Swan Lake
Inspired by the song "Swan Lake" by Dark Moor
Disclaimer: Kim Harrison owns the characters; only the insanity is mine. I make no money from this. Believe me, if there were a reliable way to make a profit on crazy I'd be doing that instead.
Note: If you aren't familiar with the plot of Swan Lake, it has a very sad ending. You have been forewarned!
When Quen asked to speak with me privately in my office, I knew it was not a good thing. He closed the door and I waited for him to sit before I sat as well.
"Sa'han, I know you don't want to hear this, but it is time for you to begin looking for a wife. A respectable length of time has passed since your truncated engagement to Ellasbeth. It is important to appeal to your political base and to seem respectable and family-oriented. Certainly Morgan's stunt did not help your political standing but your being single is just as detrimental to your image as that was."
He sighed, probably at the unhappy look on my face but pressed on. "Now that we have the undamaged elven sample we do not necessarily need you to marry for blood purity, so that opens up your horizons somewhat. But we do need you to remain in a position of political power so we can continue to support our species with biological research and procedures."
I cut him off. "You've made your point, Quen. I will begin looking for a suitable woman." I thought sourly to myself that it was very unfair of the universe to offer me the chance to marry for love while at the same time rushing my search to find someone. I stood slowly, feeling as though I had aged considerably in the last few minutes.
Quen stood as well, looking me firmly in the eye, as though to drive home the seriousness of his words, and left the office silently. I glanced around the office, feeling like it was more like a cage, and decided I had to get out for a while.
I walked purposefully through the mansion until I found myself outside, near the stables. On a whim I went inside to visit my familiar, a horse named Tulpa. I stroked his face and spoke softly to the animal, trying to soothe my own frustration.
"That's a good boy, Tulpa. You've always been there for me, you know." I sighed softly, then smiled. "How would you like to go hunting? I think that would be fun." Tulpa snorted softly, and I decided to take that as a "yes." At least, I thought to myself, it will get my mind off this marriage business.
I went to my personal rooms and changed into riding clothes, grabbing a hunting rifle on my way out to the stables. I saddled Tulpa, who seemed perfectly happy to go for a ride, and turned him toward the forest.
"Sa'han!" Quen's voice carried clearly across the yard. I reined Tulpa in with an unspoken curse and turned him to face my chief of security.
"Yes, Quen?"
"Let me come with you." The older man had nothing but concern in his eyes, but I shook his head.
"I'm sorry, but I need some time alone."
Quen's jaw tightened, but he let it go. "Please be careful, Sa'han."
I smiled reassuringly at him. "Don't worry, I will."
I rode into the forest, following the trail that had been carved from the forest by the hooves of my ancestors' horses. I paid no attention to the time or the darkening in the sky, and after a while I found myself leaving the trails I knew and heading into the heart of the woods.
I savored the feeling of being alone, with no demands, no pressures or expectations to manage. There was nothing I had to do tonight, except perhaps flush out some game and bring it back as a trophy or an exotic meal. I sat straighter in the saddle and breathed deeply of the clean forest air, crisp with the onset of evening and the promise of autumn.
I wasn't truly lost, after all Tulpa would be able to find the way home easily and I could navigate out of the woods by the sunset or the moon if I needed. However I didn't know where I was, and I was enjoying exploring a new part of my ancestral lands when I stumbled upon a small lake in a clearing. Even more shocking, there was someone beside it, a woman judging by the length of the hair.
I rode closer, curious as to who would be hiding in the heart of a forest, and more specifically hiding on my lands. As I came out of the trees, I recognized the figure: Rachel Morgan, on-and-off bane of my existence. Before I could ask her what in the hells she was doing in my woods she raised her head to look at me, and the words stuck in my throat. She had the red, goat-slitted eyes of a demon.
I whipped my hunting rifle up to bear on her. It obviously wasn't Rachel, but a demon in her form. But it simply wasn't possible; the sun hadn't yet set, and no demon could come to this side of the ley lines except between sundown and sunrise. What's more, I had been frozen for more than a second, and the demon hadn't moved. Surely had it been a real demon it would have attacked me by now, or at least would have said something.
Perhaps it was an elaborate practical joke? But to what purpose, I could not guess. We stared at each other for a long moment, neither moving or saying anything. Surely if it was Rachel Morgan she would have had something snarky to say by now. I was frozen by indecision until suddenly I felt the sun slip beneath the horizon.
I stared in shock as her demonic eyes melted into normal green eyes. My rifle slipped down to point at the ground, and the woman turned away from me, sinking to the ground and began... crying?
I slipped off Tulpa, hooked his reins to a nearby branch and leaned my rifle against a tree. My head was spinning. What I had just seen could not have happened, and yet somehow it had. I needed to find out what was going on, if only for my sanity.
I walked to the woman's side and knelt, reaching toward her but stopping before I touched her. "Rachel?" I asked softly.
She looked up at me, face red and damp from crying. "You should have shot me."
