"All of it!" Caislyn stated so forcefully that even Jaxon sat back a bit.
"It's almost never done, and only as a punishment for the most severe crimes. It's so painful, many don't survive the process. Those who do, well, they usually don't last long because it's like having your heart ripped out. Your brain may still function for a minute or two, but then it dies too. It's the same for ripping a witch's magic from her. She may live through it, but it slowly kills her inside. We weren't meant to be without our magic."
"So, Merriwyn thinks she can restore my mom's magic?"
"Yes, we are capable of doing so, but it takes supplies that we haven't had use of here in many years."
A whistling in from the other room caused Caislyn to jump a bit. Jaxon got up and headed out there. "I got it, I was just making some herb tea for you, Cais."
Jaxon brought Caislyn the tea and watched as it worked itself into her system. Before long Caislyn was climbing into bed next to her mom and sleeping soundlessly. "I'm going in the other room to try to meditate for a bit, I've got a headache coming on. Call out if you need me." The old gypsy woman simply nodded her head towards Jaxon.
"Now, what in the hell am I going to tell Gregore if he shows up?" Jaxon was mumbling to herself as she sat on the floor, crossing her legs in front of her, and straightening her posture as Caislyn had once taught her to do. As Jaxon began grounding herself everything leveled out and her thoughts clarified. A peacefulness washed over her as she shed all the emotions she had been pulling and trying to shield from throughout the day. She briefly wondered where Seth had gone, but then remembered he had mentioned needing to go feed. She still wasn't sure exactly what he did when he went to feed. There were more questions she needed answers to, and every time she thought to ask them, no one was around. When everyone was around, all hell was usually breaking loose. "One of these days, I am going to pin these people down and get some answers." Jaxon said to herself as she got up. She turned to clean up the tea mess and saw one of the emerald flower petals on the floor. She picked it up and threw it in the trash, then headed back in to check on Caislyn. She was sound asleep still so Jaxon whispered to the woman who was sitting in the chair near the bed, "I'm heading next door for a while, just call out loudly if you need me, I will still hear you."
The woman nodded as Jaxon walked away, thinking about cleaning up the mess of flower petals that had been left behind. With the news about her mom, she didn't think Caislyn could take any more drama today and the last thing she needed was a reminder of what happened the night before. Caislyn felt bad enough, of that Jaxon was certain, because her shields hadn't been enough to block the onslaught of emotion that rolled off her friend in waves in the forest.
Jaxon pulled the door to the RV open only to walk straight into Gregore. "Crap! Sorry, I..."
"Jaxon, what is going on?" He looked at Jax and stepped back to allow her all the way inside. "I know that she told you what happened, now I'm just asking for some clarity."
"And she told you what?"
"No, she didn't tell me anything, she just ran out of here like a bat out of hell this morning. All I know is that the bed is covered in green flowers and she was whispering 'Ash' in her sleep. What the hell is going on Jaxon? And where is Caislyn?"
"Caislyn's with her mom, she's not doing so well, Gregore. She hasn't woken up yet today." For his part, Gregore paled noticeably.
"Is she going to be okay?"
"My mom went for some herbs or something that they didn't have here. She said something about needing to restore Vesta's magic." And with that Gregore paled further.
"So she was completely stripped then?" Gregore backed up and slunk down onto the couch. "She's a tremendous woman to have gone this long. Caislyn will be devastated if she doesn't pull through."
"I know." Jaxon said, and sat across from Gregore in the chair. "Listen, Greg, I came to clean up the mess in your room."
Gregore's head snapped back up at the mention of the mysterious petals. "Jaxon, I need answers about last night. Caislyn's dealing with her mom right now, but I have to know what's going on."
Jaxon sighed, "I don't want to be the one to do this," she whispered. "Greg, you know about Caislyn being half Fey?" He nodded. "She has dreams sometimes."
"Yeah, I know about the dream walking. We've been in each other's dreams before. I guess, I mean, she's been in mine since I can't do it."
"Yeah, well, Cais isn't the only person alive who can dream walk."
