Folk Lore

by Joanne Ellis

  Keelor bent to retrieve Sera from her makeshift bed.

  “I’ll take her, Keelor, I’m quicker.”

  “Can you restrain your thirst?”

  “Yes, I’m not a complete savage. I care about her more than you do.”

  Without allowing Keelor to respond, Sam scooped her up and raced her through the gate and into the garden. The circle members were waiting for their return, their expressions anxious. Keelor followed through moments later.

  “She’s been bitten,” Sam told them.

  “She will have healed, there is little we can do, it is only a matter of time now,” Kalar said.

  “No! Her powers have been bound so her wounds have not healed,” Sam said.

  “You can’t let her die,” Anna said distraught.

  “There is only one other option,” Kalar answered.

  “If it keeps my baby alive then we must change her. Sam can do it.”

  Disgust surged through Sam at the idea of being responsible for turning his best friend into a fiend, at exposing her to the life he’d been given. There had to be another way.

  “Unbind her powers first,” he told them.

  “Why? What difference will it make?” Kalar asked. Something in her voice urged Sam to push.

  “I believe my healing abilities are the reason I am immune to Sera’s powers. I’m not affected as other vampires are anymore. Maybe her powers will reject the poison and she’ll heal. We all know how powerful she is. If it doesn’t work then I’ll change her.”

  “We do not have much time,” Keelor told him.

  Sam noted a look of what appeared to be relief wash over Keelor’s face. He hoped this meant good things for Sera, maybe there was a chance for them to reconcile. He didn’t believe they would be able to do this if she became a vampire, Keelor would never be with her in that form.

  “Princesses,” Kalar began. “Recite the unbinding spell.”

  When the last word passed their lips, Sam removed her bandages to find her unchanged. It didn’t work.

  “We need to locate Cornelius,” Keelor said.

  “He’s dead,” Sam said.

  “Sera was informed differently. If he indeed cast the spell, he will need to reverse it. The spell in the book is old and Cornelius is powerful. Every other spell he has cast has been difficult or impossible to break with a spell from the book.”

  “We were able to free Nermo and Sera you.”

  “I believe this was because of Sera, she is the chosen one. In her current state she cannot perform any spells and the circle probably requires her participation to reverse it,” Keelor said. He couldn’t believe this had not been discovered before now. Keelor couldn’t recall Keela advising him Seraphina was the chosen one. The human princess certainly fit the description. Is it possible they all missed it before, including him? Was this why he was supposedly in love with her? She was the chosen one?

  “We have to go for Cornelius,” Sam said. “Make him reverse the spell before the poison kills her and it is too late to change her if we have to. You believe she is the chosen one from the book?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then her powers will repel the poison.”

  “Yes, Sampson, I believe your theory to be correct.”

  “What if it doesn’t work,” Sam asked Keelor and Nermo as they walked the small distance through the forest to Cornelius’ home.

  “It will,” Keelor told him. He hoped it would. Was she the chosen one?

  “If it doesn’t she will have to become like me, I don’t want that for her.”

  “I say let us worry about that if and when it is an issue.”

  “Will you turn away from her if she is, if you remember?”

  “Whether I remember or not, I have no intention of forming any sort of relationship with her.”

  “Could you be any colder?” Nermo muttered in disdain.

  “When you remember you may feel differently,” Sam said.

  “Not if she is a bloodsucker.”

  “I knew it,” Sam said.

  “It would not bother me,” Nermo said.

  “Be my guest,” Keelor told him. He stopped at the edge of the forest and looked for signs of the warlock.

  “Just another crushed heart,” Nermo said the scorn in his voice still intense.

  Regardless of his words, Keelor’s concern about Sera remaining human hung heavily in his mind and heart. He may not remember his relationship or recall his feelings for her but the thought of her having to be turned, tore shreds through him. A small part of his heart ached for him to recollect their love. As much as he tried to block these feelings, to push them aside, they were there nonetheless.

  Shifting his concentration to the task at hand, he advised his companions of his plan.

  45

  Warlock

  Keelor dragged Cornelius through the gate behind him as Sam and Nermo followed. Relieved his plan had been executed successfully and they were able to retrieve the warlock undetected, did little to quell his unease, the difficult part was still to come. Convincing Cornelius to remove the spell would be tricky.

  Keelor kept his grip tight on the warlock’s arms, disabling his hands so as to prevent him from using his magic to escape.

  “Cornelius,” Kalar began. “Are you responsible for binding Princess Seraphina’s powers?”

  He didn’t answer.

  “If you refuse to help us, you will be incarcerated, as you have done to many others.”

  “Yes but Kalar,” he told her his voice full of mockery. “If you were to do that then she will die. It is a lose lose situation as far as I can see.”

  Keelor constricted his already steal grip on Cornelius arms until he yelped. “Watch it, elf.”

  “What is it that you require in return?”

  “Allow Elizabeth and I to return home and cease living like criminals, animals.”

  “You are a criminal,” Keelor told him.

  “You can talk,” Cornelius replied. He turned back to Kalar. “My only crime was to fall in love and break your ridiculous laws.”

