The Peacekeeper

  “My brothers and me have special powers, unique tae us,” he said putting his chin to the top of her head and staring off in space. “I can tell a good mon from bad. Even if they lie tae me, it comes tae me in truth. I hear the truth while others only hear the lies. I’ll tell you later about my brother’s gifts, because I have tae tell you aboot us.

  “If you’d have me I’d like you tae be me wife. Being my wife means the mating ritual. We’d share blood, not much, just enough tae bond. Its verra enjoyable to share and most mated like tae do it every time they make love. Increases the pleasure.

  “You’d also be able tae hear my thoughts, and me yours. Not always though, there’s like a door we could shut if we have private thoughts we’d like tae keep tae ourselves. Let’s say, for example, I was in battle and I dinna want you to ken what was happening, I could shut you out. You can see where that would be a good thing. But if you ever needed me you could reach out to me and I’d always hear you. After we mate and our first bite you’d carry my mark on your neck and me yours. It’s like a brand that shows we’re mated. We will also carry a type of mated smell that warns other vampires to stay away.” He paused, as if waiting for her to stop him. When nothing came he continued.

  “We’d have many children and the gift tae you is living a verra, verra long time. We’d live together for a verra, verra long time. Would you want that Elspeth? Would you consider being my wife? We’d have tae have a wedding my mither would skin me if we dinna. We can go through our mating ritual at any time. You will go through changes to become like me. It can be painful, but the results you ken. What do you say?”

  “Ian, as strange as this is, and for as quickly as my feelings for you have escalated, whatever or whoever you are is what I love. I can’t explain why I loved you the second I laid eyes on you, but when I looked in your eyes I felt as if I’d known you all my life.”

  “It’s the way of the McGregors. We wait, sometimes a long time, until we meet our mates, and it only takes the first look tae ken, and I ken when I first saw you back at the river, that I felt the same way aboot you.”

  “I too feel, I want to be with you and only you. Yes, I will be your wife. Yes, I will make the change, no matter the pain. The pleasure of being with you outweighs any pain I can imagine. Yes, I’d like a family with you, more than anything.” With tears in her eyes she kissed him, and they made love again.

  With the sun reaching noon, he lay atop Elspeth, watching her closely. “Hungry Els? I’m starving. We have a cold closet off the kitchen, shall we go see what Merlin left us? Then when we’ve had our fill we can bathe in the loch. It’s a little cool but verra nice and invigorating. You will not have tae get dressed. Merlin cloaked us with plenty of space, that is if you doona want tae get dressed that is. I canna wait for mither tae meet you. She will love you, I ken. Come…” and he grabbed her hand anxious to share his joys with her. He’d never wanted to bring a woman here before, but her, she belonged here, and it made him happy.

  Chapter 7

  King Arthur stood with his two closest knights at arms. He was angry at the news they brought him, and he shouted. “I want you to find Elspeth McLellan now! If you know she’s in Mystic kingdom, get her, and bring her to me at once. You say she’s wanted for treason, well then, they may have already hung her. Strike that! I’m coming too. In fact, make ready we will go now. I want her taken alive. Now! Before some heads role!”

  “Who’s, heads are rolling?” asked Finn striding in. “Anyone I can behead for you?”

  “No killing withoot me!” said Angus just behind Finn.

  “Your majesty,” said one of three guards rushing in. “We couldn’t stop them!”

  “Weel, you ken us Arthur. Canna stand a party withoot being invited.” Connor grinned.

  “Who we killin?” asked Taryn

  King Arthur looked from his guards to the men. “McGregors!” A joyful look of surprise replacing anger. “Did Merlin send you? Oh bullocks, what now?” He motioned for the nervous guards to leave.

  Angus looked at Arthur and wondered at his ability to go from angry to happy in the matter of seconds. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Arthur had the innate ability to find trouble and he had a sneaking suspicion this trip wasn’t going to be any different. Now the question is, can we keep the king alive? They would have to, they always had to. He loved Arthur as they all did. He smiled, suddenly very glad to see him.

