Chapter 7

Darcy

Help! Please! Now!

"ELIZABETH! He has her!" I transport myself back into the house and immediately I am listening for any sounds in the house and her thoughts fill my mind.

Drawing room. Invisible rope…neck. Can't…gifts.

She isn't speaking telepathically. And I'm not able to read her thoughts. It's different from any other communication I have ever had with other Mages. Her thoughts are just part of mine. Suddenly her thoughts disappear and only mine are left.

Panic rises instantly.

Miss Bennet- Collins has captured Miss Elizabeth. I need you to cloak me now. I'm in the hallway. Please be quiet.

Charles, Fitz- Collins has Elizabeth. He is using some kind of dark magic that stops our gifts. We must surprise attack. We can't rely on our gifts.

Take me with you Darce, I can do it.

Jane and Fitz are in the hallway within seconds. Jane cloaks the three of us and I transport us inside the room. We end up right behind Collins. He is straddling Elizabeth, bending over her saying something into her ear with his hands roaming her chest. She seems frozen, her eyes are closed and unable to speak. Completely defenseless.

Fitz steps out of the cloak, gets Collins in a choke hold and within seconds it's over. Collins is dead.

Fitz drops Collins to the side and Jane falls to the floor by Elizabeth.

I then notice Mary, Kitty and Lydia rush into the room.

I see Mary go over to Collins body that is laying in the corner. She holds her palms out over him. She raises him up from the floor with her gifts. Flattens his body out in mid air, then places him on the floor on his back. Her palms hover over his body with a green power emitting from them. Suddenly a thick black smoke slowly rises out of his chest. Mary immediately captures it and puts it in a glass decanter that just appeared in her right hand. She then makes sure it is firmly contained and says a spell over it. Protecting any one but her from being able to open it.

I have seen a lot of different gifts, but I have never seen anything like this. And this woman didn't think she had gifts that could be useful in the Capitol?

Mary notices my confusion and interest in her activities. "I could feel the dark magic was still in him. I was able to get it out, before it attached to something else. I am hoping to be able to find who it came from." She takes the decanter over to the table by the window.

At that same time as Mary is working with Collins, Kitty rushes over to Elizabeth.

"Why isn't she moving?" Kitty holds her palms out and hovers over Elizabeth's whole body from head to toe. "She is unconscious. I'm removing a blocking spell."

We immediately see her chest start to rise and fall. But she is still asleep.

"That is all I can do. We need a practiced healer."

"Kitty go get Charlotte." Kitty immediately runs out of the room.

Is he gone?

Elizabeth! My eyes shoot up to her face. Her eyes are still closed. How? How is she speaking with me?

Yes. He is dead. I say, while continuing to stare at her body for any extra movement. Only the slight movement from her breathing. Are you awake?

No, I believe I am unconscious. But I guess I am still able to use some gifts.

I hear nothing for a minute. I just stare into her beautiful face from a far. I want to be right beside her holding her hand as Jane is now. But I know it isn't proper.

Mr. Darcy? Are you still there?

Yes! Yes, I am here. Are you ok?

I can only speak to you. My sisters can not hear me. I also can not read anyones mind or use any of my other gifts. I even tried to conjure up a fireball. But nothing.

I let out a small chuckle thinking how strange that would have been if she had.

How do you feel? What can we do for you?

I am in no pain. Thankfully my mind shut down as soon as he pushed me on the floor. I have no memories past that.

I exhale in relief. Thankful she will not be haunted by those memories. I wish I could say the same.

"Miss Bennet, I am able to speak with Miss Elizabeth. She is in no pain. But she is aware that she is unconscious." I say as calmly as I can.

All heads in the room turn towards me. All the sisters that are in the room jump up and come towards me.

"What is she saying?"

"Why can't we hear here?"

"How can we help her?"

They all speak at the same time. Desperate for understanding.