I stared at her, disbelief on my face. She had sounded so absolutely hopeless and dejected. She truly wished I had killed her. I schooled my features into concern. "Surely you don't mean that, Rachel. What could be so terrible..." I broke off at the look on her face.
"I'll tell you what could be that terrible," she said vehemently, arranging herself into a sitting position. I followed suit, facing her. I wanted to know very badly what was going on.
She took a deep breath, then spoke, her voice almost toneless. "About a month ago Al decided I needed a familiar. He decided to give me Pierce—you know, that ghost I accidentally resurrected, he took Tom Bansen's body—but then he got himself a replacement familiar."
Here she took a deep, shuddering breath. I remembered my manners and handed her my handkerchief. She looked at it for a second, then wiped her face, holding onto it as though she knew she wasn't done crying. "She looks like me. I mean, she's pretty tall, and she's got the same red hair. It was creepy, you know? But that wasn't all. When I came back the next week, the way she acted around him, I could tell... He's been abusing her, sexually. Raping her. I couldn't take it. I lost my temper, told him off, told him I wouldn't be the student of a demon who did that."
She was hugging herself, visibly upset. "Basically, then he asked me if I really meant it and I said I did, and he had me on breach of agreement. But because of what I am," her mouth twisted, "he decided he didn't want me in a bottle. Instead he chose to dabble in some very old, very dangerous magic. He found a spell to separate my demon and witch selves—his words, not mine—and now I'm a demon by day and a witch at night."
I rocked back in surprise. That should not have been possible. If I hadn't just seen it I wouldn't have believed it. "What good does that do him?"
"He wants to make me entirely demon. It's like a damn fairytale spell. I have one year to find a true lover. If I succeed, I will be a witch. And by that I mean truly a witch, not a protodemon. I'll be able to have kids and everything. But if I don't find someone, or if my lover betrays me then I'll be a demon."
I nodded thoughtfully. "That doesn't sound all bad, you know. You have a chance at life as a normal witch. You didn't have that before."
But she shook her head. "Trent, do you have any kind of idea how bad my track record with men is? I don't have a chance, not really. Plus I've found out the hard way how few men can be trusted." She put her face in her hands. "Ivy made me promise I wouldn't kill myself. She needs me, I know that, she relies on our friendship for hope in her life. But when that year is up... I can't do it, I can't become a demon and go live with demons. I'd rather die."
My heart went out to her. It was clear to me now that she had never wanted to be a demon, not even with the additional power it gave her. I still didn't understand why she'd done everything that she had, but it was an insight into her character that I hadn't had before.
"And you know what the worst of it is?" she continued with an almost hysterical laugh. "I can't even live at home because I can't go into the church during the day! I can't go out in public during the day, I can't get my shunning revoked because the meeting will be during daylight hours. My life is over, Trent. I may still be breathing, but I've lost everything." She burst again into tears.
I understood now why she had no hope. She truly had lost her life. She couldn't stay with anyone she cared about for fear of getting them shunned or worse. She couldn't have any semblance of a normal life. I wondered how she was living in the forest; somehow I doubted she had taken any survival courses.
"So why did you come to my forest to hide? And how do you eat?"
She laughed and then hiccuped through her tears. "I didn't know it was your land, Trent. If I had known I would have found somewhere else. I was just looking for somewhere that I wouldn't have to worry about hikers and such finding me. And Ivy's been bringing me food. I haven't had much appetite lately," she added, looking down at herself. She had stopped crying and was just sitting dejectedly, gazing past me into the lake's depths.
I shifted to sit next to her and put my arm gingerly around her thin shoulders. "I'll help you," I said softly. "If only so that I don't have to worry about a female demon, I'll do whatever I can. Plus," I added, injecting optimism into my voice, "you helped me learn to believe in the 11 percent. The least I can do is help you believe that you do have a chance, that there is someone for you. If you sit in the woods you will not find your true lover, you know."
She shook her head as though she didn't believe me, but still accepted the comfort I offered her. I thought to myself that she must be desperately depressed to let me hold her like this. I drew her a little closer and felt her relax against my shoulder.
"You know," I said hesitantly, "Ivy would be true to you."
"I know," she said softly. "She already suggested that, but... I just can't do that. Believe me," she said bitterly, "I wish I could. I wish it could be solved that easily."
Not even with your life on the line, I thought in surprise, but I didn't say anything. We sat there in silence for a time, then I decided to tell her of my own problem.
"I'm in a bind of my own. Not nearly as terrible as it seemed an hour ago, I'll admit, but damning in its own way." I took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh. "Quen told me I need to get married. And the thing is, he's right, but I haven't wanted to. I had always hoped to marry for love, you know," I gave a small, self-deprecating smile, "but I never truly thought it would happen. Of course now that we have that sample I have a lot more freedom in who I marry, since anyone can pass on healthy genes with the proper treatment.
"But I don't think I'll have time to find someone that I love." I looked down at the top of her head. "That stunt you pulled at my speech really didn't help, and now if I want to secure my political base I need to appear stable, family-oriented." I sighed again, putting all my anger and frustration into it.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I was just trying to stay alive and undamaged. I didn't think about what it would do to your image. That's not true," she amended, "I didn't care what it would do. But if I'd known it would force you to get married I would have felt a little bad about it."
