by D L Goddard
The men watched as Anya went almost white with exhaustion, she felt so drained she could barely stay upright. Arahir lifted her gently into his arms, careful of the newborn asleep at her breast. She was the perfect picture of a new Mother already fast asleep.
“Light … could you send us to a room please? She must rest now. Is there somewhere you have prepared for us and our child?”
Signaling the twins to hold onto each other’s hands; he held Val’s keeping their circle still intact. Feeling the portal shift, Arahir held tightly to the twins. A lovely feminine room began to come into view; he was standing right beside a beautiful four poster bed. Arahir sighed, placing his lady love under the covers and kissing her gently on the lips. While he tucked his sleeping son into a gorgeous cradle placed conveniently beside the bed, the twins kissed Anya goodnight as well.
Mir and Val were overcome by gratitude that the Keeper wanted them in his family’s life. To allow them to participate in the birthing meant the child Caranor, would feel toward them the same way he felt toward his Father and Mother. It was an overwhelming honor. Everything had gone so well and so far there hadn’t been any major problems. They would have to catch up with Keplin and his Ogres to find out how they fared against the Enchantress.
So distracted were they and so absorbed in the new life born to them that the three men were not concentrating, too tired to focus on the frantic signals their brains were desperately trying to send them. They were just grateful Anya had delivered safely and both she and the newborn were healthy and sleeping well. Otherwise … they would have picked up on the subtle spell in the room directed just at Anya and the baby, causing them to sleep deeply ensuring they didn’t wake up for hours. The men should have been aware of if, but tiredness had taken its toll even on them.
“So nice of you to drop in my darlings …” a voice purred in malicious glee, “Now that you are all here, who wants to pay the price for this wee darling boy’s life.”
Lirima had waited until the trio had gotten themselves seated in the comfortable chairs where the fire was burning merrily. The Light had forgotten nothing in her desire to make Anya and Caranor comfortable; even providing hot and cold drinks with light snacks for the men while they watched over the sleeping pair.
Arahir spun around in real fear for Anya and his son as he saw Lirima standing over the baby’s cradle with a magical black sphere held in her hand aimed at the boy’s sleeping face. He slowly turned to see the sneering face of Savage, a long thin blade resting on Anya’s sleeping bosom while he stroked her lovely soft face.
“My, my … what do we have here? My darling Arahir … you have broken my curse. How gorgeous you look; you have always been so perfectly delicious. But my dear, my question is this … just what are you willing to give in exchange for the lives of your absolutely adorable son and your simply beautiful mate?”
**********
Chapter Twenty-Three
Anya was dreaming … so deeply she couldn’t wake even though she tried desperately to shake off the sleep that had her in its grasp. She lifted her head … someone was calling her. She felt the call like a fire in the pit of her belly. Compelled she gave up trying to wake and let the call take her, drawing her through the darkness until a burst of light blinded her momentarily.
Anya gasped as she opened her eyes. The panorama displayed before her was absolutely breathtaking. She stared as she tried to take the beauty of the land into her heart and mind and as she looked; her whole body resonated with one single word … Home.
“Welcome home my daughter … long have I looked for you, seeking your flame, but it had eluded me until now. Finally you are deeply enough asleep for me to speak to your heart. I am Seren, your home, the creator of all my fiery ones. I gave them the gift of fire, placing the passion that fills you inside your soul. I made your mother and father, hoping they would return. I mourned their loss, wept when they left me, for never has a child of mine been born outside my lands.
Too late, they tried to come to me when I was finally able to speak to them. Your sweet mother’s flame died before I could tend her, and as a result your father’s light went out as well. I thought they were lost to me, but it is not so. Look deep within your memories child, and I will unlock a memory that was hidden even from my Fëanuld, so deeply was it planted. Look my lovely Anya and I will turn the key.”
Anya was pulled down, down into a spiraling funnel that seemed to go on forever, until … she found herself floating above herself, wraithlike, invisible to any she watched. Twelve year old Anya lay sound asleep in her small bed … her father and mother hovered around the foot. Their hands were clasped and the look they shared was so full of such loving warmth that Anya felt tears start in her eyes.
For the first time, Anya was able to truly see her parents as an outsider, critically watching all they did. Her beautiful mother Mia whispered her love to her father Elear.
“In life, in death, I am yours. Whatever may come … my flame is one with yours. I am sorry we are ending so soon my darling Elear, I would have loved to see our dearest Anya grow into her flame. She is so strong, something of a paradox, already using her flame in secret trying to see what she is capable of. But I worry she will expose herself too soon without us to teach her and to help her to stay hidden. We must help her before we finally go out.”
Elear nodded. “We will help her beloved Mia, she will not remember who and what she is. But the land will not lose her. Her spark is so strong, Seren will call her darling; she will hear the call of our land. Anya will find the way home.”
Elear and Mia stood watching for a while … so long in fact that Anya thought the interlude was over. Then, flames slowly flickered along their skin. Deep indigo flames, the rarest of all shades raced up her parent’s bodies.
“No wonder they were so in tune, and we were all so close. We were an indigo family.”
