Chapter Ten
After the meeting, things began to change. Sarah returned to the coven only long enough to initiate Val, and then she was gone again. She was spending all her time with Gabriel, but no one knew that. Every time someone decided the coven ought to meet, whether Sabbat, Esbat or organizational meeting, Chakira always found some reason why she couldn't come. Nasira, as Maiden, took Chakira's place as High Priestess and the coven went on without her. However, it just was not the same.
Val found out the truth one day, when he was reading the paper. He always skimmed the engagement announcements, wedding announcements and anniversaries; before moving on to the community news. This time, one specific announcement caught his eye. It was the same as all the others, yet different from anything he had ever seen in this section before. That picture...He recognized it...
"Morgead O'Connell and Sarah-Sinead Fairchild." Val read aloud. "October wedding planned."
Morgead O'Connell was merely the human name Morgead was using. And Chakira's real name was Sarah-Sinead, wasn't it? That meant she was probably engaged...To Gabriel. An October wedding planned? Val looked at the date. Samhain. The time of the year when the veil between the worlds was thinnest...And Gabriel could invite anyone or anything to the wedding. This made Val shiver.
He had to talk to Sarah. First, he had to make some other calls. Val dialed Nasira's number.
"Hello?"
"Have you heard the news, Nasira?"
"What news?"
"Open today's paper to the wedding announcements."
There was a pause while Nasira fetched the paper. In a little bit, Val heard Nasira turning the pages. There was another pause while she scanned the announcements. Suddenly, there was a sharp intake of breath on the other end.
"Val?"
"Yea?"
"What's Chakira's real name?"
"I think its Sarah Sinead Fairchild."
"Oh Goddess." Nasira said softly.
"But why is he marrying someone so young?" Val asked. "Why not a woman closer to the age of his current body?"
"I think M'Lila knows the legend behind that."
"Chakira's engaged? To Morgead? Yea, I think I have seen the legend to that. Hang on."
"Find anything?" Val asked, after a little bit of a pause on the other end.
"Here's the first legend. The one about Morgead marrying between 11 and midnight on the eve of the millennium, and consummating it right away..."
"Jericho Caine made that nice and forfeit. Anything else?"
"Mmhmm. It says here, that if the first marriage cannot be accomplished, there's a second chance to be had."
"What's that?" Val asked.
M'Lila read the page out of the old book in front of her:
If it happens that Satan cannot marry and have his marriage consummated between eleven p.m. and midnight, on the eve of the millennium, for whatever reason, he shall have another chance.
There shall be a child of Irish descent, born between January 31, 1980 and October 31, 1988. She is the one that shall marry Satan. By the time the world reaches January 1, 2010, this young woman shall be between the physical ages of 16 and 20, but shall be no more than 700 years in the passage of astral time.
The closer to the age of 16 and the exact day the girl turns 700; the more destruction shall be in Satan's hands. Aradia grant that the legend shall not be fulfilled.
"What about Samhain?"
"That's the day Chakira joins the 700 Club."
"How old will she be, physically?"
"17."
Now it was Val's turn to say "Oh Goddess". Samhain was less than a week away...That means the wedding was announced late. It was also a sign that Val would have to talk Chakira out of the wedding, quickly. And hope she wasn't too far gone to understand the dange of all this.
"Sarah-Sinead Fairchild's office. May I help you?"
Office? This was weird. Last Val knew, Sarah had a dead-end job at some metaphysical company. She had no hope of advancement, Sarah had told him, not long after they met. This was certainly a change.
"I'd like to talk to Miss Fairchild, please."
"Whom may I say is calling?"
"Her partner in crime."
Val paused, to see if the secretary would accept that. He must have, because a few moments later, Val heard muzak on the line. What was taking Sarah so long? Finally, someone picked up the phone on the other end.
"Hello, this is Sarah."
"It's Val."
"Hello Valentino, darling. How are you?" she asked in quite a different voice than what he was used to.
"Fine. Listen, I need to talk to you before your wedding."
"This must be important, luv. I'm an awfully busy woman."
"It is important." Valentino insisted.
"If you must, then. I have my final dress fitting tomorrow...I can see you afterwards at the Compound, if you'd like."
"Whatever."
"Splendid! Shall I send a car after you, dear?" Sarah asked.
"No, that's fine. I can get there myself."
"Suit yourself, darling. Ciao!"
Val hung up the phone. Sarah had just finished acting very odd. Almost as if it were quite natural to be Morgead's fiancé. That love potion Gabriel slipped her must have been some pretty tough stuff. Nevertheless, Val would soon talk to her, and make her see that her wedding was a mistake. She would have to see it was a mistake Sarah-Sinead would not destroy the world intentionally...Or would she?
