One Crown & Two Thrones: The Prophecy

by Iseult O'Shea

  “Tell me have you read little red riding hood?” Eveline said with a deep voice. Estelle looked concerned.

  “Of course I have, why do you ask?” she replied with suspicious eyes. “And why are you talking with such a…, strange voice?”

  “Can you quickly surmise the story for me?” Eveline asked with menacing eyes that flashed red.

  “Your eyes,” Estelle whispered, suddenly realising with a terrifying shiver that her daughter was not herself at all, that she had changed.

  “The story if you please,” Eveline urged, sitting herself down on the edge of the bed as Estelle moulded her body into the headboard of the bed, her fingers gathering the sheets for comfort. Had her daughter succumbed to the poison? Had Theodore forgotten to immunise her?

  “I don’t know where to begin,” Estelle stammered haughtily.

  “Preferably at the beginning if you please,” Eveline said, wavering her hands with impatience. Estelle blinked as she gulped, clearing her throat and wetting her lips.

  “Little red riding hood walks through the woods with a basket of food for her sickly grandmother,” Estelle began, her shoulders tense and her heart rushing wildly beneath her ribs.

  “What was in the basket?”

  “Wine and cake I think,” Estelle answered with a confused glance.

  “Go on.”

  “On her way to her grandmother’s house, a wolf stalks the girl wanting to devour not just her basket but the child as well,” Estelle said with a sickly feeling in her stomach as Eveline licked her lips. “He approaches the child and asks her where she is going and she tells him. The wolf then goes on to encourage the child to pick some wild flowers for her grandmother to which the child obeys. As the little girl picks flowers, the wolf goes to the grandmother’s house and enters pretending to be the child and proceeds to devour her grandmother, quickly changing into her clothes and jumping into the bed.”

  “Is it perverse that I find this story enchanting?” Eveline asked with innocent eyes, eyes that could betray the evil within their red glare. Estelle refused to answer. “Proceed.”

  “Little red riding hood when finished picking flowers made her way back to the path and journeyed to her grandmother’s cottage at which the door was ajar. When she entered the cottage and room a strange feeling ran over her and called out to her grandmother, “Good morning”. No answer came from her grandmother and so she went to the bed and drew back the curtains. Her grandmother lay facing her, with her cap pulled over her face, and looking very suspicious.” As Estelle was about to finish the story, Eveline raised a hand to silence her.

  “What did she say?” Eveline whispered darkly, using the point of the blade and running it over the bed sheets.

  “Grandmother, what big ears you have!” Estelle muttered quickly, her skin crawling with horror as her daughter smirked, her eyes protruding and dangerous.

  “All the better to hear you with, my child,” she returned, prompting Estelle to go on.

  “But grandmother, what big eyes you have!”

  “All the better to see you with, my dear,” Eveline said with a sinister glare as she ran the blade up Estelle’s body, settling up over her heart.

  “And…,” Eveline stuttered. “What big hands you have!”

  “All the better to hug you with,” Eveline said, her free hand suddenly grabbing at Estelle’s throat. Estelle cried out as the hand tightened about her throat.

  “Eveline! Let me go!” she struggled to say as she gasped for air. Eveline leaned forward, until their noses touched.

  “Finish the story, mother,” she hissed into her mother’s ear. Within her, Eveline could feel what was to come, could feel the murderous intent that the creature radiated. She cried out pathetically, unable to use her mouth as means of trying to warn her mother, trying to apologise, to make her understand that she was not the one with the ill intent, that she had been possessed, that she had not strength over this dark and vile demon that had taken her body and mind and consumed it, violating her every being.

  “Oh but grandmother what a big mouth you have!” Estelle managed to say as she coughed violently, her throat and lungs burning as though consumed with fire.

  “All the better to eat you with!” Eveline said aloud, her voice now high pitched as she flung Estelle from the bed and got up onto her feet. Estelle cried out, clutching her throat with her hands as Eveline stood over her. “Do you know who I am, Mother?”

