‘What’s he doing there?’
He just sits on a mountain, and has been doing it a lot for the last two weeks.
‘Is this to do with Carrie?’ Aileen asked.
He thinks about her, but it is not the reason, said House, sounding emotional.
Luella’s eyes grew big. ‘What’s wrong?’
His power keeps growing, said House, his voice a lot quieter, ‘and he does not know what to do.
‘Is he suffering?’
Yes, incredibly so, and he feels so lonely at the moment. I think he goes there because the children cannot feel his pain and sadness.
‘What the hell’s going on?’ said Paige.
‘I need to see my brother,’ said Luella, as tears fell down her face, and she and five white witches vanished.
~~~~
They went searching for Carrie with the help of House. Korzak joined them, and they found her standing by a tree. Carrie was hardly recognisable, covered in mud, with leaves and twigs in her hair. Her clothes were ripped as if she had been fighting. She stared at them with a blank expression on her face.
‘Cas, honey, are you OK?’ said Paige, but got no response.
Jodie stepped closer. ‘She doesn’t know who we are.’
Livvy gasped. ‘We’re too late, and this is all my fault.’
‘We’re not too late,’ Korzak snapped, ‘and it’s not your fault, so stop blaming yourself.’
‘Steady on there, my friend,’ said James.
‘I have dealt with madness for thousands of years, and this is not it. Granted it might be close, but this is different.’
Blaze stared at Carrie. ‘What is it then?’
‘I’m not sure, but I believe she has tried to use her powers to erase her memories,’ said Korzak. ‘What you’re seeing now is what you might call a cave woman, I’m not entirely sure of the term, but at the moment there is no Carrie in her mind.’
‘You’re shitting me,’ said James, ‘can we get her back?’
Korzak nodded. ‘Yes, it’s never erased just hidden, and we have to find it.’
‘What do we have to do?’
‘She needs to be restrained and taken back to the mansion.’
Asima raised an eyebrow. ‘That will be fun, she has her sword out.’
Korzak, said House, you say her mind is not there, but I can sense it.
‘Yes, she tried to erase it, but it has only been put to the back, or so to speak.’
She is not in control of her mind?
‘No, she has no idea of what’s happening.’
Good, I do not need her permission, said House, as Carrie collapsed and floated above the ground. I will take her back to her room.
‘I will need Zakora.’
They all returned and the two goblins stayed in Carries room along with Livvy and Donna. Zakora put a cold wet cloth on her hot forehead, as they spent many hours chanting words the two healers couldn’t understand. They sat patiently waiting until after six hours, Carrie opened her eyes.
~~~~
The wizards stood as Luella entered the room with the aid of Daralis. Both had tears in their eyes, as four other healers followed them inside.
Adair went to them. ‘Dear Sisters, what’s wrong?’
‘It’s Alex,’ said Luella, ‘he needs us?’
Bryn walked over to them. ‘What’s happened?’
Luella wiped her eyes. ‘His power is going to kill him, and he’s all alone.’
‘Where is he?’ said Torgon.
‘On the Dragon World, keeping away from everyone.’
‘We know of his power,’ said Adair, ‘but there’s nothing we can do.’
Luella cried. What? You’re going to give up just like that?’
‘No, of course not, but we have spent the last two weeks trying to figure it out, and it’s a power none of us understands.’
Briana’s eyes grew big. ‘How come you’ve been doing it for two weeks?’
‘I knew there was something wrong when he saved the dragons, and have spent every waking minute trying to figure it out.’
‘And what will happen now?’ said Luella.
‘I don’t know for sure,’ said Adair, ‘but I think it’s killing him. The power will take over, and he won’t be here anymore.’
~~~~
Alex saw the conversation in his mind, and knew Adair was wrong. He saw how upset his mother was and decided it was time to get his power under control. Even with his eyes closed he knew the golden energy covered him. Enough, he thought, and pushed the power back down. When he did open his eyes, the first thing he saw was the shins of a giant sitting opposite.
‘A pleasant sleep I hope,’ said the giant.
Alex stood. ‘Not really, Hanto, I don’t remember having those, but it was sleep that I needed.’
‘Can I get you anything?’
Alex looked up. ‘No, my friend, it’s time for me to go home.’
‘Will I see you again?’
‘I don’t know, something is going to happen, but I’m not sure what.’
‘I will always be here if you need me.’
‘I know, my friend, and I would like to thank you for your company when I was at my lowest.’
He could feel the power inside which did not hurt anymore, he could feel it in his veins as the blood pumped through. Adair had his own ideas as did the other wizards, but they were all wrong. Alex thought of the children, and of Carrie, he winced at the thought of her with Lightning. Although he thought it would be the best thing for her, he wouldn’t be able to congratulate them. That, however, didn’t matter anymore as his strength grew and whatever the wizards thought they were all wrong.
Alex knew Siphon was waking up.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
The Final Destiny
Alex returned to the mansion where nearly all who lived there were on the sofas. They stared at him in awe. It was not visible to normal sight, but those with psychic powers could see a golden aura cover him like a thick golden line around his body. The children also saw it but it didn’t stop them from running over to him, he dropped to one knee and hugged them all.