I chuckled at her earnestness. "It's alright. Though the whole 'keeping yourself alive' thing doesn't seem to be going all that well now."
I thought that might make her smile, but I couldn't see her face to know for sure. I racked my brain for memories that we would share, and began telling her anecdotes from our time at my father's summer camp. Every time she chuckled at my stories I felt my heart warm a little. She didn't seem nearly so self-destructively hopeless now, and I considered that a victory. After a time I noticed she wasn't reacting to my stories.
"Rachel?" I said softly. No response. I bent down to look at her face and found that she was sound asleep. I sat still and tipped my head back, studying the stars as if the answers to our troubles might be found there. After a while I tugged my riding jacket off the side she wasn't leaning on and brought it around her shoulders. She murmured something insensible and shifted, but didn't wake.
I stared at the reflection of the gibbous moon on the lake's surface and pondered my life. As an hour slipped by, and then another, I thought of all the times her life had intersected with mine, for better or worse. There had been times where I had truly wanted to kill her, but seeing her in this fallen state I couldn't hate her. In fact, I felt bad for her. She would have been happy with a relatively quiet life of being a runner. She had never asked for demonic powers, or all the troubles that came with them. Given the choice, she would not have accepted them.
I reached my free hand around to brush her hair out of her face. I wondered idly what it would be like to have her as a wife. She was a passionate woman, that was obvious to anyone who knew her. It certainly wouldn't be a dull life. And if I was being honest with myself, I had to admit that I admired the free way that she lived, as if freedom were a part of her. Not to mention that she was an attractive woman when she put any effort at all into her appearance and dress. And I enjoyed her company, at least when I wasn't wanting to kill her.
I closed my eyes. Gods, I thought, Quen is probably freaking out by now. I wondered idly if he would send men out on horseback to look for me, or if he'd trust me to take care of myself.
I didn't realize that I'd dozed off until Rachel moved in her sleep and fell off my shoulder, waking both of us and sending her to the grass. I reached down sleepily to help her up, but she ignored my hands, sitting up a small distance from me. She yawned and stretched, rubbing her face. She had bits of grass in her hair from landing on the ground. I thought that she had never looked so beautiful.
I wanted to broach the subject, at least in the hypothetical, but I didn't know how to do it without putting everything out there in front of her. I wasn't ready to do that yet, so I remained silent.
"Thanks," she said. I noted with relief that her voice was closer to her normal level of confidence.
"What for?" I asked.
"For staying with me," she said. "It's, well... I'm alone a lot of the time anymore, you know. It's not good for my mind."
"Oh, of course," I said, almost stuttering. Damn it, I was not getting tongue-tied over her! "It's really nothing at all."
She gave me a strange look. "Is something wrong, Trent?"
"O-of course not," I said hastily, then, at her skeptical look I added softly, "I was just thinking how our problems could have a single solution."
I watched her face as she thought through that, figuring out what I meant by that. Consternation turned into consideration and was replaced by dismay. I winced mentally.
"It was just a silly thought I had, I'm sorry I even said anything."
She looked at me steadily. I found it hard to meet her eyes, but forced myself to hold her gaze despite my chagrin.
"Trent," she said softly, "if it means that much to you I will at least consider it."
I could feel my face reddening, and I hoped the moonlight was dim enough to hide it. Damn, when did she become so perceptive?
We sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes, then she turned to face me. "You know, I really didn't think you liked me at all, let alone, you know. Like that."
I smiled a little. "Is it so surprising? I've never felt neutrally toward you. Even if I sometimes wanted to kill you, you've always made me feel rather passionate one way or another."
She nodded in understanding. "I know exactly what you're talking about. How fear can become desire given time."
I wondered where she had had that experience; she definitely wasn't speaking objectively.
"Kisten," she said softly, and I realized I must have spoken aloud. "Kisten scared the crap out of me when I first met him. But he never hurt me, so..." She broke off and smiled sadly.
I considered what she had said. I had never known she had cared so deeply for him, but it was obvious that his death had left its mark on her.
Suddenly I smiled broadly. "Now, Rachel, I've seen the way you look at me. Are you going to deny that you find me handsome?"
She blushed and looked away. I reached toward her, taking her chin gently in my hand and turning her face back toward me, careful to leave her freedom to pull away if she chose. But she didn't, and our eyes met, gazes locking together.
I moved toward her, kissing her lightly on her lips, my hand sliding around to tangle in her hair. I was afraid she would pull away, but she didn't. After a moment she reached out to me, coming closer. I deepened the kiss and her lips parted, letting me inside.
My eyes closed, seemingly of their own accord, as my tongue explored her mouth slowly, then she pushed back, taking charge of the kiss and tasting my own mouth. I slid my arm around her waist, trapping her close to me. In response her fingernails bit gently into my back through my shirt.
