Summary: Klaus doesn’t believe that Bella loves him due to the fact that he is a monster and a beast. So Bella decides to tell him a story. A story passed down through her father’s bloodline for hundreds of years; the family legend.
A/N: ‘La Légende de la Famille’ is French for ‘The Family Legend’. ‘Mœr Fróðleikr’ is Old Norse for ‘Maiden Magic’ (Or ‘Magic Maiden’).
Bella sighed, her hand rubbing the back of her neck in a stressed gesture as she reclined on her front across the king-sized bed, her beloved wolf pacing angrily back and forth in front of her.
She didn’t know just what to do, which was a first as ever since she had met the lonely hybrid four years ago, she had always known just what to say or do, always known who she needed to be for him, just as he always knew who he needed to be for her.
But right now… she was utterly lost.
You see, to her she was just a broken nineteen-year-old who was futilely trying to fight off her ex-boyfriend’s sugary sweet, drug-like influence when they had first met.
She had been aimlessly walking the almost deserted yet dangerous back alleyways of Port Angeles, trying to find… something, anything. And something she found, or rather, someone found her.
Now, Klaus had also been stalking the city streets, out hunting for some tasty morsels he could viciously lose his anger into, when he had heard the skirmish and, being the curious wolf that he was; he went to see what was going on.
He had saved Bella that night, though she knew that was not his first intent. She had whimpered and cowered, unable to move, to run, to talk or scream, or do pretty much anything but fold into herself as the numbness and blood fell over her.
She could vaguely remember hearing screaming and snarls, taunts and cries and the feeling of something dripping down her coat and sinking into her skin but, she only truly started to notice things when she was harshly pulled up, her back somehow now hitting a brick wall as tight, claw-like hand gripped her coat fiercely and a fearsome growl was echoed through her ears.
She had looked up, startled, and into golden eyes.
Now, she was familiar with the color gold in irises but this. This was more. It was like… molten lava and liquid gold all thrown into a hurricane, impossibly swirling and raging like an erupting volcano.
It was beautiful.
He, he would tell her later, was also admiring her by for another reason for, you see, he is a hybrid.
No, not a hybrid, thee hybrid and, as he was off two extremely violent and blood-lusting creatures, Hecate (though he prefers to call her Mœr Fróðleikr) decided that, though he is a necessary evil in this world, it was not fair nor right to let him live his immortal life alone.
And so, she begged her fellow goddess, Freyja to create the perfect being who would match him in all ways and would stay by his side as he would her. One who would understand his hardships as she would get her own, one who would find him when they needed each other most.
This is how Isabella Marie Swan came to be. While they could not truly control anything on Earth, they could gift the child who would best understand and heal the famed and feared beast most with great abilities that would help her navigate the cruel, and rather dramatic, world that is the hybrid’s life.
She is his mate and the only one that could truly match and compliment him in everything, soul mates of the most sought-after kind.
He recognized who she was to him through her mouthwatering scent and quickly stole her from her home, not letting her leave his side since, not that she ever would.
Ever since then she had started to understand things she had easily dismissed and not believed before. She may have believed in the supernatural, but never that she was supernatural, despite all of the… odd things that has happened to her growing up.
She had started to grow and, well, not change but come more into herself once she was away from those whom believed they knew who she was and how she should act and, as she knew it was easier and did not wish to cause upset to those who had given her so much, she has become who they saw.
But away and with the feared hybrid, the beast she had come to love and care for she had flourished and bloomed and was forever grateful to her love.
And she supposed that was the problem; most when they heard of and saw her love to the nightmare of monsters thought that it was just Stockholm Syndrome and, over time, it seems that her hybrid had come to believe this too.
He was still ranting and raving about how she was obviously not in love with him, just grateful and how no one could possibly love him even if he did them, I mean- just look at his family! He had to box them up just so they would stay!
Honestly, Bella thought, after four years you would think that he wouldn’t doubt himself so but, despite what he wanted the world to believe, he did have a heart. One that had been dented and twisted and broken so many times that he did not believe he was worth it anymore.
She knew she could relate to that, if only slightly.
But right now she was getting fed up so, with a huff, she got up and calmly walked over to him, standing within his path, forcing him to stop as she held his hands within her own.
“Darling, you’re wearing a hole into the carpet.” She told him with a slight warning tone to her strong voice, she did so hate it when he would destroy their home’s, however small the damage was.
“Excuse me, love.” He replied. He would never say sorry, not even to her, but this was as good as.
She nodded and gently led him to the end of the bed, delicately sitting down and gesturing with her headfirst him to do the same even as she kept his hands securely in hers.
“Now, why are you questioning my love for you. You know that I love you more than anything else and that my love for you only grows with every passing day, so why would you question no matter what others say.”
Even as she was talking she could see him shaking his head, so childlike, in denial.
“No, no it’s just Stockho-”
”Stop.” She interrupted, placing her hand over his mouth in an effort to shush him, “You know I do not believe in things such as Stockholm Syndrome. I believe that human minds try to rationalize what they do not understand, and falling in love with your their is something ‘no one could possibly do’.” Her voice showed just how ridiculous she thought that was. “‘Stockholm Syndrome’ is just words that humans use for people who fall for their capture because they do not get it. Now, i’m not saying some of those people were not manipulated into feeling what they do or did, but it is still love, still feelings.”
“So you’re saying that I manipulated your feelings out of you?!”
“What, no! Of course not, I, erh.” Her hands left his as they rubbed her face in a stressed gesture, coming to a stop in front of her mouth, palms together as though in prayer.
And then it came to her, the old story that was passed down from parent to child for generations, a tale she had heard often enough growing up that she could recite it from memory even though it had been over a decade since she had last heard the words.
Klaus, having seen the change in her body language, looked at her curiously as she slowly put her hands down into her lap and looked at him with such determination that he as slightly scared for a moment.
What she said, however, did surprise him, “I’m gonna tell you a story, and you’re gonna listen, ok.”
He only minutely nodded as she began,
“Once upon a time” Klaus smirked and gave a gruff laugh at that… till she glared at him, that is. At which point he fell silent, “in a kingdom that is now a part of France, there was a poor farmer whom’s wife was a beautiful sorceress. Together they birthed three beautiful daughters, the Sorceress dying giving birth to their youngest, Rozabelle.
“These daughters were said to be the prettiest in all of France. And so, as they truly were all so beautiful, they all married into nobility. One married a Duke, the other a Lord and the third, Rozabelle, married a Count.
“However, while the first two daughters were happy and content in their marriages, Rozabelle was not. Her husband was a cruel and wicked man who sought for dominance over all and was not happy with his station in life. And though to everyone else, he was the perfect picture of nobility and love, he was truly a cold hearted bastard who seemed to get a kick out of hurting his wife and servants.
“May a year passed and Rozabelle’s heart hardened and turned cold as to protect itself from her lonely existence. Then, one day, a group of traveling gypsies passed through the town close to her manor and while we do not truly know what happened with, and too, them, we do know that they taught Rozabelle how to harness the true raw magic within her.
“One night, when the Count came for his wife’s company and Rozabelle used her magic to curse him with an illness that would eventually kill him.
“A new Count, the last’s younger brother, came to take over the manor and, while kinder than his elder, he and the manor were a reminder of all that had happened and Rozabelle knew that people suspected her hand in her husband’s demise, judging from the way some looked at her, anyways.
“So she soon left, traveling back to live with her old and lonely father who, while thrilled to have her home, saw the change and darkness in his child and wished to cure her sadness.
“So, while on his way back from selling some of his harvest in the next town over, he went inside of the garden of the old castle, the one who’s ruins he passed by often but never ventured in for fear of the beast rumoured to live within, and he picked a beautiful red rose from the thorny bush, hoping to gift it to his daughter to bring a smile to her sad face.
“But then, just as he was about to leave, he was stopped by a monstrous raw that was heard for miles around and the young farmer turned around to see a beast.
“The beast looked human enough in his height and size, but he was covered in golden brown fur and his eyes were a startling yellow, his teeth long and pointed and sharp. The farmer was scared frozen as the beast came over to him, smelling him. He was quite shocked and worried when the beast let him leave with his life, so long as he sent the witch that lived with him to the beast’s castle, he would live.
“You see, the beast had smelt magic on the old man and, while he knew it was not from the man, he knew that it was from someone close to him, someone he lived with.
“So the old man grabbed his cart and fled, not noticing the thorny rose still clutched tightly in his hand as he ran as fast as his legs would carry him. When he got him, Rozabelle immediately noticed her father’s worry and shame and the bleeding, bloodied hand that clutched the broken rose.
“She begged her father to tell her what happened and when he did she did not know what to think, of course she would go, but she would be careful. No man would rule her again.
“When she arrived, the beast greeted her like a gentleman would and, though she was startled by his appearance, she knew what to expect and said nothing of it.
“He told her that he required her skills, that he was a werewolf and another witch had cursed him to live in a half state, stuck between his human and wolf forms, only having freedom from it on a full moon night, when he would change into a full wolf. If she stayed and freed him, he would reward her and her father greatly.
“She felt no pity for the beast, nor did she want his money. But she could see he had a good, kind heart and knew what it was like to be alone and trapped and wished it on no one and so, she helped him.
“It took a long while, months really, for Rozabelle to find the witch who had cursed him’s grimoire and even longer to create the antidote, and while she stayed at the castle, Rozabelle and the beast, who she now knew was named Aldair, talked about many things.
“Rozabelle could feel her heart start to soften and thaw and he became the one being she knew she could trust and care for and, in return, Aldair found someone who saw past his beastish looks and saw him for the kind soul he was.
“But their fairytale would soon come to a close as, just a week before the potion that would give Aldair his looks back, the one that uses extremely rare herbs, was ready; disaster struck.
“You see, Rozabelle had an enchanted looking glass, a mirror, given to her by her old gypsy friends and, so long as she had a piece of the person you wished to see, if you dropped that piece onto the glass- you could see them. Rozabelle used this to keep an eye on her father but this one day, when she checked; she saw her father being taken into a dungeon on suspicion of harboring magical items.
“Rozabelle knew she could not leave her father behind, though she knew she could not leave the potion. Aldair heard her cries and, once he found out the matter, he did something that would change everything.
“He went into the room where the potion was brewing and, with no thought nor hesitation, tipped it, spilling the magical cure all over the floor. Rozabelle was shocked and angry but he bid her go, save her father as there was no reason to stay.
“Knowing it was the logical thing to do, Rozabelle quickly left, promising to return and make a new way to return him to a full-human form.
“But it was not to be for, by the time Rozabelle got to the town where her father was imprisoned, he had already been sentenced to the flames and died as such. Rozabelle cried, her magic swirling around her in anger, destroying everything, and everyone, in it’s path as she grieved, feeling guilty and knowing that her father’s blood, or ashes, were on her hands.
“In her anger and grief, however, Rozabelle was easily struck down and sentenced to the very flames her father had just perished in, the town fools believing that by killing her they would stop her ‘evil spell’.
“She was tied and bound and pushed, guards swords piercing her back, making blood pour down but she felt non as the numbness set in.
“Later, Aldair would tell her how he worried as soon as she left, following her through the mirror she left behind, saving her just before she hit the flames. He would tell her how the townsfolk ran screaming as they caught sight of the terrible ‘beast’ and how he carried her frozen body down and away from the town.
“They would leave their kingdom, searching for years before crossing the sea the New World and set up home in a cottage deep in the woods just north of a beautiful riverbank. Aldair never got his cure, but neither ever minded, in a matter of fact, Rozabelle loved his beastly exterior as he loved her once-hardened heart. And they would have four beautiful children, and Rozabelle would tell them their parents story, and her children would tell their children, and their children would tell their children and, while the true story was lost and manipulated, like a game of Chinese Whispers, to time; their would be one bloodline, the bloodline of Rozabelle and Aldair’s eldest, that would never. Ever. Forget.
“The end.”
There was silence for a few minutes as Klaus tried to digest the ‘bedtime fairy tale’ his love had just told him, while Bella quietly watched him, hoping he would get the message she was trying to convey.
“So… are you telling me, that you are descended from Beauty and the Beast?” Klaus asked in disbelief.
“Well, when you put it like that, it does should rather fanciful, but, why do you think I am Isabella? My father always loved this tale, and so did I growing up. It’s why I prefer Bella to Isabella, it makes me feel closer to my ancestors.”
“How do you know that the story you have heard is not, as you say, Chinese Whispers?” Klaus asked, curious, and Bella sighed, leaning back against the headboard (They had moved to the top of the bed while Bella was telling her family legend).
“Because I believe in it, Nik, I believe.”
“But wha-”
Bella put her hand over his mouth, glaring at the blonde, “Just shut up! Uh! Look, the point I was trying to make was that Rozabella and Aldair were total opposites. Neither felt they deserved love and both were beasts, though in different ways. And just as they were both beasts, they were both beauties.”
“Still don’t get your point.” Klaus said, bluntly.
“UH!” Bella groaned, chucking a pillow at him which he cheekily ducked, “The point that I was trying to make you horse’s ass” “HEY!” Bella smiled, slightly, “is that I love you for you. You may see yourself as a monster, as a beast and others may see you as that too.” She cupped his face, her smile widening as she took his face in her hands, “But I see who you really are and, while I will admit that you are a beast.” At this, Klaus started to look away, feeling rejected. “You are MY beast Nik, and I love you more than anyone or anything else. You bring out the best in me and taught me that I am worth it. You taught me to be strong, and made me into the confident, and sexy, woman I am today, not the broken and trodden-on, doormatted girl you first met. My heart, body and soul belong to you, as I know yours does me in return. YOU are the one I will choose, always, damn what others say!”
At the end of her rant, Bella was breathing heavily and her cheeks were slightly flushed and Klaus couldn’t help but marvel and wonder at how he gained such a beautiful love.
As he leaned over and kissed her passionately, he knew he would still always have doubts about her love for him, he knew that as long as she was there, he could keep them down at the bottom of his mind, kept away under lock and key.
