PART FOUR

Chapter 8

She was glad that she had snuck him the ring and the note, somehow it gave her some comfort that a small piece of her would remain with him, should they never reunite, should they not find a way out of this. After all that they had been through from maenads to witches to death camps, this had to be the most heartbreaking, complicated incident she had ever been thrown into. The sad part was that while she was trying to mourn her daughter, she also needed to find her way out of this. Something seemed fishy about this for her late grandfather surely would have known about this, would have told her about this. Something was up, the more she thought about it and she was determined to get to the bottom of it. She felt the new bond that had begun between her and Blaze, a bond that wouldn't be completed until after the deed was done and as she sat here on the foot of the large bed, dressed in a nightie, she wanted to die. She didn't want to give her body to anyone else….ever and now, she was being forced to. Blaze emerged from the bathroom attached to the royal bedroom and looked at her with a heavy heart.

"I hate that this is what has to happen, to save this place and all those tied to it….think of those who will be saved from a terrible death though….your brother, your son…." Blaze dared not go further, dared not speak the name of the one he knew she loved most. "I won't draw this out, all they need is for us to…..spend a few minutes…connecting." he said, managing a weak, embarrassed smile. "This isn't what I want to be doing, you are family and this is all…..so surreal."

She said nothing as she lay back on the bed. "Get it over and done." she said woodenly. And fifteen minutes later, she remained there stiff, and though grateful Blaze had been gentle and kind to her, she felt funny as they watched for themselves the final part of the ceremony completing. There came a rope of light from her that raced to Blaze, a new bond forged and as if punched in the gut, both winced as they felt the bond take hold. Desperate for support of any kind, she went to embrace Blaze, needing someone to comfort her. And for a moment he did but then slowly he backed away from her and his kind face started to turn hateful, spiteful.

"I had heard you were naïve, that you had made stupid decisions in the past….and now, here you are making another. That my elaborate plan trapped so many and though I regret the faerie blood I had to spill and that the elders, sadly were nothing more than another use of my power…..power I had to steal from those elders who, sadly were unaware of what they were doing. There was never a ceremony that was needed to be used to save Faery. It was all staged. The elders now, drained of their magic which is now fully mine. And now, I have you to thank. So I can have the throne with you by my side."

Sookie couldn't believe what she was hearing. That her son in law had done all this, that he had killed Aurora. "How could you….you were family to us."

"We are still family." Blaze said but he made a face. "Aurora found out the truth and confronted me but by then I had already started siphoning the faerie elders magic into me and so I did what I had to do. I killed the real Blaze and took his place. Right before I killed her. Seeing the look on her face as I took him down…."

"You're an impostor…..using dark magic to take his place."

"And now the throne. And with our link, you are cut off from your magic. you're helpless and there is only one way to undo that and there is no way those idiot friends and family of yours are breaching this realm ever again. You are mine forever and will obey, like the good wife I will make you be." he paused. "You would have been proud of Aurora, she put up a hell of a fight, and it was a shame I couldn't spare her but she really gave me no choice, she was going to go find you and I couldn't have that…..I do like being Blaze, though, I gave up my old body, my everything to take him in every way I could. And now, I have his memories, thoughts, everything that was him is me now. But soon, they will all know I am not Blaze, but Brennan."

She felt like her body was made of rubber, she felt if she took a step, she would fall over. "How could you…..just because you wanted a throne?"

"That and I knew it was a clever way to get to you. I, Brennan was so ordinary and I wanted to be more than a peasant in this realm and I knew I had a talent for magic, I just need the time and planning to make my pan come to life. Your goodness was what made this possible. No harm would have befallen Faery or its people if you had refused. Though I certainly would have done my best to wipe out your loved ones myself. And still will, given the chance." Brennan smirked at her. "You had better get used to this place because you will never see anyone you care about ever again and soon, with the help of the magic I stole, you will forget who you care about, thinking only of me. It will take time though…years….but we will make them good years, will we not?" he left her with her thoughts in the room and she want to summon her light, hoping to have a sneak attack upon him but as soon as she had her hands alight, it was snuffed out and he turned to face her as he stood in the doorway. No words were needed to tell her her situation had gotten a whole lot worse.

