Love Connections
Chapter 4
Cole felt so lucky to have them, after all he had been and done, Phoebe had given him a new life and his wonderful son. He didn't get tired of observing them. Phoebe noticed his stare, and she smiled sweetly. In that instant, he felt that he had never loved her more, if that was even possible.
"Ready for the rest," Phoebe asked as she lounged comfortably, while holding Jason.
"Any time…"
***********
'Phoebe had turned abruptly away and entered the castle, so that Cole seemed to wake up from a dream, or Prue thought that's what it looked like. "Not good," she thought, "not good at all…"
The Duke positioned his men on the ramparts and had the drawbridge brought up, preparing for the siege. At the very least, Prue was grateful that he was a good warrior, if not a gentleman. He even took turns as well as his sons, to stand guard. He also sent scouts to find out where exactly the enemy stood, or even if the enemy was really preparing for the attack. It didn't take long for them to return with confirmation. Only a few miles from the castle the scouts had seen at least five hundred men marching toward them.
When Prue tried to resume the discussions with him, the Duke dismissed her summarily. He argued that he didn't have time for this and was not going to get into it until the next day. Prue felt insulted by his attitude, but given the fact that he and his men were the only ones standing between her family and the enemy, she thought better than protesting. Instead, she set out to go see Phoebe, or at least it was her intention but Piper stopped her on the way.
"Where are you going?"
"I have to talk to Phoebe, for I think that we have a problem…"
Piper pinched her lips nervously.
"I think I know what you're referring to, but Phoebe knows what's at stake. I'm sure that she'll stay away from him…"
"I'd like to believe you, but I saw the way they looked at each other… Do we really know what happened this afternoon…"
"You know Phoebe as well as I do," Piper replied, "She may be flighty on occasions, but she would never betray you or this family; you know that… Please, I think it might be difficult enough for her without you pouncing on her about it…"
"I'm making great sacrifices too…"
Piper looked away painfully.
"I know."
"All right, I'll leave her be. Maybe you could talk to her?"
Piper smiled gratefully.
"Thank you."
Prue responded to her smile by one of her own, but her sadness still showed through.
She knew too well the pain of losing one that you love…
Leo found that his brother seemed distracted. Cole was supposed to be standing guard but Leo could see that his mind was not in it.
"Cole?"
Cole jumped at his brother's voice.
"What is it?" He asked almost guiltily.
As he said this, Cole avoided his brother's eyes, looking out in the field instead while waiting for his brother's answer. Leo didn't answer right away, observing his brother closely for a moment.
"Is something the matter with you?" He finally asked.
"No, why would you ask this?"
Leo uttered a derisive laughter.
"It's just that I never saw you so distracted. Are you having second thoughts about this marriage?"
Cole hesitated only a moment before turning to him.
"No, I will do what's best for our family…" He answered firmly.
"What's the problem, then? She's rather pretty, not exactly what I would call a big sacrifice."
"No problem at all…You're seeing things…"
Leo still insisted.
"Is it that you'll regret your days of philandering?"
Cole couldn't help smiling at his brother's insistence. Until recently, he had indeed been quite the women's man. The number of his conquests was quite legendary. Or so Leo liked to tell around. This amused Cole to no end. Of course, he had really known many women, but most certainly not as many as Leo boasted to anyone who would hear it.
"You always exaggerate about this, brother…"
"Am I? I've actually been surprised that you only talked to that Phoebe since we arrived. Pretty girls abound around here…"
"I'm to be married, remember?"
"Then why go to her sister rather than your promised?"
Cole knew that he couldn't fool his brother. They had been very close throughout their lives. Maybe it had to do with the severity of their upbringing. Their mother died very young and the Duke was not a tolerant person. They had learned to rely on each other more than once to get through some difficult times.
"I am simply trying to be friendly to my new family; nothing more."
"Hum, hum!" Leo cleared his throat with obvious doubt.
Cole simply looked away again, and his brother knew better than to insist further. Leo was convinced that if something was really bothering Cole, he would come to him eventually. It had always been like that between them. Leo had a little situation of his own and had been meaning to talk to his brother about it. However, seeing Cole's state of mind, Leo decided to wait until later.
He, himself, wasn't much of a lady's man. Maybe, because Leo liked to live vicariously through his big brother... But right then, he had found a girl whom he really fancied. Piper was so beautiful and delicate… but his natural shyness prevented Leo from going ahead and courting her. He really needed some advice from Cole, or so he believed. Still, they were definitely staying a while longer, and Leo figured there would be time for this.