And as they lost themselves in the passion of their love, they did not see the man and the woman standing off to the corner. They were old, in their late 70’s/early 80’s, the woman’s hair gray and wispy, her face old and wrinkled and her soft brown eyes looking at the couple in a why that would remind one of a grandmother, smiling at her grandchildren’s love. And the man had graying hair all around his face and body, more so than would be considered normal, his teeth were sharp and slightly pointed, his ears tipped but what stood out most was his bright golden-yellow eyes. Their dress was of peasants from hundreds of years before the present day, and the faint white tinge to their colorings made them look quite out of place in the modern manor.
Rozabelle and Aldair may have been monsters and beasts to the world, but to their family… they were legends.
Summary: Bella Swan isn’t her real name. Her real name is Isabella Jones. She likes to be called Isa. She isn’t just a fragile human either. She is Killian Jones’ daughter. Ursula is her mother. When she meets back up with her father after the Cullen’s betrayal, and goes with him and the others to save Henry in Neverland, old feelings surface when she sees Baelfire, who is now known as Neal Cassidy for the first time in a long time.
When Killian Jones and Rumpelstiltskin, who was now known as Mr. Gold, realized they had to go to Neverland in order to get Henry back, they both groaned. Neither of them wanted to go back there, but they knew they had to. Gold knew he shouldn’t go back there. His father, Pan, would be able to get to him: He’d get into his head. He told the group this, and they agreed that he would stay behind, Killian was taking them there on the Jolly Roger. Emma Swan was going. So was Graham, the Huntsman, Mary Margaret, and David Nolan-Snow White and Prince Charming- Emma’s parents.
“We need to wait for Isa to get here. She should be here within the hour,” Killian told them.
“Who’s Isa?” Emma asked warily.
“She’s my daughter’,” he said proudly. “She sent me a message a couple of days ago letting me know she is making her way back to me.” he replied. Then he went on to tell them that she had been curious about how ‘people in the real world’ lived, so he let her go live with a friend, where she was known as Bella Swan, but her real name was Isabella Jones. She was Killian’s and Ursula’s daughter. He also explained that she had her mother’s magic and that kept her from aging in the real world with the use of a spell and some herbs.
“Ursula?! Seriously?!” Emma exclaimed, disgusted.
“I was lonely and had a moment of weakness. Not one of my finest moments. At least Isa takes after me,” Killian defended himself with a smirk.
“Alright everyone, get ready and meet at the docks in an hour,” Killian ordered.
Everyone dispersed to get ready to go.
An hour later, everyone was at the docks, talking, and waiting for Isa to show up when a water-resistant duffle bag flew out of the water and onto the dock at Killian’s feet. He smiled and stuck his hand out. Towards a young woman who was floating in the water. She grabbed his hand and allowed him to pull her up onto the dock. She pulled her tail out of the water so that it would dry and transform into legs. Because she escaped to the real world before the curse hit, she was able to keep her magic and her memories.
“A mermaid? Ursula isn’t a mermaid,” Emma commented.
“She was actually. She was a mermaid witch. When a guy broke her heart, she tapped into her dark side, became the evil sea creature thing that you know of,” Isa explained as she took the towel Killian had been holding and dried off her legs, wrapping the towel around her waist since she was naked from the waist down, and stood up.
“Get on the ship and get cleaned up Isa. I’ll explain what’s going on after we leave,” Killian told her.
“Ok, Daddy,” she said, giving him a hug before she scooped up her duffle bag and got onto the ship.
A short while later they were on their way. When Isa emerged from below decks she was cleaned up and dressed in black leather tight pants, a dark maroon corset top, a long black leather trench coat, and black high heeled boots which ended just below the knee, and her long hair was down around her shoulders.
As she stalked across the deck and up the stairs to join her father, the resemblance between father and daughter was more noticeable than it had been on the dock. When she reached Killian, Isa turned to face everyone and they could see just who she took after more clearly.
They could see the two talking, and knew Killian was filling her in on everything that had happened so far: Emma walked up to them to help fill her in.Isa looked at the woman she knew her Father was interested in and nodded emphatically, “We will get your son back,” she said with determination.
“Thank you,” Emma replied, a little dumbstruck. This young woman didn’t even know her, yet she was so determined to help her. Isa just gave her a knowing smile.
“Now, tell me what happened while you were with Charlie,” Killian demanded. He had known something was wrong when she sent the message that she was coming home. He had also seen the stitches in her bicep. The others in the group joined them, wanting to know more about the girl.
Isa sighed, “After you sent me to live with Charlie, he thought that since I looked so young, it would be a good idea to send me to high school. He thought it would look odd if I wasn’t in school, and since he’s the Chief of Police, well…” she shrugged. “My first day at school is the first time I saw them, at lunch. They were cold ones,” Isa started to explain, only for her father to hiss, and Emma to interrupt.
“What are cold ones?” Emma asked.
“They are vampires. I’ll explain the differences between them and the vampires you know of later,” Isa replied.
“There were five of them in school. However, there were 7 of them in the coven, or ‘family’ as they liked to call themselves. Rosalie and Emmett were a mated couple. Alice and Jasper were a mated couple. Edward was the only single one in the group. Then there was Doctor Carlisle Cullen, and his wife Esme. I knew what they were but they had golden eyes which I have never seen before so I was intrigued….” Isa went on to tell them how she met the Cullens and that she and Edward had started dating. She told them about the incident with James, which pissed her father off as she showed him the scar on her wrist. Then she told him about the birthday party she didn’t want to have that they forced her into. “I never told Edward the truth about me, something always held me back. Three days after my party, Edward wanted me to take a walk with him in the woods. When we got out there, he told me that he and his family were leaving. That I was just a pet, a distraction until they moved on. Then he left me there. Alone.” By now Isa was crying. Killian pulled his daughter to him and hugged her with one arm as he steered the ship with the other hand. Killian was damn near shaking with rage, even as he held his daughter close to him. He closed his eyes and took some deep breaths to calm down. He needed to be calm in order to to help his daughter through this. Once he was calm enough, he opened his eyes and looked down at his daughter. He knew exactly what would cheer her up.
“Hey,” he nudged her gently.
She looked up at him with tears still in her eyes.
“Do you want to steer for a little while?” He asked her with a small smirk.
Her eyes lit up excitedly as she smiled. “Really?!” She squealed, causing the others to wince at the high pitch.
Killian chuckled. “Go ahead, love,” and he nudged her towards the wheel.
She grinned and switched positions with her Father, clearly pleased with the task.
Emma smiled at the scene. Maybe Killian isn’t so bad, she thought.
Killian looked at the rest of the group, “I taught her how to navigate the waters and steer the ship when she was still pretty little. She loved it. She dreamed of being a pirate Captain someday, hoping I’d pass the Jolly Roger on to her if and when I can no longer be a Captain.”
“I still want to,” Isa replied with a grin, making her father chuckle.
“Would your crew listen to her?” David asked.
“Yes, they would. She’s had the whole crew wrapped around her finger since she was a baby. Plus she will make a great Captain someday,” Killian answered with a smile.
“What about a husband? Surely, they wouldn’t approve of her going gallivanting off on a pirate ship,” Mary Margaret said.
Isa gave her a glare. “Any husband of mine will simply have to understand that the sea runs through my veins from both of my parents. This is where I belong,” she said emphatically as she waved her hand around them to indicate the water and the ship they were sailing on.
David shook his head at his love, she was still stuck in her ways. He was at least trying to change his own way of thinking to fit in with the times. Emma could understand where Isa was coming from.
“What does Ariel think of you? You know, because of who your mother is,” Emma asked.
Isa looked at her and could see that she was genuinely curious.
“Ariel has no hard feelings toward me. She knows I’m not like my mother in that sense. I do have my mother’s powers, but I haven’t tapped into my dark side. The reason they hate each other so much is that the guy that my mother fell in love with was actually a merman, Ariel’s father. My mother took her anger out on Ariel,” Isa replied.
Everyone except Killian and his crew was in shock.
Isa nodded at them. “My mother fell in love with Ariel’s father. Ariel’s father gave her empty promises and false hope while he fell in love with Ariel’s mother. My mother became angry and bitter and vowed to get revenge. She tapped into her dark side, thus becoming the octopus thing.”
“Wow…When did you sleep with her, Killian?” Emma asked.
“Around the time Ursula turned Ariel human and mute. When Ursula stole Ariel’s voice, turned herself human and tried to charm Eric.” Killian explained. “Like I said, not one of my prouder moments.”
They settled into different conversations after that, enjoying the ride. Isa loved navigating the ship. When she got tired her father took over so she went below deck to get some sleep.
She woke up later to her father shaking her gently. “We’re here, baby girl.” Isa yawned and nodded as she sat up.
They all walked off the ship and looked at Isa when they heard her sharp gasp as she set foot on the land. They knew it was something magical.
She looked at her father. “Pan already knows we’re here. I have no doubt Felix is already lurking around.”
He nodded at her before looking at the group. “He will try to play with your mind. He loves games, especially mind games. Be ready for anything. Felix is his second in command, and will do the same.”
They entered the woods, and started to look for Pan’s camp. They trudged through the woods for a long while before Felix popped up in front of them. “Isa, it’s been a long time. Pan will be happy to have you back,” he smirked.
Isa schooled her face, not wanting to show her emotions. “I’m not back for him. I was never his. Where is the boy, Felix?” She asked.
“What boy?” He asked in return with the same smirk.
“You know what boy. Henry. The truest believer. You don’t think I know what Pan wants him for?” Isa hissed.
Felix frowned. He had forgotten that Isa had never lost her magic. She was powerful, and if Pan and the Lost Boys weren’t careful she could be their downfall.
“You might be able to work out a deal with Pan for the boy. You for him. We all know how he feels about you. You’ll never have who you truly want. He’ll never love you. Pan does.” Felix told her gleefully.
Isa scoffed. “He doesn’t love me. He just wants his bed warmed.”
Killian growled at that, making Felix grin.
“Ohh, Daddy doesn’t know what his little angel did while she was here does he?” Felix taunted.
“I know everything she did. It wasn’t one of her finest moments,” Killian growled.
Felix shook his head. “You won’t get that boy back. Maybe not even with a deal. Pan needs him.”
“Give me my son!” Emma yelled, trying to charge at him. Isa caught her around the waist and gently pushed her back into Graham, who wrapped his arms tightly around Emma and held her against him as she fought to get free. He whispered into her ear to get her to calm down.
Felix laughed “This is going to be so much fun,” he said before running off.
Isa walked up to Emma and cupped her face with her hands, making Emma look into her eyes. “I know you want your son back. We will get him back but I need you to be calm.”
Emma looked at her with tears in her eyes.
“Take deep breaths. Breathe with me,” Isa told her calmly as she breathed in and out, coaxing Emma to do the same.
Emma nodded and did as Isa asked, relaxing against Graham.
“Ok, we need to make camp for the night. It’s too dark to do anything now. We’ll resume at first light,” Killian ordered.
Isa used her magic to conjure some logs to sit on around the fire, as well as a fire pit and some food. She sat on the ground, leaning against her father’s side as they ate. She snuggled further into his side afterward as they all drifted to sleep.
Sometime in the middle of the night Isa jerked awake after hearing Pan call her name. She was surprised she didn’t wake her father up.
Pan grinned at her. “Hey, sexy. Good to have you back.”
“I’m not back for you. I’m here for Henry,” she hissed quietly.
He chuckled. “I know, Felix told me. I just wanted to let you know that I left you a gift at the Echo Cave. Have fun getting it out.” He smirked as he disappeared.
The next morning, after everyone woke up Isa told them where they needed to go.
“Why do we have to go there? We should be looking for Henry,” Mary Margaret huffed.
“Because we don’t know what he left there. He loves to play mind games. We need to see what’s in there,” Killian replied. Isa had told him of Pan’s visit when he woke up.
They made it to the cave several hours later. When they walked in, they saw who was in the cage at the back of the cave.
“Bae!” Isa gasped, her eyes wide as she looked at the man: The man she’d loved since she was a teenager. The man that never gave her a chance. The one Felix had been talking about. Baelfire was in the cage.
His head snapped up when he heard his birth name. His own eyes went wide at seeing her. “Isa?” He asked in disbelief. “ What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to help find Henry, Bae,” Isa answered him.
“I go by Neal now,” he told her.
“How do we get Neal out of there? There’s no path to the cage, just a big empty dark hole,” Emma asked, concerned.
Killian and Isa both groaned and looked at each other. They both knew why Pan had done this. Isa would have to spill her secret about being in love with Baelfire, he wouldn’t return the feelings, and Pan would swoop in and find a way to try and convince her to stay and be with him.
“The path will conjure as we tell our secrets,” Isa muttered irritably.
“I suppose I’ll go first…” Killian sighed and took a step to the edge. “When Ursula first told me she was pregnant, I wasn’t sure I wanted a child. I was afraid a baby would tie me to land. But when Isa was born and I saw her, I knew it wasn’t true.” As he finished speaking, a piece of the path appeared. Isa was looking at her father with tears in her eyes.
He looked at her “I love you more than anything though baby girl. You are my world,” he reassured her. She nodded, knowing they would talk about it later.
After that, Graham took his turn, professing his love for Emma. Then Emma stepped forward, telling Neal that while she will always care for him, that their time had passed, she was in love with Graham now: He told her he understood. They only needed one more secret to open the door now. Isa sighed and stepped forward, grabbing onto the bars of the cage door. She looked down at her feet, before looking straight at Neal who was looking at her curiously.
“I’ve been in love with Neal since I was thirteen years old and first started noticing boys. No boy, or man, has ever made me feel like he does. When I’m with someone else, all I see is Neal’s face,” Isa said just loud enough for everyone to hear. Neal gasped, looking at her with wide eyes.
The door clicked, and she pulled it open, stepping back to let him out. He stepped toward her, and looked down at her. “All this time?” He asked quietly.
