Banshee Song
Book Two
Chapter Twenty-Nine
"I am so glad this day is over with." Elizabeth rolled her tight, knotted shoulders. She bent her neck to the side and her joints creaked and popped. "Didn't think it would ever end," she continued to herself as she walked home. "Miss Lockeheart seemed to take great delight in keeping me hopping. 'Be a dear and bring me my shawl,' 'This soup is too salty; bring me something else.' Blah, blah, blah. And this woman's going to be Sean's wife?! Well, at least this day can't get any worse."
A loud crack of thunder interrupted her thoughts. Big fat raindrops began pelting her head and shoulders. Elizabeth looked up at the dark sky. "And I spoke too soon."
She ran to a nearby oak tree to escape the sudden downpour. She leaned her back against the large trunk and wrapped her arms around her shivering, rain soaked body. She brushed the wet hair out of her face.
"I guess I'm stuck here until it lets up." She sighed heavily and closed her eyes. "A perfect ending to a perfect day."
"I don't know," a male voice spoke up from the other side of the tree. Elizabeth turned to see Sean coming around the tree toward her. "I can think of worse places to be stuck in, worse people to be stuck with."
Elizabeth stared at Sean. His eyes seemed strangely smoky and the moist air surrounding them seemed to have jumped up twenty degrees. She pulled at the collar of her dress.
"Sean, what are ye doing here?"
He took another step toward her. He wore a strangely serious expression on his face. Elizabeth felt warm inside and her blood began to race.
"I was looking for ye, of course," he replied softly.
Elizabeth licked her dry, parched lips. "Why?"
He continued his slow advance. "I think ye know the answer to that."
Her heart pounded loudly in her chest. "I don't know…"
He caught her suddenly in his arms and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Shhh," he interrupted as his lips descended upon hers. "No more words."
Elizabeth melted against him as her insides turned to jelly. Her knees shook, her body trembled, yet she did not pull away. Instead, she arched her back, thrusting her mouth forward, demanding more of his kiss. Her arms snaked around him and her fingers went wild in his hair.
They broke for air and stood panting as Sean hugged her tightly to him. "I love ye, Sean," Elizabeth whispered.
"I lo…"
But before Sean could finish his words, Miriam appeared suddenly and pulled him away, her cackling laughter echoing loudly in Elizabeth's head.
"Sean, don't go. Don't leave me," Elizabeth moaned. She tossed her head fitfully on the soft pillow.
Sean took her hand and squeezed it. "I'm right here, Beth."
Sheamus narrowed his eyes at Sean from his position on the other side of the bed. He glanced back at his sister. "How the hell did this happen?" he bit out.
In a soft, choked voice Sean relayed what had happened. As he did so, his eyes remained glued to Elizabeth. Rhianna was saddened by the sad guilt that weighed on her brother's shoulders.
"So in other words, it's your fault," Sheamus said coldly.
"Wait," Rhianna soothed, "how is this Sean's fault?"
"I don't know!" he replied hotly. "Except it always seems to come back to ye Cassidys. Da, Mum, now Elizabeth. Why don't ye just drive a knife through my heart!" he yelled, wild with grief and worry.
Sean stared at Sheamus incredulously. "What are ye talking about? I love Elizabeth, I would never do anything to hurt her."
"You've already hurt her! Ye led her on, made her believe ye cared for her – and all the while you're planning to marry someone else. Why do ye think she moved in with me? She was tired of watching the man she loved fawn over someone else."
Sean closed his eyes as his heart twisted with guilt. Rhianna stepped in and placed a calming hand on Sheamus's tense shoulder.
"Let's put aside this other matter for now, okay? The important thing is that Elizabeth is not going to die like your parents. The doctor said so himself."
"Aye, but he also said she might not be herself. What if something's wrong with her?" he asked, his voice like a scared child's.
Rhianna squeezed his shoulder, wanting to comfort him. "She's going to be okay, Sheamus. She has a hard head, like her brother. She's going to wake up and be her old self again. Ye have to believe that."
Sheamus nodded. He swallowed the thick lump in his throat. He turned back to his sister and took her hand. "If ye don't mind, I'd like to be alone with her."
Rhianna found her brother on the balcony, staring out over the sunlit rolling green hills of the estate. She took a place beside him and gazed at the scenery. They stood like that for a few minutes, each seeking to calm their frazzled nerves.
"So, ye love her," Rhianna stated with a small smile.
Sean sighed. "Aye, I do. I always have."
