AN- Thanks to those who have reviewed and offered assistance in the PMs. Don't worry! Elisa isn't going anywhere. She isn't my favorite character to write about, but when she does make an appearance, she's an important part of the clan's dynamics. As this story is wrapping up, I've had a couple ideas for a new one in which she would play a more crucial role, so I've decided not to make her more interesting by giving her lung cancer or sending her off to fight in Iraq. She's going to have to stay in town and stay boring for a while.
Complete numbness was what Demona felt as she walked along an overgrown trail, toward the end of a peninsula that jutted out into the lake. Only a few moments earlier, she had experienced such an unexpected and overwhelming blast of feeling, that she supposed that she had used up all the emotion she had. Now she stumbled away from the source of her confusion in the haze of one who was heavily intoxicated.
The trail she walked descended rapidly and she almost tripped over the start of a very overgrown, cement staircase with two rusted rails that ran down the middle and down the steep embankment, to the lake below. It was some sort of boat ramp, she realized, or had once been. Finding a break in the canopy, she let the wind lift her and carry her down where the water met sandstone ledges. There, she landed on a rickety dock with a large shed attached. One end of the dock housed a motorboat, secured and covered with an awning. On the other end was an old fishing boat of questionable condition. The dock creaked as she added her own weight to it and she watched the single beacon that hung over the canopy illuminate the ripples on the calm water.
Looking at the water, which she guessed was quite cold, she was overcome by a sudden need to be clean. Almost frantically, she hung her bag on a railing and leapt into the water. It was as cold as she had predicted, if not more so, but its frigidness was a welcome sensation as she dove through it and let it surround her, cradle her, and then float her back to the surface. She wasn't sure exactly what she meant to wash away, but the pure, flowing water appeased her nonetheless and seemed to bring her, at least, a bit closer to her senses.
The dream had followed the same script as nearly every pleasant dream she had, but at some point, the subconscious fantasy she had come to readily indulge in had manifested itself in flesh and blood. Even now, she was unsure at what point of her dreaming the transition had occurred, how long it had lasted, and what words had actually been said aloud for Goliath to hear. Suffice it to say, she had gradually gained consciousness to discover herself on the floor, clinging to him and caressing him intensely as they kissed. Sensing her sudden confusion, he withdrew quickly and helped her to sit up and collect her bearings.
"I'm sorry," he had whispered, his eyes widening at the realization of what had happened, "Adelpha, I didn't mean to-"
"Don't!" she had interrupted, closing her eyes and shaking her head frantically as if still trying to remember what had brought them to this point. After a moment passed and she became calmer she said,
"Thank you for stopping me. I'm…not sure I could have."
"I'm sorry," he apologized again, looking sincerely distraught at his own lack of control, "I was trying to wake you and you must have been dreaming."
She nodded her head understandingly.
"I didn't want it to end," he admitted in a voice tinged with shame.
"Nor did I," she replied, "You've no business apologizing when you were the sensible one here. Had you not put a stop to it, I think there is nothing I would have denied you."
She had raised her eyes tentatively, to meet his, but he was looking down at the patterns of lamp light on the floor.
"I meant to always keep it from you, that my physical bond to you was still so powerful," he explained frustratedly, "At first, it was to protect myself from being manipulated. Then, because I saw no point in letting on when I knew that our relationship was forever changed. I thought it could only make us both uncomfortable. I assumed that the desire in me would weaken with time and that the centuries you've lived through must have weakened your bond to me long ago."
He glanced up at her for a moment, trying to read what she was thinking.
"No, they did not," she said softly, as their eyes finally met with a swell of mutual longing.
"Perhaps it is for the best that we both know the truth," she suggested.
"Aye," he had replied as he rose and pulled her to her feet, "The truth is best, even when it is hard to face."
Before climbing back onto the dock, Demona paused, looking up at the clear, starlit sky, and the peaceful line before her where the water met the forest. There was a lake island not far away. One could easily swim to it, and its lushly wooded shore was filled with the twinkling of fireflies. She smiled at the way the display reflected on the water and for a moment, she considered disappearing into that beautiful scene, but she knew they would be looking for her as the hovercraft would arrive soon. She perched on the end of the dock, reclaiming her bag and raking her talons through her wet hair, as she kept an eye on the pretty scene before her.
