Dark Inheritance
“What do poppies represent?” I asked while
setting a small box next to the dark brown teenager sitting at a small desk.
“Remembrance.”
“Good, so should it be added to the potion
to renew a couple’s love?” I loved the watching the gears working in my
apprentices head. For a fifteen year old, she was disciplined.
“Yes, to help someone remember why he or
she fell in love.”
“Very good. I have something for you. Open
the box.” She opened the wooden box and pulled out a silver chained necklace
with a ruby rose bud in the center of a silver circle.
“To wear at Beltane. You’re still too
young, to pick a lover for the night, even for a Fae. Otherwise, you don’t go,
understood.”
“Yes, Lady Rowan.” She was feigning
respect. Most adults, Fae or human wouldn't notice, she was that good, but she
wasn't the first teenage apprentice I had.
“It’s enchanted. Once you put it on, only
I can take it off. Oh, and trying to switch it won’t work either. The
enchantment has a fail-safe worked into it.” She glared at me, then decided to
ignore me and began to prepare the potion for renewing love’s flame.
“Be grateful that you don’t have to deal
with my mother.” The door bell chimed. Someone had entered the store. I left
Amber to her studies and exited the store’s backroom.
The customer was a familiar face, and a
good friend.
“Jack, what can I do for you?”
“A favor for a human friend.”
“Kim, could you keep an eye on the front
for me?” A curly haired head peeked around the side of a bookcase.
“Sure. I’ll get you if I need to.”
“Thanks. Let’s head to my office.” I
pointed Jack to the hallway on his left.
Jack sat in the cushioned chair in front
of my desk. I sat on top of the desk. He was friend, not a client. I had two
types of people that frequented my store. Customers which could be human and/or
Fae, and then clients which were usually Fae, that needed certain potions, or
items that weren't common market items in the human world.
“Am I going to regret this?” Jack and
trouble had a tendency to go hand in hand.
“No guarantee. Still want to hear me out?”
I simply nodded my head in reply.
“Erin and her husband have tried for years
to have a child. They have seen all the specialists, tried everything possible,
both have been cleared as completely capable of having children. No one can
figure out why. She’s an O’Grady.”
“Of the O’Grady’s.”
“Yes.”
The O’Grady’s were one of several human
families that had stood by and protected the Fae, even going to war with
them. The tale of the Banshee and
certain families was true. Banshees did foretell of the death of those family
members.
“OK, so what’s the catch?” Jack knew
several others, who could help him, and yet he chose me, and I was betting it
had something to do with my family connections.
“She inherited the family curse.” My
eyebrows shot up.
“One that prevents her from having
children.”
“Exactly. It only affects one boy or girl
born every generation. Erin just got the luck of the draw.”
“Her chances of conceiving increase if I
can properly break the curse. Jack, I have a two week timetable before Beltane,
the best time for me to do a fertility spell.”
“I know. I've been doing some
investigating of my own, and I found something.” He handed me a red cloth that
was covering something heavy.
“It’s a brass representation of the
Herculean knot.” A Roman or Grecian
bride’s father tied the knot in her tunic, and her husband was supposed to
untie the knot on their wedding night.
“From what Erin told me, the knot was a
wedding gift to one of her Great-great, generations back aunt, who had betrayed
her husband to be. He discovered she was pregnant soon after they wed, too far
along to be his child. He had Fae connections and decided not to directly
punish the child for his or her mother’s sins, so the curse chooses one from
the family bloodline to be childless.”
“I’ll help but she owes me three favors,
and you owe me.” Jack smiled. He always owed me, and was good at returning
favors when I needed, no questions asked.
“I’ll keep you updated. Can I keep the
knot?”
“I’ll let Erin know you have it. Good
luck. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Oh, and Amber will need
an escort to Beltane.”
“You devilish hawk shifter.” Jack Frost
was one of the few Fae who could resist a Siren, especially one just starting
to blossom into her abilities. Jack is an Ice Elemental Elf. I’m sure heart of
ice rings a bell. Jack could keep his emotions cold as ice, when he wants to,
making him immune to a Siren’s influence.
