One Crown & Two Thrones: The Prophecy

  “I know,” Galean whispered darkly.

  “We need to find some antivenin quickly,” Theodore urged as he stood away from Eveline and came to join the group of angels.

  “It can’t be just any venom Cael, it has to be taken from Nagtium,” Ada said roughly.

  “That’s impossible,” Theodore said weakly.

  “Surely we can try some other snake venom?” Jophiel said with raised hopes. “It may keep the poison at bay until we can get our hands on Nagtium.”

  “And how do you propose we do that?” Bram asked with raised brows.

  “I don’t know,” Jophiel whispered hotly. “The only way we could procure venom from the snake is if we somehow summon Lagar here.”

  “That’s out of the question,” Theodore said sharply.

  “There has to be another option,” Bram interjected.

  “I think we should try finding any kind of antivenin possible and see what happens,” Galean ordered. “If we can procure some and keep her stable then maybe Gabriel can help.”

  “He won’t come to Bath, he will be vulnerable to Lagar,” Jophiel retorted flatly.

  “Then we must get Eveline to London as quickly as possible,” Theodore said with serious eyes.

  “We can’t leave until Sunday,” Galean warned. “Whatever plan Lagmar and Belem have up their sleeves they will become suspicious if we move her immediately.”

  “He’s right,” Ada said, his hands upon his hips. “Any sudden changes will only make them suspicious.”

  “Jophiel do you know anyone who can procure some antivenin?” Galean asked.

  “I think so, I know an old professor who worked at Cambridge and now lives in Oxford. I can go there tonight if someone drives me?”

  “Theodore is the only one who can drive,” Galean said turning his gaze to Theodore.

  “I need to be with my wife,” Theodore argued.

  “She will be in safe hands,” Ada said. Everyone turned their eyes to Theodore.

  “Fine,” he said raising his hands in defeat.

  “We need to leave immediately,” Jophiel said in a rush. “Meet me at the car in ten minutes.”

  The group dispersed, Jophiel and Theodore leaving the room quickly. Galean, Ada and Bram strode over to Eveline who was taking off her hat, helped by Estelle.

  “Where is Peter?” Ada asked Bram.

  “Theodore said he was coming now,” Bram replied as he watched Galean once again lift Eveline into his arms.

  “She can rest better in her room,” Galean explained to Estelle desperately.

  “I will have some tea brought up,” Mary added as she watched Eveline being carried away, Estelle following. Ada looked at Bram with knowing eyes.

  “And I will help you,” Bram announced, quickly following Mary from the room.

  *

  “I seem to attract trouble like the light attracts flies,” Eveline said to her mother as Estelle lit the lamps in her room, bringing much needed comfort into the room.

  “That’s not true darling,” Estelle argued kindly as she drew the curtains across the windows. Eveline liked to have the curtains withdrawn from the windows, spending some time by the window at night, staring up at the stars, but she let her mother draw them knowing she was restless with concern.

  “Do you know about mayflies?” Eveline asked lightly, feeling much better after a few hours of rest and sleep.

  “Mayflies?” Estelle re iterated with confused eyes. “Only that they live for a short period of time. Why do you ask?”

  “They have such a fleeting and troubled life,” Eveline began as her mother came to sit near to her, sighing with exhaustion. “The males create a swarm above the water and the females join them and they mate, but what is so sad about this ancient ritual is that the female mayfly will drop to the surface of the water completely spent to lay her eggs before being eaten by fish.”

  “What a depressing story, have you no happy stories in which to tell?” Estelle pleaded.

  “Just hear me out,” Eveline smiled gently, finding her mother’s hand and holding it.

  “Alright.”

