by Unknown
Suddenly, solid ground formed under her feet and the strong arm fell away. When the smoke cleared, Gwen realized she stood in the center of Ulrick's library. Spinning around, she discovered Brogden tossed on the couch, Grimmly getting up off the large, wooden table, Ulrick dusting off his breeches, and Julianna lying on the stone floor on her side a few feet from the fireplace.
Gwen ran over to Julianna. Kneeling down once more, she held Julianna's head in her lap. "Julianna!" she cried. "We can help you, don't give up!" Gwen looked back over her shoulder at Ulrick. "Hurry! You must do something!"
Ulrick ran over and knelt down. His fingers felt her neck for a pulse. He laid his ear up against her chest. After a moment of the entire room holding their breath, Ulrick raised his head. He slowly shook it.
"No!" Gwen sobbed.
"I'm sorry," Ulrick said. "I could help her if she was dying, just not when she's already passed." He reached out and placed his hand on Gwen's shoulder. "I'm sorry."
"Ulrick," Grimmly yelled from across the room, "ye may not have been able to save Julianna, but mayhap ye can save him?"
Gwen and Ulrick darted their gaze over to Grimmly. He was down on one knee, leaning over Cain. Cain's body slumped on its side across the floor, blood seeping from his closed eyes. Gwen gasped. Carefully, but quickly, she laid down Julianna's head and raced over to Cain. She put her ear down to his chest as she had seen Ulrick do for Julianna. A faint beating thumped.
"He has a heartbeat!" she yelled to Ulrick who strode over.
Ulrick yelled an unfamiliar name and an old servant woman quickly appeared at his side. Ulrick muttered something to her. "-and quickly!" he hollered as she scrambled out. Ulrick bent down and looked Cain over. "Ye daft bastard," he mumbled. "Why didna ye stop when ye were ahead."
"What do you mean?" Gwen asked.
Ulrick gazed across Cain's form to Gwen. "Everyone kens ye canna continue black magic without the practice of supreme magic to lessen the effect of the darkness that seeps inside ye. Cain wouldn't stop. At one time, he knew everything a man should...but he wanted more and didn't want to waste time cleansing the blackness from his soul. And now...."
"What, now what!" Gwen prodded.
"The transformation is almost complete."
"He doesna look all that different," added Grimmly. "And he saved us. Mayhap, he isn't as bad off as we thought."
"He's strong," Ulrick said. "He was an immortal for a lifetime and more." He glanced back down to Cain and the blood dripping down his cheeks. "But now, his mortal body canna handle the demons any longer. The changing is soon."
Gwen swallowed. "W-what will happen? Have you witnessed a transformation before?"
Ulrick glanced at her. Sadness filled his features. "The only cases I've read about, the sorcerers all take their lives before the transformation is complete. In the old scripts, there's mention of black beasts without a heart nor soul. They wander both our world and the many in-between, causing havoc, death, and plague."
Tears began streaming down Gwen's cheeks. "How long?" she whispered.
"I dinna ken-"
"-how long!" she gritted out.
"Mayhap a day...or two."
"We still need to try and save him," she said, dabbing the blood from his cheeks with the hem of her gown.
Ulrick covered Gwen's hand and stilled its moving. "We canna stop it, Gwen," he said softly. "There's no way to heal him after all the black magic he has cast. The best thing we could do for him is to-"
"-what?" Gwen shouted, glancing up at Ulrick with a cold gaze. After he didn't answer, she began shaking her head. "Never!"
"Burning him would be the most kind thing we could do."
"I could never-"
"-then what," Ulrick shouted, rising to stand over her, "we let him roam the earth in an eternity of damnation!" Ulrick strode over to the now roaring fire. Quickly he spun around. He pointed a finger at Gwen. "He's my friend too, Gwendolyn! Even if ye dinna believe me." Ulrick growled and swiped the crystal vases from the mantle in one swoop. They crashed to the floor, shards scattering across the stone. Ulrick collected himself and continued on. "I never hated him," he began, "I was jealous of him as much as any mon would be. He was immortal...more powerful than I'd ever be...and had a beautiful lass always at his side. I-." Ulrick continued more forcefully, "I do not wish to see this mon, especially a best friend, go through what he will have to go through if we keep him alive. I wouldn't wish it upon any mon...except mayhap Ramsey," he muttered as an afterthought. "I'll let ye make the decision, Gwendolyn, but ye need to make it now, while he's still unconscious."