Meanwhile, Cole was glad that his brother understood his need for some time alone. He had guessed that Leo wanted to talk to him about a girl of his own, but at the moment, he really didn't want to hear about love…
Cole had never felt so confused in his life. The longing that was occupying his every waking moment, was one that he had never known. True enough, he had never been alone for very long. The ladies did fancy him a lot. But in return, he had never felt any deep feelings toward them. He liked them well enough; just not in a way that would have moved him into choosing one for life. Now thirty, he had agreed to this arranged marriage, certain that he would never find true love. Cole had decided that he might as well start a family for a good reason, if not for love. "And quite frankly," he thought, until he had come to this castle, he had accepted, and even looked forward to his new life. And then, just when Cole thought that everything was settled, it happened. It had been like a lightning strike. The moment he had seen Phoebe, his heart had jumped. Without knowing why, he knew that she had to be the one. Sadly, fate had cruelly made her the wrong sister…
Cole was torn between his duty and his need for her. This had never been part of the bargain. He couldn't betray his father's wishes, yet how could he ignore the call of his heart?
Maybe if he had thought that she didn't feel the same way he did, he would've tried harder to forget, but he knew she did. With all the fibers of his being, he knew they both shared the same feelings. Yet they also both had a high sense of duty, and those two facts were irreconcilable.
Cole berated himself for his inattention then, as he realized that once again, he had been lost in thoughts and not paying attention to his post. The moment he did, he noticed a movement in the undergrowth. It was much too close for comfort, and he knew that his distraction had allowed an enemy to approach unseen.
Cole strained to see if there were more movements but nothing happened for the next few minutes. He was about to sound the alarm anyway, when an arrow suddenly flew toward him. He never had time to duck, before it entered his shoulder, sending him on his back with a scream of pain. Leo, who had only strayed a few paces away along the parapet, came right back toward his brother, alerted by his scream. He found Cole unconscious, while blood seeped rapidly from his wound. Leo immediately called for the guards to stand ready for a possible attack. Then, he lifted his brother in his arms and nervously carried him toward the castle and the relative safety of its walls. In spite of a renewed alertness from the guards, none of them saw anything else that night. A small group of soldiers was even dispatched to survey the undergrowth, but of the attacker, they found no trace. While a servant attended to his brother, Leo surmised that maybe it had been reprisal from the would-be kidnappers rather than a full-blown attack. Nevertheless, his brother was still badly hurt and the news spread like wildfire throughout the castle.
Piper, who was on her way toward her sister's room, heard the awful news from another servant. She debated for a moment whether she should tell Phoebe about it, and she finally decided that she deserved to know.
Her sister answered at the first knock on her door.
"Who is it?" Phoebe called.
"It's me, Piper. I really need to talk to you."
"If you want to talk about this afternoon, don't bother, I won't cause problems for Prue. I'll just avoid him, that's all…"
Piper tried the door, and since it was unlocked, she entered uninvited to her sister's irritation.
"I told you that I don't want to talk about it."
Piper noticed her puffy eyes, and she knew right away that things were even worse than she imagined.
Phoebe turned away from her sister, angrier with herself for showing weakness than at her sister for intruding.
"Phoebe, something happened, something terrible…" Piper began hesitantly.
Phoebe looked back, suddenly alerted.
"What? Is it Prue?"
Piper looked upon her sister sadly, and then continued.
"No, it's…Cole."
Phoebe almost screamed.
"What about him? What's wrong?"
"He has been hurt; he's in the kitchens now…"
Piper barely had time to finish the sentence before her sister ran out of the room, without a doubt on her way to the kitchens. Piper read actual panic on her sister's face.
Phoebe ran all the way to the kitchens, but she stopped in front of the door, out of breath. Fatigue wasn't what stopped her, however. She feared what she would find inside. If he was dead, she thought that she would die too, of chagrin. She couldn't believe how much he already meant to her, but nothing could prevent this. She had tried so hard to put him out of her mind, but to no avail. Before Piper came in her room, Phoebe was debating leaving the castle, no matter the danger; for she didn't believe that she could stay away from him.
And now, that Cole might be dying, her heart sunk. Finally, she took her courage in hands and entered the room, slowly going to the table where he was lying listlessly. The servants were still busy bandaging the wound, and it at least told her that he was alive. When she got close enough to see his face, she noticed Cole's pallid complexion and she almost fainted out of fright. Unable to resist her impulse, Phoebe bent toward him, touching his face lovingly. She completely forgot about the adverse situation they were facing. All that mattered now was that he lived.