Sure enough, she soon heard the sound of Goliath and Luach calling for her and she was about to stand and leap to a glide when she noticed something strange. In the dark canopy of the forested island, a strange, blueish light had appeared. Demona stopped and focused on the light. She couldn't say exactly why, but the light appeared different from the other sources she was used to. It was bright and piercing, but it didn't seem to cast a beam or illuminate anything around it. It was almost like the light of a star, but it didn't twinkle as stars do. If it was meant to alert boaters of a marina or dock, it would certainly fail in that regard. She was curious about the purpose of such an unworldly-looking beacon, but she knew she had little time to concern herself with it, and was about to leave, when she noticed the light had moved. She was quite certain it had risen in an arch pattern and fallen again, several yards away, as if it was leaping from one tree to another. A moment later, the light moved again in the same way. Now she was certain that the source was unfixed and she was even more curious as to what would create such a light as it bounced from tree to tree like a squirrel.
Goliath, finding her at last, landed on the dock behind here, causing it to bounce and sway.
"Adelpha, are you alright?" he asked urgently, "I was afraid that I had-
"Do you see that light?" she interrupted.
Disoriented by the sudden change of subject he asked, "What light?"
"That strange light, there," she replied, pointing to the beacon on the island. Then to her surprise, the light began to flash like a strobe.
"Look at that! Someone is there on the island!" Demona insisted. The light had stopped flashing after a few seconds and Goliath looked at the island skeptically.
"There are a lot of lights," Goliath said doubtfully, "I don't think that-
"Watch!" Demona demanded and she waved her arms in the direction of the light, which began to flash at them once again.
"You see? Someone sees us and is trying to signal. Who could it be?"
"Are you certain?" Goliath asked, "Perhaps it's not us they are signaling to?"
"Try for yourself," she demanded and Goliath raised his own arm in a wave. Immediately, the light flashed at them again.
"Well, someone has certainly seen us," Demona concluded in an iritable, "And I was so hoping to go unseen tonight."
"Perhaps it is best if we just ignore it?" Goliath suggested, "It's probably just a human who caught sight of us by chance and little good could be done by letting them draw us in closer."
"I suppose you're right," Demona agreed reluctantly and she turned to leap into the wind.
"Then again," Goliath suggested, "It could be a friend." Demona turned back to him, eyeing him suspiciously.
"What friend? I have no friends. And wouldn't a friend just glide here and speak to us properly?" Goliath considered this reasoning.
"What if they can't? Maybe it is someone signaling for help?" Demona placed her hands on her hips and shook her head incredulously.
"It could just as easily be an enemy, and I'm going to be really embarrassed if we get killed by a foe who lured us in with a flashlight like an angler fish!"
Goliath considered this and then reasoned,
"If it is an enemy, we should probably go find out who it is and how much damage has been done by letting them see us and know we are here." Demona sighed.
"Very well. Let's go see who we are dealing with."
With this resolve, they both let the wind lift them over the lake and made their way toward the blue light on the island, which upon their approach, seemed to retreat into the interior.
"What manner of chaos are we being lured to now?" Demona muttered in disdain, though she doubted Goliath could hear her over the wind. At last, the strange, blue light came to a rest and they landed near it in a clearing, surrounded by a circle of heavy forest. In the center of this clearing was a large chimney rock that extended high above their heads, and at the base of it appeared Cato, the chief elder of Bain Felix.
"Good evening, my friends," he greeted them and Goliath and Demona approached him with relieved respect.
"I certainly didn't expect to find you here," Demona exclaimed. Cato smiled at her, his green eyes glistening even more in the dark forest.
"We've been trying to get your attention since last night, but it has been difficult. Far too many humans about," he explained, "It took this long to get any of you alone."
"What are you doing here?" Goliath asked in astonishment.