After the meeting, things began to change. Sarah returned to the coven only long enough to initiate Val, and then she was gone again. She was spending all her time with Gabriel, but no one knew that. Every time someone decided the coven ought to meet, whether Sabbat, Esbat or organizational meeting, Chakira always found some reason why she couldn't come. Nasira, as Maiden, took Chakira's place as High Priestess and the coven went on without her. However, it just was not the same.
Val found out the truth one day, when he was reading the paper. He always skimmed the engagement announcements, wedding announcements and anniversaries; before moving on to the community news. This time, one specific announcement caught his eye. It was the same as all the others, yet different from anything he had ever seen in this section before. That picture...He recognized it...
"Morgead O'Connell and Sarah-Sinead Fairchild." Val read aloud. "October wedding planned."
Morgead O'Connell was merely the human name Morgead was using. And Chakira's real name was Sarah-Sinead, wasn't it? That meant she was probably engaged...To Gabriel. An October wedding planned? Val looked at the date. Samhain. The time of the year when the veil between the worlds was thinnest...And Gabriel could invite anyone or anything to the wedding. This made Val shiver.
He had to talk to Sarah. First, he had to make some other calls. Val dialed Nasira's number.
"Hello?"
"Have you heard the news, Nasira?"
"What news?"
"Open today's paper to the wedding announcements."
There was a pause while Nasira fetched the paper. In a little bit, Val heard Nasira turning the pages. There was another pause while she scanned the announcements. Suddenly, there was a sharp intake of breath on the other end.
"Val?"
"Yea?"
"What's Chakira's real name?"
"I think its Sarah Sinead Fairchild."
"Oh Goddess." Nasira said softly.
"But why is he marrying someone so young?" Val asked. "Why not a woman closer to the age of his current body?"
"I think M'Lila knows the legend behind that."
"Chakira's engaged? To Morgead? Yea, I think I have seen the legend to that. Hang on."
"Find anything?" Val asked, after a little bit of a pause on the other end.
"Here's the first legend. The one about Morgead marrying between 11 and midnight on the eve of the millennium, and consummating it right away..."
"Jericho Caine made that nice and forfeit. Anything else?"
"Mmhmm. It says here, that if the first marriage cannot be accomplished, there's a second chance to be had."
"What's that?" Val asked.
M'Lila read the page out of the old book in front of her:
If it happens that Satan cannot marry and have his marriage consummated between eleven p.m. and midnight, on the eve of the millennium, for whatever reason, he shall have another chance.
There shall be a child of Irish descent, born between January 31, 1980 and October 31, 1988. She is the one that shall marry Satan. By the time the world reaches January 1, 2010, this young woman shall be between the physical ages of 16 and 20, but shall be no more than 700 years in the passage of astral time.
The closer to the age of 16 and the exact day the girl turns 700; the more destruction shall be in Satan's hands. Aradia grant that the legend shall not be fulfilled.
"What about Samhain?"
"That's the day Chakira joins the 700 Club."
"How old will she be, physically?"
"17."
Now it was Val's turn to say "Oh Goddess". Samhain was less than a week away...That means the wedding was announced late. It was also a sign that Val would have to talk Chakira out of the wedding, quickly. And hope she wasn't too far gone to understand the dange of all this.
"Sarah-Sinead Fairchild's office. May I help you?"
Office? This was weird. Last Val knew, Sarah had a dead-end job at some metaphysical company. She had no hope of advancement, Sarah had told him, not long after they met. This was certainly a change.
"I'd like to talk to Miss Fairchild, please."
"Whom may I say is calling?"
"Her partner in crime."
Val paused, to see if the secretary would accept that. He must have, because a few moments later, Val heard muzak on the line. What was taking Sarah so long? Finally, someone picked up the phone on the other end.
"Hello, this is Sarah."
"It's Val."
"Hello Valentino, darling. How are you?" she asked in quite a different voice than what he was used to.
"Fine. Listen, I need to talk to you before your wedding."
"This must be important, luv. I'm an awfully busy woman."
"It is important." Valentino insisted.
"If you must, then. I have my final dress fitting tomorrow...I can see you afterwards at the Compound, if you'd like."
"Whatever."
"Splendid! Shall I send a car after you, dear?" Sarah asked.
"No, that's fine. I can get there myself."
"Suit yourself, darling. Ciao!"
Val hung up the phone. Sarah had just finished acting very odd. Almost as if it were quite natural to be Morgead's fiancé. That love potion Gabriel slipped her must have been some pretty tough stuff. Nevertheless, Val would soon talk to her, and make her see that her wedding was a mistake. She would have to see it was a mistake Sarah-Sinead would not destroy the world intentionally...Or would she?