Fate Fixed

by Bonnie Erina Wheeler

  Lexie wasn’t sure about aliens, but after the last twenty-four hours, anything was possible. She ran her hand across her hip and felt Torin’s phone in her pocket. It was time for her to meet with not just him but his parents too. She needed to learn the whole truth of what he was and why she was linked to him.

  If she was going to go against Alik’s warning and insist to her family she wanted to be with Torin, she needed to know who she was fighting for.

  Lexie stood outside Torin’s house, hesitating at the front door. She wasn’t sure what she feared most, having her boyfriend’s parents act like she was crazy and maintain their family was like everyone else’s she had ever known, or have them tel her a truth she couldn’t live with.

  She shook her head, unwil ing to let her reservations have a voice. He was different, but he wasn’t evil. When she was with him, she could feel his spirit. It was genuine and matched hers. He had asked her to trust him and she was here at this moment to do so. She had sent him a text on the way, letting him know her plans to ask his family for the truth.

  Her eyes closed as she wil ed her breathing to steady, determined to feel grounded before entering through the big door

  of his family home. The Victorian was extraordinary, a word she didn’t often use when considering architecture. The lawn was manicured with healthy lush grass and bright

  flower beds with beautiful pink and white blooms. Like many houses in Maine, there was a good sized barn

  attached to the house, although not for animal use. Its doors were open and she recognized Torin’s dirt bike parked in the entranceway. The whole scene was family friendly and wholesome. No one could guess there was something

  wrong.

  With a steady breath she resigned herself to face the truth.

  Marching straight up the considerable front steps, she raised her hand to knock on the front door. It swung open before her knuckles even made contact with the wood. A petite woman appearing in her mid-forties with long curly red hair, stood before her with a welcoming smile on her pleasant face.

  “I saw you standing out front and hoped you would decide to come in for a visit.” As she ushered Lexie into the foyer, she wrapped Lexie in a gracious hug. “I am Torin’s mother Endel ion, and I am glad you are here.” She had a lovely Irish accent.

  Unsure of where to begin with her questioning, she simply fol owed Torin’s mother into an expansive kitchen with a large fireplace. “We are big tea drinkers in Ireland. Won’t you

  have a cup with me? Donovan should be here in a minute, he’s just finishing up some work in the backyard.”

  Lexie watched her fil a large brass tea kettle and fil it with cold water from the tap. Her hair was stunning. It went clear past her shoulders to her mid back, the color a rich

  strawberry that reflected pure bronze in the light. Her skin was a creamy ivory, with only a spattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose.

  “I want you to know dear, how much we have al enjoyed my son’s company since he first dreamt of you. He has always been an intense young man, much like my own father was.

  Always so serious and focused, I was beginning to fear he wouldn’t enjoy this time of his life.” She removed a china plate from the cupboard and a large canister of cookies, and began to arrange an assortment to have with tea. “But over this past week, we have been able to see the lighter side of his personality, much like when he was a wee lad.”

  When she smiled, dimples in her cheeks made her even

  more endearing.

  Lexie wanted to ask her about the dreaming. “He makes

  me happy too,” she replied, searching for the courage to say what she needed to. “I am just confused about him, especial y after yesterday.”

  Endel ion met her gaze with understanding. “What

  happened yesterday, dear heart?”

  Lexie could feel her body tense with anxiety, now was the time to confront her fears and get it al out in the open.

  “Torin brought me to your old family home in the woods. He and I sat on the porch roof, just outside of the first bedroom at the top of the stairs.” Lexie looked at her hands folded in her lap, too embarrassed to mention that they were kissing.

  “When Teagan and Braden pul ed in, I was startled and I fel off the roof. I must have dropped ten feet when Torin caught me…but he flew.”

  “I see,” her voice was calm, “I’m glad you weren’t hurt.”

  Lexie nodded. “But he was. He was bleeding real y badly.

  But, then he healed like nothing had happened.”

  Endel ion gave her an encouraging nod to continue. “Al he had said to me before was that he was different, that you al were. I mean – I dreamed of him long before I moved here, which is unexplainable on its own. Now he has these

  other…” she paused, looking for the right word, “abilities.”

  She bowed her head in shame, “I didn’t even give him a chance to explain. I made Teagan bring me home.”

  Endel ion reached across the table where they sat and

  placed her hand on top of Lexie’s. “You might be surprised, but I was in your place once. I know how amazing yet

  confusing it is for you. You deserve to learn the truth. Know that we wil always be straightforward with you.” The older woman gave

  Lexie a gentle pat on the hand. “But first, I want you to look within your heart and ask yourself if you are in love with my son, because if you are, then you wil discover the truth of who he is won’t change that.”

  Lexie felt a shiver run down her arms and legs. She did love Torin. She had been refusing to admit it to herself because love doesn’t happen without months of knowing someone – but since she first found him in her dreams, she felt it. Being with him now only made it stronger.

