Prisoner of Darkness

chapter 2 part 2

I rose to my feet, straightening myself up in the mirror, before heading to the library. She was already there looking out the window watching the full moon she had changed, which was good easier to travel in. A loose white shirt and navy slacks. She was stunning in dark colours and always suited her best, but it gave her away also as to what she is.

The clock struck midnight, and she turned to the door, her eyes fixed on me, her arms drew protectively around her, and tears welled in her eyes. I crossed the room and held her tight. ‘I thought you were dead,’ she cried.

‘I know, I know.’

‘Where were you?’ she cried further. ‘I will explain everything.’

Her body relaxed against me, and I guided her to the lounge. She dried her eyes and asked again.

‘What happened?’

It hurt to explain to her I never wanted to leave; I never wanted to hurt her, but by explaining it, she may just blame me, anyway. Normally I would thrive in an argument, but not her anyone but her.

‘You know I didn’t want to leave you Ari, you know this, right?’ She pulled her hand away from me, which only hurt me more.

‘Then why did you?’

‘You were in danger. I was told that needed to leave so the danger would pass, and you would be safe. I had every intention of returning once it had passed, but once it did, I found my way blocked, I couldn’t get withing 5 km of the islands, I was forced to stay away. I tried at every solstice to get to you, I tried to break that spell so many times, but it wasn’t anything I recognised.

‘A fortnight ago, I heard of your father's death I tried to get through then, but the barrier still there; I heard you were going to Terrin to live with your brothers. I brought passage hoping I could get to you the barrier was weaken it didn’t take much to break after that. So, I just had to wait until you were on board. Why didn’t you come when I called?’

I was with mother,’ I said she isn’t well she needs assistance to get around.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that.’

She was still in pain. I could see it in her eyes, and she asked again.

‘Why are you here?’ her voice broke.

‘To bring you home, Ari. Why else?’

She stood up.

‘I cannot.’ she paced ‘I thought you were dead Zavier I gave up on ever going home with you many years ago.’

I reached for her, ‘I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD.’ she yelled.

Realizing what she was saying, she had to decide after he left the decision that she did not equate him with it.

‘Ari what have you done?’

Footsteps ran in the hallway her eyes widened as her outburst came, I grabbed Ariana and pulled her into the window wrapping her in shadows and light using both our magic together the guard entered she looked horrified at being so out in the open, but the guard was oblivious to us looking at everywhere but at us he looked around but was shortly satisfied and left the room. I waited till I could no longer hear his footsteps before letting go of Ariana she fell to her knees. She had not even tried to reach for her own magic during that time, which was concerning, to say the least.

‘It's been a while since I've had to hide both of us. Your rusty.’

She swatted my hand away. ‘I did what you asked, “don’t do magic, don’t draw attention to yourself, stay safe.”’

The words sunk in. those were the last words I said to her before I left her all those years ago. ‘You haven't done magic in ten years?’ she nodded ‘Ari, I’m so sorry I should have tried harder.’

I spotted a jug of water above her head and thought of one of our first lessons; I poured a glass and held it in front of her.

‘Do you remember this?’ I asked. A smile curled her lips. I held the glass as she reached out with her Pinky and touched the glass. A ‘clink’ of the glass and a swirl pattern of ice formed on the glass, freezing the water solid in seconds.

‘See, you still have it,’

‘I can't leave,’ she said again.

I took a deep breath, not sure if I was ready to hear what had happened after I left, but I had to ask, ‘What happened after I left?’

‘I-I did what you asked, “No magic, to be as human as I could be, act like nothing was wrong.” When they left, I waited, I waited for so long for you to return you never did I went to mother to ask what happens when friends don’t come back, she told me sometimes they can’t, sometimes there are accidents, and they are killed and can't get back to the people they love, I though that’s what happened to you I waited for two years no sign not a word, another four I had convinced myself that you must have been captured or killed.

Six months ago, father got ill after travelling to Nicosia when he returned. His conditioned worsened a month ago. He died.’

‘Just after that, mother started getting sick the same as Father, Charles suggested coming to the mainland to seek medical treatment. But then the council stepped in. For my mother to receive treatment on the mainland. They wanted access to Coralline. My brothers agreed and to show they were hiding no secrets; Charles offered my hand in marriage to Lord William Cobalt.’

I put my head in my hands. ‘And you agreed?’

