***Chapter One***
Scotland 1322
Gale Hawthorne silently materialized out of thin air. He stood in the shadows of the great hall and watched Peeta Mellark pace back and forth in front of the fireplace. Incredibly tall and handsome and powerfully built. Gale shook his head, aggravated. Peeta was a God among men, he could be so powerful, almost without limit if he would just give in and accept his fate. But he refused.
"What grieves you Peeta?" Gale finally spoke. He would have thought Peeta hadn't heard him if not for the rigid tensing of his shoulders.
"Why do you insist on coming uninvited?" Peeta's voice thundered across the room. It was a tone that could make even Gale shudder.
"Well, that's simple really. If I waited for an invitation from you then I would never be here" he said as he moved closer. Peeta made a growling noise as his only response, continuing to stare at the flames of the fire.
"Well, I can see you're unusually talkative this evening" Gale said sarcastically "but I fear I can't stay long. What say you...do you have the hallows?" He asked.
Peeta didn't answer, he stayed staring into the fire and ran a very large hand across his square jaw that was covered in several days of stubble. Gale tapped his foot impatiently,
"Your silence is NOT reassuring Peeta. I need an answer. I know The Templar knights where to escort them out from you, but I've heard there was a disturbance" he said. Peeta finally turned to him, muscled arms folded across his broad chest, he stared down at Gale, and Gale was a tall man himself. It was no wonder Peeta Mellark was a legend, even without any powers.
"You heard right..." Peeta hedged.
"You do realize you swore an oath to protect them" Gale said, suddenly on edge.
"Of course I know that" Peeta said, turning back to the fire.
"You also realize the Importance of the Templars finding sanctuary here in Scotland now that they've been disbanded? And how imperative it is that the hallows don't fall into the wrong hands?"
Peeta dismissed his question with an impatient wave of his hand, "The four hallows are safe. The moment we became suspicious the Templars may come under siege, the spear, the cauldron, the sword and the stone were rushed back into Scotland for safe keeping, even with the war, It's better they rest in a torn country then with the persecuted Templars. The four hallows are safe..." Peeta said.
"But not the flask, Peeta? What of it? Where is it?" Gale asked.
"The flask is not a hallow" Peeta offered.
"I know that.." Gale said dryly "..but the flask is a sacred relic to our race. It poses a huge threat should it fall into the wrong hands. So I repeat, where is the flask?"
Peeta exhaled a sharp breath and pushed a large hand through his messy light hair. Gale was struck by the sheer masculinity of him, the power he exuded from every pore. The intense blue eyes, the fierce, aggressive, dominating temperament of his ancestors. Once again Gale lamented the fact that Peeta refused to embrace what he was.
"I doona know" Peeta finally offered.
"You 'doona know?" Gale mimicked his brogue. He knew that must have been a hard admission for Peeta. Nothing was ever out of the Laird Mellark's control. His whole life was governed by rule after rule.
"A flask containing a sacred elixir created by my race disappears out of your grasp and you 'doona know' where it went?!" Gale asked, becoming agitated.
"The situation is not as dire as you make, Gale. It's not permanently lost. Consider it..." Peeta waved a hand and flashed a smile, "...temporarily lost" he finally finished.
Gale arched a brow at him, "You're splitting hairs with your pretty words. That's a woman's job, Mellark. What's happened?"
"One of my good men was carrying the chest with the flask in it when the attack came, I was waiting for him to cross the bridge to hand it to me. He got hit in the head and both him and the flask fell into the river. The current carried away the chest-"
"And you think that's not a terrible concern?! What if the king of England gets his hands on that flask, do you realize what that would do?" Gale interrupted.
"Aye, but it won't come to that. I laid a geas on the flask. It won't come into another's possession" Peeta said. Gale looked to him, shocked.
"You cast a spell?"
"Think you I've learned nothing after all these years? I've picked up some things that were useful " Peeta said, obviously disgruntled by this whole conversation.
"A clever fairy would have just spelled it back out of the river-" Gale started,
"I am not Fae. I am Scot-Brude and I do not care for your Druid magic and spells. You're fortunate I used a spell at all" Peeta said bitterly.
"And what invocation did you use? Were you careful in your wording? If it was not done right it's even more dangerous"
"Aye, I did it well and proper. I spelled it so that the first human to touch the flask, it is to be immediately sent back to me. No matter the distance or time" Peeta said, mildly proud of himself for the curse as much as he hated to admit it.
"I see. And did you specify whether the flask would come by itself?" Gale asked amused.
"What?" Peeta asked bewildered.
"The flask. Did you specify that only it be returned? Did it not occur to you that the mortal who touches it might also be transported with the flask if you used a binding spell?" Gale asked, wholly amused now.
Peeta closed his eyes and made that growling sound again.
"You used a binding spell." Gale sighed.
"I used a binding spell" Peeta admitted. "It was the only one I knew!" He added defensively.
