Chapter 2- Webs Woven and Unraveled
Where we last left off:
Morgead hovered on the outside of the camp, looking with confusion at the scene in front of him.
It made no sense. Why would Lily want to hold Jez captive? He knew the Redferns weren't the closest family, but this seemed a little extreme. Then again, you never knew with Lily. She was raised to be the cruelest of the cruel.
She was raised by Hunter Redfern.
Morgead reached out, careful to stay under Lily's radar, and connected with Jez.
I'm here, he told her. What should I do now?
Get me out, idiot! Jez snapped.
Well, I know that. Morgead mentally rolled his eyes. I mean how. Don't you have a plan or something?
I don't know how to get out of this! If I did, I would already be on my way back to Hawthorne. Jez was scowling now, and Lily was shooting her an odd look.
Whatever, and wipe that look off your face. Morgead warned her. Jez complied, slipping on the cool façade she pulled off so well.
Morgead frowned. Well, I have nothing. You were always the smart one.
Jez was silent for a moment, then replied with a short, Just get me out of here.
Morgead climbed a nearby tree, taking in the view from above. You know, he said, right now you may be in mortal danger, but when I rescue you, I'm never going to let you live this down.
Yeah, yeah, Jez grumbled. Get on with it.
Morgead smirked and surveyed the scene below. I guess the only thing I have on my side is surprise.
Yeah, Jez agreed.
Sooo… here I go.
And then he jumped.
-8-
Jez could see it was hopeless the moment Morgead landed on hulk number one's back.
Jez still sprung up to help him, but they were soon overtaken by the superior muscles of Lily's henchmen.
Morgead was tied up, as was Jez, and tossed, their heads dangerously close to the fire.
Lily looked down at them both, her eyebrow raised- her expression questioning but also radiating an air of authority. "And what do we have here?"
Morgead glared at her, and instead of answering her question, linked minds with Jez.
Great plan, genius, was the first thing she said.
And you could have done better? Morgead retorted. You said it yourself, you didn't have a plan.
Well, I could have done better than that, Jez exclaimed. I would have at least tried to come up with something. You just threw yourself right in.
I thought we agreed surprise was my only advantage. Morgead was simmering now.
I didn't mean you should do that, idiot. Jez looked him straight in the eye.
Well, what should I have done? Morgead growled.
I don't know, but I would've at least tried to think things through before I jumped in like that. Jez ranted. You are such a fool!
You're the one who asked me to come. Morgead was yelling through the mental link now. You're the one who called me. You're the one who wanted me to get you out of this mess, and didn't even have a plan. And look where I am now! Lily wants you alive, she wouldn't have kept you all this time if she didn't. She doesn't care about me, though. I'm nothing to her. She'd going to kill me!
Jez's breath stuck in her throat, because she knew he was right. Lily didn't care about Morgead. He was just a nuisance. She would kill him. Morgead… I… She didn't know what to say. She knew she should apologize, but she couldn't get the words out.
There's nothing you can do. Morgead said. But, Morgead added, if I'm going to die anyway, and even if I wasn't going to, you have a promise to keep.
A promise…? Jez trailed off when realization hit her. She had promised to tell him what had been on her mind these past weeks if he came for her.
Spit it out Jez. Morgead ordered.
Morgead… In that moment, Jez felt more trapped by Morgead than Lily.
Jez, Morgead growled. Don't you dare back out on me. You promised.
I know, Jez moaned. And I'm going to, but… just let me figure out how to say it.
Figure out how to say it? Morgead repeated. How hard can it be? Just tell me.
It's hard, trust me. Jez clamped her eyes shut. In fact, it goes against my every instinct.
Then why did you promise to tell me? Morgead wondered bluntly.
Because I can't let Claire or Hugh get hurt. Jez answered honestly.
And you care about those vermin, why…? Morgead asked.
Because I owe them. Jez said. Please, Morgead, just let me think on how to phrase this right. Everything will make sense once you know.