Anya marveled as her parents flame blended in front of her eyes. It was so precious and so touching, Anya couldn’t take her eyes from the scene unfolding before her. They moved toward the young girl asleep in bed, but her parents were suddenly human once more, but instead of being charged and enriched from the blend, her father looked drained, but her mother seemed brighter. Anya knew then that her father had been keeping his beloved Mia alive long past her life light should have gone out. He knew she was a Healer, and had to heal … she just couldn’t help herself. But away from Seren, only her wonderful loving father could help Mia be recharged from using her own life light to heal those who needed her. And healing humans who had no magic in their make-up meant she used more of herself to heal them fully.
Tears fell from Anya’s eyes. Her father must have being keeping her mother alive for a long time seeing how faded his flame looked after their blend. Elear loved his Mia very much, that much was obvious. But for Anya, seeing for herself how sacrificial their love was warmed her heart and softened the feeling of loss that she had never quite lost.
“There is a reason my dear, why you have never been able to forget the pain of your loss.” Seren’s words brought her out of her absorption with her family.
“What do you mean … I thought I was just too obsessed with my old life?”
“No my dearest … just wait and watch my sweet, just wait and watch.”
Turning back to the family below, she saw her parents wake her. The child rubbed her eyes, struggling to wake … it was about two thirty in the morning.
“What is it? Is something wrong?”
Anya the child was frightened until the arms wrapped around her reassured her everything was alright.
“We want to show you something very special my little one. Climb out of the bed and come with us.”
Obediently Anya climbed out of bed to do as she was told. Anya blinked suddenly; she was in her own child’s body, reliving the memory once more. Her father held her hand while her mother took her other. Thus hand in hand, they entered what Anya had always thought was her father’s workshop. Ente
ring through the door, he moved aside a sack of apples and potatoes and to her amazement found another door. But this door had no handle, nor any hinges. There seemed to be no way to open it.
Her parents placed a hand on either side of the frame. They flamed and two handprints opened up. Fitting their hands into the indentations, Anya was stunned to see they fitted perfectly. The trio passed through the door and into a small room of heatproof mirrors. Vents and fans kept the room well ventilated, but Anya realized from her ‘now’ memories, it was a smaller version of Mir and Val’s flame room.
Elear bent to eye level with his daughter.
“Now, I know you must be wondering what is going on, but could you please just trust your mother and myself. We want to show you something very special, something that will keep us in your heart forever.”
“But Daddy, you and Mummy are always in my heart. I will always love you.”
Elear stroked his lovely daughter’s face. “I know honey … but remember how we told you how different we are? Well, we want to show you just how different. This might be a little scary, but don’t let go of my hand, nothing will hurt you.”
Apprehensive didn’t even cover how Anya felt. But holding tightly to her wonderful father’s hand, Anya knew he would never let anything hurt her. Neither would her beautiful mother. But even knowing how much they loved her, she couldn’t help the squeak when her mother flamed indigo in front of her eyes. But when her father did the same, she tried to pull away.
Gripping her hand tightly, he let his flame creep down his arm and cover her hand. Stunned, Anya watched as the flame crawled over her skin expecting to scream in pain, instead … the flame continued to creep along her skin. It felt … warm … right … and she found herself responding. Her own skin burst into indigo flame rendering Anya totally speechless. But in spite of everything, Anya felt so happy; she could have danced or sung. Words had no place for the love she felt from the two flames coming closer and closer.
The flames moved toward each other, drawing slowly closer so as not to alarm their daughter. But as the edges of the flames blended with Anya’s own, all her fears were gone. Joy, laughter and something she had no name for filled her until she couldn’t contain it all. Anya literally exploded; her flame filled the small room swelling outward until the room shook with the force of the emotions she couldn’t hold in. As the three blended completely, they found themselves in the midst of a raging inferno such as the small room had never been made to hold. The room burst apart, blasting outward with the force of the heat from the combined fire elementals.
Anya felt so wonderful thinking she never wanted to be alone again. Her parents pulled away from her a short distance then, they each reached into their hearts and pulled forth a flickering flame, not more than a spark really. Blending closer until they were almost the way they had been, they carefully placed their spark in her heart. As each spark reached Anya’s heart … they burned brighter than ever and suddenly Anya felt a true connection, a closeness with her parents that she knew she would never have had otherwise.
Letting their flames die down, patting the last tongues that wouldn’t die, they walked back to the house. The shed had been a decent distance from the cottage and it looked as if it had been blasted out of existence. Mia and Elear kissed their daughter and laughed at the destruction behind them. They shushed her when she tried to apologize saying what she had done was amazing, and not to worry. They could always build another.
Tucking a very sleepy Anya back into bed, they kissed her; her mother stroked her forehead, singing softly. Anya realized all of a sudden that the song was the same as the one Mir had sung to her when he helped heal her. Now she knew why it had made her feel so safe. But instead of listening to the words, she entered a deep sleep.
Back once more above the family, she realized her mother had deliberately put her into a trance. Straining to hear her mother’s whispered words, Anya fell totally silent.
