Chapter Six

“Huh?” I asked, snapping out of it. Morgyn was waving in front of my face. “Oh, uh, yeah, sorry. Just, this place. Wolfsbane Manor; it reminded me of something.”

Caleb turned around quickly. “Wait, what did you say?”

“I said this house reminded-“

“No, you said the name of the house,” he stepped toward me.

“Wolfsbane Manor,” I repeated.

Caleb smiled. “So you remember it.”

“Only because it just came to me in another dream, vision, thing,” I shook my head.

“What was the vision?” He asked.

Lilith walked over. “Oh, my God! Caleb! Where have you been?” She hugged him tightly.

Caleb smiled. “That’s a pretty long story.”

“I have eternity,” Lilith grinned.

“Touché,” Caleb nodded. “I’ll explain, but I’ll need your help with something.”

I felt a sense of relief that I didn’t have to explain the vision. I was pretty sure Caleb, nor Lilith needed that reminder.

“What do you need my help with?” Lilith asked.

“Well, that’s where the story comes in,” Caleb said. He explained everything he had explained to me, about being brainwashed. “And I need to try to gather as many people as possible to take this guy down.”

Lilith cracked her knuckles and grinned. “What do you mean by ‘take him down’?”

Caleb gave her an unamused look. “Remove him from power, restore everyone’s memories, you know, non-violent stuff.”

Lilith’s face fell. “Dammit, Caleb! No fun once again.” She sighed. “We’re vampires.”

“Nice vampires,” Caleb reminded her.

“Yeah, yeah, sure. Nice vampires, until they mess with your family and friends!” Lilith looked at him. “When do we start?”

“Not yet,” Caleb said, holding his hand up. “We need to take the necessary actions to be ready for this. It may get messier than the dragon war.”

My eyes widened. “The dragon war?” I blurted out.

“You remember it?” Caleb asked.

“I remember hearing a story about it, or maybe reading about it,” I said, trying to recall. “The active sage of untamed magic died in that battle.”

Morgyn glanced at me fearfully. “What?”

Caleb sighed. “Yeah, that was Morgyn,” he said. “And you didn’t hear about it or read about it. It actually happened.”

Morgyn looked even more shocked. “I’m sorry, what?”

I looked down. “Who was he trying to protect when he died?”

Caleb swallowed hard, but didn’t speak.

I looked up at him slowly. “Who?”

“You,” he said quietly.

Morgyn started to look angry. “I’m sorry, but what?” He asked again.

“You died trying to protect me in the dragon war,” I said in a near whisper. “One of the dragons ran into us as you tried to get me to go back to Caleb and Lilith. Your back was turned. After the impact, we fell down the wooded hill we walked up to get here.” I felt tears in my eyes, remembering the bloody rock and my intense feeling of dread in that forest. “I tried to save you,” I said. “I’m sorry.”

Morgyn looked perplexed and walked over to me. “Why are you apologizing if I’m alive?” He asked.

Caleb smiled. “That’s a good question.” He stood behind Morgyn.

I felt interrogated. “Because regardless of how he’s even here right now, I failed in my attempt to save him from the dragon.” I knew I was sounding edgy, but I couldn’t help it. Why would they ask me such stupid questions? Death was a big deal!

“So you don’t know how he’s here,” Caleb said, matter of factly.

I shook my head.

“You saved him,” he said, a warm smile on his lips.

“That’s impossible,” I argued. “You can’t just bring someone back to life.”

“Actually…” Morgyn grinned. “There’s ‘Necrocall’ and ‘Dedeathify’,” he explained.

“She didn’t use a spell,” Caleb said.

“Wait, what?” Morgyn looked at him, perplexed. I followed, just as confused.

Caleb held his hand up. “Both of you, do this,” he said.

Morgyn and I held our hands up. We looked at each other and placed our hands on each other’s. Nothing happened.

Caleb sighed. “Wishful thinking,” he said. “But that causes a shock between you two. Between a healing spell and that shock, you successfully brought him back.”

“I wonder why it doesn’t cause a shock now,” Morgyn said, thinking.

“Marco,” I said, looking down. “Aside from brainwashing us, he weakened us as well.”

Morgyn furrowed his brow. “This guy is such a nuisance,” he said.

Lilith grinned. “Then lemme at ’em!”

“Calm,” Caleb said. “Not yet. We need to be strategic, or more lives co-“

There was an intense shock, and Morgyn and I jumped backwards. I started laughing hysterically, jumping up and down happily. “I did it!”

“How did you do that?” Caleb asked.

“I tried to just focus on my power and bring more of it to the surface,” I explained, “Untamed magic can never be tamed!” I beamed, I brought my hand up again. Morgyn did the same, and there was another shock, but we were expecting it.

“Yes!” I squealed happily again.

Morgyn came closer, summoning a shield to protect us from the shocks. He hugged me happily. “You did it,” he said calmly.

As we pulled away, I stopped, leaning and kissing him deeply. He seemed shocked, but wrapped his arms around me.

We finally got our power back.

“You know,” Lilith said. “Maybe we could get others to help as well.” She looked at Caleb, who nodded.

“Who are you thinking?” He asked.

“Well, other beings with powers that could work with ours,” Lilith said. “I mean, mermaids, right?”

Caleb nodded. “Any extra power is good in my book,” he said. “But if any of those mermaids try to seduce us, I might have to bite them.” He grinned.

“Says the nice vampire?” Lilith laughed. “Only good when it’s convenient, eh?”

Caleb gently pushed her. “Hush.”

We all laughed. It was the most liberating laugh I had heard come from myself in a long time. Like things were finally getting back to normal. Though, Morgyn and I still couldn’t remember a lot. We needed to have something trigger a memory in order for us to remember anything. But we were getting somewhere. That’s what mattered.

