Anabelle hammered on for at least a hour about what her and Julius and Silas all went through. What happened after I left, which explains the claw marks on the door. I was sure Morrigan wouldn't be happy about that. We talked and laughed as if nothing had happened between us. I had made her some mint tea, just how she likes it. I wasn't so thrilled to hear that the Vampyre's had an alternative plan to what had been settled already. Seems that Morrigan should be made aware of the news, and she won't be happy to hear the Ilona attacked Anabelle and tried to use her for her own evil thwarts against humanity.
I have to say that being here and with Anabelle left me quite conflicted. She seemed genuinely sincere about apologising for yelling at me that night and I had to admit that I was sorry too for pointing out a sore subject about her parents. However, it needed to be said. They weren't her true parents, if she knew where she really came from she might understand a bit better. Those were discussions for later though. I couldn't bring that up now, not after what she says she's been through the past few days. Having been attacked by wolves at home, again. Her going with that Blondie that keeps getting her in trouble only to become a Vampyre Queen's next snack and all trying to escape when her would-be boyfriend is captured. I just shook my head in hearing most of these tales. If these beings were so great, then why are they defeated so easily. An Original being bitten by a werewolf would turn then human? Preposterous. The idea was ludicrous. That any Vampyre could be turned back into a human was ridiculous. They were creatures of the undead, no matter what they called themselves. However, many myths and religions believed that a Werewolf bit would kill a Vampyre, so then why is the Blondie up and walking around? According to Anabelle he had quite the human appetite as well. Unusual.
What was the most disconcerning thing of all was the way that this Julius was supposed to turn to be a Vampyre again. "You can't actually believe all this, do you?" I asked her.
"Well, I don't know. It's worth a try, right?" she asked taking a sip of her tea and periodically looking at her phone as if she was awaiting some important message or call.
Any communication from outside the house would be bad. She would leave the house before Nyx and Morrigan could get here and once again, I would fall into the brunt of their anger. Not again. "I suppose so." I agreed with her, "Hey, it's been a crazy morning for you, why don't you go upstairs, take a nice long and hot bath and rest up a bit. I'll come get you if anything happens or if anyone calls, okay?"
"That would be wonderful actually. I'm so exhausted and I feel drained to the core," Anabelle said with a huff in her voice.
Her complexion was poor and her skin was ghostly white. Her supposed boyfriend must have drained a bit more than two thirds of her blood from her body. I wasn't sure how she was even awake at this moment. "Well, let's get you upstairs. Here, I'll help you."
I took her hand and she slumped into my side, barely able to hold up her own weight anymore. She looked at me with eyes that could pierce my very soul, as if she could see straight through me. And that's when the visions came. The fields of Tulips, the spinning and laughing in the grass. Her holding my hand and I holding onto her. "I'm so glad you came back. I missed you," she said as she reached up on her toes and kissed me softly on my lips.
I pushed the image out of my head and drug her up the stairs, laid her on her bed and drew her a hot bath with oils and scents that I knew she would love and would help her sleep. I left her in her room to change, but not before grabbing her cell phone. I didn't want anyone disturbing her, none the less, have someone come over before Nyx and Morrigan could come to do as they needed.
I paced the downstairs. Conflicted as I was to do this to her, to really deceive her. Nyx had said she was my destiny, and I was her calling. We were meant to be together. Her soul called to me, I knew it. It showed in every vision we shared together. She was meant for me as I was meant for her. And now Morrigan means to trap her soul and use her body to get rid of the beasts that get in her way. I wasn't sure I could just sit back and watch it happen. "Damnit!" I yelled as I smacked my fist on the hard kitchen table.
Anabelle's phone began to vibrate. I turned it over to see it was Julius calling. I pressed ignore and turned it back over. A few moments later it vibrated again. Insistent Julius calling once more. Pressing ignore, I walked away from the phone and into the kitchen to fix myself some calming chamomile tea. When the water was pipping hot I poured it over the herbs and took in small sips before I returned to my seat by the window, watching and waiting. Picking up her phone again I saw she had four missed calls, two voice-mails and a text message, all from Julius. The text message said:
SORRY. HAD TO LEAVE U. WILL RETURN 2NITE. LOVE J.
