by C. G. Powell
“Did everyone but me know about Helen?” Mae’s voice was laced with anger, pulling away from Meredith.
“I told Gemma last night by accident. She understood Beck’s reason, but didn’t agree with it. So, she told you to ask him. The whole of vampires and witches knows the love story of Helen and Paris…aka Beck. You need to forgive him Mae, he almost killed himself making the decision to love you and forsake Helen. He knew one day that he might have to make a choice between the two of you and he chose you. What more could you ask of him?”
“Nothing, now that you have explained it to me that way,” she sighed. Mae wanted to hate him, but couldn’t and she regretted the fact that she had not allowed him to explain. She knew none of it was his fault, but it still hurt to be led here under false pretenses.
“I think you two need to talk before he does something stupid and irreversible. Aidan tells me Beck has been punching the walls downstairs. His hands are shattered into a thousand pieces and he refuses to let them heal.”
“I’m not ready to talk to him yet. I need some time to think.” Mae’s mind was ready to forgive him, but her heart still ached.
Meredith smiled, “Just promise me you won’t leave him without talking to him first. Alexis and I are going to Killarney tomorrow. Why don’t you join us? It will give you a chance to clear your head.”
“Alright Mere, I won’t leave, I promise and a trip with the girls sounds great…I need to get out of here.” Mae planned to call Gemma later. Gemma always knew what to do when it came to men and Mae needed her now more than ever. “I wish she hadn’t left,” Mae thought to herself.
“Now that that is settled, I will have some food brought up. You look like hell, so I suggest a hot soak in that swimming pool Beck calls a tub,” she laughed.
“A hot bath sounds wonderful…will you stay and keep me company? I could use a friend right now.” Mae got up and started to run the water.
Meredith opened the cabinet under the sink and pulled out a bottle of lavender oil and handed it to her. “I’ll come back after I check on Beck.”
~~~***~~~
Meredith went to the gym to talk to Aidan and Beck. Things finally quieted down emotionally and Alexis removed the bubble. “Beck, she has agreed to stay, all she wants is a little time before she talks to you.” Meredith looked at the mess of broken bones that were previously Beck’s beautiful hands. “You’re going to need help fixing them,” she said pointing at the bloody mess.
“I know,” Beck hung his head in shame.
“Let me get help,” she said and was out the door before Beck had a chance to protest. She returned a few minutes later. “Mae has agreed to help on one condition. You are not to look at her or try to talk to her. Do you agree?”
Beck was shaking his head. “I do not want her to see me like this, Mere.”
“Beck,” she said softly. “You need her now more than ever and she needs you, but is too stubborn to let you know. Please let her help,” Meredith pleaded.
“Okay, I agree to the terms,” he sneered, gritting his teeth.
When Mae saw his hands, she gasped. How could he have done this to himself? It took hours to mend his broken hands. He sat there in silent pain as they worked. By the time they were through, Mae was completely drained and ready to pass out. She went to the kitchen and ate some soup and hot rolls. Afterwards, she went straight to bed, too exhausted to even dream.
Chapter 11
In spite of her exhaustion, off and on during the night, Mae could feel Beck’s presence through the door that separated their bedrooms. His sadness kept interrupting her sleep, leaving her restless. She planned to talk to him the next day, but only after going to Killarney with the girls. She wanted him to realize there were consequences to his keeping secrets, and she wanted to leave him alone for the day to think about it.
It was a warm sunny day in Killarney, Meredith and Alexis were doing their best to keep the mood light. It was nice to see that Alexis had a soft feminine side to her; which was actually pleasant to be around. They all joked about the men in their lives past and present, for some reason, Aidan’s name kept popping up. It made Mae wonder if Meredith was still in love with him. Mae’s mind kept drifting back to Beck. She was missing him and wanted everything to go back to the way it used to be. Tonight she promised, would be new start for them both and although she forgave him, she needed to establish some rules. The sun would set soon and they had one more stop before they went home. Beck asked Meredith to pick up something from one of the jewelry stores.
