earth, creator of all that is and you may be free. Repent and your suffering will end. Do you repent of your sins?”

The village cheered, the screamed that they repented and for Muireen to repent as well. Muireen was not so weak that she would be brainwashed by a man who knew nothing.

“Imeacht gan teacht ort. Titim gan éirí ort.” Muireen's voice was strong and steady. “You know nothing of my ways. You know nothing of your god. You do not know of that you do. This will haunt you for the rest of your life, and your children to come. I am a healer and I help...”

“Blasphemy. You are a witch and you bring death.” The priest was so sure of his god and what must be done. “Nothing evil can bring good, and you are evil.”

By now Muireen was placed on the stool with the noose about her neck. The priest took holy water and went to anoint Muireen but she pulled away.“I will have none of your religious way enforced on me. I will die as I am, I do not need any last rites or prayers.” Muireen looked directly at the man who was holding the switch. “Kill me now Paddy, before this madman has any effect upon me.”

Muireen had brought Paddy into the world, when his own poor mother had not had the help of the accepted doctors, and pulling the switch to kill her was probably among the hardest acts he would ever have to do in his life. He wished the priest had never come to his village, that the church had left them alone. However, he knew wishing would change nothing and if he did not kill Muireen then he would be next. And so he pushed the switch that would drop the floor from under Muireen's feet and she died while looking him the eyes.

Paddy could do nothing for Muireen but he could do something for Aoife and Cathoair. Paddy knew their father, Lachlan had died a few years back. Douglas was planning on placing Muireen's children in a church-run school in Dublin. He was going to raise them to know nothing of their mother or their power.

Paddy went to the church where the twins were being watched by a nun. All he had to do was tell her that the priest wanted the children and then he was walking out of town with them. He would send Aoife to the South with his Aunt, who would make sure that Aoife knew of her powers and the dangers that came with them. He would take Cathoair and raise him himself in a remote village in the North. The church would only ruin them and they must not be raised to fear what they were.