Tears streamed down Gwendolyn's eyes as she glimpsed up at Ulrick. "I can't. I can't kill him."
"If that's your decision," he said thin lipped, "then ye already have killed him." Ulrick stormed out of the library, his cloak waving around his legs as he went.
Grimmly walked over to Gwen as she stared down at Cain. Grimmly wrapped his arms around her tightly. "My lass," he said softly, "I'm afraid your heart will break no matter which way ye would have chosen."
"I can't set him on fire," she said appalled. "How is that kind!"
"Perhaps," he started gently, "roaming the earth as a beast and never knowing love again is worse."
Gwen shook her head as the servant walked in with a bowl of hot water and white linen strips.
"I'm keeping the decision I've made." She pulled away from Grimmly and looked to the servant. "Would you please tell Lord Ulrick that this injured man will need a bed to sleep in." She then turned to Grimmly. "Help me...please?" Grimmly nodded and both he and Gwen took an end, Grimmly at Cain's head, and Gwen at his feet. Suddenly, Brogden who had never left the library, but had watched from the side, strode over and brushed Gwen's hands aside, taking Cain's weight. He glanced at her out the corner of his eyes. "He saved my life. Demon or mon, I owe him."
Gwen nodded. "Thank you."
The three of them followed the old servant through corridors upon corridors, and finally to a large, opulent chamber.
Brogden and Grimmly lay the limp form of Cain on the black and gold satin sheets. The old servant began untying his torn, bloody breeches, removing them. Gwen quickly turned, a flush covering her cheeks. She had seen Cain naked before, but never in front of others, let alone her father.
"'Tis all right now, Gwen," Grimmly said quietly.
Gwen turned back around and found Cain tucked under the sheets. The old woman dabbed at a couple of cuts on his chest and arms. Gwen walked over with her hand covering her quivering chin and mouth. Cain appeared so peaceful even with the black veins showing through his pale skin. His long lashes lay shut, laying against his cheeks.
Gwen bit her fist. She tried not to make a sound, holding the sobs inside. She couldn't find the strength to let go of him once and for all, and now...he'd be doomed for all eternity. Branded a beast from hell.
Brogden followed the servant out of the room and Grimmly sat at the end of the four poster bed. He looked up at Gwen. "Having second thoughts?"
She squeezed her eyes shut. "How can I not?" she choked out. She sunk down on the bed next to Grimmly. "I wish so many things would have been different in the past."
Grimmly lightly grasped her hand. "Dinna we all. There's not a day that goes by that I dinna dream of having your childhood back, me as your father, and your mum alive, all of us as a family, running laughing...the way it should have been. I loved your mother so much. We never even had a chance to really be together."
Gwen covered her hand over his. "You couldn't have changed what happened back then."
"Aye, if I spoke up...if I wasn't such a coward," he said with a painful expression on his face.
Gwen sighed. "What do we do now? I can't find the strength to let him go," she said, reaching out and pressing her hand to Cain's leg through the covers. "I love him so much it hurts." Gwen's eyes grew watery.
Grimmly pulled her into him, wrapping a comforting arm around her. "Let's give him time to rest. Besides
, I believe Ulrick is having his servants prepare Julianna's body. We will say goodbye to her when the sun sets." Grimmly nudged her away from the bed. "Come. He needs his sleep."
Gwen gave Cain one more glance before she let Grimmly guide her down to the great hall. Ulrick's army was returning, little by little, some badly hurt, others with only scratches. The great hall had transformed into one giant healing station. Servants scrambled around, wrapping lesions, and cleaning cuts.
Gwen stood and watched the men fill the room. A feeling of utter disgust for herself filled her. All these men had fought her fight, some giving the ultimate sacrifice. Her gaze scanned over to a man holding his shoulder, his arm missing. He cried out in pain. Another, had a huge gash down his cheek, staring off into the floorboards.
