Shadows of Desire Ch. 11

"You will not take me!" She declared. Before the others could reach her, Caroline stretched out her hand and pressed her palm against the symbol, activating a hidden warding spell. A sudden surge of power filled the chamber causing Caffrey, Liam, and Evander to freeze in their tracks, their movements halted by the mystical force of the spell.

A thick fog began to form all around them, rising up from the floor like a specter in the night, obscuring their vision. The Candles flicker and die, plunging the room into total darkness. In the chaos, Caroline ran to a concealed passage in the wall, hidden behind a tapestry. Without hesitation, she slipped into the narrow corridor, the darkness swallowed her figure as she disappeared from view.

The passageway wound its way beneath the castle, leading Caroline through a network of tunnels until she emerged at the mouth of a cave nestled deep within the dense forest. Being careful not to alert anyone who might be close by, Caroline peered outside. High above her, the sun lit the sky on fire, its rays illuminated the landscape with light that shimmered like gold. It was a beautiful sight to behold and the warmth of the sun cut through the chill in the late autumn air. But, for Caroline, as beautiful as the sun was, exposure to direct sunlight posed a danger she just wasn't willing to risk. She would have to wait for the safety of nightfall before she could emerge.

Retreating back into the shadows of the cave, her thoughts began to race with the urgency of her situation. Concealed within the dark, the bats above as her only companions, Caroline leaned her back against the hard, cold, stone wall of the cave. There she wrapped her arms around her chest and held herself for comfort. Overcome with fear and uncertainty, Caroline shivered. She slid down the wall to the floor below and, drawing her knees to her chest, tried to make herself as small as possible.

I can't wait here all day. She told herself, knowing that time was not on her side. It wouldn't be long before the others realized that she had escaped. Her warding could only hold them a short time. They could every well already be free of it. Soon they would begin to search for her and how soon before that search spilled out into the woods? What if they stumbled upon her while searching for Rowan? Caroline narrowed her eyes and grit her teeth.

"Rowan." She hissed his name, her fear giving way to anger. "This is your fault. Why couldn't you just stay dead?"

The irony was not lost on her that Rowan probably never would have returned to Basmorte had he not been discovered in the Shee village. If Caroline knew then that the Shee child she was searching for was Rowan, she would have ordered him to be killed on sight. If only. If only she had the hindsight to know the truth at the time. Agren knew. She must have. It was she who had told Caroline of the Shee child destined to destroy her. So, why did Agren not identify him? Why allow Caroline to find out once it was too late? Thinking of Agren once more sparked the flame of anger inside her. Agren had failed to do as she had promised. Rowan was supposed to be dead by now. Knowing that he still lived and was out there, somewhere, waiting to murder her was more than she could take,

Caroline wondered if Agren had foreseen this turn of events as well. "Raven mocker!" Caroline called out in anguish and rage. "Make good on your word, Raven mocker. Prince Rowan of the Shee lives still!." She was desperate. Even if the old hag had deceived her, there was no one else that could save her. So, once more, she called on the assistance of the witch that she was beginning to loath.

"Agren, please. Once again I need your help. I beseech you. Do not abandon me when I need you most. Help me now for I am in dire straights!"

Caroline waited, wondering if the witch would even answer her call. Several minutes passed. Caroline was about to give up all hope when the air around her seemed to suddenly stir with a chill as icy as the cold hand of death. A presence began to materialize before her--an apparition of twisted branches, cracking skin, and moldy rags.

"Caroline, the would be Queen." Agren taunted her in a creaking, otherworldly voice. "You test our patience, child. But, we sense the desperation in your plea. What is it you ask of us this time?

Caroline's voice trembled with desperation as she pleaded with the ancient woman. Her eyes searched Agren's for any glimmer of hope. "Rowan still lives." She told her. A slight hint of anger could be heard in her voice as she speaks. "Now the Eleven army marches to the city. Prince Thaden has ordered the guard to arrest me and so I fled the Palace. Everything that I've worked so hard to achieve is being torn down around me. I can not stay any longer in Basmorte. I need to escape the Kingdom, to live a life unnoticed and unharmed. I want to walk freely in the sun without pain or fear of death. If I stay here, waiting for nightfall, I'll surly be caught. Please, I beg of you, can you help me?"

