Chapter One
The landscape was vast with rolling hills and thick green woods as far as the eye could see. Ocean waves struck the rocky coast and the smell of salt permeated the air. Isabelle stood on one of the many cliffs overlooking the region, the cool spray of water a welcome respite from the scorching summer rays. A light breeze played with her honey colored hair and Isabelle felt her eyes drift closed as the wind swept around her, the sound of waves breaking against rock slowly fading into the distance. Then came the soft crackle of leaves and trickle of a stream.
Isabelle's cobalt blue eyes fluttered open to find a sudden change in scenery. Rocky cliffs had been replaced by dense forest and thick underbrush. Looking through tangled thorns, Isabelle could make out a small prairie decorated by an assortment of wild flowers, a babbling brook at its center. Isabelle made to enter the clearing but stopped short and shrunk backwards into the brush when a man suddenly appeared. He was incredibly tall with thick, broad shoulders and a burly black beard; a large axe and longbow were strapped to his shoulders. Isabelle watched as he carefully filled a leather sac with water from the stream before moving back towards the tree line. When he was halfway across the clearing, the man abruptly stopped. His fists clenched and without warning, he violently ripped the pouch from his belt and poured its contents on the ground, not stopping until the last drop of water was gone.
Isabelle paled and felt her stomach lurch when a sickening chill of dread swept across her body. Something was very wrong. Her instincts screamed to run and without a second thought she bolted deep into the forest, dodging trees and diving through thick underbrush. Branches ripped at her dress and clawed at her exposed skin but still she pressed on. Isabelle was not fleeing. On the contrary, she was running towards something. Or someone.
A sharp gasp left the girl's lips when her foot suddenly snagged a vine. Her body crashed through a clump of foliage before tumbling roughly to the ground, landing in a heap. Hot pain sliced up each leg and she laid there for several moments; back pressed against the mossy earth and hair in the dirt. Isabelle took some slow, deep breaths before struggling back to her feet. She moved to take off running again but stopped cold at the sight unfurling before her.
A monstrous wild boar with tusks like razors lay dead only a few meters away, skewered through the heart by a red lance. She slowly inched around the beast and let out a horrified gasp at what she found on the other side. Propped up against the trunk of a tree and smeared with blood sat a young man with wavy chestnut hair and golden eyes. He clutched a short yellow spear in his left hand. His breathing was labored and blood poured from a wide puncture wound in his chest. Leaping into action, Isabelle primed her magic and quickly reached towards the injury.
"Hey! Hey, can you hear me? It's going to be alright. It's going to be-" Isabelle stopped speaking mid-sentence when her hand passed effortlessly through his body. The man did not move and gave no indication that he could feel her presence. "No, no, no. This can't be happening! I can save you!" Isabelle shouted, trying again with the same result. She chanted incantations over and over but it did not seem to matter. The man's eyes continued to grow darker. His skin grew paler and his breathing became more ragged.
Then he was gone.
Time seemed to freeze as Isabelle reached for him one last time, jumping when her hand finally made contact with his cold skin. Now that he's dead I can touch him? She stared at the man feeling overcome with emotion. It was a strange feeling. Her reaction to the death of this stranger was intense. Grief and anger scorched upwards, piercing deep into her chest like a knife as the image of his death burned into her memory. Tears blurred her vision and Isabelle collapsed on his chest, crimson blood staining her white dress as she sobbed.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I couldn't save you. It's my fault," she choked, gripping his tunic tightly, "I should have been with you."
Crack.
Isabelle felt her head fly up at the sound of boots crunching through the undergrowth. Recognition flashed briefly in her eyes as the man from the clearing emerged, water sloshing from the leather sac on his belt. This man gave no indication that he could sense her and advanced forward without hesitation. Feeling her stomach squirm, Isabelle maintained a firm grip on his tunic and refused to move even when the bearded man was a mere hairsbreadth away. Isabelle flinched when he reached forward. His hand passed easily through her body and settled on the young man's forehead.
