The Lair: Action Adventure Fantasy (Tuatha Legends Series Book 3): Tuatha Legends Series, #3

By P.M. Gilbert

The normal fires of excitement and fear run through Finn, Cerys, George and Arlene. But they aren't the only fires they have to deal with in The Lair...

 

Finn's, Cerys', George's and Arlene's worlds have changed dramatically due to an imposed destiny they didn't ask for.

 

The struggle against the Fomorie intensifies, awareness of their existence has stoked Balor's desire to crush the Tuatha.

 

The revelations of their Determinations mean that expectations among the Tuatha are high. Suddenly they are involved in battles before they've had a chance to prepare. Is it all too much too soon for them, will they measure up to expectations?

 

When Professor Brion goes missing, the young heroes must journey into the dangerous depths beneath the Tuatha's White Keep to find him. But an ancient evil lurks below, and they soon find themselves battling fearsome beasts and deadly dragons.

 

With one of their own captured by the enemy, the stakes are higher than ever. Will they survive fights against enemies they never anticipated or even dreamt about in their worst nightmares?

 

The Lair is the third book in P.M. Gilbert's Tuatha Legends Action Adventure Fantasy Series. This story takes readers on an exciting underground adventure filled with magic and thrilling action.

 

READERS: Please note. These books are set in Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. As a result they are written in UK English - spellings  of some common words will vary from US spellings - They are not typographical errors.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vida Moda Ltd
• Release date: Jun 6, 2024
• ISBN: 9781739154356

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Thanks for picking up the 3rd book in my Tuatha Legends Series. I hope you enjoy it!

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1

Dream

Arlene could hear nothing. She felt helpless.

The small, evil looking old man-like creature with ratty straggling tendrils of grey hair and hooked nose wafted in and out of her vision. His distorted voice was indistinct, his words interspersed with random cackling as he pointed at the small tennis ball sized glass sphere on the floor.

It pulsed with an intense purple light and a hazy purple smoke rose from it. Arlene felt intense fear at the sight of it as she tossed and turned. 

Arlene noticed Finn curled on the floor to her right, writhing in agony, his hands clasped over his ears, his face a mask of contorted pain. 

The man creature was pointing at Arlene and shouting. Arlene strained to hear what he was saying, but she couldn’t hear him.

He started cackling even louder, his cackle growing into a full-blown belly laugh. His arm went up in a throwing motion and before he brought it down, Arlene clearly heard him say, Master Balor will rule over everything, all four of you are nothing beneath the might of his powers and destiny. 

The man swept his arm down in a savage motion and pointed at the sphere on the ground in front of Arlene. It exploded in a cacophony of shattering glass-like noise with a bright blast of swirling purple light. The explosion showered her with a burning viscous purple liquid.  

She woke up screaming, frantically rubbing herself, trying to brush the liquid off and beat the flames away.

Cerys shot bolt upright in her own bed and leapt out, going over to Arlene.

Arlene, you’re ok, it is just a nightmare. She said as she tried to calm her. Arlene focused on Cerys as she gradually realised where she was. Her breath was coming in heaving gulps. 

Cerys asked, What was the nightmare about?

Arlene shook her head.

It was about last night, I don’t want to talk about it, she mumbled. 

She got out of bed and dashed for the privacy of the bathroom to compose herself.

2

Morning

Cerys stared at the firmly shut bathroom door for a minute before getting up and busying herself getting ready for the day ahead. She was tired from the night before. Her mind continued to turn over the excitement and revelations of the feast. 

She went out on the balcony overlooking the hall and saw it was already bustling with activity. She spotted Arthur striding purposefully across the hall towards the accommodation quarters. He didn’t look happy. Cerys looked at the clock in the kitchen and realised they should have been up and downstairs half an hour previously. 

She dashed back inside, and burst into the boys’ room shouting, Quickly! It’s time to get up! We’re really late. Arthur is on his way over and he looks cross. 

Finn sat up groggily, yawned and stretched, his hair tousled, his face puffy with sleep. 

What time is it? he asked as he swung his legs out of bed. 

It’s gone 8:30. said Cerys as she grabbed George’s foot sticking out from under his blankets and gave it a really hard shake, Com’n George! Get up. 

George, who’d been snoring peacefully, woke up with a start shouting, It’s got my foot, help, help! 

He looked confused as he stared at Cerys, who sighed in exasperation. 

Get up you idiot, we’re going to be late for the lecture and Arthur is on his way over. 

George flopped back down, rolled over and said grumpily, I’m too tired, staying here. 

Hands on hips and with a wink at a still groggy Finn, she said, That’s fine, but you’ll miss the lecture and breakfast which smells wonderful. 

George sat up again; the thought of a lovely cooked breakfast brought a smile to his face. 

Finn smiled at Cerys as he headed for the bathroom. Don’t worry, we’ll be ready in a few minutes. 

Cerys dashed back to her and Arlene’s room to discover she had composed herself and was washed and dressed. 

Can you stall Arthur while I get ready? I’ve just managed to wake Finn and George. 

  Sure, said Arlene as she left the room carrying her boots. She sat in the lounge to put them on. While sitting there concentrating on doing up the laces on her calf length soft black leather boots but her mind kept returning to the fight she and Finn had been involved in the night before.

She hadn’t told George and Cerys about it. Finn didn’t remember any of it and she’d been shocked by the revelation of link to her own family and her great grandmother.