“Fine. I’ll escort her.”
“She’s in the back studying.” Jack tilted
his head and headed in the back to tell Amber the good news. I headed upstairs
to my apartment to change clothes. Where I was going, human apparel was
inappropriate. I could Amber and Jack arguing through the air vents.
“The enchanted necklace is one thing, but
I do not need an escort!” I couldn't help but smile. Amber could be a handful
when she wanted.
“Rowan thinks otherwise. You’re at a
vulnerable age for a Siren, and she wants to make sure you’re on your best
behavior.”
“I’m considered an adult.”
“Old enough to attend Beltane does not
make you an independent adult.” I could visualize Amber’s cold stone stare.
“I can’t take a lover. I can’t dance naked
around the bonfire. You suck the fun out of everything.” The door slammed. Jack
hollered see you later, and headed out. Amber would accept my terms, technically
her mother’s terms. Beltane as well as Samhain are big events for the Fae. One
never forgets their first festival.
I hid all my Fae apparel in the back of my
closet. A few dresses, tunic style shirts with drawstrings on the front, a few
pants, and a couple of pairs of shoes and belts. Pants wouldn’t be proper. It
took a few minutes of internal debate before I would settle on a dress. This
occasion was much more important than a first date.
The dress I settled on was soft velvet
grey. Floor length until I put the matching lace up boots on. Long sleeved,
properly covered everything. No jewelry. My hair was simply pulled back in a
braid, and tied with a grey ribbon. Any makeup I wore was barely noticeable. I
took a deep breath, released it. I could do this. No one should be this afraid
of family, but I had a good reason.
It was time to visit my aunt. To Celtic
people she was known as The Morrigan. The goddess of death and fertility, her
name is Morrigan. To the Fae she is the Queen of Death. To my mother she is her
twin sister. To me she was the Aunt you respected, and maybe even feared a
teeny bit. But I loved her and she me.
In the corner of my room is an antiqued
looking mirror. That’s what I wanted people to see, a normal golden gilded
framed, floor length mirror. This looking glass could have been used by Alice,
but it didn’t lead to Wonderland.
A simple incantation and the mirrors
surface shimmered and rippled like a pond being hit by a breeze. I stepped
through. I pulled the cloak closer around me. The wind was cold, as usual for
this particular wood.
I looked around and took in the gnarled
trees. I shivered at the eerie howls in the distance, even though the
frightening creatures that made those howls wouldn’t dare touch a hair on my
head. Even though as a child, I had played in these woods, I still couldn’t
help feeling a bit afraid.
I followed the familiar misted path that
ended up at the strangely homely looking cottage. I quietly knocked on the
door, and a familiar male opened the door. At first glance, Tuck was a good
looking guy, in a soft, gentle sort of way, and for someone who had died at
birth. A spell and he became a Grim Reaper. One my Aunt’s most trusted Reapers.
“She’s expecting you.” I raised my
eyebrows.
“Eyes and ears everywhere.” Was Tuck’s response, to my unspoken
question. It did seem difficult to
surprise my Aunt. I followed Tuck out to the garden. Like my mother, Aunt
Morrigan is an Earth Elemental, and like me, we always feel at home working and
tending the garden.
“Princess Rowan to see you, my lady.” Tuck
quietly announced my presence, bowed respectfully, and left.
“An old friend told me you’d be coming.
You wish to see the Old Fate.” My
Aunt smiled. She and the Fate of the Future were close friends.
“She said an ancient favor would be
called in by my niece. I should grant her request. But first, tell me why you
need to see the Old Woman?” I told my Aunt everything, even showing her the
Herculean knot. Before I left, she handed the ring that would gain me entrance
to see The Old Woman and a vial of her blood that I would need to travel into
the past.
I used my Aunt’s portal mirror to take me
to the Old Woman, the Fate of the Past. She stayed in a hut in a nice looking,
friendly wood.