"So why are ye marrying Miss Lockeheart?"
Sean remained silent.
"It's because of me, isn't it? Ye think that if ye marry into money, then I won't have to marry Mr. Dimera."
Sean nodded. Rhianna shook her head. A low chuckle escaped her throat. "Funny story about that. I talked with Father Thomas. There's no way to annul the betrothal. I have to marry Dimera."
Sean's heart dropped. "What? Rhianna, no. There has to be a way out of this."
"There isn't. Not if I want to stay in the church. And don't even think about it. My beliefs are too important to me."
"I know they are," Sean sighed. "I just can't believe that that's it. That months from now ye will be married to him."
Rhianna gazed up at the clear blue sky. "I know. I'm beginning to accept it, though. I mean, it's going to happen whether I accept it or not. So, there's no point in both of us being miserable. Ye might as well be happy."
Sean stared into his sister's eyes and caressed her cheek. "I'm sorry."
Rhianna gave him a small, brave smile. "Don't be. I'll be okay. It will be enough just knowing you're happy."
Sean wrapped his arms around his twin and held her close. They stayed like that for a few minutes, taking comfort in each other's arms. Sean finally broke away and there was a relieved smile on his face.
"So, I guess I better go break it off with Miss Lockeheart."
Rhianna grinned evilly. "Oooh, can I watch?"
Rhianna smiled, lost in thought as she made her way through the castle halls. {I'm glad Sean wasn't in love with Miriam after all. I was beginning to doubt his judgment.} She thought of her brother and Elizabeth and her heart swelled. She was so happy for him; it was obvious they both were in love.
{At least one of us will get to experience love,} she mused. Her cheeks warmed as she remembered the soul-shaking kiss she'd shared with Sheamus the night before. She still tingled with the aftereffect of the kiss – like all her nerves were on fire. She had never felt like that before. Since that night she had been aware of a deep, burning, aching need in the core of her being. Every single inch of her body seemed to be alive, her senses were heightened. She didn't really know how to describe the new feelings and sensations, only that they were like her dreams of late.
Rhianna was so lost in her thoughts that her eyes were focused inward. So it was that she rounded a corner and collided into Sheamus. She found herself pressed against his hard chest. His arms automatically went around her, as if to steady her. She closed her eyes, enjoying for a brief second the feel of being in his arms – how natural it felt to be so close to him, to be able to feel his heart beating. But the moment had to end and with a reluctant, inaudible sigh, she pulled out of his arms.
"Sorry about that," he apologized.
"It's okay. How is she?" Rhianna asked, her voice reflecting her concern for her friend. She noticed the worried pain that flashed in his blue eyes.
"The same," he sighed. "I know that she's going to be okay. I'm just afraid…" he trailed off, lost in worry.
"Afraid of what?"
Sheamus paused before answering, unable to even voice his secret fears. "Of how this may have affected her. Ever since she was little, she's been deathly afraid of small, enclosed spaces. For her to have been trapped down there, in the dark no less, well, I'm afraid she might have been traumatized by it. She was down there for so long. It's my fault – I, I should have been here instead of…"
Rhianna smiled. "Okay, now you're blaming yourself and it's ridiculous. How were ye to know this was going to happen? What, are ye going to stay with her every waking moment, just to be sure that nothing happens to her?"
Sheamus's shoulders slumped and Rhianna could see the guilt that racked his body. "It's just… I promised Mum I would always take care of her, and the one time she needed me I wasn't here."
"No, but Sean was. He got her out and then he got her help – and he has stayed by her side every second since then. Ye can't be her protector forever. One day you're going to have to turn that job over to someone else – someone who loves her. Like Sean."
Sheamus grumbled with dislike. He wasn't yet ready to forgive Sean for toying with Elizabeth's emotions. "What about Miss Lockeheart?" he asked pointedly.
A shrill feminine voice rent the air around them. "YE BASTARD!" A loud WHAP followed.
Rhianna smiled. "I'd say he's taking care of that right now."
Sheamus chuckled and Rhianna was pleased that he seemed to be softening. "So, does that mean he has your blessing?" she asked with a wide smile.
"What?!"
Rhianna was still laughing at the expression on his face when she heard the bell for the front door ring. She went to answer the door, with Sheamus following. The heavy oak door swung open and Rhianna was surprised to see the man standing there.
"Father Thomas!" she exclaimed. The elderly priest wore a sober expression on his face. He greeted them both gravely.
"Lady Cassidy, Mr. Brady. We need to talk."