"I know that Jax, her father was able to."
"Yeah, because he's Fey. Which means other Fey can do it too."
"What are you getting at here, Jaxon?"
"When we were at the castle in Ireland rescuing Vesta, there was a Fey hiding there, waiting for Caislyn to give her a message. He told her that her father was dead and that the Fey were removing themselves from the equation. He said that she was not welcome in Fey lands or she would be killed, but if she stayed away they would not actively seek her out."
"What doest that have to do with anything?"
"He came to her in a dream after that and he left her a green a flower at some point too, which she awoke with." The reality of the situation began dawning on Gregore, and Jaxon felt the swell of emotions from betrayal to anger and jealousy, and then worry. Before he could say anything Jaxon began projecting calming thoughts and she continued, "Caislyn is new to the dream walking, Gregore. She's new to all of her Fey abilities. The Faerie have some crazy magic that blurs the lines between what is real and what anyone in the right mind would think was just a dream."
"She slept with him last night, didn't she?" Gregore's face made him seem calm and stoic, while his emotions gave him away. Jaxon felt every bit of hurt that was rolling through him.
"She didn't know it was anything more than a dream."
"But she was dreaming of him, not me, on our wedding night."
"She didn't know, and she can't control it. Besides with the fertility blessing, her body wouldn't have given her a choice anyway."
"The what?" Now anger and confusion ran ramped through the room as Jaxon fought against gulping down the emotion, and instead had to concentrate on pushing it back and projecting calm. She was quickly being worn out by the process.
"Shit. Listen to me, carefully, before you react. The others knew and didn't tell Caislyn because they thought she would run from her destiny. Apparently, when a woman receives the blessing, she is also hit with a huge cosmic dose of 'let's get pregnant.' She had no clue that's what was happening to her. She slept with you and went to bed happy and content. Then he pulled her into a dream. She turned him down the other day Greg. Ash proposed that she choose him instead to be joined with for the blessing."
"He did what?"
"Ugg, listen first, then react. You are killing my head right now." Jaxon rubbed her hands across her temples as she tried desperately to block out the rage that roiled around her. "She told him no. She didn't even have to think about it. It wasn't anything she questioned. I was there when she told Vesta and my mom about the dream and how she's always had you. How she loved you, and if she had to marry anyone right now you were her only choice." The rage began to pull back and Jaxon was able to relax a bit more. "Gregore, when he pulled her into that dream last night, she was riding high on some strange cosmic baggage. His sexual energy compounded what was going on inside of her. I had to drug her before I came over here to get her to rest, because she was so torn up about all this and then to find out about her mom on top of it..." Jaxon just let the words settle there so they could sink in.
"So, it was just a dream though, right?"
"I can't be sure, but I don't think so. Something happened last night. Caislyn wasn't aware of it, but she was pulled from the dream to a real place. What happened was real, but she didn't know that until she woke up in that pile of petals."
Gregore's rage was back, and it more than scared Jaxon when he stood up. "I'm going to find that Ash, and I am going to kill him."
&nb
sp; Jaxon stood and bellowed out, "SIT!" It was a command. And it was one that Gregore answered against his will.
"What the hell are you doing to me?" He questioned, panic raising his voice an octave higher than it normally would have sounded.
"You will not do anything else to upset Caislyn. She's had enough betrayal and heartache to deal with today. What you need to do is find it in your heart to forgive something she didn't have any control over. Then, you need to be there for her while her mom recovers. And you need to start thinking about the fact that Caislyn is most likely pregnant now, thanks to the strange fucking magic the two of you cooked up with this blessing bullshit."
"And what if that baby isn't mine? What if it's his?" Gregore said as he crumpled inward with the weight of everything that he was being told.
"And what if it's yours?" Jaxon watched as he shook his head, "I don't mean to sound crude, but you were there first. Your little swimmers had a head start." Jaxon watched as a small smile came and went from Gregore's face. Then he buried his head in his hands and she left him there like that to cry over his life in peace. She had a different kind of mess to clean up before Caislyn came back. After looking at the amount of petals that were now overflowing to the floor, Jaxon decided that she was going to need a bigger bag and she went back out to the living room area of the RV to find one.
