“What has happened has gone a little further than that, especially since they arrived unexpectedly. It's of upmost importance that you stay here.”
“Not acceptable.” I started marching down the hall, stopping as Marren rounded the corner with his eyes on fire and fists clenched. He covered the distance in only a few strides.
“I thought I told you to stay put,” he said through gritted teeth.
“I thought I told you I wasn't one to stand around and wait. Besides, I got worried.” I turned, finding Enid directly behind me.
Marren grabbed my arm tightly and drug me back to the room with such a rush it was difficult to keep my footing. As soon as we were through the doors, I yanked my arm from his hand.
“What do you think you’re doing dragging me like that?” I snapped.
“Do you understand that when I tell you to do something, I really need you to do it?”
I didn’t think it was possible for him to look at me with so much anger and hate. I bit back the hurt and dug deeper into my own anger. “What I understand is your insistence on keeping me in the dark and only letting me know more when you see fit.”
“You need to stay here because I don't want anything to happen to you. It would kill me…” His last word was choked off. He pressed his lips firmly together and propped a hand on his hips—dropping his gaze to the floor.
I realized then, his anger wasn’t directed at me but at the situation. I closed the space between us, lifted my hand, letting it lie on his arm, forcing him to look at me again. “Why are you so concerned with losing me? You spent so much time trying to get me and now your only concern is losing me?”
“I've waited for you for so long.” His hand cupped the back of my neck. “I can only have you once. If you die, all hope is lost.”
“Why would all hope be lost?”
He sighed as if to surrender, no longer able to fight me. “Because I'm not the only one that is a threat to the other Ancients. I have to go, stay here. Please.”
He pulled me into him and kissed me gently. But in it I felt his fear, his overwhelming love, and an urgency behind it all that made me want to keep him in the room with me.
“Enid, do not leave her side unless I say otherwise. No one else is to come in this room. See to it that she remains comfortable.”
Enid nodded once. “I will protect her.”
With a nod in return, Marren left the room.
“Where does he run off to all the time?” I asked myself more than Enid.
“He's setting up the Ancients in our guest quarters so they aren't around or close by you.”
“I didn't know there were guest quarters.”
“By the stable,” he said in a matter of fact manner.
“Convenient. And where is that?”
“East of here.”
“Hmm,” I mused and walked to the balcony. “Are you werewolf too?” I know Marren said everyone was, but it didn't explain some differences I saw.
“Yes…” It sounded like a question.
“Why aren't your eyes black like Marren's and the rest of the servants?”
“I'm not a bloodline. I'm what they call a half-breed.” I looked at him quizzically. “It means that I was once human. I don’t completely belong to the therianthrope race.”
“I suppose that makes sense. Did he turn you also?” He nodded, almost as if he wasn't sure if he should tell me too much. “Was it really painful for you too?”
“Excruciatingly.”
“Did it happen gradually? I mean did your change start with senses changing and crippling spasms of pain?”
“No, mine happened all at once.” He paused with his eyebrows scrunched together, as if he was figuring out a complicated puzzle. “I would say your experience is partly to blame on Marren being your heart song and partly due to him changing you during the blue moon.”
“Speaking of the heart song, why are the Ancients so angered by that? It seems odd that someone would be so upset by that or by me wanting to be a part of your world.”
“It’s because of a prophecy Marren was told when our kind was first banished to the immortal realm. And because they fear that Marren is already stronger than they are. And with the allies he's accumulated, they fear an uprising.”
“An uprising? Why would Marren do that?” He acted as though he didn't want to share more than he already had. “Please? I want to know. It will help me to stay sane while I’m cooped up here.” I took a seat on the bench in front of the bed and waited for Enid, standing near the balcony, to begin. As he did, he looked out over the trees.
“When the immortal races—non-humans—were banished from the mortal realm, there was a war against us, fueled by the fear of humans. Of course, they were responsible.”
“How?”
“A group known as the Denai, a powerful sect of sorcerers, grew hungry in their greed and quest for power. They formed an incantation that would allow them to absorb energies of any living thing or creature, giving them more power than any other race in the world. They became known as the first vampires. Some continued to ascend in power, absorbing enough to become gods.”
A shiver ran up my spine, remembering the picture of the vampire from the book. “Let me guess, they were exterminating numbers too quickly, causing attention to fall onto them and because of their indiscretion, the blame fell to all of the immortal races.”
“Which forced us to leave this realm.” He moved to take a stand in front of me. “The humans banded together, deciding that an eye for an eye was the only way that indiscretion could be settled. Many people lost their lives. Families were ripped apart…” His voice cracked as he shifted, walking to stare at the mantle of the fireplace. A few moments passed in silence. I knew then how he lost his family.
“As a result, the Ancients of each race came together, forming the Council of Ancients. They put their magic together to create a new realm that closely mirrored this one, so the immortal races could live in peace instead of fear.”
“How has that realm remained hidden for this long? It has to be hundreds of years old and no one has even accidentally come across it?”
