Disclaimer: All the Nightworld concepts, ideas, names, basically anything
you recognize belongs to L.J. Smith. I've just created a few characters to
stick into the Nightworld.
And a shout out to my lovely reviewers. You guys are the best.
amber-rules: *Winces* I put the story on hold for a while because I was at a loss as to how to continue after accidentally turning my hero into a complete loony in the first chapter. Then one day I finally sat my lazy butt down in a chair and, voila the last chapter was born! I am now attempting to be more timely. As for the vampire *grins sheepishly* it's a secret. (In fact it's so secret I don't know myself.) I will say it's not Thorne as the action is happening in the present.
Bex Drake: *Beams* Thank you ever so much! I'm glad you liked Phoena's perspective. She seemed the best way to get some background across without getting bogged down in Sybil or Thorne's emotions. And, frankly Thorne's mind is a scary place. ^_^
A/N: My first L.J. Smith fanfic so all thoughts would be truly, madly appreciated.
Rated PG-13
Yesterdays: Chapter 3
Thorne Redfern dreamt the dreams of the damned. Not the meaningless dreams of most, but recollections of a life that could not, would not be forgotten. His mind was a shroud of darkness penetrated only by words long remembered. And long abhorred.
"The boy has no power." The voice was sad, weary and followed by others that jeered.
"He's vermin."
". . not one of us."
"How could such a thing be born?"
". . . an abomination."
And out of the shadows came two faces: one male, one female. The dark prince and the golden maiden. Midnight, and Twilight. Two opposites, bound by love - for each other, and for the little boy who grasped the woman's hand, cowering away from the malicious voices. ~His parents. ~
They had loved him, he knew that. They had left the Nightworld, all they knew for love of him. A witch boy without a drop of magick in his veins, they had adored him just the same. That was life. This was a dream.
The boy looked up at the woman's face as she tugged her hand free and stepped away from him. He could see it in her face. There was a flicker behind Thorne's closed eyelids as he squeezed his eyes tighter shut, as though that would keep the blow from falling. But of course it couldn't. The woman, his mother, spoke. "Monster," she called him.
Thorne Redfern shot up in his bed. And blinked in confusion. He squinted at the clock. 2:00. He had woken up early this time. He'd been having the same dream every night for five months now, so he pretty much had the routine down pat. His dead, beloved parents would hurl abuse and look so damn disappointed at what he'd become. Then the best and only friend he ever had would chime in. Then, just when things couldn't get any worse they did, and his soulmate would appear.
His soulmate. He sagged against the headboard. That was what had woken him up. Not the dream but the tinge of electricity that was sparking through his system and could only mean one thing. *She* was back. His nightmare was not over, merely replaced by another and he'd much rather have the first because it at least would be gone come morning.
***
It was a little past three in the morning when Sybil and Phoena reached their hotel. Away from the curious ears of others they could finally discuss their mission.
"We need a plan." Sybil stated the obvious. "He's not exactly going to welcome me with open arms."
"He might." Phoena had considered this all through the plane ride and had come up with exactly one very flawed plan. "If you convince him you love him, pretend you can't live without him."
~What if I don't have to pretend?~ The thought was fleeting but so shocking it put Sybil in a mild state of panic. No, that couldn't be right. Of course she'd have to pretend. She didn't love him. The panic eased, only to be replaced with bitterness. No, she didn't love him. Maybe she had once, but that had been an illusion. She'd loved who she'd thought he was. A boy who wore his face but didn't exist. And oh, how it hurt, knowing she'd soon see that face again, but never that boy. She couldn't bear it.
"I – I can't," she whispered.
"Of course you can," Phoena said calmly, thinking Sybil was talking about the plan. "It'll only be for a little while. And then when you get close enough to do the mind melding thing, you can figure out where the scroll is and then we'll be done here."
"If I get that close, he'll see why I'm really here," Sybil pointed out.
Phoena mulled that over. "Can't you throw up a shield or something?"
"And that won't be suspicious?" Sybil asked incredulously. "He's not an idiot as much as we may wish he was."
"Would you really want to be soulmated to an idiot?"
"It could only be an improvement," Sybil muttered. She shook her head and gave Phoena an exasperated look. "Can we focus here? This is only my demise we're talking about."
Phoena winced; she didn't want to think of it that way. "It'll only be your demise if he finds out. The longer you're there the greater the chance of that happening is."
"Which part of that is supposed to make me feel better?" Sybil wondered.
"If you'll let me finish."
Sybil waved a hand. "Sure take your time. I have no pressing engagements."
"If you can convince him you love him, he'll let you closer than he would otherwise." Phoena spoke slowly as though explaining something to a dull witted child. "Then you can use the soulmate link to wander 'round his mind - as long as you keep him out of yours."
"I think you've wandered 'round the bend. How exactly am I supposed to keep him out of my mind?"
"Shield."
"Were you not listening earlier? That'll make him suspicious."
"Better to have him be suspicious than for him to know for sure," Phoena pointed out. "If you can get it out of him in one go then *we* can go and that'll be the end of it."
"That would be the end of us. If I leave right after I've claimed to love him he'll know something's up. What if he moves the scrolls? Then we'd be right back where we started and he'd trust me even less."
"So after you find out, let me know. You stay with him 'till *I* lift the scrolls and then we can go." Phoena sighed at the doubt written all over the witch's face. "It's the only shot we have," she said softly.
Sybil shook her head. "He'll come after us. He won't be able to stand being made a fool of that way."
"Don't you think he would come after us, whatever method we used? We just have to trust that Daybreak will be able to protect us."
Sybil didn't bother to tell her no one could hide from Thorne Redfern when he was on the warpath. ~These better be some amazing scrolls. ~
***
A/N: Reviews are loved, worshipped and cherished. Please let me know what you think.