We pulled apart, gasping with the force of the kiss and the need for oxygen. I let her recover then kissed her again, devouring her lips. She moaned softly against my mouth and I growled my pleasure at drawing that noise from her. I lost myself in the kiss, holding it until she pulled away from the need to breathe.
I was certain now that I wanted her for my wife. I spread my jacket on the ground and lay her on the ground. I bent over her for another kiss, but she stopped me with a hand on my chest.
"Trent, I'm not accusing you of being a cheater, I just have to be absolutely sure that you're willing to be true to me, forever."
"I am sure," I said firmly. "It shouldn't be too hard, after all; knowing that you would become a demon if I were unfaithful is pretty good incentive."
But still she held me back. "I believe you, but this is happening so fast. I just don't want you to regret this later, or feel resentful over it."
I looked down at her, the flush of passion in her cheeks, the hope so tenuous and desperate in her eyes, and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would do anything for her. I felt like my heart was breaking from her beauty and the hope she had in me. "Marry me," I breathed, looking deep in her eyes, showing her that I was serious.
Her eyes warmed and she drew me down on top of her. I kissed her again for good measure, then moved back to look her over. She took the bottom of her shirt in her hands and drew it up slowly over her head and off. She was wearing a functional black bra, and I marveled at the contrast between it and her creamy skin.
She flushed a little. "Sorry, I didn't wear my nice underthings into the woods." She giggled at her joke, and I smiled down at her.
"Rachel, anyone can wear nice lingerie. Not everyone is beautiful like you are." She flushed deeper, looking pleased at the compliment.
I reached for the waistband of her jeans, looking at her for permission, but she shook her head. "Not yet, Trent. I believe in fairness in a relationship, so your shirt has to go first."
I laughed at her cheek and did as she asked. She reached up to touch my chest, running her hands over my skin. "Of course, now you're wearing more than I am," I said, gesturing to her bra.
She gave me a wicked smile and arched up, releasing the clasp and pulling it aside with a flourish. "Better?"
"Much," I said. Was that my voice, gone deep and husky? I reached up to touch her breasts. She had lost weight, or she usually wore push-up bras, but I didn't care. I bent down, taking one nipple into my mouth and teasing it with my tongue. She groaned and arched her back. I moved my attentions to the other breast, and she began fumbling with my belt.
I laughed at her eagerness and sat back, removing my pants as quickly as I could. She stripped out of her pants as well, and I swallowed hard at seeing her nearly naked before me. I drew her panties down her legs and tossed them aside as she tried to fight my boxers down past my erection. I helped her out and kicked them to the side, lying beside her and putting my arm over her.
She kissed me hard, and I returned the kiss passionately, moving up to kneel over her. I was almost trembling with the intensity of my desire, but I forced myself to stop and look into her eyes.
"Yes, Trent!" she said, digging her nails into my shoulders to emphasize her words.
That was all the encouragement I needed. I parted her legs and angled myself, pressing against her opening. I groaned upon finding her wet and ready, and slid in slowly. She pressed up against me and I kissed her throat. I began moving in a rhythm, and she wrapped her legs around my hips, moving with me.
I cursed myself mentally. With all this stimulation, not to mention the sexual frustration between us, I wasn't going to last as long as I'd like. I forced myself to move slowly, smoothly, and was gratified at her reaction to me. I increased the tempo of our rhythm slowly, in response to her gasped encouragement.
Out of nowhere she asked, "Do, ah... do elves do power pulls?"
I chuckled evilly. "Not on the first date," I murmured into her ear, and she laughed breathily.
"In that case, I'm looking forward to the second date," she managed.
I decided if she could talk then I wasn't doing my job right. I increased the tempo again, savoring her gasp of surprise and pleasure. I held it as long as I could without losing control entirely and was rewarded by her cries increasing in pitch, her fingernails digging hard into my buttocks.
All indications seemed to point toward her being close to orgasm. I prayed silently that I wasn't mistaken and began thrusting hard into her, driving us both to ecstasy. She screamed loudly and contracted hard around me, driving me into my own orgasm. I cried out her name hoarsely and collapsed down onto her. A second later I regained enough sense to prop my weight up, reaching down with my other hand to touch her face gently.
She opened her eyes and looked at me, radiant in her happiness and pleasure. "Trent," she sighed, and I felt my heart skip a beat.
"Rachel," I murmured back, and she closed her eyes. I slipped out of her and lay beside her, holding her close. I don't know how long we lay like that, lost in each other, but after a time she began shivering. I got up so she could get dressed again.
She looked at me and smiled. "I'm very jealous of your ability to never be cold, you know that?"
I chuckled and began dressing as well, if only to make her comfortable. After we were both decent I sat down beside her and put my arms around her, burying my face in her hair and inhaling deeply.
"You know," she said softly, "if you want to get married under the trees in the moonlight still, that's fine with me."
I laughed again and kissed her throat. "Come home with me," I said softly. "I can't wait to announce our engagement." I grinned at the thought. I had never expected those words to make me so happy.