They walked into the same store Mae had gone to with Beck a couple of weeks earlier. The diamonds in the case were still singing their songs as she walked passed them on the way to the counter. The same old man greeted them with a pleasant smile and reached behind the counter for Beck’s packages.
“You must be Mae,” he gestured towards Mae as if awaiting her arrival.
“Yes, I am…” Mae replied curiously.
“Then these are for you,” he relied, handing her the larger of two boxes and a note.
She carefully read the note, which was written in Beck’s hand.
Dearest Mae,
I know it is not exactly like the one your parents gave you, but I hope it reminds you of them just the same.
Beck
Mae opened the box to find an exact replica of the bug pendant her parents had given her. The only difference was the stones in this one were real, not glass like the one she lost. It was beautiful, every diamond shimmering in the light and drawing her into their brilliance. The old man removed the necklace from the box and put it around her neck. Mae’s eyes watered at Beck’s thoughtfulness while the old man gave her the second, smaller box and another note.
I saw this and it reminded me of the time I chased you around the bed to get my stick back.
Love, Beck
P.S. Get your mind out of the gutter.
She opened the box and laughed; it was a beautiful art deco style pendant made of green mother of pearl and encrusted with rhinestones. Eyeing the piece, she realized it was a USB stick and smiled. It was certainly one of Beck’s more thoughtful gifts which made her long to be with him.
“What a beautiful necklace Mae! It looks exactly like the one you lost,” Meredith gushed, admiring the pendant hanging from Mae’s neck as they walked out of the shop. Suddenly, gunshots rang out and pitch darkness was all that Mae knew.
Alexis stood stunned, shielding herself from the onslaught of bullets that rained down on them. Soon, everything went quiet and she had a chance to assess the condition of her friends, both lying on the ground completely motionless. Meredith took a shot to the shoulder and most likely endured a concussion from hitting the ground so hard. Mae however, had two gunshots wounds to the head. Alexis pulled out her phone and called for help as her friends’ blood started to pool on the ground.
The ambulances arrived and paramedics were astounded that Mae was still alive. Alexis called Aidan to tell him the news. “Aidan, it’s Alexis, I need for you and Beck to meet me at the hospital in Dublin. Meredith and Mae have been shot and it doesn’t look good, they’re being Medevac’d. I’m following the assassin as we speak and hope to have answers when I get to Dublin.”
Aidan’s voiced trembled, “How is Meredith?”
“Not too bad. One bullet to the shoulder and a concussion; she should be able to heal most of it herself. Mae is not doing as well, so I need for you to keep Beck calm until we can get some answers,” Alexis continued to track the shooter; she felt it was the least she could do. Her guilt began to manifest at her inability to protect all of them.
“We should be there within the hour.” Aidan hung up the phone, pausing in his search for a good way to tell Beck.
Beck watched Aidan’s face go from pale to white and immediately sensed that something was amiss. “What is going on, Aidan?” he demanded.
“There has been an accident and we need to get to Dublin right now,” Aidan said calmly.
Be
ck was already on the phone. “I want the helicopter ready to leave in five minutes,” he ordered, turning back to Aidan and anxiously inquiring, “What kind of accident?”
“Alexis only said that Mae and Meredith are being Medevac’d to Dublin as we speak.” Aidan hated to lie, but he feared Beck’s reaction if he knew the truth that they’d been shot.
Beck tried to reach Alexis while the pilot flew them to Dublin. “She must have turned off her phone because it keeps going to voice mail,” he growled.
~~~***~~~
It would be hours before Mae came out of surgery. Beck sat patiently in the waiting room with Aidan and Meredith. His mind was running a marathon trying to process the whole situation.
Aidan sat next to Meredith on a couch. “How is the shoulder feeling, Mere?” he asked, trying to make small talk.