"Please my love, you have to live…" Phoebe whispered as she put a light kiss on his feverish forehead.
That is the moment her sister Prue and his father chose to enter the room. The both of them watch the spectacle with appalled expressions. However, by respect for the wounded, neither one said a word.
It took a long moment for Phoebe to even acknowledge their presence… and even then it was only by a quick nod. Afterward, she ignored all but Cole, as she feared that even one moment of inattention would be the last.
After a while, one of the servants brought a chair so that Phoebe could sit by Cole's side. She accepted gratefully, realizing only then how much the emotions had drained her. All the while the other people in the room found that they didn't want to intrude. Prue stood back, although she was ready to wait as well. The Duke seemed more restless and he went out in the hallway, where he paced back and forth, worried sick about his oldest son.
That whole night and for the best part of the next morning, Cole remained unconscious, and Phoebe never left his side, not even when she saw the looks of reproach from her big sister. Nothing and no one would make her leave him now. Sometimes that morning, Prue left the room to go take care of some domestic task which required her presence, while the Duke went to check on his soldiers, worried as he was that an attack might be imminent.
Leo had stayed in the room however, determined not to leave his brother until he was certain that Cole would live. Phoebe was resting her head lightly on Cole's hand, as she was exhausted and dozed off. Suddenly, she felt his arm moving and she woke right up. . Cole kept his eyes closed but his head was moving as well, as if he was trying to chase sleep away. Finally, he opened his eyes to find Phoebe gazing back at him. Even through the pain, this brought a smile to his lips.
"Am I dead? For I see an angel watching over me…" Cole said in a hoarse voice, still very weak from his ordeal.
Phoebe smiled at the first sign of his possible recovery nonetheless.
"You better stay alive," she said, in a falsely severe tone of voice, "or I will kill you myself for scaring me like this…"
For a long moment afterward, they simply looked into each other's eyes, exchanging without a sound all the words that they couldn't say aloud. Leo, who had also dozed off, woke up and realized that his brother was conscious at last. He came to him with a bright smile.
"Hey you, don't ever do this to me again," he uttered, "I don't think my heart can take it."
Reluctantly, Cole turned toward him, still managing to smile weakly.
"Then," he said "I will have to be more careful, I wouldn't want to have your death on my conscience; heaven forbid…"
Leo laughed heartily at this, now convinced that his brother would be fine as his very special sense of humor had returned as well.
The servant, one with experience with sicknesses and treating them, came around and confirmed it for them.
"The fever has broken, mistress. I do think that the sire will be fine. He only needs to rest from now on."
Phoebe nodded gratefully toward him before looking back toward Cole, barely believing that he was all right.
However, now that the worst of her fears was behind her, the sad reality came back to Phoebe. Nothing had changed; they both knew it. She could read it in his eyes.
She could easily read the sadness in him, because it was echoed by the same sorrow inside of her. Phoebe also realized how exhausted she truly was, when a sudden bout of dizziness shook her. Leo noticed just in time before she fell to the floor. He held on to her to give her a chance to recuperate, and then offered to accompany her to her rooms for some well-needed rest.
Phoebe still hesitated to leave however and when Cole saw her worried expression, he reassured her.
"I will be fine, don't worry…"
The servant added: "Yes mistress, we will take care of him. He will be moved to his room shortly and watched constantly. You should go rest now."
One last time, Phoebe and Cole looked into each other's eyes, knowing that they might get another chance, and then Phoebe allowed Cole's brother to lead her out of the room. Cole watched her going while his expression darkened considerably. He knew that she wouldn't be back.
****************
"Well that is rather sad. I don't think that I could've let you go like this…"
"Those were other times and besides, the story's not over. Although for now, I've got to put this one to bed," she said, indicating Jason, now asleep in her arms.
Cole kissed her on the lips, careful not to disturb the infant.
"I still say that I wouldn't have let you go…"
Phoebe smiled sweetly, and then she left the room with her precious burden.
Coleridge sensed the darklighter and orbed out immediately. This was the third time that night alone. He started to wonder what the deal was. Although darklighters were their mortal enemies, rare were the occasions where they were actively pursuing each other. Yet, at least one of them seemed to be on his tracks. He knew better than going to his charge then, and instead he orbed up. Maybe the darklighter would get tired of waiting?