She smiled gently. "I can't, Trent. Not yet, I mean. I've been out here for almost a month, I smell awful, my clothes are filthy. Plus I need to go tell Ivy and Jenks what's going on. They're going to have a conniption fit. And I should tell my family. And I'd like to put something nice on, you know?"
I put my hands up in surrender, smiling. "Okay, dear, whatever you need is fine. Just remember me, pining away without you..."
She laughed and kissed my cheek. "How could I forget?"
Her words sent a warm flush through me, a feeling of being loved that I hadn't felt since my parents had died. I drew her close, thanking the fates that I had found someone that I could love.
A thought occurred to me. "How are you going to get home?"
She gave me an embarrassed smile and pulled out her cell phone. "I have to climb a tree to get reception."
I had to laugh at that mental image. After all, you see people do some crazy things trying to get cell phone reception, but I don't think I'd ever seen someone actually climb a tree before.
"Go ahead," I said. "I don't want to leave until I know you're safely away."
She bit her lip. "I'm not sure that's a good idea, Trent. I mean, Ivy will know what happened, she'll be able to smell it. And vampires don't really like surprises."
I winced. That was certainly true. But it wasn't the only factor here. "I know, but I think she would respect me more for staying with you, instead of running away because she might get upset. And she's your closest friend, Rachel. I want to win her respect."
She smiled at me, amused. "If you want to stay, I won't stop you. You know the risks."
I rolled my eyes at her. "Go climb your tree."
She laughed and did so. I wandered away from her, walking along the lake's shore to give her privacy. I listened to her murmured voice, her laughs as she spoke to her friend. After several minutes I heard her climbing down the tree and sped up my pace to meet her. She paused on the lowest branch, about two feet off the ground, so I put my arms out and she giggled, letting me "catch" her. I kissed her soundly and put her on her feet.
"Well?" I asked.
"She's on her way. I didn't want to tell her much over the phone, but I'm sure she noticed that I'm not depressed." She bit her lip again, looking uncertain.
I put an arm around her shoulders and led her to the lake's edge. We sat and watched the sky begin to lighten together. Some time later, nearly an hour by my guess, I felt the sun rise. I turned to look into her eyes apprehensively, but they were still green. I kissed her gently, relieved that all would be well.
She sighed when we came apart and poked my chest. "Mmm, what was that for?"
"The sun just rose, and you're still a witch. This pleases me."
She chuckled at my wording and peered doubtfully toward the east. "How do you know?"
I cocked an eyebrow at her. "I'm an elf, that's how."
She gave me a grouchy look. "What kind of an explanation is that?"
I was saved from having to explain myself by the sound of an engine in the distance. I frowned, trying to guess what kind of vehicle it might be. As it got closer, I decided it must be a motorcycle.
Rachel stood beside me and brushed grass off her clothing. I stood as well.
"Last chance to run away, Trent." She smirked at me, challenging.
I crossed my arms on my chest. "Nope. Plus it's probably too late anyway."
She smacked my shoulder lightly. "Don't worry, I'll protect you from the big bad vampire."
The engine cut out, and we waited together in silence. Barely a minute later Ivy ran through the trees into the clearing in that fast, silent way that was the trademark of vampires, dead or living. She stopped about eight feet away from us and just stared. She looked stricken.
There was a moment of stillness, nobody moving, then Rachel broke it, striding to her friend and enfolding her in a hug. Ivy looked down at her, then over to me before putting her arms around her friend in return.
"Ivy, look at me," Rachel said, pulling back. "I'm a witch. Trent broke the curse."
Ivy stared at Rachel in amazement and disbelief, then turned the look on me. I held her gaze steadily. She looked back to Rachel.
"Are you sure about this, Rachel?"
She smiled brilliantly, and I felt my heart beat faster. "I'm sure, Ivy. Everything is going to be okay."
Ivy looked at her for a minute, then abruptly turned and walked over to me. I tried to hide my trepidation; she was in full-on predator mode. I held my ground and she stopped, a little too close for comfort.
"Trent. If you mess this up, I will kill you. I will do it as slowly and painfully as I know how. Do you understand me?"
I nodded stiffly. Ordinarily threats like that would piss me off, but I knew she was just concerned for Rachel, so I didn't take umbrage. "I understand you. Let me assure you, Rachel is important to me, and I want nothing more than her happiness. I would not do anything to hurt her. Plus," I added with a crooked smile directed at Rachel, "I wouldn't want to be responsible for creating more demons."
Ivy didn't seem to find it funny, but Rachel laughed softly. She came over to me and kissed me. "I'll come by sometime this afternoon or evening. I've gotta get some sleep, spread the word...it's going to be a busy day."
I smiled back at her. "I'll eagerly await your arrival. Be careful."
She smirked. "I'm always careful."
Ivy muttered something that sounded a lot like "No you aren't," and they turned together, Rachel following Ivy into the woods, away from me.
