Chapter 9

Several hours had passed with no sign of Trent. I had a sinking feeling that he was in the ever-after so I immediately had called Al and tried to get him to jump me over. He refused saying that looking for my nasty little elf wasn't a good enough reason to give me a trip through the lines. After using a few choice words that had involved frying some of his important guy parts he said he would go take a look around for Trent. I knew he wasn't going to do it but I had to try. The repair men had come and gone fixing the window in a record amount of time. I'm sure it had something to do with an angry vamp and a pissed off demon breathing down their necks but I didn't care.

Quen had went to the compound and picked up Ceri and the girls. My church was trashed but Lucy and Ray were staying entertained by all the pixy children. Who knew 52 kids would be such good babysitters? Ceri was on her fourth charm trying to find Trent, but we were still coming up empty. I had offered to help but Ceri wasn't having it. The waiting was almost unbearable and I blamed myself for Trent getting taken. If I only had been able to control my temper.

We had all come to the same conclusion that somehow those elves had used a spell to make Trent and I angry with each other. It was the first time I had experienced something like that and wasn't aware it was possible. Ceri confirmed that demons had a spell to cause strife between two people. Swell.

Ivy was having a hard time being in the room with any of us, Quen especially. He was so worked up, his emotions were pushing Ivy to the edge. She was spending a lot of time in the living room just watching the girls play. I would much rather have her there than having to fight her off of Quen in here.

"Ms. Morgan, I can take you to the ever-after." Bis said from his spot on top the refrigerator.

"No thank you Bis." I smiled at him. "After the last time I think we should wait until we are both one hundred percent sure we can properly jump the lines."

"Yeah. I think you're right." He seemed a little down but I knew he was just trying to help.

"Rachel, I'm sorry. Everything I am trying isn't working. My spells just aren't reaching him. Quen might be able to but he is not in the right state of mind to do this properly." Ceri explained.

Quen continued to sit at the large table in the kitchen and stare at the wall. I'm not sure he had heard anything Ceri said. Jenks was on his shoulder and was whispering too quietly for me to know what was being said. I just hoped Jenks could keep him calm enough until I could figure out what to do. Something Jenks said must have finally broke through to Quen because he turned to face me.

"You can do it." Quen said in a gravely tone.

"Me?" I questioned. How could I find Trent when Ceri couldn't even find him? I knew I would have to try. He did the same for me when I was held by Hapa.

"You have a bond with him Rachel that no one else has. His mother created that bond that can only be broken when the purpose of the bond had been achieved." Quen stood and moved towards the center island where Ceri was stirring another spell.

"I don't know how to use it. I don't even know what it means!" I told Quen but I knew I would do whatever he was suggesting.

"Trenton has already given you the means to do it." Quen smiled. "Did you forget about the rings?"

"Oh my God!" I had totally forgotten about the rings. For hours we had been looking for Trent when all I had to do was use the damn ring.

Ivy must have been closer than I had originally thought and joined the conversation, "Last time it brought Trent to you. What if it brings you to him? You have to be prepared if you're pulled into the ever-after. You don't know what you'll be going up against."

"I was thinking the same thing. Trenton must be in the ever-after and my spells don't have enough pull to reach him there." Ceri said, looking down at the spell book she had borrowed from Trent's library.

I had my splat gun tucked in the small of my back, my black leather pants, and kick ass boots on. Now I just needed a few extra charms and I would be ready to go. Ivy was following my thought pattern and reached into the charm cupboard. She pulled out a handful of charms I had left over that Trent had given me. I usually didn't make offensive charms and those were the closest thing I had.

"Those are Trenton's." Ceri said, watching as I took the handful from Ivy and began tucking them away into my boots.

"Yup. He uh, gave them to me a while ago." I said not meeting Ceri's eyes. If she wasn't suspicious of our relationship before she certainly would be now.

"You are full of surprises." Ceri smiled.

"Oh yeah, I'm just a bundle of fun." I said sarcastically. Jenks snorted.

Now that Ivy felt like she had a say in this rescue she wanted to plan it into the ground. We spent the next thirty minutes going over possible scenarios and what all of us would do if said scenario happened.