“It hurts like hell, but the painkillers are taking the edge off.” Meredith leaned back against Aidan’s chest. He gently put his arm around her, being careful not to touch her injured shoulder.
“I wish I was better at healing; maybe Alexis can help when she gets here,” he offered.
Beck got up and started to pace the floor. “She should have been able to heal herself by now. What could be taking the surgeons so long?” He stopped, took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair. “I will kill whoever did this,” he stated stoically as an eerie calm set upon him. “Where is the damn nurse?” he yelled, his emotions resuming control.
Aidan walked over to him and put his hand on Beck’s shoulder. “Alexis will find out who did this, you need to stay calm before they throw you out of here.” Aidan sat Beck down next to Meredith. She held his hand, reminding him he was not alone.
The door opened, one of the doctors walked in and Beck jumped up to meet him. “How is she?”
“Both of the bullets went all the way through her cranium cleanly. The only thing we could do was remove the bone fragments and try to keep pressure off the brain from the swelling. She is in the ICU in a drug-induced coma until we feel it’s safe for her to wake up. Her vitals seem to be holding steady for now. It’s a miracle she’s even alive.”
Beck nervously exhaled, like he had been holding his breath during the entire time the doctor spoke. “May I see her?”
“I was just headed that way if you care to follow me,” the doctor answered, gesturing towards the door.
“If you don’t mind, I’m going to take Meredith to your townhouse so she can rest,” said Aidan
“Thanks for staying with me,” Beck said to Meredith before he turned towards the door and followed the doctor.
Beck’s heart dropped when he saw Mae, she was almost unrecognizable. Her eyes were black where the blood had pooled under the skin from the trauma. Her long, beautiful, brown hair was all gone and replaced with what seemed to be yards of gauze wrapped around her head. There were tubes and wires everywhere. Beck stood in the doorway, motionless watching the doctor check everything carefully.
“It’s okay to go in and sit next to her,” one of the ICU nurses said from behind him.
He sat in the chair next to the bed clasping her cold lifeless hand. Anger built up inside of him once more as the nurse and doctor walked out. They were alone and the room was dark, save an emergency light in the bathroom. He was emotionally drained. Their argument from the night before was the last thing he said to her and it terrified him that she might pass without forgiving him.
The tears he fought to hold back began to flow as a quiet voice invaded his mind…Paris. It whispered several times before he looked up and saw the ghostly image of Helen floating in front of him. It was as if she were made of sheer light, irradiating the room in her soft glow. It was the face of the woman he first fell in love with thousands of years ago but in a more ethereal form. “Helen, what are you doing outside Mae’s body?” He was nervous talking to her, wondering if she were aware of his betrayal and love for Mae.
She smiled, “My dearest Paris,” using the name she had known him by when they first met. “My time here is short and I have come to say goodbye.”
“Helen, what do you mean ‘good-bye’? You promised that this time we would be together forever.” All of his feelings for Helen came rushing in like a rogue wave, engulfing him.
“I have spent too many years toiling over my own existence, Paris. Every time I returned to a new body, part of my soul would disappear into theirs…I no longer choose to live this way despite the curse from Aphrodite. It is time for me to walk into the light and continue my journey.”
“You cannot leave me Helen, I need you,” Beck pleaded with her.
“What of Mae? Is she nothing to you?”
Beck sat silently, unable to truthfully answer the question.
“She is your soul mate Beck,” Helen added, using his current name. “I have been witness to all that binds you together…She is everything I could never be to you. You have lived, laughed, and loved more in the last few months with her, than we have in our eternity and I am glad you have finally found true happiness. It has given me the courage to do what I should have done in the beginning.”
“I love you, Helen,” was all he could think to say.
“I know,” she smiled as she faded into the brightness that illuminated behind her.
Helen was now gone and regardless of the weight that was lifted off his shoulders it still pained him to let her go. He laid his head on Mae’s chest and sobbed to the sound of Mae’s beating heart.