"And who's fault is that? How many times have I asked you, nay, begged you to come with me to my world, to learn my ways. You could have so much power if only you would embrace it. And the answer is yes, Peeta. The man WILL be brought back with the flask" Gale said.
Peeta muttered a few choice curse words under his breath.
"So, what will you do with this man when he arrives?" Gale asked.
"Question him, then return him with haste"
"You will kill him" Gale said somberly, but with authority.
"I knew you would say that. Gale, what if he's innocent? He may not have a fardling idea what's in the chest, but just finds it washed up on the bank of the river somewhere" Peeta protested.
"Then you'll kill the innocent man" Gale said simply.
"I will not"
"But you will..." Gale started as he moved closer to Peeta. He had an urge to shake the man, or even to strike him but he knew that wouldn't end well for either of them, so he controlled himself.
"...it is you who cursed it foolishly and without thought for the outcome. Your curse will bring them, innocent or no, into the midst of a Templar sanctuary that no one can trespass into. You think you can simply send them away with a weak warning of please-don't-tell-what-you've-seen? You think any stranger wouldn't be tempted by the price on the Templars heads? So you WILL kill him, whoever he is, because you pledged your life that you would do all in your power to protect the Templars and take no unnecessary risks" Gale said.
"I will not kill an innocent man" Peeta said through gritted teeth.
"You will or I will, you only have the two choices. So choose wisely because you know I like to play with my prey" Gale said. Peeta fisted both of his hands so hard he thought he might break open his palms with his fingernails.
"I will kill the bearer of the flask. But it will be done my way, painlessly and swiftly and you will stay out of it" Peeta said angrily as he turned toward Gale.
"Good enough. Now swear it"
"On one condition. In exchange for my vow you promise me that you will never darken my home with your presence uninvited" Peeta said.
" I am truly hurt and you will regret not having my company, but I will comply. Now, swear it".
It wasn't something Peeta wanted to do but he knew he would be saving this poor innocent a terrible death at the hands on Gale Hawthorne, the dark fairy. He would find a way to live with himself.
***present day***
"Watch it asshole!" Katniss Everdeen yelled at the driver of the black BMW SUV who nearly side swiped her at the corner of the crosswalk.
"Get a job, homeless trash!" The man yelled out the window before flashing his middle finger out the sunroof. Katniss scowled at him under the bill of her baseball hat. Homeless? She didn't look homeless...did she? She looked down at her clothes to do a quick assessment. She was wearing her favorite skinny jeans, while a cheap find on clearance at Target they were in good shape. Her white awolnation t-shirt was definitely worn but it didn't have holes and it was clean. Her red converse weren't in bad shape. The rattiest thing she had on was her hat, but she wasn't about to get rid of it. She pulled it down farther on her head in a self-conscious effort to hide her face.
"What a jerk! Don't pay any attention to him, you don't look homeless. That's the kind of person who just believes they're better then everybody else, especially the ones waiting for the bus instead of driving a BMW. He obviously didn't see your face or he would be pulled over right now apologizing and trying to get your number" Madge said.
Madge was pretty much Katniss' only friend. And Katniss wasn't even sure they were friends. More like acquaintances. They both took the same bus to work every evening. Madge to her acting gig in the local theater and Katniss to her cleaning job.
"Thanks, but I doubt that's the truth" Katniss said to her friend.
"Come on Katniss, you're a knockout. I wish you'd go out with me just one night, doll yourself up, live a little" Madge said, as she nudged her elbow playfully into Katniss side.
"You know I don't have time for anything like that. Not with both jobs and taking care of mom and Prim" Katniss said. Katniss hadn't had time for anything, let alone a social life or boyfriend, since she was 18. That's when her daddy got killed in a terrible car accident and her mom completely checked out on life, leaving her to pick up the pieces and raise Prim. While paying bills and running the house, which they promptly lost and had to move into a tiny apartment in a crummy part of town. On top of everything Last year Willow Everdeen was diagnosed with stage 4 cervical cancer, too far gone to even try any treatments. Katniss can't help but feel like she got cancer just because she stopped caring about life, she stopped living and so it consumed her without a fight. Mounting bills and paying for home health for Willow in her last few months and trying to save to send Prim to college forced Katniss to take on the barista job during the day and the cleaning job at night. Neither job was glamorous but they paid decent. And her cleaning job was in a museum, which she loved. It was her only escape from her reality. Yes, it was work but while she was there she would pretend to be something else, to be someone else. Her favorite section was the medieval history section. That's where she could really lose herself. She was Queen of a lovely castle, with lovely servants, and lovely children. And also, of course, a lovely husband. Life was perfect in her fantasy.
If only it were true.
Katniss unlocked the main door to the museum and punched in the code for the alarm. She took her shoes off at the door and laid her keys and phone down on a small table and padded her way across the marble tiles to the back of the building where the maintenance closet was. She gathered her supplies and set to work. As much as she loved to linger around and look, she knew she had to work pretty fast. She had to be out no later then 4am and this was a huge building for one person to clean.