"Are you even listening to me?" Lily broke into the conversation.
"No," Morgead told her, then went back to focusing on Jez.
Have you got it? He asked her.
No. It takes more than a couple seconds to figure out how to break this kind of a secret to someone.
Just tell me. Morgead urged. Why is it so hard? We've known each other forever. We used to tell each other everything.
Used to, Morgead. Jez said with a hint of regret. We've grown apart, and you know it. Things aren't the way they used to be. And besides, even if I'd known this at a time when we were close, I wouldn't have told you.
Why?
Because then I would have to kill you. Jez felt wretched.
Why?
You would kill me if I didn't.
Jez, you're scaring me. Morgead confessed. What could be so bad as to make me want to kill you?
Morgead, I'm…
"You little!" Lily's boot connected with Morgead's head. Well, it would have had Morgead not twisted his head at the last minute. Fangs fully extended, Lily's boot plunged into his mouth and he bit down. She shrieked.
Jez bit back a smile. That was Morgead all right.
However, the urge to smile soon disappeared as on of the hulks picked Morgead up and dangled him over the fire.
"You," Lily hissed. "Do you know how much these boots cost?"
Morgead shrugged as best he could upside down. "No, but they tasted pretty expensive."
"Gah!" Lily shrieked. "Drop him! Let him-"
"No!" Jez yelled. "He died and you'll never know how that fire was started."
Lily turned to Jez. "Ah, so you do know how it happened."
"Yes," Jez admitted. "But you won't unless you let him go."
"Oh," Lily sighed, then looked at Morgead. "I'll let you off the hook this time," She warned. "But next time I see you, you had better run."
The hulk threw Morgead away from the fire and he skidded to a stop near the edge of the clearing.
Morgead shot up and into the shadows without a trace.
Jez winced as Lily turned to her. "So, how did you do it?"
"Why do you think it was me?" Jez asked, finding herself trapped in yet another promise she knew she couldn't keep.
"You're telling me a vermin did that?" Lily asked incredulously.
"Are you telling me you've heard of this kind of thing before and know that only night people are capable of it?" Jez retorted.
Lily rolled her eyes, "I let your sweetheart go, now tell me how that fire started."
"Sweetheart?" Jez asked, latching onto something that would help her stall just a while longer. "He wasn't my sweetheart."
Lily rolled her eyes.
"Honest!" Jez cried angrily.
"Tell me what happened, never mind who that boy was to you." Lily ordered.
Jez's mouth snapped shut and stayed that way.
"Damien," Lily turned to the hulk that had thrown Morgead. "Go find the boy."
Jez struggled against her ropes, something she should have been doing since she'd first been bound.
One strand of the rope rubbed particularly hard against her wrist and chafed it rough enough to break skin. A warm trickle of blood oozed out and Jez froze.
No.
She couldn't use the blue fire, not again. She'd likely killed all the students in the academy with the last flames she'd summoned.
But she didn't see any other way. Lily could kill Hugh, he was unconscious and beyond that he was human, as was Claire. She had two hulks that could take on Morgead. And without the blue fire, Jez was as defenseless as Hugh and Claire.
Maybe I can control it, I won't let it get out of control like last time. Jez thought, and as Morgead was dragged back into the clearing, Jez knew she had to at least try.
Closing her eyes, Jez felt the power well up inside of her.
"Let us go," Jez warned them, giving Lily and her hulks one last time.
"Make me," Lily sneered.
"You asked for it."
And Jez let her have it.
-0-
Maggie awoke to the sound of birds chirping, which was a pleasant surprise after a day of being jostled around in a cart. Sure, her muscles were still sore from being so still for so long, but waking up in a soft bed in a room all to herself was worth the pain of the previous day.
Then, of course, Delos had to barge in and ruin it. "I thought I told you to wake me with the sun."
"Hmmm?" Maggie said, still half asleep.
"I said," Delos spoke through clenched teeth, "I thought I told you to get me up. It's nearly noon, we'll not make it to the next inn, and it's all your fault."