Damnit, that might put a kink in some plans if that stupid man came over. Obviously Anabelle was upset when he left. I saw it all from the window. She was refusing to be left her on her own. I saw the embrace they held to each other. It was obvious that Nyx was correct about him. Deep down, rather she wanted to admit it or not, she loved Julius. And she loved him more than Silas as well, though she was constantly trying to convince herself otherwise. And where did I play in all this? In this love triangle we had the man she thought she loved, the man she secretly loved and me, the man she was currently living with? Did she love me at all? Or even care about me? Those were the questions that burned in my heart. That is what made me turn against her and made me hard from her touch. She didn't care about me, never did. No matter how playful she was towards me, I didn't hold the key to her heart. Maybe then Nyx was wrong, I couldn't be her destiny if she didn't accept me.
I decided to message the man back on the phone, DO NOT WORRY. IM FINE. DO NOT BOTHER VISITING. A
I have to admit I was a bit happy with my comeback and it would keep the pesky blond man from popping over unexpectedly. It was mid-day when she finally woke. Anabelle came down the stairs, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. Her rosy color had returned and she was looking more and more like herself. I would need to get my feelings in check if I was going to go along with the plan for Morrigan to keep Anabelle here so she could subdue her. I just had to find something to do with her until Nyx or Morrigan got here.
"G'Afternoon," I said as she entered the kitchen. She was divinely beautiful considering all she wore was a tank top and some tight knee length black pants.
Ani looked up at me and stopped in her tracks nearly falling over. "Your face!"
I looked from side to side, "What about it?"
"Your scars. Their. Their gone!" she exclaimed.
I let out a small chuckle. She was most certainly out of it this morning not to notice. "Oh yeah, those," I waved my hand dismissively, "I got it taken care of."
Anabelle came over and bend down in front of me, allowing quite the view down her shirt with her free breasts dangling in front of her as he touched my face, "Amazing! The skin is so smooth. You can't even tell that you even had them."
"Amazing doctor!" I lied as I got up and feeling a tad uncomfortable with all the touching.
"A doctor with magic fingers," she said as she stole my fifth cup of tea that I had that afternoon. "Hey, and, well, I won't be mad if you did, but, did you take Romeo when you left?"
"Romeo?" I kept my back to her.
"Yeah, you know, Romeo, my stallion you liked to ride. When you left that night he went missing. I just assumed..."
"You assumed I stole him?" I interrupted her.
"Well, not stole him, borrowed him is really more the correct word choice. So.."
"I did not, I have no need for a horse when I can travel anywhere in a blink of an eye," I lied again knowing exactly where her horse was and who who had him.
"Are you sure? I won't be mad if you did," she asked again, hopefully that I would admit that I took her beloved horse.
I turned back to her, face to face, "I did not take your horse."
Ani just nodded her head as I could see the swimming visions of what she was thinking happened to him. That he got lose and the wolves got to him, that he ran away, that someone has him and beating him. Several scenarios raced through her thoughts and she pushed them directly at me.
"Just, stop thinking about it. I'm sure he's fine. It's only been a couple days," I tried to reassure her and really more for myself so I couldn't hear her constant babble about the damn beast.
She was quiet for a few moments until she said, "So, how long are you here for?" as she curled up on the chair, her knees up to her chest and her arms wrapped around herself. It was a chilly day and she wasn't exactly dressed appropriately.
I leaned up against the counter with another mug in my hand, gave it to Anabelle and refreshed my own, "Oh, just a few days at the most. Maybe not even that long."
She was quiet for some time after I said that. I refreshed my cup and came to sit across from her at the kitchen table that was next to the big bay window. She just kept looking out at the pastures as if she could will something or someone to come. "What's troubling you?"
Anabelle shook her head, looking out into the blue and purple sky as the sun was starting to set, "It's nothing. You don't need to be concerned about it."
I had to admit that I did care about Ani a lot more than I should. So I pushed with my mind and brought her into a place that I had long tried to forget about. Tirnanog. A place of lush green pastures for as far as the eye could see bordered with black cliffs and roaring oceans. A place so tranquil and serene, no one dared to touch it. "Would you feel better now if you told me what was ailing you?"
Standing in a makeshift shift in white with a turquoise woolen dress and leather landeskinecht shoes. Dressed as women would have dressed in my early times as a man. "Anglo-saxan?" she questioned.
"It is the most accurate," I answered her with a smile, taking her hand while guiding her down the hill. "Now, speak to me, tell me what troubles you."
She stopped and gathered both of my rough hands into her own and looked into my eyes, "If I asked you to stay, would you?"
