by Marnie Cate
“Get up. Get up. Get up!” The water elemental jumped up and down on the bed.
Cole groaned. “Leave me alone.”
“You have slept enough,” she said, bouncing higher. Her curly cobalt hair wildly rose and fell with her movement. “You need to get out of bed. You have to get the darkness out of you.”
Pulling the blanket over his eyes, he ignored her demands. His cold behavior did not stop her. Ripping the blankets off, she began to jump back and forth before landing on her knees beside him. She then began flicking water at him.
Growling, he said, “Go away. There is nothing to save here.”
“You're being ridiculous. You need to get up and get better. Mara needs you,” Bay scolded.
“She is better off without me,” he said coldly.
“Cole Oliver Sands, Mara and the baby need you.” As soon as the words slipped from her lips, Bay gasped and covered her mouth.
Sitting up, Cole glared at her. “Mara? Is she okay? What are you trying to tell me?”
“Mara misses you. She needs you to come home,” Bay said, not answering his question.
“You said baby. What baby?” Cole said, loudly.
“Oh no, I wasn't supposed to say anything. She said that you would come home when you were better if you loved her,” Bay said, wringing her hands. “No, it's ok. I didn't tell him anything,” she murmured to herself.
Getting out of the bed, he struggled to keep himself upright. His long, muscular frame was pale and weak. Bay rushed to help steady him.
“Tell me what is wrong with Mara. Is she hurt?” he asked, his voice cracking. “Is she ill?”
“Breeze is going to be so mad at me and my big mouth,” Bay said. “Sit, sit. Mara is fine but you need to get better and go home soon. She will need you.”
“Come on, Bay. Aren't we friends? Don't be like that.” Cole sat on the edge of the bed. “Please tell me.”
Wrapping her arm around his shoulder, she said in a voice barely above a whisper, “Mara is pregnant.”
Cole's face was stone cold at the news. They sat in silence. His chest rose as he visibly began taking deep breaths. Balling his hands tightly, a single tear rolled down his cheek.
“So, I am going to be a father?” he asked, his voice cracking. “If you're telling me the truth, I need to get home to Mara.”
“Yes, you do. So, get out of bed and let's get to work.”
With a look of determination, he stood up. “Then, we better get busy and fix me.”
Bay began laughing and twirling. She filled the room with a downpour of water droplets. The rainstorm she created became so heavy I could no longer see anything. As the spray lessened, I found myself once again in my home in Starten.
* * *
My father and I sat hand in hand. Neither of us said a word. His calming presence was more important to me than anything he could have said. The locket in my hand now held a picture of Cole and me.
Essie entered the room and sat cross-legged on a wicker chair next to us. “Good morning. You are both up early. The sunrise here is as beautiful as Galinevo. You'll see when I take you there.”
Galinevo: Home of the Goddess Brighid and the healing grounds of my husband. When I had first been told Cole was there, I begged Essie to take me. Brighid denied my request; she would allow me to come to Cole only when he was ready. Essie was Ateissa, one of Brighid's blessed. She had the ability to communicate with her Goddess anytime she wanted. Unlike me, who had not found a way to communicate with Danu. My only contact was through the elementals or when Danu summoned my spirit to her realm. When I had asked Essie to tell me about Galinevo, she only would say it was a world, which was better to experience for myself, but Cole was safe.
“Essie, will you take me soon?”
Essie stood and held out her hand to me. “Last night Brighid told me it is time for you to see Cole. If you are ready, I will take you to Cole today,” Essie said.
Cedric's words played in my mind. I shivered at the thought of Cole turning back into the dark king. I would lose him if he did. This time I couldn't… I wouldn't follow him.
“It's time. Bring him home, Butterfly,” my father said.
Chapter 8
As we walked along the river, butterflies jumped as they swam upstream in the indigo froth. A flock of squirrels above dipped and dived into the water. Trout slithered in front of us before burying into the brush. Cole had refused to teach me how to hunt for them, because he said he would always be there to take care of me. He was wrong.
The indescribable smell of the fresh water rushed at me and I knew we were close to the rocky shore of Sparrow Lake. Essie suddenly stopped at a large oak tree.
“Is this the portal?” I asked. There was nothing special about the tree. Other trees around it had unique looking knots or areas of peeling bark. It was just a plain tree.
My heart began to beat fast. I was more nervous than I thought I would be. Every visit to the realms of the Goddesses had an impact on time. In Snowystra's Winter world, months were like years. And the first time I had visited Danu I slept for seven days, while my spirit explored her world. Essie assured me, while Brighid's world was a unique realm; the time we were there would align with Starten.
She led me through the tree. Inside I could hear the familiar heart of the tree: bu dum bu dum.
We had been walking for only a few minutes when the black void of the tree ended and we were transported to another world. The turquoise sky held salmon and purple clouds. The forest filled with twisted tree trunks with long vine-like branches. It was covered with pink balls I suspected were fruit. Essie led me deeper into the aqua forest. The breeze carried an almost sweet lemon scent. As we reached a clearing, Essie stopped.
“We are almost there,” she said. “A little bit of a walk but I know you're up for it.”
