The Scarlet Angel

f*******n Love

The night was hot and muggy with an open starry sky so beautiful that it was as if it were nature's own masterpiece. Desmond Blaise Saruman sat under a tree outside of an old, abandoned shack listening to the cricket’s chirp and the frogs croak off in the distance. Nature sounds were helping him remain calm until the agonized scream of his beloved would escape the shack and pierced the night as well as his soul. It took everything Desmond had not to rush inside, to take his Poppy's hand and help her through quite possibly the most painful night of her life. He knew that if he were to watch his child come into this world, he would not be able to do what must be done.

                Desmond ran a shaking hand through his already unruly fiery red hair. With the sigh he stands up and begins pacing just as Poppy screams again. Though this scream was just as piercing as the ones before, it was less agonized and more determined. After a few heartbeats of silence an infant’s cry fills the air and Desmond realizes the breath he hadn't realize he had been holding the child his child was born a child born from a high level warlock in a lowly shapeshifter slave. 

                Taking a deep breath Desmond begins walking towards the shack. As he draws near the shack, he can hear the soft chants coming from the wiccan midwife whom he had paid handsomely for her cooperation and discretion in this matter. Hand on the doorknob Desmond takes an extra second to harden himself against what was to come. Opening the door he found a site so beautiful that it caused his heart to beat at a terrifying speed in the middle of the room on a pile of blankets at his love with tears in her eyes the smile as bright as the sun holding their child. Drawing closer he could see that the baby had all of poppy's beautiful features except with his hair.

                “Come say hello to your daughter isn't she mesmerizingly beautiful. “Poppy says as she looks as Desmond with joy in her eyes,” What shall we call you oh what about Meredith, that’s strong elegant name?” she asked looking down at their daughter again,” Poppy, my love don't get ahead of yourself. Remember what we talked about we can't allow her to live.” Desmond says as he sits down next to his love.” Why not we could just run away and leave this place. Be a family, a real family without all of the racism.” Poppy said looking at him with pleading eyes.

“My love I am on the high council I can't just leave even if we could get far enough away and make it work eventually they would come looking for us and what if we try to leave and get caught they would kill us all of us”

“No, they won't because we wouldn't get caught, you're the most powerful warlock this world has ever seen, and I've been told by many beings shape shifters witches and vampires alike that I am very gifted. Together we would make it as she spoke poppy looked at Desmond with a fire in her eyes and there was nothing, he wanted more than to believe in what she was saying. But sadly, he could not see it.

“I'm sorry but we had a deal my sweet I promised that I would not go against your beliefs and let you carry this child to term. I promised I would allow you to hold the child as long as you let me do what is necessary for our survival.”

 “No, I won't let you hurt her, she is a part of me killing her would kill me!” Poppy says pulling the child closer to her chest. “My dear she won't feel a thing, I will simply cast a sleeping spell where she will go into a deep sleep and then pass quietly from this world and into the next, it will be painless and better than what the council would do to all of us if they found out”

“But I can't I already love her too much to lose her, my sweet Meredith” as she said this Desmond realized Poppy would not willingly let him do what must be done for the greater good. He knew what he was about to do would break poppy's heart, but he had to do this and fast before she could argue with him more “somno in mortis.”  As soon as the spell left his lips Desmond felt a shiver run up his spine as if his body knew what was about to happen before he did all the sudden the baby began to glow of bright white light that almost blinded him then just as quickly light faded and then transferred from the baby to Poppy.

As the light faded so too did poppy strengthen consciousness, she struggled to keep her eyes open. “Take care of her please, let her grow up strong and happy, if you ever loved me please grant me this final request. “Poppy whispered as she fought to stay awake shifting the baby from her arms into Desmond’s she urgently whispers, “Promise me you will let her live.” Desmond bowed his head knowing he could not deny her this.

“OK I promise she will live to a ripe old age I love you,” he said with tears in his eyes in a lump in his throat. Desmond stayed by her side while she slept until her breathing slowed and then stopped altogether as Poppy's last breath left her lips the midwife came took the baby in her arms and began singing a lullaby to her and walked out of the shack, that was when Desmond broke out into a morn filled rage that would last most of the night, screaming his pain to the world feeling as if poppy had taken his soul with her.