"Sir?" Maggie asked, sting up now, "Excuse me for asking, but when did you order this. I do not recall such a demand as to be woken up."
"I told you," Delos assured her.
"When?"
"Last night," Delos said. "After you had started the fire."
Maggie shook her head. "The only order I recall you giving was for me to get out of your room and sleep in here."
"I am quite certain of what I said," Delos snapped. "If you missed it, then it is your own fault and you deserve to be punished."
Maggie winced. "It won't happen again, sir." Any thankfulness she might have felt for his generosity in giving her a bed was gone. She was sure he was lying, and she didn't thank liars.
Delos stared at her for another moment, deciding whether or not Maggie was being sarcastic, for her tone had been rather flat, then shook off his doubts and pointed at the chair near the window.
It held a fantastic dress, nearly matching the finery Maggie had been used to before becoming a slave. "I will not have you dressed in those rags any longer. You will don the gift, then fetch me breakfast."
He left then, presumably to give Maggie some privacy.
-0-
Mary- Lynnette flinched as the rough hands dragged her out of the cart and let her fall to the ground. Not even a moment after she fell, she was dragged back up by the same, disrespectful bloke.
He pushed her forward, kicking at her ankles. "I can walk!" She snapped at him.
"And I can hit," He retorted.
It made no sense to Mary- Lynnette, seeing as how if she walked then he was implying he would strike her, but she sensed it would be best to let the man's grammatical mistake go uncorrected.
Mary- Lynnette soon felt sand seeping into her shoes, eyes widening behind her blindfold as she realized they would soon be off to an island, probably a very remote one.
Ash would never find her now. He could search all he wanted, become a sailor, but Mare knew as well as any how dangerous it was to boat in unfamiliar waters, especially if those waters belonged to night people. Any number of witches could have cast harmful spells to keep curious eyes away, any number of shark shape- shifters could be patrolling the waters.
Mare wanted more than anything to just lie down and collapse. This, all of it, was just too much to take in. Kidnapped by night worlders, her vampire soulmate (hopefully) looking for her, and now she was being literally shipped off to some island that was probably in the middle of nowhere and protected by about a million spells.
Lying down and collapsing pretty much summed it up.
But she couldn't. She couldn't show weakness, she had to keep going, and if Ash didn't rescue her, she would have to rescue herself.
That was her last thought as she was thrown, caught, and the movement of the boat on the waves signaled the next part of her journey.
-0-
Hannah knew the feeling very well.
In a previous life- several, actually- she had sailed across large expanses of water. This was a familiar feeling to her, not strange and alien as everything else seemed to be lately. It was odd, she thought, that out of all the things that had happened, being loaded onto a rickety ship like some cheap cargo would comfort her.
But the lull and rock of the waves was so comforting.
Hannah repressed a smile, unsure whether it would be wise to let her captors see she was enjoying herself, and leaned back against the railing.
-0-
Thea surveyed the den with disgust. She felt the need to kick the wall.
"It's empty," David stated.
They spent all this time figuring out how to get down, and the cavern was empty. No bones left as clue that the giant monster had eaten. No pile of waste. The only hint at what Thea knew had once been there was the faint reptilian smell.
A hand rested on Thea's shoulder, Eric's. "We'll find it." He reassured her.
"If there was even anything here in the first place," David muttered.
"There was," Thea snapped. "I heard it. I felt it."
Eric's hand trailed down her arm until their fingers were entwined. "Of course there was. I believe you."
Thea looked up at him and nodded.
"We'd better get going, maybe we'll have better luck finding it farther down the tunnel."
-0-
Galen took the news in stride. He went along with his parents plans (to send him off to live with the vampire prince, Delos, in the secretive, high security kingdom of black dawn. He recognized the need to relocate, he accepted that he was at risk here, and that moving was the only way to keep him safe. However, he drew the line when the old pick- an- animal argument came up.