"Guess I was too late. Such a pity," he mused coldly, looking strangely satisfied. "And I walked all the way to the stream just to get this. I even spilled it a few times and had to go back." Isabelle bristled at his tone, her memory flashing back to the moment in the clearing when he dumped the water on the ground. She clenched her jaw and glared daggers in his direction. Completely unaware of her presence, the man continued to speak. "How unfortunate. It would've healed you, Diarmuid. Oh well, best not let it go to waste."
The malice in his tone was unmistakable. Without warning, Isabelle threw herself over the young man beside her and tried in vain to shield his body as the contents of the water sack were emptied haphazardly across his face. The water passed effortlessly through her, splashing into Diarmuid's hollow eyes and trickling into his open mouth, mingling with clotted blood. Once finished, the man placed the heel of his boot on Diarmuid's cheek and proceeded to roughly shove his body away from the tree trunk and onto the ground. A smear of mud was left behind.
"Not so pretty now, are you?" He sneered. Isabelle could feel her body shaking with rage and she lashed out with several incantations, none of which took effect. As the man turned to leave, she grabbed the hem of her white dress and with trembling hands she gently wiped away the dirt and blood marring Diarmuid's face. He was indeed handsome, even in death. Hanging her head low, Isabelle sat next to him with her knees raised and her body curled into a ball. Hot tears burned her cheeks and stung her eyes. She bit back a sob. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. Everything is wrong. Glancing to Diarmuid, she bit her lip and carefully moved to close his eyes.
"Don't give up," Isabelle entreated sadly. "Next time, things will be different. I will break this cursed cycle and then you will be free. I promise." She brushed a few strands of hair away from his face before his body suddenly vanished. Springing to her feet, Isabelle stared at the moss-covered ground in absolute shock. That is not possible- she gasped in surprise when strong arms encircled her from behind.
"Isabelle..." A deep, distinctly masculine voice murmured against her ear. Hot breath danced across her neck and she resisted the urge to melt backwards into the embrace. Still trapped, Isabelle spun to face the man and instantly froze in his arms. Golden eyes the color of a lion's pelt bore directly into her own causing her breath to hitch.
"Diarmuid," she realized in disbelief, gaze darting down to inspect his injury. The tunic remained bloody and torn but his gaping chest wound was completely gone. Not even a scar remained. Not believing it, Isabelle permitted her fingers to trace timidly over his exposed skin, marveling at its sudden warmth. Diarmuid observed these actions with interest before gently hooking his index finger and thumb under her chin and lifting her gaze back to his.
"Are you my Master?" He asked seriously.
"What?" Isabelle felt like she was in a daze as the man in question inched closer, pressing the hard contours of his body against her small frame.
"Are you my Master?" Diarmuid repeated, this time a murmur against her lips.
"I…" She trailed off, finding it difficult to formulate a response. Isabelle wondered vaguely if it was a spell as waves of sensual pleasure swept across her body, lulling her mind into a relaxing fog. She placed both hands on Diarmuid's chest, welcoming his advances as he leaned down further to ghost his lips across her cheek and jaw.
"I want to be yours," Isabelle finally breathed, feeling lightheaded while the warrior continued his ministrations. She could feel Diarmuid's lips curve into a smirk against her neck before he dipped his head lower, nipping at her collarbone.
"Good."
What is this? Isabelle wondered, her thoughts sounding far away as Diarmuid continued to shower her with small kisses and love bites. He was at her shoulder now, fiddling with one of the straps to her dress and oddly she felt no desire to stop him. This is a spell... It has to be... Isabelle was snapped out of her stupor abruptly when a loud beeping noise suddenly filled the air. She blinked a few times and flinched when the sound grew louder, piercing each eardrum. Diarmuid immediately stopped his advances and she watched a small smile grace his features.