“By the laws the Ancients created,” he answered. “Protections were put in place to prevent anything but our kind from going through, rules to abide by. Anyone, who wished to cross over into the mortal realm, could do so if they stated their business and abided by the time frame they were given. They had to keep our world secret from everyone and live in secrecy, which is why we live this far from Hafton—or any other town for that matter.”
“But you have been here—”
“A lot longer than we should have. Marren couldn't risk going back without you.”
“Why? Couldn’t he just go check in and come back?”
“That heart song is what binds you two together. Whether you were accepting of him or not, you two belong together. If he left this realm without you, there was a very real possibility that you would be dead by the time he would be able to come back. Especially the time between the first night he saw you and the night we took you from the Cyrs.”
“What time limits are we talking about here? Because it doesn’t make sense that no sooner than you both bring me here, do the Ancients find out and threaten to knock down the door. It seems to me that they were waiting to see if Marren did find me before making their move.”
“It is certainly possible. Not everyone is trustworthy. As far as the time limit, it depends on the person. A hunting group would have shorter times because there's no real live stock supply on our realm. Ultimately, it's up to the Ancients as a collective. As such, he agreed to report back every year to state his progress and to ask for more time. I did that for him a few of those times. The last was rather unpleasant.”
“Why?” I asked, amused at the way he spoke his words.
“I had to bring Farrah.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Farrah is one of the servants. She's taken a liking to me and I—let’s
just say I don't share her interest.” He shivered as though an ice cold wind encompassed him.
“I thought you had to share a heart song?” I had to stifle a giggle.
“No, that is a rare thing. Mostly only Ancients have that capability.”
“So, why did you have to bring her?”
“She was to be the go between—their informant. But when she got here, she swore allegiance to Marren. He believed her until recently.”
“Why, do you think she's the one that told the Ancients about me?”
“We haven't seen her since before the Cyrs arrived. Marren's been looking for her. And he was told it was her by another servant.”
“Do you really think she was the one that told the Cyrs about me?”
“We know she was,” he said.
“I don’t understand. Why would she do something like that?”
“That's the other part of my story.” He took a seat next to me on the bench. “When the races made it to the immortal realm, Marren's grandmother told him of a vision she had. One of him reuniting the races, both mortal and immortal, but that it wouldn't happen until he found his heart song.”
“I thought he was the first?” I distinctly remembered him telling me he had no family.
“He's one of the first—a direct descendant of the first.”
I pursed my eyebrows and stared at the floor in front of me trying to make sense of all the information. It bothered me that Marren still held things from me. I bared my deepest darkest nightmare to him and he still felt the need to not fill in the blanks.
“You see, he needs you for more reasons than just because you and he are bound together in spirit, but because there are races on our realm that want to come back and can’t. They never wanted to leave this realm. Most feel that we are only living a half existence, and that’s not far off from the truth. We are meant to live with humans in unity on common ground. There's even word that the mortal realm will slowly un-thread itself from the immortal world and become lost in the Netherworld.”
“I need some air.” It came out nearly unintelligible. I was dizzy with confusion and conflicting emotions.
Standing on the balcony to mull over everything that had been uncovered, I couldn’t help but feel this was the underlying catch I was waiting for when I first arrived. The stone of the balcony had warmed to the point that it burned slightly when I touched it. It felt as though spring was rapidly changing into summer. As many other things have rapidly changed. Me, to name just one, and my change seems to be the most profound of them all. Not just because I was changing from human to werewolf but because of the way my life has been changed as a whole. I was wanted. Instead of being shunned, I was held and loved and accepted.
I turned to face Enid and asked, “Why be so threatened by a man who wants to save the world?”
“Your friend, the one that taught you to fight, do you know who he is?”
I was confused by the change of subject. Still, I was running out of energy to process anything else. “Danst? Yeah, he's dead to me. And he'll really be dead once I get my hands on him.”
“I've been looking for him since Marren found out he was set up by your father… who discovered what Danst is.”
“What do you mean ‘what’?”
“He’s half-elven. It explains why he's incredibly skilled at fighting and how he was able to teach you so well.”
“Tarn set him up? To get rid of me? That low-life, bottom dwelling...Ah!” I scrunched over as wave of searing pain tore through my stomach. My knees buckled, hitting the floor hard enough to feel them crack. I braced myself on my hands and knees as a series of cramps overtook my body, feeling like every muscle was being ripped from my bones. Each wave was worse than the one before and seemed to hang on to me for a longer period of time.
As the pain left, leaving me nauseated, I wondered if having my intestines removed would feel the same. I pressed my head against the marble, its coolness helped calm me further.
When I was breathing evenly enough to speak I said, “I don’t believe it. All this time I thought Danst had turned his back against me. He was protecting himself. I shouldn’t have expected any less of him. Although, he could've warned me.”
“A'lainn…are you okay?” Enid asked worriedly. I looked up to catch him staring down at me with wide eyes. His pupils were dilated, only a small band of blue was left.