"You aren't going alone, Rache. I'm going with you. " Jenks said, not leaving Quen's shoulder.

"I don't know how this ring really works Jenks. I doubt if I'm pulled anywhere that you would be able to hitch a ride." I explained.

He frowned but seemed to understand the problem. Thank God for coffee. I was on my fifth cup and wasn't sure how much more of this planning I could take, then I sneezed. All eyes immediately focused on me.

"It was just a sneeze guys." I said but then I sneezed again and again. "Crap."

I hurried and got the scrying mirror out on the table and connected to it.

"'Bout time you picked up. I've got a gift for my itchy witchy. I'm gonna drop 'em in your kitchen." Al's voice boomed in my head.

"You found Trent?" I said out loud for everyone to hear. I heard Quen sigh in relief.

"You owe me big for this Rachel." Al cut off the connection.

"Incoming." Jenks said right before I felt it. There was a pop and Trent dropped to the floor in the kitchen. He was covered in ever-after dust but had no visible injuries. He coughed and his eyes adjusted to being back in the sunlight. It was like walking out of a cave coming back from the ever-after. I hurried forward to help him off the floor.

"Don't touch me!" He yelled. I stopped and felt a wave of embarrassment. My face reddened at his words and I stepped back.

"Sa'han?" Quen questioned. Ceri had begun to clean up and was all but ignoring Trent. Ivy left the kitchen leaving the four of us alone. She returned a moment later with her keys and purse in hand.

"I've some business to attend to. See you later Rache. Glad you're okay Trent." Ivy turned and left.

"Thank you Ms. Tamwood." Trent muttered. Quen got him positioned into one of the chairs at the table. I felt foolish just standing there when Trent wouldn't even look at me but damn it this is my kitchen! Ceri finished cleaning and had just put the last spell pot away. She put her hand on Quen's arm.

"I'm going to get the girls ready. We will wait in the car." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and I think it was the first time I had ever seen her kiss him. Quen nodded.

"Sa'han." Quen said drawing Trent's unfocused attention to him. "I will be in the car. Talk to Ms. Morgan." He patted me on the shoulder and followed Ceri out. At least Trent wasn't banging my head against a gravestone this time; recalling the last time Trent had come back from the ever-after.

"Trent?" I whispered. I wanted to know why he was so angry with me but I was afraid to ask. I hope Al hadn't done anything to him.

"Rachel, just leave me alone. All you do is cause chaos in my life." Trent's tone was cold. Something flickered behind his green eyes. I sucked in a breath knowing it had only been a matter of time before Trent abandoned me too. I felt the sting of tears coming but I refused to cry in front of him. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"Okay." I said simply hoping that he would leave faster if I didn't talk.

He stood and stopped right in front of me. He smelled almost like sawdust and burnt amber. "It was a mistake to think I could have any kind of working relationship with a demon. It's time your kind dies off."

I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. He was right in a way. He turned on his heel and walked out. I heard the front door slam. The tears started to fall and I was glad to be alone. Jenks fluttered down from the rack above the center island. I wiped my eyes, feeling stupid that he had heard the whole thing.

"Rache, I'm sorry." Jenks whispered.

"Yeah. Me too. Guess he really hadn't changed that much huh?" I sniffled.

Trent POV

I was sitting in my favorite spot by the waterfall but it was doing little to calm me. I was seething inside and no one seemed to notice.

'They notice. They're just ignoring you thinking that you and Rachel had a fight.'

'Is this what Rachel felt like having you in her head?' I sneered.

I'd had the Druchii in my head since Al brought me back from the ever-after. I had no idea how it had gained access to me nor was it giving its secrets away. The twin elves had dumped me into some forest in the ever-after and jumped back out on a line but not before hitting me with a pain charm so unbearable that I passed out.

So far my time spent with the Druchii had given me insight on a few things. I now knew its name was Ava. She was doing a great job of keeping me cut off from the lines ensuring its place in my head. She did an even better job making sure Rachel wouldn't be around to help me. I was upset and so angry with myself over the words exchanged with Rachel. I would never say those things to her. I had seen the tears in her eyes and I wanted to yell at the witch not to believe it.