Livvy, Korzak and Zakora came down the stairs without noticing him.
‘It’s no good, they can’t do anything to help Carrie,’ said Livvy, and they all looked at her and then to the other side of the stairs where Alex was now standing.
‘What’s wrong with Carrie?’ he asked.
Livvy ran over and embraced him. ‘She tried to wipe her memories, but she only put them to the back of her mind and doesn’t know any of us now.’
‘We tried everything,’ said Korzak, ‘but she has a power we didn’t know about and it’s blocking everything we try.’
Carrie came down the stairs, all cleaned up with a very confused look on her face, as the children ran to her. She knelt and hugged them. ‘Hello, you’re a friendly bunch, aintcha?’
Alex frowned. ‘When did she do this?’
‘Sometime over the last couple of days,’ said Korzak, ‘while she was hiding on our world.’
Carrie stood up and looked around without acknowledging her friends. She walked over to Alex smiling. ‘Hello, handsome man, why the grumpy face?’ she said, embraced him and kissed his cheek to the surprise of everyone, before wandering around the hall.
‘I want my Carrie back,’ said Alex. The others didn’t know how much he knew, and none were in a rush to tell him.
Korzak held his hands out. ‘We have tried, but her power is too strong and refuses to let us unlock her memories.’
‘I’ll do it,’ said Alex, and walked over to her. She smiled the beautiful smile she had always given him.
‘Hello again, are you after another hug?’
‘Yes, I liked the last one,’ said Alex, and she embraced him again. He covered her in the golden energy which was so bright the others had to cover their eyes. When they managed to uncover them, they saw Carrie lying unconscious in his arms.
Paige jumped off
a sofa. ‘What have you done to her?’
‘I unlocked her memories . . . she will sleep for about an hour. House, will you take her upstairs please?’
Paige rubbed her eyes as Carrie vanished. ‘How do you know? And how did you do it?’
Alex shrugged. ‘I don’t know how, I just did.’
‘How much will she remember?’ said Livvy.
‘Everything . . . and she won’t thank me for it.’
Luella walked over to him. ‘You cannot blame yourself for this.’
‘Yes, Mother, I can, as it’s my fault. It was me she was trying to erase from her memory, not any of you, just me.’
Livvy glanced at the stairs. ‘I will go and sit with her, unless you want to.’
Alex shook his head. ‘No, I would be the last person she would want to see.’
‘You don’t know that,’ said Luella.’
‘I might have been on the Dragon World, but I wasn’t blind to what was going on.’
‘It wasn’t like that,’ said Paige.
‘It matters not anymore.’
Luella put a hand on his shoulder. ‘What has happened to you?’
‘What was needed to happen, I don’t’ know why but it was necessary.’
‘You appear devoid of any feelings.’
‘No, Mother, I have more than you could imagine,’ said Alex softly. ‘I have to keep them in check, or they will kill me.’
Luella sighed. ‘I want to help you, but I don’t know what to do.’
‘There’s nothing anyone can do.’
~~~~
Carrie woke an hour later to see Livvy sitting there. ‘What happened, why am I here?’
‘What do you remember?’ Livvy asked.
‘I don’t know,’ said Carrie, as her memories came flooding back. ‘I was on the Goblin World.’
‘Do you remember what you did?’
‘I tried to wipe my mind, but I failed.’
‘No, you succeeded, but Alex used his powers to change it back.’
‘Why would he do that? I don’t like being me, and don’t want these feelings anymore,’ said Carrie, as she sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. ‘You were the last person I expected to see in here.’
Livvy sat on the bed next to her. ‘Oh, Cas, I’m so sorry, and will understand if you never forgive me. House said we were both suffering from some kind of madness.’
‘Why we’re both of us suffering from it?’
‘House said it was from the guilt we felt from when we hurt Alex.’
‘Didn’t Donna suffer it too?’
‘No, she felt guilty, but also believed it was the only thing we could do to keep him alive.’
‘I never thought I would ever see you get that angry.’
‘I know, and I’m so sorry.’
Carrie put her arm around Livvy. ‘Don’t be, you said I was either blind or stupid, and it was probably both. I prefer to think of it has being blind more than the other and you opened my eyes to it.’
‘We can help with the madness, as the other healers cured mine.’
‘I would like that, so how much does Alex know?’
‘We’re not sure, he knows about Lightning, but not said how much.’
‘There is nothing else to tell, as nothing happened between us.’
‘We know as Lightning has been telling everyone that you were only ever friends, added to the fact that you had never been alone together. We don’t know if Alex knows yet.’
‘Has no one told him?’
‘Paige tried, but he has come back different. His power has grown and the wizards are worried about him.’
‘He must really hate me,’ said Carrie, but Livvy didn’t reply.
‘I take your silence as a yes.’
Livvy shook her head. ‘No, I don’t know what his feelings are for you at the moment, but he did bring back your memories.’
‘There’s something else though.’
‘I didn’t want to tell you, as it was something House said.’
‘I want to know.’
‘He said Alex was suffering a great deal of pain, and felt very lonely.’
‘That’s my fault,’ said Carrie, and started crying.