Agren listened to Caroline's lament. Though weary, Agren remained perceptive of the Queen's plight. She could hear the desperation in Caroline's words and knew the inevitability of her fate. Rowan would destroy her. It was written so in the stars and there was nothing now that Caroline could do to change her fate. Perhaps, if she had listened to Agren in the beginning, heeded her warning, she might not be in this miserable position. But, that ship had sailed. Her blind ambition drove her to this point, greed causing her to make the wrong choices over and over again. All that Caroline desired was now gone. All that she loved, taken from her. All she had left was the life that she so desperately clung to. Perhaps Agren would give her a chance. One...last...chance.

After a long silence, Agren nods, conceding to Caroline's request, but not without a grave warning. "Very well." Agren told her with a long and drawn out sigh. "We will grant your request, but this shall be the final favor we give you. Beware the consequences of your desires."

Agren knelt down and in the dirt and muck of the cave floor and began to draw intricate designs and strange words from a language Caroline did not recognize. The more she worked, the more detailed the design became. Caroline watched in awe as the witch worked her fingers in the dirt. When she was done, she used her talon like nails to dig out a small pit in the center of the design. She then reached inside her robes and pulled out the lock of hair that Caroline had given her earlier.

"What?"

Agren gave her a stern look and Caroline clamped her mouth closed at once. She watched as Agren held the lock in her aged and withered hand and then, to Caroline's surprise and disgust, the witch spit on the lock of hair. The hair suddenly burst into flames and Agren dropped it into the center of the dirt drawing. The flame shot up, igniting the entire design. When the flames finally died down, the design beneath it glowed like an ember. Smoke rose up from the smoldering spell and the swirling rings surrounded Caroline, engulfing her within them.

She coughed and closed her eyes which burned from the smoke. Tears slipped down her cheeks and the burnt smell of ash invaded her nose. The magic in the spell wove its unseen threads throughout her body, working to fulfill her request. Agren's magic worked beyond Caroline's comprehension but she could feel it inside, changing her from within. When it was done, Caroline opened her eyes and exhaled a shaky breath. She could not see the effects of Agren's magic but she could feel it. She felt different somehow, more alive. It was as if the vale of darkness had been lifted from her eyes and she saw the world in new, brighter, hues and it was...beautiful.

Standing up, Caroline ventured near the mouth of the cave. She stopped just short of going outside and looked out into the bright sunlit day. The sun truly did look brighter than she had ever seen it before and that frightened her a bit.

"Go." Agren urged her. "The sun can't harm you now. We've made you immune to it's effects."

Caroline smiled, her excitement growing by leaps and bounds. Slowly, and with great care, she stretched forth her hand until her pale-white flesh was completely bathed in the light. She expected it to burn or sting at least. She could feel the rays of the sun lick her palm and the tips of her fingers but there was no pain. She wiggled her fingers. They did not crack or bleed and her skin did not shrivel. Caroline laughed like a giddy school girl, full of joy and wonder as she watched her hand, perfectly fine and unmarred by the sun. It took her several more minutes before she had gathered enough courage to step out into the sun herself but when she did, she could hardly believe how wonderful it felt.

She pulled back her hood and turned her face to the sky. She closed her eyes and allowed the warmth of the sun to kiss her cold skin. Never had she stood in direct sunlight so exposed and unprotected. Never had she allowed the sun to touch her fair skin. It was amazing, so warm and comforting, not cool and dull as the night was. If a heaven existed, she was in it.

"Go towards the Matatowan mountains." Agren said, pulling Caroline out of her thoughts. She was so focused on the warmth of the sun that she very nearly forgot that she was in hiding and fear for her life.

"Hide in the abandoned monastery. There, we will find you at nightfall and guide you to safety."

"Why wait?" Caroline asked, marveling at the idea of roaming freely under the warmth of day. "We can go now."