“All this time,” she answered, looking up at him with a smile.
He grinned and grabbed the back of her head, pulling her forward and planting his lips on hers. Isa gasped in shock before relaxing and deepening the kiss. When they pulled back, they both smiled. “We’ll talk about this more when we get back to Storybrook, but you are mine Isa,” Neal told her. She nodded with a smile.
Killian was grinning. He trusted Neal to take care of his little girl. Emma was glad Neal finally had someone else.
Neal wrapped his arm around her waist and walked over to the group with her, and they all left together.
Pan, who had been watching, growled dangerously: He would make them pay.
They group was walking away from the cave, they needed to figure out what to do next.
“We need to go to Neal’s little shack that he has here,” Isa said. Neal nodded in agreement.
“Why do we need to do that? We need to find Henry. Why do you keep putting that off?” Mary Margaret whined.
Isa glared at the woman, she was getting on her last nerve.
“We can’t just traipse through the woods with no direction in mind, and no plan to find or get Henry out of here. Neal’s shack is the only place on this island that I have spelled so Pan and his Lost Boys can’t hear us,” Isa bit out.
“She’s right,” Neal agreed with a nod and a smile for the woman he had loved just as fiercely, for just as long as she’d loved him
Emma and Killian nodded in understanding, “Lead the way,” Emma said. Even though she was anxious to find Henry and go home to Storybrook, she could see the logic in making plans and strategizing, and not going off half cocked and getting themselves lost, or worse.
Neal removed his arm from Isa’s waist and took hold of her hand instead, tangling their fingers together. They led the group to Neal’s shack.
Once they were inside, Isa shut and locked and door magically. “No one can hear us now,” she reassured everyone.
“There are various magical items in here,“ Neal said as everyone looked around, “some of which could be useful in rescuing Henry and getting out of here.”
“What’s this?” Graham asked, picking up a wooden box.
“It’s a magical box. It could trap Pan and his shadow inside. I can seal it after that. The only way to unseal it is if I die,” Isa answered.
“Could we maybe trap him in it to get Henry back?” Emma asked.
“We could try. However, we’d still have to fight Felix and the other Lost Boys,” Neal answered.
“I can deal with Felix and the rest,” Isa told them, sounding very sure of herself.
Killian and Neal were already shaking their heads in disapproval. They didn’t want her putting herself in that much danger.
“I’m the only one that can handle them all. You guys have to try to get Pan and his shadow in the box, and get Henry back to the ship,” Isa pointed out.
“So, here’s what we’ll do.” she continued, “I can put a shield dome over Pan’s campsite to keep it in place. Neal, Dad, and Emma try to get Pan and his shadow in the box. DO NOT lift the lid once he’s inside. Keep it closed, until I can seal it. Graham, David, and Mary Margaret get Henry and go back to the ship and wait for the rest of us. Take Henry below deck and keep him there. Until we leave it’ll be the safest place for him,” Isa explained.
“Why didn’t you just put your shield thing over his campsite in the first place? We could have had Henry already,” Mary Margaret complained.
“Because we didn’t have a plan. Did you plan on just walking into his campsite and telling him to give Henry back and expect him to listen?” Bella snapped angrily.
Mary Margaret looked down in embarrassment.
Everyone agreed, albeit reluctantly in Killian and Neal’s cases since they didn’t like the fact Isa was putting herself in danger.
Emma took the box, while Neal packed a few things in a bag that he wanted to try and keep. Isa closed her eyes and concentrated, letting her magic help her sense where the campsite was. Once she had it’s location, she placed her shield dome around it. Neal stood behind her, close enough to be barely touching her, offering her support. Once she was done, she opened her eyes and they left to go to Pan’s campsite. They all wanted the charade to end, and Neal and Isa wanted to talk about their feelings for each other and finally be together, but they couldn’t do that until Pan was dealt with.
The next day, they put their plan into action. They were all getting frustrated: Their plan wasn’t working out very well, they couldn’t get Pan or his shadow into the box. Isa snarled and used her magic to push two of the Lost Boys who were holding Henry away from him. They flew backwards into a tree, the impact broke their backs. She gently pushed Henry into Emma’s arms.
“Go! All of you. Get to the ship, and get it off the land. I’ll meet you there. I can swim to the ship. Pan can’t touch you if you’re not on land. Go!” Isa shouted at them as she fought the Lost Boys, Felix, and Pan who were trapped in her shield. Her group was able to leave though.
“Isa…,” Neal began, not wanting to leave her.
“Go! I’ll be right behind you,” she yelled.
David grabbed Killian’s arm while Graham grabbed Neal’s and they dragged the two men out of the shield and to the ship.
Killian shook his head as he got the ship moving off shore, but he only went a few feet, just far enough that the ship’s hull wasn’t touching the shore or the sandy bottom of the lake.
“Why are you stopping? We need to get out of here,” Mary Margaret yelled at him.
“I’m not leaving my daughter behind. She will make it!” Killian snarled at her.
Mary Margaret huffed and stomped below deck to tend to Henry.
They waited for about an hour. Neal and Killian had just begun to make a plan to go look for Isa when they heard a shout from the water. “Daddy, send down a rope!”
They looked over the side and saw Isa floating beside the ship; she was holding a small boy on her back who looked to be about 5 years old. She had been beaten up, and was bruised and bloody: She looked like she was about to pass out.
Killian quickly grabbed a rope that was close by, handed one end to Neal and tossed the other end over the edge.
“Can you both climb up?” Killian shouted down to her.
He saw her shake her head. The little boy that was perched on her back answered for her after Neal and Killian saw her say something to him, “She says that she’s gonna tie us to the rope and you gotta pull us up!” The boy shouted.
“Ok!” Killian shouted back.
Once Isa tied the rope around her waist, she also tied it around the little boy’s. David, Graham, and Mary Margaret had come up from below deck to see what was going on, while Henry and Emma stayed below.
“We’ll need your help pulling them up,” Neal said to David and Graham. Both men grabbed onto the rope and got ready.
They were all ready when they heard the boy shout, “Ok, we’re ready. Pull!”
“Heave!” Neal shouted. All four men started pulling and soon had Isa and the boy on the ship. Killian and Neal quickly untied them both. Mary Margaret, ever the do gooder and believer in doing things her way, the right way, tried to take the little boy away.
“No! I wanna stay with Miss Isa!” He shouted and struggled in her hold.
“Let him go! Now!” Isa demanded tiredly, but managed to glare at the woman.
“You are in no shape to take care of him. Now or ever. You are Ursula’s daughter!” Mary Margaret snapped.
David looked at her in surprise. “Mary!”
“I’m not like my mother. If I can’t find his parents, I will raise this little boy as my own. He will stay with me while we look for his family though. Now let him go,” Isa growled with renewed energy.
Neal grabbed the boy from Mary Margaret, then let him go: He ran straight to Isa and knelt beside her. “What can I do to help Miss Issa?”
Isa gave Neal a look and he knew they would be discussing this shortly.
“Sweetheart, right now, I need you to go stay with Henry and Emma. Neal is going to take care of me. As soon as I rest and wake up we’ll spend some time together okay?” She told the little boy.
“Can I spend some time with Mr. Hook?” he asked with a little giggle.
Killian smiled at that.
“Of course you can,” Isa smiled.
“What’s your name, little man?” Killian asked as he knelt down so he didn’t tower over the child.
“I’m Robby,” he said a little shyly.
“How old are you Robby?” Killian asked as he gently touched Robby’s cheek then brushed a bit of hair off his forehead.
“Five,” He answered proudly.
“Alright Robby, why don’t I take you to Miss Emma and Henry. Miss Emma can help you clean up and get you something to eat, then maybe you can rest with Miss Isa or come spend time with me,” Killian said, steering Robby toward the lower deck stairs.
Isa gave Mary Margaret another glare before she laid her head back down, exhausted and sore. Neal picked her up in his arms and carried her downstairs where he bathed her, patched her up, and laid her on the bed in her room.
“Stay with me?” Isa asked tiredly.
Neal nodded and laid down next to her, gathering her in his arms. She laid her head on his chest and gave a sigh of relief.
“So, you have a son now?” Neal asked with a small grin.
Isa chuckled, “I guess so, if I can’t find his parents. He was just too cute. He begged me not to kill him and told me he didn’t like it in Neverland. I understand you already have one son, you may not want another.” Isa explained.
He shook his head, “It’s okay. I don’t mind. I’ll help you raise him right along with Henry if it comes to that.” She smiled and lifted her head up and kissed him. He kissed her back gently, keeping in mind her split lip and bruised face.
“So, you’ve loved me since you were 13?” He asked after their lips parted and she laid back down on his chest.
“Yes. You are my everything. You always have been,” Isa replied through a yawn.
“I feel the same. You are mine now, Isa,” Neal whispered.
Isa sighed in contentment and smiled, her eyes drooping as she fell asleep. He chuckled seeing that and kissed her head. “Get some sleep.”
She fell into a peaceful slumber. Peter Pan was dead, so were his Lost Boys. They got Henry back. Isa finally got the love of her life, and the Cullen’s were far from her mind.
A/N: There MIGHT be a part 2 of this eventually. However, it’s not on the list as of now. So there might not be. I don’t know for sure.
Walking home from the bakery, I couldn’t help but sigh. This little village never changes and the people are so content with their lives. They never wish for greater things than this. They think I’m crazy for wanting more than this provincial life…and for other reasons but I try not to think about that. The stories I read are of faraway countries and cultures and people. I’ll probably never get to see them but I hope for it. I don’t want to marry William Compton the cobbler and have hordes of children. He watches me whenever I’m in town but I know of his reputation with the ladies at the tavern. Anyone of them would be more than happy to have his dark-haired sons, but not me. I want to travel and learn new things, although, with my lack of skills and Gran’s age, I know these are just the silly dreams of a girl. I know Gran wants more for me but I can see of no way of making it happen. My tailoring skills are average at best; I can perform repairs but not truly tailor them. The things I’m best at are only valued in men; reading, writing, speaking, being smart. I have a quick wit and some say an uncanny ability to read people and with my excellent speaking skills, I can almost always calm a situation down.
My ability is not really uncanny, I can read people’s thoughts. It’s something I have had as far as I can remember. Lately, I’m developing more powers. I can move things with my thoughts sometimes. Just last week, I thought hard about this beautiful meadow I wanted to visit and suddenly, I was there. It scared me and I haven’t told a single person. My mother used to fear me but then they died from the plague and I’ve been with Gran ever since. She’s always accepted me for what I can do and I know she hopes I’ll meet someone that allows me to continue reading and writing.
Most men demand their women remain stupid and do nothing more than lay about for their man’s pleasure but I just couldn’t stand that. I know that’s what Bill wants so I steer clear of him. I spied him the tavern with three different women on his lap and made my way around the back so that he wouldn’t see me. He’s the town cobbler so he has a good living and a nice house. He is also a very skilled hunter, or so he says. I know he actually takes credit for everything his page kills and the poor boy only gets the scraps of meat left for his family; he never complains because he doesn’t own a gun. The whole village thinks Bill is the best catch in town and that I’m crazy for denying his advances. I can hear his thoughts, I know how he actually is and he’s horrible. He only likes me because I don’t fall to his feet like the other ladies; he sees me as a conquest. At least he won’t be at the ball and neither will any of his tavern wenches. Everyone in town is talking about the upcoming ball and I’m still in disbelief I actually get to go this year.
I’m so excited, Gran has a client that always leaves her fabric scraps to use as she pleases and she has been working on a dress for me for the Halloween ball. Never before have I been to the ball because we could never afford a dress and it is just not proper for a young woman to go without the appropriate gown. Now, I am almost to the age that I am considered an old widow; I’ll be nineteen soon. I have been hearing about the ball for my entire life as it is the event of the year in my small village. Never once did I dream I would be able to attend, we barely have food on the table most days. After my parents died, Gran was all we had left. Her fingers are not as nimble as they used to be no matter how much I try to help her. She insisted I learn to read and write and start learning about larger things in life than sewing. Her clients would often bring her books for me to borrow. I always read them and returned them promptly, grateful for the opportunity to experience new books. They are so very expensive. Beautiful, cloth book covers often accompany our returns; I make most of them, it’s the least I can do. My anticipation of the ball is only growing as I walk through town hearing many of the girls think about their finery even if I have no date. It is something I wanted to experience at least once, even if I never get to go again.
When I got home, Gran had my dress finished and it was even more beautiful than I imagined. The gown, while stitched together from many fine fabrics, appears to move like the sun dipping below the water at dusk. My shoes are even covered too, they feel like silk slippers and blend into the darker hues at the bottom of my dress, skillfully applied to hide any dirt that may collect on the hem as I walk. I can’t wait to wear this tomorrow.
“Sookie dear, try it on in case I need to make any last minute alterations,” she fusses at me. We are giggling like school girls as she fixes the buttons on my gown. Her eyes go misty when she sees me. “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen dear. Any man would be a fool not to want you.” We only have a small hand mirror and I admire the dress.
“It’s spectacular Gran, thank you so much. I love it. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. It reminds me of the sea in my stories.” My eyes are tearing up looking at it.
“One day you will see it, I just know it. You will leave this small town behind and have great adventures.” She takes my hand as she says this.
“Gran, I could never leave you.” My voice chokes at the thought.
“Hush now girl, I won’t be around forever and you have a whole world to experience. I’ve always known you were meant for greater things so promise me that once I’m gone, you will go and find them.” She’s unfastening the buttons from the back of my dress and then carefully hangs it back on the mannequin in her studio so we don’t get it dirty.
“I promise Gran,” she smiles at me sweetly. Looking at my dress, I still can’t believe she made it for me. It’s so beautiful, I’ve never seen anything like it.
The next morning, I cook breakfast while Gran finishes up some projects she’s been working on. Once the afternoon breaks and the light begins to dim, we both get excited and begin to discuss the ball.