A kind old woman came out to greet me.
Looks can be deceiving, get her bad side, and she could literally be quite a
monster.
“Please come in. You have what will be
needed?” I handed her the vial of blood and a packet of different seeds.
“Good. I’ll need to add a few drops of
your blood to the vile.” She handed me a small knife. I pricked my finger,
added my blood and took a seat across from the Fate.
“I’ll need an object connected to the
past.” I handed her the Herculean knot. She added a few drops of her blood to
the vial and shook it up. Whispered a few words of incantation, and I then
drank the vial of blood.
I had never traveled in the past before.
It was like being aware you’re dreaming. At first things around me were in a
swirl of misty colors. Then things slowly came into focus. I was standing in
the woods. It was near Samhain. I could feel the Earth around me sleeping. The
leaves were falling from the trees in their red, yellow and orange colors. I
could almost feel the slight chill in the wind, and a leaf brush past my head.
It was just after sunset, and the moon had begun to rule the sky. I followed
the path, toward the grove, and that is when I saw him. In his hand was the
Herculean knot. He and a Druid had just left the altar where the curse was
invoked. Time travel isn’t an exact science even when magic is involved.
A few moments passed, and then I saw her.
She wasn't full Fae, but she definitely had a touch of Fae in her blood. For a
human she walked a little too gracefully. She was beautiful. Long light blond
hair and deep dark brown eyes. Sun touched skin, just enough color to balance
out her charming looks. She had gotten her hands on the Herculean Knot.
This is when things got interesting. No
one in this past trip should see me. Or interact with me. The woman looked up
and beckoned to me to come. What else could I do, I went up to her.
“My brother didn't understand. The Druid,
he’s my brother. I couldn't tell him, about my power. I could see future
glimpses, things to come. I saw a child, a girl. From the family line he would
curse. From her line, a halfing with a power that hasn't been seen for
centuries would come. I’ve waited a long time for this. I added a spell into
the Knot, in hopes of finding the one who could break the curse.”
“You think that’s me?” She smiled. She let
the feral look of her heritage come out. She had strong Fae in her ancestry.
“Your blood will allow you to take the
scroll from out of the Knot. It will take you to where I am. I’ll explain
everything then. You’re spell is fading.” Things were becoming blurry, and then
I was back in the cottage.
As soon as picked up the Knot off the
table the scroll fell out. I explained everything to the Elder Fate, and then
she sent me on my way.
I prefer travel by portal. Travel by spell
can be very disorientating and sometimes nausea inducing, depending on where
you’re headed. When I made it to my destination, I was lucky enough to have
someone there to break my fall.
“Gregory, take her to the chair.” I
familiar voice said. Gregory obviously was a Fae that couldn't look human. As I
stumbled along, doing my best to breathe and not vomit, I distinctly heard hoof
steps on the wood floor. As soon as I my butt hit the seat of the chair, I bent
my head down near my knees, shut my eyes and took several deep cleansing
breaths. The feeling of nausea lifted, and as I lifted my head back up, I
caught a glimpse of Gregory’s four hoofed legs in a lovely deep sorrel color, a
centaur.
“Drink this. It will help.” A familiar
voice said. A cup of mint tea was set
down next to me.
“I’m Rowena.” I sipped some of the tea.
“Rowan, it’s nice to meet you in the
flesh.” We shook hands, and following polite protocol I introduced myself to
Gregory.
“Answers sometimes need questions. May I
do a reading? Faster than you asking me.” Ah, she was clairvoyant. I put out my
hand; she took it in hers and closed her eyes. I smile spread across her face.
“It should be possible. The druid called
upon death magic for the curse, I twisted so it would leave the woman barren.
That was never his intent. Your blood is life, Earth Elemental, and death also
runs in your veins. Your mother isn't Queen Morrigan, but yet a trace of death
magic resides in your blood.”
