AN: Okay, this chappie will seem a bit confusing because Marquette summons a spirit, and she's never really given one a physical form before, so how does she do it on the first try, right? Well, I'll tell you how….in Legend of Shadow Goddess, the second installment of the CotN. Oooh…Sounds like cotton…
Marquette imagined what her energy looked like and shaped it into a ball, just as Asheru had suggested. She knew exactly whom she wanted to materialize. Aidrian, her best friend, the one she had killed. They had been together since forever. This forever, though. She remembered the incident like it had just happened, instead of being a couple of years ago. They had gone exploring again, and some of the tomb had been falling apart. He had said they should turn back, but she insisted. She loved old tombs. She loved spending time together like the old days before he had moved away from the dig site. He had fell. He fell and the darkness, the stench, had taken him away from her. She wanted that comfort from him back. No matter what he was like, even if he was a dumb ghost like Casper.
She called him to her, whispering his name and throwing her energy into his form little by little. It was draining her, and she could feel her energy slowly leaving her. She was so tired, but knew she had to continue now or lose him again. She felt, rather than saw, the black soul remnants that Stanton had so easily seen clinging to her detach and wrap around her energy to form Aidrian's physical body. It was taking shape of the body she knew so well, young and fit. She continued whispering, calling out his name in a tiny, weak voice...
A hand touched her shoulder. She moaned softly and opened her eyes to a light much brighter than the one in the living room, where she had been trying to bring Aidrian to her. She was in her room now, lying on her bed. Above her was a face so familiar, she wanted to cry. His grin was broad and glowing. Just the same as that day. As every day before that.
"Hey, babe," Aidrian said. She cried out and sat up, despite the nauseous feeling, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. She clung so tightly, she didn't even care that normally this would have really made him lose breath. But he just held onto her as well, held on to her just as tightly.
"It worked. Oh, Mater Luna, it worked," she whispered, tears flowing down her face in a never-ending stream.
"Yes. You summoned me, Mistress. What is your bidding?" Aidrian asked, his voice cunning and so missed. She laughed. He was always joking around with her.
"Oh, Ash. It worked!" She grinned a watery smile at the demon.
Asheru smiled back at her.
Marquette looked back to Aidrian. She was exploring his face, petting his hair, breathing in his scent. "Oh, Aidrian. So much has been happening!"
He nodded. "I know. It's the advantage to being dead, I suppose. So, is there some important mission you want to send me on? Some fun, perhaps?" He waggled his eyebrows.
She stared deeply into his hazel eyes. "I need you to watch Kearney for me. I have Asheru to watch over me now, but I fear for my friend. Serene poses such a threat. Will you do that? Can you do that?"
He looked at her with a certain familiar look that always made her feel stupid. "Of course, babe. I can do anything. Mission: Protect Princess of the Night is under way."
He mock saluted, and then sort of fizzled out. Marq felt a heaviness in her heart as he left her.
Ash looked at Marquette. "Do you think that Serene will go after Kearney?"
"Maris persuaded Jessimar to not save you. She has to blame Maris as she blames Jessimar," Marq figured.
She looked up at him, longing for another kiss. He seemed to read her mind. Leaning down again, he pressed his lips firmly against hers. She pressed back, locking her hands around his neck.
A sudden knock at the door pulled them apart. "Ketti, I'm ordering Chinese. Come on downstairs with me."
xXxXxXxXxXxXx
Kearney traced the design of her dragon medallion over and over again. Her mother was a fallen goddess, her father a former Atrox member from forever ago. She wondered if the people she had grown with were her even her real parents. And her brothers... Did they even belong to her?
"Wow, nice pendant."
She screamed and jumped off her bed, tripping over her long skirt. The boy who spoke scooped her up before she fell and set her down easily back on the bed. He had such a friendly smile. His eyes were hazel and beautiful, but there seemed to be no life behind them--not like a regular person's eyes. His wavy brown hair was thick and highlighted with blonde. He was tall, over six foot, and he had muscles. Nice muscles. She blushed as she thought about they way they had felt for those very few seconds.
"I'm sorry to frighten you, Kearney. Actually... I'm not," he laughed as he said this. "I guess it's only natural for ghosts to want to scare people." He tilted his head at her, reminding her of the dogs she had seen growing up.
"You're a ghost?" Wow. "So, Marquette…?"
"You can call me Aidrian, Mistress Kearney," Aidrian informed. He bowed down low in a mocking way, taking her hand in his. She laughed, pulling her hand away from him.
"Marquette sent you to me?" she asked curiously. Who was this boy and why him exactly?
"Of course, honey. I was her best friend before, now I'm here to guard her new best friend. The only things I can't do for you is kill, go back to Marq, and do your homework. Of course, I should also explain that I can't grant wishes. Dead, not genie. Let's remember that, too. Everything else is fair game," he explained, puffing out his chest to make himself look bigger, more important.
"So, you're like a slave?"
"On the contrary, fair princess." He grabbed her warm hand again and kissed it this time. "It will be an honor to serve you. As companion and protector. Not slave."
She found herself unable to stop grinning. He was such a flirt, so charming. It was a little annoying that Marq had sent her a bodyguard like him, or one at all even, but she guessed she'd have to forgive her. He was entertaining at least.
Aidrian was examining her room now with interest. "Nice digs, honey."
"Do you require any care?"
"Dead, Kearney. Not a hamster. Just stroke my ego at least once a day, and you'll have a happy little spirit companion," he told her, grinning widely.
"Sorry. Are you sure you wouldn't want an exercise wheel?" She inquired, cocking an eyebrow up at him.
He laughed loudly at her question, amused. Oh yeah. He saw them getting along greatly. "Be lucky. Not everyone gets their own shade, right?"
She nodded her agreement. "Well, then, Aidrian of the Shades, your first duty is…to clean my room. It's getting messy."
He sighed and did a mock salute. "Yes, your highness." That was never going to happen. Aidrian didn't even clean his own room when he was alive.
xXxXxXxXx
Marquette pulled out her books, then slammed the locker door shut. She looked to the right and saw Serena, who waved from down the hall.
Serena, did Stanton say anything more about Serene? Marquette thought at her.
I'm afraid not, Serena thought back.
Marquette sighed. She shifted her books and felt an invisible hand on her shoulder. She smiled, and thanked Asheru silently, though she wasn't sure if he had the same powers here as back in the dream world. Kearney sidled up to her, wearing her traditional clothing. Marq felt another invisible hand tweak her ear.
"Hey, Aidrian," she muttered. Kearney smiled at her, her mismatched eyes sparkling.
"Sup, babe?" Aidrian whispered in her ear.
"How are you dealing with lug head?" Marq asked her friend.
Kearney shrugged. "Thanks for the protection. I appreciate it. If he proves himself when it comes down to crunch time, at least."
The blonde threw an arm around her shoulders and gave her a small squeeze. "What are friends for?" She saw the strained smile on Kearney's face. "You worried, Princess?"
"Are you, Shadow?"
The bell rang, and Marquette winced. She was going to have to complain. Kearney grinned and headed off towards biology as Marq followed Serena's trail to history.