Author’s note: Well, hiya! Glad to see you’re enjoying this… which I assume you are if you are still reading. Have fun with this second part!
Aria tripped over her feet and landed face first on the ground. Caitlin chuckled and smirked evilly.
“Good thing it didn’t rain today,” she snickered.
“Ow! Can’t we stop? My feet are killing me,” whined Aria. Anne, Anna and Marina rolled their eyes.
“You asked that two minutes ago!” snapped Anne.
“But I hate walking! Why can’t we buy horses or something?” yelled Aria.
“If you have that kind of money than go ahead,” muttered Anne. Caitlin muttered something about over privileged children under her breath and stalked off into the woods. Marina’s eyes widened. She began to follow Caitlin but was stopped by Cassandra.
“Leave her alone for now. She’s just annoyed,” she said.
“If Caitlin is anything like you when she’s annoyed than I’ll gladly keep my distance,” muttered Marina. As Anne and Aria squabbled in the background, Cassandra’s eyes began to light up. A quiet chuckled escaped her lips. The entire group stopped dead at the sound. A quiet, cheerful and uncontrolled laughter rang across the clearing. Aria, still whining, mumbled something and stood up from the ground. Anne just stared blankly at Cassandra.
“Should we run?” she asked. Marian shrugged, also staring.
“Good question,” she muttered.
Caitlin smiled when she heard Cassandra’s laughter in the distance. She hasn’t laughed since Colin died, she thought. She was sitting beside a green-brown bush covered with small blood-red berries. Beside her was a pile of the same fruits. I should bring these back to the group, she thought. With the bread we still have from Anna’s village, it’ll make a good lunch She picked up one of the fruits and looked at it. They’re pretty ripe. She popped one into her mouth.
Caitlin stood, wrapping the berries in her handkerchief. She shivered. When did it get so cold? she thought. She started walking towards the clearing where she’d left the rest of the group. Her vision began to blur and she swayed on her feet, her ears ringing and her hands dropping the berries to the ground. What’s wrong with me? Am I sick? She stumbled and fell to the ground. As her vision completely clouded over, she dimly saw a dark shape moving in the bushes. As the figure came closer, Caitlin finally lost consciousness, tumbling into an endless sea of darkness.
The winged being grinned, his sharp teeth glinting in the dim light. Lord Regent would reward him well for bringing him one of the rebels. It was strange though; the girl should have lost consciousness immediately. Trahern smirked as he gathered the small woman into his arms. A drop of blood ran down her arm where a small thorn poked out of the skin. The pale skinned demon pulled the bloody spike out of Caitlin’s skin and dropped in on the forest floor. Without a word, he carried her off into the shadows of the forest.
Cassandra fidgeted restlessly. Caitlin was never gone this long, even when she was extremely angry. This time around she had barley been annoyed.
“I’m going to look for Caitlin. You stay here,” she said, standing up suddenly. Marina also jumped up.
“I’ll go too,” she said.
“No, she’s my sister. I’ll go alone,” said Cassandra.
“Caitlin might be hurt. I can heal and you can’t. I’m coming,” stated Marina stubbornly.
“Fine, just don’t get in my way,” Cassandra told the life guardian, stalking off into the woods. Marina followed her closely. Anne sighed.
“I’d bet a copper or two that something happened to Caitlin, but I don’t have any money,” she muttered. Cassandra and Marina returned a few minutes later, both betraying distinct emotions. Cassandra, usually calm and quiet, was shaking with suppressed fury while Marina looked severely concerned.
“What happened?” asked Anna.
“Caitlin’s been kidnapped,” muttered Cassandra, holding out an inch long thorn covered in near dry blood. She tossed the thorn to the ground in an act of total frustration.
“Shouldn’t we go after her?” asked Anne.
“Ya, she could be in trouble,” said Aria.
“She IS in trouble moron!” snapped Cassandra. “I’m going after her.” Marina’s eyes widened.