‘No, it was the power causing him the pain.’
‘But I should have been with him, how could I not see what was happening.’
‘It was the madness which caused it.’
‘I think I could do with that help now,’ said Carrie, and a minute later seven healers entered her room.
Carrie changed and went downstairs. Her nerves were on edge at what her friends were going to say, and she was terrified at the thought of seeing Alex. Her friends hardly said a word, until they embraced her. She felt happier but that didn’t mean a lot, and when she looked around Alex wasn’t there.
‘He’s outside with the wolves,’ said Claire.
Carrie looked at the doors to the party room. ‘I’m petrified of seeing him.’
Claire smiled. ‘Pick up one of the children . . . it would make you pretty safe.’
‘I didn’t mean it in that way.’
‘You would just hug him like you always do,’ said Michelle.
‘I think the hugs were a problem as they always made me feel better. I never hugged Lightning as I would never let him get that close.’
‘So, what happened?’ said Luella.
‘Madness, so I’ve been told,’ said Carrie.
‘I didn’t mean that.’
‘If you mean Lightning, nothing happened. I know you must hate me for it.’
‘No, dear, I love you, and you’re completely blameless for any of this.’
‘How can you say that? Look at what’s happened?’
‘I know, but something else happened to make you do what you did.’
‘It was the dreams,’ said Carrie, ‘they were worse than before. I thought it would have been OK to love him as long as I didn’t say it. I was wrong as I couldn’t keep away, and he knew I loved him. I was such an idiot . . . my mind was really screwed, and didn’t know what I was doing. I don’t know why it was Lightning I had for company, but I think he chose me.’
‘It’s weird,’ said Jodie. ‘We all saw you with Lightning and put two and two together, yet if we looked closer we would have seen that you were just friends.’
‘I bet he wanted more,’ said Michelle.
‘He invited me back to his many times, but only to care for me.’
Michelle grinned. ‘Is that what they call it over there?’
‘No, he made it look like he wanted me in that way, but I don’t think he did.’
‘That’s strange.’
‘Maybe, but I didn’t show him any interest.’
Sammy smiled. ‘I wonder if cave-girl Cas would’ve said the same thing.’
‘What do you mean cave-girl?’
‘Don’t you remember earlier when you came down before you got your memories back?’
Blaze shook her head. ‘She would have said no to him as you saw what she did.’
‘That’s true,’ said Paige.
Carrie felt nervous again. ‘What did I do?’
Blaze passed her a drink. ‘Well, you didn’t know any of us, and when the children ran you hugged them. Then you saw Alex and walked over to him. A complete stranger, yet you hugged him and kissed his cheek.’
‘No way, what did he do?’
‘Embraced you, and said I want my Carrie back.’
‘How could he say that after what I did to him?’
‘You didn’t do anything,’ said Paige.
‘He was alone when he needed me, but I wasn’t there for him.’
‘No,’ said Luella, ‘it’s not your fault what’s happening to him, as it was going to happen anyway. I believe your dreams were to protect you . . . not Alex.’
Carrie’s eyes grew big. ‘Are you saying I could have told him, and it wouldn’t have killed him?’
‘Yes, I believe so, and that’s what worries
me at the moment.’
‘Are you saying Alex gave me the dreams?’
‘No, but the power he has might have.’
‘Why would it do that?’ Paige asked.
‘So, she wouldn’t be so hurt, as we believe the power will eventually kill him,’ said Daralis, as Luella wouldn’t say it.
Carrie put a hand to her mouth. ‘No, you can’t say that, we must do something.’
Luella wiped her eyes. ‘There’s nothing any of us can do.’
‘His power will not kill him,’ said Amy, and everyone stared at her. ‘It’s just making him strong enough to face the Final Destiny.’
‘How do you know that?’ said Paige.
Amy rubbed her eyes. ‘I don’t know, but it will happen soon.’
‘Then there’s a chance we can help,’ said Carrie, ‘and I can tell him how I feel.’
‘Yes, maybe we could help, but you cannot tell him how you feel,’ said Luella, sounding a little happier.
‘I thought it would be OK to tell him now.’
‘Not until he knows nothing happened between you and Lightning, or he might reject you.’
Claire rubbed her eyes. ‘He would do that even if he loves her as much as we believe.’
Luella nodded. ‘Yes, their love is so pure he would never be able to look at Carrie again without the thought tormenting him.’
Claire raised an eyebrow. ‘That sounds over possessive to me.’
‘Not really,’ said Carrie, ‘did you see how I treated him after I found out he slept in Aileen’s bed?’
Aileen stood. ‘I’m going over to have a word with Lightning.’
~~~~
Alex sat outside the back of the mansion with Rho as Adair, Joseph, George, James, and Bryn, came out.
Adair glanced down at him. ‘Are you going to tell us what happened?’
Alex shrugged. ‘You already know most of it.’
‘Yes, and we knew you were suffering. Why weren’t you here with your family and friends where we could help?’
‘No one could help me, the pain was immense, and my blood was on fire. My children would have felt my pain, and I was not going to let that happen.’
The Final Destiny: Vesta Mansion Trilogy - Book Three - Fantasy Page 39