Destiny's Way
by Lady Dawson
Chapter Fourteen: A Love Imprisoned
"Okay, let me see if I got this right," Lucas said slowly as he stared across the room at the past version of their sister. "This evil warlock has threatened your kingdom and is literally destroying everything to the ground and has your two cousins imprisoned. And because your kingdom is the heart for good magic, if he succeeds in his mission of conquering this kingdom, then our entire future is going to change and evil will gain the upper hand."
"If I understood your 21st century manner correctly, then yes," Gabrielle agreed. "Lucius and Nathaniel, who if I'm right, would be your past lives, have been imprisoned in my castle for the past three months, when the siege began." She sighed. "Nathaniel could have warned me that these were our future lives I was dealing with."
"He gets premonitions, too?" Nathan wanted to know. Gabrielle nodded. "Nice to know that my power isn't escalating very fast."
Susan smiled slightly, patting her brother's arm. "Don't worry, little brother, you'll get an active power soon enough. But what I'm confused about is Jesse's disappearance. You said that he disappeared right when Malus started his attack?" she questioned.
Gabrielle nodded, though she looked confused. "Yes, he vanished a couple hours after Malus launched an attack on the village. But what does that have to do with anything?"
"I don't know," Susan admitted. "Just a feeling I've got that maybe that's a key to this whole thing." She frowned slightly, running a hand through her dark curls. "Did you receive a message from him or anything? Any contact whatsoever in the past . . . however long it's been?"
"No, not a word. My cousins believe that he's abandoned me, but I know my Jesse." A smile crossed her face. "We planned it all. Nothing could tear us apart. It isn't like him to take off at the first sign of danger. Not unless he knew it was for the best."
"Sounds familiar," Lucas mumbled, glancing towards Susan. She shot him an icy glare. They both knew what he was thinking. Jesse sounded an awful lot like Shawn, leaving only to protect the love of their life. To protect them from an unspeakable wrath. The only difference was this was leaving Gabrielle to an unknown fate, not leaving to protect Susan from the anger of the Elders at the pregnancy and possibly future marriage.
"Okay, so what exactly did you want us to help you with?" Nathan asked. "To vanquish Malus?"
"My cousin said that you were the most powerful witches of all time," Gabrielle answered. "I hoped that your power might be enough to stop him. He was a good man until this happened, but I can't ignore the fact that he's destroying my world, my people. And I want a safe place to raise my children in. Jesse and I belong together and I have no doubt that we will grow old together and protect our kingdom together. But in order to do that, I will need your help."
The three siblings looked at each other, about to answer when white lights appeared in the room and Haley materialised.
"Hey, there's my boy," she said, taking Wyatt from Susan and hoisting him onto her hip. Susan rolled her eyes, but relinquished her nephew to his mother. "Okay, good news or bad news?" she asked when Susan gave her a 'well?' look.
"Just cut to the chase," Susan sighed. "You've been spending way too much time Up There, Hales. You're learning to drive me nuts."
"Doesn't take too much these days," Nathan sniggered. Susan glared at him and Lucas threw a pillow at him.
"I have said it before and now I'll say it again," Susan snapped, "if I could freeze the two of you, then I would. Often."
Haley smiled slightly. "Okay, so . . . the Elders confirmed Lady Gabrielle's story. That her kingdom is being conquered by a Lord Malus and if we don't find a way to stop it, then dark magic will rule the future and everything will have changed. All the good that you guys have done will be lost. None of may ever have been born because of it."
"Wha . . . how does that work?" Susan demanded, incredulous. "We are already here, standing in place. How could we cease to exist by him taking over this kingdom? What makes sense about that?"
"You know," Gabrielle commented. Everyone looked at her. "I've found it best to leave questions about magic and time travel alone. You'll find it can give you more headaches than you would've imagined."
"Good point," Nathan agreed.
Lucas smiled slightly. "Okay, so when we get to your kingdom, what are we supposed to do? How do we stop him?" His light blue eyes focused on Gabrielle as she stood up.
"I'm hoping that with your combined powers and my magic, we'll be able to vanquish him. And if that doesn't work, then we can imprison him, trap him so that he will never be able to harm anyone ever again. He'll be trapped where he can never break free."
"I don't really think that's a good idea," Susan argued. "What if somebody accidentally set him free? Then we'd be in the mess again. And this time, he'd be ready for us."