Chapter 4
Cole felt so lucky to have them, after all he had been and done, Phoebe had given him a new life and his wonderful son. He didn't get tired of observing them. Phoebe noticed his stare, and she smiled sweetly. In that instant, he felt that he had never loved her more, if that was even possible.
"Ready for the rest," Phoebe asked as she lounged comfortably, while holding Jason.
"Any time…"
***********
'Phoebe had turned abruptly away and entered the castle, so that Cole seemed to wake up from a dream, or Prue thought that's what it looked like. "Not good," she thought, "not good at all…"
The Duke positioned his men on the ramparts and had the drawbridge brought up, preparing for the siege. At the very least, Prue was grateful that he was a good warrior, if not a gentleman. He even took turns as well as his sons, to stand guard. He also sent scouts to find out where exactly the enemy stood, or even if the enemy was really preparing for the attack. It didn't take long for them to return with confirmation. Only a few miles from the castle the scouts had seen at least five hundred men marching toward them.
When Prue tried to resume the discussions with him, the Duke dismissed her summarily. He argued that he didn't have time for this and was not going to get into it until the next day. Prue felt insulted by his attitude, but given the fact that he and his men were the only ones standing between her family and the enemy, she thought better than protesting. Instead, she set out to go see Phoebe, or at least it was her intention but Piper stopped her on the way.
"Where are you going?"
"I have to talk to Phoebe, for I think that we have a problem…"
Piper pinched her lips nervously.
"I think I know what you're referring to, but Phoebe knows what's at stake. I'm sure that she'll stay away from him…"
"I'd like to believe you, but I saw the way they looked at each other… Do we really know what happened this afternoon…"
"You know Phoebe as well as I do," Piper replied, "She may be flighty on occasions, but she would never betray you or this family; you know that… Please, I think it might be difficult enough for her without you pouncing on her about it…"
"I'm making great sacrifices too…"
Piper looked away painfully.
"I know."
"All right, I'll leave her be. Maybe you could talk to her?"
Piper smiled gratefully.
"Thank you."
Prue responded to her smile by one of her own, but her sadness still showed through.
She knew too well the pain of losing one that you love…
Leo found that his brother seemed distracted. Cole was supposed to be standing guard but Leo could see that his mind was not in it.
"Cole?"
Cole jumped at his brother's voice.
"What is it?" He asked almost guiltily.
As he said this, Cole avoided his brother's eyes, looking out in the field instead while waiting for his brother's answer. Leo didn't answer right away, observing his brother closely for a moment.
"Is something the matter with you?" He finally asked.
"No, why would you ask this?"
Leo uttered a derisive laughter.
"It's just that I never saw you so distracted. Are you having second thoughts about this marriage?"
Cole hesitated only a moment before turning to him.
"No, I will do what's best for our family…" He answered firmly.
"What's the problem, then? She's rather pretty, not exactly what I would call a big sacrifice."
"No problem at all…You're seeing things…"
Leo still insisted.
"Is it that you'll regret your days of philandering?"
Cole couldn't help smiling at his brother's insistence. Until recently, he had indeed been quite the women's man. The number of his conquests was quite legendary. Or so Leo liked to tell around. This amused Cole to no end. Of course, he had really known many women, but most certainly not as many as Leo boasted to anyone who would hear it.
"You always exaggerate about this, brother…"
"Am I? I've actually been surprised that you only talked to that Phoebe since we arrived. Pretty girls abound around here…"
"I'm to be married, remember?"
"Then why go to her sister rather than your promised?"
Cole knew that he couldn't fool his brother. They had been very close throughout their lives. Maybe it had to do with the severity of their upbringing. Their mother died very young and the Duke was not a tolerant person. They had learned to rely on each other more than once to get through some difficult times.
"I am simply trying to be friendly to my new family; nothing more."
"Hum, hum!" Leo cleared his throat with obvious doubt.
Cole simply looked away again, and his brother knew better than to insist further. Leo was convinced that if something was really bothering Cole, he would come to him eventually. It had always been like that between them. Leo had a little situation of his own and had been meaning to talk to his brother about it. However, seeing Cole's state of mind, Leo decided to wait until later.
He, himself, wasn't much of a lady's man. Maybe, because Leo liked to live vicariously through his big brother... But right then, he had found a girl whom he really fancied. Piper was so beautiful and delicate… but his natural shyness prevented Leo from going ahead and courting her. He really needed some advice from Cole, or so he believed. Still, they were definitely staying a while longer, and Leo figured there would be time for this.