In the throng of patients, Ulrick stood, barking out orders to the servants, and passing out potions to whom he could, easing some pains. Every now and then, he'd press his hand to an injured man and a white light would briefly glow, healing the man. Gwen watched as Ulrick did this three times, and on the fourth, nothing happened. She saw the look of frustration cross his face.
Gwen slowly studied her hands. Could she help? Everyone kept telling her she had a gift inside her. She walked over to a man, sitting against the stone wall. His leg was cut open from knee to upper thigh. His eyes were closed, yet she continued to watch his chest rise and fall. She laid her hands over the wound. Nothing happened. She rubbed her hands together and pressed them down on the unconscious man's leg. Still, nothing.
"Come on," she gritted out, almost in tears. Gwen took a deep breath and was about to put her hands on the wound once more, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Gwen turned and looked up.
"Ye need to focus," Ramsey's witch said.
"How did you-." Gwen shook her head and rose. "You escaped then?"
The witch chuckled. "Nay." Suddenly, tears filled her eyes. "A long time ago, when I first came upon Ramsey, I made a pact with him. It was bound in magic."
"What pact?" Gwen asked carefully.
The witch released a shaky breath. "I promised my magical word that I would be his witch and bid whatever he needed as long as he kept my daughters safe." Her gaze dropped to the floor. "My oldest daughter...weel, he killed her after she birthed him a daughter and my other-" Her voice caught on a sob as she covered her hands over her face. Gwen wrapped an arm around her frail form. "My other daughter," the witch continued, "her name Julianna," she said meeting Gwen's gaze, "just died at his hand, breaking the pact, setting me free." Sobs raked over her body.
Both sunk to the floor. "G-grandmother?" Gwen whispered.
Her grandmother peered over to her with glassy eyes. "Aye. If ye would have stayed in Ramsey's grasp, I would never have been freed. I would have made another pact with him for your safety, but thankfully, ye broke free. Besides, after all the good my pacts did," she said more to herself, "I've lost both my children."
"Grandmother?" Gwen said again.
Her grandmother chuckled as she wiped at her tears. "Aye, lass," she said patting Gwen's hand.
"Why didn't Julianna tell me?"
"Because, I knew what was inside ye. Ramsey would have taken your kind spirit and crushed it like your mum's. I made Julianna take ye away and never return. She promised to never say a word to you. And now," she choked out, "my sweet Julianna never will." Gwen hugged her grandmother into her as they both cried for Julianna. After a while, her grandmother stopped crying and she pulled back, drying her eyes. "Now," she said sniffing, "why dinna ye get back to healing this young mon."
"I'm trying, but nothing is working," Gwen said sadly. "I thought I could but, maybe, you're wrong and nothing powerful is in me."
Her grandmother shooed the comment away. "'Tis in our blood. 'Tis in ye." She squeezed Gwen's shoulder. "Ye think too much, just see with yer heart."
Gwen released a long breath as she turned and placed her hands on the man's leg once more. Breathe, she told herself. She closed her eyes and instead of seeing the man she tried to help, she saw what was inside of her, a bright light, white as can be, sparkling and bursting with life, wanting to be put to use.
Focusing on that energetic ball of light, she watched as it began to spread outward, slowly at first, then fast, racing through her veins and out her extremities. She opened her eyes as a huge flash burst into the room, her power spreading throughout the entire hall. The people that were coherent in the room, dived, and dropped to the floor, thinking an ambush was upon them.
There was one who remained standing. Ulrick stood in the center of the room, staring in awe at Gwen. She met his gaze as everyone slowly began to rise. The injured were no longer hurt. The wounded began looking for their nonexistent wounds, but found none. The hall soon erupted with noise.
Within seconds, everyone searched for an explanation, turning toward the woman who had sent the blast of healing light. The room grew quiet as all glanced questioningly up to Gwen.
Gwen took a step back. She wanted to say something, but what? She didn't even know what entirely rested inside her. How much more could she do? What were her magical limits? Gwen blinked rapidly as all of a sudden, her vision clouded, her energy tapped out. The last thing she remembered was falling back into her father's arms.
* * * * *
Gwen blinked a few times before her eyes fluttered open. She slowly glanced around, discovering she lay in a large, canopy bed, the curtains drawn down along the sides. She went to sit up.