And a shout out to my lovely reviewers. You guys are the best.
amber-rules: *Winces* I put the story on hold for a while because I was at a loss as to how to continue after accidentally turning my hero into a complete loony in the first chapter. Then one day I finally sat my lazy butt down in a chair and, voila the last chapter was born! I am now attempting to be more timely. As for the vampire *grins sheepishly* it's a secret. (In fact it's so secret I don't know myself.) I will say it's not Thorne as the action is happening in the present.
Bex Drake: *Beams* Thank you ever so much! I'm glad you liked Phoena's perspective. She seemed the best way to get some background across without getting bogged down in Sybil or Thorne's emotions. And, frankly Thorne's mind is a scary place. ^_^
A/N: My first L.J. Smith fanfic so all thoughts would be truly, madly appreciated.
Rated PG-13
Yesterdays: Chapter 3
Thorne Redfern dreamt the dreams of the damned. Not the meaningless dreams of most, but recollections of a life that could not, would not be forgotten. His mind was a shroud of darkness penetrated only by words long remembered. And long abhorred.
"The boy has no power." The voice was sad, weary and followed by others that jeered.
"He's vermin."
". . not one of us."
"How could such a thing be born?"
". . . an abomination."
And out of the shadows came two faces: one male, one female. The dark prince and the golden maiden. Midnight, and Twilight. Two opposites, bound by love - for each other, and for the little boy who grasped the woman's hand, cowering away from the malicious voices. ~His parents. ~
They had loved him, he knew that. They had left the Nightworld, all they knew for love of him. A witch boy without a drop of magick in his veins, they had adored him just the same. That was life. This was a dream.
The boy looked up at the woman's face as she tugged her hand free and stepped away from him. He could see it in her face. There was a flicker behind Thorne's closed eyelids as he squeezed his eyes tighter shut, as though that would keep the blow from falling. But of course it couldn't. The woman, his mother, spoke. "Monster," she called him.
Thorne Redfern shot up in his bed. And blinked in confusion. He squinted at the clock. 2:00. He had woken up early this time. He'd been having the same dream every night for five months now, so he pretty much had the routine down pat. His dead, beloved parents would hurl abuse and look so damn disappointed at what he'd become. Then the best and only friend he ever had would chime in. Then, just when things couldn't get any worse they did, and his soulmate would appear.
His soulmate. He sagged against the headboard. That was what had woken him up. Not the dream but the tinge of electricity that was sparking through his system and could only mean one thing. *She* was back. His nightmare was not over, merely replaced by another and he'd much rather have the first because it at least would be gone come morning.
***
It was a little past three in the morning when Sybil and Phoena reached their hotel. Away from the curious ears of others they could finally discuss their mission.
"We need a plan." Sybil stated the obvious. "He's not exactly going to welcome me with open arms."
"He might." Phoena had considered this all through the plane ride and had come up with exactly one very flawed plan. "If you convince him you love him, pretend you can't live without him."
~What if I don't have to pretend?~ The thought was fleeting but so shocking it put Sybil in a mild state of panic. No, that couldn't be right. Of course she'd have to pretend. She didn't love him. The panic eased, only to be replaced with bitterness. No, she didn't love him. Maybe she had once, but that had been an illusion. She'd loved who she'd thought he was. A boy who wore his face but didn't exist. And oh, how it hurt, knowing she'd soon see that face again, but never that boy. She couldn't bear it.
"I – I can't," she whispered.
"Of course you can," Phoena said calmly, thinking Sybil was talking about the plan. "It'll only be for a little while. And then when you get close enough to do the mind melding thing, you can figure out where the scroll is and then we'll be done here."
"If I get that close, he'll see why I'm really here," Sybil pointed out.
Phoena mulled that over. "Can't you throw up a shield or something?"
"And that won't be suspicious?" Sybil asked incredulously. "He's not an idiot as much as we may wish he was."
"Would you really want to be soulmated to an idiot?"
"It could only be an improvement," Sybil muttered. She shook her head and gave Phoena an exasperated look. "Can we focus here? This is only my demise we're talking about."
Phoena winced; she didn't want to think of it that way. "It'll only be your demise if he finds out. The longer you're there the greater the chance of that happening is."
"Which part of that is supposed to make me feel better?" Sybil wondered.
"If you'll let me finish."
Sybil waved a hand. "Sure take your time. I have no pressing engagements."
"If you can convince him you love him, he'll let you closer than he would otherwise." Phoena spoke slowly as though explaining something to a dull witted child. "Then you can use the soulmate link to wander 'round his mind - as long as you keep him out of yours."
"I think you've wandered 'round the bend. How exactly am I supposed to keep him out of my mind?"
"Shield."
"Were you not listening earlier? That'll make him suspicious."
"Better to have him be suspicious than for him to know for sure," Phoena pointed out. "If you can get it out of him in one go then *we* can go and that'll be the end of it."
"That would be the end of us. If I leave right after I've claimed to love him he'll know something's up. What if he moves the scrolls? Then we'd be right back where we started and he'd trust me even less."
"So after you find out, let me know. You stay with him 'till *I* lift the scrolls and then we can go." Phoena sighed at the doubt written all over the witch's face. "It's the only shot we have," she said softly.
Sybil shook her head. "He'll come after us. He won't be able to stand being made a fool of that way."
"Don't you think he would come after us, whatever method we used? We just have to trust that Daybreak will be able to protect us."
Sybil didn't bother to tell her no one could hide from Thorne Redfern when he was on the warpath. ~These better be some amazing scrolls. ~
***
A/N: Reviews are loved, worshipped and cherished. Please let me know what you think.