  “Enough bickering,” Anna said as she stepped forward. “Can you please help my daughter?”

  “It’s not up to me.” Cornelius stared at Kalar.

  “The total disregard over the years of the laws is disappointing. Folk appear to forget the reason such rules are in place. The conflicts which took place in the past originated from mixed folk. Until the shield was put in place, many battles took place on the lands, power struggles from folk wishing to overthrow traditions which have been in place for centuries. The shield became our way of protecting ourselves and the land from folk such as you, who defy the law. If we now begin to allow banished folk to return and remove any further laws from the book, we are most certainly inviting trouble. If we allow you and Elizabeth to return there will be chaos and it will only be so long until the shield is penetrated again.”

  “Maybe it is time to consider abolishing the law and allowing all banished folk to return. If you offer peace perhaps you will get it,” Sam told her. “This is what Seraphina would ask for.”

  “She has not been here long enough to understand the consequences.”

  “I’m not suggesting we allow folk complete freedom, to encourage anarchy. The ones who cause conflict should be punished. I don’t believe there would be many who would try.”

  “The past weeks have not taught you anything, Sampson,” Kalar replied. “Mecaldorf, Cornelius and their army attacked the lands, abducted Nermina.”

  “Only because they wanted to return home.”

  Kalar appeared to ponder this for a moment before speaking. “Perhaps you are right, Sampson. Further discussion and a vote are required before we continue down this path.”

  “What about Sera?” Anna asked anxiously.

  “Cornelius, remove the spell and you will be allowed to return. The others and the law can be decided on later.”

  “Finally,” Sam muttered.

  Keelor allo
wed Cornelius to utilise his hands and they all watched and waited.

  Through a thick haze and troubled dreams, Sera felt herself being drawn back through the darkness. Bright sunlight reddened her vision as she slowly attempted to open her heavy lids. Distant familiar voices swam around her as she tried to wake up. Forcing her mind to focus she remembered the poison which pumped through her veins but realised the unpleasant burn had disappeared. Realisation hit her like a tidal wave. They’d changed her.

  “Her wounds are healing,” she thought she heard Sam say.

  “Is it working?” Definitely her mother’s voice.

  “We will not know until she opens her eyes.” Keelor

  How would he feel about her now? She felt no sudden compulsion to feed, there was no thirst. Was she supposed to feel something? With trepidation she forced her eyes open.

  “Sera,” Anna said. “How do you feel?”

  Sera didn’t know. She sought out each face looking down on her in turn. Anna, Sam, Keelor and Kalar waited with apprehensive expressions. What were they waiting for? Her bloodlust to kick in? It hadn’t. None of them looked any different. Shouldn’t her new vampire eyes see things in an altered state?

  “I feel the same,” she told them as she sat up.

  “I told you,” Keelor said, with, was that awe in his voice? “She is the chosen one.”

  “Chosen one?” she asked. What was he talking about? “I’m not a vampire?”

  “No, honey, you’re not,” Anna answered. “You feel alright though?”

  “Yes, I feel how I did before.”

  Sam laughed and held out his hand. Surprised, she took it and he helped her up.

  “I’m so glad you’re alright,” he told her.

  When he embraced her, as he used to, surprise turned to astonishment.

  “You can be near me now?” she asked him.

  “Yes, the fear of losing you seems to have helped me control the ... anyway you still smell the same.” He smirked.

  “How?” She asked.

  “Cornelius took off the binding spell and your powers healed you, repelled the poison. Just as Keelor predicted,” Sam told her.

  Sera looked around to discover Keelor standing rigid a few paces from the group surrounding her, his eyes averted. She closed the gap and stood in front of him. His eyes flashed to hers for a brief moment but she couldn’t distinguish what she saw in them.

  “How did you know it would work?”

  “I do not know.”

  “So you guessed?”

  “I felt it.”

  “Do you remember?”

  “No.”

  “So you think I’m some kind of chosen one?”

  “There is only one kind and you are the one. It is in the book. Have you not read it?”

  “Yes, we did it together.” Her heart sank. “I remember we read the legend briefly. Isn’t the chosen one supposed to bring peace?”

  “So it has been foretold.”

  “Why do you think it’s me?”

  “You have abilities which no human or folk has ever possessed before and your compassion exceeds your abilities or so I have been informed. Your powers expelled the poison from your blood and in turn may create a truce between the banished and the circle.”

  Still totally confused she waited for him to explain further.

  “Sera,” Sam said as he came to stand beside her, placing a cold hand on her arm. “I’ll explain it all to you. We have some catching up to do anyway.”

  As much as she wanted to continue to be around Keelor to try and coax some feelings or memories to return, the idea of spending time with Sam again won out.

  “OK, I’m hungry. Can we talk in the village?”

  “Sure.”

  After one last longing gaze at Keelor, Sera allowed Sam to lead her from the garden.

  46

  Memory

  “Sam, that doesn’t make any sense. Keelor is ‘Mr Law’ again, why would he want them abolished?”