"Honestly!" His father cried, exasperated, "I don't see what is so hard about this. You need to pick an animal, and soon. You are almost a man, by human standards. And until you choose an animal, in shape- shifter society, you will remain a boy. Our people will not bow to a boy, especially not a literature loving, peace keeper like you."
"Now," His mother scolded the king. "Galen will choose when he is ready, and he will be ready soon enough, right dear?"
"I think so." Galen answered truthfully. He'd turned several ideas over in his head, but he refused to be forced into anything by his father. He wanted any shift to be made by his own accord, not by his father's premature wishes.
"You think so?" His father sneered. "Thinking so is not enough. You must act on those thoughts. Choose your animal or forfeit the crown."
"Darling!" The Queen cried! "You were being harsh before, but this is just plain nonsense!"
"He doesn't have an animal, he doesn't have a mate, so he doesn't deserve the kingdom." His father reasoned.
"He still has plenty of years before he inherits the throne." His mother argued.
"I have a mate." Galen put in, not expecting to be heard, but pleased nonetheless when his admission was met with silence.
"What did you say?" His mother gasped.
"I said," Galen winced, as he knew Keller would kill him for what he was about to say, "I have a mate, or I know a woman whom I hope to make my mate."
"Hm," His father grunted, seemingly unimpressed, although Galen saw beyond the façade. He knew his father was secretly pleased. "And who is this girl?"
Galen hesitated. "She's a shifter."
"Yes, that was to be expected," The king said impatiently.
"Here's the thing…" Galen trailed off, then started again. "I can't actually be with her, at least, not for a while. She has things to do here, and I'm being taken away-"
"If this is some far fetched plan to get us to let you stay here, you had better rethink things." His father warned.
"No," Galen shook his head. "That's not it. She just has a duty, and so do I, and performing those duties conflict with our more personal schedule."
"Personal schedule," His father said dryly. "Have you claimed her?"
"No," Galen said. "But she has promised. It's was no official ceremony or anything, but I trust she will stay true to her word. One day, she will be my wife."
"Wife," The king said slowly. "Dear Lord, we have let you live among humans too long. The proper term is mate."
"I understand that is the proper word," Galen acknowledged.
"Good," His father said. "Then use it."
"You still haven't told us who this girl is," His mother put in.
Galen sighed, thinking, forgive me, Keller. I know you wanted to keep this secret a while longer, but to hold my throne and keep my parent's respect I must do this. I hope you will understand. "The security guard, Raksha Keller."
"The security guard?" His mother asked, sounding bewildered. "But… Galen, you can do so much better."
"No, I can't do better." Galen corrected her. "Keller is the best, she is wonderful. She may not be a princess or a lady of high status, but she is fiercely loyal. She lives by her own morals, she holds herself to standards even I could not hope to reach, yet she herself surpasses them. He lives by honor and trust and respect." Galen sighed. "She is as good as they come, I could not even dare to hope for anything better."
Silence.
"You really love her," his father said.
"I think…" Galen choked on the words, "I think we are soulmates. I've seen the chord, and I've walked inside her mind. I love her more than anything in the world; I would give everything for her, even my life."
"Oh, then I guess we should make room for one more body in the carriage," his mother commented.
"No, that won't be necessary," Galen said. "As I said, we cannot be together immediately. The same honor I love her for is what also causes this predicament. She has vowed to stay here and calm the rising panic. The students need her now more than ever, and she refuses to abandon them. It shames me to say that I've tried to convince her to come with me, but she holds firm to her decision."
A flicker of respect lit in the kings eyes. "I would very much like to meet this young lady."
"We have," The queen said, "Do you not remember?"
"No, I don't." the king replied. "And besides, I would like to view her with my newfound knowledge, not remember her from times and opinions passed."
"Her break starts at noon and goes until 12:30." Galen told them.
"We could get her out of duty," The queen offered.
Galen grinned. "You can try, but it is unlikely she will be happy about leaving her station. I would much prefer if you met her while she was in a good mood than a bad."