“I’ll fix your hair and show you how we do make up without any of that expensive paint; it will smell far better too.” As my Gran gets me dressed and helps with my hair and lip rouge, we laugh and talk like old girlfriends. She is so proud that I am attending the ball this year. She’s always wanted me to go but we could never afford the fabrics to make a dress. I am still not sure how she managed to get enough fabrics for this gown but it is lovely; I feel like a princess for the first time in my life. Sadly, it will probably be the last. No matter what my Gran hopes will come of this night, a rich husband will not be it. We do not have enough money to even land a husband who is a merchant. I can offer no dowry. If I do not marry before my grandmother dies, I’ll be destitute. Pushing negative thoughts aside for the night, I focus on the positive. Tonight, will be my night; I will dance and eat foods I will never taste again and enjoy my time drinking champagne.
“Sookie dear, you look enchanting. Maybe you will be able to find a suitable husband now, not some oaf who lacks any ability to speak properly. I want more for you than this little town.”
“I know you do Gran. I’m just looking forward to enjoying my night tonight and pretending that I belong. Maybe someday I’ll see far off lands and the great oceans. Tonight, I’ll dream, I’ll let reality come back tomorrow.”
“Have fun my dear, I won’t wait up so don’t rush home on my account. Enjoy yourself and all that being young entails.”
“Thanks Gran.” I make my way down the lit path through the center of the village with my shawl wrapped around my arms. Gran gave me her most prized possession for the evening, the fur shawl my grandfather made for her after they were first married. It is warm and soft. The village is always lit with beautiful lanterns on this night. Every year, I looked longingly at these lanterns and now I am walking among them. A huge smile blooms across my face as the crisp night air puts a lovely blush on my cheeks. The walk doesn’t take long, the manor lies just outside the village limits on the main road. The trees are decorated with garland and ribbons and the night looks amazing. The path is like walking into a dream.
At the door, a sharply dressed gentleman takes my shawl and muff for me; I’m hesitant to give up this important item in my family but I know I must. I thank him kindly and he smiles, almost surprised I spoke to him. The smells are wonderful as is the low music already playing. The hall is solid marble, a tan color that glows in the candle and lamp light. Everything has ribbons and garland and flowers hanging from it. I just stand off the entrance, taking in the sights, smells, and sounds with a smile on my face. Tonight, may be the highlight of my life; it will definitely be a defining moment.
Halloween was not one of my favorite nights of the year per say, but I do look forward to the fresh meals it provides me with during the winter months. I meet enough of the young people of the town that I can always steal them away for a few moments to glamour them into making regular, weekly stops to meet me in the woods at night. In the winter months, prey is much harder to find since people are rarely out of their houses after sunset and I must always be discrete. If the villagers get wind of what I am, pitch forks and flames await shortly after during the daylight hours.
Eventually it always happens; people notice I do not age nor do I fall ill even in the worst of epidemics. I doubt I shall remain here much longer. My time in any location is always fleeting, no matter how much I have of it, the scenario is always the same. I travel to any of the houses I have set up around the world; always alone, always starting over except for the wealth I accumulate. Things change but those in power rarely do just as my routine rarely does. It is never ending and tiresome; I’ve become rather bored as of late.
Luckily, I ran into the Earl of this small hamlet shortly after moving here so he is under my thrall and asks no questions when people go missing for a few days. My castle remains uninhabited for the most part. Occasionally, humans move in but it is never for long; most cannot maintain their stay on the property, some stay on as caretakers. I have to have a way to run my house after all and I cannot interview staff during the day. They always return shortly so as not to worry their families. After more than two years, I have a rotation but it is bland and sustaining only; most of the variety has either gone or become sullied with disease. Perusing the room, I find I am uninterested and lacking intrigue in the current situation. Such is the way of the upper echelon, boring with little to speak of although they talk endlessly. None of them smell particularly clean or enticing nor do they catch my attention in any way.
The moment she walked in, I spotted her. Her scent rose above all others in the room, instantly setting my nose aflame. She stood alone, off to the side of the door. Her skin is golden from being in the sun for hours, making her instantly stand out from the pale, porcelain like qualities of those around her. I never understood how it became high fashion to look as a corpse does. While allowing us to fit into high society easier, it lacks the healthy glow from the one thing denied to us, the one thing we long for. Being one who cannot witness the sun in all its glory, her skin shone with a warm hue and I desire to run my fingers through it. She is attractive and radiant, unlike the others who too closely resemble my own pallor. Her hair is also the color of the radiant ball of light I have not seen until I gazed upon her. It so closely resembles my own coloring it reminds me of what my children would have looked like or what ours would, were it possible.
Shaking my head of such nonsense, my eyes roam over her form. The eyes peeking out at me from behind her mask are a beautiful shade of blue, again, reminiscent of the summer sky from my youth I have not been able to recall in far too long. Her curves are perfect, soft, and round in all the right places; her form womanly and healthy. My chin will rest perfectly on the top of her head. She holds herself with the grace beguiling a dancer although her outfit attests to the audacity of my words.
Her gown is odd, made of beautiful fabrics, though extremely skillfully done; the stitching excellent, put together with the kind of love that one simply cannot pay for. The odd thing is how many different fabrics make up the dress. Most would not be able to tell without enhanced eyesight, the craftmanship is so exquisite. Usually, gowns are made of maybe three fabrics, yards and yards of them but very few. This one however, was stitched together from what appeared to be scraps but the color patterns are flawless and everything falls together in a manner very pleasing to the eye. The color falls in shades of sunset, yellow to gold to orange to deep blues, changing as she walked; making it appear as if the sun is descending into the sea. The hues match the skin of the one wearing it flawlessly. The feathers on her mask are from local birds and it is handmade, lovely but local. I can smell the wood and the earth from whence it came along with the bird’s blood still remaining minutely on the shafts of the feathers, unseen by human eyes. These accoutrements are not imported from a far-off land to exhibit the richness of her house as everyone else. Her shoes are old and yet they are covered with a lovely fabric that is new and melds into her dress flawlessly.
I am already making my way towards her before I realize it, having pushed past several young ladies vying for my attentions. I am known as a lord from another land in these parts, a mistaken identity I let foster so that I can remain undetected and my eccentric behavior would be explained away by money. They are all looking to find a wealthy husband and hope that I shall become him. Little do they know, I take neither pets nor wives; although, for the first time, I may reconsider. I could use a companion such as her; I want her.
“May I have this dance my lady,” I ask as I hold my hand out to her. I am lucky for the modern trend of wearing gloves making my cold temperature less noticeable. She graces me with a beautiful, genuine smile.
“Thank you kind sir, I am no lady but I will dance with you if you still desire to do so.” Her voice is soft and hesitant, as if she is expecting me to reject her since she has no formal title. Her scent is even better up close, she is pure and so very warm, as if the sun shines through her skin. She places her warm hand in mine and I place it in the crook of my arm as I lead her to the center of the dance floor.
“You are every bit a lady, more so than any other woman here,” I respond in kind. I twirl her around and into my arms, taking her hand and placing mine upon her waist. She gasps and smiles softly at me as she assumes her position and the music begins. For having no formal training, she moves with a grace and elegance lacking in most women of title I have met. After the third song, she seems to be just getting warmed up.
“You are a lovely dancer,” I whisper into her ear as we twirl across the floor for our fourth song. As her smile beams up at me from my small compliment, I feel what it was like to bask in the sun’s rays again for the first time since I rose with my master. She will be mine; I must get her alone.
“Thank you, you are a wonderful partner.” After a brief pause, she asks, “should we stop? Do you need to dance with others?” A slight frown mars her beautiful face at the thought, as it did on mine.
“No, I would make you mine for the evening if you would allow it. May I fill your dance card? It has been quite some time since I had a partner as stately as yourself.” A lovely blush spreads across her neck and chin, making me wonder just how far down it goes and accentuating her delicious aroma. She pauses for a brief moment to consider me before speaking again.
“There is no need to ridicule me good sir. I may not have title but I am no jilt. Thank you for the dance.” She turns to leave as I grab her elbow and steer her to a quiet spot on the balcony. Her face does not expose the fury raging in her eyes. She must not leave in anger, I need her alone; this is my chance.
“Please forgive me my lady, I meant no offense. Allow me to get you a drink.” Her eyes narrow as I lead her out to the balcony, she nods her acquiescence and I quickly (in human eyes) make my way to a server with meade and am back to her.
“Thank you,” she says quietly as she accepts the drink from me, sipping it politely but still not meeting my eyes. I can hear her calming her breathing but she does not show it. “I did not mean to be harsh. I am not accustomed to honest complements.” I smile as she allows my hand to remain on her back while she looks out across the grounds. There are oil lamps lit across the pond and it is snowing lightly. Her hair reflects the light and makes it appear as if she glows; she looks like a golden Valkyrie standing in the snow. I can’t stop myself from brushing a stray strand of hair from her shoulder. Finally, she meets my gaze and some of her anger has subsided.
“I would never tease you, I find you to be the loveliest woman here.” I am looking deep into her eyes as I say this, trying to get her to relax. Her brow furrows and she blinks at me several times as if she felt me trying to influence her to be calm and remove her anger. A shiver runs through her and I instantly offer her my jacket, a little too quickly as she gasps when it appears around her shoulders.
“Thank you sir.” She turns away from me again and I feel as if I’m in the shadows once more; it is as if the sun has turned from me. I have never had anyone resist my manipulations before. She is even more tense now, the antithesis of my intentions.
“May I ask your name my lady? I neglected to announce myself and I apologize. I am Erik Nord.” Something about her makes me want to leave all titles behind us and I am sincere in my apology. How long has it been since I have apologized? I want her in a way I have never wanted anyone. I know she is destined to be my companion the moment I saw her.
“Susanna, good sir, Susanna Stakhaus. Please forgive me for being assuming. I am not comfortable in these social functions. Our dance was delightful.” Her need to apologize to me strikes me deeply. If I offended her in any way I want to correct it immediately. Her presence is delightful and she need not attempt to convey title to me.
“Susanna Stakhaus, I am very pleased to make your acquaintance. You are an exquisite dancer. I was in no way ridiculing you.” Another enchanting smile spreads across her face and I find myself brushing a strand of hair behind her ear for the second time. “Allow me to express my deepest sorrow if I lead you to believe I in any way meant to insult you.” She sips her meade gently as she gazes across the grounds bathed in darkness. I just stand there, enjoying her silence and company. She makes me feel at ease in the world, something I have not experienced in a very long time. When she set her cup down, I took her hand, drawing her gaze upon me. “Allow me the honor of your dance card for the evening my lady. I find you enchanting.” I am still perplexed as to how she resisted my influence but I find I am loathe to try again. For the first time in my memory, I want her to desire my presence as I desire hers.
“I would enjoy that greatly Sir Nord.” Hearing my title fall from her lips feels wrong. I want no airs between us; she is quickly rising in my esteem.
“Please, call me Erik my lady.” I take her hand and kiss the back of it. A deep blush caresses across her skin, calling to me.
“Well then Erik, please call me Sookie and you may have my card for the evening.” As she withdrew her hand from mine and placed it into the crook of my elbow, I tried out her name.
“Sookie,” it rolls off my tongue and left me imagining the wines of the far south that smell of honey and sunlight and ripened grains, “it will be my honor.” I want to see her laughing as she tries them all and dances for me. I shake my head again at the odd directions my thoughts take around her. We danced the night away and I ignored every other woman in the room, not wanting to waste a single moment of my precious time with her. She giggled and danced and held my conversation the entire time. I made sure she ate when I heard the faintest rumble of her stomach. She gladly accepted my offer as I led her to a private table so we could continue to speak. Often, much to my surprise, she made me laugh openly at some witty retort she had for me. She matched me word for word on every smart comment I made, especially as we discussed those around us whenever we sat allowing her rest. Women usually bow to their men in this day and age; it was not so in my day and I find it refreshing. The hours sped by and soon our night is at end as the ball comes to a close. I would ask her to stay and attend the after party with me but I fear she will decline
When the clock struck 1, she gasped. “Oh my, I must be getting home. My grandmother will be worried sick. It is scandalous for a lady to be out this late unattended.” Her eyes tell me she does not want to end our evening.
“Would you accompany me longer this evening? There is a small gathering that is just beginning; it will be much smaller.” It gave me hope she would agree to see me again.
“I should go; it would not be proper to stay with you with no formal arrangement. I cannot dishonor my grandmother in such a way.” She seemed sad by her answer.
“I understand, please allow me to escort you Sookie. I would be honored. It is dangerous to be out alone.” I was helping her with her cloak.
“Oh, I would never impose. Surely you have important people to speak with since you have wasted most of your night with me.” Her words struck a chord in me. Why would she think my time wasted because it was spent with her?
I lead her outside and my driver pulled round. As my hand drifted to her face, I found it hard to let go. “Sookie,” her eyes were downcast, “look at me.” She met my eyes. “This was the most enjoyable evening I have had in years. I hardly consider it wasted. You are the utmost mesmerizing person here.” The blush blooming across her skin had me inhaling deeply, working a shudder across my body.
“You needn’t flatter me good sir. I had a wonderful time this evening but I am not foolish. I am no lady and you are a lord. I thank you for your time, I will cherish this memory.” With that, she made to walk away from me. I could not allow it.
“Sookie, wait,” she slowed and stopped several feet away. “At least let my carriage take you home. It is late and the roads are not safe.” Her shoulders squared as she turned slowly around to face me.
“Sir Nord, would you have the village think I was your whore? Arriving in the middle of the night in your private carriage…what would people say? I would never shame my family or myself in such a way.” She spun around on her heel and proceeded to make her way down the street in a brisk, angry walk as I stood with my mouth open. My driver looked at me and smirked. I raised my eyebrow and he quickly looked away, deciding to follow her to ensure her safety. I stayed in the shadows but somehow, she knew I was there. Stopping far from anyone’s hearing, she called out to me. “You might as well come out and walk me the rest of the way home if you are going to follow me like some deranged person.” I smiled and stepped out of the shadows.
