Chapter Four: A Moonlit Encounter

            There was a haze around my vision. I looked around, unable to focus on anything. My head was spinning. There was a sudden knock on the window. I screamed. A small “Shhh,” came from the window. Confused, I whipped my head around. A young woman beamed at me, her teeth gleaming in the moonlight. A strange warmth drifted off of her. It wasn’t a physical warmth, but almost an aura enveloping her. Looking beyond her, I noticed that she was not alone. I looked over at my mom. She smiled at me before opening the door. My heart clenched in my chest. Why on earth was my mother greeting these people at a time like this? My head swam with the endless possibilities of who this group could be. Were they here to help or hinder? I felt a cold sweat break over my skin. I slowly got out of the car, still clutching Patches close to my chest. Finally, the young woman spoke. ”Ah, sorry ‘bout that,” she said as she glanced sheepishly at our wreckage. “We didn’t mean to cause harm.” She smiled impishly. She had a strong southern accent. Her voice sounded like honey, golden and sweet. I looked at her closely. She held out her hand to my mother. “Nice to meet ya, ma’am, I’m Cara Moore.” She smiled brightly, her teeth almost glowing. My mother smiled and took her hand. “It’s nice to meet you Cara, I’m Cliona Adaire, and this is my daughter, Brighid.” She spoke with confidence. I felt comfort roll off of her in waves, causing me to relax slightly. Cara smiled in my direction. Patches mewed in my hands, a rumbling purr emanating from her small chest. I smiled and rubbed her head. If Patches was comfortable around these people, I should be too.

            I looked around the group, taking in their moonlit forms. There were two people, a young man and woman, who looked alike even in the dim light. They were obviously related. Their hair almost seemed to sparkle in the light of the half moon. They stuck together, almost separating themselves from the group. I looked at them curiously for a second before moving to the other person in the small group. He was tall, almost imposing, yet I felt an aura of gentleness coming from him. Cara noticed me eyeing the others. She laughed, a musical sound. “Ah, yes. I forgot to introduce everyone. Those two over there,” She pointed at the two standing by themselves. “That’s Ena and Aiden Hughes, the twins. That guy there,” She pointed at the tall man. ”His name’s Lorcan O’Keefe. And the lovely woman hiding behind him,” She laughed as a short woman stepped out from behind him. “Is Kanara O’Keefe.” The young woman waved slightly. Cara turned back to my mother. “Are you guys okay?” Concern flooded her voice.  My mother chuckled slightly. “We’re fine. It’s a good thing you and your associates showed up when you did.” I could feel Cara’s delight that we were okay. “We could sense that trouble was brewing, so we had to investigate. C’mon, we’ll take you back to our humble abode.” She laughed and walked away, her group silently following her. My mother and I stared after her. She paused. “Well, are ya coming, or what?” She teased. My mother and I looked at each other before walking to our car and grabbing two large journals. We took one last look at our beloved items before turning our backs and walking away. My heart felt heavy. Where exactly were these people leading us?..