The sound of crashing and banging of drawers and cupboard doors from the boys’ room interspersed with loud comments from George disrupted her thoughts. She pulled herself together and remembered Donella’s advice. The door to their rooms opened without a knock and Arthur strode in looking less than pleased. 

What’s going on? We’ve been waiting for you at our breakfast table. Aren’t you all ready yet? 

The boys’ door opened, Finn and George emerged. Finn looked fairly tidy, George less so. He’d buttoned his shirt the wrong way and forgotten to comb his hair. 

Arthur looked them up and down and grunted, You’ll need to be tidier and speedier in the mornings boys. 

Cerys emerged from her and Arlene’s room, her cheeks were pink and she was a little breathless, Sorry we’re late Arthur. 

 George, ever the smart-alec standing with his hands in his pockets and a cheeky smile said, Girls always take so long to get ready. 

Cerys shot him a disparaging look, Well, if I hadn’t had to haul you out of your bed I’d have been ready. I don’t know how you don’t wake yourself up with all that snoring! 

Enough bickering. said Arthur, who was in no mood for banter, Let’s get going, you’ll just have time to grab some breakfast before the lecture.

They left their room and headed towards the lifts, Cerys and George still arguing about whose responsibility it had been to wake everyone up on time. Finn fell into step beside Arlene and asked if she was ok after the discussion they’d had with Boru and Merlin in the tent after the feast. 

Arlene shrugged. I don’t want to talk about it. I’m not sure I believe everything they said, nor am I sure they told us everything. 

She looked at Finn to see if anything had surfaced after last nights experience with the old man creature and the vision of the woman she assumed who was her maternal Grandmother based on the description that Donella had given her back at her Grans flat in Edinburgh.

Finn seemed his normal self, he hadn’t mentioned the experience and given the pain she’d observed him suffer she was pretty sure he’d remember it.

Maybe it did only happen in her dream after all.

Finn frowned at her.

Are you ok? you are miles away - what do you think about the determinations?

He was still feeling raw after the experience of his determination and before she could answer his question he jumped in with his own observation.

I feel overwhelmed by the expectations of everyone and disappointed by the determination. One minute I want to be involved in this stuff and the next I don’t. It got my parents and sister killed and I feel lost.

Arlene stopped and looked intently at him.

My family has had serious challenges with the Tuatha too, different to yours perhaps but no less painful. But it doesn’t matter what you and I think. The Fomorie tried to kill me, you and George already so it seems we have no choice.

She shrugged. I think the determinations help us understand ourselves a little better. I don’t think it is any more complicated than that.

She gathered her thoughts as they carried on in silence for a few moments.

This feels like a battle just to survive to me, and whatever I feel I am not giving into them. I intend to prove myself worthy of whatever they think I’m capable of. That seems to be the only way to survive and to make sense of all of this. 

Finn paused as he weighed up what Arlene said, thinking, she’s right, I can’t change anything and it seems like I have no control over what’s happening. We are all in the same boat and I have these gifts. I can’t do anything but move forwards. He resolved to stop being negative about everything and to look for the opportunities that the Tuatha and his gifts might present him for revenge against the Fomorie. The image of the huge warrior on the rearing horse in front of his family’s car was burned into his mind. He wanted vengeance for what had happened.

He responded as he rushed to catch up with Arlene before they got to the lifts. Yeah, I’m pretty sure you are right. I need to look at this differently and I agree there’s stuff they aren’t telling us. 

They got in the lift and made the scary journey down to the ground floor. Arthur led them out into the hall and headed off towards what he called ‘The mess.’ 

George asked, Oh, haven’t they tidied up after last night then? 

Cerys said, It’s a military term George, don’t you know anything? 

George, walking along ahead of them said in an airy voice over his shoulder, I knew that, I was just making a little joke. 

On their way to the Mess, they passed plenty of people already engaged in training. Finn was oblivious to them as he wandered along, deep in his thoughts about the previous evening. Boru’s assertions that he, Finn, was one of the most special warriors to grace the halls of the White Keep astounded him. It makes little sense, he thought. I’m just an ordinary boy and even though my parents were in The Tuatha, they were pretty ordinary too. Or at least I thought they were.

He pushed his hand in his pocket to grasp the two stones. As usual, they were warm in his hand and he felt a comforting and confident energy flow through him.

After crossing the training areas they reached yet another large tent. It was closed in on the short sides and back and open at the front. There were rows of trestle tables in the tent, sparsely occupied as breakfast had started early and was now ending. 

As they entered the tent Arthur said, "The lecture theatre is the next building to the left of us. Finn just glimpsed it as they entered the Mess. It was a dark wooden structure with steps spiralling around the outside. It looked forbidding and he shivered involuntarily. 

The ever hungry George bounded ahead, weaving his way neatly between tables and nimbly using body swerves to dodge waiters carrying trays stacked with dirty dishes. 

If he moves like that in battle he might well survive his first fight. said Donella. 

Arthur, noticing Cery’s face interjected, He’ll be fine Donella. He’s more than capable of looking after himself in a fight as I’ve seen with my own eyes. 

A long serving counter stretched out along the long back wall of the tent. Although the breakfast serving was nearly complete there was still plenty of food available. There was a mixture of men and women wearing large white hats and aprons serving food. A rather large and fierce looking woman who was incredibly red