Meanwhile, Cole was glad that his brother understood his need for some time alone. He had guessed that Leo wanted to talk to him about a girl of his own, but at the moment, he really didn't want to hear about love…
Cole had never felt so confused in his life. The longing that was occupying his every waking moment, was one that he had never known. True enough, he had never been alone for very long. The ladies did fancy him a lot. But in return, he had never felt any deep feelings toward them. He liked them well enough; just not in a way that would have moved him into choosing one for life. Now thirty, he had agreed to this arranged marriage, certain that he would never find true love. Cole had decided that he might as well start a family for a good reason, if not for love. "And quite frankly," he thought, until he had come to this castle, he had accepted, and even looked forward to his new life. And then, just when Cole thought that everything was settled, it happened. It had been like a lightning strike. The moment he had seen Phoebe, his heart had jumped. Without knowing why, he knew that she had to be the one. Sadly, fate had cruelly made her the wrong sister…
Cole was torn between his duty and his need for her. This had never been part of the bargain. He couldn't betray his father's wishes, yet how could he ignore the call of his heart?
Maybe if he had thought that she didn't feel the same way he did, he would've tried harder to forget, but he knew she did. With all the fibers of his being, he knew they both shared the same feelings. Yet they also both had a high sense of duty, and those two facts were irreconcilable.
Cole berated himself for his inattention then, as he realized that once again, he had been lost in thoughts and not paying attention to his post. The moment he did, he noticed a movement in the undergrowth. It was much too close for comfort, and he knew that his distraction had allowed an enemy to approach unseen.
Cole strained to see if there were more movements but nothing happened for the next few minutes. He was about to sound the alarm anyway, when an arrow suddenly flew toward him. He never had time to duck, before it entered his shoulder, sending him on his back with a scream of pain. Leo, who had only strayed a few paces away along the parapet, came right back toward his brother, alerted by his scream. He found Cole unconscious, while blood seeped rapidly from his wound. Leo immediately called for the guards to stand ready for a possible attack. Then, he lifted his brother in his arms and nervously carried him toward the castle and the relative safety of its walls. In spite of a renewed alertness from the guards, none of them saw anything else that night. A small group of soldiers was even dispatched to survey the undergrowth, but of the attacker, they found no trace. While a servant attended to his brother, Leo surmised that maybe it had been reprisal from the would-be kidnappers rather than a full-blown attack. Nevertheless, his brother was still badly hurt and the news spread like wildfire throughout the castle.
Piper, who was on her way toward her sister's room, heard the awful news from another servant. She debated for a moment whether she should tell Phoebe about it, and she finally decided that she deserved to know.
Her sister answered at the first knock on her door.
"Who is it?" Phoebe called.
"It's me, Piper. I really need to talk to you."
"If you want to talk about this afternoon, don't bother, I won't cause problems for Prue. I'll just avoid him, that's all…"
Piper tried the door, and since it was unlocked, she entered uninvited to her sister's irritation.
"I told you that I don't want to talk about it."
Piper noticed her puffy eyes, and she knew right away that things were even worse than she imagined.
Phoebe turned away from her sister, angrier with herself for showing weakness than at her sister for intruding.
"Phoebe, something happened, something terrible…" Piper began hesitantly.
Phoebe looked back, suddenly alerted.
"What? Is it Prue?"
Piper looked upon her sister sadly, and then continued.
"No, it's…Cole."
Phoebe almost screamed.
"What about him? What's wrong?"
"He has been hurt; he's in the kitchens now…"
Piper barely had time to finish the sentence before her sister ran out of the room, without a doubt on her way to the kitchens. Piper read actual panic on her sister's face.
Phoebe ran all the way to the kitchens, but she stopped in front of the door, out of breath. Fatigue wasn't what stopped her, however. She feared what she would find inside. If he was dead, she thought that she would die too, of chagrin. She couldn't believe how much he already meant to her, but nothing could prevent this. She had tried so hard to put him out of her mind, but to no avail. Before Piper came in her room, Phoebe was debating leaving the castle, no matter the danger; for she didn't believe that she could stay away from him.
And now, that Cole might be dying, her heart sunk. Finally, she took her courage in hands and entered the room, slowly going to the table where he was lying listlessly. The servants were still busy bandaging the wound, and it at least told her that he was alive. When she got close enough to see his face, she noticed Cole's pallid complexion and she almost fainted out of fright. Unable to resist her impulse, Phoebe bent toward him, touching his face lovingly. She completely forgot about the adverse situation they were facing. All that mattered now was that he lived.