I nodded. “You know, if you are going to have a pet name for me, I think I deserve one for you.”
His eyes returned to normal and held a light in them that was a relief compared to the sadness that once clouded them. He didn’t try to hide his smile. “Very well, what do you wish to name me?”
“You said that you called your daughter A'lainn and that I reminded you of her.” He nodded. “What is the term for father in your native language?”
“Athair,” he said. His lips stretched into another smile, fading as quickly as it appeared. “But you never called Tarn father.”
“No, I didn't. That's because he forbid it and to be honest, he was a sorry excuse for a father.”
“Well, I'd be honored if you were to call me Athair.” He smiled again.
“Then it's settled. Athair it is!”
Marren walked in with a rush. His eyes wide with worry, which increased when he saw me on my knees on the balcony floor. He ran up to me. “Are you alright, Relena?”
“I'm fine, just another cramp.”
His arms wrapped under mine and lifted me onto my feet. He placed several quick kisses all over my face. “I'm sorry I wasn't here. I'll try not to leave your side for very long until the change happens.”
“Do you think it's going to happen that soon?” I asked anxiously.
“The moon will be at its fullest tonight. It's quite possible that with what you've been experiencing, you will change.”
My heart flipped fitfully with the idea. I tried to hide it from Marren, but it was too late. He tightened his arms around me. “Better to get it done and over with, right?”
He let out a nervous chuckle. “Right. First, we have to prepare you so you can be presented to the Ancients.”
“What is that going to be like?” Returning to this subject filled me with renewed apprehension. “If they want me dead, won't they just kill me?”
“They'll have to go through me first.” He spoke with a seriousness that was both a challenge and a threat.
“What happens if you die? What then?”
“You'll soon follow.”
I looked at him more confused than before. “What is to stop them from just killing you and going straight for me? I don't understand.”
“They don't have the guts to kill me and because you and I share a heart song—which is very rare in my world, whenever you die I will follow after you. My spirit has found you and thusly, can't live without you.”
“You’ve survived hundreds of years without me just fine,” I said.
“That was until I found you. As soon as you were born, I was overcome with a desire to find you. Once I did, it was only a matter of waiting it out.” He released me and turned to Enid. “How much did you tell her?”
“I didn't go over the presentation to the Ancients yet.”
Marren nodded. “You’ll have to face each of the Ancients. They’ll be looking for anything that will disprove you. They'll do this by looking into your soul and your mind. Searching to find anything that will say you're a witch and have casted any enchantments on me, or I on you. They'll also get a glimpse into your past and your future,” he said to me.
“Each one is going to intrude into my mind?” I asked.
“You must let them,” Marren pleaded. “And not everyone will do the same thing. Only Joe'n has the ability to read minds. She's the Ancient of the elves’ but she also governs the races of fae, sprites and gnomes. Jiren is a Denai. He'll be trying to find fault in your energy. Ildir, who is not here, is the Ancient of dwarves. The only skill he has is wielding an ax and manipulating stone
and metal. Blyl is a serpentine who governs the drakes as well as other serpentines. He'll be the one to look into your past and future. And lastly, Gurth, governs the goblins. He’s also not here.”
“Aren’t the Denai vampires that drink blood?”
He chuckled. “No. Only some Denai have turned themselves into vampires. Jiren transcended into energy, allowing him to take any form he wishes. But he has to consume the energy of that he is intending to become.”
I nodded. “Are there any more Ancients I need to know about?”
“There's me. All therianthropes and those races that decided to join under me, like the centaurs and tree spirits. But I’ve already found what I was looking for.” He pulled me back into his arms and held onto me.
“We better get started. We only have but a handful of hours before sundown,” Enid warned.
I tried to pull away but Marren wouldn't have it. “Marry me,” he whispered into my ear.
“I told you last night I already had.”
“Not in my terms.”
“Don't you think we should wait and discuss this after I get presented to the Ancients and after I've made the first change? You never know, the whole process could kill me.”
“The change won't kill you. It'll only feel like it. And you won't die while being presented to the Ancients. I promise you'll survive.” I smiled at him and tried to look past my own reflection in his eyes. “Marry me?” he whispered again.
“I will…someday.”
He picked me up and spun me in a circle. “Gvgeyu waya uwoduhi.” I relished the way those words buzzed around me. He kissed me deeply, but not nearly long enough. “I need to get the ball room ready. I'll be back soon.”
“Okay.” I watched him walk out the door and then I joined Enid at the table, to be prepared for my presentation to the Ancients.
9
The Ancients
My heart lurched forward with each step down the stairs. I only had an idea of what to expect and didn't feel prepared. Luckily, there wasn't much to it. Yet, after a few times going over what would happen and the symbolism of it, I still didn’t feel ready. I had to remain open to the Ancients and I had to remain polite, which I understood the reasoning behind. They had the power to say yes or no to my crossing over into the immortal realm and they also had the power to destroy me…and Marren.
Heart Song Page 9