  “I wanted tae go fishing.” Smiled Finn. “And since your loch has the best fishing, we came here. Thought you’d need a break from kingly duties, and besides you have the best ale! I feel like getting in my cups and telling stories and bedding some of the prettiest wenches alive. You canna have them all you ken. Besides they need a break from all their bruisin’ from falling at your feet. My ma says it’s always nice tae share, you ken!”

  Arthur laughed. “You know Guinevere has my heart. She’s at her aunts now waiting for her cousin’s baby to be born. She’ll be gone for days yet. But boys! You can’t tell me you’re here to fish. I know better than that.”

  “What were you talking aboot Mystic Kingdom for, king?” Angus asked.

  “I’m looking for a woman who is in a lot of trouble. Her name is Elspeth McLellan. Know her? She is to be brought to me at once.”

  Angus frowned, here it is, he thought. Gads he wants tae head right where Drakkor was spotted, and where Ian is at right this moment. The one place we were supposed tae keep him from going, he wants tae go. Without thinking he blurted. “You canna go, Arthur. I mean we just got here. Canna it wait? Why do you want this lady so bad anyway?”

  “None of your business, nor anyone else’s!” Anger crept back in Arthur’s voice. “I want her found, now! My men and I are leaving today to find her and bring her back.”

  Taryn looked at Arthur with a furrowed brow. “Listen, Arthur, this woman angers you it’s obvious, but we just got here. Canna we rest tonight, drink some ale together, catch up, and if in the mornin’ you feel the same, we’ll all go together.”

  Angus gave Taryn an angry look. Taryn raised an eyebrow as if to say, “let me handle it.”

  Connor said, “Great idea! Let’s enjoy ourselves tonight and sleep on it. I doona ken why one little lady has you so upset as tae set yourself off tae go after her though. What did she do?”

  Arthur scowled. “As I’ve said, no one’s business. I found out she was at a monastery in England, and after sending men there, they return to tell me she’s at Mystic kingdom and wanted for treason. I have my reasons I want her brought directly to me, and I won’t be questioned about it again.”

  Connor held his hands up in surrender. “Fine.” He smiled. “If you have someone show us tae some rooms where we can freshen up after our long journey, we can do that, then be at your disposal. We have a lot tae catch up on, and later some wenches tae make us smile.”

  After cleaning up, Angus and the rest of the McGregors went down to meet with Arthur only to find him gone on an errand. Angus was sure this fiasco was going to turn in to something they were going to have to fight their way out of. It was always this way, whenever Merlin or King Arthur were involved. If it wasn’t a party, it was a mess Merlin would put them and one they would have to keep Arthur out of. What did this woman do anyway? He wondered over it as they headed to the great hall for some mead and talk of their own.

  Angus glanced at Connor clearing about a half cup of mead, and no servant in sight, waiting for the question he was afraid Connor was about to ask. His blond-haired brother cleared his throat, blue eyes sharp. “Why do you think Arthur wants tae go tae Mystic Mountain? Is it really because of a lady?”

  He wiped mead from his short dark beard leaving a scowl on his face, hearing the question he knew Connor was going to ask. “He canna go and we have tae figure a way tae keep him aboot here. Nae, he’s not tae go.”

  “Maybe we can plan a hunting trip. Arthur loves tae hunt. Maybe then he’ll just send a couple men tae look for the lady.” Finn s
miled.

  Taryn frowned. “Always a party planner, Finn. I do think it’s a lady he’s after. I doona think he kens about Drakkor…yet. You ken his scouts are smart. He’ll find oot sooner or later. You also ken when he makes up his mind aboot somethin’ he doesn’t change it. We can try for huntin,’ but he willna agree tae it.”

  “Do you always have tae be so blatantly skeptical? There must be something we can do.” He was getting perturbed. “I could break his leg,” he mumbled, “he’d have tae stay here then.”

  Taryn leaned back with raised eyebrows, “Logical, Angus, not skeptical, and you can’t break a king’s legs. Even you ken that. You ken Arthur as weel as any of us. We may have tae end up goin’ with him just tae protect him.”

  “Starting the party without me, boys?” Arthur’s boots clipped against the stone floors. He entered removing his riding gloves with two Knights flanking him. “We’ve been having trouble with insects on two crops and I thought I’d see to it myself.”