“You can’t go alone, I’ll go too,” she said, mentally smacking herself. Why did she say that? She wasn’t worried about Cassandra, was she?
“If Marina goes so do I,” stated Anne. The guardian of darkness glared defiantly at Death’s mistress.
“Fine,” said Cassandra. Anna frowned.
“What about us?” she asked. Cassandra tossed her the bundle of gems.
“Find the rest of the guardians. We can’t look for Caitlin and search at the same time. Once you find them, this should lead you to us,” she said, holding out her own blood-red gem.
“Don’t you need that?” asked Aria.
“I don’t think so,” said Cassandra. Anna nodded.
“The we’ll split up. Be careful,” she said, not showing one hint of worry.
“You too.”
“Wait Heather,” shouted Liesl. Heather looked at her small friend.
“What?” she asked.
“Our destination has weakened. Maybe we should go somewhere else,” said Liesl.
“It won’t make a difference. We might as well keep pressing east until we find something,” said Heather. Liesl sighed.
“Alright.”
Trahern carried Caitlin into a large anteroom. It was dark inside and damp, and surprisingly cold. The only source of light was a torch at the far end.
“What brings you here Trahern?” asked a dark, cold voice. Trahern shivered, feeling a breath of warm air on his neck.
“I’ve found one of the women,” he said, failing to hide the fear in his voice. A sharp claw lightly brushed his shoulder.
“A woman? What need have I of a pathetic human woman?” asked the voice. Trahern shifted Caitlin’s weight in his arms, the hand still wandering lightly across his shoulders and back.
“This is one of the celestial descendants, sire. I haven’t discerned which but she was traveling with their group,” he replied. He could almost feel Lord Regent behind him.
“Then you’ve done well Trahern. You may ask of me one request. Do not think to anger me with your choice,” spoke Regent, his voice stern. Trahern gazed at Caitlin’s pale unconscious face carefully. He sighed.
“I’d like the honor of being this woman’s keeper. Second to you of course,” he said.
“I will grant you your wish, but don’t think to betray me. Don’t forget what I can do to you,” said Regent.
“My life is in your hands sire,” said Trahern.
“Yes it is, don’t forget that. Take the girl to one of the guardrooms and inform me when she awakes. I wish to meet her later,” Regent’s cold, snake-like voice sounded.
“Yes sir.” Regent ran his clawed hand threw Caitlin’s dark hair. A red-gold highlighted curl snaked along his palm as Trahern turned to leave.
“Don’t forget Trahern, if she escapes you forfeit your life.”
Marina sighed heavily.
“So where are we supposed to look anyway. We have no idea where Caitlin is or who took her,” she muttered. Cassandra shot her a harsh glare.
“If we find our enemy we’ll find my sister,” she snapped.
“Then where’s our enemy?” asked Anne. “Obviously we can’t do anything until we know what we’re up against.”
“Our first priority should be to find our enemy and any information we can gather about him. Then we should make a plan of action,” stated Marina.
“And while we’re doing that there’s no telling what is happening to Caitlin,” snapped Cassandra.
“So you’re just going to run around until you find her? That can and will take even longer. If you want your sister back then we need some kind of strategy,” Marina told her. Cassandra shot a cold glare at the life guardian but kept her mouth shut.
“Why don’t we stop fighting and move on. We’re not going to find anything by standing here,” said Anne. Marina nodded.
“Let’s go. We don’t need a reckless, idiotic bringer of death to help us,” she said. Cassandra flinched. She clenched her fist.
“If that’s what you think of me…” She turned and ran off into the forest. Anne frowned.
“We should go after her. We can’t afford to loose more of us,” she said.
“We don’t need her, let her go,” said Marina. Anne noticed the half hidden worry in her twin’s eyes.
“You don’t really believe that do you?” she asked. Marina shook her head eyes clenched shut. “I’ll go find her. You wait here.”
