I can smell it, said Rho.
Torgon nodded. ‘Yes, it’s very close.’
Carrie drifted to the edge of the group keeping away from Alex. She thought about being civil and the best way was not to say anything. The vampire took her by surprise as it flew at her, and she fell backwards. The vampire couldn’t get to her as House did adapt his force field and stopped it. He could do nothing else as Alex was already on the creature. He grabbed it by its face with the mouth still open, and it started sucking his energy away.
‘There’s plenty where that came from,’ said Alex, and started to glow, before sending nearly all his energy into the vampire. It screamed before exploding, and Alex collapsed to the ground.
‘ALEX!’ Carrie shouted, but no answer came. ‘Oh no, what have I done,’ she said leaning over his almost lifeless body.
He is unconscious, with hardly any energy, said House.
‘It wasn’t you,’ said Adair, rubbing his eyes. ‘I should have known what is plan was.’
‘He planned this?’ said James.
‘Yes, when Korzak said the thing might be full, Alex obviously wanted to see how much it could take.’
‘It worked, but at what cost.’
‘We need to get him back to the mansion now,’ said Carrie, leaning over him with tears in her eyes.
Luella was already waiting in Alex’s room when House took them back, and lay Alex on the bed. She sat by him and stroked his face. ‘What happened?’
Adair stared at the bed. ‘He had a plan, which I should have guessed.’
‘I should’ve stayed closer to him,’ said Carrie.
Adair shook his head. ‘No it would have made no difference, Alex had made his mind up.’
I am to blame, said House. He asked me if it could get through my force field, and I told him it might be able to.
Carrie looked up. ‘Didn’t you stop it from getting to me?’
Yes, I managed to adapt at the last moment, but I do not think Alex noticed.
Adair shook his head. ‘No one here is to blame.’
‘How serious is it?’ Paige asked.
‘Very serious,’ said Luella. ‘He has very little energy, and we cannot do anything for him.’
Carrie wrapped her arms around herself. ‘We took his energy from him before, and all he needed was sleep.’
‘That’s true,’ said James, as the children came into the room and approached the bed.
‘Your papa has had an accident,’ said Paige.
‘We know,’ said Adhara and touched Alex’s cheek, there was a spark between them. The other four girls did the same and his breathing changed. ‘Papa is OK, he just needs to sleep,’ she said, as they left the room leaving everyone staring in amazement.
James shook his head. ‘Does anyone still think they might not be his daughters?’
‘I never had a doubt,’ said Carrie.
Claire raised an eyebrow. ‘You questioned him more than any of us.’
‘Not about them being his, but how he was getting them.’
‘We can leave him to sleep now, he will be fine,’ said Luella, somewhat relieved. ‘I will put him into bed if you will leave me.’
‘I’ll stay and help,’ said Paige.
James shook his head and his eyes grew big. ‘If I ever come back like that, you have my permission to leave me in my clothes.’
‘No chance of that,’ said Claire. ‘You’ll certainly get a makeover, maybe a long overdue haircut.’
‘You’re just evil.’
~~~~
The mansion was full on the night, with a mixture of races, and all the tables in the party room were full. Many of them went to Alex’s room just to give their best wishes, including Aileen. ‘You don’t think he will mind that I went into his bedroom do you,’ she said, as she sat at one of the tables.
‘I can’t see how, as he’s already slept in your bed,’ said James, and Carrie wished she was somewhere else.
Aileen raised a brow. ‘I think I would’ve remembered that.’
‘You slept here that night.’
Carrie’s mood lifted. ‘Have I missed something?’
James turned to her. ‘You weren’t here the night the women kicked all the men out, so they could have a girly night.’
Claire shot him a look. ‘It was not a girly night.’
‘I beg to differ, no men, just women means a girly night.’
‘It was for Rilien and Friday’s wedding preparations,’ said Paige. ‘We had Friday here, and the men went with Rilien to his world.’
James smiled. ‘Claire did want to come with us.’
‘Yeah, and why not?’ said Claire. ‘There were still elf women there.’
Paige picked up her glass. ‘There’s not enough room to bring them all over.’
Morven stared at James. ‘I am more interested in where you slept.’
‘Well,’ said James, ‘after the festivities, we walked out of the city and saw the cottages. I think it was more to do with Alex wanting to see the pucas, added to the fact we were being carried by a load of drunken gnomes that we ended up there.’
‘We were not that drunk, we were just being polite,’ said Fergal, a little offended.
‘Well,’ said James again, ‘you know what pucas are like, and insisted we stayed with them, and as your cottage had two rooms we chose that one.’
‘But how do you know whose room you slept in.’
‘We went through your drawers of course,’ said James, and then saw the look on her face. ‘The pucas told us,’ he said quickly.’
‘Bloody typical,’ said Aileen, ‘I have a man in my bed for the first time in years, and I wasn’t there.’
Carrie laughed for the first time in weeks. ‘I’m not going away again . . . too much happens when I do.’
Paige glanced over at her. ‘Do we leave Alex alone all night, or should someone sit with him?’
‘He will be fine,’ said Luella.
‘No,’ said Carrie, ‘he’ll need watching, we don’t know what he’ll be like when he wakes.’