“Anya my darling girl, you will not remember anything of your heritage, you will forget what you are, all we have shown you. But remember this; this is not your home, your home is far from here. One day you will go home, and when you hear our mother Seren call you, then and only then will you remember this day. Give Seren our life sparks my darling, for only then will we be truly home.”
With her mother’s sweet voice … the room became dark once more, and Anya felt herself drifting. She was caught up once more into the swirling dizziness of before. When it stopped … Anya heard Seren’s lovely voice once more.
“Anya my dear … your parents have given you their life spark … they knew they were going out. Could you reach into your heart my dear and bring them out? Call their names and the spark will appear in your hand. Don’t worry, I will take them from you, my sweet girl, you have brought your parents’ home to me … their names will never be lost from Seren. Thank you my daughter. I also have something for you Anya … I have two gifts to give you in exchange.”
Bright dazzling light filled the air around her, too bright for her to see. She saw the strangest things then, Anya felt herself in the soft comfortable bed of before. Sighing, she struggled unsuccessfully to wake up. Instead, she sighed deeply and settled herself more profoundly into slumber and drifted off once more.
**********
Chapter Twenty-Four
Arahir stood; his fists were clenched with suppressed fury. That Lirima would threaten their son and the creature Savage would dare place a blade across his beautiful mate’s throat. He almost threw caution to the wind and leapt over the bed tearing the throat from the arrogant Lord who was sliding his hand across Anya’s sleeping body. He was amusing himself, seeing how the men would react. But apart from everything else, he was really enjoying stroking her silken skin. Adam had missed his beautiful maid- servant and hoped when Lirima had gotten what she wanted, which seemed to be the very handsome man glaring at her; just maybe when the rest were dead and they were back at his mansion; she would belong to him once more. The very idea sent all sorts of lustful ideas into his fertile brain.
Adam was enjoying stroking Anya’s skin so much that he didn’t register the growling that came from the lips of the beautiful man glaring straight at him. Looking up suddenly, Adam Savage realized two things: the first was if he hadn’t realized it before … the man growling low in his throat was in actual fact the beast he had imprisoned for over a year in his home. And secondly, the look of hate reflected in the man’s face was mirrored in the twins who had come to stand beside the man. If looks could kill, Lord Savage would have been very dead. Rather than provoke the enraged men any further … he wisely took his hand from Anya’s skin; but not for long he promised himself.
Lirima laughed her lovely musical laugh, amused by Savage’s antics. She didn’t mind what Adam did to Anya as long as she was bound to Arahir first.
I asked you a question my love … what price will you pay for the lives of your new son and your lovely mate?”
An elegant long nailed hand gently stroked the babe’s soft white head, but even deeply entranced … the child whimpered at the touch of someone as loathsome and evil as the Enchantress.
“There … there … my sweetling, no harm will come to you from your sleep … just as long as Daddy makes the right decision.”
She looked squarely in Arahir’s beautiful eyes … they had captivated her from the beginning making her lose her original purpose in attacking the castle. She pursued the Keeper with a single-mindedness that became an obsession until he was all he thought about. The sacrifices she had made, the blood she had spilt had all been in the name of finding a way to bind an unwilling mate to her. But then … he had taken a mate, a serving girl of all things and she had to start over. First she had to break a bond so powerfully created … this she had seen in her Beast’s own memories and then, she had to bind him to her so well that he had no will but hers. It had taken her millennia to discover the second part, but the first had taken only one year. It seemed it was
a simple reversal of the process. Nothing about it was simple, but it was achievable … she just needed Arahir alone and the time to do it. Ohhh yes … she had to have the life blood of someone who was dear to her. It was the only reason she had cultivated Adam’s love, he adored her in spite of his wanderings. She let him wander … but when she was with him, Adam wanted only her. His was the blood she would use.
They were almost ready. The spell she placed Anya and her son under would ensure they would be asleep for days, possibly a week. She wanted the bonding consummated before Anya woke. Lirima wanted to see the rejection in his eyes of his former soul mate and her pain as he was lost to her forever. It was a petty revenge, but one she would definitely enjoy.
Carelessly tossing the black sphere in her hand, she watched the pain in his eyes as he wondered whether she really would kill his son. Of course … Lirima would not throw away such a valuable hostage so foolishly, but he had no way of knowing any of that.
“What do you want Lirima … whatever it is … you can have it … just leave my family alone? They have never caused you harm.”
Arahir knew in his heart what she wanted, knew it could cost him everything; but if it meant he could destroy the Enchantress, he was willing to sacrifice himself to keep his small family intact. The Keeper spoke to the two who were part of their family, telling them what he was going to do. Fear reflected in the twins’ eyes before they quickly masked it from the two who watched them like hawks, watching for signs of treachery.
Once the Keeper told the twins what he would do, he closed the link to them and his mate and son. He wanted them to be able to bear all he was steeling himself to endure. Arahir knew what she would try to do, but he didn’t even know if it was possible, but regardless … any tampering with the bond would hurt like nothing he could ever imagine. He sighed … he had finally found Anya again, helped her birth their son, quite possibly the most intimate of all acts between the elementals … was it just to lose her completely?