  “You are Eveline!” Estelle rang out with anger forcing herself onto her feet, her eyes scanning the room for anything that could be of use to her.

  “Wrong!” Eveline laughed as she prowled after Estelle who now fled to the other side of the room, near to her dressing table. “I am the wolf!”

  “You are Eveline do you hear me!” Estelle yelled, picking up her letter opener and thrust it before her daughter, who stood arrogantly before her, licking her lips.

  “I won’t eat you,” she hissed. “I’ll leave that for the filthy rats!”

  Estelle used all her strength and found the vase of roses with her free hand and swung it round and for the second time in that hour, Eveline was struck on the side of her head. Estelle watched on in horror as her daughter fell and hit her head of the dressing table. Without thinking Estelle fled from the room and made her way down the corridor to her son’s bedroom, coming to an abrupt halt before the lifeless body of Mary, now immersed in a pool of her own dark blood.

  “No!” she cried allowed, falling beside her friend and pulling her lifeless body up into her arms, hugging Mary to her body. Gently she laid her friends body back down, realising she had little time to spare and quickly pulled her friends body into the room, closing the door behind her and locking it. With a heavy breathe she looked around. “Theodore? Where are you?” As she came to the bed she realised it was empty and dread filled her body. Had her possessed daughter killed her husband? Killed her son? With a ragged breath she shook her head and regained focus. Turning she ran to the dressing table where the small medical box lay and opened it quickly. Inside was the last bottle of antivenin and a syringe. Quickly with steady hands, she opened the bottle and placed the syringe inside, sucking up the antivenin until the bottle had been emptied. Estelle dropped the bottle and made for the door, placing her ear against the wood. There was no noise or movement outside and so carefully she unlocked the door and cautiously prised the door open, peeking out of the small gap. The corridor was clear. With the letter opener in her nightdress pocket she opened the door and stepped around the body of Mary before stepping out onto the hallway. Quietly she tip toed down the side of the corridor, keeping her eyes and ears open for any sign of movement. It wasn’t long before she reached the doorway of her room and with pensive eyes she leaned round the doorway. Eveline was still lying on the floor, lifeless. Wiping the sweat from her brow, Estelle entered the room carefully and bent down beside Eveline, taking the syringe out. She had never injected a person before but had watched with curious fascination as Theodore has injected her daughter, using the basillic vein. With focus, she took Eveline’s arm and looked for the vein. It was easy to find, as the area around the vein was heavily bruised. She took the syringe and held it upwards to get rid of any air. As she had her eyes on the syringe a strong hand met with her face and knocked it out of her hand, forcing her body to fly through the air, crashing against the frame of the doorway, her spine cracking loudly. Estelle cried out in agony, her lungs winded and her spine broken. Eveline turned over and slowly rose to her feet.

  “Bitch!” she said aloud, her voice alike a man’s. Within Eveline tried to summon power to keep the creature at bay, seeing the syringe of antivenin on the ground near to her mother.

  “You will not kill my mother!” she screamed inwardly, feeling something akin to strength reverberate throughout her body as though she was gaining control of her mind and physical being.

  “Soles occidere et eris! (I won’t kill her, but you will!)” Nathaniel cried out, a sudden rush of powe
r encasing Eveline, forcing her to surrender to the demon. As she came before her mother, wrapping her hand about her mother’s throat and raising her from the ground, to hover before her, Eveline could feel the blade in her hand.

  “I dixerunt non! (I said no!)” Eveline yelled, feeling fire within her body, touching the tips of her toes and fingers. The blade fell from her hand and with her other hand she released her mother, hearing her body fall to the ground with a loud thump.

  “Creaturam esse Lucem! (Be quiet creature of light!)” the demon cried aloud, mentally wounding his host. Eveline felt the force of the demon, pull her downwards, felt herself losing the power she had so briefly conjured. “Cum quo loquuntur scire! (Know with whom you speak!)”