I watched until they disappeared from sight, then returned to Tulpa. I patted his side and told him what a good boy he had been last night. I grabbed my hunting rifle and swung up into the saddle, giving the horse free rein. Unsurprisingly he knew where he wanted to go, and I gently urged him to move faster.
The woods seemed to blur around me. I had barely slept at all last night, and now that all the excitement was over I was beginning to feel very sleepy. After a time I dozed off sitting up and didn't fully wake until Tulpa carried me out of the woods.
I sat up straight and brushed my hair back, realizing that I probably looked like a mess. As I crossed toward the stables, I saw Quen slip out of the back door and begin jogging toward me.
"Trent!"
I wheeled Tulpa around to meet him halfway. He stopped in front of me, clearly worried and angry, and I cringed mentally. I had stayed out all night with barely a thought for how he would feel.
"Trent, please don't ever do that to me again," he said, aggrieved.
I hopped out of the saddle and came around to the older man. "I'm sorry, Quen, it was not intentional." Then I grinned at him. "But you'll never guess. I found myself a bride!"
Quen gave me an odd look. "In the forest?"
"Yes, actually," I replied smugly.
He shook his head, smiling faintly at my exuberance. "So who is she?"
"That," I said firmly, "is a surprise. She will be coming over sometime this afternoon or evening, and I'll make the announcement then."
Quen frowned at me, clearly wanting to know, but I stopped him with an upraised hand. "But first, I need to sleep."
"Very well, Sa'han," he said, taking Tulpa's reins. "You go to bed now, before you keel over." He headed toward the stables, leading the horse, and I turned and went into the house.
I really was exhausted; I walked to my bedroom in a fog and fell asleep immediately. When I woke up, it was after 3 pm and I was ravenously hungry. I took off the rumpled riding clothes I had fallen asleep in and changed into comfortable slacks and a sweater.
I made a beeline for the dining room and found my cook, Maggie, in the adjoining kitchen area.
"Well, there you are, Mr. Kalamack! Where were you all last night? You had the household in a tizzy, you know."
I smiled, embarrassed, and replied, "I was out finding a bride. Would you be so kind as to make me my usual breakfast? I know it's lunchtime, but I haven't eaten at all today."
Maggie clucked in dismay. "You must take better care of yourself than that. Of course I'll make you breakfast. Tell me about your bride now."
"Well, I'm not saying who she is until she comes over this evening. But I'm very happy to have her."
She chuckled. "You must be, then, if you're in such a hurry to marry her!"
I flushed slightly and escaped before she could bully me into revealing too much. I sat at the dining table to wait for my food, and after a few minutes Ceri and Quen joined me.
"So, Trent, what will you tell us about this mystery bride of yours?" Ceri asked, watching me closely. I realized that she was curious about what woman would be joining my household, and how the two women might get along.
I pursed my lips, thinking, then said, "Without revealing too much, I can tell you she is loving and generous, a passionate woman. And I think you will get along well with her."
She made a moue. "Are you sure you can't say more? I'm very curious, we all are."
I waved a hand. "Your curiosity will be satisfied this evening, I promise you."
"So, is she beautiful?" she pressed.
Yes, I thought, and couldn't hide my smile.
"That looks like a 'yes,'" Quen said wryly.
"So it does," murmured Ceri. "And is she perhaps a businesswoman or a scientist?"
I shook my head. "Now that would be telling far too much."
Maggie came out carrying trays of food, and I used that as an excuse to end the conversation. We ate in relative silence, and I excused myself as soon as I was done.
I went to my office to look over my paperwork but found that I could not concentrate. A thought occurred to me, and I pressed the button on my intercom. "Quen?"
"Yes, Sa'han?" came the reply.
"I need to go into town. Will you be so kind as to accompany me?"
"Of course."
I grabbed my pocketbook and changed my sweater into a button-up shirt. Quen met me in the garage and I told him to take me to my preferred jewelry store. He gave me a speculative look, clearly suspecting my intentions, but said nothing as we drove.
Once inside the store, I looked over the selection of engagement rings. Even at a high-end jewelry store like this, nothing was out of my price range, but I wanted to choose a ring that Rachel would love. I ruled out all the flashy rings first; she had never been overly impressed by wealth. I finally settled on a gold ring with a reasonably-sized diamond, just under a carat, flanked on either side by a triangle-cut emerald. It was a color that would look lovely on her, and I believed she would like it.
I showed it to Quen and asked his opinion. He agreed with my assessment and I purchased it, then we headed home again. I didn't even try to do my paperwork but went to my garden, pacing back and forth in impatience. A part of me was afraid that I had dreamed it all. It had certainly been a rather unreal night. I wouldn't truly believe it was real until she showed up.
The wind began to pick up, and soon after it began to rain. I relocated to my party room and gazed out the huge window at the sky, darkening rapidly from the combination of setting sun and approaching storm. Ceri and Quen entered the room and sat down on a couch together, obviously wanting to be here when my fiancee arrived. About ten minutes later, Jonathan and then Maggie came in and found seats for the show as well.