'Stupid elf. You should never have any kind of union with a demon no matter the benefits.'

'I don't have a relationship with Rachel to benefit myself.' I said in my head. How could Rachel stand this? I had to get Ava out of my thoughts.

'I've told you Trenton, I can not leave until I've severed your relations with Rachel.'

I sighed, only Ava didn't let me sigh. I despised not having control of my own body. There has to be a way to get this situation under control. I was always in control, well maybe not when it came to Rachel. She had always been that one part of my life that I never knew what to expect.

'Rachel was strong enough to overpower me. You're not stronger than her. I will be here for a very long time' Ava taunted me.

She was right. I wasn't stronger than Rachel and I wasn't ashamed to admit it. The woman has been through hell and back and she still is filled with so much fire and life. I loved that about her. No matter what happens she always keeps going, keeps fighting. I wasn't going to submit to a Druchii.

Working up enough willpower was the only problem. I felt defeated knowing I had hurt Rachel and I wasn't sure if she would even speak to me again. I refused to give up, I had to try. Quen had walked by several times but never looked directly at me. If he would just meet my eyes he would know that I wasn't alone in my body.

It felt like hours had passed just sitting her watching the water. I wondered if Ava missed it? Where ever Ava came from she hasn't seen the outside world in a very long time. I had vaguely heard in her thoughts that she was waiting for someone else. Another Druchii perhaps? I needed Rachel's help. I wasn't sure how to go about getting it. I knew if I could just get Rachel here, no matter how angry she was, she would help me. The problem I was having was getting her here. I should be able to use our rings.

All I needed to do was turn my ring, tap a line, think of Rachel, and say those three words and she would be here. She would know what she needed to do. I had noticed the more I carried on a conversation with Ava the more she let her guard down, giving me control over small things such as my breathing. Ava had assured me that she was working alone but I knew it was a lie. Maybe she wasn't aware that if I tried hard enough I could hear what she was thinking too.

Now if I could just get her talking again maybe I can tap the line I needed.

'What's in it for you? What do you gain out of this?' I asked referring to severing the relationship between Rachel and myself.

'I was promised a way out.'

'Ava, where is your body?' I asked.

'I can't have it back until I'm finished with Rachel.'

'What if I could help you?' I wasn't sure I could even if I wanted to but I asked anyways.

'There is only the one who can help me.'

'Who is that Ava?' I had to keep the questions flowing feeling her hold on me loosen little by little.

'The one who can end it all.'

'Who is it?' Just a little bit more. I could feel the line but wasn't ready yet to tap it.

'I can not tell you.'

That was what I needed. I reached down to my hand and turned the ring on my finger. I was always thinking of Rachel. I reached out and tapped the line.

'No!' Ava was screaming in my thoughts but it was too late. She couldn't stop me, my hold on the line was too great.

"Ta na shay!" I shouted finally having my own words come out of my mouth. A few moments had passed and nothing happened. I heard Ava laughing in my head. I held the line and kept her from taking control back by flooding it into her thoughts every time she tried. I could take the pain if it meant I kept control of my body.

"You will not control me. I will fry my little kitty brain before I let that happen again." I said to an empty room. I chuckled realizing I sounded like Rachel.

I turned when I felt someone pop into the room.

"Rachel." I sighed thinking I had never been happier to see her. On the other hand, maybe not. She looked pissed. Her fiery red hair was falling out of a french braid framing her face beautifully. I slowly ran my eyes up her body to her face. She had on her working leathers, red halter top, and her usual boots. She looked good. I couldn't deny it. She was holding some dandelions which would normally seem odd but she had probably been in the middle of spelling when I pulled her to me.

"What the hell Trent! You yell at me telling me my kind is better off dead then call me over here? Send me back right now and call me up on the phone. I do not come at your every beck and call!" Rachel yelled, crossing her arms.

"Ava's in my head. Please, help me get her out. I'm holding more line energy than I ever had before just to stay in control." I groaned, my head in agony trying to form thoughts around all the energy and Ava's attempts at taking my body back.

"Ava?" Rachel questioned, not moving from where she was standing. "I don't need to know about your personal life Trent. Keep the information about your girlfriends to yourself."

