Folk Lore (32 page)

“Seraphina
...” 

His hand came to her face against his will. The skin on her face felt smooth like the silky flower petals in the garden by the river. His eyes melted into hers, hypnotising him.

“What are you doing to me?”

“I wish I could.” 

He dropped his hand.

“What? So you can trick me again.” 

Her eyes filled with hurt and he regretted his words.

“Do you think that is what I did? That I used my
...
this
...
curse to win you over?”

“Your powers are not a curse, you saved many or so I have heard. I am also aware of your ability to project your feelings onto others.”

“I’m not doing it now.”  No, so how was she bewitching him?

“Seraphina
...
the law
...”

“Has changed.”
Colour rose high on her cheeks, even annoyed she was delightful.

“Not to me. I do not remember. I only know how to be a protector, to follow the law.”

“What about
...?”

“You know about her?”

“Yes, you told me.”

“Look where it got her.”

“I forgot how difficult you could be. I know a differ
ent Keelor and this isn’t him.”
She stood up, obviously far too quickly, for the colour drained from her face and she sank down again.
“I don’t feel so good.”

“I think you should lie down again.” 

He picked her up with gentle ease and laid her on the bed made from large leaves from the surrounding trees.

“Will you sit with me?”

Unable to reply, he nodded and sat down
beside
her, leaning against the wall of the cave. When her breathing became even, he brushed away the hair which fell across her face and wondered whether the overwhelming tightness living in his chest was anxiety for her wellbeing or his heart swelling with love for her, again. He closed his eyes and hoped for the reprieve of sleep.

Moaning and muttering yanked him from pleasant dreams of her. Keelor opened his eyes to discover her bathed in feverish sweat and panic overcame him. She didn’t have much time and they were half a day at best from home. It would be quicker if he went on foot alone and returned through a gate. For the first time he wished his own abilities went beyond the summoning of weaponry.

Covering her with fronds which he hoped would conceal her from any passing
folk,
Keelor took one last look at her and exited the cave. He dreaded leaving her so vulnerable but what other choice did he have? If he took her she wouldn’t make it. Carrying her would only slow him down. With one last worried glance in her direction he left.

44

Power

Sam grew more concerned as each long minute passed. He paced the garden wondering why it was taking so long. He should have gone. Sera needed him and he let her down, again. His contempt for his vampire thirst ripped through him. If he could be around her for longer than five minutes without wanting to sample her sweet bouquet then he could have gone for her. Instead, the memory starved indifferent elfin had been sent to retrieve her.

A full night and most of the day passed without a sighting. Thinking of his own thirst and her scent sent a frenzy of dread filled images through his mind. Any rogue vampire would not need or want to control their hunger. To imagine her having to suffer this curse was more than he could endure.

A sound in the far distance caught his attention and pulled him from his dark ruminations. Someone was coming at a fast pace. Sam ran with his swift vampire legs to meet whoever was approaching. His newly acquired skills almost outweighed the revulsion of the thirst, almost. These proficiencies, along with his love for Angelique, sustained him, though it came with a heavy cross to carry.

Keelor broke through the trees and he was alone.
No, not Sera.
He was supposed to protect her and had failed miserably at it. To lose her due to his newfound violent tendencies was bad enough but if she was dead, this was another thing altogether.

“Where is she?”

“Need.
To.
Open. A. Gate.” Keelor managed between breaths.

“You left her behind?”

“Later, Sampson.
Gate, now!”

Without another word Sam located Keela in the elfin village and they returned to the garden. After obtaining the approximate location from Keelor, she opened a gate.

“I’m coming with you,” he told Keelor, who shrugged.

They stepped through and Sam followed Keelor to a cave not far from the gate and Sam was impressed by his accuracy. They entered to find a fever racked Sera, deathly pale and lifeless.

“What happened?”

“Vampire bites.” Sam noted Keelor’s voice was full of contempt and his disdain for his own existence rose.

“Why didn’t you have her open a gate? Why didn’t she heal?”

“The answer is the same for both questions, her powers are bound. We are wasting time.”

Keelor bent to retrieve Sera from her makeshift bed.

“I’ll take her, Keelor, I’m quicker.”

“Can you restrain your thirst?”

“Yes, I’m not a complete savage. I care about her more than you do.”

Without allowing Keelor to respond, Sam scooped her up and raced her through the gate and into the garden. The circle members were waiting for their return, their expressions anxious. Keelor followed through moments later.

“She’s been bitten,” Sam told them.

“She will have healed, there is little we can do, it is only a matter of time now,” Kalar said.

“No! Her powers have been bound so her wounds have not healed,” Sam said.

“You can’t let her die,” Anna said distraught.

“There is only one other option,” Kalar answered.

“If it keeps my baby alive then we must change her. Sam can do it.”

Disgust surged through Sam at the idea of being responsible for turning his best friend into a
fiend,
at exposing her to the life he’d been given. There had to be another way.

“Unbind her powers first,” he told them.

“Why? What difference will it make?” Kalar asked. Something in her voice urged Sam to push.