“No need,” said Cassandra quietly from behind them. “It’s pointless for me to try and find Caitlin on my own. I’m willing to put our differences aside for now until we find her.”
“Then let’s get going.”
Anna and Arian trudged down the dirt road heading west. It was getting late, evident in the darkening of the already dark sky, and Anna wanted to find a camping spot, mainly to quiet Aria’s incessant whining.
“Anna, can’t we stop yet?” whined Aria. Anna glanced over her shoulder at the blond woman.
“No, now stop whining or we’ll never find a place to stop,” she snapped. Aria clamped her mouth shut. “Much better,” muttered Anna. Ahead of them she could see a small clearing near a rippling stream.
Caitlin came to in a small, darkened room. The only furnishings in the room were a small table, an unlit lamp and the cot she was laying on. Caitlin pushed herself up, holding her forehead. She blinked spots clear of her vision as she looked around the darkness.
“Where am I?” she asked the walls.
“So you’re awake,” spoke a hauntingly cold but almost musical voice. The lamp in the corner flared to life revealing a tall, pale skinned creature. Caitlin hurriedly backed up against the wall, trying to keep as much distance as possible between her and the demon. Blue-gray eyes glared out at sharper, more brilliant sapphire ones. “Don’t be frightened little one,” said the demon, stepping forward. “I won’t hurt you.” Caitlin flinched and squeezed her eyes shut as midnight claws caressed her face. “Lord Regent wants to see you. You’ll have to follow me,” the demon told her. Caitlin shivered involuntarily.
“Who are you?” she asked. The demon smiled slightly, showing pointed teeth.
“Call me Trahern,” he said. Caitlin nodded and followed him out of the room. The hall was dark and forbidding, with no torches or lights to show the way. Only her fear of the demon in front of her stopped her from calling up a light spell to guide her way. Caitlin was slightly confused as she watched the creature more closely. Most demons she’d seen were dark skinned or pale with some hint of black. None had the pure ivory skin that Trahern displayed. Instead of being tattered and ripped, his wings were sleek, black and whole. Midnight hair ran down the demons back to mid-spine and tied at his neck to keep it out of the way.
Trahern turned to Caitlin, blue eyes flashing as he touched a scarlet veined ebony door. He smiled pityingly.
“Be careful when you meet with Lord Regent. Don’t forget that he holds your life in his hands,” he said. Caitlin nodded silently. The door swung open slowly.
“Trahern, bring the girl in,” spoke a colder, deeper voice. Caitlin shivered at the cold darkness that seemed to seep into her bones. On an ebony throne at the other end of the room sat the most frightening creature she’d ever seen. The demon stood, tattered wings stretching out behind him and scarlet and blue eyes boring into her soul. Regent smirked as he walked up to the woman. She was frightened, he could feel it, but not terrified. The woman watched him closely, shivering from the cold emptiness that permeated the room. Caitlin flinched as Regent’s scarlet claws caressed her face and hair.
“A pretty one aren’t you,” Regent hissed. “I’ve been told that you are one of the women who’ve chosen to oppose me lately. Do you deny it?” Caitlin raised her head, a challenging look in her eyes.
“No I don’t,” she said.
“Defiant aren’t we. Prove your power than. Transform,” Regent encouraged, circling around her.
“You don’t want me to do that,” Caitlin replied. Regent stopped.
“I can kill you in an instant girl. Don’t think to challenge me,” he said coldly. He ran a clawed finger down her spine. “You’ll do as I say if you want to survive.” Caitlin shivered. “You see girl, you don’t have the courage or the strength to defy me.” Another razor sharp claw pressed against her neck. “Now transform.” Caitlin squeezed her eyes shut as the claw pressed harder against her throat.
What should I do? she thought. If I transform I’ll loose the one surprise I have. He’ll probably kill me even if I do. Regent smirked, watching his captive fight with herself.
Yes, uncertainty, fear, all those emotions that make your race so weak. Let me feed off your fear child. Let me into your heart. The darkness around them compressed and Caitlin fought to breathe. I won’t give up! I have to survive for the people I care about, and for my own soul. I won’t let this demon control me!