I could see the hurt behind her green eyes. I wanted to reach out and caress her cheek but I needed to be myself first.

"Rachel, look into my eyes." Taking an eternity to get out those five little words. She has to know that wasn't me that said those horrible things. Rachel leaned across my chair and looked into my eyes.

"Oh shit!" She exclaimed raising a circle as fast as the words came out of her mouth.

I leaned back and let go of the line. Rachel was here. She was going to help me. My vision was going black around the edges and I knew I was going to loose consciousness if we didn't get Ava out of my head.

'Damn you Trenton!' Ava was shouting but I didn't care. She had taken control of my body back and that didn't bother me either, Rachel was going to help me.

'You could have asked for a meeting and we could have been civilized about this but now you're not going to live very much longer.' I threatened Ava.

'She will kill you before you find me.' Ava snarled.

'Thank you Ava. That was all the information I needed.' I wanted to smile but I knew the look on my face was one of anger as I felt the slight pushing of Rachel's words in my thoughts.

'Please, she'll put me back in a bottle and I will never again see the light of day!' Ava begged.

I heard Rachel's song sweep through my mind and all the tension left my body. Ava struggled to fight it but Rachel had circled her in my thoughts and she wasn't going to escape this time. I had never thought of doing that and I wondered if the spell is going to work differently having Ava in a circle.

Rachel flooded me with energy and finished with her hand gesture to remove Ava from my mind but something else happened. Ava didn't leave. She stayed in the circle Rachel had made inside my head and she screamed. Pain exploded into my head and I felt it pass into Rachel's thoughts. The screaming ended when a bright light exploded from my mind taking down Rachel's circle. The chair I was sitting in flipped backwards with Rachel landing on top of me. I let out a yell as I felt Ava leave my mind only she wasn't snapped back to the ever-after. I knew what had happened but I wasn't so sure Rachel was grasping it as she slowly removed her presence from my head.

We both sat up and I eyed Rachel. She had a blank look on her face with her eyes slightly unfocused.

"I killed her didn't I?" She whispered.

"Yes." I reached out and wrapped my arms around Rachel, surprised when she leaned into my embrace. That was when the tears began.

"Trent-I, I didn't mean- I didn't know. I just-" Rachel couldn't form any real words but I knew what she was trying to say.

"It's going to be okay. You didn't mean to Rachel. I'm here. It's okay. I'm here." I rubbed her back as she sobbed into my shirt.

Quen had come into the room at the sound of my chair falling and I didn't see the need to alert Rachel to his presence. I nodded to him and he frowned. Rachel was still mumbling about not meaning to kill her and I wasn't sure what else to do to calm her. Making a quick decision to do something other than sit on the floor I picked Rachel up into my arms like she was a child. She dropped her head against my chest, the tears never slowing.

"Sa'han? She killed the Druchii?" Quen whispered so softly Rachel would not have heard him.

"Yes, I don't know how. She circled her in my head and she didn't make it out before Rachel finished the charm." I spoke softly enough so Rachel wouldn't hear.

"She?" Quen's face became angry realizing I hadn't been myself when I came back from the ever-after. Ceri came in and went straight to Rachel having overheard our conversation.

"Ssshhhh. I'll make you some tea. Trenton is going to put you to bed." Ceri soothed her, brushing strands of hair out of her face.

I followed Ceri's orders and headed for the stairs. I stopped in front of the door to the room Rachel used when she was here. I might as well just call it Rachel's room seeing as she is the only one that uses it now that Ellsabeth is gone. I nudged it with my foot and went inside. I laid Rachel down in the huge four poster bed. I gently pulled the blankets up around her. She opened her eyes and they were the brightest green I had ever seen them.

"Please, don't leave me alone." She begged.

I starred at her for a split second and made a decision. I crawled into the bed with her. I laid on my back and Rachel moved to snuggle up against me. Her body was so warm and I wanted her to fully wrap herself around me. She settled her head on my chest with one arm draped across my waist and one leg across both of mine. I couldn't complain.

"Don't leave me Trent. I can't go through that again." She seemed to be drifting to sleep.

"I won't Rachel. I promise. I'm here for you. Forever and always." I whispered.