  “Sounds like we need tae stay here,” Connor said. “We can help you figure oot the problem, Arthur. Send some men tae look for the woman, and we’ll see tae the problems here.”

  A young dark-haired serving wench came in carrying food and more mead. Two more followed with more food and placed settings in front of the men. Arthur sat down in his intricately carved chair and leaned back at the head of the table, a scowl on his face, anger creases about his eyes.

  He looked over at Finn and noticed him staring at the dragon heads curled around the arms of the chair. Finn always did like the finer things life had to offer. He looked at the place through Finn’s eyes.

  The whole room was bright, tapestries pulled back from long narrow windows to let in an abundance of light. It shown off the gold gilding surrounding the room. Marble statues of God’s and Goddesses looked almost alive, placed strategically around the grand hall. Large plants lived beside the statues. Bringing the outside in.

  Arthur frowned. “No, we leave first thing in the morning. Before anyone else deals with her, I will. You can stay here and enjoy yourselves, or you can go with me. It’s your choice. I have matters settled and we leave at daylight.”

  The McGregor men glanced at each other. “Looks like we leave at daylight,” Grumbled Taryn.

  “And no party tonight, Finn!” He scowled at Finn. “We need tae have our heads aboot us. I will not have anyone falling off their horses in the morning,” he stated, glaring, brow furrowed and frowning.

  “Who died and made you leader, Angus?”

  “Angus is right,” replied Connor, giving Finn the look of grow up. “We have tae be on our best.”

  “Well,” said Arthur. “We’ll have a party when we get back. I’ll have Jameson plan it. Now tell me what you boys have been up to. Have you heard from Merlin? How’s Moira and your sisters? Where’s Lauren, Dougal, Conall, Ian, and Cameron? Why didn’t they come?”

  He and the rest of his brothers laughed and everyone started talking at once. Of course, leaving out everything about Merlin and making excuses for the other brothers. The men played off each other’s stories and finally Arthur had all his questions answered. Dusk turned to night and it was time for sleep. He had a bad feeling about going to Mystic Kingdom to look for this woman. Merlin had told him specifically to keep him away. Did Arthur have a direct line to trouble that always pulled him in? He was beginning to think so. It was going to be a long journey and he wasn’t looking forward to it. Not at all.

  Chapter 8

  Lauren groaned, tossing back and forth, sweat drenching him in his dark dream. He was standing in the corner of Merlin’s bedroom. Merlin was in bed asleep, before him stood a dark figure holding an open book. The figure chanted, his words indiscernible. Full moon light came through the open window and blanketed Merlin.

  Merlin grimaced in his sleep. The man reached out his arm and with his thumb made a cross on Merlin’s forehead with what looked like blood. He stood silently pleading for the man to lean over so he could see his face.

  The figure leaned back and chanted some more, but he still could not understand the words. The man shut the book and laid it on the bed beside Merlin. He could see the title Grimoire to the Dark. He knew it important to remember that.

  Then from the cross on Merlin’s head, came a thin wavy stream of a greenish transparent light. The man leaned over, opened his mouth, and sucked in the greenish vapor. It took less than a second.

  He gasped at the sight. The man quickly looked to where he stood. He was tall, sandy colored hair, eyes of ice, Lauren didn’t recognize him. Instantly the man wiped the mark from Merlin’s head, grabbed the book, opened a portal and jumped through. He woke up.

  He jumped from the bed and woke his brothers shouting. “Merlin, we have tae get tae Merlin.” The men jumped up in a frenzy from their cots in the library. “What! Where? Who?” They all shouted.

  “Hurry! I’ll tell you, after we get Merlin.”

  They raced through the library and to the small room Merlin stayed in. There was no moonlight, the tapestry covered the window keeping out the chilly spring weather. He settled down. “It hasna happened yet. Good. How long do we have? Merlin wake! We must talk now.”

  Merlin rubbed his eyes. “Can’t an old man get any sleep? Can’t this wait until morning?” Throwing his legs over the side of the bed he tugged down the edge of his night shirt. White hair sticking out, he looked at the boys and said. “You know at a decent hour when most men talk.”

  “Nae, I had a dream. We need tae talk now!”