  “I don’t think when he realised you could be the one that this would be how it would happen. The book says nothing about abolishing law when the chosen one is discovered, just that a truce would be made. I don’t think he anticipated this being the way. I supposed he figured you were powerful and this would force the banished ones to form a treaty. This way is much better. Everyone will return to the lands, there would be no need for the shield and only folk who break the treaty will be punished. If you remember the books states ‘the chosen one will bring peace to the lands in the form of a treaty’. It doesn’t say how, no-one really knew until now. Kalar realised this when Keelor said you were the chosen one and this is why she allowed Cornelius’ banishment to be lifted. There will be a vote but it will return in the favour of a treaty.”

  “I think Kalar may have suspected I could be before today. She said something to me one day in the garden, before we had saved Nermina and I paid no heed to it at the time. I suppose that makes sense and I just can’t believe that I will be the one to bring peace.” She shook her head in disbelief until she remembered Keelor and his stubbornness over not wanting to have his memories returned. “Maybe Nermo’s vision was right after all. Maybe we are destined to be together. Keelor isn’t interested in remembering me so why not? I quite like him but he’s still not Keelor.” She paused then shook her head again. “What am I thinking? Nermo isn’t the one. It hurts so much that Keelor doesn’t know who I am. He’s so cold. Oh Sam, what do I do now?” Warm tears slid down her cheeks.

  “He might remember. Just give it some time. I had to wait a long time to be with Angel, well, without having to hide anyway.”

  He offered a glib smile before taking her warm hands into his cold ones. She felt immense comfort from her best friend, who she thought was lost to her forever. If there was hope for her and Sam, could she dare to hope Keelor would love her again?

  Sera left Keelor more confused than ever. She was the chosen one and this only endeared her to him further. He may not remember their time together or his feelings but he felt drawn to her, as though there was an invisible gravitational pull between them. There was no doubting his attraction to her, perhaps these feelings were purely physical. There was only one way to find out. He strode towards the village to test out his theory. Perhaps getting her out of his system once and for all would cure his uncertainty.

  He heard them before he saw them and determined they must be sitting just past the trees from which he approached. He stopped when he heard the subject and when the words Nermo and destiny passed her lips a jolt of jealously shot through his system. Red fury replaced the jealousy, he turned on his heel and headed straight for the garden.

  As the elders were in conference and the circle members were taking advantage of the quiet, the garden was empty. Grateful, he sat on the grass by the river and attempted to control the overwhelming emotions flooding his chest. Serenity did not come. Was she so fickle that she was considering moving on with Nermo, the pixie, of all folk? Why did he care? The answer suddenly became apparent. He may not remember her in his mind but in his heart she still resided. His logic had mistaken love for curiosity. Did it matter that he didn’t know her? No, he would just have to get to know her all over again. What he needed to find out right at this moment though was where her heart lay, with him or the pixie. When she said him she loved him in the cave, did she mean it? He growled in confusion and cursed his memory loss.

  Ready to confront her, to find out for sure, to discover the reason for his angst, he stood and turned to find her walking towards him. She stopped and appeared to deliberate over coming closer. He made the decision for her.

  “I need to talk to you,” he told her.

  “Why?”

  “Do you always ask so many questions?”

  “Yes.”

  “I wanted to talk to you.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “I feel drawn to you.” Her only reply, a delicate raising of her right eyebrow. “I need to find out why.�
��

  “Maybe if you tried to get your memories back, with a spell or something, then there would be no confusion.”

  “I think magic has caused enough trouble of late.”

  “You are so stubborn, so ... so ...”

  Colour rose in her cheeks and her angry frown drew him in. Losing all control of his senses, he bridged the gap between them, buried his hands in her hair and brought her lips to his. Electricity pulses surged through his blood, quickening his pulse. He felt her hands exploring his chest and shoulders which caused his skin to tingle. When her tongue sought out his, the last of his restraint vanished.

  The kiss evoked a familiar sensation and then like molten lava from a volcano, the memories flowed through his mind. Their first meeting and kiss, lying idly in his bed, sharing their secrets and lives with each other. The past weeks returned in seconds like they’d never left. He pulled back to gaze into the eyes of the woman he loved. Her trusting eyes staring fervently up at him.

  “I’m sorry,” he told her.

  And he was, for doubting her, for hurting her, for putting herself in danger because of his indifference.

  He didn’t say all the words he wanted to say, thinking those two simple words would be enough. When her face contorted in surprise and then anger, he should have been prepared for what was to follow. Her hands still on his chest grew hot and the pulse which followed was stronger than he anticipated. When he hurt the turf, his breath whooshed out in a single whoomf.

  “Sorry! You would apologise for kissing me you heartless brute.”

  She turned to leave and he tried to speak but his winded lungs could only gasp. He sat up and heaved in shallow breaths as she strode away.

  47

  Peace

  Her anger barely had time to fizzle when Anna arrived to summon Sera to the gardens. Elder Kalar was ready with her announcement. Sera hoped for good news, something to distract her mind. Keelor’s kiss albeit so wonderful to feel again was a mistake. At least while he couldn’t remember her anyway. Why kiss her then apologise? Sera mulled this over as she waited for the remainder of the party to arrive.