  The floor squeaked and the two women peered at the

  doorway as Torin’s father entered. “Lexie, you’re as lovely as my son described you. I had hopes you would come for a visit so we could final y meet you.” He bent down and planted a kiss on the crown of her head. “Torin cal ed me – he has been worried about you. He said you had a terrible fright yesterday.”

  Lexie worried Donovan was going to attempt discrediting her. “I am fine, but only because of his quick actions.”

  “Yes, he told me he was just in time. He’s worried that it may have been too much for you too soon. It wasn’t how he planned to tel you.” His father’s dark blue eyes were the same shade as Torin’s. His hair was darker though and

  had a heavy wave to it. “I am hoping because you are here, you are wil ing to listen with an opened heart to our family secret.”

  A perfect hostess, Endel ion placed the mugs of tea and cookies on a tray. “Let’s go into the family room and get comfortable while we wait for Torin. He cal ed just before Lexie arrived to let me know he was on his way.”

  Lexie trailed behind them into a comfortable room; the wal s were adorned with beautiful tapestries and paintings in large ornate frames. The curio cabinets held pretty crystal bowls and vases, mustache cups, and hand painted plates. The leather furniture appeared wel -used, yet

  welcoming.

  Donovan sat back in his chair with a resigned smile upon his face. He stretched his hand out to Endel ion, welcoming her to sit beside him. Bigger than a recliner, but smal er than a loveseat, the oversized chair looked like it was built for them to share. His wife nestled into the crook of his arm against him and smiled serenely. Lexie admired the

  gentleness the two shared; their love told a story without words.

  She wrapped her hands around her mug of tea and listened as he began: “The only true way to real y explain who we are is by starting from the beginning – the very beginning actual y. As you know, I am not from this wonderful country; my birthplace is Eire, the Emerald Isle in County Mayo. We are a superstitious bunch, we love our history and our oral traditions, and it is my hope as a father that years from now, Torin wil share this as you sit by his side like my fire soul sits
beside me.

  My great grandfather shared this with me, for it was his father who was one of the first.”

  “Far back before there were automobiles and computers, before electricity or telephones, even before this great country was settled, my great-great grandfather’s mother lived to serve God. Sarah was but seventeen when she

  dedicated her life to the Lord with the purpose of spreading Christianity to the Pagans of Ireland, for they were lost in their druid practices. She loved her simple life at the monastery. The monks were educated men as were the

  nuns, their days were fil ed with transcribing scripture, praying, and practicing obedience. Although they were on the coast line and lived beside a smal vil age, they seldom left the monastery’s great wal s.

  “It al changed one spring when soon after the evening meal, three of the vil age elders with their wives and children in tow, pounded upon the massive front gate in a frenzied panic.

  They begged for entrance and beseeched that the God of the place protect the vil age from the demons that arrived before dawn on the turbulent sea. The chief was Cormac from the McGregor clan; he claimed not a sound or a hint of movement had been observed al day. The vil agers had al heard tales of demons wearing the skins of men that drank away the souls of their prey and only moved during the blackness of night.

  Lexie listened intently as Donovan weaved the history of the past. She wanted to bombard him with questions, but knew he needed time to clarify his story.

  Between sips of tea, Donovan continued. “The leaders

  were scorned by the two older monks. They were favored by Pope Gregory VI himself. They shamed Cormac and the others for their pagan superstitions and predicted the ship was abandoned after a plague or mutiny. However, four

  nuns and the youngest scribe by the name of Timothy took pity on the vil agers. They instructed them to col ect the remaining vil age folk and take refuge within the safe wal s of the Lord’s sanctuary.

  “Just before sunset, the brother saw the massive lone

  vessel at anchor nearer to the shore than it was to his liking.

  That calm evening, not a sound came from the sea which was stil as glass, nor was there any sign of life from the terrible vessel. It was crafted from foreign materials, perhaps in the bowels of Hades. It was unlike anything imagined in his worst nightmares.

  “Timothy climbed to the highest point of the monastery’s structure to gain a better view; from his high perch he saw the stern was carved in the form of a wicked dragon with a long pointed tail, its horrible sails rose as if in winged flight.

  The edges of the linen dyed a deep crimson red.”

  Donovan’s voice grew quiet for a moment.

  He told the tale with such compassion, Lexie felt as if he was giving a first hand testimony – looking through the eyes of the young monk. “Timothy’s fear almost devoured him.

  With Sarah and the sisters by his side, together they

  watched the sunset and prayed for deliverance. They were so ful of terror that not a word could pass their lips. Their silent prayers were heard only by God.

  “As they were about to take shelter, for the sun had just set behind the horizon and sight grew limited, movement came from the prowl. First a sole flicker of firelight, then several dark forms swarmed out of the hul like ants pouring from the ground.

  The creatures moved not like men, for they were too fast.

  Within seconds, Timothy and Sarah questioned their own eyes because the beasts began to crawl down the side of the ship while the others took flight into the air like large winged owls. He didn’t know it then, but they were the draugar – the original Viking undead.”

