Incarnations (6 page)

"Beautiful," Ash proclaimed, but he wasn't paying any
attention to the swirling petals. His eyes were for Caislyn, and
for her alone. She knew that, just from the look, but she wasn't
sure what to do with it. The minute she started to fret over what
her heart really wanted, the petals dropped to the ground and then
disappeared altogether.

***

FLASHING BACK

"The Brotherhood you are so desperate to do away with
is what made me who I am today," Marc started into his story, as
Jaxon, Brigid, and Seth sat listening. "Once upon a time ago I
thought I was merely human. That was until the Brotherhood got hold
of me. I apparently had an interesting skill set that they thought
to use in their war against evil and magic. I was born a witch, not
that I knew it. I was also tossed aside, a screaming orphan in the
gutters near a whore house. I was raised by a scullery maid who
found me, but she died when I was eight, leaving me on my own. I
wasn't aware that my mother had been a witch. So, when the
Brotherhood found me around the age of 10, stealing bread on the
streets, they snatched me up and took me in. I was grateful for the
regular meals and a warm place to lay my head, and soon, I was
listening with rapt attention to the tales of evil that Brothers
would tell. I began to ask questions about how I could help their
cause. I didn't want the evil to spread any further either. That's
also about the time that my magic began ot manifest. They say some
witches don't come into their power until they hit puberty. The
chemical changes in the body release the power that has been locked
away. For me, that was very true. Though, I suppose, had I known
about my powers all along and exercised them, they probably would
have shown up sooner. Anyway, I was obviously in great distress
when my powers started to bleed through, even as I tried to supress
them. Brother Miles pulled me aside one day and I cried to him in
his room about being the evil the brothers feared. He assured me I
was not evil, that I had been given access to the powers for a
reason. I was to fight fire with fire. They had a special position
for me to ascend to, but first, I would have to start
training."

Marc was lost in his thoughts for a moment, until
Jaxon leaned over and placed her other hand on his. She wasn't
trying to comfort him, she was encouraging him to keep going with
her touch. She pushed the need to purge all this emotional baggage
out of him. And he responded with an audible gasp before
continuing.

"I met a boy, when I first came to live with the
Brotherhood. His name was Caleb. He always struck me as odd,
because he had eyes so blue they almost appeared white, crystalline
even. He was to train with me, as a back up, in case I didn't meet
all the requirements of the position. The Brotherhood thought they
would push us harder because we each had competition, but what they
did was forged a friendship that time couldn't break. Caleb and I
trained, daily, for our new roles as the protectors of the world.
We weren't sure what that entailed, and we spent lots of time
pondering over what it would one day mean. As we grew older,
trained harder, and grew to be trusted, we were told more. There
was a way to bring magic to an end. One of the two of us would be
instrumental in making that happen. I for one, hoped it would be
me, because my magic was still out of control at times. I thought
it would help cure me."

"Little did I know, it would be the end of me." Marc
shook his head before continuing. "By the time Caleb and I reached
our 19th year, we were told that we were to be tested. Whichever
one of us did better during the testing would go on to attain the
position of Regent of the Brotherhood. We would in essence, one day
become the leader of the Brotherhood. We were tested, and then
tested some more. Just when we both thought we would quit rather
than endure any more of the physical and emotional strain, the end
of the testing was announced. Two days later, they came forward and
explained that I was to be Regent, and that Caleb would be my
second. We were both okay with this. I took the oath and followed
through with the ceremony, naming me Regent. Then, I grew God-awful
sick. I'm not sure what they did to me during that ceremony, but
for 6 days afterwards, I thought I would die. I was delusional,
with fever, I felt as though I would burn up from the inside out.
Before it was all over, I lost weight, dropping down to an
unrecognizable welp of a boy rather than muscular man I had become
prior to the ceremony. I was weak, and I felt as though my magic
had been drained from me."

"Was it?" Jaxon interrupted. "I mean, was it
drained?"

