Falling for Forever (16 page)

"Mariah keeps me here for her own sick amusement," the creature replied with a wave of his hand.

"What did you do, that she would take such notice of you? There must be many creatures like you." Bryn hadn't seen anything like him of course, but she was sure that he wasn't the only one.

 Ceylon smiled at her. "I know a secret of hers."

"Oh?"

"I know who killed that pretty little wife of hers."

Bryn sat forward, her attention brought to a sudden point. "Jasmine?" The creature nodded. "Who killed her?"  

Ceylon's shadowy face turned upward into a wicked smile. Bryn suddenly realized that she didn't want to know, but the question had already been asked. She couldn't take it back now. "What did she tell you about it?"

"Only that a monster killed her," Bryn replied.

"Yes, a monster did kill her," the creature hissed. "That monster was Mariah."

"No…"

 Ceylon nodded. "Of course, Mariah regretted it later on. But she did kill her."

Bryn quickly rose to her feet. "I've had enough of your lies, creature," she said as she walked past him and back into the other chamber. She closed the door behind her and leaned against one of the bookcases.

"I know you are out there, little one," Ceylon called after a few minutes. His voice was as smooth as glass. If she wasn't so afraid of him, she might have thought he was beautiful.

"No, I'm not!" Bryn yelled back. Her hands instantly went to her mouth as she realized her foolishness. She could hear him chuckling from behind the door.

"Come back in here. I won't hurt you."

She was hesitant to trust him, but he was chained to the floor, so she opened up the door and sat down. He was a good ten feet from her, and her back was to the trapdoor, so she felt safe. Safe for the moment anyway.

"That's better. Am I really that scary?" he cooed.  Ceylon was sitting on the floor, his back straight, his hands folded in his lap. She quickly nodded. "I didn't mean to frighten you; it's just that I get visitors so rarely down here. This place feels so much like a prison."

Bryn brought her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them. Her arms wrapped around her legs, hugging them against her. The room did remind her of a prison. It was just like the room Franklin had kept her in when she was bad. "Why are there so many weapons down here?" she asked softly.

 Ceylon looked around the room at them, his gaze lingering on each. "Mariah uses them often enough, so I guess it is out of convenience."

"Mariah only ever carries the one that is on her hip. And I see nothing in here to practice on…" Her gaze shot to him and he nodded. Her stomach felt like it was twisting into knots. "Mariah uses them on… you?" 

Ceylon nodded softly.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I can't feel it, of course, but it is still so unnecessary." He paused and smiled sadly. "It is only demeaning sometimes. And only then, if I let it be. Some people do things that hurt others because they don't like something in themselves. Do you know what I mean?"

Bryn nodded. She knew very well what he meant. Her scars were beginning to burn as she thought about them. Her hand brushed over them slowly as her wings wrapped around her shoulders. "Mariah isn't like that," she softly said. It was mostly to assure herself. The creature had to be wrong. He just had to. He was evil after all, and evil was good at lying. But she really didn't know that much about Mariah, and she hadn't told Bryn everything about what had happened with Jasmine, she was sure of that much. "Then you knew her right? Jasmine, I mean," Bryn asked as she raised her eyes to the creature.

"Yes, I knew her."

Her insides were starting to twist in on themselves. "Was she pretty?"

"No."

Bryn's brow knitted in confusion. "No? Why not?"

 Ceylon smiled and rose to his feet. He was nearly as tall as Mariah, but his form was not quite as muscular. She would have never imagined a creature like him existing. There were many things in the world so why not something like him?

"You don't want to know if she was pretty," he said.

"I don't?"

"No. You want to know if she was prettier than you," he replied, a wicked smile forming on his lips.

Bryn's eyes darkened. "What does that matter?" she grumbled.

 Ceylon only shrugged and continued to smile. "Yes, she was pretty. But she was pretty in a different way than you. She was exotic pretty, with dark eyes and long silky hair. You are Strytas pretty; innocent, sweet, and adorable. Like a bunny really."

He was mocking her, and as he began to chuckle, her cheeks heated. "I don't want to be like a bunny," she murmured.

"Whether you want to be or not doesn't really matter right now. You are who you are. There is no changing that. You can't be her, and she isn't you. So what difference does it really make?"