“I was not trying to startle you, I merely wanted to ensure your safety. I was concerned for your well-being and your honor.” She smirked and held her hand out for me, which I took far too quickly, causing her to gasp once again when I appeared beside her with her hand tucked in my elbow.
“You move so fast Sir,” I smirked at her and did not comment. “Thank you for looking after me. You did not have to.”
“Please, call me Erik. It is my privilege to escort you home. I thank you for offering me such fine company for the evening. I meant no disrespect when I offered you my carriage but I understand your reticence, my apologies.” She nods her thanks at me and our walk is concluded in silence, each of us enjoying the comfortable companionship and the night sounds. I have not offered sincere apologies to anyone since I became vampire. There is something about her. We came to a stop in front of the tailoring shop. The fabric of her dress becoming clear to me now.
“Our enchanted evening must end here Sir Erik,” she said coyly to me, batting her eyelashes. Her eyes sparkled in the moonlight; they must look like sapphires in the sun.
“I would continue it if you were willing but I would do nothing to betray your integrity my fair Sookie.” Calling her mine felt right to me and yet it was something I had never done.
“Then I bid you goodnight good sir, should our paths cross again, I will call you my friend.” With that, she stood on her tiptoes and placed a kiss to my cheek and then snuck inside her door, latching it behind her. I scanned the area for humans and quickly floated up to sit on her roof and listen to her fall asleep. It seemed as if she sensed me there because her movement stopped briefly. Before her breathing told me she was asleep, she whispered out, “I feel you near me Erik, what are you?” How did she know? Could she tell I was vampire? The sound of her peaceful sleeping lulled me into downtime, right there on top of her roof. I barely made it home before dawn.
I looked for her after that but she only ever came out during the day. When I inquired of her from the others in the village they all said she was strange and took care of her elderly grandmother. The grandmother was well respected by all for her skills as a tailor. It was why she was never out late. No one had ever witnessed her drinking or spending time with others. Surely, she must have suitors, she is beautiful. Many people mentioned that someone named William Compton desired her but she refuted him. They thought she was crazy for turning down such a good match; I could not help but smile at this information. I greatly desired to see her again. She has become an obsession with me, thoughts of her plaguing my every waking hour. Months passed, with me checking on her every night but never daring to approach her door. She did not issue me an invitation and it would be ill reputed to simply show up. Most nights, she spoke out loud; her thoughts kept me coming back. I enjoyed listening to her speak to me, if only a one-sided conversation. It always seemed as if she knew I was near enough to hear her. At times, the things she would whisper into the dark made me want to rip her wall off and steal away to my estate to worship. One night, after the beginning of the new year, as the nights were just beginning to grow shorter, I found her, running quickly from the doctor’s cottage. She clutched a small vial to her chest and I could smell her tears.
“Sookie, wait, it is I, Erik!” She gasped at the sound of my voice and stopped, turning to me.
“Erik, what are you doing out here this late? Surely you have a private doctor. Are you well?” I grinned at her assessment of my having private physicians, although I have no need of them. Then her query struck me and I realized she was concerned for me even in her distressed state. I shook my head to clear the thoughts invading my mind as I saw her beauty again. She smelled of sickness and a frown crept across my face.
“I am well Sookie, how are you? Why are you rushing from the Doctor at this hour, alone?” In my excitement to see her, I failed to notice she was out alone at this hour.
“It is not for me but for my grandmother. I must hurry back to her, she is not well.” With that she turned and began to hurry away; in these times, a simple cough among humans could be fatal. It all made sense why she has not been out lately depending on when her grandmother had fallen ill. I quickly made to follow her.
“Please, let me accompany you. Do you need any assistance? Who brings your wood and water?” If her grandmother was sick, there was no one else. I had learned from the townsfolk that her brother had wondered off after some woman and left his grandmother and sister alone since the elder had her seamstress shop. The grandmother made very little but bartered for almost everything they had, including books for her granddaughter. My Sookie was thought strange because she was a woman who read so much; most considered it bad luck for a woman to read. There was not a home in this village who owned books that did not also own a lovely handmade book cover. They were always given as a thank you for allowing her granddaughter to borrow and read their books. I had come to admire the two of them greatly, although only having met the one.
“Oh no, I would not trouble you, we are fine, thank you. I just need to return with this post haste. She has not been feeling well for some time now. She caught a fever in the deep snow just before Christmas, trying to make her way to the shop and has not been able to rid herself of it completely.” She gave me a knowing but sad look. I inspected her more closely and realized she looked exhausted. Would she lose her only family? What would happen to her? She did not possess the skill her grandmother did with a needle. Everyone commented on it, sure she would become destitute without a man to take pity on her. I would not allow it; I…wanted to help her but I did not pity her.
“I will come and help you. Surely you could use my superbly tone body for something.” I wiggled my eyebrows at her and she snorted a most unfeminine sound at me while chuckling as we hurried on.
“Oh, I could think of some things,” she muttered under her breath, not meant for me to hear. I could only hope. “Thanks for making me chuckle, I need a good laugh,” was her retort she meant for me to hear.
“Why Miss Stakhaus, you wound my delicate pride but I shall let your transgresses pass if you agree to my company.” Her snicker warmed me in a way I could not describe and I was glad to have made her laugh, if only for a moment.
“I may not be much company as I have to care for my Gran, but if you’re going to lurk about, your depravity would be a welcome distraction.” She made me chuckle, something that did not happen very often.
“Then I shall endeavor to distract you my lady.” She snorted again as we continued on to her home at a brisk pace that would wind most mortals. When we got to the door, she stopped and turned to me, looking me up and down, taking a new breath before speaking.
“Would you like to come in to meet my Gran, Erik?” She looked me directly in the eye and I was surprised. Did she know that I required an invitation to enter her home? She had no way of knowing…did she?
“I would love to my Sookie,” I replied as she opened her door for me. She seemed suddenly shy. Her home was well cared for and warm but it smelled of sickness. Her Gran did not have long and she knew it. I felt… for her.
“Gran, I’m home from the Doctor’s. He sent some tonic for you.”
“Sookie, I told you not to spend the last of our money on me.”
“You hush now Gran, I won’t have you suffering. Now quit arguing, I brought someone for you to meet.”
“At this hour, I’m not decent girl…”
“I know but he wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer and I could use the help. Be polite now.” At that cue, I made my presence known to the matriarch of the family.
“Hello mam, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Erik Nord. Thank you for having me in your home at this late hour. Your granddaughter is a hard woman to catch. I hope my intrusion does not disturb you. I only wished to see her again and offer my assistance.”
“Well, I hope you have indeed caught her. She needs someone to rein her in.” We both chuckled at that and Sookie snorted again. “What is this ‘again’ business? She hasn’t told me anything about you and that is something I would remember.” Sookie and I regaled her Gran with stories of the ball, the outfits, the dances, the food. We all laughed as I helped Sookie throughout the house. I stayed with her until the wee hours of the night, long after her Gran had fallen asleep. I fixed many things for her and filled her wood pile in no time at all. It was one of the best nights I could remember having. Skills I had not used since I was human, came like second nature to me and it felt good to provide for a woman again. As we finally sat in front of the fire, we were alone, she expressed her weariness to me.
“I cannot thank you enough Erik. There are so many things I cannot do alone that you fixed. There is no way to repay you.” I went to speak and she stopped me. “We’ve been alone for a long time and I know she may not recover. I truly appreciate your company this evening.”
“You owe me nothing. Thank you for allowing me to meet your Gran, she is a remarkable woman.”
“Yes, she is, I’m glad you got to meet her.” Her eyes expressed her love and concern for the woman in question. I could see it wore heavily upon her. Having removed her boots for her when she sat, I pulled her slippered feet into my lap and began to rub them.
“Thank you for having me this evening Sookie. It is not often I am able to relax and be of use to people I care about.” The only person I could honestly say I cared for is my maker and he released me centuries ago. She sighed and began to relax into her chair. I could see sleep descending upon her.
“That makes me sad Erik, you should spend more time with those you hold dear.” Her voice was a sleepy whisper. Soon, she was asleep; I continued to massage her feet and calves for her, being mindful of her dignity. I stayed with her until just before sunrise, when I gently woke her with featherlight caresses to the tops of her feet before I replaced her slippers so she would not catch chill.
“Sookie,” I whispered, “I must go.” Her eyes fluttered open and she instantly blushed that enchanting shade of red I found so attractive.
“Erik, I’m so…” I cut her off before she could continue.
“I enjoyed every moment in your presence. May I call upon you again? Tomorrow night perhaps?”
“Umm, yes, you could come for dinner. Then you would not have to be out until all hours of the morning.” She was making to stand and right herself. The lights in the eastern sky hinted at the coming sun that would be here soon and I needed to take my leave.
“I have business that keeps me until after dark. I can come soon thereafter.”
“I will see you then.” I kissed her upon the cheek and took my leave as I closed her door behind me and heard the catching of her newly repaired latch. There was one more stop I wished to make before retiring for the night. I made my way to the doctor’s home and glamoured my way in to find out all he knew about Sookie and her Gran.
“You will treat her Gran at the house from here on out with the best of what is available. I will pay for all charges incurred.”
“Yes, I will go check on Mrs. Stakhaus in the morning. She is a lovely woman, even with that strange granddaughter of hers.” My anger rose at his insult to my beloved.
“You will never speak of Sookie in such a manner again. She is a smart and lovely woman.” I decided to ignore the label I had just given her.
“Yes, she is, as sweet as her grandmother.” I left a purse full of coins to cover the expenses and barely made it to my resting chamber before the sun rose above the trees. This night, like every other since I had first encountered her, my final thoughts were of Sookie, only tonight, I had a smile upon my face and the memory of her skin on mine.
Sookie’s grandmother began improving but there was only so much to be done for a woman of her age. I spent almost every evening at their home, helping to repair and restock for them. We always ended the evening with me rubbing her feet and calves as she fell asleep next to me in front of their fire. These were some of the best evenings of my undead life. Eventually, I learned that Sookie had been the one chopping all the wood and fetching all their water as well as all the cooking, cleaning and doing small repairs at the shop to keep money coming in while her Grandmother was ill. This is why she was so exhausted; I would rub her shoulders and hands as well when they were sore from sewing for hours. We would talk and she would tell me things she had done and people that upset her.
There were many repairs she was uncappable of that I performed for them as well as making sure their cupboard doors were working and stocked with bread, cheese, and meat. Sookie was extremely angry at me even though her grandmother made her thank me profusely. Eventually, I made sure to only order enough for the two of them so that there was no waste. No matter how much they both chastised me for my efforts, I know it was well received. Never before have I desired to care for someone other than my maker yet I could not stand by and watch these two waste away. My Sookie had begun to lose weight, caring for her Gran and that I could not have. After several weeks of proper nutrition and someone to help with the things a man should do around the house, I could see the health returning to them both.
I cherished the time I spent in their home, utilizing craft skills I had not used in centuries. Fixing things in their home gave me a sense of pride I had not had in a long time. I wondered what my maker would think of me, helping humans, caring for them. Her grandmother started making me things for my trouble. A new coin pouch, a lovely quilt for my bed, a dressing robe in beautiful shades of blue that reminded me of the dress Sookie wore the first time I saw her and a beautifully tailored crisp white shirt. She said she refused to have me working for free; if only she knew I considered the time spent with her granddaughter payment enough. These two cured my endless ennui and filled my nights with laughter as we told stories and I told them tales from around the world. Both were quite well read, which was a pleasant surprise as we often discussed literature, current events and world history. Gran, as I had been instructed to call her, greatly desired for her Sookie to see the world and experience all life had to offer. I longed to give her those things. She said Sookie was too special to marry into some small village and raise children all day for an oaf that did not appreciate her. I had to agree with her even if it was a particularly selfish wish on my part. Children were the one thing I could never give Sookie and it was a scar on my pride to realize, she may in fact, want those things someday and that they could never be with me.
We spent as many nights as I could come to her, together; January passed into February in the blink of an eye. Some evenings I was required in court for dinners and dances, they bored me to no end as did the disgusting women throwing themselves at me. I desired my Sookie above all others even though I had not yet tasted her. As I made my leave one evening from the Earl’s court, fending off the women trying to accompany me, insisting they had been visited by a pixie called Cupid, I smelled something in the distance. It smelled of metal and fire, something I had not encountered in several years; it smelled of an army. It was too close to daybreak to investigate and I had been kept busy all evening at the castle in another mindless soiree. My first thoughts were of Sookie and her Gran. There was nothing I could do but go to ground and secure my chamber from fire. I instructed my carriage to fetch them immediately and bring them here, where it would be safe, no matter the time. I instructed my staff to make the house ready for two female guests when they arrived in the morning. I was restless and uneasy as I went to my death; my thoughts filled of what could happen to the two of them without my protection.
When I awoke, my nightmares became reality. All I could smell and hear was death and fighting. Screams and smoke assaulted my senses from the direction of the village as I immediately dressed and went straight to Sookie. Her cottage was burning and Gran was dead in her bed, her throat slit. Sookie was nowhere to be found, there was too much blood to find her by scent alone; then I heard it, her scream. It cut through the air and my heart simultaneously and I let my bloodlust consume me, roaring in fury. I know what invading forces do to young women they find. Flying towards her cries at full speed, I saw her being thrown from one man to another, as they ripped her clothing from her, touching and grabbing her. I landed in the middle of them, catching her before setting her to the ground and ripping them all to shreds for their part in her torment. I tore through the camp, killing every man there before returning to my beloved and wrapping her in a clean cloak I found in an officers tent. She was sobbing and fighting me, not recognizing me until I pulled her into my arms.
“Sookie, it is me,” my voice was harsh yet my touch was gentle, the bloodlust still barely containable. She did not even look up at me, she sagged against my chest.