"We learned that the skiff we gave you was destroyed, and we were concerned for you. I brought a team of warriors here to find you, and rescue you if necessary." Demona's face became a bit suspicious. She hadn't realized they had been tracking them and although she greatly admired Cato and his people, the fact made her a bit uneasy. She would have liked to know more about how they tracked the boat, and more importantly, how they had tracked them to the lake above the gorge where they had crashed, but she thought the better of asking Cato outright.
"Avalon saw fit to drop us in the gorge with no warning," she explained, "I am sorry we lost your boat in the rapids."
"Don't give it another thought," Cato reassured her, "We found the wreckage but were alarmed not to find you there. We feared that you might have gone over the chutes by day! An old skiff is of little concern, but I am glad to find you safe."
"How did you find us, and so quickly?" she asked and Cato bowed his head with a smile.
"That, sister, is one of our many secrets that we keep among ourselves," Cato replied, an answer that did nothing to ease her mind.
"But you have returned to our world from Avalon," Cato said, changing the subject quickly, "What happened there? Did you find Felix the Healer?"
"I did," she replied with a hint of pride, "And I was able to get a healing stone."
"Then your quest is over?" Cato asked.
"Not exactly," she admitted, "The rest must be done in New York. But we plan to leave shortly and I hope to soon be free of this curse forever!"
Cato seemed to consider this for a moment before saying,
"You have added some to your number, since the last time we met, Goliath," Cato observed.
"Yes," he confirmed, "One of our kin joined us on Avalon. The others joined us in Scotland."
"And they journey with you to join your clan in New York?"
Goliath looked at Demona hesitantly.
"For the time being," she replied, "They will stay with us until we can find a better home for them."
"Perhaps there is a better home already waiting for them?" Cato suggested gently and Demona's eyes widened.
"Of course," she whispered earnestly.
"Adelpha?" Goliath interrupted but she wasn't listening to him.
"That's the answer I've been looking for!" she cried euphorically, "Bain Felix would be the perfect home for them. They would live there in peace and comfort among their own kind. They would never have to live in fear of humans, nor would they be forced to live as servants to them. They would have elders to guide them and brethren to find friends among…"
"Adelpha!" Goliath pleaded, trying to draw her attention back but she seemed to have forgotten he existed. Suddenly, her face fell into a grimace.
"They might never agree to go without me though," Demona realized forlornly and Cato replied,
"Why must they? You said yourself that your quest is nearly complete. Your need to free your clan from this spell was the reason you gave us when you refused our offer of sanctuary. Why not join the young ones once this spell is broken and you are free to do so."
"It's the world I've always dreamed of," she murmured as a thousand thoughts seemed to swim around her head.
Goliath tried to reason with her once again.
"Adelpha, please! Bain Felix may seem like a paradise to you, but think of your charges. They were born to this word!"
"Such a world it is!" she snapped bitterly, "A world that hates their very existence."
"A world with both good and evil in it," he insisted, taking her arms in his claws and drawing her close to him, "And they were born to live for the good in it and fight against the evil. It is our nature and our purpose to do so and we were all born with it. And so, too, were you!"
Angrily, she attempted to draw away from him, but he held her fast, his head bowed and tears in his eyes as she struggled against him .
"If only you could see it, my sister. Why can't you see it? You belong with your clan. Would you ask me to mourn for you yet again? Would you ask that of our daughter?"
Demona looked up sharply at the mention of Angela.
"I've failed her in so many ways," she lamented, "But I am their leader. How could I fail to take a chance to give them paradise?" Goliath turned away in grief.
"I can't give you the world you seek, Adelpha," he told her sadly, "I wouldn't, even if I could. But I do believe that between my love for you, and the love of the rest of our clan, and the strength that is already inside you, you can find what you need to make peace in the imperfect world that you belong to."
With that promise, Goliath fell silent and released her. Stepping backward away from him, she crouched down and covered her face with her claws, trying desperately to make sense of the impossible choice before her. A few paces away, Cato watched her struggle with a great deal of compassion in his green, glowing eyes. Several moments passed without a sound, so much that they were all startled at the sound of a sharp cry coming from the forest nearby. Demona uncovered her face at the sound, looking about in confusion. Then, a panicked realization came to her and she bolted into the woods toward the sound.