Book Two
Chapter Twenty-Nine
"I am so glad this day is over with." Elizabeth rolled her tight, knotted shoulders. She bent her neck to the side and her joints creaked and popped. "Didn't think it would ever end," she continued to herself as she walked home. "Miss Lockeheart seemed to take great delight in keeping me hopping. 'Be a dear and bring me my shawl,' 'This soup is too salty; bring me something else.' Blah, blah, blah. And this woman's going to be Sean's wife?! Well, at least this day can't get any worse."
A loud crack of thunder interrupted her thoughts. Big fat raindrops began pelting her head and shoulders. Elizabeth looked up at the dark sky. "And I spoke too soon."
She ran to a nearby oak tree to escape the sudden downpour. She leaned her back against the large trunk and wrapped her arms around her shivering, rain soaked body. She brushed the wet hair out of her face.
"I guess I'm stuck here until it lets up." She sighed heavily and closed her eyes. "A perfect ending to a perfect day."
"I don't know," a male voice spoke up from the other side of the tree. Elizabeth turned to see Sean coming around the tree toward her. "I can think of worse places to be stuck in, worse people to be stuck with."
Elizabeth stared at Sean. His eyes seemed strangely smoky and the moist air surrounding them seemed to have jumped up twenty degrees. She pulled at the collar of her dress.
"Sean, what are ye doing here?"
He took another step toward her. He wore a strangely serious expression on his face. Elizabeth felt warm inside and her blood began to race.
"I was looking for ye, of course," he replied softly.
Elizabeth licked her dry, parched lips. "Why?"
He continued his slow advance. "I think ye know the answer to that."
Her heart pounded loudly in her chest. "I don't know…"
He caught her suddenly in his arms and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Shhh," he interrupted as his lips descended upon hers. "No more words."
Elizabeth melted against him as her insides turned to jelly. Her knees shook, her body trembled, yet she did not pull away. Instead, she arched her back, thrusting her mouth forward, demanding more of his kiss. Her arms snaked around him and her fingers went wild in his hair.
They broke for air and stood panting as Sean hugged her tightly to him. "I love ye, Sean," Elizabeth whispered.
"I lo…"
But before Sean could finish his words, Miriam appeared suddenly and pulled him away, her cackling laughter echoing loudly in Elizabeth's head.
"Sean, don't go. Don't leave me," Elizabeth moaned. She tossed her head fitfully on the soft pillow.
Sean took her hand and squeezed it. "I'm right here, Beth."
Sheamus narrowed his eyes at Sean from his position on the other side of the bed. He glanced back at his sister. "How the hell did this happen?" he bit out.
In a soft, choked voice Sean relayed what had happened. As he did so, his eyes remained glued to Elizabeth. Rhianna was saddened by the sad guilt that weighed on her brother's shoulders.
"So in other words, it's your fault," Sheamus said coldly.
"Wait," Rhianna soothed, "how is this Sean's fault?"
"I don't know!" he replied hotly. "Except it always seems to come back to ye Cassidys. Da, Mum, now Elizabeth. Why don't ye just drive a knife through my heart!" he yelled, wild with grief and worry.
Sean stared at Sheamus incredulously. "What are ye talking about? I love Elizabeth, I would never do anything to hurt her."
"You've already hurt her! Ye led her on, made her believe ye cared for her – and all the while you're planning to marry someone else. Why do ye think she moved in with me? She was tired of watching the man she loved fawn over someone else."
Sean closed his eyes as his heart twisted with guilt. Rhianna stepped in and placed a calming hand on Sheamus's tense shoulder.
"Let's put aside this other matter for now, okay? The important thing is that Elizabeth is not going to die like your parents. The doctor said so himself."
"Aye, but he also said she might not be herself. What if something's wrong with her?" he asked, his voice like a scared child's.
Rhianna squeezed his shoulder, wanting to comfort him. "She's going to be okay, Sheamus. She has a hard head, like her brother. She's going to wake up and be her old self again. Ye have to believe that."
Sheamus nodded. He swallowed the thick lump in his throat. He turned back to his sister and took her hand. "If ye don't mind, I'd like to be alone with her."
Rhianna found her brother on the balcony, staring out over the sunlit rolling green hills of the estate. She took a place beside him and gazed at the scenery. They stood like that for a few minutes, each seeking to calm their frazzled nerves.
"So, ye love her," Rhianna stated with a small smile.
Sean sighed. "Aye, I do. I always have."
