Shaw followed Coll into the hallway and stopped.
"Alright Coll, who the hell were the two strangers committing a carnal sin on the bed beside me?"
"They weren't committing a sin, they were performing blood magic, amped up with sex magic to bring you back from wherever the hell you went!" Coll paced back and forth in the small hallway. "Damn Shaw, I thought I lost you, so I called the witches."
"Good, we need the witches." Shaw leaned against the wall, and looked at Coll. "There's stuff from the past, before I went into stasis, that I need to remember, and I can't."
"What kind of stuff?"
"Things Angus taught me about witches, about magic and about my bloodline. It's different from Bran and Fiona, and it's important I just can't remember it all."
"That's where you went isn't it?"
"Yeah, it was. Maggie told me I can go back but I have to be careful because I could get stuck there."
"Maggie? Shaw you okay, she's gone and it's Dr. O'Neil now."
"Yeah, I know, but I think it was the piece of Maggie that she trapped in the medallion, she warned me I had to come back because the ritual that they were going to perform was going to destroy the medallion and her and Cailean would win."
"Oh Jesus Christ, I'm sorry Shaw, I fucked up I came so close to destroying everything."
"Not your fault, its mine, if I could control when this happens it would be better. I could go back to where I need to be and not just random visons of the past."
"This is all so insane."
"We will figure it out. But for now, let's go and save that stupid brother of mine."
They continued down the hallway until Shaw could hear the roars.
"Coll you stupid son-of-a-bitch, untie me!"
Shaw looked at Coll and cocked an eyebrow.
"Well, he wouldn't bloody stay put so I knocked him out again and tied him up." Coll responded with a shrug.
"When I let him loose, I suggest you run." Shaw said with a chuckle.
Shaw pushed the door open and saw his brother hog tied on the floor of what he assumed was Bran's bedroom. There was broken furniture spread across the room, even the bed appeared to be broken as it was sitting lopsided behind his brother.
"Brother, you need to stop struggling before I can release you."
"Shaw, that traitor knocked me out and tied me up, when I get out of these ropes, I am going to beat him to a pulp."
"Well, it appears you have your memory back."
"Aye, the knock on the head was good for something, now untie me so I can return the favor."
"First, you need to swear on our mother's soul, that you will not go after Cailean alone."
"No, I can not make that vow!" Bran growled. "He deserves to die for everything he's done and everyone he's taken!"
"Aye, he does and with the help of the witches we will take him down together. I don't need you going off half cocked and getting yourself killed! We don't even know how much power Cailean has."
Shaw watched as Bran's already angry red face, turned almost violet as he struggled to contain his fury.
"Fine! I vow it on our mother's soul, I will not go after the cur alone!" Bran stopped struggling against his bindings and lay still. "Now untie me, so that I may get my revenge on our traitorous Lord of War!"
"Aw come on Bran, it was for you own good!"
Shaw watched as his brother finally release stood slowly and brushed himself off. Looking up at Coll, Shaw could see Bran's eyes were that of a wolf, his beast had come forward and was ready to play.
"My pride demands retribution," Bran said through his altered vocal cords, making his voice sound guttural. "Now, run Coll."
"Fuck!"
Shaw snickered as Coll took off down the hall, trying to escape Bran's beast.
"Shaw, where are these witches, let's go meet with them."
"Aren't you going to get your retribution?"
"Oh Aye, just when he least expects it."
"Still the same old Bran I see," Shaw clapped his brother on the back and turned towards the dining room to meet with the witches.
"What is our plan with the witches then brother?"
"I need to remember the past, what Angus taught me. I know you were there for some of it, any chance you were there for all of the training?"
"You don't remember it?" Bran asked.
"No not since I woke up, it's coming back in random visions, but not the information I really need."
"What information?"
"Like how to access my magic, what bloodline am I from, do you and Fiona share my bloodline at all?"
"Well, some of that I can help you with, Fiona and myself only share only the bloodline of Loki with you, from our mother's side. You have the bloodline of Dagda, how to access your magic, I don't know I wasn't there for that part."
"Dagda, your bloodline is Dagda?" Shaw looked up as the male voice spoke and he realized they had reached the dining room.
"Is that significant?" Shaw asked.
"We thought his bloodline all dead?" Spoke the female with suspicion.
"Angus did some magic test 300 years ago that said he was Dagda's bloodline." Bran replied.
"Who is this Dagda?" Shaw demanded.
"He is the Great God, King of the Tuatha de Dannan, God of Life and Death, among other things."
"He was bloody Irish?" Shaw exclaimed.
Bran snorted and Shaw glared at his brother.
"How in the hell did I end up with the blood of an Irish God?"
"Don't forget a Norse one as well?" Bran quipped.
"Did our mother take a lover while she was with Da?"
"I don't know Bran, and they're both gone now so we will never know for sure."
"Um, that's not entirely true."
"What do you mean…what are your names? As much as I have seen of you both I should really be on a first name basis."
"My name is Niall, and this is Kiara, we are of the MacNary clan."
"Angus?"
"He's not been reincarnated yet, his son has been though, he died very young and so it was his time to return."
"What do you mean we could find the truth?" Bran asked.
"There's a spell, a revelations spell, which can be cast to show you the truth of the past."
"What kind of spell, what will we have to do?"
"You will have to be cleansed, bathed in herb rich oils, anointed with ritual symbols and you will have to find your release."
"By our own hand?"
Niall shook his head. It would have to be with another then. This could not have been included with the training Angus gave him, surely, he would remember.
Shaw looked at Bran, and he gave an almost imperceptible nod.
"So be it then," Shaw sighed. "Let's prepare for the ritual."
"Kiara, call the twins, we will need their joined power for this."
Shaw watched as Kiara left the room. He wasn't sure he was entirely comfortable with this spell, but he had to know the truth.
"Just like old times brother," Bran commented his tone falling short of his usual humor. "Been awhile since we shared wenches."
Shaw groaned and fell into a nearby chair. This future was just getting increasingly difficult. All he wanted was to be with his true mate, and now he was going to have to bed another just to get answers.
"Maggie, please forgive me this betrayal."