"Ani..."
"Please" she begged.
I wasn't sure what to say. Here she was practically begging me to stay with her, could I say no? And as I made up my mind to give her an answer, her body went limp as she fainted into my arms. "Ani?"
I pulled us both of of the illusion to see Anabelle face down on the table and Nyx behind her with a syring in her hand. "Well met. Good call on the illusion, she didn't even notice that I had entered the house."
"What did you do to her?" I demanded as I stood in front of Anabelle's body, protecting her from Nyx.
"Oh relax you wound up tooth fairy. I gave her a mild sedative. She'll be out for about an hour or so, plenty of time for Morrigan to show and do what she needs to get done with her," Nyx smiled as she took the cup from which Ani was drinking and sniffed it. Her nose crinkled up in disgust and she retched.
"That was not part of the plan to sedate her!" I yelled.
"Oh, you just bring that tone down or you will see what I can do to you!" Nyx pointed her finger into my chest. Her nail grew longer and sharper as she pressed and the nail soon became her own personal dagger as it pierced into my skin. "And eye for an eye. She nearly killed me. I could have done the same, so instead, I'm just going to feed her to Morrigan to have her way with her. I could have done worst. Much worst."
Nyx's other hand found my chin and she grabbed my face, "Such a beautiful face to destroy after Morrigan fixed it so well, but I might have to if you continue to get in the way."
I release myself from her grip I simply popped out of her grip and in the corner where Anabelle was hunched over. Nyx looked around in a daze if she had never seen a true Danu travel. It is as if we leave a layer of fine dust in our wake when we teleport to different locations. We can do it over large distances or short ones. I merely wanted to get to Anabelle and keep Nyx from hurting her. I knew what I was about to and give her over to Morrigan would have hurt her more than what Nyx could have done, but I wasn't causing physical pain. If she was to be truly mine one day, I had to give her over to Morrigan to do as she bid. Morrigan had promised me that once she had what she wanted, she was turn Anabelle over to me and relinquish her into my control. Then, we could zap out of this place and to our little patch of grass, marry, be happy, never worry about Vampyres or Werewolves ever again. We just populate the Danu again and live our lives in peace, if she would have me.
"Clever fairy," Nyx turned as she started to click her tongue in her mouth, "Do you know what that sound is? It's the sound of her life, running out."
"Not just yet," Morrigan interrupted as she came through the door. By now the sun had fallen and the darkness had taken over. Morrigan strode into the house and lifted Anabelle's head by the back of her hair. "Not exactly to plan, but it works. At least it keeps me from having to play nice or listen to her bitch." Nyx smiled as Morrigan passed her. "Take her to the the Sanctuary. It will be far enough so no one can hear her screams."
"That isn't part of the plan!" I yelled, popping in front of Morrigan as she tried to stride out of the door with Anabelle in Nyx's arms.
Morrigan just smiled, "the only part of the plan you were aware of is that I plan to use her for my own services. The details are none of your concern how it is done."
Anger coursed through me, "Yes they do. If you have any intentions on harming her..."
"Harming her? Are you threatening me?" Morrigan gasped. "I would think that you had genuine feelings for the girl."
I couldn't let my weakness for Ani show through, I needed to be tough. I sucked in a breath, held up my head and spoke, "She means nothing to me other than the mother to future Danu to populate my people."
Morrigan smiled again, "I almost believed you."
She pushed me out of the way and walked towards what looked like a dark shadow that appeared in the field. It was growing and waving as if a hole in the center of the universe. She wasn't going to take her anywhere on the earthly plain. What had I done? I needed to stop this. I ran after Morrigan and popped right in front of her, stretching my arms out to either side barring her from exiting where we stood. "No, you can't take her."
"Move you insolent fool!" Morrigan commanded as she pushed me aside once again. "You dare to get between me! DOGS!"
With the sound of her voice the rumble of throats filled the yard. Wolves from all directions surrounded the house, teeth snarling. Their large, muscular, hairy, human arms attached to long finger-like paws pounded on the ground. The thick fur on their back stood up to the heavens as they circled in closer. If this was how I was to die, then so be it. I wouldn't just pop out of the way, I was going to fight. Fight for what I should have been fighting for all along. I should have been fighting for Anabelle. I should have protected her. If I truely loved her, I should have done better. Now, I would act as my heart felt as the first wolf lept towards me.