"Then we await her break."
-0-
Keller sent waves of anger through the bond, but kept her face neutral.
You told them. She seethed. I thought we agreed not to tell anyone.
Yes, but… Galen floundered for the right words. I had to! I was backed into a corner, and I didn't know what to do. Plus, they're my parents. They make me incredibly nervous and… I'm sorry. There is no excuse. It seemed like the reasonable thing to do at the time, but now I see the mistake.
"And there is no changing your mind on your choice to stay?" The queen raised her eyebrow at Keller.
Gee, you didn't just tell them you loved me, you laid my whole life map out for them, Keller growled. I thought you knew I liked my privacy. I thought you understood what my thoughts meant to me, and that I shared them with you, trusting you to keep quiet.
"My resolve is firm." Keller answered, not showing her inner turmoil. "I have promised to protect these children, I must follow through and keep my word."
The queen nodded. "I see." She fiddled with the beads on her dress. "Galen said something about you two being soulmated.
You really didn't hold back, I expected more of you. Keller hissed.
Again, sorry. Galen kept the apology short this time.
"Yes," Keller nodded.
"Yes as in 'yes, he said that' or 'yes, we are soulmates'?" the queen pried.
"We are soulmates," Keller admitted.
The queen grinned and the king looked on with a cold sort of interest.
"Are you communicating right now?" The king asked.
"Yes," Keller reluctantly allowed the word pass by her lips, knowing it would be foolish to lie to her monarchs.
"What are you saying?" Galen's mother asked, leaning forward.
"Mom!" Galen exclaimed.
"Oh!" Her eyes widened. "That was rather rude, do forgive me."
Keller nodded, unsure if it was wise to forgive a queen, even if she asked for it.
Needless to say, 'meeting the parents' was just as awkward as always.
-0-
Iliana scowled, and watched the carriage roll away from the academy, taking her true love with it.
"I thought you said I was supposed to end up with him?" She whined to Angel.
"You were," Angel reassured her. "It's that girl, Keller, that's messing this all up. Had she not been here, Galen would have introduced you to his parents to satisfy them. To assure them that their son is not completely disregarding your responsibilities. He would have taken you with him."
Iliana bit her lip. "If he loves me so much, then why does he love her more? If I was really meant to end up with Galen, then why would Keller change that?"
"Are you questioning fate?" Angel asked. "You were meant to end up with Galen. Keller changed that."
"Yes, I know that. But… if Galen really fell so deeply in love with this other girl so as to forget his own fated wife… then maybe… we shouldn't mess with it."
"But it is a divine order." Angel reminded her.
"Of course," Iliana said. "It's just that he seems so happy with her, and seeing him happy makes me happy. I don't want to ruin something so beautiful as their love."
"No," Angel's voice tightened. "God ordered me to take Keller out of the equation, and I am acting through you. That is how it works. There is no beauty or happiness to it. You can only factor in fate, no emotions. Now, we will follow Galen to Black Dawn and-"
"Follow him? All the way to another land?" Iliana asked incredulously.
"It isn't as far as it seems."
"But still, it seems a bit much. I'm sure I can find love with another boy. I mean, he may not be like Galen, but I'm positive Galen is not the only good man out there. He can't be."
"GALEN IS YOUR TRUE LOVE," Angel bellowed. "YOU WILL FIND HIM AND THINK OF NO ONE ELSE."
Iliana started. "Angel…? Stop, you're scaring me."
Angel took a deep breath. "I am sorry, I just… I need to fix this."
"And I will help you," Although the words sounded a bit more unsure and less true than when she'd said them before.
Well, there you go.
Anyway, please review! I would like to know you still care (I get the feeling I lost most of you back in part 1).
Also, I'm running low on inspiration. It was absolute hell writing this chapter. I would sit down, write a few sentences, then not be able to write any more. IT SUCKED!
Anyway, yeah, so please review. Reviews give me inspiration and happiness.