  “Whilst the mother dies upon the river, the father will perish upon land. The eggs turn into nymphs and they hatch within a few weeks and live under the water feeding on vegetation for two years,” Eveline said as she rested her head against the pillows, her mind filled with beautiful images, images she had seen in books. “Eventually they undergo an incomplete metamorphosis and turns into a subimago form.” Estelle looked at her daughter, her eyes still filled with confusion, she had never been a great lover of wildlife biology to the great disappointment of her daughter who loved nature and all its complexities being an avid fan of Charles Darwin. “And so they emerge with wings and fly to the banks of a river to feed on the vegetation undergoing yet another change in which their wings lose their surface layer and in turn become more transparent and brighter.”

  “Eveline what is your point?”

  “Patience mother,” Eveline laughed. “They are usually attracted to light and of course the same mating ritual takes place, the dance it is said is beautiful to behold.”

  “Is there an underlying metaphor in correlation to them being attracted to light?” Estelle asked gently seeing the contentment in her daughter’s face, a far cry from the disorientated eyes she had beheld earlier in the day.

  “I suppose yes there is, such beauty rarely lives for long periods,” Eveline replied quietly as though deep in thought. “The things that to my eye are truly beautiful last for short periods of time and that makes them all the more beautiful don’t you think?”

  “Yes I do. I personally love to watch the cherry blossom trees implode into life during the spring, knowing they only bloom for a short time,” Estelle lamented. “They just fill the garden with beauty and when they eventually die, I find myself filled with sorrow that is renewed with hope because they will bloom again in another year.”

  “Love in essence kills the mayfly,” Eveline whispered to herself. “They grow for a period of time just to be able to fly for a few hours, to dance with another and well make love before dying. But in death they give way to new life.”

  “When you think about it like that, I suppose it is rather beautiful and tragic,” Estelle surmised thoughtfully. “How does the life of a mayfly resemble your own?”

  “I’m not entirely certain, I suppose in a way I feel as though I am the light that all these angels are attracted too and I fear because of me they will end up dying,” Eveline said darkly.

  “Dear that makes no sense, it is part of the mayfly’s life cycle to die within a few hours.”

  “I know,” Eveline sighed. “But Galean, Jophiel, Theodore and the others have given up their lives to protect me and I’m afraid that I will inadvertently end up killing them or ruining their lives.”

  “Such talk,” Estelle sighed, shaking her head. “Your equation is wrong, you have forgotten that they have free will.”

  “And yet they still decide to protect me when they could be off protecting a better cause,” Eveline said with solemn eyes.

  “Dear, for the mayfly it must be beautiful and enthralling, escaping from the water to enter into this short but life altering moment of flying, free from the constraints of underwater life. And from that love comes life.”

  “I’m not sure I am worth all this effort,” Eveline said with tight lips. “As much as there is a beautiful metaphor in relation to mayflies, one often forgets the dark side of their existence.”

  “Which is?”

  “They serve as hosts for parasites,” Eveline groaned. “Such as nematodes and trematodes.”

  “And?”

  “Am I not hosting a parasite within me?” Eveline said with distressed eyes. “Something that is altering my behaviour in a very disturbing way?”

  “Eveline you are not hosting anything within you,” Estelle argued, sitting forward with concern. “You will not fall prey to the poison, I won’t allow that to happen.�
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  “I saw the look in their eyes, the look of helplessness and defeat,” Eveline whispered. “And still they would risk their lives in order to save me from death.”

  “Because they want too,” Estelle said in desperation. “They have not been forced into helping you, they have chosen too out of their own free will.”

  “But why? Why me? Why am I so special to them?” Eveline said forcefully. “If I die then I do not mind much, I have seen the light, breathed the air and found love in life, what more can I want?”

  “You were sent to this world because you are precious, because you are despite your protestations a rare light,” Estelle said sternly. “And if these angels are willing to give up their lives for you, then you have to ask yourself why, because they are not ignorant, they would not give them up without good reason.”

  “I wish I knew,” Eveline whispered as a knock came from the door.

  “Come in,” Estelle called out, patting Eveline’s hand. “Stop worrying.”

  The door opened and Galean entered with a book in his hand.

  “Mr Edwards, come in,” Estelle said with relief, wanting to change the topic.