  Estelle groaned as she listened to her daughter cry out as though in conflict with herself. She understood the conversation being fluent in Latin and realised quickly that her daughter, who lingered deep within the confines of her body and mind was trying to give her time and a distraction. With feigning energy she crawled towards the syringe and grabbed it as her daughter fought against the inner beast. With animal like cry she forced herself to her feet, her back cracking loudly. She was unable to straighten herself as she stood.

  “Vos potest currere a me! (You cannot run from me!)” The demon announced loudly as he forced Eveline to pick up the knife and turn.

  “Eveline you can overcome the darkness!” Estelle pleaded as she backed away from her daughter, whose eyes shifted from red to gold, reverting back to red.

  “I am darkness! I am the wolf that preys on the creatures of light! I am your executioner!”

  “You are greater than any beast of darkness!” Estelle hollered desperately as she felt herself being backed into the corner of her room, Eveline preying on her with thunderous eyes, the knife within her hand, held high, ready to pounce. “Eveline remember who you are!” Estelle felt her eyes flood with hot tears.

  “Mother! Mother!” Eveline cried out within, trying with all of her strength to stop herself from killing her mother. “I love you!”

  “I love you Eveline!” Estelle said in unison, her eyes penetrating her daughters violated gaze.

  “Love cannot save you woman!”

  “Love will always overcome darkness you vile creature!” Estelle said with bright eyes as she plunged the syringe into her daughter’s chest roughly. At the same time she grabbed the hand of her daughter and held onto the hilt of the knife.

  “No don’t!” Eveline wept as she looked into her mother’s desperate eyes. A warm smile spread over her mother’s face as the demon fought against her strength.

  “It’s alright,” Estelle soothed quietly as the blade of the knife edged ever closer to her heart. “Know that I love you and that there is nothing to forgive. Promise me you will find your way back. Promise.” Without another word she forced the knife into the centre of her heart and let out a faint gasp as her head fell forward, her eyes closing in pain, as tears fell. Eveline watched on as her mother fell to the ground, the knife still within her heart. All at once the antivenin began to course through her and she felt herself coming back to life.

  “I love you!” she cried out for the first time as the creature within began to falter to the medicine. She fought the demon and felt herself strengthening as the demon tried to bury her deep within her mind. Eveline fell beside her mother and bent over her dying body. Estelle raised a hand and lay it upon her daughter’s cheek.

  “I knew you would come back to me,” she whispered before closing her eyes to deaths call. Estelle bent her head to her mothers and cried aloud, grasping the hilt of the knife and freeing her heart of the cold blade. As she lay bent over the lifeless form of her mother she could feel the demon fighting her.

  “Be gone!” she said with anger, a white light suddenly erupting from the core of her body and filling the room. She heard a piercing high pitched cry within her as the creature was forced from her body and mind. “Ego sum lux! Non fecisset domino vestro creaturae noctis! (I am light! I do not kneel to your master, creature of the night!)” A loud growl pierced the room and was suddenly gone, the white light fading away, leaving her alone in darkness with her mother. Eveline couldn’t determine how long she lay with her mother, but as she held her mother close to her she realised that the night was not over yet. She didn’t want to leave her mother’s body but knew she had little time in which to piece everything together. Theodore was missing but there was hope that Belle and Jophiel could still be asleep, unaware of the night’s events. Gently she laid her mother’s body down and rose from the small pool of blood. Wiping her eyes she turned to the bed and lifted a heavy blanket, settling it upon her mother’s body.