“Erik,” she whispered and passed out. I kissed the top of her head and flew towards my home, far from the carnage. Once in the air, I realized the bloody spot I left in her hair from my face. I must look like the monster I am. I prayed to gods I felt had long since abandoned me that she would not see me like this. Setting her inside my doors, on a bed, I quickly went back out to quench my need for vengeance.
All of my servants had been slaughtered and I killed the ones who had robbed them after their deaths as well as the remaining troops attempting to breech my walls. Once our lair was secure, I took her to my private chamber and proceeded to fill my bath and bathe her. Things had been prepared for her arrival since the night I met her so there were oils for bathing and clothes for her. The blood from the ones who killed her Gran saturated me and now her, she could not wake in such a state. I cleaned myself enough so that I would not soil her with blood again. Once clean and dry in new bed clothes, I deposited her in my bed, covering her in the quilt her gran had made for me. She whimpered as I left to clean myself. When my own bath was complete, her room was made ready. I returned and held her until I was forced away by the very thing she reminded me of. It was the one thing I could not share with her.
I made up a room for her, next to mine, that could be locked from the outside but was as safe as my lair. What would happen when she awoke and saw me dead for the day? I could not let that happen, already I was unsure of what to do with her since she could not be glamoured. My desire to care for her overrode every instinct I possessed so I made sure she had all she could need during the day, books, food, water, and a chamber pot. I started a fire in her hearth, stacking extra wood next to it and returned to her.
As soon as my arms were around her, she whispered to me. “Erik…they came…Gran…” Her voice gave me hope she would accept me.
“Shh, Sookie, I will take care of you, I have you.” She sighed and relaxed into my embrace as my lips found her hair again. Moments before sunrise, I placed her in her bed and left a note on her bedside table. Locking her into her room with a feeling of dread, I barely made it to my own bed before the sun took me.
When I came to, it was to the sounds of Sookie softly crying in the next room. Making sure I was clean and dressed, I quickly made my way to her, hoping to find her unharmed. In my rage, I could barely clean her properly, not having the fortitude to check her for further injuries. I only hoped I had gotten to her in time. I knocked before entering.
“Sookie, may I enter? Are you well?” Her soft cries instantly ceased.
“Erik, is that you?” Her voice sounded hopeful and frantic. I entered and she ran into my arms. “Oh, thank the gods, it is you. I was so scared you were a dream, unsure of who would come to my door. I hoped the rest of it was. Did you see Gran?”
I kissed her forehead and cherished the feel of her warm and safe with me. “Did you not get my note? I could not risk us being discovered. I apologize for keeping you here but there was nowhere else safe. Do you remember anything from last night?” I was bereft when she left my arms and started to pace the room.
“We were sleeping, it was not daybreak yet. Everyone started screaming,” she chocked back a sob, “they killed everyone but the young women and children.” She started trembling, I caught her as she collapsed, “I could hear them all, the women wished for death.” Tears were streaming down her face as I rubbed her back. “Gran…,” choking sobs escaped her and she could scarcely breathe. Her eyes searched mine for the truth of her words. I could only nod.
“She went peacefully,” is all I could say. “I could not care for her body. The cottage was already engulfed in flame.”
“You…you came…they had me, they were going to do horrible things to me and you came.” Terror fills her eyes as she looks at me anew. My chest gets an unfamiliar ache in it at the fear in her eyes levied at me. It is something I never wanted to see from her.
“You…you were death for them all…” Her breathing increased and her eyes are filling with panic.
“I will never hurt you Sookie. You have no cause to fear me.” I put my hands up, in supplication to her.
“You killed them all, and took me. It was you who bathed me and changed my clothes…you who locked me in this room all day.” Her breathing was becoming erratic as her fear of me rose.
“Why am I here? What do you want with me? Has your time with me been a ploy to take me?” The fear and desire to be wrong fought in her eyes.
“Sookie, Please,” I held my hand out to her and she withdrew from me, eyeing me hesitantly. “I will never harm you. You are safe with me. I only wish for your trust. I am sorry I was not there to protect you both.” She would never know truer words from me. I was called away when they needed me most, I failed them.
“Am I? You ripped those men to pieces. Their throats were torn out like an animal…a beast! Who are you…what are you?”
“I am exactly who you think me to be. I have not lied to you.”
“You were not there, the only night you have not come to me since we met…and I wake here, to be locked in a room only you can access. What did you do to those men? What are you? Why can’t I hear you?” How could she know I visited her before she invited me in? It is not possible for her to know these things.
“Is something wrong with your ears? Did they hit you? We shall get you care.”
“Answer my questions.” Her tone sets me on edge. There is no way to placate her or calm her. I must engage in her queries without revealing too much; she is trying my patience and all of these feelings are making me edgy.
“What would you have had me do, let them have their way with you? Men like that know only 1 thing, kill or be killed; there is no reasoning with them. I could not let them violate you. I could not fail you, as I failed your Gran.” The last part was a mere whisper from my lips. It hurt to admit that I had failed them.
“I know what they were, they were monsters but you I don’t know. You had fangs. How did you defeat them all? What. Are. You?” I did not think she saw me. How can I answer her?
“I am a skilled warrior; they were no better than ruffians and easily dispatched. You are in no danger from me.”
“I know what I saw and what I hear. You are no normal man; you are avoiding my question. How can I trust you if you will not tell me things?”
“Sookie,” I paused before continuing, having no desire to lie to her, yet not able to tell her the truth either. “I came for you as soon as I was able. My driver was supposed to pick you and Gran up at daybreak but he was killed along the way.” I turn from her and run my hand through my hair. This woman is infuriating, I can still sense her anger and I feel shame from her accusations.
“Please do not fear me. It was too late for Gran, when I heard you scream.” I am breathing deeply, noticing the unfamiliar feeling, it is fear running through me at the thought of Sookie being beseeched by a raiding army. My knuckles are white as I lean against the wall with one hand and clench the other. “I could not let them hurt you…you have become…dear to me.” I do not realize I am trembling with my rage as a warm hand touches my back before she speaks.
“Thank you for saving me Erik. I know what they wanted to do to me but you got there just in time. I can never repay you.” My head turns slowly to look at her and her eyes meet mine. “Thank you, Erik.” Her eyes are sincere as she stares into mine and the fear is gone. I turn and pull her into my arms and she wraps hers around my waist, burying her face into my chest.
“I am so very sorry about Gran. She was a wonderful woman. We shall build a memorial for her once it is safe to go out again.” Soft sobs are the only thing I hear as she cries for her loss. I carry her to my room and sit with her in my lap, on the bear skin run, in front of the large fire beside my bed. She cries herself to sleep shortly and I place her in my bed, tucking her in gently and make my way outside to procure some food for her. There are stores of cheese, butter, bread, and vegetables along with salted meats my staff kept for their use. I make sure the cupboards are stocked for her on this lower level as well as the fire wood and fresh water. I tapped a small spring far underground so that there is always fresh water below the main level. All of the waste receptacles are empty and functioning properly. There are fresh linens and clothes in her room as well as in mine. We have enough stores to last her a week at least in case we become besieged and there are many more hidden above ground.
Once I am satisfied with the dry storage, I return to check upon my guest and she is just stirring from her slumber. I stop beside the bed to watch her wake, not wishing to startle her, or lose her minimal trust. She is breathtaking.
“Hi,” she says, somewhat sleepily as she looks around. “Am I in your room?” I move to sit on the edge of the bed, having no wish to frighten her.
“You are,” I reply, “I changed your bedding and refilled the wood, water and stores.” She slowly sits up and I am drawn to her pert breasts. Unbidden, hidden only by her thin, silk nightdress, they are spectacular; the sight of her waking in my bed fills me with anticipation. She chuckles as she catches me staring.
“Thank you for the clothes, I won’t ask how you came to have women’s clothes in my size already in your home.” Her eyebrow arches at me and I find an evil grin spreading over my face.
“The night I met you, I hoped you would one day grace my home. I am only regretful at the circumstances in which it occurred.” Sadness fills her eyes; I lean over and brush some stray hair behind her ear. Something about her makes me want to touch and comfort her.
“I am glad I am here now,” she says slowly, her eyes meeting mine to show me her honesty. I long to devour her.
“There are clothes for you in the chair near the fire. If you need help with the lacing, just call. I will be right outside the door.” I kiss her forehead and leave the room before I do something I will regret. She is grieving and I do not want to prey on her sadness. I wish for her to want me on her own, not just as a distraction for her grief.
Shortly after, my name falls from her lips and I am behind her instantly, forgetting myself. She gasps and pulls her hair from her neck, not realizing what she does to me with this gesture. Her scent wafts up to me and encompasses me. My hands fall to her hips and grip her tightly, pulling her back towards me. Our eyes meet and I see the fire in them, fire burning for me. Her dress half open, fire light dancing off her skin and hair; “you are beautiful,” I say before planting a kiss to her neck and beginning to lace the back of her gown for her. It takes all of my effort to keep my fangs from falling.
“This gown is lovely, I do not need anything so fancy for around the house Erik. I will be afraid to clean in this.” As I finish the last tie of her gown, l lead her to my dressing table and begin to brush her hair. She watches me the whole time as I braid her long mane. It is so similar in color to mine.
“You are not here to clean for me, my Sookie but sadly, we will have to take turns as my staff was slaughtered on their way here. Everything is stocked and clean on this floor.” I finish her hair and clasp it with a small golden clasp inlaid with opals. This piece reminded me of the sun when I saw it years ago; at the time, I knew not why I bought it. Seeing how perfect it looks in her hair, I now know it was meant for her.
“Oh Erik, it’s beautiful. I feel like a princess.” She is admiring her hair and I smile, not realizing I remembered how to braid a betrothed ones hair. She kisses my hand and I pull her to stand.
“I will give you a tour now and show you the places you are allowed.” She starts at my words and pulls her hand back, smoothing her skirt down and looking around nervously; the smile falls from her face. “Please, allow me to escort you,” I say as I sweep my hand in front of us. Her change in demeanor worries me.
“Thank you,” she says curtly. I am unsure what I have said to upset her but I must show her where is safe. I can smell the humans prowling around outside of my domain. They are far off but will be here soon enough. We cannot risk being exposed.
“This is the storage room; your food is here and the extra linens and clothes are in each bedroom. The spring here is fresh and I made sure the sewers are working so you can dump waste here and then rinse with a bucket of water.”
“I have never seen a working sewer before, where do the things go?” I stop and smile at her inquisitiveness.
“I designed this to run to the swamp, over a mile away so that people do not know the location of it. We are very safe here.”
“That must have taken a very long time, but it is quite clever. It is almost as if you were prepared to hide down here.” She looks at me sideways before continuing and I smile at how astute she is. “You said this was my food, where is yours? What do you eat? Am I your prisoner while you go out to the castle for fancy dinners?” Her ire and trepidation are rising again.
“Absolutely not, I have a malady that severely limits my diet. It is kept in the cellar off my room. Do not worry that you must ration food for me.” She nods at me and I pull the door shut. She gasps when she sees the thick, iron door with the wooden beam, barring our way out. “This is for our safety, it is why I brought you down here and locked you in your room. I apologize if it frightened you but until I had a chance to show you, I could not risk you exposing us.” I lift the bar away and listen before pulling the locking mechanism and opening the door.
“I could never open that,” she whispers as I pull the door open quietly. Her silk clad feet barely make a noise on my earthen steps as I wrap my arms around her and pull her in front of me.
“You must be silent now,” I whisper into her ear, relishing the feeling of her pressed against me. “They are far outside of the grounds but we must be careful.” She nods her head, not saying a word. Once we come to the door of the upper level, her hand grips my arm and I stop, bending my head to her face although I do not need to be this close to hear her. Her breath is warm as her lips ghost across my ear.
“There are at least fifty of them and they are searching for you just outside your gates. They want to loot your castle but were not given clear instructions on how to do so.” My mind races as to how she knows this information but she is correct. I can count at least that number of heartbeats.
“You will be safe with me.” She nods and settles deeper into my embrace and I lift her out of the cellar and into the main kitchen. Everything is cold and dark as we continue into my favorite room of the house. Her quiet gasp as she takes in my personal library makes me happy. Moonlight pours into the room, illuminating the shelves. “Stay here while I patrol the grounds. When I am back, we will draw the curtains and light a candle so that you may select anything you like to take below.” She looks at me and nods enthusiastically, excitement clearly shining in her eyes. I pull the doors shut behind me, making sure no humans are within her range.
Taking to the sky the moment I am out of doors, I hear a soft gasp from Sookie, pausing to make sure she is still safe. Sensing her still inside the library but paused by the door, I quickly dispatch the soldiers looking for entry into my abode. They have a siege weapon and will soon breach the gates at the end of the bridge. I will have to destroy it this night. Destroying the evidence of the small unit at my gates and their machines, I release their horses into a local pasture, feeding on those I killed to sate one of my hungers. Once convinced we would not be disturbed, I return to the house, clean myself and bring a lovely brass candelabra into the library where she already has a small stack ready.
“I bring forth light, my lady,” I announce in a grand voice, being rewarded by her bubbling laughter.
“This library is exquisite, thank you for this.” She was off, grabbing more books as she talked, now that candles lit the room. The way the light reflected off her warmed in a way I could not describe.
“You are welcome to all things in my home my Sookie. Once I go to rest at dawn, I lock the door to our lair for safety. It is not meant to keep you captured, merely to keep us safe while I cannot look after us.” Her eyes tell me she does not believe me.
“Why must you be away during the day? May I use your room while you are gone?” What will I tell her? I sigh before answering in the best way I am able. “The malady I spoke about, it also affects me when I sleep. I must remain indoors during the day. The sun makes me, lethargic; it is why I am up at such late hours.”
“I knew I heard you in your room,” she whispers under her breath. No human should have heard her so I do not respond. Her eyes are full of mistrust but I say nothing more. I do not wish to lie to her.
“I shall carry all your books down when you are ready.” She freezes, blowing out the candles.
“Someone’s coming,” she whispers. I still and listen, hearing a single heartbeat near the front doors. I will have to destroy the bridge tonight with the swiftness this spy found his way in.