"No, not in the way I had hoped. It was transformed.
I was told, once I recovered, that my magic would keep me immortal
until such time as I could find the two who would change the course
of our history. The two that had been spoken of by prophets for
ages. The two who could... well, they could change things forever.
So, I began to recover. As my strength grew, so did my
recklessness. I didn't believe that I was truly immortal, and Caleb
and I tried everything to kill me. Nothing worked. It seems stupid
now, to think on the things we did to test the theory, but it also
showed the blind faith we held in the Brotherhood. We literally put
my life in our hands at every turn, just to test the waters, not
caring what happened as a result, because we knew the Brotherhood
was telling the truth about immortality."

"I was warned, however; that I would not be allowed
beyond the Monastery gates after the change. This was unacceptable
to me. I needed my freedom to roam as much as the next young man.
It would be another two years of following orders while Caleb and I
secretly tried to find a weakness within me. After two years
though, I grew beyond restlessness and knew that I had to get away
from the monastery, even if only for a short time. I was bored with
the never ending games Caleb and I devised to try to test my
immortality. So, we decided to leave the Monastery and find
adventure."

Marc looked worn out, but Jaxon had no sympathy, she
pushed harder to make him keep going. She wasn't going to let him
stop till he gave them everything they needed to make sure she and
Caislyn would be safe again.

"My name wasn't always Marc Pithview, you know. I
took that name as a joke, after what happened. When Caleb and I
left the monastery that day, I decided it was high time to go visit
one of the whore houses there. We were a part of the Brotherhood,
but that did not entail us taking actual vows of celibacy. Caleb
wanted no part of the whore houses. He was completely wrapped up in
the Brotherhood’s dogmas, which included not laying with a woman,
as they were the ultimate distraction from the cause. I didn't
care. The Brotherhood had done something to me that I couldn't
explain, and when they did, it changed something in me. I no longer
cared about their dogma or their plans. In truth, they should have
chosen Caleb to begin with, he always was the better of the two of
us. He went back to the monastery. I stayed. Staying changed me,
forever."

"I did go to the whore house..."

"Spare us the details of your lost innocence and get
on to the important shit!" Jaxon was growing testy. It was draining
her quicker than she liked to keep pushing Marc for the truth.

"Trust me, you don't want me to spare this detail."
Marc smiled a snide smile over his shoulder at Jaxon before
continuing. "I cut the purse strings of some drunken schmuck in the
back of the tavern. He never noticed. I hadn't used the skills I
learned on the streets as a child in a very long time, but
apparently some things are harder to forget than others. I used the
purse to pay for the most beautiful woman in the establishment.
There was something exotic about her. I mean, really exotic. She
had this otherworldly presence that I couldn't shake. It wasn't
until we were upstairs in her private room that I would learn what
made her so special. Cecilia Winters was her name."

"Cecelia was your sire?" Seth sucked in an audible
breath before waving his hand for Marc to continue.

"Yes, she was. Now, you should ask yourself how a
witch became a vampire, because it's a question I've been plagued
with for many years. Apparently, whatever the Brotherhood did to
me, allowed the vampire venom to take affect where it normally
wouldn't have with a witch. So, you see, Jaxon. I too am a Vampire
Witch, hence my name!" After seeing the blank expression on Jaxon's
face he added, "scramble the letters, and think about it."

He looked back toward Seth and Brigid then. "I went
back to the Monastery. The hunger hadn't come over me yet, and I
didn't know what I had become. I had been told of vampires before,
but I was also told they couldn't turn a witch. So, I didn't think
anything of it. When I got there, I was fine. At least until I hit
the training area, where Brother Michael had just cut himself. The
blood lust hit me like a freight train. The weight of that need
slammed into me and took over everything else. I killed Brother
Michael, drained him right there. Two other members of the
Brotherhood were there to witness, and so I killed them too. I
don't even remember their names anymore. The only witness I hadn't
been prepared for was Caleb. When I noticed him lurking in the
corner, I went for him. Not to kill him, just to explain. He seemed
to sense this. He didn't judge, didn't threaten, just took me aside
and got me away from the Monastery as fast as possible."