  Lexie’s heart raced. Torin’s father was setting the stage for an unfathomable event, one she didn’t want any of them linked to. She couldn’t eat the pastry on her plate – her stomach hurt like it was ful of cement.

  “What happened then cost the lives of al who had shunned the monastery and stayed in the vil age that night. Like a massive army from the gates of hel , the demons raped and

  pil aged their way through the smal hamlet. They took al livestock, every valuable that could be found, and dragged the wee children aboard their death ship that night. Men and women were massacred, completely consumed of

  their life force, and left entombed in their burning homes or in piles upon the beach.

  “Within the wal s of the monastery, Sarah and Timothy tried to conceal those who had taken refuge there. Not the older two men who accused the vil agers of superstition, for they forbid the others from fol owing as they evacuated the monastery. They fled through an old tunnel that ran under the large grounds and out through a cave in the cliff side, a hundred feet down the coast line.

  “The nuns did their best to hide the women and children within the crawl space behind the shelves in the pantry which were built for cold storage of spices and grains. They closed up the pantry with hopes the strong smel s of its contents could prevent the beasts from identifying the human flesh harbored within. Left with no refuge for

  themselves, the faithful women freed themselves to pray for their redemption within the wal s of the sanctuary. The men took defensive posts, wil ing to die protecting the women and wee ones. Timothy was a gentle man, never having

  taken up a sword until that night, but he held it with two shaking hands as he prayed Psalm .”

  Lexie tried to imagine their courage at that moment. She wondered how hard it was to keep stil and not run like the others. Could she face death in order to defend the ones she loved? She would hope so, but how do you know

  unless you’re in that situation?

  “When dawn came, the women and children who survived

  the night pushed their way through the sealed off pantry. It was no surprise to them that the monastery was in ruins.

  The four nuns, Sarah included, were alive, but they were injured and covered in blood from having been ravaged. Al of the vil age men who had bravely faced the Draugar were dead.

  Their bodies hung by their ankles from the rafters in the sanctuary. Their throats and wrists were slit and left to bleed out onto the floor.

  “Timothy was the only male to survive the onslaught.

  Both of his legs were broken and he sustained a gash in his forehead, but he was strong enough to survive the

  crushing weight of the sanctuary’s two massive oak doors that had knocked him unconscious when they col apsed

  upon him, knocking him to the floor as the beasts spil ed in.

  “These demons wearing the skins of men defiled the place in the worst possible sense. Sarah and the others had been raped while old Cormac McGregor was slaughtered at their feet.

  His heart was torn from his chest and left on the alter. The room

  was covered in excrement and blood, a blatant insult to the Christian faith that was worshipped in that place. Nailed to the front gates were the eviscerated remains of the two older monks who had left through the evacuation tunnel.”

  Endel ion passed Lexie a box of tissues. She had not realized she had been crying. She patted away tears and wondered how this tragic story explained why she was

  connected to Torin and why he was capable of doing things no other human could do.

  His eyes, his teeth – is Donovan implying that Torin is a Draugr? But they drank blood, murdered innocent people, and could only come out at night – like vampires. Her mouth dried as her body trembled slightly. She grasped her

  necklace around her throat. It wasn’t possible. Torin was nothing like that.

  Warmth flooded over her shuddering form, relaxing every inch of her body. She peered up at the doorway

  discovering Torin’s powerful blue eyes as he beheld her.

  He was concerned for her. She could feel it come from him as easily as she could feel the now cold mug in her hands.

  His expression was twisted with anguish and revealed so much worry. She rejected him yesterday, turning away when he reached for her. I’m horri
ble, I don’t deserve him.

  Without removing her eyes from his, she extended her hand out,

  gesturing him to sit beside her on the couch. Sensing his apprehension, she whispered his own words, “Please trust me.”

  Torin entered the room and Lexie could feel a subtle shift in her mood and heart rate. As he sat down beside her, she instantly breathed in the comfort of his nearness. His arm encircled her shoulders, so she leaned in closer. Her hand found his and as he entwined her fingers, she knew that she would never push him away again.

  She smiled at Donovan, encouraging him to continue with the rest of his extraordinary story.

  TORIN

  As Torin pul ed Lexie closer, his body pulsated in response to her touch. He feared she might leave by the time he made the trip back from the old house. He had hit speeds that would give a traffic cop a coronary, but he didn’t want to waste time. He had been replacing the roof tiles and checking for other dangers since dawn. He hoped to bring her back there, with a different ending to the trip.

  His father gave him a knowing smile. With his mother by Donovan’s side, Torin now understood the deep

  connection his parents cherished. Until discovering Lexie, he could never have understood the power of a fated love. It did make the curse bearable – he wouldn’t want to live forever without her.

  Donovan’s narration of the coven’s history stil had a powerful effect on him. As Torin listened, he could feel his own existence sync with Sarah’s.

  His father swal owed down a mouthful of tea and continued.

  “It was many long months before the vil age began to thrive again, but it never regained the heart and spirit it once held.

  I do not envy those who were absent, returning from travels to nearby markets and fairs, because when they came