Leading me through the trees, she stopped when we reached a path of rippling water.
“Come on,” she said, stepping off the forest floor onto the trail. The water under her feet solidified. “You're not made of sugar, Mara. I promise you won't melt.”
“How do you know I am not made of sugar?” I asked. “There are new things I find out about myself every day.”
“That is one thing I can confidently say is not a possibility,” she smiled. “Now come along.”
A soft wind chime sounded. Looking to the trees, I realized the pink puffs were moving. Squinting to see them more clearly, I realized that they were birds.
“Oh good, the rozkora are waking up,” Essie said, pointing to a group of the blush colored creatures. One of the smaller ones puffed up and began to make a loud whistling sound. The rest of the birds flew off the tree and began circling us.
“Hello, ladies,” Essie greeted.
One bird brushed against her cheek before stopping and fluttering in front of my face.
“How sweet,” I said. Suddenly, the little bird pecked me on my head, yanking out strands of my hair and zipping off. “Ouch. It just pulled my hair out.”
“I have never seen them do anything like this before,” Essie said, stroking my hair. “Mara, look at your reflection.”
I could see my image in the floor below us. The white streak of my hair had turned a light pink at the roots. The pink began to expand changing the frosted strands to a deep magenta.
“Did the bird do this?”
“I don't know,” Essie said. “Come on. Let's go find out.”
We continued to follow the path through the forest. I became nervous as we passed another flock of rozkora. The small birds flew around us but none came too close. As we moved further, the trees thinned and we came to a mountain pass. The ground below us began flickering with multicolor streaks, leading to a stacked waterfall in the same rainbow of colors.
The curtain of water parted, leading us to the edge of a flowing river. This time we would not be walking across it. A long boat pulled up with a small man peddling as if he was riding a bike.
“Essie,
you have returned,” he said, jumping out of the boat and kissing her on the cheek. “And you have brought a friend.”
Upon closer inspection, I wasn't sure the person in front of me was a man. His face was round and it faintly looked like he had small tan feathers covering his skin. The top of his head was covered in blue and white fluffs falling over his open collar shirt. Where he should have had eyebrows, there were dark blue markings, extending to his temple. The center of his eyes was black as night and surrounded by an orange sunrise.
“Giuseppe meet my daughter, Mara,” she smiled at me as she said the word daughter.
“Oh, you must be the lovely bride of Cole,” he said enthusiastically. He extended a human hand with long black talons for fingernails. “I see from your expression that your mother has not taught you about Brighid's Curuxatyni.”
“No, she didn't. I am sorry to be so rude,” I said, ashamed of my reaction “You… you just look like.” I bit my lip to stop anything offensive slipping out.
“Is owl the word you're looking for?” He tilted his head upside down and grinned at me.
My hand quickly covered my mouth to hide my shock.
“Stop being ridiculous, Seppe,” Essie scolded. “Of course, I haven't told her anything about you. You know that is against my promise to the Goddess.”
“You should have made an exception for the former Vizier. You should have prepared her for what she will see here or her child will be joining us sooner than planned,” he said, motioning to my extended stomach. “Do you forgive me, beauty?”
“Yes, I forgive you,” I said, unable to resist smiling. There was something so magnetic and welcoming about this strange little man. Kicks in my stomach told me my child felt the same way. “We both forgive you.”
“I see the rozi have been at play. By chance, did you bear a mark of Snowystra on your head?” he asked.
“How did you know?”
Holding out my newly pinked strands of hair, he said, “Lucky guess. Pity the pink won't stay. It is quite lovely. Now should we take you to your Cole?”
Chuckling, he held his hand out to me again. This time I accepted it. “Join me. We will get you to the Goddess straightaway. Do not be surprised if you see more unusual beings like me.”
Before I could question him, he was guiding me into the boat with a single row of seats. Essie took the seat behind me and Seppe jumped into the front seat. Madly peddling us through the water, Seppe whistled. The faster the pace of his song became, the faster we moved. The scenery blurred by at an unfathomable speed. A queasy feeling overcame me. When I was sure that I was going to lose my breakfast, we suddenly lurched to a stop. Seppe scrambled out of his seat and held out his hand to me. He had returned us to the same place we had started.
“We will see each other again soon, Mara,” he said, gently pecking my hand. “Blessings of the Goddess on you and your child.”
Before I knew it, he was back in the boat and drifting away from us.
“You have not taken us anywhere,” I called after him.
His laughter filled the air and soon a multitude of small colorful orbs began to float in front of us. The light was so overwhelming I was forced to close my eyes. When I dared to open them again, I was standing in a grass-covered area.
The perfectly cut emerald lawn was edged with white stones and tall trees with triangle leaves. Ahead of us, I could see a white building with an oval opening. Inside, I could see movement inside. Someone stepped out of the building into the courtyard. Like Seppe, the man was not human. What did he call them? Curuxatyni? He walked towards me with a warm smile. Others began to follow him.
They whispered and stared at me. I was the odd-looking one in this group. I searched the wave of rainbow colors for any signs of Cole. The whispering grew louder, as if a hive of bees had entered the space in front of me. No one spoke to me directly and my mind began to race. Was Cole hurt?