As usual, she saved Professor Crane's office for last. As far as boss's went Seneca was a total pain in the ass but he paid her well. Actually, he overpaid her but she wasn't going to point that out. He was a complete stickler, he practically went over things with a white glove, especially in his office. She was only allowed to dust and sweep and touch "as little as possible". She was always excited to get to his office though because he almost always had a new antiquity that he was examining before it was put on display. She opened the door and stepped inside. Sure enough, there was his new find. A small chest, intricately carved scrolls and designs around the edges. It was beautiful. She wondered what the story behind this piece was? She had seen carvings similar to the ones on the chest before but she couldn't quite place it. She sat down in the oversized leather chair at his desk and regarded the chest for awhile. She would only sit for a minute, it was already after 2am and she had to finish his office and put everything away and be long gone by 4. She leaned back and closed her eyes and before she was aware what was happening her exhausted body caved in to sleep.
"...I have no idea how old it is. But very, would be my guess. I'd say 17th maybe even 16th century. But that's what you're for Plutarch"
Katniss' foggy mind slowly registered Seneca Crane's voice. With a start, she shot forward, suddenly aware of where she was. She glanced at the clock on the wall...4:47am.
"Shit! Oh shit!" Katniss panicked. If she got caught she would be fired on the spot. She couldn't let that happen. She was thinking of climbing out the window when she heard keys in the door, no time for the window. Her only hope was under the desk, so she scurried to the back and balled herself up as small as possible.
"Damn it! How many times have I told that woman to turn the damn lights off!" Seneca said as he entered his office. Katniss bit her lip and forced her breathing to slow down. Seneca and another mans legs came into view at the front of his desk. She prayed she was hidden good enough.
"Oh my..." the other man said.
"Isn't it beautiful? Have you ever seen anything like it?" Seneca asked the man.
"It's gorgeous. Look at how intricate that scrollwork is. Definitely of Scottish origin" the man said. Scotland, yes of course. That's where Katniss had seen carvings like that before.
"Have you tried to open it yet?" The man asked.
"No, I was waiting for you. The less it's handled the better. Here, put the gloves on and let's see" Seneca said. There was silence in the room and Katniss feared that they might be able to hear her heart beating. The men said nothing for a time, but she heard a slight scraping noise as one of the men picked up the chest.
"Heavier then it looks. I see no latches but it has hinges. How on earth do you open it though?" The man pondered.
"What about that right there, the small raised spot in the scrolling, try that" Seneca offered. There was a small hissing noise and both men gasped. Katniss was holding her breath. What the hell is it? She wondered.
"Here, use the tongs. We can't be too careful" Seneca said. There was silence again for a long time, Katniss was about to explode from under the desk just so she could get a look herself.
"It's amazing. I've never seen anything like it. It almost looks futuristic, doesn't it? I'm not sure what type of metal this is" the man said.
"Well, get to work on it Plutarch, I want answers as soon as possible" Seneca said.
"Where did you say you found this?" The man asked.
"It was unearthed in the highlands of Scotland. A farmer was dredging rock out of a riverbed to mend a fence and came across it. Thank god I have friends in the area who owed me a favor or I'd never have gotten it" Seneca said. Katniss rolled her eyes, she could practically see the giddy look on his face, she was surprised he wasn't clapping his hands with glee.
"If it's been under water for...well...possibly hundreds of years, how on earth is it in such immaculate shape? And the seal on it...? How did they manage to get such a waterproof seal so long ago?" The Plutarch man wondered.
"That's neither here nor there. I have it and I'm very lucky. Now, get to work on identifying it and dating it. Clear everything else. This is your priority now" Seneca said.
"I may need help with this one" Plutarch said.
"Of course, I'll assign someone trustworthy to help you. For now, lets go get some coffee to celebrate!" Seneca said and Katniss heard the door to his office close behind them and their muffled voices as they walked down the hall. Katniss released a breath she didn't know she was holding. That was close. She stayed put for a few minutes, making sure they didn't forget something and come back. But then her curiosity wouldn't wait any longer and she climbed out from under the desk.
Thank goodness they left the chest on his desk. Katniss knew she should leave it alone, she'd already dodged one bullet today, toying with whatever this was would not be a good idea. "It almost looks futuristic" the mans words rang in her head.
She had to see it.
She looked for the raised spot in the scrollwork that Seneca had mentioned and found it with ease once she knew what she was looking for. She pushed it and the chest cracked open with the same hissing sound as before. There in the chest, nestled in a red and black fabric, was a brightly polished, almost shining silvery bottle with a stopper in the top. The bottle was also intricately carved with swirling designs and loops but not quite like the ones on the wood.
"Ok, you've seen it, now leave" Katniss whispered out loud. 'Touch it' part of her brain said. She raised her hand, reaching slowly for the small flask, as soon as she made contact it felt as if she'd been shocked with static electricity but worse. Then suddenly she had the sensation she was falling...