A few minutes after the sun finally set one of my security officers came in, followed by Rachel. She was wearing a very flattering red dress, and I thought to myself as I went to her that she must have bought it earlier that day.
The man who had brought her in bowed slightly and left, and I took her hands in mine, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek before leading her toward the assembled people.
"This," I said, smiling broadly, "is the woman I am going to marry." I offered her the ring I had purchased earlier, and she put it on her ring finger, turning her hand to see the light play off it.
There was a moment of wondering, almost disbelieving silence, then everyone surged to their feet and came forward to congratulate us. Quen hugged me tightly, Ceri at his side nearly in tears of joy as she clasped Rachel's hand. Maggie gave me a shoulder hug before enfolding Rachel in a much deeper one. Jon was obviously not too happy about the engagement, but he still shook my hand and I told him quietly that we would find a way to work through the issues.
Just then, the door opened again, revealing the same security officer as before with a puzzled look on his face, and behind him...Rachel? She saw the scene and gave a heart-rending cry of dismay and anguish. The woman beside me chuckled, then began laughing throatily.
I felt my jaw drop. I had been fooled by someone in a skillful disguise charm! I felt as though I had been stabbed in the chest, and reached my hand out toward the real Rachel, but she had already turned and fled.
I wheeled toward the woman who looked like Rachel, who had tricked me into betraying the woman I loved and condemning her to a life of torment and horror. I knew my face was a mask of rage, and the woman paled and took a step backward.
"Why?" I demanded. "Why did you do this? What could you possibly stand to gain from it? Did someone pay you to do it?" But she refused to speak. I snatched her hand up before she could flinch away from me and pulled the ring roughly off her finger, throwing it aside.
"Quen!" I roared, and he was at my side in a second. "Take this woman into custody and do not let her escape. I will deal with her later."
Quen nodded and cast a spell on her, rendering her immobile. He called for backup and together they carried her away. I sat down and put my face in my hands. I could feel my heart breaking, shattering into a thousand pieces. I had been so happy, but now it was all gone. I couldn't be with her if she was a demon, and we both knew that. Plus she couldn't live with herself like that, even if the demons didn't try to recover her as they surely would.
Ceri and Jon came to either side of me, and Ceri asked, "What just happened? I don't understand."
I explained about the curse put on Rachel, about how I had told her I would break it, and how by tricking me that woman had doomed Rachel to life as a demon. After I finished they were silent for a long moment. There was nothing to say, nothing that could be done. It was over.
I stood. "I have to go to her. I have to at least explain what happened and apologize to her." Gods, there weren't words for how deeply sorry I was that I hadn't made sure it was her. But how could I have known?
Jon cleared his throat, but I held a hand up to silence him. "I will not be swayed in this. Don't expect me back until the morning."
I left, grabbing a raincoat on my way to the stables. I saddled Tulpa up for the second time in as many days and mounted up, headed back into the woods. I searched for the paths I had taken for almost two hours when I finally found the little lake.
Rachel was there again, weeping on the banks. She was wearing a delicate green dress, ruined now by the weather and by kneeling on the muddy ground. I threw myself off Tulpa and ran to her, falling to my knees beside her.
"Oh, gods, Rachel, I'm so sorry. I can't even tell you... I thought she was you, it didn't occur to me that someone would try this." I choked on my words, furious at my inability to fix matters.
She raised her head and then flung herself into my arms. "I know, Trent, I know you didn't do it on purpose. I wish I'd thought to warn you...but I didn't. And it's too late now, there's nothing we can do."
I held her close desperately, as though I could protect her. "I would do anything to undo this," I said bitterly. "But there's nothing I can do."
She reached up and placed her hand on my cheek. "I know you would, that's why I fell in love with you. But the fact is this is my last night as a witch; at dawn I will become a demon forever." She began crying again, and I rocked her gently in my arms.
"Trent," she said through her tears, "if you truly love me...kill me. Take my life so I don't have to live as a demon. I can't do that."
I cursed. "I'm sorry, Rachel, I didn't bring my rifle. I was in a hurry to see you..."
She stiffened suddenly in my arms, and before I could ask what was wrong, a demon appeared on the far bank of the lake.
I stood, rage rising in me again as I realized that this had to be the one who tricked me. Rachel stood beside me, hair flying out of her face in her fury.
"Al!" she screamed. "I'll kill you for this!"
The demon laughed diabolically. "We'll see about that, love. For now, though, you should come with me. You belong in the Ever-After now." He waved a hand toward us, and Rachel sank to her knees. "It was so easy, tricking your elf lover. My decoy didn't even need any acting abilities. All I had to do was slap your face on my familiar and he was drooling all over her."
I clenched my fists, wishing my ley line skills were better. If I knew how, I would fry this demon alive, even if it took a black spell to do it.
"Of course," the bastard continued, "I'm going to make you pay for going to an elf for help." He started walking around the lake toward where we were.
"Trent," Rachel whispered, and I knelt beside her again.
"What is it?" I asked in concern.
"I can't move. I can barely talk," she gasped. "He put some kind of spell on me."