"Please my love, you have to live…" Phoebe whispered as she put a light kiss on his feverish forehead.
That is the moment her sister Prue and his father chose to enter the room. The both of them watch the spectacle with appalled expressions. However, by respect for the wounded, neither one said a word.
It took a long moment for Phoebe to even acknowledge their presence… and even then it was only by a quick nod. Afterward, she ignored all but Cole, as she feared that even one moment of inattention would be the last.
After a while, one of the servants brought a chair so that Phoebe could sit by Cole's side. She accepted gratefully, realizing only then how much the emotions had drained her. All the while the other people in the room found that they didn't want to intrude. Prue stood back, although she was ready to wait as well. The Duke seemed more restless and he went out in the hallway, where he paced back and forth, worried sick about his oldest son.
That whole night and for the best part of the next morning, Cole remained unconscious, and Phoebe never left his side, not even when she saw the looks of reproach from her big sister. Nothing and no one would make her leave him now. Sometimes that morning, Prue left the room to go take care of some domestic task which required her presence, while the Duke went to check on his soldiers, worried as he was that an attack might be imminent.
Leo had stayed in the room however, determined not to leave his brother until he was certain that Cole would live. Phoebe was resting her head lightly on Cole's hand, as she was exhausted and dozed off. Suddenly, she felt his arm moving and she woke right up. . Cole kept his eyes closed but his head was moving as well, as if he was trying to chase sleep away. Finally, he opened his eyes to find Phoebe gazing back at him. Even through the pain, this brought a smile to his lips.
"Am I dead? For I see an angel watching over me…" Cole said in a hoarse voice, still very weak from his ordeal.
Phoebe smiled at the first sign of his possible recovery nonetheless.
"You better stay alive," she said, in a falsely severe tone of voice, "or I will kill you myself for scaring me like this…"
For a long moment afterward, they simply looked into each other's eyes, exchanging without a sound all the words that they couldn't say aloud. Leo, who had also dozed off, woke up and realized that his brother was conscious at last. He came to him with a bright smile.
"Hey you, don't ever do this to me again," he uttered, "I don't think my heart can take it."
Reluctantly, Cole turned toward him, still managing to smile weakly.
"Then," he said "I will have to be more careful, I wouldn't want to have your death on my conscience; heaven forbid…"
Leo laughed heartily at this, now convinced that his brother would be fine as his very special sense of humor had returned as well.
The servant, one with experience with sicknesses and treating them, came around and confirmed it for them.
"The fever has broken, mistress. I do think that the sire will be fine. He only needs to rest from now on."
Phoebe nodded gratefully toward him before looking back toward Cole, barely believing that he was all right.
However, now that the worst of her fears was behind her, the sad reality came back to Phoebe. Nothing had changed; they both knew it. She could read it in his eyes.
She could easily read the sadness in him, because it was echoed by the same sorrow inside of her. Phoebe also realized how exhausted she truly was, when a sudden bout of dizziness shook her. Leo noticed just in time before she fell to the floor. He held on to her to give her a chance to recuperate, and then offered to accompany her to her rooms for some well-needed rest.
Phoebe still hesitated to leave however and when Cole saw her worried expression, he reassured her.
"I will be fine, don't worry…"
The servant added: "Yes mistress, we will take care of him. He will be moved to his room shortly and watched constantly. You should go rest now."
One last time, Phoebe and Cole looked into each other's eyes, knowing that they might get another chance, and then Phoebe allowed Cole's brother to lead her out of the room. Cole watched her going while his expression darkened considerably. He knew that she wouldn't be back.
****************
"Well that is rather sad. I don't think that I could've let you go like this…"
"Those were other times and besides, the story's not over. Although for now, I've got to put this one to bed," she said, indicating Jason, now asleep in her arms.
Cole kissed her on the lips, careful not to disturb the infant.
"I still say that I wouldn't have let you go…"
Phoebe smiled sweetly, and then she left the room with her precious burden.
Coleridge sensed the darklighter and orbed out immediately. This was the third time that night alone. He started to wonder what the deal was. Although darklighters were their mortal enemies, rare were the occasions where they were actively pursuing each other. Yet, at least one of them seemed to be on his tracks. He knew better than going to his charge then, and instead he orbed up. Maybe the darklighter would get tired of waiting?