"You broke free," he observed with interest, releasing her from his grip and taking a few steps backward. He glanced upward, as if trying to see where the noise was coming from, before the world around them started to fade. Soon it was just the two of them hovering in darkness. "I will see you on the other side, Master."
xxxxxxxxxx
Isabelle woke with a start. Her pulse was racing and a thin sheet of cold sweat clung to her skin. Willing her heart to slow down, she reached blindly for her hospital pager and silenced it before flopping back onto her bed. Her entire body was shaking. That dream was WAY too real. What the hell was that? Trying to put it out of her mind, Isabelle reached for her cell phone and dialed the hospital's number. Hopefully, whatever question they had would be sufficient to distract her mind and rid herself of the bizarre dream.
xxxxxxxxxx
Birds chirped excitedly as the morning sun crept slowly over the horizon, warming the frosted fall ground. Light streamed past dark curtains to illuminate Isabelle's rather unkempt room. The girl in question burrowed further into the blankets, her blonde hair all but disappearing as she hid from the light outside. It was almost time to get up for work and she couldn't help but dread it. The last few weeks had been terrible at the hospital. It was like a full moon except for days and days on end, never stopping. Plus, not to mention that weird dream last night.
"Stupid Grail Wars," Isabelle grumbled into her pillow, voice muffled by the soft fabric. The magical unrest brought on by the Grail caused numerous disruptions and was in essence the cause of all the weird happenings occurring lately. Plagues, crime, and bizarre weather patterns kept the hospitals filled to the brim and it was only going to get worse. Once each master was chosen, battles would break out across the city and the conflict was sure to result in the deaths of many innocent people. Isabelle hated it. And this year we get to participate, oh goodie, she thought, sarcasm practically oozing from her pores as she slammed the pillow down on top of her head. This action granted her a few more minutes of peace before the sound of a shower turning on jolted her awake once again.
"Oh no, not again," she groaned loudly when the piercing voice of her father's fiancé wafted down the hall. Isabelle was thoroughly convinced that what Sola-Ui called singing was actually a form of torture. After some rather colorful cursing, Isabelle gave up on the idea of sleep and swung her legs out of bed, heading in the direction her personal bathroom. It's going to be a great day, I can tell already.
About an hour later, Isabelle stumbled unceremoniously out of the Archibald mansion feeling even worse than when she awoke. Exhaustion clung to her like a second skin, weighing her down and making everything foggy as she trudged across the grounds. Coffee... Lots of coffee. Definitely need some- she was startled out of her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder. If the man felt her jump, he ignored it.
"Would you care for a ride, Miss Archibald?" It was one of her father's chauffeurs. Anthony was his name, errr maybe it was Charlie? She couldn't remember. It was so rare for her to use the mansion's vehicles that her interactions with the drivers were few and far between. She expressed a strong preference to use her own car whenever possible, much to Kayneth's displeasure. Isabelle stared at the elderly driver for a moment, pondering his words, before hanging her head and sighing deeply.
"Alright, fine," she mumbled in defeat.
"What was that, Miss?"
"I said a ride to work would be lovely. Thank you," she stated more loudly, causing the driver to beam. The small man quickly ushered her towards a black limousine and Isabelle slid in with ease. "To the hospital, please."
"Yes, Miss!"
Isabelle hoped she could get some sleep on the short ride there but a constant stream of thoughts kept her awake. Her father's engagement to Sola-Ui had been a recent thing arranged by some very prominent members of the Mage's Association and, despite Isabelle's objections, Kayneth readily agreed to the union. Sola-Ui was beautiful and came from a very renowned and influential family. It was a smart match but no matter how hard Isabelle tried she could not bring herself to accept it. No one could replace the mother Isabelle lost, especially not Sola-Ui. The woman was arrogant and condescending, much like all the other aristocrats Isabelle knew (Kayneth included).
She sighed deeply and stretched out on the long seat cushions of the limousine. It was a miracle Kayneth hadn't roped her into becoming a teacher or joining the Mage's Association. Despite bearing the Archibald crest, Isabelle was kind at heart and when she was given the prestigious option of joining the spiritual evocation division she adamantly refused. Kayneth urged her to reconsider but in the end, by some miracle, she got her way. Isabelle enrolled in medical school instead and when she wasn't learning medicine she engrossed herself in the study of curative and restorative sorcery. She trained hard day after day, learning all that she could. Even Kayneth could not deny her natural affinity for the healing arts and he eventually granted her wish by hiring private tutors to train her. That was many years ago and Isabelle had to say it was the best decision she ever made.