I realized that he had done that so she couldn't try and escape. He intended to bring her to the Ever-After unwillingly. There was nowhere for her to go, no chance to escape. She couldn't even kill herself like this.
I remembered what she had said about preferring death to being a demon. "Rachel? Did you mean what you said about dying before becoming a demon?"
She nodded, tears streaking her face at her own helplessness. I kissed her hard, desperately, one last time, and whispered, "I love you so much."
Then I picked her up in my arms and leaped into the lake. We fell together and hit the water, sinking beneath the choppy waves. She realized that I was giving my life to save her and cried out, "No!"
"It's okay," I told her, my breath bubbling away, and then fought my own body to cling to her as my mind panicked from lack of oxygen. After a moment my panic faded, and I found myself resting on the bottom of the lake still holding onto her.
I knew I was dying, but I was distracted by the glow that appeared around her. After a second I realized I was seeing her aura, even though I wasn't using my second sight. She pulled closer to me, and I felt our auras resonate, like a clear bell's tone, but felt rather than heard. I felt calm, resigned, and she looked the same. As darkness swallowed my vision I realized that I was happy. If I couldn't have her, then dying with her would just have to do.
The silence around the lake was disturbed by the sound of hooves falling on the soft earth. Two horses bearing riders came into view, a man and a woman. The woman carried an infant in her arms. Upon reaching the clearing, the man dismounted and held his arms to the woman, taking the child so she could dismount as well.
They walked together toward the lake, talking quietly.
"Hard to believe it's only been a month," Ceri murmured, as though not wanting to break the stillness.
"I know what you mean," replied Quen. He stopped abruptly as they neared the lake, taking Ceri's hand to stop her as well.
There, swimming on the lake's surface, were a pair of swans. The two watched them in surprise; swans were not commonly found in the Cincinnati area. Ceri went to move closer, but Quen shook his head.
"Swans are a lot more aggressive than you would think. If they feel we are invading their territory or threatening them they will attack, and they could injure us."
Ceri stared in fascination. "I hadn't known that," she said, absently. "Do you think..."
Quen took a deep breath. "I'd like to think so."
They watched the graceful birds for several minutes, then Quen said, "Let's go home."
Author's note: When I say that this song inspired my story, what I actually mean is that it seized me by the throat and refused to let go until I wrote it. This is no plot bunny, it's definitely a plot bulldog. Anyway, three and a half days of listening exclusively to Swan Lake on repeat yielded this. I hope you enjoyed it. (Don't feel bad if you cried, I got teary just from writing it!)
Swan Lake by Dark Moor
Her soul will be a swan until
She feels the love of nobleman
Forever her soul will be a swan until
She feels the love of noble
In Swan Lake
In Swan Lake
In Swan Lake
In Swan Lake
Tired to ride in the royal hunt
To listen sweet lies that I am wont
I am the prince!
The future king!
Boomed in my head my mother's voice
Take to wife! should be my choice
Oh, cruel fate!
That my soul hate!
To forget all I fled into the woods
Searching prey's goods
Then I saw the lake lost in the deep forest
And its water chorused
An odd melody
Swans of nice white feather on the dusk
Swam in a dance in harmonious masque
Hunter I am!
My bow was prepared
But her beauty was shown me in the depths
Spouting, silent, from the lake
And her pale look kept a sad poem
Lost in despair
Dragged into the warlock's lair
In the shadows
Her soul will be a swan until
She feels the love of nobleman
Forever her soul will be a swan until
She feels the love of noble
Like a night tide
Together we cried
Our lips sealed its secrets 'way
And my doubts died
But when came the dawn
My dreams sank covered by dark waters
But her beauty was shown me in the depths
Spouting, silent, from the lake
And her pale look kept a sad poem
Lost in despair
Dragged into the warlock's lair
In the shadows
Her soul will be a swan until
She feels the love of nobleman
Forever her soul will be a swan until
She feels the love of nobleman
My princess's tears fall in the moonglade
The lake is afraid
The night shows the spell
Then I can feel my heart run into my chest
Now I know my quest
In the hell of the storm
I'll break her swan-form
So inside the waves
We will find our graves
But the warlock's curse will be broken
But her beauty was shown me in the depths
Spouting, silent, from the lake
And her pale look kept a sad poem
Lost in despair
Dragged into the warlock's lair
In the shadows
Her soul will be a swan until
She feels the love of nobleman
Forever her soul will be a swan until
She feels the love of nobleman
My princess's tears fall in the moonglade
The lake is afraid
The night shows the spell
Then I can feel my heart run into my chest
Now I know my quest
In the hell of the storm
I'll break her swan-form
So inside the waves
We will find our graves
But the warlock's curse will be broken
The Rothbart's curse will be broken
The Rothbart's curse broken
The Rothbart's curse broken
The Rothbart's curse broken
The Rothbart's curse broken
Our spirits will be free
Will fly the sky
Over the green lake's trees
Forever our spirits will be free
Will fly the sky
Over the green lake's trees
Remember us in the stars
Remember us in the stars