Bright light flashed through the room, penetrating the suffocating darkness. Regent covered his eyes and glared, scarlet eyes furious. While demons could survive light, unlike their vampire cousins, they still hated it with a passion. The light faded almost as suddenly as it had arrived and Caitlin slumped to the floor, her guardian robe fluttering around her and her wings curling around her small, almost frail body. Regent’s glare became a smirk.
“It seems Trahern, that you’ve managed to capture one of our greatest threats,” he said.
“Sir?” asked Trahern, oddly unaffected by the sudden light.
“This girl you’ve brought me controls the element light and as you know, light is somewhat dangerous to demons and vampires, especially in the pure form she controls. With the child of light under our control, the war of the prophecy is in our favor. The girl must never be allowed to rejoin her friends,” Regent replied.
“Ah, may I bring her back now?” Trahern asked. Regent nodded.
“Some of the poison from that dart is still in her blood. I don’t want her dying just yet. Take care of it,” he said. Trahern nodded and lifted the unconscious light guardian off the floor and turned to leave. (The number of times I’ve knocked myself out is starting to get pathetic.) ,p>Regent watched him go without a word. Having the child of light in his fortress was both a danger and an asset. He knew that light was death’s twin sister and that could possibly cause a problem. Assuming of course that the Mistress of Death had figured out how to walk the realms of the dead by now. If not, the Guardian of Light would remain in his hands for a while. He might as well take advantage of it.
The stream looked amazingly peaceful as Anna and Aria approached it. A great weeping willow hung over the water, dropping its falling leaves into the clear stream. Aria leaned down and touched the water, giggling at the little fish in the stream. A giant wave of water emptied itself on her head.
“Hey! What was that?” she yelled. Anna rolled on the ground in an uncontrollable fit of laughter until a second wave was dumped over her head. She sat up glaring and steaming slightly.
“What the hell did we do to deserve this?” she ranted.
“You’re trespassing,” spoke a voice from the trees.
“I don’t see any signs!” yelled Anna. This time the water about to be dumped on the fuming fire guardian evaporated before it touched her. A young woman, about her height and age, stepped out of the trees looking confused.
“You control fire?” she asked. Anna raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, what’s it to you?” she asked.
“I thought you were demons,” stated the woman, brushing her long pale brown hair over her shoulder and sitting down on a rock. A yelp from behind Anna startled the two. Aria lay sprawled on the ground, the bundle of crystals spilled before her. Anna let out a loud sigh as the other woman laughed. The woman stood up and knelt to help pick up the fallen crystals. She picked up the sapphire one and looked at it carefully.
“What are these?” she asked. Anna looked up, the other two crystals in her hands. Her eyes widened. The sapphire crystal in the woman’s hand was glowing brightly.
“What’s your name?” asked Anna.
“It’s Abby, why?” asked the light haired woman.
“That crystal is yours now. It’s accepted you,” said Aria. Abby raised an eyebrow.
“What is it like magic or something?” she asked.
“Kinda, but for now, do you want to come with us?” asked Anna.
“Why?” Anna quickly explained to her about what had happened in the past week. By the end of it, Abby was looking amazingly skeptical.
“Abby! Abby where are you?” called a young male voice.
“Just a minute Alex!” Abby yelled back. She turned to Anna and Aria. “It’s my little brother. You might as well come with me. It’s not like you have anywhere else to go.”
“Thanks,” said Anna.
A small town loomed before Liesl and Heather.
“Looks like we get to sleep under a rood tonight,” said Heather. Liesl nodded.
“Thank god! I’m still soaked from the storm last night!” They made their way into the town, wandering down the streets searching for an inn. A small, well lit building at the end of the street looking inviting. The two women wandered inside the quiet place.