“Stay here,” I whisper, before running out of the room at vampire speed to intercept the spy or scout. I dispatch him quickly and return to Sookie to escort her to her room with her books. She eyes me skeptically as we go. By the time I am done destroying my bridge and any evidence the scout had, it is almost dawn and Sookie is sleeping when I return. I leave her a note and bar the exit, leaving her room open so she may take advantage of any of the stores we have. I do not wish for her to believe she is my captive; I long to have her by my side. I bolt myself into my room and go into my day rest contemplating Sookie. I did not ask her how she heard the spy before I did. Her human ears could not have picked up any sounds he made as mine did not. His heartbeat is what gave him away. She seems to distrust me even more now than she did before. Showing her my library was meant to gain her trust and comfort with me. It seems to have done the opposite. I am fraught with worry as I go to my rest.
I wake feeling rested and wonderful, just lying in bed and thinking about my day yesterday. Erik has given me access to everything, only I can’t go up during the day. I almost slipped up and told him of my ability but I decided to keep it secret a bit longer. I know he is hiding something from me and because of it, I am unable to trust him the way I long to. Why will he not just tell me what he is? I pour a bath once the water is hot and wash myself, drying my hair and putting on another lovely, simpler gown that I can fasten myself. It reminds me of something from the Orient. I listen for any human minds outside and quickly pop myself up to the library. I discovered I could do this a few years ago but I have kept it to myself. This library is just as beautiful in the day as I thought it would be. Keeping my mind open for any sign of danger, I explore the upper levels of the castle. It is truly beautiful. There is a small, blue pond set off the window of the library. I find a lovely robe in my favorite shade of blue in a room that looks like it was made for me and slip it on to take off the chill of the unused stone house. I can’t risk starting a fire as the smoke will surely attract unwanted attention.
I explore the library more thoroughly and find a secret passage to a smaller library that contains even older books. The place on the wall almost felt warm when my hand ran over it, as if it called to me. I selected a tome about mythical creatures; it gave me the same feeling as the wall. There were several sections more worn than others. I had never heard of fae but I have heard of werewolves, vampires, and witches. My grandmother told me my grandfather was an angel and that there were other things in the world besides us. Curling up in a large chair, in the sunshine, I begin to read, imagining what it would be like here to spend the evening, curled up in this chair with a fire roaring in the hearth.
I must doze off because when I awaken, the sun is low on the horizon and I pop myself back to my room so that he will not know I left. I can tell when he awakens, just minutes after I am back. We walk the grounds at night, after he checks the perimeter for soldiers. His land is quite lovely and I wish we could explore it during the day. He tells me of news from the village and of the new ruler who killed the previous Earl. I do not question how he knows because I feel him move much too quickly to be human. It feels at times, as if he is flying, almost like the nights he was above my roof. This pattern goes on for about a week, with him still hiding something from me. At times, it’s almost like he wants to tell me but then he closes himself off and becomes cold. How I wish I could trust him to reveal myself fully but if he does not trust me, I cannot be foolish.
The whole time I have been reading all I can on mythical creatures. So many things I read strike me as describing my knight but I try to keep them from my mind. His odd malady pertaining to food and sunlight resembles the way this book describes vampires. The temperature of his skin and his uncanny speed all point to his being nonhuman but he is so gentle with me. Vampires are described as blood thirsty and ruthless yet he is the opposite with me. Truthfully, humans are every bit as much the description of vampires aside from the aversion to sunlight and reliance on blood. I cannot believe it of him although, I can hear people’s thoughts so there is really no limit to what could be. The fact that his mind is a void to me tells me he is something other than human; how I wish he would open up to me.
One morning, as I rise, I feel humans within range, fully intent on using a catapult to destroy the gates. They have constructed rope bridges to fire over once the gates are open. I dress and begin to pace. Erik always locks his door during the day from the inside of his room. I have never popped into his room out of respect for him but I am terrified. As the troops draw closer, I wait outside his door, counting the minutes until he awakens, having memorized the time now.
“Erik,” I whisper, the moment I feel him rise; his door opens instantly, much too fast for a normal man. He stands before me completely naked and it takes my breath away before my brain remembers why I’m standing outside his door. His smirk tells me he noticed the way I am looking at him. “They are surrounding the bridge, they have rope ladders to be shot over when they open the gates.” The smile disappears from his face. I’m shaking and he pulls me into his arms, kissing my head.
“You will be safe my Sookie, fear not, I will protect you.” I’m on his bed and he’s dressed in light armor with a huge sword behind his back before I realize I am sitting. He kneels before me, taking my chin in his hand. “Stay in here and bar the door until I return. It is the safest room in the house. I will come back for you.” There are more of them now and they have archers lined up. Many of the soldiers believe he is a demon; I can see in their minds vision of a demon who eats men and steals their souls. I fear for his safety. I do something rash in that moment, pulling his face to mine and kissing him on the lips. He moans and deepens our kiss as my lips part for him, allowing him entrance. He pulls away so I can breathe.
“Come back to me Erik,” I whisper. His eyes flare a deep blue before he is gone and the doors upstairs are locked as he exits. I follow his mind the whole time and somehow, I feel his rage build as I feel many human minds go out. I know he has killed many men but I also know they would not have hesitated to kill us. It is why they are here. He kills almost all of them as I hear a small contingent of archers flank him. I gasp and pop to the library only to see them shoot him with at least six arrows in the back. He kills them all but more archers close around him. They have him backed to the edge before the last one falls just as he sets his arrow lose. It hits its mark as Erik falls over the edge of the moat, roaring in anger. Tears are streaming down my face; I can’t lose him too. I concentrate all I am on his void, it is waning, and pop to him, wrapping my arms around his head. He is lain out, strewn across the rocks at the bottom. His bones are broken at terrible angles and he is covered in blood with arrows protruding from him. No human man will survive this.
“Sookie,” he says, struggling to speak, “silver…you must go.” He passes out, his head falling against me. He has fangs! I knew it! I was not hallucinating the night he rescued me. I can still sense that he lives, but just barely. His void is becoming smaller. What will happen to him when the sun rises? The book says he will burn. If I do nothing, he will die. I cannot lose him too even if it means revealing myself.
DPOV
It had been a few years since I had met the Witch Hunters, Bella and Clint. We originally kept in contact fairly often. That was until I ran into some trouble and was unable to send word to Bella. The two of us had really connected and I thought there might be something brewing between the two of us, unfortunately nothing ever came of it.
So, I was very surprised to run into the two of them in Rothenburg. I was traveling around Europe again, taking in the changes to the many towns I used to know. I had heard of some trouble in the nearby area and came to see what trouble I could stir up. It was a late night on the outskirts of the town and I was hunting for my next…snack. I had just found someone when I heard a cry from around the corner that sounded strangely familiar. Being the curious character I am I decided to investigate.
Her back was to me, but I would recognize Bella anywhere. I saw her feet off the ground and noticed another woman standing in front of her, muttering something under her breath. “This must be a witch”, I thought. “Let her go you evil crony,” I shouted before my mouth caught up with my brain. The witch dropped Bella and ran off before I could capture her. Bella must have had the same thoughts as she said, “Shit, I almost had her,” and stomped her foot.
When she was finally facing me the breath left my lungs; she was even more gorgeous than I remembered. Her brown hair hung longer in its braid. And even though she was the most gorgeous woman to me I couldn’t help but snicker internally at the multitude of leaves and other flora sticking out from the braid.
She breathed my name as I did hers. I vamped to her and picked her up in a crushing hug. “Oh, pretty girl. It is so good to see you. I would have found you sooner, but so many years have passed, I didn’t think you were still living.” I breathed in her scent and felt a shiver run through her as I whispered my words into her hair. I was just getting ready to let her go when I felt the tip of an arrow between my shoulder blades.
“I suggest you unhand my sister.”
I raised my hands and turned around to face the speaker. I recognized the face on the other end of the bow just as Bella said, “Clint, put that down, it’s Damon!”
“Oh, I know exactly who he is. And he still needs to keep his hands to himself.”
She reached over and smacked the raven inscribed arrow out of my face. As his bow was lowering I noticed a scrolling motif down the front of the recurve bow; one row was of candy and below it was a woodland scene, similar to that of their home.
“Hello Clint, it’s been a long time.”
“Yes, it has. Which is why your hands don’t need to be around her waist,” he said with a pointed look.
I looked down and realized my hands were wrapped around her waist reminiscent of a lovers embrace. I slowly let go and ran a hand through my hair. It had been a long time since I had been in a situation where I didn’t want to let go.
“Might I ask what you are doing back in this area Damon, and why you haven’t responded to our letters,” asked Clint with a scowl.
“You may ask, but I prefer to answer in a place where we aren’t being watched,” I said with a look at the balcony to our left where a woman was standing watching us.
“This way,” Bella’s soft voice said before I felt her hand in mine. She guided us to a local bar and up the stairs to a room they must have been renting.
She sat down on one of the twin beds and pulled me gently to sit down beside her. Clint decided to take the chair at the desk near the end of the bed.
“First,” I said, “I must apologize for not answering any letters you may have sent. There was a time where I was kidnapped and unable to respond. In fact, I didn’t know any letters had been sent. Part of my torture was having some of my memories wiped. After I escaped I felt something was missing, so I followed the pull to Europe. It was only when I set foot in Germany that my memories came back to me. I asked around many towns for you and was led to believe neither of you walked this Earth any longer. It was only when I saw Bella in the clutches of that witch that I knew the stories were not true.” I finished my monologue with my head on my chest taking deep breaths and trying to control my emotions. Having them turned off for so long I found the ones coursing through me slightly overwhelming and difficult to control.
I heard sniffles and looked up to find Bella crying and Clint not facing me.
“What is wrong, pretty girl,” I asked softly, lifting Bella’s chin to face me.
“For the longest time I thought you had forgotten me. The letters became so sporadic and then nothing; I thought you had lost interest or had found someone else. My emotions got the best of me and I was putting us in dangerous situations. I almost got Clint killed; that was my wakeup call.”
She jerked her chin from my hand, stood and left the room. I looked to Clint with sorrow on my face. “I am so sorry,” I whispered, “I never meant to hurt her or you for that matter.”
“It was more than hurt. For the longest time she was broken. Knowing your story now I can understand, but I can never forget her actions. She was basically suicidal. I almost died because I jumped in front of a witch spelling her and took the spell on myself. If Bella hadn’t known the counter curse I wouldn’t be sitting here today. It has only been a few weeks; you will have to give her time to deal with her emotions.”
“I have nothing but time on my hands.”
“Yes, well, we don’t. The witch you scared off tonight has been eluding us quite well. She has been on a kidnapping spree collecting young girls. So far there are only ten missing by her hands. We aren’t sure why she has chosen the ones she has, but we need to stop her before anymore go missing.”
“Let me help. There was a time when we worked together and I would like to give Bella space while still being here for her.”
“Yes, your speed was a great help before. I would appreciate the help with this one, but you do need to give Bella space; give her more time to heal. And let her approach you on her terms.”
“I will try.”
At this time Bella came back in the room looking a little contrite. “I apologize for my actions. I shouldn’t have let my emotions get the better of me.”
“No, Bella. I’m sorry for coming back into your life so suddenly like this. I was just telling Clint that I would like to help both of you with this witch problem and get to know both of you again.”
The smile on Bella’s face looked to be one of relief; as if she thought her behavior had scared me away from her. “I would appreciate the help Damon. Lord knows we haven’t been able to catch her yet. She is so fast,” Bella said as her brows crinkled. “This is the second time she has tried to spell the two of us. Luckily it seems we are evenly matched in strength. I am glad you came when you did though Damon. Your distraction was what I needed to break her hold. Although, I wish I had been a little bit faster at trapping her.”
“I noticed you had your gun on you,” I said picking it up and looking at the etchings of tally marks in the butt stock. The last time I saw this gun there were only a few marks, now the buttstock was almost covered in them; a mark for each witch killed. “Why didn’t you just shoot her?”
“I would have except we needed to know about the other missing girls. We believe, we hope, they are still alive. If we kill her out right we might never know what happened to them. We try to always help the families completely if at all possible.”
“Bella just likes her happy endings,” Clint said with a smirk.
The blush on Bella’s cheeks was stunning. “Yes,” she said, “and their families deserve to know about their children; so many of them are distraught right now. They need closure.”
“We will start the search again in the morning. We should all get some sleep.”
“Yes, I agree Clint. Since I’m crashing this party I will take the floor.”
“No,” Bella started to say before I put my finger over her lips.
“Bella, it is fine. I’m going to take the floor since I don’t need as much sleep as the two of you.”
I slipped off the bed and lay on the floor. “Well if you insist on sleeping on the floor than I insist that you take one of these pillows.” With that a pillow hit my head causing Bella to giggle.
The next morning I woke to find Bella beside me on the floor, her arm wrapped around my waist and her head on my chest. I gently untangle us and stand, moving to the desk.
“At least you are trying to remain respectful.” My head shoots up to see Clint smirking at me with sleepy eyes before he rolls back over to sleep. Deciding I need to leave the room I make my way downstairs to the bar and order a breakfast platter for everyone to share.
I step back into the room a few minutes later to find Bella still sprawled across the floor. I place the platter of food on the desk top and quietly approach Bella. As I do, I see her right hand is stretched out and her fingers seem to be groping, searching for something that isn’t there. It is my hope she is trying to find me. I reach down and lift her into my arms. As I stand her head falls to my chest, her hand grasps my shirt and she whispers, “Damon.” I place her down on the bed and pull the covers up over her. After a quick and light kiss to her forehead I turn back towards the desk.
To my surprise Clint is already up, dressed and munching on an apple. He’s leaning back in the desk chair with his feet propped on the desk top. “I’m glad to see I can still surprise you vampire. And that your morals still seem to be intact. Maybe you aren’t so bad for my sister after all. However,” he said dropping his feet to floor and leaning his elbows on his knees, “make no mistake. I will kill you if I have too. Hurt her and I will hurt you. Clear?”