The car rolled to a stop at the hospital rotundum and Isabelle took a deep breath. She could see the ambulance bay already full. Not waiting for the driver to open her door, Isabelle jumped out and took off.
xxxxxxxxxx
"Kayneth, she obviously used magic! There can be no other explanation. It's a blatant violation of the codes set down by the Mage's Association."
"I'm sure there is another explanation."
"Like what?"
Isabelle could hear their bickering all the way down the hall as she haphazardly kicked off her shoes and slung her red fall jacket over the nearest banister. This day at work had been much like the rest; non-stop action. Isabelle sort of wished she had slept at the hospital instead of coming home. An interrogation was coming, she could feel it. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that she was the cause of Kayneth and Sola-Ui's dispute. She normally was, after all.
Letting out a rather exasperated sigh, Isabelle pushed open the double doors leading to the dining room. The bickering couple quickly grew silent as she pulled up a chair and sat down, feeling relieved when a servant immediately placed a hot meal and a steaming cup of coffee in front of her. She nodded silent thanks before the elderly woman scurried off, leaving her alone with Kayneth and Sola-Ui.
"Welcome home, Isabelle." It was Kayneth who spoke first. "I hope all is well at the hospital."
"Its fine," she replied flatly, taking a sip of her coffee.
"Excellent. Sola-Ui and I were just discussing your remarkable achievements. Is it true you recently saved the life of a young child? The report sounded quite gruesome. The child was near dead on arrival, wasn't he? Severe bleeding from multiple stab wounds?" Isabelle unconsciously tightened her grip on her mug. Of course, someone just had to notice.
"Yes, I cared for him in the emergency department and got him stabilized," she reluctantly responded, trying to keep her voice level.
"But you know what the bizarre part was?" Sola-Ui stated, her voice rather cold. "When the child was rushed to surgery no internal organs were damaged and the bleeding from his wounds had all but ceased."
"A miracle?" Isabelle offered.
"Magic!" Sola-Ui spat. "You used magic to heal that little brat and in doing so violated one of the cardinal rules laid down by the Mage's Association! What if you had been seen?"
"I wasn't," she muttered under her breath.
"What was that?"
"Now, now ladies. I'm sure Isabelle has a perfectly good explanation," Kayneth declared, looking at his daughter expectantly.
"I don't," Isabelle deadpanned.
"See! She admits it!"
"I did NOT admit to anything," Isabelle clarified, adding, "but even if I did I wouldn't apologize for it." If looks could kill, she was certain Sola-Ui would have murdered her a hundred times over by now. The older woman was quick to tear into her, scolding her relentlessly. Kayneth simply lowered his head and placed his fingers on the bridge of his nose. This was how the arguments usually ended.
"Enough," he finally said, stopping Sola-Ui mid-rant. "We have more important matters to worry about tonight. The preparations are complete for the ceremony so can we all please try to get along for the next few hours."
"No problem," Isabelle replied tersely, packing up her plate and her coffee, "I'll be in my room."
"I'm sorry, my dear, but I need you for the ceremony as well."
"What?! Why?"
"Because I've found a way to link the Heroic Spirit to both myself and Sola-Ui, giving us an edge over the competition. This spell is untested however, so I want you to be present in case things don't work out as planned." Translation: If things go horribly, awfully wrong I want you there to re-attach our limbs.
"Is this really necessary?" Isabelle asked, having absolutely no desire to participate in the Grail War.
"Yes. I've already taken the liberty of calling you in sick for tomorrow."
"WHAT?!"
"The ceremony could take several hours and may not be completed until daybreak," Sola-Ui explained, setting her irritation aside for the moment. "If something goes awry there's no telling what could happen to us." This REALLY is not sounding like a good idea. Isabelle stared between the two of them with wide eyes for a moment. They are completely serious about this, huh? God dammit.
"Fine," Isabelle finally said, conceding against her better judgement.
"Excellent. The ceremony begins at midnight."