Essentia (14 page)

    Thegan Then looks at them and says "Thank you for coming to our aid, as you can see our Lady here has been injured as well as myself.  Have you any idea on how to stop what is happening in our dreams?" Well, that was simple and to the point, I think to myself.

    The woman then looks at Thegan and says in a small raspy voice "There is not much that can be done your highness, May I?"  she asks while holding out her hand to him. He reaches his hand out to her and grabs her hand, the woman eyes glaze over, and she starts to mumble something.  After a few moments, she releases her grasp on him and says "Your fate is tied to this young woman's and your Brothers." Dazna then gets up and walks towards me and enre and reaches both of her hands out to us. We place our hands in hers. She starts mumbling again, but this time, her words are rushed and louder, Crios comes over and puts his hands on top of ours as well, and they both jerk away after a couple of minutes, stunned.

    "What did you see?" Thegan asks them.  Obviously worried. I am starting to panic a little.

    "Blood, and Betrayal, Death and a Birth," Dazna says "Some from the past, some from the future, this woman has been through much" Crios tells Thegan. "We need to speak to Both of you My Lords, Alone." I wonder what it is that I cannot hear. If it's about me, I would like to know.

    I look at Thegan and tell him " If it is about me, I would like to know."

    Dazna looks at me and says "Are you sure you want to know My lady, some of this will be painful?" Painful how? I have lived a somewhat boring life up until now. There cannot be much to hear.

    "Yes, I am sure. Whatever it is, no matter how painful, I need to know" I say to her. Trying to muster up all of the courage I have.

    Enre squeezes my hand, reassuring me. Crios then looks at me and begins speaking. "You do not know your past or your family am I correct?" he asks me. I nod my head. Maybe what he is going to tell me is about my parents. I can't help but get excited now. I was worried at first. But that feeling was short-lived. "Your parents are not from this world, your father was from Aelmere and your mother was something else entirely.  She was the daughter of Bohyne herself. Therefore, you have Goddess' blood in your veins." WHAT? How can that be, me a Goddesses daughter?

    Before I could say anything Dazna spoke "Your father was jealous of the attention your mother would get and became enraged. He killed your mother by accident. He loved her so much that he jumped off of the cliffs in Aelmere to be with her again in the stars. Do you wish for us to continue My Lady?" I can feel tears running down my cheeks. I didn't even realize that I had been crying. I never knew my parents, to hear about their demise is shocking. I wanted to hear more so I nod my head at them.  "You were brought here by a couple from the Ogden clan to be raised. And to keep you safe from harm. There are people close to you that wish to do you harm, you must be wary of everyone My lady.  For they may be enemies in disguise. I will say that you can trust the people in this room."

    Crios Tells me. "You will be betrayed by a close friend in the future My lady. You must be guarded at all times. Everyone's life depends on you living. There will also be a death by your hands My lady. and it will not be stoppable".

    So let me get this straight, my father killed my mother and then himself, I am going to be betrayed by a close friend. I am a Goddesses Grandkid, and now I have to kill someone. I feel like I am going to hyperventilate. I can't kill someone. Who? Who am I supposed to kill? I have to know, so I look at the Haruspex and ask them with a crushed expression "Who?" No one answers.  I say it again with a little more volume "Who, who am I supposed to kill?" 

    I look at Dazna and Crios, they lower their heads and say "Thegan Erinhall Arthfael will die at your hands" Why, why do I have to kill Thegan?  I look at him. He doesn't look fazed by this at all. "Why?  W-Why does he have to die?  I won't do it, I will not kill him" I say.  Barely being able to catch my breath.

    Enre wraps his arms around me and Whispers in my ear, "Shhh, My Lady. It will be alright somehow".  I can't do this. I refuse.

    Thegan then gets up and walks over to Enre and me and kneels down.  He holds my hands in his and says "My Lady, there is nothing that can be done. In the end, I will have to die in order for you to save our realm.  For the Crescent from the tree resides in me."  He knew where the crescent was the whole time. He knew he would have to die. My face is red and wet from crying.

    Enre says to him "No Brother. I will not allow her to do this.  There has to be another way." His voice was shaking.

     "There is no other way Brother, The Crescent is the only reason I am alive. Our parents took it from the tree when I was very young. I was very sick and dying, A Haruspex told them that the crescent, if placed in my body would save me. But now it seems that it is meant to save our world, so when the time comes it will have to be placed back in the tree.".

    "I will not do this.  I will find another way." I say to him.  My eyes all teary and red.

    Crios spoke next "There may be another way My lady.  If it still exists, there is a book that only a goddess or someone with goddess blood can read that may have a spell in it that can save both the tree and his life.  But the whereabouts of it has been lost to us for a long time."  Great a missing book is our only hope.

     "See Thegan, I just need to find this book they are talking about, I will save you," I say to Thegan, mustering up the best smile I could through the tears.

    He puts his hand on my cheek and says "I Know you will Princess, I know you will." he gets up and walks back to his seat.

    Enre asks the Haruspex "Do you know how to stop the dreams?"

    "We cannot stop the dreams. They have been placed on you three by the goddess herself.  We can give you protection from harm while you are in them," Dazna says in return. I don't know what to think about what they have told us. 

    "Then Please do that.  We cannot take the chance of either of them getting injured again" Enre orders.  A seriousness to his voice. Or is it worry that lines his words. All I know is it's only a matter of time before something worse happens to us.

    Aiden stood up, facing the Haruspex and states "I will gather whatever you need" they nod at him, and Crios hands him a paper. It must be a list of things they will have to have.

     "One more thing," Crios says "There is a spell on her that is keeping her from her powers.  We will try and remove it after the protection is in place." Powers, do I have powers like the guys do?  Oh wow.  Maybe when I get them, I can use them to help somehow. Maybe they will help me locate this book.

