Chapter 28- Shifting Tides

The next morning:

Maggie knew today was the day.

Today was the day her life would change forever. But that wasn't a good thing. It was a thing to be viewed with dread.

She wasn't sure what would happen, or why, but she sensed it would be terrible.

From the moment she had woken up, a tugging, nagging sensation pulled at her soul. Her heart felt like it was in her feet, and it wouldn't stop pounding. She jumped at every little noise, gasped at every sound, and nearly threw up when Mare had tapped her on the shoulder, surprising her, asking where the clean washrags were.

She tried to tell herself it was nothing, but she knew it wasn't.

Deep down, although she tried to repress it, she knew today was the day.

-0-

Jez took in a deep, shaky breath. This couldn't be happening. This was NOT happening!

But of course it was. The universe's hatred towards her knew no bounds. Hunter Redfern just had to show up. As if her life wasn't already hard enough- now she had to deal with a merciless great- greats Grandfather and a snobby great- greats aunt.

And she didn't for a moment buy the whole 'student' act.

She knew they had ulterior motives.

But that was where she grew conflicted. Should she search for that motivation and risk exposure, or stay out of their way? She knew the smart thing to do was to leave them alone, but she had done so many horrible things to humans- and that was most certainly what the newly arrived Redferns had in mind. Killing vermin.

She owed the human race so much, she had so much to make up for. But she also owed it to herself, as the sole member of her species, to stay alive.

So which was it? Help, or turn the other cheek?

-0-

Hannah cursed and cussed and hissed on the inside, but stayed silent and dutiful on the outside.

She bent down, tucked the fresh sheets under the mattress, and gathered the old ones in her arms. She couldn't help but think, They smell like him.

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do?" He asked, fidgeting in the corner. She remembered this from before. Her cleaning his room, him asking, begging her to let him help. She always refused, telling him it was the wife's job to clean. He never listened to her reasoning, but didn't help either. He respected her wishes.

He'd respected her, up until he'd sold her.

"I'm sure," Hannah said, not meeting his eyes. "Actually, unless there's something else, that will be all."

"Yes," Thierry said. "There is something."

Hannah tensed. "And that would be…?"

Thierry sighed. "Hannah… It wasn't me. I swear. I know you think that I…" He shook his head, his voice thick with emotion. "I know you think it was me who sold you, but I promise you it wasn't. I love you, I want nothing more than to be with you, I would never-"

"Save it." Hannah growled, surprised at her furry. "I don't care anymore, your forgiven. But go play some other girl; you've already messed with me enough, haven't you?"

"Hannah-" Thierry broke off, "It wasn't me. I never stopped looking for you, and when I found you here…"

Hannah sighed. "Found me? You knew I was here all along." She scowled. "I bet you knew everywhere I went. I bet you knew all my previous masters personally. I bet you told them to treat me like they did." She shook her head. "I know you hate me, Thierry. You can pretend for the world like you don't, but I know. So don't even try this with me."

She hefted up the bin full of things that needed washing.

"Hannah, wait," he pleaded, but she didn't listen.

-0-

Rashel recognized him, as she'd known she would. She had always remembered his face. It was impossible to forget.

She had waited so many years for this moment, to come face to face with the man that had destroyed her life. She had promised herself for so long that when she finally saw him, she would kill him on the spot.

But she wasn't able to fully uphold that promise. She had Vicky to think about.

Was Rashel's own personal vengeance more important than the life of a partner?

Because Vicky would most certainly die if she went after the leech that had ruined her life.

Rashel sighed and sent a silent apology to Vicky. As much as keeping a promise to Vicky meant, Rashel's main priority was her own revenge- it always had been. Revenge had driven her this far, and now that the opportunity was here she would not let it slip away.

But how to get to him?

He was always surrounded by night people. He was never completely alone- and that eliminated many of Rashel's options.

So she waited, and she watched. She would find a chance, she always did. And when she saw it, she would strike.

-0-

Hannah didn't expect to find a friend in the man who had condemned Maggie.

She'd been sitting by the lake, sulking, when detective Paul had come by. He was investigating a claim that Maggie had made, that she only snuck away for the scenery. She'd told him about a small clearing that she thought was a secret, but in truth, Hannah had known about it far longer than her fellow slave.

When asked why Hannah looked so despaired, she answered, "I'm just confused."

"Tell me about it," Paul urged. She didn't particularly trust him, but she needed someone. Someone who wasn't too busy to listen to her, who wasn't too weighed down by his or her own troubles to really hear, and perhaps most of all, someone who wouldn't laugh. Someone who was serious, and took everyone else seriously.

Paul was that man, if anyone was.

So she told him about it. She told him about the notes, about Thierry- then and now- and about her conflicting emotions. She told him Thierry's side of the story, and hers. But what Paul was most interested in was Hugh's theory.

"What if," he said slowly, "there was a way for you to go back and relive that moment." He said.

"I wouldn't do it," She said. "I could never… It was one of the worst days of my life."

Paul shook his head. "I think it's a good idea. If you could go back, and relive it with such clarity that you could examine Thierry, or perhaps a man that only looked like him, without the panic, you would solve your emotional conflictions once and for all."

Hannah sighed. He was convinced this would work. "All right. Suppose something like that was possible. How would you do it?"

"Hypnosis." Paul said.

"And how do you know how to perform hypnosis?" Hannah demanded.