‘I had already lost you and father. I'm not about to lose mother not yet.’

‘We need to leave.’ I announced, straightened myself. I went to grab her hand. ‘No,’ she pulled back inside.

‘It is too dangerous to stay Ari, you get of this ship you are walking into a trap right into the Cobalt Manor the councils' hands.’ This was far too dangerous to risk her life on.

‘What choice do I have? My mother is, sick, maybe dying I need to try to save her,’ wait,’ she froze before looking at me intently?

‘Can you heal her?’ She looked at me desperately. Yes, no, a million thoughts ran through his head. Could I lie, could do a partial healing, and tell her he did it or would she check?

‘If I heal her, you will leave with me tonight!’ she nodded. ‘Take me to her.’

We made our way back to her mother's room, avoiding the guards she let me in first. I quickly studied her Tarquin disease I recognized the scent, but this was so far away from the original disease site. How? I had to ask Ariana.

‘What did your father die from?’

‘Tarquin disease,’ she responded. I bite my lip in frustration before I settled in next to her mother holding her hand. I closed my eyes and entered her mind. She was dreaming of her husband and boys playing in the garden before Ariana. Her boys were young while she. She and Ari were not genetically related, she still thought of Ariana as her own. I could tell from her rubbing her round stomach. Dreams were strange things in humans you could never quite tell of their interpretation. I enter this one as a trusted friend of hers one she was willing to tell everything to.

‘Elizabeth,’ I smiled. ‘How are you, my dear?’ she smiled before it faulted.

‘You have no need to hide my Lord. I know you have come for my daughter.’ she rubbed her belly anxiously. The disguise did not always work in her mother’s case. She was trained to see through them. No doubt Alastair had trained her.

‘Yes, I have. She wants me to heal you, is that what you want?’ I asked.

‘You must forgive Anna my Lord while she is young, I am old. I have lived my life. I am ready to spend eternity with my husband.’

‘Are you sure my lady?’

‘While I am scared at the end, I know I will be with my love. At the end that is all I can hope for.’ I nodded.

‘I will make sure that you are reunited with your love at the end, my lady.’

‘No,’ she said. ‘Anna, please allow Anna to be the one to take me. I have so much to say to her which I cannot tell her yet.’

‘I will, my lady.’

I put her hand down, absorbing the information that had just occurred, before turning to Ariana. I nodded for her to follow me; we went back to the library before I spoke.

‘I can't heal your mother,’ I said.

‘Why?’ she asked, annoyed.

‘She doesn’t want to live,’

‘What? No, she wants to live. She has grandchildren she still must live for. She cannot give up yet.’ She went to push past him, but I held her in place.

‘Ari listens to me; your mother's disease is much more advanced than you believe it to be. Tarquin disease is fast working and aggressive. Even if she let me treat her it may not be enough to keep her. Alive, your mother wants to be with you. father keeping her alive at this point is cruel.’

‘No, If I can convince her to live, Ari. could you treat her?’ she asked.

‘Ari,’ I shook my head. ‘Could you treat her?’ she asked.

‘To what point and purpose? You are only prolonging her to suffer. I cannot guarantee that the disease will not return. It is aggressive and destructive. I have healed a few from this disease and fewer still make full recovery.’

She sank against me spending in so much of her own turmoil. I stroked her face in comfort for who I am not sure.

'We can leave your mother with your brothers. She will have a good few months before her death spending, it with loved ones.’

She was quiet for several minutes before speaking again.

‘If I fail to get off this ship, the council will seek reparations for failing to the agreement.’

I stood pacing the room before resting on the fireplace. There had to be another way, something that made this easier for her to understand. Her mother might not remember the dream in the morning, it depends whole on her mother's condition tomorrow morning. I felt her hands tracing up my arms before reaching my neck and my jaw. I couldn’t help but lean into it. Her presence was always calming to me. She traced my face before saying.

‘By marrying William, I can protect my brothers, get my mother treatment that she already agreed to.’ I froze realizing what she was saying. ‘I can protect you. They have no idea who you are or what you look like.’ My hands froze over the mantle and my feet were covered in ice. ‘I can protect you Zavier and I will,’ she whispered.

‘Ari, please don’t do this, please don’t trust them.’

She looked remorseful as she looked back from the door.

‘I'm sorry Zavier, it's for the best.’

She walked away.