Part 4

John opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling above him, hell he couldn’t even commit suicide properly. He looked round the sparse room, on one wall stood a sofa and table the other was the bed he was laying on, either the person who lived her was dirt poor or they were into the hippy life. Swinging his feet to the floor he made for the door and stepped outside. The glare of the sun blinded him for a moment but as his eyes grew accustomed to its brilliance he saw trees, lots of trees. “I am glad to see you are feeling better” Turning he stared at the woman, she was the one on the beach he thought she was an angle “Who are you?” The woman curtsied “I am Calista and you are?” John looked at her clothes, yeah, defiantly a hippy “My names John Bishop, where am I?”

Calista lead him inside and sat him down “You are in the Nairi village of Clearlyn” Clearlyn he had never heard of the place “What part of America is that?” Calista looked at him quizzically “America?” John chuckled “Come on now, don’t tell me you’ve never hear of the good old USA, land of the free, hot dogs, Baseball and all that” Calista shook her head “Baseball?” John sighed “Look let’s start again, I am from Maine, United States of America and at this moment we are…..?” Finally she understood “We are in the Nairi village in the Clearlyn province of the Jajij Realm” Jajij Realm where the fuck was that? She looked at him closely he was further from home than she thought “Are you a Mortal?”

“Mortal?”

“Yes, mortal what we call someone from the other world” Now it was his turn to be confused “Other world?” Oh dear, it looked as if she had some explaining to do, carefully she told him about her home, leaving a few things out so as not to frighten him too much. John listened with humour, she had to be high or something there was no way he believed her stories. A man entered the room “One of our guards has spotted the Hellion moving this way” Calista turned to him “Are the traps in place” the man nodded “Very good, keep a watch on them and if they get too close you know what to do?” again the man nodded. Stepping back outside John looked round, the small houses sat amongst the trees or in them he wasn’t sure which, everything looked so different maybe she was telling the truth.

Vega watched the girl as she sat in the hall. Alone she followed the journey of the Teleri and her mate, the Quella woman and the mortal. She knew she was being watched; new she had an enemy in Vega. Hearing footsteps behind her Vega turned “My Lord, may I talk with you a moment?” Cailean nodded “It’s about the Fae, I don’t trust her, must she stay here?” Cailean smiled in reassurance “There is nothing to fear from Eirene” Vega wanted rid of her, permanently “I feel danger from her, she is up to something” Cailean lowered his head and snarled “No harm will come to her, is that clear?” Vega nodded and stormed off. Entering the hall he went to Eirene’s side “May I join you”

“Are you happy?” Happy, that was a strange question to ask “I am here for a reason but yes I am happy” Cailean nodded, it had been playing on his mind, during the day when he could do nothing but rest he had felt her, worried about her. At night he had watched for a sign, an indication that all was not well but to hear her say it loud alleviated his concerns. She turned to the Vampire “Are you happy?” He had never thought of it before, happiness, he was Vampire nothing more, nothing less but if he could choose his life would he choose this one? “I have never thought of it before, I suppose” Kneeling on the seat her face became serious “Happiness does not come from here” she touched his forehead “But rather from here” her hand went to his chest. Looking in her eyes he felt something, he turned abruptly this was wrong, to feel this way over a child his brother’s child. Rising he bowed to Eirene and left.

Eirene watched him go, she had felt his feelings towards her, felt his confusion. For a Vampire he was surprisingly gentle, his head and his heart worked as one not like his brother. Lykaios, his heart ruled him, his hate and anger merged into one till there was nothing left, he would have made a good Helmer but Cailean was the right choice his ability to rationalize was what was needed, to rule with scales not with fire. “Have you seen Cailean?” Lykaios barked as he entered. “He left a few moments ago, he did not say where my Lord” With a growl he stormed from the castle. Now she watched Lykaios leave “No, not with fire”

Losing her footing Kelsa rolled down the embankment and landed not too graciously against a rock. Sitting up she rubbed her head and felt the sticky liquid as it flowed from the gash. She was hungry and thirsty, with no food or water in days her body was starting to use the last of its reserves. Spotting a small puddle she scrambled towards it and cupping her hands took a drink. The water was dirty but it relieved her thirst at least for the time being. Crawling between some large boulders she settled down for the day. It was safer to travel at night. Instinct told her where to go, if she thought of changing direction her gut would tell her no, go this way only.

Nothing......nothing lived nothing grew, in effects the Drayad province was dead. The only ones to survive her were the Savan clan, Vampires that were fighting anything or anyone. With the Hellions arrival and the Realm under threat the Savan’s had declared war on all that entered their province. Fayna and Nahele moved through the land, their heads low and their noise to a minimum for this was not the time to go against them. Even in daylight they were not safe, there were ones that worked for the clan patrolled the dusty landscape and brought anyone they found to their Helmer.

Vega returned late, the sun had almost completed spreading it rays across the land. She felt it, not the warmth but the burning; her body was slowly cooking from the inside. She should have come back earlier but…… With the others already resting she entered the castle knowing she would not be seen. Eirene watched her jump the stairs in one and cross the landing to her room. Wherever she had been it had not all been pleasure, true she had fed, had lay with a man and woman but she had been somewhere else. Vega’s casket looked so inviting, climbing in she settled for the day.

Eirene went to her room and waited; the transformation had started earlier and was now to complete itself. She seemed to shimmer as her teenage body was replaced by an adult. Going to the mirror she stared at herself, she saw her mother in her, saw Lykaios for he had been the spark but there were others in her, hundreds. Her journey was almost complete. She wondered what Cailean would think when he saw her, would he be pleased? Sitting on the floor she started to search in her mind, flying over the lands till she found what she was looking for.

Part 3                                                                 Part 5