“So, now that you guys are free, where will you go?” Lilith asked.

“Well, we need to go back to the realm,” I said. “Even if we don’t want to.”

“You’re crazy to go back!” She protested. “That would be like a kidnapped victim going back to their kidnapper!”

I shook my head. “We need to warn others to keep them safe.”

“Yeah,” Caleb added, “Marco is already pretty pissed at us. I wouldn’t be surprised if he took his anger out on them.”

Lilith sighed and clenched her fist. “Well, when you go back, I’m going too.”

Caleb looked at her, shocked, but didn’t protest. “Alright,” he nodded.

I turned to Caleb. “Before we go back, can you take me to San Myshuno?”

He smiled. “Sure.” He hugged me. “And I promise I won’t lie to you again.”

“You’d better not,” I grinned.

We decided to leave for San Myshuno, since it was a big city, Caleb said it would take awhile to walk through it all. We carefully rendered Glimmerbrook to get to the train station. Lilith came with us.

“So, Jade,” she said. “You don’t remember anything?”

“Not unless something triggers a memory,” I said.

She nodded. “So you don’t remember me.”

“No,” I admitted. “Caleb said he wanted to talk to you, and I was confused because I didn’t know he had a sister.” I sighed. “I hope all of my memories are restored when this is all over. I don’t like the idea of forgetting something, or someone important.”

“Hey,” she put her hand on my shoulder. “You were able to restore your power with Morgyn. I think you’d be able to reach in and pull out all of your memories if they aren’t all restored.”

I smiled. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

Caleb looked at me. “Right, what was that vision you had?”

I looked down. “I…” I stopped. “I don’t really want to get into that.”

“Well it was one of Ruby’s memories, right?” He asked.

“Yes,” I nodded. “But it was sad.”

Caleb looked at me, but didn’t say anything.

Lilith held her hand up. “Caleb, leave her be.”

Caleb nodded. He continued looking at me, concerned. I looked away and out the window and sighed.

“It was your mother’s funeral,” I blurted out, quietly.

Caleb tried to look unaffected, nodding slowly. Lilith looked at him, like she knew he was hiding it. I also looked at him, sadly. I stood up to sit beside him. I hugged him like I did in the dream. He gripped me tightly.

“She didn’t just pass away,” he said quietly. “She was killed.”

My eyes widened, and I pulled away. “What?”

Lilith looked just as confused. “I second that what,” she said, She narrowed her eyes. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

Caleb shook his head. “Like I would want to burden you with that information?”

“I deserved to know!” She exclaimed.

“Lilith,” Caleb started.

“I deserved to know,” Lilith repeated, clenching her teeth and glaring at Caleb.

“Yes, you did,” Caleb nodded. “But I just never knew how to tell you.” He turned to me. “She was killed because of me. Hunters were looking for us, but we hid. Mother covered for us, and because they didn’t believe her, they killed her.” He looked down, holding back tears. “I’ve lived with that guilt since that day.”

I hugged him again, and took Lilith’s hand, so she had comfort as well.

“You were there through it all,” Caleb said to me. “All of the anger, the sadness, the blame. You never walked away.”

“Why would I?” I asked. But it felt like my question came from elsewhere. A different consciousness. I caressed his cheek. “It would have been wrong of me to leave you when you needed me the most.”

He gazed at me, as if trying to read me. I was convinced this was Ruby coming to the surface of my consciousness. “Believe me when I say, I’m eternally grateful for that,” he said finally.

I hugged him again. I saw Morgyn stand up and sit by Lilith. He hugged her, and it was then that I realized she was crying. She didn’t say a word. Letting Caleb go, I turned my attention to her.

“Lilith, I…” I stopped.

“It’s not you,” she said quietly.

“It’s me,” Caleb sighed.

“No, brother, it’s not,” she looked at him. “Yeah, I’m upset that you didn’t tell me, but I’m more upset that that’s how it happened.” She sighed. “Mother was too kind and gentle to go out that way.”

“I should have got in between them,” I heard. It was Caleb’s voice, but he didn’t speak. I realized I was hearing him in my mind. I closed my eyes.

When I opened them, I was in Wolfsbane Manor. Caleb was pacing angrily.

“You would have perished,” I reminded him.

“I don’t care!” He growled. “If I had just stopped the hunter, or gave him what he wanted…” he trailed off.

I sighed, standing up. I stood in front of him. “Darling, don’t do this to yourself. She wouldn’t want you to.”

He looked up at me, his eyes glowing red. “That wouldn’t matter if she was still alive.”

“Don’t,” I said again. “We had no way of knowing that would happen. And you will only tear yourself apart, piece by piece by thinking this way.” I took his hand. “Come. Let’s have some tea.”

“No,” he said, letting my hand go. He walked over to the window. “This can’t just go away with some tea.”

I smiled. “I don’t expect it to go away. I just want to help calm you.”

He sighed and reached behind him to take my hand. “Thank you,” he said calmly.

I rested my other hand on his shoulder, and he turned around. He gazed at me, and I touched his cheek. “The pain will subside.”

Tears filled his eyes. “And the anger?”

I nodded and wiped them from his cheek as they fell. “Yes,” I whispered.

“When?” He gave me a desperate look.

I shook my head. “There’s no clear answer for that.” I gazed into his eyes. “But I will be here every step of the way.”

He nodded. “Thank you.”

I smiled warmly. “Of course.” As I went to hug him, he caressed my cheek and kissed me softly.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he whispered.

I shook my head. “You’ll never have to worry about that.”

I was snapped back to the present as the train came to a stop.

“That’s us,” Caleb said, standing up.

I shook my head, trying to shake the vision from my mind. I followed the others off the train and was immediately overwhelmed with the sights and smells of the large city.

Chapter Seven (click here)