Chapter 9

It was unexpected but the jolt had woken him up early. And that he had thought it destroyed gave him pause and yet perhaps their affection was stronger than this all was. But after that brief flash, he felt nothing else. What he had felt, though was fear. Anger. And it was enough to let him know that she was in serious trouble. He looked at the display on his cell and saw, to his relief that the sun was setting and yet, he could still trek out in the twilight, thanks to the streak of faerie that he bore. Enough to give him a couple hours safe from the rays. A gift from Sookie he couldn't ever repay and that she had a streak of vamp within her…..they literally had changed for one another to make their life possible, to make it be able to flourish and there was no way he was about to let it all crash and burn. As they had promised, he and Jason met up with Holly back at her shop and she had brought someone none had thought of, someone forgotten in the intensity, the emotion of the situation.

"Adilyn….why didn't we think of her before?" Jason clapped a hand against his forehead, knowing that the faerie girl's blood could grant them access to the other realm and Holly too thought herself silly for not have put the pieces together.

"WE are all running ragged as of late I suppose….working hard and with what you endured, seeing what you had with her…..well, we are all human…" Holly started but laughed. "Well, we're not all human but we all can't be on our game all the time. Perfection is not possible. We are perfectly imperfect. " Holly was starting to drone on with her optimistic cheerfulness but a look from the vampire amongst them turned her serious again. "Anyway, I asked of she would help us and she agreed…..so long as she can go along with you. She hasn't had the chance to experience her heritage and thinks her power could only help you all in this mess."

Adilyn nodded seriously. "I want to help….I mean….I have ulterior motives I suppose, I wouldn't mind seeing where I am from, and maybe I could find my mother….I never have met her…." she paused. "Holly, you've been a wonderful mom to me but you gotta understand, I need to go…I want to. Even daddy said so and since I told him who I was going with…..well, he figures I am in good hands."

Holly nodded. "I know it took convincing but when I said who was going to be with you, he figured it was like taking the cavalry with you. Andy I think is a little intimidated by you." Holly was addressing the Viking and there for a moment was that usual swagger.

"As well he should be and with me in the mood that I am, one would be a fool to try anything else with me. She will be safe with me and we will return as soon as we can. Open the passage then." he said to Adilyn and obeying, she opened the porthole that existed in this place of magic and mysticism. It had only been recently discovered that there was a passage to Faery here in the shop, thanks to the senses of Sookie going berserk a few months back and upon investigation, they had learned that the magic in this shop had helped to inadvertently create a passage. And now with the faerie girl as the key, they were prepping to enter the passage, Holly hesitant.

"I want to go along too. I may not have faerie magic but something in my intuition tells me it may be best to have all the help you can get." she sighed. "Andy is gonna be pissed when he finds out his daughter and wife went to another realm to save a friend…." Holly shrugged. "But he knew what he was getting when he married me and knows Adilyn is with me. When this is all over and done and we are home safe, I'll tell him everything. For now….." Holly started typing a text. "There. Told him not to wait up and we are going to go out for a late dinner after the movie and reminded him she's got her electric fingers and I've got my own magic. To say nothing of the pepper spray he makes sure we don't leave the house without." and in unison, Holly and Adilyn pulled small bottles of pepper spray from their pockets. "So. Lets get this show on the road. Honey, if you would." she nodded to her daughter-someone she refused to call a step-daughter. Because as far as Holly was concerned, she had become the mother Adilyn never had the moment she had married Andy and was glad to fill the position that Adilyn's birth mother had given up.

Five minutes later, they stepped through the passage that had been opened and walked through it to Faery, to the unknown. All wondering what was to come next.

TO BE CONTINUED