“I believe my healing abilities are the reason I am immune to Sera’s powers. I’m not affected as other vampires are anymore.
Maybe her powers will reject the poison and she’ll heal. We all know how powerful she is. If it doesn’t work then I’ll change her.”

“We do not have much time,” Keelor told him.

Sam noted a look of what appeared to be relief wash over Keelor’s face. He hoped this meant good things for Sera, maybe there was a chance for them to reconcile. He didn’t believe they would be able to do this if she became a vampire, Keelor would never be with her in that form.

“Princesses,” Kalar began.
“Recite the unbinding spell.”

When the last word passed their lips, Sam removed her bandages to find her unchanged. It didn’t work.

“We need to locate Cornelius,” Keelor said.

“He’s dead,” Sam said.

“Sera
was
informed differently. If he indeed cast the spell, he will need to reverse it. The spell in the book is old and Cornelius is powerful. Every other spell he has cast has been difficult or impossible to break with a spell from the book.”

“We were able to free Nermo and Sera you.”

“I believe this was because of Sera, she is the chosen one. In her current state she cannot perform any spells and the circle probably requires her participation to reverse it,” Keelor said. He couldn’t believe this had not been discovered before now. Keelor couldn’t recall Keela advising him Seraphina was the chosen one. The human princess certainly fit the description. Is it possible they all missed it before, including him? Was this why he was supposedly in love with her? She was the chosen one?

“We have to go for Cornelius,” Sam said.
“Make him reverse the spell before the poison kills her and it is too late to change her if we have to. You believe she is the chosen one from the book?”

“Yes.”

“Then her powers will repel the poison.”

“Yes, Sampson, I believe your theory to be correct.”

“What if it doesn’t work,” Sam asked Keelor and Nermo as they walked the small distance through the forest to Cornelius’ home.

“It will,” Keelor told him. He hoped it would. Was she the chosen one?

“If it doesn’t she will have to become like me, I don’t want that for her.”

“I say let us worry about that if and when it is an issue.”

“Will you turn away from her if she is, if you remember?”

“Whether I remember or not, I have no intention of forming any sort of relationship with her.”

“Could you be any colder?” Nermo muttered in disdain.

“When you remember you may feel differently,” Sam said.

“Not if she is a bloodsucker.”

“I knew it,” Sam said.

“It would not bother me,” Nermo said.

“Be my guest,” Keelor told him. He stopped at the edge of the forest and looked for signs of the warlock.

“Just another crushed heart,” Nermo said the scorn in his voice still intense.

Regardless of his words, Keelor’s concern about Sera remaining human hung heavily in his mind and heart. He may not remember his relationship or recall his feelings for her but the thought of her having to be
turned,
tore shreds through him. A small part of his heart ached for him to recollect their love. As much as he tried to block these feelings, to push them aside, they were there nonetheless.

Shifting his concentration to the task at hand, he advised his companions of his plan.

45

Warlock

Keelor dragged Cornelius through the gate behind him as Sam and Nermo followed. Relieved his plan had been executed successfully and they were able to retrieve the warlock undetected, did little to quell his unease, the difficult part was still to come. Convincing Cornelius to remove the spell would be tricky.

Keelor kept his grip tight on the warlock’s arms, disabling his hands so as to prevent him from using his magic to escape.

“Cornelius,” Kalar began.
“Are you responsible for binding Princess Seraphina’s powers?”

He didn’t answer.

“If you refuse to help us, you will be incarcerated, as you have done
to
many others.”

“Yes but Kalar,” he told her his voice full of mockery.
“If you were to do that then she will die. It is
a lose
lose situation as far as I can see.”

Keelor constricted his already steal grip on Cornelius arms until he yelped.
“Watch it, elf.”

“What is it that you require in return?”

“Allow Elizabeth and
I
to return home and cease living like criminals, animals.”

“You are a criminal,” Keelor told him.

“You can talk,” Cornelius replied. He turned back to Kalar.
“My only crime was to fall in love and break your ridiculous laws.”

“Enough bickering,” Anna said as she stepped forward.
“Can you please help my daughter?”

“It’s not up to me.” Cornelius stared at Kalar.

“The total disregard over the years of the laws is disappointing. Folk appear to forget the reason such rules are in place. The conflicts which took place in the past originated from mixed folk. Until the shield was put in place, many battles took place on the lands, power struggles from folk wishing to overthrow traditions
which have been in place for centuries. The shield became our way of protecting ourselves and the land from folk such as you, who defy the law. If we now begin to allow banished folk to return and remove any further laws from the book, we are most certainly inviting trouble. If we allow you and Elizabeth to return there will be chaos and it will only be so long until the shield is penetrated again.”

“Maybe it is time to consider abolishing the law and allowing all banished folk to return. If you offer peace perhaps you will get it,” Sam told her.
“This is what Seraphina would ask for.”

“She has not been here long enough to understand the consequences.”

“I’m not suggesting we allow folk complete freedom, to encourage anarchy. The ones who cause conflict should be punished. I don’t believe there would be many who would try.”

“The past weeks have not taught you anything, Sampson,” Kalar replied.
“Mecaldorf, Cornelius and their army attacked the lands, abducted Nermina.”