  “I thought I might read to you for a while so that Estelle can have a little rest,” Galean said as he closed the door behind him and made for the second chair which was positioned beside Estelle’s.

  “I’m sure Eveline would like the company,” Estelle smiled kindly. “I fear my eyes will not stay open for very long, despite my urging them to stay open.”

  “Go and sleep mother, I will be fine with Galean to keep me company,” Eveline said as her mother rose from her chair and bent to kiss her forehead.

  “I will wake in a few hours,” Estelle said to Galean before leaving the room and closing the door behind her. Eveline waited a few minutes before hopping out of bed in her nightdress.

  “Eveline you shouldn’t be out of bed,” Galean urged as she walked over to the window, drawing back the thick curtains and opening the window slightly.

  “I hate sleeping with the curtains closed,” she returned lightly before getting back into her bed.

  “I heard something about mayflies?” Galean prompted with inquisitive eyes.

  “Oh it was nothing but a moment of melancholy,” Eveline smiled as she brought her sheets up to her shoulders. “What book did you bring?”

  “The secret garden,” Galean said as he opened the book. “How is your neck?”

  “Fine I assure you,” Eveline lied having wrapped another scarf about her. “I’m sorry I am such a bother, you must be irate with me.”

  “Why would I be?” Galean said with curious eyes as Eveline turned onto her side, propping her head up onto her hand to get a better look at her friend.

  “Oh I don’t know where to begin,” she smiled. “Being bitten by a snake, nearly bombed to death and oh yes now I am dying.”

  “It’s not a laughing matter Eveline,” Galean said with disturbed eyes. “You won’t die, not if I have anything to do with it.”

  “My dying won’t bring down the wall of China Galean,” Eveline said sarcastically. “We are all just particles of life soon to be particles of dust.”

  “Shall I read or shall we plan your impending funeral?” Galean said darkly, causing Eveline’s brows to furrow.

  “Forgive me, I was trying to be light-hearted,” Eveline said with earnest eyes.

  “Your death is not something I find humorous.”

  “You need to stop being so serious all the time,” Eveline ordered kindly. “You need to find a little humour in life or else what is the point of breathing?”

  “Enough of death,” Galean said quickly. “Close your eyes and listen to the story.”

  “Alright Mr Edwards,” Eveline whispered, a little hurt at his curt words. Eveline tucked herself down and listened as Galean began to read aloud. For a good while she observed him, pleasantly enjoying the time spent watching the burdened prince read deeply, his eyes sparkling as he dived into the secret garden. “I wish I could go into that garden and become lost in the raw beauty.”

  “But you walk daily within your own secret garden, up in here,” Galean brought his index finger to his temple and smiled. “And it sounds just as beautiful, if not more so.”

  “It does Mr Edwards, how I wish you could walk their too.”

  “Maybe someday I will.”

  X

  Look Upon Thy Death

  It is not death that man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live…

  Marcus Aurelius.

  “Where does he live?” Theodore asked a tired Jophiel as they finally made it to Oxford, passing the Carfax Tower as the clock struck two in the morning.

  “Winchester road,” Jophiel yawned. “You need to get onto Woodstock road and head north until you reach Bevington road.”

  “I think I know where it is,” Theodore said quietly as he drove onto Cornmarket Street and headed north. “Why have I heard the name Professor Vavilov before?”

  “Alexis taught at Ravinston during the twenties,” Jophiel answered as she cast her eyes out onto the lifeless road covered with a light dusting of snow. How eerie the city seemed to Theodore who had once lived in Oxford for a while before the outbreak of the Great War.

  “That makes sense,” Theodore murmured as he turned onto Woodstock road. “Why did he leave?”

  “There was an incident,” Jophiel replied, closing her eyes tightly with memory.

  “What incident?”

  “He had taken his first year class down to the beach to conduct a fairly simple experiment,” Jophiel said quietly, her breathe causing the window to fog. “One of the children went missing and he never really recovered so took up a post at Cambridge University until he retired, three years ago.”