"So why are ye marrying Miss Lockeheart?"
Sean remained silent.
"It's because of me, isn't it? Ye think that if ye marry into money, then I won't have to marry Mr. Dimera."
Sean nodded. Rhianna shook her head. A low chuckle escaped her throat. "Funny story about that. I talked with Father Thomas. There's no way to annul the betrothal. I have to marry Dimera."
Sean's heart dropped. "What? Rhianna, no. There has to be a way out of this."
"There isn't. Not if I want to stay in the church. And don't even think about it. My beliefs are too important to me."
"I know they are," Sean sighed. "I just can't believe that that's it. That months from now ye will be married to him."
Rhianna gazed up at the clear blue sky. "I know. I'm beginning to accept it, though. I mean, it's going to happen whether I accept it or not. So, there's no point in both of us being miserable. Ye might as well be happy."
Sean stared into his sister's eyes and caressed her cheek. "I'm sorry."
Rhianna gave him a small, brave smile. "Don't be. I'll be okay. It will be enough just knowing you're happy."
Sean wrapped his arms around his twin and held her close. They stayed like that for a few minutes, taking comfort in each other's arms. Sean finally broke away and there was a relieved smile on his face.
"So, I guess I better go break it off with Miss Lockeheart."
Rhianna grinned evilly. "Oooh, can I watch?"
Rhianna smiled, lost in thought as she made her way through the castle halls. {I'm glad Sean wasn't in love with Miriam after all. I was beginning to doubt his judgment.} She thought of her brother and Elizabeth and her heart swelled. She was so happy for him; it was obvious they both were in love.
{At least one of us will get to experience love,} she mused. Her cheeks warmed as she remembered the soul-shaking kiss she'd shared with Sheamus the night before. She still tingled with the aftereffect of the kiss – like all her nerves were on fire. She had never felt like that before. Since that night she had been aware of a deep, burning, aching need in the core of her being. Every single inch of her body seemed to be alive, her senses were heightened. She didn't really know how to describe the new feelings and sensations, only that they were like her dreams of late.
Rhianna was so lost in her thoughts that her eyes were focused inward. So it was that she rounded a corner and collided into Sheamus. She found herself pressed against his hard chest. His arms automatically went around her, as if to steady her. She closed her eyes, enjoying for a brief second the feel of being in his arms – how natural it felt to be so close to him, to be able to feel his heart beating. But the moment had to end and with a reluctant, inaudible sigh, she pulled out of his arms.
"Sorry about that," he apologized.
"It's okay. How is she?" Rhianna asked, her voice reflecting her concern for her friend. She noticed the worried pain that flashed in his blue eyes.
"The same," he sighed. "I know that she's going to be okay. I'm just afraid…" he trailed off, lost in worry.
"Afraid of what?"
Sheamus paused before answering, unable to even voice his secret fears. "Of how this may have affected her. Ever since she was little, she's been deathly afraid of small, enclosed spaces. For her to have been trapped down there, in the dark no less, well, I'm afraid she might have been traumatized by it. She was down there for so long. It's my fault – I, I should have been here instead of…"
Rhianna smiled. "Okay, now you're blaming yourself and it's ridiculous. How were ye to know this was going to happen? What, are ye going to stay with her every waking moment, just to be sure that nothing happens to her?"
Sheamus's shoulders slumped and Rhianna could see the guilt that racked his body. "It's just… I promised Mum I would always take care of her, and the one time she needed me I wasn't here."
"No, but Sean was. He got her out and then he got her help – and he has stayed by her side every second since then. Ye can't be her protector forever. One day you're going to have to turn that job over to someone else – someone who loves her. Like Sean."
Sheamus grumbled with dislike. He wasn't yet ready to forgive Sean for toying with Elizabeth's emotions. "What about Miss Lockeheart?" he asked pointedly.
A shrill feminine voice rent the air around them. "YE BASTARD!" A loud WHAP followed.
Rhianna smiled. "I'd say he's taking care of that right now."
Sheamus chuckled and Rhianna was pleased that he seemed to be softening. "So, does that mean he has your blessing?" she asked with a wide smile.
"What?!"
Rhianna was still laughing at the expression on his face when she heard the bell for the front door ring. She went to answer the door, with Sheamus following. The heavy oak door swung open and Rhianna was surprised to see the man standing there.
"Father Thomas!" she exclaimed. The elderly priest wore a sober expression on his face. He greeted them both gravely.
"Lady Cassidy, Mr. Brady. We need to talk."