I glance over at Charles leaning forward in his seat. Intrigued over this development as well. Fitz was in the process of lifting Collins body off the floor, his palms were stretched out and Collins body was slowly rising off the floor. Clearly he is intending to dispose of it outside. But on hearing my comment he holds his hands still and looks at me in surprise.

"She is saying that she is ok. That her mind shut down as soon as Collins pushed her on the floor. She doesn't remember anything past that. Up until Miss Katherine lifted the blocking spell."

Sighs of relief are let out by everyone in the room.

"Can you tell Lizzy, Charlotte is on her way?" Jane says with tears in her eyes.

I nod and try to give a comforting smile. Charles comes over and leads Jane to the chair he was recently sitting in. Then sits beside her. Lydia calls for tea and then helps serve it to everyone. While Kitty continues sitting on the floor next to Elizabeth, holding her hand.

Miss Bennet told me to tell you that Charlotte is on her way. I would call her Miss, but I am unsure if she is married or not. Please excuse my informal manners.

I can hear her chuckle at my rambling. For some strange reason it comforts me. Before this someone laughing at my awkwardness would have driven me straight to anger, but hearing her sweet laughter immediately calms me.

Oh Charlotte. Good, she will be able to heal me. She is my best friend. She's a very talented healer. By the way, she is unmarried.

Very good. I must apologize Miss Elizabeth for not protecting you more thoroughly. I did not believe that weasel had any serious power. Though I felt his dark magic, I did not believe he was possible of attacking like he did. I truly am sorry.

Please do not apologize. We all doubted his abilities. I feel though… I have let everyone down as the supposed "Greatest Mage in the country" clearly that is false.

I believe the fact that you are still alive and are communicating with me at this moment proves your remarkable gifting. Any other Mage would not have been able to withstand as much.

A knock at the door brought all the men to attention, but the sisters had no fear. They all seemed to know who it was and seemed happy for their presence.

Mrs. Hill walked in and announced "Miss Lucas mam" and then left.

It was a little strange that the servants seemed to have no care that one of the Ladies of the house was lying on the floor or was alerted by all of the ruckus earlier. They all seemed to just go on with their daily tasks.

Miss Lucas had a calm, easy going aura. She seemed very sweet, quite a bit more plain looking then the Bennet sisters. But I can sense a strong cultivated gift.

All the sisters rush over to her and give her hugs as soon as each sister could.

"Gentleman, this is our dear friend Miss Charlotte Lucas. She is a very skilled healer. She should be able to help Lizzy." Jane explains. Fitz, Charles and I rise from our places and acknowledge the lady.

Charlotte nods to each of us, while Jane informs her of who we are. She then heads over to Elizabeth. Jane fills her in on all that has happened in the last few hours.

A few hours… we have only been here for a few hours. Yet it has felt like weeks.

"Also Mr. Darcy is the only one able to communicate with Lizzy right now." Lydia adds with a smile and sits to the left of Elizabeth.

Charlotte just raises her eyebrows in intrigue and a small smile. I believe they also are having a telepathic conversation as there are many more looks, smiles and giggles between the sisters and Charlotte.

Miss Lucas is here and is about to begin healing you.

I am ready.

Miss Elizabeth, I know this is not the proper time. But I feel we must speak about what happened between us earlier.

I can feel her hesitation. Her sudden uncertainty. But also intrigue and a very slight hint of desire. Though she is trying to mask it in every way.

I know we must speak of it, but I'll be honest sir, I'm not sure my full thoughts. It's all very new and different to me.

Are you aware of Soulmates?

I admit I was not until we had gone upstairs to pack. My sisters became aware of my… mark.

A Soulmark

Yes, Soulmark and Mary showed us a description in one of her books about it and how they come about. I had no knowledge previously.

I now understand your choice to not discuss it right away then. I am sorry you were shocked.

I was very shocked indeed. It definitely explains my confusing feelings.

Yes, I was immediately drawn to you. I have never cared much for other women. It was quite the shock for me to find you here.