“Hello there,” spoke a cheerful male voice. Behind the bar counter stood a raven-haired young man, blue eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Joe, father needs more help in back!” yelled a second voice. A chestnut haired head poked threw the doorway.
“Just a minute Jason, we have customers,” said the man named Joe. Jason looked the women over.
“Oh, hello,” he said.
“Hello,” muttered Liesl, watching the two young men, Joe inparticular. Heather sighed.
“We need a place to stay the night but we don’t have any money on us. Do you think we can work to pay for it?” she asked. Joe looked the two over, eyes resting on Liesl for a little longer than necessary.
“We’ll have to ask our father. He owns the inn. I don’t think he’ll mind to much,” he replied. The women followed the brothers into the back of the building where a gruff looking older man stood by a broken fence. He looked up questioningly when he saw the two women.
“What da ya want?” he asked, voice as gruff as his appearance.
“These two are looking for a room for the night. They were wondering if they could work to pay for it,” said Jason.
“No money eh? Well as long as this fence gets fixed before the overlord comes I don’t care. Help with what ya like,” said the inn owner. Heather grinned and lifted a hammer from the ground where Jason had left it earlier.
“I’ll help out here,” she said. Joe nodded.
“I still have to clean the common room. How about you help me,” he asked Liesl. “What’s your name anyway?”
“I’m Liesl and this is Heather,” said Liesl. She followed Joe back into the inn. Heather’s grin widened.
“Now how exactly do we fix this thing?”
Caitlin tossed and turned in her sleep. She’d been like that ever since Trahern had given her the antidote to the poison still in her system. A shriek tearing through the darkness made him jump.
Trahern walked over to the cot. She was still asleep, and shaking badly. Trahern frowned. By now she should have been fine. Any other human would have recovered almost instantly. Trahern brushed as stray strand of dark hair out of the woman’s pale, cold face. She is pretty, he thought. He mentally smacked himself. What am I thinking? She’s the enemy!
Trahern frowned as he gazed at Caitlin’s pained face and shook his head, trying to clear it. He’d been feeling strange ever since he’d seen Caitlin’s little stunt against Regent. Most women would have been instantly killed for what she did, he thought. So what does Regent see in her that would make him spare her life? I wonder what her name is.
Another shriek snapped the young demon out of his thoughts. Caitlin was tossing more violently now. Trahern reached out and held her shoulders down to the cot, trying to still her but she just shook more violently. He finally gave in and gathered the young woman tightly against his chest.
He watched the girl in his arms carefully, waiting for her to calm down. I didn’t realize how small she is. This thought brought a strange but oddly not unwanted feeling of protectiveness welling up inside of him. He again tried to clear his head. What’s wrong with me. I’m a demon; she’d a human. No human, especially one like her could ever fall for something like me. Caitlin’s shaking stilled and her body sagged in Trahern’s arms.
“Colin,” she whispered. Trahern blinked, surprised. Was she having a nightmare? Maybe it wasn’t the antidote after all, he thought. He laid Caitlin back on the cot, tucking a thin blanket around her. He smiled fondly, his demonic fangs less evident than before. Even if I know she’ll never love me back, I can still protect her. Even if it means betraying Regent.
In another part of the complex, Regent chuckled, watching Trahern through the dark pool before his throne. The little white star was hovering in the center, now orbited by a pale green star. On the side of the pool, the golden star of wind and the deep amber of earth hovered together, wind’s star now orbited by a pale gray star. Off to the side of the three was another pale, human star, this one a reddish-violet.
Regent frowned, turning his gaze to another set of stars. Two of the three, one emerald and one blood red, circled each other in an intricate dance as the black star of Darkness hovered near by. Life and Death, both were formidable foes, but with Darkness helping them the three became almost unstoppable.
Regent turned his eyes back to the white star. He smirked. Trahern, no one, not even you, especially not you, can save that child from me.
Author’s note: Hehehe… well, now you’ve finally met one of my favorite created villains. Hope you’re still enjoying!
-Cat