"So, what happened after he helped you escape?"

"He told me if we ever crossed paths again he would
kill me, because I was an abomination now." Marc smiled, "I think I
was his only moment of weakness. You have to understand, Jaxon, my
friend went on to become the leader of the Brotherhood. Caleb, the
man with the crystalline eyes, he is the one who seeks you out. You
and Caislyn."

"Why does he want us?" Jaxon asked, as she tried to
keep her voice from shaking. Keeping Marc in a talkative mood with
her powers was draining her, but she knew he had more to say, and
she wanted to make sure they got it all before Seth and Brigid had
their way with him.

"That is the problem. He can't ever be allowed to get
you. It would destroy everything. That's why I spent so long
searching. Then I had you right under my nose and I trusted the
wrong damn vampire with you!" Marc looked pointedly at Seth, who
just shrugged at him. "You see, don't you? You see why they have to
die? It would ruin everything, for everyone, if they were allowed
to live. If Caleb gets them, it will end everything!" Marc looked
emploringly to both Seth and Brigid. "Please!" He was yelling now,
"We have to kill her, and then you have to kill Caislyn too. They
must both die so that we can continue on. KILL THEM!"

Jaxon dropped her hands from Marc, and stood staring
at him. Before she could even react Seth was there with one of
Jaxon's long knives she left that she brought in her bag by the
couch. Marc's head, which was lopped off in one quick stroke,
rolled awkwardly across the floor as both Brigid and Jaxon stood
frozen in place.

***

A CHOICE

"Where have you been?" Gregore sniped at Caislyn as
she walked up to the RV. He had apparently been waiting on the
front steps for a while. Sweat was beaded up on his forehead and he
looked worn out.

"I was out in the woods," Caislyn said, choosing to
keep her answers simple so as not to anger Gregore.

"With?" He prodded.

"With what, Gregore? What exactly would you like to
know?"

"Not with what, Caislyn, with who?"

"Do we really have to do this right now? I'm tired."
Caislyn didn't even bother trying to get past Gregore into the RV.
She could see he wasn't willing to budge yet, so she plopped down
on the ground cross legged. Apparently, they were about to have a
lengthy conversation. "Obviously, I was with Ash, training."

"Training, huh?" Gregore snorted.

"Yes, training. He showed me how to access Faerie,
and..."

"He what? Caislyn, do you not remember how they
threatened you? What were you thinking going there?"

"It's not like that. I'm not under threat right
now?"

"And why would they suddenly change their minds about
something like that?" One look at Caislyn's reddening face and
Gregore shook his head, "they think the baby might be his, so they
can't touch you?"

Caislyn nodded and watched as Gregore took a moment
to compose himself again. "I can't help what's already happened,
Greg." Caislyn plucked nervously at a few blades of grass that
sprouted up around her.

"No, you can't. That would be one thing, and I could
probably just get over it. It's the fact that you aren't trying to
keep it from happening again. I saw you guys out there today,
before you disappeared into Faerie. You had quite the little
picnick set up there for people who were supposed to be
training."

"Damn, Gregore! Ash had it all set up before I got
there. He said he wanted to make sure I had plenty to eat while we
trained so no one was getting mad about me not taking care of
myself." Caislyn tossed the blades of grass she had been plucking
from the ground. “I ate some food while I trained. If he hadn’t
brought it, I wouldn’t have even thought twice about needing to
feed myself or whoever’s baby this is inside of me. I swear, you
are both making me resent this whole thing. I can’t help what
happened. I can’t help the questions that are still hanging in the
air about who’s baby it is. I wish to God I could take it all back
and go back to a simpler time. I really do, because if you think
this is all fun and games for me, you are sadly mistaken, Gregore!”
Caislyn was crying now, quiet tears of frustration steadily
streamed down her face.

Gregore huffed in response and dropped his head into
his hands. Caislyn just watched, waiting for him to say or do
something more productive than sitting and pouting, once again.