Then, it suddenly became silent. The Curuxatyni moved, clearing a path. From the building, two women emerged. One with short red feathers on top of her head. The other with a peacock plume flowing down her back. Her almond shaped eyes were set close together, giving her a serious expression, which battled her bright smile.
My attention had been so focused on the women; I had not realized they were not alone. There was someone between them. As our eyes locked, it felt like my heart stopped.
“Cole?” I whispered.
Chapter 9
Cole walked quickly towards me. Wearing tan khakis rolled up to expose his calves, bare feet and a white shirt with the top buttons undone, he looked incredible. He had always been fit but nothing like this. His skin was a golden tan and he was muscular. He was no longer the pale shell of a man from Snowstrum.
“Mar,” Cole said, his eyes glistening with tears. “You are really here.”
Falling to his knees before me, he began to cry. Through his sobs, I could barely make out his words.
“Cole, I am here,” I said, leaning down to him and touching the top of his head. My touch only seemed to make him cry harder.
“You will have to stand back up if you want to see me. I am afraid I am not as light on my feet as the last time you saw me.”
Looking up at me with doe-like eyes, he wiped away his tears and stood. He hesitantly held his hand out towards my stomach; I clasped it and placed it on my belly. As if the child in me knew who he was, the movement in my stomach became intense.
“Our baby?” he whispered.
Wrapping my arms tightly around his neck, I kissed him. The minute our lips touched, I felt a demanding need to become lost to the world in his arms.
A voice cleared behind Cole breaking up our kiss but I held onto him tightly, not wanting to let go. “Never leave me again, Cole,” I whispered in his ear.
His body stiffened and he pulled me closer. His hands clutched me too tightly. “You thought you would get away with killing her and taking away my people without paying a price. My child inside you is pulsing with her blood. My child holds the power of Winter.”
I ripped myself out of his arms. I saw the frosty glare. Cole was not inside his body. It was the dark king, the Shah.
“My dark queen is still in you, Marina,” he growled. “You will come to your senses. We will rule again together or you will join your grandmother in the Afterlife. You will not keep my child from their true destiny.”
I told you he loved me. We will be reunited again.
Something inside me stirred. My maternal instinct kicked in. I slapped him hard across the face. He smiled at me, blood trickling from his nose.
“Even you can't resist the cold violence of our time there,” he sneered. “Your passion, once tamed, will be quite useful.”
“She is dead. Her poison will not touch my child!” I screamed.
I lunged towards him ready to attack but was picked up and pulled away. The peacock woman pierced Cole's wrist with her sharp talons. He hissed in pain but did not resist her.
“The darkness that consumes you is no longer welcome. The light of the Goddesses fills you,” she whispered. When she pulled her hand away, I could see a silver tendril connecting her to Cole.
Cole closed his eyes and when he opened them, they had returned to their deep blue. “Mara, I am so sorry. I don't know how to stop it. Her darkness pulses through me,” he said softly. He was stopped as he attempted to come to me.
“Let me go to her Sarika,” Cole said, struggling against her hold. “I need to apologize. I need to make sure she knows that is not the real me.”
The peacock haired woman shook her head. “You're not ready. You are feeding off the power of the child,” she said. “There will be time later to be with her when it is safe. Now you must return for treatment. I hope this has not set back all of our hard work.”
“No,” I said, pushing against the person restraining me. “He is not going to leave me again.”
“He will not be gone long,” the red-feathered woman said. “Sarika and I will b
ring him back to you very soon. You do not want all of the time he has spent here to be in vain, do you?”
“It's ok, Mar,” Cole said, hanging his head in defeat. “Ruby is right. I am dangerous to you right now. I need to finish the work we have been doing. I'm sorry for failing you. I am fighting to be the man you deserve. The father our child deserves. Please don't give up on me yet,” he called as they led him away.
As he left, his words haunted me. If he couldn't heal here, would I have to say goodbye to him?
“You can put me down. I will not go after him.” When I turned to face the person that had halted my attack, I found Seppe.
“The young man is in good hands,” he said.
“Forgive me if I don't believe you,” I said, not hiding my anger. “He has been here for four months and five minutes with me the Shah in him comes out. If the Goddess cannot take the darkness out of him, there is no point in me staying here.”
“You're being quick to give up and throw away everything you care about, aren't you?” Seppe said. “Give him time.”
“I don't have time. I have a life growing in me that I need to protect,” I said.
“You're right. You need to protect your baby,” he said, stroking his chin in thought. A small thread of smoke drifted off his fingertips and trailed around me. “Do you think running away from what scares you will be good for anyone?”
“I'm not running away,” I said, weakly.
“Good. Then it's settled. Essie will take you to rest and compose yourself.”
Before I could respond, he straightened up and walked away.
The realization of what happened hit me. I knew I would have to decide. As much as I loved Cole, I would have to give him up. I had a child who needed me. This time I couldn't… wouldn't follow him into the darkness.
Chapter 10
Essie brought me to a house centered in a row of similar rectangle homes with large windows that exposed the living quarters. It reminded me of the vacation homes in the old movies we would watch.