As she was digging around in the cabinet she felt that familiar tingle up the back of her neck that told her another vampire was near. She turned to see Seth walking in, staring at the crumpled heap on the sofa that was Gregore, wallowing in his own misery. He threw a questioning look to Jax who just nodded back to the bedroom.
"Come help me clean up and I'll explain."
The minute Seth saw all the flower petals he stopped in his tracks, "what the hell?"
Jaxon handed him the bag to hold open for her and she started scooping the petals up and tossing them in as she filled him in on everything that happened while he was off hunting down a meal.
"I've seen some pretty weird stuff in my lifetime, but I have to tell you Jaxon, between you and Caislyn I have never seen anything that compares."
"Yeah, I know. I was thinking the same thing earlier. Every time I think we've reached some sort of peak in the craziness, it just blows up even further." She shook her head, "I almost long for the simpler days, before I knew about my own magic."
"But I wasn't there then," Seth said as he grabbed Jaxon around the waist.
"That's why I said almost." She leaned over to kiss him and then pulled away reluctantly to finish bagging the petals. "Do me a favor, I brewed some tea to help Caislyn get some rest, can you run over and grab the rest. I have a feeling Gregore needs a little help too. I'm just going to finish up here and then get him settled in before I head back over."
"Yeah, no problem. I'll be right back."
***
A CALL FOR HELP
Jaxon took a deep breath and slouched down momentarily as she let all the thoughts of the past day flow from her. She had been sitting Indian style on the floor, shoulders and back straight, trying to center and meditate but it was no use, her mind was a mess today. It was almost as if her ears were ringing, but instead of the incessant noise coming from her ears, it was clouding her entire mind. Jaxon was annoyed and far too distracted with the constant buzzing in her head to do much of anything, let alone meditate and center herself. ‘Maybe some tea and then a walk will help clear my head,’ she decided as she stood to find her shoes.
Her shoes were already on before she realized that her tea was still in the other RV. So she stood there, trying to figure out where to go or what to do to ease the odd sensation of restlessness that she was feeling.
“Is there a movie playing in there that I’m unaware of?” Seth remarked as he stood just outside, “you’ve been standing there with the door open for a few minutes now.”
Jaxon glanced at him and then back towards the RV and then again to Seth. "I feel so odd. There's this buzzing, and I keep losing focus."
"Where is everyone," Seth asked as he gently pushed Jaxon back inside the RV and sat her down.
"Caislyn's in there sleeping by her mom and the girl who was here went to go grab some breakfast." Jaxon flipped her hands over towards the sink, "Nothing here."
"Jax, I want you to concentrate and tell me exactly what's going on with you."
"I. Can't. Focus." She said slowly, and deliberately for him. It's like ringing inside my whole head instead of just my ears." Jaxon began rubbing her temples again, a mannerism she was quickly getting tired of and yet, using all too often.
"Maybe, I should go get Caislyn?" Seth stood and got ready to walk to the bedroom, but Caislyn was already there.
"What do you need me for?" She said as she tossed her hair up in a ponytail, high on the top of her head.
"Cais, there's something going on with Jax. She says her entire head is buzzing and that she can't focus."
"Oh!" Caislyn took notice of Jaxon for the first time since coming into the living room. "Jax? How long has this been going on?"
Jaxon shook her head from side to side and tried to think about how long she had been feeling this way, but it was no use. She couldn't concentrate on what had already happened that morning long enough. "It's getting worse."
"Maybe it's Merriwyn," Caislyn said nonchalantly as she grabbed a mug to make some tea.
Jaxon looked up at Caislyn and then to Seth, panic evident in her eyes. "Oh my God, mom!"
Caislyn turned and looked at Jaxon, "is she trying to contact you? What's going on? Can you concentrate enough to hear her now that you know?"