Agren narrowed her eyes and hissed. "With an entire army at your doorstep? With soldiers searching these very woods? Think, girl! You're more likely to be seen during the day and they will be searching the Kingdom for you. They expect to you to be nearby, hidden within the shadows. They won't expect to find you in the mountains. When night falls, you will take the ogre pass through the mountains and into Lynford. It's the safest route and far from any Elven encampments."

Caroline sighed. "Alright." What the old woman said made sense and Caroline was inclined to listen to her for once. There was now a small glimmer of hope for Caroline in her otherwise bleak future. If she could make it safely out of Basmorte she could go anywhere.

As Agren instructed, Caroline left the confines of the cave and began the trek toward the mountains and the old monastery. The journey would take hours on foot, if one were human. A vampire could move twice as fast though and make the trip in half the time. As the hours passed however, Caroline began to feel a strange sensation overcome her. She began to grow weary and her legs were weak with fatigue. She struggled just to continue walking at a snails pace. Each step became harder than the last and she soon found herself stopping to rest.

She blamed the fatigue on her lack of sleep. Most Vampire's rested during the day and the sun was known to be draining. The sharp stings of sunlight no longer effected her but her time in the sun had certainly tapped her energy. Or, maybe she was weak with hunger. She remembered that she had not fed since before going to the stands to witness Rowan's execution. The execution that never took place. She had been so upset over the situation that she had simply forgotten to feed. That had to be it. She needed blood and sleep. Unfortunately, she was too weak and tired to hunt. That would have to wait until after she'd had a good sleep and replenished most of her strength.

She was close to the monastery anyway. She could rest there and at nightfall hunt. Maybe another hour and she would reach her destination. She just had to keep going. After allowing herself another ten minutes or so to rest, she pushed herself to her feet and began walking again. The farther she walked, the slower she moved. Her legs felt like jelly and her back ached terribly. Her feet pained her as well and soon she felt as though she were walking on hot coals. The monastery came into view right about the time that Caroline was going to give in and take a nap right on the forest floor.

She leaned against a tree, resting her head against the hard bark of the trunk. It was coarser than she'd remembered but she quickly forced the thought out of her mind. Seeing her destination before her now gave her renewed strength.

"Finally." She panted, a weary smile settling on her parched lips. Taking in a deep breath, she mustered what strength she had left and pushed on, arriving at the monastery some fifteen minutes later. Heaving and panting, out of breath, she managed somehow to push the heavy oak door open just enough for her to squeeze through. As soon as she was inside, Caroline fell to her knees, weeping. She had made it! Somehow, she had made it, and she collapsed on the floor next to the door.

Back in the forest, Agren had watched as Caroline walked off in the direction of the mountains. She watched until Caroline was completely gone from sight. Above Agren, perched on the low hanging branch of a tree, a raven cawed. Agren looked up at the majestic bird and frowned.

"We've done as you've instructed, Mother. The Queen waits in the monastery. Rowan will find her there, as foretold. The would be Queen is now as vulnerable as any human."

The raven cawed once more in acknowledgment. It's wings stretched and fluttered and then it took flight, disappearing into the shadows of the trees above. Agren too melted into the shadows, her work done. Now, it was up to fate.

5. World's Apart

Rowan stood, taking in the beauty of the meadow he now found himself in. He wasn't sure how or why he was there or even where there was. Moments earlier he had been in the gate yard of Basmorte, speaking with Lady Morrigu. He recalled the flash of blinding light and then he was gone, transported to this serene and sunlit meadow. Dazed by what had happened, he had to wonder, was he dead? Had that blinding light inadvertently killed him? Was this heaven?

It must be. There was no other explanation that he could think of. Surrounded by ethereal beauty, he stood bewildered, his heart pounding with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. This was not what he'd expected the afterlife to be like, though his teachings were of the Vampire God Sheul and Sheowan, the dark and frightening afterlife promised to all of the undead. This place though, this was something else. The air was alive with an otherworldly energy. A gentle breeze carried the fragrance of flowers in full bloom and the sun above shone brighter than it ever had in Basmorte.

All around him stood figures dressed in silver and gold robes that glowed as brightly as the sun that shone down on them. Their graceful movements were akin to a dance choreographed by the very wind itself. Among them, a familiar silhouette emerged, one that sent waves of emotions cascading through Rowan's very being.