“My mother is Morrigan’s twin. The spell
that altered my Aunt left a mark on my mother, due to their magical link. Like
Morrigan who still has a link to her Earth Elemental side, my mother got a link
to her death magic, and the link was passed to me.” It started making sense. A
Druid was always strong in Earth Elemental power, but a Dark Druid, would twist
that power and be able to use death magic, which would come at the price of
blood spilt, in this case, probably a pregnant animal of some sort. My Aunt
used pure death magic. It was her Element.
“From death comes life. A balance of
nature, fire being the balance of both, you’re like the fire, death and life in
one. I need the exact curse.” She handed me an old scroll. I knew what I needed
to break the curse, and lucky, for me Rowena, had an organic grocery store. One
element I would have to ask for but rarely given freely.
“Make me a list and I’ll gather what you
need.” Rowena said while handing me a pen and notebook. As Rowena went to
gather what I needed, I called Jack and gave him an update. Then I borrowed
Rowena’s calling mirror, and contacted a good friend of mine.
“Rose.”
“You need a favor. You never could cover
that tone of voice well.”
“Let me try again. Hello Rose. How are you
and Raven doing?” Rose smiled.
“Much better. We’re fine. Now was that so
hard?”
“No. Sometimes…”
“You get focused in your work but that’s
no excuse for lack of manners.”
“You sound just like my mother. Your
right. Sorry.”
“Apology accepted. How about a favor for a
favor?”
“Fair trade. Name it.”
“A fertility reading.” I only did three
during the Festival of Beltane and payment of some sort was required. The
reading determined if a child would be conceived with in the year, and when.
For a Fae, certain times of year could ensure a child who was stronger in
certain magic; have a better chance of inheriting certain gifts, or avoiding
certain genetic quirks.
“Done. I need you to ask Pyro for a small
vial of his blood.” Her eyes looked a lot bigger now.
“Why?” I explained everything to her.
“You could just ask him yourself.”
“He threatened to toast me like a
marshmallow and swallow me whole the last time we crossed paths.”
“It was misunderstanding. He did
apologize.” Oh, he did all right with the undertone of, hurt my Little Fire
Nymph in any way, and you won’t be around for another apology. I had good
reason to avoid the fire breathing dragon, even in his human form.
“Done. You’ll have it in time for
Beltane.” Rose said then we said goodbyes.
Beltane arrived and I entered the Sacred
Grove hours before the festivities would begin. I sat in the center of the
crossed Ley lines. I placed the knot on the small table I brought with me I
laid out the ingredients.
I placed the knot in a bowl filled with
water. I started to let the power of the Ley Lines flow through me. I tapped
into the Earth and pulled the elemental magic toward me. I grabbed a handful of
mixed flower petals.
“Apple Blossoms, Orange Blossoms, for
fertility and Lily and Day Lily for motherhood, Peony for healing. “I dropped
the petals into the bowl.
“Balance has been undone. Death has over
powered life. Fire cleanses all.” I opened and dropped the vial of dragon blood
in the bowl. I then picked up a small blade and cut my hand, letting three
drops of blood fall into the bowl.
“Life renewed, death now balanced.” The
knot broke apart into three pieces. I felt the death of the curse.
As an Earth Elemental, I resided over
Beltane, as “Mother Nature”, in a sense. I kept my word, and did the Fertility
reading for Rose. Her and her Phoenix husband, Raven would have a child, during
the Phoenix Rebirth Celebration. I did one extra reading for the O’Grady’s. The
curse was broken and in time, they would be parents to a set of twins, it would
still be a very long time before that special child would be born.
As for Amber and Jack, they survived
Beltane and didn't kill each other. It was at Beltane that Amber realized that
most young Sirens were forbidden to attend until they had control over their
powers. Most of her friends couldn't attend. Before the festival was over she
apologized for being a handful for Jack and she thanked Rowan for convincing
her mother she could attend safely, and also apologized for her behavior before
the festival. She did end up having a good time.
Want to
re-enter the world of The Fae. See what becomes of Rose, Raven, and their child
in Rise of the Phoenix.
No comments:
Post a Comment