"Then what do you suggest?"
Susan sighed. "A Power of Three spell," she answered. "Those have never failed us before, I don't see why they should now. And if it doesn't, then maybe there's something else we can try."
"What?" Nathan asked, glancing at his sister.
"Well, let's see if this works, then I'll let you in on it," Susan answered with a smile. "But first, we need to get to your kingdom. So let's get to the kitchen, I'll start working on potions to be on the safe side while you guys work on a transporting spell and a vanquishing spell."
"Why potions?"
"Because the last time we time travelled, we lost our powers when we went back," Susan answered. "I don't want to be trapped in the past without my powers and with no reinforcements."
Lucas considered; she had a point. "All right, let's get start on this, then," he said. Everyone headed into the kitchen.
--
Malus walked into the secret tunnel that he had discovered a long time ago, before he had come up with the plan to take over Gabrielle's kingdom. So far, it had proven to be useful to him. Especially for keeping one very important prisoner secret. He didn't want anybody finding out what had really happened during the attack on the kingdom. As the door shut behind him, he walked down the steps.
A terrible smile crossed his face as he surveyed the young man who was help limply in front of him, supported only by the chains that bound his wrists. "Good morning, Jesse," he said pleasantly, biting into the apple he'd brought with him. "How has your day been so far?"
Jesse pushed himself up with what little strength he had left and spat, accurately, on the toe of Malus's polished boot. The hatred and fury in his eyes was all too clear.
Interesting, Malus thought in surprise. I didn't think he'd have the strength of will to withstand my power this long. But then, fools who do love have remarkable strength, I'll give them that. It's too bad that strength always fails in the end.
"Oh, dear. I had hoped that you would take me up on my offer. You would survive this chaos and I would enjoy seeing the look on your lady's face when she realised that her true love has abandoned her to evil. That would be well worth it," he added deliciously.
"Believe me when I say this, Malus," Jesse growled, his brown eyes blazing with fury. "I will never turn my back on Gabrielle. Just as she will never turn her back on me."
"Really? Because she has swallowed that lie that you have abandoned her at the first sign of trouble. It seems your love's faith in you has grown thin. After all, she has no proof of where you have gone." Malus chuckled. "It will not be long, boy, before your love dies or turns her back on you. She can escape all of this merely by giving me what I want. I know perfectly well that the only way to keep the throne permanently is by marrying the only heir to the throne and ruling legally." Malus shrugged. "So if she doesn't want her people to die, then Gabrielle will consent to marry me."
"If she returns, you mean." Malus froze. "Oh, yes, I know all about her disappearance right underneath your nose. Bet that caused a bit of speculation amongst your jailers, didn't it? The prize vanishing right when you had her."
"She may be gone, but she will return. After all, she won't abandon her people or her cousins. Lucius and Nathaniel are still here. And perhaps you may prove useful to my plan, if you stay alive long enough."
Jesse swallowed. "No matter what you do to me, Gabrielle will make the right choice for her kingdom and her people. She always does. And believe me what I say that consenting to marry you is not the right choice. Gabrielle knows that better than anyone. Giving the people a tyrant for a king would be worse than the fate you have in store for them if she refuses."
Malus swung his hand and Jesse doubled over, gasping in pain. He shook his head to clear it, blood appearing on the mixture of already dried blood, dirt, and vomit. His breath was coming out in little gasps.
"Insolent boy," he muttered. "When that girl returns, she will marry me unless she wants to see you die. And when she does, you will be banished from this kingdom. No one in all of the kingdom will dare shelter you."
"Why is it . . ." Jesse retorted with what little dignity he had left, "that the evil ones always feel to need to share their plans with the enemy?" He shook his head in exasperation.
"For perspective, lad. And so that you can drown yourself in your miseries of what will happen if I don't get my way." Malus smiled broadly as he turned on his back. "I would consider getting yourself ready. Unless Lady Gabrielle returns and accepts my offer, then you will die at daybreak. With her cousins, I should imagine. They're more trouble than they're worth."
With a flapping of his cape, the warlock vanished behind the door again, leaving Jesse to his most unpleasant thoughts.
Whatever happens, my love, Jesse thought, praying that she could hear him, no matter where she was. You must not try and save me. Do what is right for your people. Even if we must sacrifice our happiness in this time, I pray that we will find each other in another lifetime and that we will find some way to be together.