Excuse me? Is it just quite that shocking that some poor nobody would be your soulmate? I am so sorry sir the universe has decided for me to be your constant burden!

I can just see in my mind her bright green eyes full of fire as she lays into me.

No! No, you have misunderstood me! I do apologize. Ugh, I am terrible with words… I mean to say I was surprised that I found you now, not that you are my soulmate. That was not a shock to me at all. From the moment I looked at your file I was drawn to you. You are remarkable. I have never met a woman like you. I admire you greatly.

I feel all her anger leave her and warmness toward me takes its place.

Thank you. You are correct, I indeed misunderstood you. For some reason my immediate reaction is to challenge you. I have always been one to stand up for myself and my family. But with you it's like this constant war in my brain. I know now your motives are truly positive- but it's like my brain thinks it can't be true. Like you are too good to be real. So it's constantly ready to fight you, looking for any opportunity. I do apologize sir.

I take a breath trying to gather my thoughts.

Well it is a good thing then that I am partial to your fire. Every dull woman I have met up till now hasn't had an ounce of your spirit. I need someone to challenge me. Someone to remind me that I am NOT the most talented Mage in the country.

She lets out a quick laugh.

Thank you for giving me time to work all this out. I truly appreciate it.

Just know when your ready to discuss it more, I'm here.

Thank you sir.

There is a softness in her voice that I have never heard before. I only wish I could take her in my arms right now and show her how much I indeed admire her.

I then notice Charlotte does the same motion as Kitty by taking her palms and slowly hovering over Elizabeth from head to toe.

"It looks like she consumed some kind of liquid that put her to sleep. I can not take it away in an instant. It is wearing off, but very slowly. I will need to make a special potion for her to drink to counteract it. If not, it will take days to wear off." She then looks over at me. "Mr. Darcy, can you please relay this to Lizzy?"

I nod.

Miss Lucas says you have consumed some kind of liquid that put you to sleep. She has to make a potion to wake you up.

Ok. That is very strange. I don't remember drinking anything. But I do faintly remember the air full of a strange smoke when I was dragged in.

"Miss Lucas, Miss Elizabeth says that she did not drink anything but the room was full of smoke when she was dragged in."

Mary's head snapped up from where she was working on the table. She didn't say anything but immediately performed the same gifting she had done on Collins. All her sisters were huddled around watching in confusion. They clearly had never seen her do this particular gift or even knew she had this talent.

Just like before a black smoke started to come out of Elizabeth, and once again Mary bottled it up. Without even acknowledging her sisters, she took the new decanter of smoke to the table and went back to work. Everyone sitting there still in confusion watching Mary and then back to Elizabeth.

All of a sudden we could all see Elizabeth's aura once again and could tell she was waking up.

"LIZZY!" The sisters and Charlotte exclaimed. They all clung on to her and shared a moment with hugs and tears.

She's ok Darce, you can breathe now.

I nod. But I am still in shock with all that has happened.

Elizabeth sits up slowly and leans against Jane. Then suddenly she looks at me.

Elizabeth's enchanting green eyes stare right into me. Not in anger. Not in frustration. Not in fear. She looks at me with genuine thankfulness and something else. But I'm not ready to admit if that is what I really see or just hope to see.

"Thank you Mr. Darcy." Elizabeth says, still looking at me fully. Almost like it was the first time she has fully seen me.

"It was my pleasure. But Miss Mary is the true hero. She was the one that removed the smoke from you." All the ladies at once remember their other sister still tinkling away at the table with the two decanters and many other bottles and different supplies surrounding her, They all rush over to her, Elizabeth leading the way.

Authors Note:

Up to this point I have had the story fully written out. That's why you have gotten updates so quickly. I am sad to say the story will be a little slower on updating as I work out the rest of the chapters. Hopefully your awesome reviews will continue to spur me on to get things out quickly. Thank you all!