"None, I guess," she grumbled. And it didn't really. She would still have liked him to say that she was prettier, but that was selfish and more than a little childish. Once again, Bryn scolded her human side for its faults.

He watched her softly. For an instant, she thought maybe there was a hint of sadness in those red eyes. "If it's any consolation, Mariah didn't care for her like she cares for you," he murmured.

Bryn sighed and rocked slowly back and forth. "I don't understand Mariah sometimes. I know that she loves me, there's no question about that. But she's… well, she's…"

"Cold? Uncaring? Selfish? A pompous arrogant fool that thinks only of herself? Stop me when I get close," Ceylon said with a mischievous grin.

She shot him a dark scowl and rose to her feet.  Ceylon watched her curiously as she went into the other room and fingered a small box on the shelf. It was painted bright red with intricate golden symbols along the edges. "Mariah's not like that, but she's not exactly the most forthcoming person I've ever met," she said idly. Mariah hadn't told her much about her life, and she usually felt like Mariah was hiding something from her. But she wasn't cold, and she certainly wasn't selfish.

Bryn slid to the ground, her back resting against the bookshelf. She could feel Ceylon just around the corner, watching her.

From the solemn darkness of the underground shrine suddenly came a bolt of blinding light which slammed into the chest of the demon. Its nether form twisted cruelly in the power of the blast until finally the shadow was vaporized. The room again fell dark and cold, the torches on the walls seemed to cower at the onslaught of this terrible power. Bryn stood paralyzed near one of the shelves, her hands fingering a few various artifacts. Mariah yelled out for her, her heart racing with fear. Finally, Bryn managed a faint squeak. "I am here, Mariah."

Mariah rushed over to her and embraced her body tightly. Tears were running down her cheeks, moistening the fabric of his uniform.

"I was so worried, Bryn. There are dangerous things down here… not to mention Ceylon."

Bryn nodded into his chest and softly said, "I am so sorry, Mariah. I was just curious."

"Please do not feel too bad. I am just glad that you are safe. However, I will need to know what you touched down here and what the demon said to you."

"He was very scary Mariah…" She choked weakly. "I felt the evil radiating from him, yet I do feel bad for him. You kept Ceylon down here, all alone in this darkness, chained up like an animal. No being deserves such treatment."

"Bryn, there is much about Ceylon you do not understand; though there is one thing I can show you now. I noticed you used to word 'kept' when describing him. Ceylon is not gone; his vile form is reborn. Look."

Bryn slowly turned her head to the archway, seeing a slumping shadow in the middle of the room. Mariah gently turned her body to again face her. "Bryn, I need to know what he told you."

"He… I… he…" She swallowed hard and took a deep breath to calm herself. After a few moments, she started again. "He… talked about Jasmine. He said you killed her, Mariah, but I know it isn't true. It just can't be."

Mariah sighed heavily. "Well, I am not the one that took her life, but I made a mistake that allowed it to happen. But for now, let's get out of here. I could really use some natural light." Bryn nodded weakly against her chest.

They returned to the cozy bedroom and Mariah locked away the dark shrine behind them. "Bryn, I am not sure if you are ready to know this, but you really deserve to know more about me." Mariah waved her hand in front of Bryn's eyes and a rush of memories returned to her. She now knew of her dark past, the pain and suffering she had once caused to so many people. It took her some time to sort out all of the memories, but when she had, a few tears ran down her face, and for the first time she looked at Mariah with utter terror in her eyes. Mariah sighed heavily. "Now perhaps you can understand why I've been so cold. If they ever knew I had such love for any person, they would destroy her to get to me… again." Mariah got up to leave the room and, for the first time in as long as she could remember, a tear touched her cheek.

Bryn's eyes followed Mariah as she slowly walked into the living room. Bryn was frozen in place, leaning against the bedroom wall. The memories were still confusing and hard to make sense of, but she had managed to get the basics down. Mariah had once been evil, truly evil. But among those memories, she had also been able to feel some of what Mariah felt. Mariah took no pleasure in the slaughter she had taken part of. There were thousands that she had murdered, but she hadn't enjoyed any of it. She saw Mariah go to the window. Mariah's back was still toward her as she gazed out, and Mariah's shoulders were slightly slumped. Even now, with everything she knew, there was still one fact that was stronger than all the others; she loved Mariah. Admitting it wasn't as hard as she might have thought.