  “Did they ever find the child?” Theodore asked with a curious gaze.

  “He was one of nine children that had gone missing that summer,” Jophiel answered morbidly.

  “Nine?” Theodore turned to Jophiel with wide eyes.

  “Three girls and six boys went missing during day trips, four of them being pupils of Alexis.”

  “Have any of them been found?”

  “No, there are no traces of them anywhere,” Jophiel spoke darkly, she had been one of the five chosen to investigate the cases. “Not one.”

  “How strange,” Theodore said as he took a right off Woodstock road.

  “It has puzzled myself and others for many years,” Jophiel said as she put on her hat, the professors house coming into sight. “He lives three houses up on the right, can you see it?” Theodore cast his gaze up the length of the street until his eyes rested on the house that Jophiel had described. It was dark and so Theodore could not see the house clearly, but knew that it was an old Victorian semi-detached by the silhouette. The head lights of the car reflected off the bay windows as he drove into the small driveway.

  “Theodore I think I should warn you,” Jophiel turned to face Theodore as he turned the car off. “Alexis hasn’t really ever been the same since that incident.”

  “What do you mean?” Theodore asked as he put on his hat.

  “He’s been a bit of a recluse,” Jophiel said darkly as she put on her gloves.

  “I wouldn’t care if he was Frankenstein’s creature as long as he can help,” Theodore said tensely.

  “I know,” Jophiel whispered. For a moment they held one another’s gaze, feeling something pass between them.

  “Let’s go,” Theodore announced abruptly, opening the door and getting out. The street was quiet and dark as they walked silently to the door.

  “Should I knock?” Jophiel whispered as flakes of snow began to fall. Theodore nodded as he stood turned from Jophiel and the door, scanning the area for anything unusual. Jophiel knocked the door lightly before rubbing her hands together for warmth. Theodore turned and folded his arms tightly.

  “I don’t think he heard,” he whispered scanning the doorway. “Ah here we go,” he smiled pushing
a small round button.

  “Why didn’t I see that?” Jophiel sighed, rolling her eyes.

  “We often don’t see what’s in front of us,” Theodore said gravely.

  “I see something moving,” Jophiel whispered as she leaned forward and looked through the stained glass window, seeing a dark figure coming towards them. With a quiet snip the door opened and a tall figure stood before them, sheathed in darkness but for a pair of brilliant blue eyes.

  “Jophiel is that you?” a shaken voice asked as an elderly man stepped forward.

  “Professor Vavilov ALexis it is I Jophiel,” Jophiel announced kindly.

  “What are you doing here at this hour?” the professor asked as he stood to the side and bade them to come in, stopping for a brief moment to check the quiet street before turning and closing the door behind him.

  “We need your help,” Jophiel said quickly as the professor walked on before them, biding them to follow.

  “We?” the professor answered with a light Russian accent. The trio entered what seemed to be the living room.

  “Do you by any chance know of the name Celestine?” Jophiel asked as she and Theodore stood in the centre of the dark room whilst the elderly professor closed the curtains before lighting a lamp with a flick of his hand. The room awakened with a soft glow allowing both Theodore and Jophiel to examine the quaint room. It closely resembled the style of Edwardian interior which was to Jophiels taste. The wall behind them was filled with shelves that were brimming with books. Before them was an unlit fireplace which lay under a large glass mirror. Before them on their right was a large cream sofa and an Edwardian mahogany table which lay before the bay window, now filled with the figure of Professor Vavilov.

  “Close the door,” Alexis whispered as though afraid that they should be overheard. Theodore gently closed the door to the living room and returned to Jophiels side protectively. “Please sit down.” Jophiel looked at Theodore who nodded before taking a seat and taking off her hat, resting it upon her lap neatly. The professor walked to the fireplace and bent his body over the hearth, his hands upon the mantelpiece breathing in a deep sigh. “I have heard a rumour that includes the name you speak of,” he began darkly. “Though I only heard of it through the grape vine a few weeks ago after I learnt of Lier’s murder.”