"Shh!" Jaxon hissed as she rubbed her temples and tried focusing inward on the call that was coming to her. "Panic, she's frightened. She's been calling out for help." Jaxon was speaking in fragments that Seth and Caislyn were trying to understand. "The Brotherhood." That was one thing they both understood. Jaxon snapped out of the odd little trance she had been pulled into. She had heard her mom's frantic pleas for help. "She's in trouble, I need to get to her right now." Jaxon didn't hesitate, she grabbed the bag on the side of the chair that she had her daggers in and took off running out of the RV before either Seth or Caislyn could catch up.
Caislyn and Seth chased after her anyway. Seth caught Jaxon first and grabbed hold of her arm. “Jaxon, wait! You can't just go running off like that, alone. You don't even know for sure what's going on in your head right now. Besides, you said she feels scared. That means there's danger, Jax! Damn it, woman! Think for a minute and let us help you before you get yourself killed!"
Caislyn finally caught up to them in time to hear the end of Seth's speech. "Jax, you need to concentrate on what's going on, but you need to keep yourself in the here and now too. I saw you get dizzy back there. If you find the right balance you will be able to lead us to her and still be prepared for anything that goes wrong too."
Seth stood in front of Jaxon and grabbed her arms to get her attention. “Jaxon, Caislyn’s right. Besides, it could be the Brotherhood, like you thought she said, or the council, or anyone else. It could be a trap. We have to be cautious.”
"Standing here talking everything to death could get her killed," Jaxon yelled at the both of them.
"And running in blindly could get us all killed," Seth hugged Jaxon and had her sit on a log. "Just take a breath, and concentrate on the actual message that Merriwyn is trying to send to you."
Jaxon sat, and let the tension flow away from her, as hard as that was. She continued to go deeper inside herself for the answers. Finally, she found a place in herself where she could feel her mom. Her fear was a tangible thing that began to weigh Jaxon down. "Brotherhood has me..." words were coming to her now, but they were coming in jumbled chunks. "...fight..." Jaxon tried to hang on to the message and pushed herself to go deeper, "...kill me..." "Don't come!" That last message was shouted at Jaxon and it knocked her out of the trance she had gone into.
"What happened?" Caislyn asked as she hovered over J
axon along with Seth.
"I just got bits and pieces. She was saying something about the Brotherhood having her, then fight, then kill me, and..." Jaxon's voice trailed off. She wasn't sure she should share the last order with them. Caislyn and Seth loved her, but she wouldn't doubt for a minute that they would keep her from trying to save her mom if it meant danger to anyone else.
"And?" Seth questioned, not about to let it go.
"And she said don't come." Jaxon looked up into the eyes of her friends, "I have to go. I have to do whatever I can to save her." She grabbed Caislyn's hand, "you of all people should know that."
"I do. I just want you to be smart about everything. Did you see where she was?"
Jaxon filled in all the details she was able to garner from the message and the three of them began formulating a plan to go rescue Merriwyn.
"Cais!" Gregore was yelling with a a bit of a frantic tone in his voice. Gregore burst through the woods, looking around wildly for something that wasn't there. He saw Jaxon and Seth sitting on the ground with Caislyn, and it took a few minutes to realize something wasn't right. "What's going on? Was Ash here again?"
"Who?" Seth questioned.
Caislyn looked from Gregore to Jaxon and realized her friend had already told him everything. Jaxon felt the flurry of emotions that swirled around her friend.
"I had to tell him, Cais."
"Now is not the time. We have to get to your mom." Caislyn said as she looked up to Gregore, "Merriwyn is in trouble. She's been calling out to Jaxon, and we need to get to her soon."
"Cais, I came to get you because Vesta's not doing too good. She was having trouble breathing. The healers are working on her now. I thought you should be there, just in case."
Caislyn's head sunk low. Then she looked up to her frantic friend and the vampire who was by her side. "Go!" Seth told her. "We will find Merriwyn and the supplies she was bringing for your mom."
"Be careful," Caislyn told them as she turned toward Gregore, obviously torn about whether to be there for her mom or to go help rescue Jaxon's.
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