Bryn walked toward Mariah cautiously, not because she was afraid, but because she didn't want to startle her. She wrapped tentative arms around her waist and rested her cheek against her shoulder. Mariah was warm under her fingertips, and she lifted her shirt up slightly, just enough to slide her hands under it. They stood like that for a long while, both of them unwilling to move.

"Mariah," she softly said finally. "Please don't worry about losing me. I will never leave you."

Her voice had more confidence behind it than she would have thought possible. Pressing herself tightly against her back, she moved her hands up Mariah's stomach. She unfurled her wings and enveloped them around Mariah's body, crossing them over her broad chest. "I love you, Mariah Sawyer," she murmured against her ear.

"Bryn, there has been nothing and no one I have loved as much as you. I have never felt such peace in my entire life, but I always fear that the peace cannot last forever. This is, of course, why I always feared becoming close to you. You too have you own path to walk. You must someday rejoin your kin and learn those things that I cannot teach you. But we do have time. For now, there is no evil in the world. All I see today is you. Today, all I want to do is to be wrapped in your silken embrace and let the sun and moon pass by above us."

Mariah took Bryn into her arms and kissed her soft lips deeply, her hands glided over the silky feathers that adorned her wings. Mariah loved Bryn with all her heart, and that love was all the existed today.

Bryn gazed down at Mariah, her eyes still half closed from sleep. The sun was just beginning to raise, its iridescent rays gently illuminating her features. "Good morning, darling," she softly said to Mariah as she brushed the blonde hair off her forehead. Mariah groaned in her sleep, slowly coming awake. They had spent the night together, tightly wrapped in each other's arms. Gentle aromas drifted to her from the open window. She could distinguish a few of the herbs. There were flowers too, all of them sweet and fragrant. Their scents covered her in a delicate blanket. Bryn curled against Mariah as the sun rose higher. Her fingers wound into her short hair and she breathed her scent in deeply. It was wonderful to be in her arms, but she had things that she needed to do, and Mariah was still asleep.

Hurriedly she bathed and dressed, choosing a short white silk dress to wear for the day. She found a ribbon in the dresser and quickly wrapped it in her hair, pulling it up off her neck. It was already becoming warm outside, and she had no intention of staying inside the cabin today. She grabbed a small bag from the kitchen before heading out the door.

The cool air whirled around her legs as she walked through the fields. Bryn kept to the outside edges of the field, away from the tall grasses. There was seclusion in their height, but she could also easily get lost among them. It was much easier for her to walk along the fringes where the lush blanket of plants rarely came up past her ankles. Flowers dotted her path as she walked. Behind her, the cabin disappeared slowly from view, but she was sure that she could find it again if she needed to. Just barely visible ahead of her was her horse.

"Hello, Blackberry," she called to the big black stallion. He raised his head and nickered in greeting. "I wish to ride you," she said as she ran a hand over his black silken hide.

"You wish to try,
" he snorted.

Bryn smiled and pulled a small item from the bag around her waist. She opened her hand to reveal the top half of a very fat carrot. His ears perked forward, and he sniffed it. Blackberry opened his mouth to take it from her, but she pulled it quickly behind her back. "Let me ride you, just through this field and only for a short while. Every time that you do, I will give you another tasty treat," she told him.

"Food before you ride, and I decide when you have to get off."

Bryn nodded and gave him the carrot. "Deal," she said as she kissed his soft neck.

She placed an unsteady hand on his jet-black shoulder. Blackberry stood quietly, patiently waiting for her. He nudged her with his nose, urging her to forget her fears and mount. She grabbed a handful of his silken mane and eased herself onto his back. The tree stump she had been standing on made it easier for her to climb up on him. She was bareback; the only way she knew how to ride. Blackberry turned his head to make sure she was comfortable before walking. He started off slow, sensing her nervousness through her shaking fingers. Bryn had never ridden a horse before, so she was glad that he was being patient with her. She was surprised that he didn't feel much different than Yarrow. As a unicorn, Yarrow was of course slimmer and more graceful than the hulking horse, but Blackberry was more subdued. Rarely was Yarrow placid or ever content to slowly amble through the woods like she was now doing with Blackberry.