* Author's Note: Here's the deal. I'm going to go into a type of "earlier
that week" thing for the next chapter. Then I'm going to skip ahead to the
spell and the aftermath. I know it's a bit confusing, but it's just how it
came to me. And maybe, if I feel like I'm in a really creative mood, I'll
add a Morgan Moment (if you're on Banishing, you'll know what I'm talking
about), and some more Hunter. Hehehe. *
"Morgan, I am your father. Your flesh and blood. You can be safe. If you join me, if you join Amyranth, you will be safe," he said, and his words fell softly. Part of me wanted to scream and run away, but at the same time, the idea of safety made Amyranth seem almost tantalizing.
"No," I whispered, unable to say more.
"Please, Morgan," he said emotionally, but I was no longer listening, lost in my own thoughts. I wished I was at home tucked safely in my own bed, hold Dagda. I wished I were at Practical Magick, talking to Alyce. Most of all I wished I was with Hunter, wrapped in the safety of his arms.
It was then I remembered what exactly Amyranth was trying to do, whom Ciaran was trying to kill.
"I said, no, Ciaran," I said, my voice strengthening, "I'm not going to help Amyranth. I'm not going to help kill people I love."
He had brought the dark wave here, to Widow's Vale, to kill Kithic, Starlocket, and everyone else that lived here. But the dark wave wasn't here yet, and I was the deciding factor. My strength would be what was going to banish the dark wave, and bring it back.
Yes, I hated the restrictions that I had on my magick. But the lure of dark magick was not nearly enough to kill my family, my friends. It wasn't enough to make me kill Hunter.
"We don't have to kill them," Ciaran said earnestly, "We could refocus the dark wave. But we need your power. If you join us, we could save them."
He was lying, and I knew it. It was true that Amyranth had more knowledge of the dark wave than the Council, but the Council said they had found the spell. If the spell worked, if my power was strong enough, which is obviously was, I was the missing link. If I helped work the spell, than we could banish the dark wave forever.
We still had time, a little time. Time enough for me to perform the spell. If I left now.
I had no time to waste. I was leaving.
"Goodbye, father," I said simply, then turned around and ran away.
"Maeve ran," he said, and I stopped, "When she told me we couldn't be together."
At that I smiled, "We Riordans are smart women," I turned again, and began to run again.
Blood was pounding in my ears and my muscles were aching by the time I reached Das Boot at the edge of the woods. I climbed into the car, keyed the ignition, and got the hell out of there, ignoring the speed limit.
I reached Hunters' in record time. I ran up the walkway to their dark shabby house, now very familiar to me. He opened the door as I headed up the walkway, sensing me.
"Morgan," he said, seeing my flushed, sweaty face, "What's wrong?"
"I'm ready," I said, "I'm ready to do the spell."
"Morgan, I am your father. Your flesh and blood. You can be safe. If you join me, if you join Amyranth, you will be safe," he said, and his words fell softly. Part of me wanted to scream and run away, but at the same time, the idea of safety made Amyranth seem almost tantalizing.
"No," I whispered, unable to say more.
"Please, Morgan," he said emotionally, but I was no longer listening, lost in my own thoughts. I wished I was at home tucked safely in my own bed, hold Dagda. I wished I were at Practical Magick, talking to Alyce. Most of all I wished I was with Hunter, wrapped in the safety of his arms.
It was then I remembered what exactly Amyranth was trying to do, whom Ciaran was trying to kill.
"I said, no, Ciaran," I said, my voice strengthening, "I'm not going to help Amyranth. I'm not going to help kill people I love."
He had brought the dark wave here, to Widow's Vale, to kill Kithic, Starlocket, and everyone else that lived here. But the dark wave wasn't here yet, and I was the deciding factor. My strength would be what was going to banish the dark wave, and bring it back.
Yes, I hated the restrictions that I had on my magick. But the lure of dark magick was not nearly enough to kill my family, my friends. It wasn't enough to make me kill Hunter.
"We don't have to kill them," Ciaran said earnestly, "We could refocus the dark wave. But we need your power. If you join us, we could save them."
He was lying, and I knew it. It was true that Amyranth had more knowledge of the dark wave than the Council, but the Council said they had found the spell. If the spell worked, if my power was strong enough, which is obviously was, I was the missing link. If I helped work the spell, than we could banish the dark wave forever.
We still had time, a little time. Time enough for me to perform the spell. If I left now.
I had no time to waste. I was leaving.
"Goodbye, father," I said simply, then turned around and ran away.
"Maeve ran," he said, and I stopped, "When she told me we couldn't be together."
At that I smiled, "We Riordans are smart women," I turned again, and began to run again.
Blood was pounding in my ears and my muscles were aching by the time I reached Das Boot at the edge of the woods. I climbed into the car, keyed the ignition, and got the hell out of there, ignoring the speed limit.
I reached Hunters' in record time. I ran up the walkway to their dark shabby house, now very familiar to me. He opened the door as I headed up the walkway, sensing me.
"Morgan," he said, seeing my flushed, sweaty face, "What's wrong?"
"I'm ready," I said, "I'm ready to do the spell."