  “I don’t want to leave you like this,” she whispered quietly, brushing away a lock of her mother’s hair from her face. “But I have to find Theodore before it’s too late.” With a swift kiss she rose to her feet and left the room, closing the door behind. Belle’s room was next to Estelle. Quietly she opened the door and stepped inside. With a wave of her hand she turned on the oil lamp. Belle’s bed was empty and the dread already simmering within her newly acclaimed body and mind now began to boil. Where was she? Was she with Theodore? Eveline couldn’t make head or tail of what was happening. Jophiels room was next to Belles and when she entered she found that her bed was also empty. Eveline let her head fall into her hands as she let the anxiety seep over her. Where was everyone? Where had they gone too? Without hesitation she left Jophiels room and made for her own, quickly over stepping Mary’s body with a shudder and opening her drawers. She picked out a jumper and flung it over her before searching for her shoes. With shaking hands she managed to slip her feet into her leather patent shoes, lacing them up quickly. When she got to her feet she lifted the blanket from her own bed and laid it over Mary before stepping out of her room. With diligence and purpose she almost ran down the stairs, stopping at the bottom to catch her breathe. Inside her nightdress pocket was the letter opener her mother had carried. With a deep intake of breathe she made her way towards the heavy Georgian door and unlocked it, opening it and stepping out into the darkness.

  With shocked eyes she was met with a firm blow to the head.

  “When plan A goes aground one must look to plan B,” Nathaniel smiled as Eveline fell into his arms. He gathered her up and turned to face the rest of his followers, quiet and unmoving. “Let us see if she can outsmart our master.” His followers sniggered as Nathaniel brought Eveline down the steps and bundled her into the back of his car.

  *

  “I thought I would find you here,” Jophiel said quietly as she took a seat beside the pensive Galean.

  “Jophiel what are you doing here? It is nearly five in the morning,” Galean sighed, his eyes on the altar before him, surrounded with lit candles.

  “I know, “Jophiel said gently as she made herself comfortable. “I rarely am able to sleep these days and after witnessing you’re rather touching moment with Eveline this evening, I thought it best to come and find you when the party was over.” Galean turned to her with a fearful look.

  “Did he see?”

  “Yes.”

  Galean bent his head into his hands.

  “I’ve made such a mess,” he whispered gravely.

  “As much as you are slightly to blame, I cannot lay all of the blame at your feet,” Jophiel replied, laying a hand upon his knee kindly. “I will divulge something to you, if only to make you see that I am right.”

  “What do you wish to divulge?”

  “When Cael and myself were returning from Oxford, we kissed.”

  “You what?” Galean whispered in disbelief.

  “It isn’t what you think, it occurred during a moment of passion and grief,” Jophiel admitted with a weak smile. “Do not worry, it was one kiss. I am fully aware of the consequences.”

  “I would be a contradiction if I were to lecture you on principles,” Galean joked sarcastically.

  “You love her and she quite clearly loves yo
u too, despite being married and in love with another man,” Jophiel shook her head with confusion. “And trust me I know how messed up that is because that said man seems to also still have feelings for me. The whole situation is a mess from beginning to end and nothing can set it to rights.”

  “My leaving can,” Galean said seriously as he dropped his hands from his head and gazed down into Jophiels anxious face.

  “That’s why I am here,” Jophiel answered clearly. “Forget the feelings that lie between you and Eveline, she needs you by her side until she is safe.”

  “She is safe without me,” Galean argued lightly. “My staying will only make things worse. She is confused as it is, to confuse her more, to cause her to doubt herself, to hate herself for the feelings she has for me would be wrong. No, it is best I return home and you should think about returning to London when Eveline is in the safety of Gabriel.”

  “I have a nudging feeling deep within that something isn’t right,” Jophiel said quietly with angst filled eyes. “I cannot explain it, but when I left the house I felt something strange run over me.”

  “It may well be stress,” Galean said with quipped brows.

  “No it’s something else,” Jophiel interceded. “When I left the house, I couldn’t find any of our friends, they had all retired to their beds early.”

  “And Eveline?” Galean asked with concern, wondering if Jophiels suspicious feelings should be listened too.

  “Estelle said that Mary saw her ascending the stairs after she entered the house,” Jophiel shrugged. “But it wasn’t that, well I mean of course I am worried about her but I just had the oddest sensation when I was making my way through the house. Cael, Ada, Bram and Peter almost in unison fell prey to sleep, immediately after they had downed a glass of champagne which I refrained from.”

  “And Estelle?”