‘And who’s going to watch over him?’
‘I will of course, he’s woken up next to me before,’ said Carrie, and there were a lot of relieved smiles with the biggest coming from Paige and James.
Aileen finished her drink. ‘Would you be requiring any help?’
Carrie shook her head. ‘No, it’s not anything that needs teamwork.’
‘It looks like I’ll have to visit the castle then.’
Morven shook her head. ‘You even shock me at times.’
‘There are still a few single elves you know,’ said Thalion.
‘And they would have been single for a long time,’ said Aileen, and stepped over to the bar.
Morven raised a brow at Thalion. ‘Stop encouraging her.’
‘It’s just a bit of fun,’ said Carrie, and went to the bar where she hugged Aileen.
‘What was that for?’
‘You made me smile again,’ said Carrie, and for the horrible thoughts she had about her.
‘Dear child, if you ever feel sad you can always come to me.’
‘It’s been a long time since anyone called me a child.’
‘I do have over three thousand years on you, and to be honest I still don’t understand men,’ said Aileen. ‘He is single, and you have to take him.’
Carrie opened a bottle of wine and filled two glasses. ‘If Alex was a normal guy I would have, or at least tried, but he isn’t.’
‘He looks normal enough to me, apart from his power that is.’
‘There are other things, like his kindness. He would do anything for his friends as you saw earlier. He loves Paige, and used to sleep with her but only as friends.’
‘So,’ said Aileen, ‘he could love you while never being in love with you, there could be perks in that.’
‘Have you ever wanted someone of your own?’
Aileen leant with her back on the bar as she glanced over at her sist
er. ‘No, there have been times that I wanted someone for other reasons, but the pucas and gnomes always come first, to me it has only ever been fun.’
‘And what about now you have all this freedom?’
‘What freedom?’
‘The pucas and gnomes are very safe on the Elf World, you can now have fun.’
‘Yes, they’re safe, but it’s still hard to be away from them. I maybe a scatty brained flirty chick, as my sister likes to call me, but they’re still my children and I love being with them.’
Carrie finished her drink quickly. ‘You would be perfect for Alex.’
‘Why on earth would you say that?’
‘Because you’re special and deserve someone like him.’
‘No, Alex is not for me, and I’m not altogether what my relationship with him is. It could be either brother or nephew, as Luella is my mother stroke sister.’
‘That’s so confusing.’
‘Alex is the nicest guy I’ve ever met, but he is not meant for the likes of me, but for someone his own age,’ said Aileen. ‘You have two choices, one is being with him as much as you can and be fairly happy, or keep away from him and be miserable.’
‘I like being happy, said Carrie, and walked upstairs.
Carrie went to her room and changed into her pyjamas. They might not have been her sexiest nightwear, but it might look strange if she wore those. She went to Alex’s room, and placed the crystal heart she made for him on his cupboard before climbing into his bed.
Carrie thought it was a risk, but as long as she never told him how she felt he would be safe.
~~~~
James sat on a sofa in the hall after most of the visitors had left. ‘I hope there’s no more of them things, we could be in trouble if we had to face two of them.’
I wouldn’t worry too much,’ said Adair. ‘House managed to adapt his shield.’
George rubbed his eyes. ‘I am more worried about the fact it was on its way here, it is almost as if it knew it could get through the shield.’
Adair nodded. ‘You mean someone gave it certain information?’
‘Yes,’ said George, ‘it would account for it being now, and not before.’
‘How do you mean?’ James asked.
‘We’ve never heard of it before, and look what Alex had to do to stop it, so why now?’
‘Maybe it couldn’t,’ said James, ‘and was only summoned like the other demons we’ve had to fight,’
‘No,’ said Blaze, ‘if it was a demon, why would it appear so far away if it was coming here?’
Joseph leant forward with his chin on his hands. ‘I don’t believe it was a demon, but something from one of the other worlds.’
Adair nodded. ‘That makes sense, and someone must have opened the portal.’
‘You mean someone like Dagur?’ said James.
Victor glanced across the table. ‘I will get the Order on to it.’
‘I don’t know how long Alex will be asleep,’ said James, ‘but I’d like to go patrolling near where the first bodies were found.’
‘Is that wise?’ said Blaze.
‘We’re very capable,’ said James, ‘and House could bring us back in an instant.’
Adair nodded. ‘It’s a good idea . . . I will go with you.’
Thalion put his hands behind his head and leant back. ‘This could be fun.’
‘It is usually,’ Fergal agreed.
‘OK,’ said James, ‘whether Alex is awake or not, we’ll go tomorrow.’
~~~~
‘What did you tell her?’ said Morven, when they returned to the cottage.
Aileen folded her arms. ‘Nothing important.’
Morven raised an eyebrow. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, I’m bloody sure, and I’m not very happy about it. They love each other, why can’t we let them know?’
‘Because Mother said so, he can’t have any complications.’
‘His love for her has already got him acting like an idiot.’
‘Yes,’ said Luella, who appeared with Daralis, ‘we have all seen what he has done over the last few days.’
Aileen put her hands out pleading. ‘Then put his mind at rest, and let him be happy.’