Paul flushed. "The human mind, it's always fascinated me. Knowing how people think, how their brain works…" He shrugged. "That's why I became a detective. Knowing what motivates people to do the things they do motivates me." Paul shifted. "When I was younger, though, I wanted to be a magician," His cheeks were a bright red. "And hypnosis was part of that training."

Hannah nodded. Then closed her eyes, hoping she wouldn't regret this. "Okay."

-8-

"Red, a sea of red," Paul's voice was fading. "You are floating on a sea of red…."

And then she wasn't. Actually, she wasn't where she wanted to be either. She wasn't standing in the gazebo, waiting for Thierry on that life- changing night.

She was sitting by a river, with… was that Chess?

Then in a temple.

Then in a castle.

All different times, with different names, but she was the same person. The same person with the same predicament.

Thierry. And he was the same person too.

But he was never the one. She'd thought he was, but he was never the one that had ruined her life.

And then she knew.

She remembered, all of it.

-8-

Hannah couldn't get to his room fast enough.

After desperately clawing her way out of hypnosis and a hurried thank you to Paul, she was off.

Only now that she was there, in front of him, Hannah didn't know what to say, she didn't know if there was anything she could say. So she said nothing.

After a moment of slight indecision, she hurried over to Thierry, grabbed his shoulders, and kissed him.

He was slow to respond, and when he was she almost pulled away, but when he wrapped his arms around her and began to kiss back she abolished the thought.

Actually, she more forgot it that abolished it. It had been so long since she'd felt like this. Since she'd felt so light and free and happy. Since she'd felt so loved. Since she'd felt his love.

-0-

Ash cursed himself over and over. He knew he should have simmered down by now, he'd known for weeks that he'd loved her, but to know she loved him back…

She didn't tell him, not directly, but he sensed it. He sensed it through the silver chord.

And he was glad she loved him. He hated himself for it.

It was one thing to admire her from afar, knowing she would go on to greater things, to know she would love a better man than himself. That she, in the end, would marry a man that deserved her. A man good enough for her; a man with a kind soul that would be able to give her all of him.

But now that he knew she loved him… he was tempted to go to her.

But he couldn't. It went against everything he had ever been taught, everything that he'd ever believed.

But he believed in her now, and he wanted so badly to be with her. And that was when realization hit him.

He would have to leave.

There was no other way to go about this. It was forbidden, that was that. He knew he would end up breaking the rules sooner or later; he always did, so he had to separate himself from the object of his desire. He had to cut everything off; he had to make sure the temptation never had an outlet ever again.

That night, when she'd come to his room demanding to know what vampire had bit her friend, Ash had been so tempted. He'd wanted to bite her, he'd wanted to kiss her, he'd wanted…

Ash sighed. Leaving it was.

His parents wouldn't be happy, but then again, they never were. Ash was their disappointment child- every couple had at least one.

But his mind wandered back to Mary- Lynnette. His Mary- Lynnette. Mary- Lynnette and that darn, persistent temptation.

He'd give into it.

Just this one last time, he would give into it. He would see her, even if she didn't know he was there. He would say goodbye, and even if she couldn't hear him, it would give him closure.

-8-

It didn't give him any sort of closure at all.

Standing there, looking at her, he knew he would never feel any type of closure for as long as he lived. No woman would ever live up to her, not one girl in this world would ever make him feel like he felt for Mary- Lynnette.

His resolve was weakening, as it usually did when he was faced with a hard decision. He could feel his will crumbling away as he watched his soulmate.

"Ash? I know you're there." And with those words, with his name on her tongue, any last shred of hope that he was going to do the noble thing and leave, fled.

"Mare," He said and stepped out of the shadows

She looked at him a moment, taking in his appearance, then nodded. "You're dressed to travel."

"I'm not traveling." Ash said, mentally heaving a sigh of relief as he spoke those words. He knew he would regret them someday, but today they brought him only relief. "I'm not traveling." He said again.

Mare's eyebrow raised, her eyes narrowing at the same time, and then she shook her head. "Well," she sighed. "That's…" Good. She didn't say the word, but she didn't need to.

Ash just knew.

He went over to where she stood, cleaning the windows, and looked out.

"Another one of your relatives arrived today." Mare tried to force meaningless chatter into the space of uncomfortable silence. "Two, I should say."

"I know," Ash said. Another reason to stay. He would need to protect his Mary- Lynnette, for Hunter and Lily Redfern were almost certainly not here to learn. They were here to shed blood.

"You don't sound too thrilled." Mary- Lynnette observed.

"Please," He turned to her and lowered his voice. "Stay away from them. You have no idea what they're like. They are ten times worse than I could ever dream of being."

Mare studied his face, then nodded. "I'll keep my distance."

"Good," Ash exhaled.

He turned to leave; he couldn't stay here, with her. He would give in even worse than he already had. He'd allowed himself to stay, but he could not do any more than that. "Wait." Mare said. She walked up to him, tilted her head, and pressed her lips to his.

It was over quickly, but it was the best kiss of Ash's entire life. "Good luck," She said and stepped away. "Wherever you're going."

She knows, Ash thought, she knows, and she's telling me to leave.

Ash nodded then stepped away. That was his Mary- Lynnette. Finding strength where he couldn't, motivating him when it seemed he'd given up.

I'm really leaving. He thought. Then nodded, and set off toward the stables, a new resolve in his bones.

There you have it!

Next chapter: Everything comes crumbling down. It was probably my favorite chapter to write, everyone was so freaked out!