"Easy now," a voice came from a dark corner. Gwen squinted her eyes, trying to see clearer in the shadows. She heard movement and then Ulrick walked forward. He stopped at the end of the bed. "Your father's worried about ye. I told him it was expected when one uses that much magic...especially someone who doesn't know how," he said with a soft smile. "How did ye-." He ran his hand through his hair. "When did ye ken ye had it in ye?"
Gwen looked down at her hands. "Julianna and my grandmother had both told me I had magic. I just didn't believe them."
"Then how'd ye cast that spell?"
She felt the blush creep up her cheeks. "I saw what you were doing for your men, how you healed them. They were all hurt because of me. I wanted to help."
He made an unbelievable laugh. "Weel, ye did! All my men are unharmed down there, fit as a fiddle. What I dinna understand is how ye could heal the entire room and be alive afterward. I'm very powerful and I canna even do that!"
Gwen shrugged. "My grandmother told me I have the most supreme magic that she's ever seen in someone. She says I'm very gifted."
"Weel, ye are. But ye need to be careful, Gwendolyn. Ye can get hurt using all of your power at once like that. Remember, ye still need energy to live." Gwen nodded. Abruptly, she sucked in and grabbed at her side and wrist, crying out in pain. "What's wrong?" Ulrick yelled, striding over to her. He pried her hand away and glared down at her wrist. The tattoo glowed red and pulsated beneath the skin. It was searing to the touch. "Bloody Hell, Gwen! Say 'tisn't so," he said breathlessly.
Gwen looked up at him, with pain filling her eyes. "I had to help Cain. I only cited two spells from his tomes." Gwen hunched over, wrapping her arm around her stomach.
"Ye have to stop using magic, Gwen. Those evils inside of ye are transforming your supreme magic into something else. Every time ye use your magic, they will feed off of it, growing stronger." Ulrick cursed. "What the hell was Cain putting into those books!" He stood and ran his hands over his face. "No more, Gwendolyn. Forget what's inside of ye. At least, until I can find a way to get rid of them."
The pain began to subside and Gwen sat up straighter. "How's Cain?"
Ulrick eyed her. "Still unconscious." Gwen moved to get up. "Whoa!" Ulrick said, lunging forward to help her.
"I'm alright," she said, standing up on shaky legs.
Ulrick placed a helping hand at her waist. "Come, let's join the others for Julianna's funeral. Your father will be happy to see you're up and about."
* * * * *
"G
wendolyn!" Grimmly yelled, rushing over from the bank of the loch behind Ulrick's keep. "Are ye feeling better?" he asked, reaching out, embracing her.
"I'm a little shaky, but feeling much better."
"Come, they are ready to send Julianna's body out into the loch."
Gwendolyn let Grimmly lead her through the throng of people gathered at the bank. Ulrick followed as they came upon an empty space on the edge of the water. Silently, they stood as the huge wooden raft with Julianna's body was pushed out into the water.
Gwen's grandmother came up next to her side. Gwen's chin quivered and both her father and grandmother wrapped their arms tightly around her. Ulrick yelled a command, and as the sun set, flaming arrows shot through the sky, landing on the raft. Julianna's body, which had been wrapped in a fine linen and sprinkled with lavender, went up in flames. A priest from a nearby village recited a string of prayers and a kind word. After the flames died down, the villagers began to leave one by one.
After a time, only Gwen, her grandmother, Grimmly, and Ulrick stood on the bank. "She was a good woman," Grimmly said.
"She was a good mother," Gwen said softly.
"She's now with your mother," her grandmother said. "Both sisters reunited once more."
With red swollen eyes, Grimmly led Gwen and her grandmother up to their chambers. After tucking Gwen's grandmother in bed, Grimmly and Gwen passed the door to the chamber Cain resided in. "Wait," Gwen rushed out, "I want to stay with Cain tonight, in case he should wake."
Grimmly looked at her with a concerned fatherly glare. "'Tis not safe. If he hurts-"
"-he saved us, don't forget. He won't hurt me."
Grimmly reached into his boot and pulled out a long dagger. "Since you're determined I willna stop ye, but take this...in case ye need it."
"Thank you."
A smile curved his mouth. He ran his hand through his grey speckled hair. "Aye, I think I could use a hot bath and a long sleep."