‘We can’t just yet, you know that.’
‘Then he will die without ever knowing what love is.’
Luella narrowed her eyes. ‘Don’t ever say that.’
Aileen lowered her head. ‘I’ve seen his death . . . he kills himself, I’ve told you this before.’
‘Yes, I know what you said, but we can change the outcome. I don’t want to hear any more of it.’
CHAPTER THREE
The Lost Patrol
Carrie kissed Alex on the cheek and left his bedroom to go to her own. She showered and changed before going downstairs for breakfast.
Paige sat at a table drinking coffee while waiting to learn about making ornaments out of crystal. ‘How was your night’s sleep?’
Carrie pulled out a chair opposite and sat down. ‘Peaceful, for the first time in a while.’
‘Are you sure you want to do this?’
‘You were happy weren’t you?’
‘Yeah, very happy.’
‘I wouldn’t mind feeling like that after the last few weeks.’
‘Was it really that bad?’
‘It’s a wonderful place I went to, but I missed him terribly, not to mention my friends and the children.’ Carrie considered it. ‘I never thought I would miss the children so much. Hiding yourself away is not the answer.’
‘We all love the children.’
‘Yeah, but I was so empty without them, and Alex of course.’
Paige gave a sly smile. ‘And then you came back only to find out he had slept in someone else’s bed.’
Carrie nodded. ‘I was so nervous waiting to see him, and Kaeya tells me he slept in Aileen’s bed. Then he arrives with her and I felt like my world had fallen apart.’
‘Yeah, I can imagine.’
‘I had no right being horrible to him, even if he had slept with her.’
‘You were upset and trying to protect him at the same time.’
Claire sat down next to Paige. ‘Who was horrible to whom?’
‘I was to Alex,’ said Carrie.
Claire grinned. ‘That’s not so bad then.’
Carrie frowned. ‘Don’t be mean.’
‘I’m only teasing.’
‘I think you were very controlled,’ said Paige, ‘the old Cas would have thumped him.’
Carrie shrugged. ‘As you said, I had no right to treat him like that.’
Claire picked up her drink and took a sip. ‘How’s Lord Nibbles this morning anyway?’
Carrie smiled at that. ‘Still sleeping.’
‘And did you watch him all night?’
‘For about a minute then I fell asleep.’
‘Is this a private conversation,’ said James, as he sat down, ‘or is a handsome man allowed to join in?’
‘It’s not a private conversation,’ said Claire, not looking up from her breakfast, ‘and we’re not interested in handsome men, so you may join us.’
James ignored the comment. ‘So what are we planning for today?’
‘I’m going to learn to make things with crystal,’ said Paige.
‘And you’re up this early for it?’
‘Yeah, I want to get started straight away.’
‘You might upset them as they are an hour behind us remember.’
Claire laughed. ‘And you have a go at me for getting my times mixed up.’
Paige raised an eyebrow. ‘I had to wait for you when we got married.’
‘Well,’ said James, ‘anyway, who wants to come patrolling later?’
Carrie leant back. ‘Alex isn’t awake yet.’
‘I know, but we need to find any information about where the vampire came from, and soon.’
‘Are you expecting a fight?’ Claire asked.
‘No, but we’ll take our
weapons as you never know.’
Paige pushed her cup away. ‘Then we’re in, the crystals can wait.’
~~~~
James wandered around trying to figure out who should go, as there would be many willing. The group, he thought, should be able to handle themselves, but shouldn’t be too big as they will be searching in someone else’s country. Torgon and Thalion were going for the elves, with Fergal and Jarlath for the gnomes. Asima, Jodie, Millie, Kristina and Skye would also join them as well as those he had spoken to at breakfast. Adair and the wolves also joined them. It was a strong group with Millie and Kristina joining them as their shields could be very useful.
~~~~
They eventually assembled in the gym while it was still light, and Claire was the last to join them. House took the group to where the first bodies were found in Romania. Soldiers from the Order were already carrying out their own search.
The group entered a forest and walked along a path where it grew dark. Twenty minutes later, House’s path was blocked, but the group carried on before they vanished. House went round the invisible barrier which felt like some kind of shield. It wasn’t very big but the others were nowhere in sight.
The spirit almost panicked as he searched, and couldn’t locate them with the vase. He returned to the mansion where Alex was still asleep.
I have lost them. House told Blaze, Luella, and Summer, who were watching the ball.
Blaze looked up. ‘We saw them disappear, what happened?’
A shield blocked my path as they vanished in front of me.
Summer put her hand to her mouth. ‘We have to wake Alex.’
‘We can’t,’ said Luella. ‘Alex will wake when he’s ready and not before. I will have to go over there, and I need to see Henrik.’
She arrived with Daralis and met the major, where she explained what had happened.
It has gone, said House, there is nothing blocking my way now.
Henrik rubbed the back of his neck. ‘Is it possible for someone to do that to you, and take the others?’
I cannot see any other reason it happened.
Daralis had closed her eyes in deep concentration. ‘It feels like something else to me.’
The Final Destiny: Vesta Mansion Trilogy - Book Three - Fantasy Page 4