~~~***~~~
Alexis crept quietly through the door of Mae’s ICU room. Beck appeared to be asleep lying across Mae’s chest until the sound of the door closing startled him and he sat back up in his chair. He looked almost as hellish as Mae, his eyes red and swollen from crying and lack of sleep. His usual ridged proper demeanor was now reduced to an exhausted man slumped over in his chair as she walked up to him.
She took his hand in hers and placed three bullets in it. “They are silver-plated, I took them off a poor farmer so enthralled with a compulsion spell that he had no idea what he had done. She’s lucky they went straight through; otherwise she would be dead already. Meredith contacted one of the doctors, a warlock, who told her they are going to start chelation therapy on her soon to remove all the silver from her system. They are also in the process of gathering other witches to make a healing circle to speed up the healing process.”
Beck realized the gravity of Mae’s situation; silver was caustic to both vampires and witches. The punishment for making use of it was an automatic death sentence by law in both penal codes. “Do you know who is responsible yet?”
Alexis sighed and leaned against the edge of the bed next to Beck. “Beck, it was more than just an attack on Mae. Your research lab has been burnt to the ground and all the files and backups were erased. Howard is responsible for both, but I believe there is someone on the Council that is pulling the puppet strings.”
Beck exploded, “Howard? Howard did all this?” He jumped up from the chair and grabbed his coat. For many years he had trusted Howard, never having had reason not to.
Alexis stood at the door blocking his passage. “He is not here, Beck. He left for London hours ago, so have Aidan and Meredith. She called an emergency Council meeting for tomorrow, but you need to be here with Mae for now.” She gripped his arms hard, trying to break the trance that had overtaken him.
He sat back down in the chair and put his face in his hands, restraining his anger for Mae’s sake. Alexis let out a deep breath, relieved he had calmed down, if only for the moment. They would all have to endure his anger soon enough, but now was not the time. The plan was to keep Beck from doing something that he would later regret and to allow the Witches Council a chance to vindicate the situation. Howard was a dead man either way. Alexis put her hand on Beck’s shoulder and he looked up.
“She was wearing the bug necklace you had made for her and smiling when we left the shop. It seemed like you were forgiven long before the gifts…I think she just wanted to mak
e a point before she let you know,” Alexis confided to him, hoping to ease his guilt.
Beck smiled slightly and sighed, “I hope you are right. I love her and it is breaking my heart not knowing,” clasping Mae’s hand tighter in his.
The doctor entered interrupting their conversation. “Hello, I’m Dr. Thomas,” he said, reaching out to shake Beck’s hand.
Alexis raised an eyebrow, sizing up the handsome, young doctor in front of her. “Aren’t you a little young to be a doctor?” she inquired.
He leaned over and whispered, “I’m one hundred and sixty-two but don’t tell the other doctors, they think I’m some sort of med school genius,” he laughed. “I am going to start the chelation treatment right now. Hopefully we can go in and heal her right afterwards.”
It was obvious the warlock doctor was flirting. Alexis smiled at him while he hung the bag of chelation fluid and reconnected the IV tubes to it. “So, Dr. Thomas is there a good place around here to grab some lunch?” she chirped back in an effort to get the doctor’s attention.
“I was just headed down to the cafeteria for lunch if you’d like to join me. The food is not the best, but it’s not too bad.”
Alexis stopped and looked back as she was leaving. “Beck, are you going to be okay? You look like you could use a good meal, why don’t you come with us?” she asked, looking at all the cracker wrappers on the nightstand. It was obvious he had not eaten a meal since yesterday.
“No, you two go and enjoy your lunch. I will get something later.” Beck was waiting for her to leave. He had business to take care of and didn’t need Alexis’ interference. As soon as she was gone, he stepped outside and turned his cell phone back on. It had been off since yesterday evening and there were a ton of messages and voicemails that needed to be answered. His first call would be to Greg, his head of research at the lab.