“You have already expressed your thoughts Clint. I have too much respect for your sister and you to purposefully hurt either of you. If I were to ever hurt your sister I would gladly let you hurt me in return.”
We silently munched on some breakfast while waiting on Bella to wake. It seems she had not been sleeping well. While we wanted to get back to the case and save the missing girls Bella being at the top of her game was important; besides, witches usually hunted at night.
Bella finally awoke and we spent the remainder of the morning discussing our strategy. The locals had talked about a place in the woods that they felt harbored magic, evil magic. One of our goals was to check this location out today. I offered to fly in my raven form overhead as a scout and after a quick lunch we set off.
I was flying overhead and noticed that not once did either of them relax from an alert stance with weapons at the ready. Clint kept an arrow knocked and pointed in front of him while Bella kept her loaded and cocked gun swiveling side to side in front of her. The two were very cautious and from hunting with them in the past I knew they would stay this tense until the witch was caught. After a few hours I spotted what looked to be a cottage coming up. I flew ahead to check it out and was appalled at how rundown the place was. No one could have been living here for some time. I flew back to show the others the way and perched myself on Bella’s left shoulder.
“You know, if you had landed on my shoulder,” Clint snickered, “I would have shooed you away. I guess Bella is an animal tamer.”
I cawed at him in annoyance and rubbed my face on Bella’s cheek when she reached up to run her finger over my beak. She knew just what to do to get the one place that always itched and I could never reach.
“Aww, who’s the pretty bird,” she cooed. I just huffed and gently nipped at her finger. As distracted as we were my keen ears picked up the snapping of a branch just in time to tug at Bella, causing her to step back. A good thing it was too as a branch came whizzing past right at that time. I jumped from Bella’s shoulder and began the process of shifting back into my vampire body. As I did so Clint swung back around right as a branch clocked him in the side of his head. Bella fired off a warning shot in the direction the blows came from only to be knocked backwards. I finished changing shapes just in time to catch her. I set her back on her feet and raced in the direction the attack seemed to be coming from. I caught a small witch, not the same from the night before, just as she was about to send another branch their way. I grabbed her up and raced back towards Bella and Clint. When I reached the clearing I found two more witches attacking our group. I snapped the neck of the one in my arms and raced towards the other two. At this time Clint was able to fire off a round and catch one in the shoulder with a spelled arrow.
Watching a witch die from a spell was interesting. Their deaths were usually tied to their affinity. For instance the witch Clint hit must have an affinity to fire as she burst into flames before dying. The witch Bella was fighting didn’t seem to be going down as easily. Looking closer I realized this was the witch they had been tracking for some time. With an evil cackle she exclaimed, “You white witch will never be able to defeat me. I have been killing Swan witches for millennia; just like your mother you too shall die by my hands.” She wrenched free from Bella’s grasp and flew off into the surrounding woods. In our pursuit of her we came across the cottage I had seen from the air. I was halfway across the clearing and past the cottage when I realized the two of them were not beside me. I had never seen the two witch hunters stop cold in their pursuit before. When I turned back around I found them frozen with looks of shock on their face. I was just about to ask them what was wrong when I recognized the description of the cottage. This was the place that turned them into witch hunters to begin with. A burned shell, the place would be unrecognizable to any who had not been there, or seen it through the eyes of someone who had.
The two hunters cautiously approached the cottage and pushed the creaking door open with the butt of Bella’s gun before stepping inside. The cottage had clearly not been disturbed since the two fled from here as children. Dust covered everything in the burned out shell. You could see the cage outline in the corner and the stove against the back wall. The two sifted through different parts of the house trying to get their thoughts in order. As they did so I tried imagining being held there and what they must have gone through. I was wandering around the loft when I noticed a discrepancy in two of the floor boards. I gently pried one of them up and was shocked at what I found beneath it. A journal, a wand and a locket lay within. What surprised me was the name on the journal; it was the twins’ birth mother. I gently lifted the belongings and brought them down to the others. I hated to pull them from their memories, but if this wasn’t a huge clue in the case then it was a huge part of their life and needed to be brought to their attention. When they reached me I explained that I had found a hidden compartment and showed them what I found inside. Bella took the journal and wand, collapsing on a log outside to read. Clint took the locket and gently opened it, a soft gasp escaping as he did so. I looked over his shoulder and saw an image of what had to be their mother. The scary thing was she looked exactly like her daughter, or vice versa. I heard a cry from Bella and ran to her side.
Her hand was over her mouth and she was rocking back and forth as small sobs escaped her. I wrapped my arms around her and brought her to sit sideways in my lap. I knew soothing words wouldn’t help so I chose to rock back and forth, letting her calm down and speak to me when she was ready.
“She didn’t want to leave us,” she hiccupped. “I always thought she died, but she left us to protect us. Muriel, the witch we are hunting, was hunting her. It seems when you kill a white witch you release her powers. When you kill a white witch on a full moon as part of a big sacrifice you can release her powers and absorb them for yourself. The white witch’s powers can keep you young for up to a hundred years. Muriel wanted our moms’ powers for herself. And now, they need to do the ceremony again. That’s why they are collecting girls and why they haven’t killed me, but have tried to kill Clint. They only need two more girls and me to complete their ritual. And, they need it by tomorrow night.”
“Bella, let’s head back to town and look through all of the information. Maybe we can figure out where they are and put a stop to this before anyone else gets hurt.” She nodded at Clint’s suggestion and shakily stood up. I held onto her elbow until she was steady and walked closely by her side until we had reached our rented room. After putting all of their weapons away Clint offered to get some lunch and bring it to us. I sat down on the edge of Bella’s bed and was unsurprised when she climbed into my lap, her arms wrapped tightly around my neck. I maneuvered us so my back was leaning against the headboard and gently ran my hand from the top of Bella’s head all the way down her back. I made this circuit several times before I heard Bella whisper.
“I am afraid Damon. I am afraid for those girls. I am afraid for me. I am afraid for Clint if something were to happen to me. But most of all, I am afraid of what will happen to you or I if either of us were to be hurt.”
“There is nothing to be frightened of. Neither of us is getting hurt. We will put a stop to the witches and we will save those girls. You and Clint are witch hunters and I am a vampire. We cannot be beat by anything unless we let it.”
Just as I finished speaking our door slammed open. I looked up startled to see Clint panting in the doorway.
“It happened again,” he huffed. “This time they took two girls, twin sisters.”
Bella sat up and grabbed the journal off of the desk. She rapidly began to flip through it, muttering to herself as she did so.
“Did anyone see this? Did they see who did it?”
“Yes, they flew in and snatched them right from the town square, in plain view of everyone. They took off towards the mountains. One of the locals says there is an old bear cave up there. It’s possible they are hiding in it.” I turned when Bella exclaimed.
“I found a spell. It was one mom didn’t get to try because you have to set it in motion as they are doing their own spell. We will have to get close to their hideout in order for me to attempt this. And, we will have to wait until the moon is rising and they have started their own spell.”
“We should head out to the mountains now and see if we can find where they will be performing the spell. We will need to be in position to start at the right time.” We all agreed with Clint’s plan and quickly grabbed our bags. We set off in the direction we thought the cave to be, a long hike as the locals explained. We were halfway there when we heard a cackle and Bella was blasted into the air. I heard her scream right before and excruciating pain pierced through my back. I fell forward, unable to help. I woke sometime later with a gasp as the object was pulled from my back. I sat up to see Clint holding a wooden stake, with blood running down his face.
“They took her,” he rasped. “They snatched her up and knocked us unconscious. Right before I passed out I saw them heading up the mountain. We must get to her. They will be starting the ritual soon.” I looked at him in confusion before realizing that we must have been knocked out for some time as the sun was in the noon day position. I stood on shaky legs, pulling Clint up with me. Just as we were about to leave the clearing I noticed the journal Bella had laying on the ground. I picked it up and opened it to the marked page. Luckily Bella had marked the page with the spell. Unfortunately, neither Clint nor I would be able to perform it as neither of us were witches. I tucked the journal into my coat pocket and we began heading up the mountain once again.
Night was falling as we reached the location where we thought the bear cave to be. We could see a faint light through the trees and we picked our way quietly through the brush until we found ourselves near the edge of a cliff. On the rock ledge were hundreds of witches. The one we were hunting was standing on a dais with a raised platform. Chained on the platform was Bella, the other kidnapped girls were on their knees, circling the platform and chained to its base. As the witches began their ceremony Clint and I looked at each other, gave a nod and went our separate ways. My job was to distract the other witches while Clint freed his sister and the other girls. He was to give the spell book to his sister and lead the other girls back down the mountain.
I loved a grand entrance and drama so I distracted the witches by throwing some of their…guests over the side. Others I set aflame and in general I caused mayhem. I could feel the witches trying to spell me, but as a vampire I was immune to most things so the spells bounced right off. At one point I looked over to see that all of the girls had been unchained. Clint was starting to lead them off and Bella had the journal open on the platform. The wand was in her right hand as she began to read the spell.
I saw one witch trying to get to her. I quickly threw her off her broom and landed at Bella’s side, intent on protecting her. Just as she was on the last of the spell I felt myself being lifted into the air, a stake going through my stomach.
“Damon!” she screamed.
“Finish the spell Bella,” I gritted through my teeth. I felt the stake being shoved in deeper, reaching through my ribs but I held my groan of pain in. The witch was trying to distract Bella, but my girl is strong and with a sob turned back to the spell.
“Your Damon will die Bella!” Muriel screeched. “And when he is dead, I will kill you for your powers. Your mother tried to protect you. She died protecting you, and you will die just as she did. Say your goodbyes young Bella,” Muriel cackled.
I could see Bella shaking with sobs as she tried to concentrate on the spell. I would shift into my raven form but this would cause the stake to tear through me, hitting my heart. I had to think of a distraction for the witch and quick. As I squirmed in the air I realized I could reach the witch. I jerked her with my hands to me and began to suck the blood from her neck. Witch blood could be poisonous to vampires, but it was just the distraction Bella needed to finish the spell. As the last words left her lips the witch began to drown in her own liquid; her affinity being water I suppose. She dropped me in the process and just my luck I would land on the stake, shoving it further between my ribs and closer to my heart. I screamed in pain just as Bella’s cool hands landed on my chest.
“Finish them Bella,” I rasped, unwilling to have her in danger any longer.
“I did, the spell killed them all,” she sobbed.
“Pu…pull the stake out,” I choked. She reached for the stake and pulled it out, causing another cry to rent from my lips. Even with the stake gone I could feel the witches’ blood running through my veins, keeping me from healing.
“Damon,” she cried.
“It’s ok Bella,” I panted. “Your alive, that’s all that matters.” I could feel myself dying and knew it wouldn’t be much longer. Just as I thought I was a goner I felt blood being trickled down my throat.
“You are not leaving us again,” I heard Clint growl. “You gave me permission to hurt you if you hurt my sister. And you are not going to hurt my sister; you promised.”
I could feel his blood pushing the witches’ blood from my veins and the wounds began closing. I passed out from the pain, but at least I was still alive. I woke up back in the rented bedroom.
“Look who decided to join the land of the living,” I heard from beside me. I turned my head to see Bella resting on the desk chair, a smirk on her face. She walked over to me and leaned her hands on my chest, her lips just inches from mine.
“You are never leaving me again,” she whispered. “Witches blood is akin to Vampires I found. And as your mate, you can’t get rid of me.” With that she kissed me, a kiss I hoped would last for eternity.
The next contest, as promised, is the Fairy Tales again.
Just like last time, anything goes as long as it is a tall tale. I have included the excerpt from the last one to help you guys along. I also put more imagery in the banner to help you guys out. Hoping it may inspire you to write something!
So any fairy tale, be it Grimms, Disney, One Thousand and One Nights, Folktales of Greece and so on. The list I am using to determine is to be found here: Wikipedia List of Fairy Tales. I just noticed the American Ones (Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed and so on) are not on there, they will be allowed. If you can’t find one on there, please check with Rissa and she will check it out with me, making sure I have no idea who is asking. Since the list is very extensive, I am hoping that it will help motivate you!
The rules are as follows:
Must use prompt(s).
All fandoms are allowed.
No letting anyone knowing which story is yours.
Please do not submit in PDF. If I cannot copy and paste it, I cannot make a page for it to be posted. Send the original document and I will open it here. I have Word and Google Docs. My betas have other stuff that we can use.
If you submit, you can grab the Banner for Participating for the month. You will also receive a banner for the story you submit.
If explicit, you need to warn people in the title.
All entries must be received by kittyinazwritingchallenges@gmail.com by Midnight CST at the end of the 15th of June, 2017.
To enter, you can send it to the Kittyinazsbetas@gmail.com or to the Writing Contest email, KittyinazWritingChallenges@gmail.com. These are both permanent email addresses that Rissa checks for entries and really anything. Please include the name you want on the banners when the contest is over for Rissa to send to me. She sends the stories to me and erases any way of me knowing who wrote what. They are due by the 15th of June at midnight CST. From there I will reserve until the end of the month to be able to do banners, with the option of opening the contest early if I finish ahead of time.
I do accept the entries at any time. So feel free to finish up and send them in!
It truly is amazing the stuff you can find on the internet. I searched Alexander Skarsgard leprechaun and the picture above is what popped up. I think it is fitting for today. Sorry I missed posting last week, but Daylight Savings in the USA screwed me up. Losing one hour completely wrecked my week. I…
Can someone please explain to me why I am seeing more snow in March than I did in the entire months of December and January???? I should be getting ready for spring, not worrying about shoveling 8 inches of snow. The only way snow in March is acceptable is if it this is part of…
Hello lovelies. I cannot guarantee I will be back to publishing weekly, but I will try. My dear beta, kleannhouse, is in high demand trying to juggle the stories of three writers. She is amazing and she makes me laugh with all of her comments on my stories. This one especially. I started this story…
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