"Mother?" He uttered, his voice carrying a mixture of wonder and confusion.

Ellarian walked toward him, her form illuminated by a gentle glow that seemed to emanate from within. She stood before him, as radiant as ever. Her eyes, the same mesmerizing shade of emerald green as his own, shone with love and pride upon seeing her son, not in a dream, but in the flesh, mere feet from where she stood.

"Rowan." She spoke, her voice resonating like the sweetest melody. "My dear child, seeing you here now fills me with such joy."

Tears welled up in Rowan's eyes as he stepped forward, hardly daring to believe what his senses were telling him. She was real and close enough to reach out and touch. It was more than he could have ever hoped for.

"Mother." He whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. Before he even knew what he was doing, he had rushed forward, throwing his arms around her as he pulled her into a tight embrace. Ellarian wrapped her arms around Rowan, returning the hug and the two just held each other, each crying tears of joy for the long overdue reunion.

Too soon Ellarian pulled back and looked her son over. Her smile lit up her face and she reached out, cupping his cheek with a tenderness that only a mother could show. Rowan wiped at his tears then touched her hand with his as he smiled back at her. Memories of his childhood came flooding back as he recalled just how calm and loving her touch had been. With just one, simple, touch, she could chase away all of his fears, making him feel safe and secure. It was a touch he never thought he would ever feel again. At least, not in the waking world. But, this wasn't his world and he still had no idea how he had gotten there. One question though hung in the air between them and he had to ask.

"Am I dead?"

Ellarian smiled warmly as she shook her head. "No, my child. You are not dead."

Rowan looked at her, confused. "Then where am I? What is this place?"

"You are in Annwn." She told him. "A realm that exists beyond mortal understanding. In this place, time flows differently. Peace and tranquility reign eternally. It is where the Tuatha escaped to when we left your world."

"But, if this is Annwn, the land of the Tuatha, how..." Rowan furrowed his brow as he searched for the right words. "Why am I here? How did I get here? A moment ago, I was in Basmorte."

Ellarian sighed. "Morrigu's power brought you here." She explained. "It was something she had not anticipated happening at the time. Your natural Shee powers tried to protect you from the power that sent the Lycans away and incapacitated the Vampires. The combination of her power and yours opened a rift between worlds and you were sent here as a result."

"How could she not know that this would happen?"

"My child, we had no idea that you were so powerful. We should have, given who and what you are, but it's just not something that we foresaw."

"Because I'm part Vampire?"

"Because you are the child prophesized about long ago. The child destined to end the suffering of the Fae and bring peace back to the realms. I have known all my life that such a child would one day be born. I just never realized that I would be the mother of that child."

Rowan frowned. "I still don't understand all this talk of destiny and fate. There is absolutely nothing special about me. This power you say that I have, I don't know how to harness it. My coming here was a fluke, a mistake. I'm not the powerful being that you think I am. I'm...I'm just an omega."

"Oh, my child. You are so much more than that. You give yourself so little credit, but come, let us talk awhile. It's been far too long since we've just sat and talked."

Rowan nodded, following Ellarian to a small garden of radiant flowers. She sat down on a bed of soft grass and wild flowers, beckoning Rowan to sit beside her. She looked to her son, her eyes shimmering with ancient wisdom, met Rowan's own, curious gaze.

"I've been watching you." She told him. "All your life I have watched over you, guiding you when I could and protecting you when I must. I can see that you have grown into a remarkable man, Rowan, and I am so incredibly proud of you and of the strength and kindness that you possess."

Rowan blushed some. "I hope that you do not watch me too closely." He said, a bit flustered.

Ellarian laughed. "I only see what I need to see. Rest assured, the private moments you spend with your husband are yours and yours alone."

Rowan breathed a breath of relief. There were moments in his life that not even a mother should be privy to, and he didn't want to think of his own mother seeing him during his most intimate moments.

Rowan's eyes glossed over with tears when he thought of the years he had spent in Basmorte. The horrors that his mother must have seen. But then, she herself had fallen victim to Desmond's cruelty as well. If anyone understood just what Rowan had gone through, it would be her.