  Merlin grunted. “To the library then. I’ll call for drink and we’ll see what this is about.”

  After everyone had a strong brew in front of them, torches lit with plenty of light, sitting at the long library table, they all looked at him, waiting to hear what he had to say.

  “I’m telling you Merlin, he sucked a green light oot of you. He had a book he chanted from. It was titled Grimoire to the Dark. He put blood on your head in the shape of a cross, sucked in this greenish light that came from your head oot the center of the cross, it scared me, and I made a noise, then he saw me. He wiped your head, grabbed the book, and believe it or not he opened a portal and jumped through.”

  Merlin’s face drastically paled. “Only I can open a portal. I mean there’s stationary portals, but to create one, that is something only a wizard can do. Unless a mage did it, but they have a spell they conjure. Did this person say anything before opening the portal?”

  “Nae, just waved his arm and it appeared.”

  “Then it’s a wizard, it has to be. But I’m the only wizard left. My brother was the only other wizard I know of, but I killed him long, long ago.”

  “You never mentioned a brother, Merlin,” said Conall.

  “He was the essence of evil. Did you say Grimoire to the Dark?” Merlin asked as he got to his feet not really needing an answer. “Seamus, my brother, the worst wizard ever born, must have been returned. If this is the case, we are in a lot of trouble. I think I understand now. It’s not just the inner earth that Drakkor is after. It is Drakkor and Seamus together, Seamus is after outer earth. If that happens all good would be destroyed and that means everything good.”

  “What was Seamus doing tae you while in bed?”

  “I’m not sure, but I know where we can find some answers. You see the book you speak about belonged to my brother. Since his death no one has seen it. No one knows where it is. But…” he said as he walked away from them toward a wall. “…We do have help.”

  Chanting and holding out his hands toward the rock wall, they watched, as his words got stronger the rocks appeared to dissipate, and then disappear altogether. In a small dark cavern of the rock wall, Merlin inserted his hands and withdrew a large thick book. Old, brown covered leather with simple words on the front, “Grimoire to the Light.” Once the book left its hiding place, Merlin repeated the incantation in reverse, the opening closed, and the wall became solid.

  He walked over and handed th
e book to Cameron. “This is my book. Seamus was guardian of the Grimoire to the Dark, and I, Grimoire to the Light. We are the guardians of these books. Books we were entrusted with but not use. Mine was given to me to take care of by Junius of the Plelins, the Ayriris Light Angels Court. Seamus was given his by Kahn of the Akuphis from the Dark Angel’s Court. Together these books can create or destroy worlds.

  “After the Armathian War almost destroyed both earths, the factions of light and dark made peace, and split what was once one grimoire, apart making them two, with the intention they never again be used together. We were warned that if they were, we’d face execution, and as the last two living wizards, extinction. These grimoires will not work alone, one feeds on the other. However, there could be a problem.” Merlin frowned scratching his bearded chin.

  “I know much of what Grimoire to the Light contains, not every incantation, or spell, but quite a bit. I would have to assume Seamus knows Grimoire to the Dark in the same way. But we would have to have access to both to understand the whole.”

  Lauren cleared his throat. “Shouldn’t these courts be warned?”

  “Not yet, we don’t know enough, or even what the grimoires have to do with it. I really don’t want them coming down on me when I don’t know anything for sure yet. See what you can find out in those books, Cameron. Discuss it with Lauren, see if it mentions anything about what you saw. If what you saw is what I think. My brother was ingesting my ether, part of my soul.

  “And with it my memories and knowledge, if he succeeds, we’re doomed. Through my memories, he could garner important information from this book, but not only that. He’s been gone a long time. The knowledge of all he’s missed will go to him the instant he ingests my ether. If he’s working with Drakkor they have a plan. He won’t look like the Seamus I knew and probably goes by a different name.

  “Someone had to find the magic, find his body and bones, and do an extensive spell to have him reborn. It calls for blood sacrifice. And not just any blood. The spell requires a newborn baby’s body. And it takes a God to be involved, a Dark God. If that is the case, we are looking at trouble with a capital T. If I remember the spell right, at the exact moment of death, blood is poured from the body, the soul of the baby is released, allowing the other spirit to enter, then the God brings the body back to life.