Once the tears were spent and his were under control, he went in search of the midwife and the child. When he found them, he noticed the midwife was washing the baby in the River it was nearing dawn and little raises sunlight were beginning to shine over the horizon, casting them in warm. “Edith,” Desmond said standing a few feet away, not daring to come closer to the demon that murdered his reason for living.

“Yes, my Lord,” Edith says looking over at Desmond while wrapping the wet babe in the blanket and walking towards him. “Stay where you are don't get that thing anywhere near me!” Desmond yells stopping Edith in her tracks after only a few steps “Now listen to me very closely I want you to take that thing that demon as far as possible I never want to see it again.”

“But my Lord you promised Miss Poppy----"

“I promised that I would let it live not keep it,” he said clenching his jaw trying to refrain from exploding in an angry fit. “She will be a slave, like her mother maybe that will show her that she can't destroy what she is given, and her name will be Freya a name that represents what she is death.”

“You would have me take her to strangers to be sold into s*****y!” Edith shouted clutching the babe tightly as if she were powerful enough to protect the child from him that was when a thought occurred to Desmond that just might work. If his brother would be willing to use this favor to cancel out all the debt he has racked up with Desmond.

“She will not go to strangers, she will go to my brother in Lawzin, up in the mountains. Where she will live out her days.” Desmond said then turns on his heel and begins swiftly walking back to the shack, “Come quickly you'll be leaving in an hour!”

“But how will we get there? Lawson is miles away it would take weeks to get there what if we get stopped, her hair is a dead giveaway.”

 “That is why I will cast a spell that will make her hair as black as a Raven,” with distaste Desmond held out his arms. “Hand her to me, I promise I won't hurt her, but I must be holding her for it to stick.”

Edith reluctantly handed Freya over to him “I haven't had to use this spell since the Academy. I would use it to hide my own red hair so I would not be bullied by the upper-class warlocks. Back then I used it to hide my one difference now I'm using it to cover up my one mistake.” Holding the child at arm’s length Desmond slowed his breathing and cast a spell “Nigrae Quasi Corvas!”

At first it seemed the spell had not worked but then her hair begins to darken and darken still until it was as black as a crow's feathers. “There that should do it,” he says handing the baby back to Edith saying, “Litterae” and a letter that he had been writing in his mind appears. He hands it to Edith. “Take this letter with you and give it to my brother and no one else, now gather your things and hurry,” he says.

“I will once you tell me how Freya and I are getting to Lawson.” Edith retorts looking exhausted an extremely frustrated.

“Fine if you must know I will be teleporting you, yes I know that's a long distance but that for you. I'm more powerful than you can ever perceive.” Desmond says annoyed with her questions, “Remember give the child in the letter to my brother and no one else understood.”

“Yes understood, only your brother then what do I do,” she asks looking down at the child “Then you travel back to me and receive double what you were paid for the delivery but you must bring back a letter from my brother stating that he will do what I am asking of him.” Desmond says preparing for the teleporting spell. “Now do as I command and get your things none of us will ever see this place again.”

Desmond looks through the shacks window at his Poppy, just as beautiful in death as she was in life. Holding back more tears he raises his hand up and chokes out a spell that would get rid of all remanences that they were ever there, “Un Incenderent Terra.”  With that the shack burst into flames.

Waling over to Edith Desmond Grabbed and held her by the shoulders, “Edith, once you have finished this task I forbid you from ever speaking about this to me or anyone including Freya and if you disobey me I will personally see to it that you suffer for a very long time.” Desmond says staring deeply into Edith’s eyes. She nods her head,” yes my Lord.” After he let her go  he could tell that he had visibly terrified her good it was best that she be scared he didn't have his puppy to keep him grounded to make him want to be better, for her.

Desmond walked over to an ancient Oak tree knocked on it 3 times and said, “ut auferat ame longe.” The giant Oak began to twist and turn then it first open and it was like looking through a window his brother's ranch in the mountain range of was on it would be a perfect place to hide his child

“Are you ready?” Edith nodded cradling the babe and clutching her medical bag so tight it made her knuckles turn white. “Just step through the tree and into the snow.” As Edith walked up to the tree and through the portal all the way up until she was gone from his sight, his daughter stared at him with the same Violet blue eyes her mother had had. It was only after the portal had closed at desert and let himself collapse to the ground wishing that he had just listened to his poppy. That he had just agreed to run away with her and be a real family instead of trying to kill the only thing she loved more than him.