      Chapter Eighteen

            Enre

    A Goddess?  She has Bohyne's blood. I knew she was special, but this is extraordinary. I am in love with a beautiful Goddess. I say a silent prayer up to Bohyne, 'Please Bohyne, give me the strength to protect her, let her stay by my side forever and if it be your will, please let us save my Brother.'  My prayer sent up to the heavens, I focus on the beauty sitting in my lap.  I give her a gentle squeeze and nuzzle her hair with my nose.  Her response is a small giggle.  I whisper to her "Everything will be alright My Princess."  She turns her head into my chest, and I kiss the top of it and holding her close.  I honestly do not know how she is holding herself together, after finding all of that out.  She has such a strong will to help others that she doesn't take time for herself to feel.  I bet that she is holding it all in because there are other people in the room. I mean, that is what I would do.  I wonder if I should take her to the bedroom for a bit.  So she can relieve some of this suffering, she has a big heart, and I hate to know that she is in pain in any way so I say "Brother I am going to take her in there and change her bandage ok." 

    He gave me a knowing look and says "Alright brother. We will wait in here if you need anything call for me alright".  I stand with her in my arms, and we make our way to my bedroom. I put her down on the bed gently and look at her. It only takes a moment, and she starts to cry.

    Climbing in the bed with her, I wrap my arms around her, and she says in a tiny shaky voice "Thank you."  I knew what she was thanking me for, but I still felt bad that I couldn't do anything but hold her while she cried.

    "I am sorry you had to find out about your parents like that" I say to her. I would rather she had not learned about them that way. 

    She looks up at me and says "I am not crying because of my parents, it is sad, but that is not why.  I am saddened by the fact that if I do not find this lost book, then your brother will die." This breaks my heart, even after all of this, she is still worried about Thegan more than herself.  Such selflessness.

    "We will find it, Terra, we all will help search, I promise to not put you in that position." I would kill him myself to spare her this torment if it came down to it. And I am sure Thegan would agree. I wouldn't tell her that because she would find a way to stop me from having to kill my own brother. If she could. That is how she is.

     I lay there with her while she cried for a bit longer then she says to me "I think I will be okay now. Thank you for bringing me in here".

    "It was my pleasure My lady. Anything to ease your heart. I do need to check your leg while we are in here, though, it has been awhile since we changed your bindings." She nodded at me and pulled her gown up above her wound.  She has thick beautiful legs. Silken skin that makes one drool.  I start to unbind her leg, just to find that the skin is completely healed.  It is bruised slightly, but the wound is gone. There is not even a scar where she was hurt.  I look up at her, she had her head turned to the side, as to not see it and I say to her, "Look, your wound is healed."

    She glances down at her leg, and her eyes went wide.  "How is that possible, it was so deep," she says with confusion.  It's because you are special, I say to myself.

    "It must be that Goddess blood running through your veins that is healing you so quickly" I smile at her. I am so relieved that she has healed up so fast. Her bruises will be gone by nightfall hopefully.  I ask her “Do you want to take a warm bath since the wound is gone?"  It may help her feel better and draw out some of the soreness in her body.

    "Yes that would be wonderful," she says, trying to get up.

    "No, you sit still my lady, and I will go run it for you.  You still need to keep off your leg until it is completely healed, it may just be the surface that is healed. The inside will require more time." I say to her. She would push herself too far if she had the chance. 

     She looked at me with a goofy grin and says " I believe you just like carrying me around My Prince" then she giggled.  Oh, I do. 

    "I would carry you to the far reaches of the universe, My Princess,” I say back to her and give her a small bow.  Her face went red, and she tried to hide her face, but I quickly move in and cup her face with both hands.  Looking her in the eyes and saying in a low tone, "I would."  Then I placed my lips on hers.  The soft plump lips of a Goddess. The little quick intake of breath she breathed.  It is the most tantalizing of sensations. I only remain there for a moment.  I do not trust myself with her just yet. It's because I am afraid that if I move too quickly, it will scare her away, and that's not something I am willing to risk.  Ever.  I want to cherish her and protect her.  To be the man she deserves, and I am not going to blow it, by being an over excited barbarian, so to speak.  After I raise up, I notice that her hand is on her lips, feeling the warmth that I still feel on mine.  I say to her "I will go run your bath now My Lady."  Smiling at her when I turn to walk away, she just looks stunned.  It's like she has never experienced a kiss like that before. There will be more, Much more. I think to myself.

    After I get her bath ran, I place a chair beside the tub so she can sit and undress before getting in the tub.  I lay out two towels and a washcloth as well as a new gown. When I walk back in the bedroom, she is standing trying to walk.  She stumbles and the look of pain on her face made me panic.  Rushing over to her, I pick her up. 

    She looked at me with a downhearted look and says “I'm sorry I was trying to come in there." Well, I have figured one thing out about her, she is stubborn. 

    "It's alright, just let me help you until your leg is completely healed ok."  She nodded her head.  I have taken her to the facilities a few times, but I just sat her down and left the room until she called me back.  I don't know why this should be any different. But then I think, how is she going to undress and get in the tall claw foot tub without hurting herself or falling?  I look down at her and say "Umm, how are you going to get in the tub by yourself?"

    She had a concerned look on her face and said: "I do not know."  Then she started chewing on her bottom lip as if trying to figure it out.

    "I-I could help you get in the tub," I say to her. Almost too embarrassed to look at her. Having noticed that, when it comes to her, I have been getting embarrassed a lot more than I ever have before. 

    She looks at me, her face turning pink.  She then says "I guess there is no way around it. Would you mind helping me?" The last part out of her mouth being barely a whisper.